When Kashechewan First Nation in northern Ontario experienced spring flooding this year, Missanabie Cree First Nation led the charge to help.
The evacuation and response were part of Ontario’s first Indigenous-led approach to helping in times of crisis.
Missanabie Cree First Nation ISN Maskwa’s Indigenous Emergency Operations Centre, based out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., provides support services to fellow First Nations communities.
“The success is really that the people on the frontline are Indigenous. In a lot of circumstances, they can speak the language, and the people who are being organized for evacuation and ultimately hosted see themselves and the people who are helping them,” said Joseph Sayers, general manager of Missanabie Cree business corporation.
He notes that having fellow First Nations at the forefront of the response can help reduce tension for those in need and bypass any possible cultural barriers.
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“These are the people who have been training them, helping …