First Nations communities face displacement as Canadian wildfires spread

The wildfires that have burned 9.6 million acres across Canada since mid-May have forced the evacuation of approximately 40,000 people, more than half of whom are from First Nations communities, according to reporting by Grist. Nearly 34 tribes in almost every province have been affected, with the largest concentration of fires in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

According to Grist, evacuees are having trouble finding accommodations. The Canadian Red Cross secured around 3,300 hotel rooms and standby shelters for an estimated 32,900 registered evacuees in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. “We are calling on all hotels and accommodations in Winnipeg and across the province to open their doors to displaced First Nations families,” Grand Chief Kyra Wilson of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said.