Sous un même ciel et des constellations communes : réunion d'information 2025 du CIFFC et de Gardefeu sur la gestion autochtone des incendies et des situations d'urgence

WildFireSat is the first government-owned satellite mission specifically designed to monitor active wildland fires daily across Canada. This mission will provide timely and essential data to track fire activity and support fire and emergency management efforts with a launch planned for 2029. Indigenous Peoples in Canada, often located in wildfire-prone areas, are deeply connected to the land and are disproportionately impacted by wildfires. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) coordinated a WildFireSat knowledge exchange event specifically geared for Indigenous organizations that prepare and respond to wildland fires and emergencies. This is part of a multiyear partnership between CIFFC and Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Forest Service (CFS) WildFireSat mission team to help deliver key components of WildFireSat’s knowledge exchange program, which includes outreach sessions with the wildfire management community. The objective of the CIFFC – WildFireSat Indigenous Wildfire and Emergency Outreach Session was to engage with Indigenous fire and emergency management and fire stewardship organizations to share information about the mission, listen, and discuss Indigenous perspectives on the opportunities and challenges that WildFireSat presents. The WildFireSat team recognizes the important and growing role of Indigenous fire stewardship and emergency management. As such, the mission is prioritizing efforts to better understand the needs of Indigenous fire and emergency management and fire stewardship organizations as users of WildFireSat data through engagements such as this session. The session included an overview of the mission, discussions on end user products and the training that will be available, funding opportunities, and several interactive activities designed to foster relationship-building, promote transparency, and create space for sharing perspectives. An Indigenous consultant assisted in the design, facilitation and delivery of the session (Whitestone Industry Services Ltd.). Notably this session was facilitated in a trauma-informed and culturally grounded way. This session was also conducted in a manner that respected the First Nations principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP®), which affirm that First Nations have authority over data collection processes and retain ownership and control over how their information is used.