Reviving Tsilhqot'in Fire Stewardship in the Chilcotin

Since 2018, Gathering Voices Society has worked with Yunesit'in and Xeni Gwet'in First Nations to rebuild their communities' relationship with fire after the record-breaking 2017 wildfire season burned over 500,000 hectares of the Chilcotin Plateau. Cultural burns guided by Elders and knowledge keepers have been held each spring and fall since 2019, reducing hazardous fuel loads while passing traditional fire knowledge to younger generations. A dedicated Fire Council now meets monthly to plan burns, develop community fire plans, and grow the number of trained Indigenous fire stewards across Tsilhqot'in territory.