Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction Final Report Name: Project Title:

Chief Myers Ross and the PI had conversations over the course of several months that explored opportunities for supporting Yunesit’in in documenting the challenges that the community faced during the wildfire response and recovery. [...] At the same time that the PI and RA were building this relationship with Chief Myers Ross, the Tsilhqot’in National Government was working toward a Collaborative Emergency Management Agreement with the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada. [...] As a result of this Agreement and the ongoing connection with Chief Myers 2 Ross, the PI and RA became part of the Tsilhqot’in National Government’s Wildfire Project team and were able to carry out the funded project in conjunction with this broader project. [...] In addition to this objective, PI and RA were also responsible for carrying out community interviews in Yunesit’in (led by the RA) in accordance with the following aim of the Collaborative Emergency Agreement: “document the experience of the Tsilhqot’in Nation in the 2017 wildfires” (section 2(a)). [...] Jurisdictional Issues Research finding 1: The 2017 wildfires revealed an assumption on the part of regional, provincial and federal authorities that First Nations play a passive and deferential role in emergency management Regional, provincial and federal authorities were unprepared for the Tsilhqot’in’s leadership and exercise of authority during the 2017 wildfires.