In the late 1980s, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) and Indigenous communities were both facing challenges, which they were able to turn into a joint opportunity. BCWS was struggling with a lack of capacity within their organization. Indigenous communities were dealing with a lack of employment opportunities. Thus, the Indigenous Unit Crew Program was born.
Operating out of Houston, the program was designed to provide local employment and improve the province’s wildfire capacity and response while also supporting Indigenous knowledge of land and fire management. As a result, the first Indigenous unit crews were formed in Princeton, Riske Creek, Smithers, and Vanderhoof between 1989 and 1990. In response to a request from the BCWS task team, 17 First Nations communities expressed interest in supporting a local crew. BCWS spent the following year recruiting crew members and supervisors across BC.
In its early years, the Indigenous Unit Crew Program divided its crews into three category types: Type I crews were employed directly by BCWS and were the most skilled and trained, modelled after America’s Hotshot Program (crews that work on the hottest parts of wildfires); Type II crews were contracted crews that conducted low-risk direct attack, establishing hose and pump lines, digging fire guard and removing fuels; Type III crews consisted of contracted or industry hires, and sometimes street hires, who had the least amount of training and assisted only in the final stages of response. Not long after they were formed, divisions by category were ended to create an equal standard across all crews. At its peak, there were approximately 25 Indigenous Unit Crews positioned throughout BC’s six fire centres. The Indigenous Unit Crew Program not only gave its crew members steady seasonal employment, but it also instilled a sense of pride in First Nations communities, shared resources, and developed relationships between the Province and First Nations.
Today, Indigenous unit crews are renowned for their incredible work ethic and exceptional knowledge of land and fire management practices. Their members make up some of the most well-respected and knowledgeable crews in the province, like the Salish Unit Crew of the Lil’wat Nation, which was founded in 1989. Ryan Pascal was the first Salish crew supervisor, and served as the longest-running crew supervisor in BC. He was succeeded by interim supervisor Matt Nelson from Lil’wat in 2023. Current crew supervisor, Stephen Joe, stepped into the spot at the end of the 2023 season.
For many Indigenous unit crew members, this work means more than a paycheck or a pat on the back. It provides them with the opportunity to honour and protect their heritage, culture, people, and the place they call home. Some have seen other benefits, too, like decreased alcoholism and substance use and improved mental and physical health. However, while the Indigenous Unit Crew Program has been successful in many ways, it has not been without challenges. Some Indigenous crew members and leaders have experienced systemic and interpersonal racism from non-Indigenous crew members.
Historical Challenges of the Indigenous Unit Crew Program
Over the years, the BCWS application and recruitment process has become more challenging for Indigenous applicants. In some instances, Indigenous crews were not allowed to recruit qualified community members from within their community. Instead, applicants were made to go through the standardized recruitment process and were often relocated to crews far from their families and local Nations.
Hiring processes, including competency-based interviews and formal screening requirements also created challenges for some applicants. In addition, hiring panels often lacked Indigenous representation, which could further limit culturally relevant assessment approaches. In some cases, recruitment processes prioritized centralized hiring over community-based approaches, resulting in crew members being placed with teams far away from their home communities. This created additional challenges for those balancing work with family and community responsibilities, reflecting broader systemic barriers within public sector hiring processes.
As wildfire seasons in BC grew longer each year, many crew members found it hard being apart from family, especially when hired on a crew far from their home community. Plus, there were cultural differences to contend with. For example, response needs could conflict with dipping season, the period between mid-August and early September when members would traditionally fish, hunt, and fetch wood to provide for their families.
In time these barriers to recruitment and retention led to a decrease in Indigenous crew members and a major shift from the program’s original intent—to provide local employment for Indigenous communities and build BC’s wildfire response on the expertise of Indigenous peoples.
Today, the Salish Unit Crew is still comprised of mostly First Nations members and strives to retain their core Indigenous identity and the history of their crew.
Building Back Indigenous Representation in Wildfire
In 2020, the Indigenous Recruitment Pilot Project was launched to recruit more Indigenous firefighters, support them in the application process, and retain them as crew members. In addition, Indigenous staff were hired to recruit new Indigenous employees.
The recruitment and interview process has also been adapted to better accommodate Indigenous applicants. For example, Indigenous people interested in working for the BCWS can be partnered with a current staff member to help answer their questions on the job and support them through the application process.
Competencies and requirements were adjusted to account for cultural knowledge and activities such as trapping, hunting, or knowing local languages. This change saw an increase in applications from Indigenous people, a trend BCWS aims to continue.
In 2022, an exciting collaboration began between the BCWS’s Salish Unit Crew and the Lil’wat Nation. The Owl Creek Cultural Burn Project took place on the traditional territory of the Lil’wat Nation (Mount Currie), where the winter supply of huckleberries once nourished entire communities. Wanting to introduce fire back into the landscape as it was traditionally done, the BCWS was very supportive of the project and took the opportunity to work with the Lil’wat Nation. This project, the first of its kind in coastal BC, also helped train young Indigenous firefighters. The Lil’wat Nation and the BCWS continue to build on what they already feel is a special collaboration, showing other communities that it is possible to work together to restore cultural practices in BC and improve our province’s wildfire resilience in the process.
Revitalizing Indigenous Employment within BCWS
Increasing the representation of Indigenous Peoples is a priority for the BC Wildfire Service.
More than ever, investments are being made in Indigenous recruitment and retention strategies, starting with community outreach and relationship building.
BCWS supports potential recruits by providing resources like the Indigenous Applicant Advisory Service. This service can help Indigenous applicants (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) interested in BC Public Service job positions. Applicants can receive advice and guidance on the hiring system and process, including creating an online resume profile, techniques for tailoring resumes and cover letters to job postings and coaching on the interview process.
Since 2021, First Nations Boot Camps have also helped to build and strengthen bridges between BCWS and First Nations communities, while ensuring mutual benefit and shared responsibility. Initially piloted in the Cariboo Fire Centre, over the past five years, First Nations boot camps have evolved from a local solution to a regionally recognized model, fostering partnerships with Nations such as the Tsilhqot’in National Government and Lil’wat Nation.
Honouring Indigenous land management knowledge and removing barriers to Indigenous recruitment and retention will continue to be a focus for BCWS to ensure they have the best wildfire response teams to protect our province.
To learn more about the BC Wildfire Service’s wildfire personnel and response tools, visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/wildfire-response/wildfire-personnel-and-response-tools