Local First Nations helping fire evacuees in Sault Ste. Marie
As wildfire evacuees from North Spirit Lake First Nation continue to settle into their accommodations in Sault Ste. Marie, nearby Indigenous communities are stepping up to ensure their stay is as comfortable as possible.
One way of doing that is to offer cultural support.
The leaders of Batchewana and Garden River First Nations said overcoming the hustle and bustle of a city -- particularly the noise -- can be a hard adjustment for people from remote communities.
"A lot of our people are not used to the city, and the noises of the city, the busyness of the city, all these buses and traffic, it can be intimidating," said Chief Dean Sayers of Batchewana. "I think it really calls for an opportunity to get on the land."
Chief Andy Rickard of Garden River said offering cultural experiences that mirror their home life can help evacuees to cope.
"The things that we enjoy here is access to our beautiful beach, we have some fishing spots because we know that some of the community members that came from those communities, fishing and harvesting is a big part of their life," Rickard said.
Meantime, Sayers and Rickard want to know what's behind the high frequency of evacuations of Indigenous communities across northern Ontario.
"I would call an inquiry into the displacement of or the evacuation of First Nations people," Sayers said. "Why is that incident rate so high? It just doesn't make sense."
"You talk about reconciliation, right? That's the big buzzword today is that some of these communities are still dealing with those challenges that they've been having with the feds, or the province, for 20, 30, 40 years," said Rickard. "Kashechewan is a prime example. They experience flooding every wintertime and they're having to evacuate every winter."
Sayers and Rickard said their communities are open to the evacuees from North Spirit Lake. They're organizing some activities to get the evacuees onto their traditional lands and waters.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.