A fragmented system that makes British Columbia responsible for regional districts but gives the federal government authority for First Nations is hampering Indigenous groups in the wildfire fight, community leaders say.
Miranda Louie of the Nadleh Whut’en in central B.C. said the regional district has been calling Chief Larry Nooski to let him know when it issues an evacuation order or alert. That can leave band members scrambling to knock on doors to tell residents to get out.
“Larry should have been at the meeting where they called the order, not a phone call away,” said Louie, who handles communications for the band.
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