By Jessica Lee Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Joe Gilchrist’s grandmother used to tell him if you can’t walk on the land barefoot, you know something is wrong. A forest overgrown and covered in wildfire fuels is unhealthy and hurts to walk on, much like a grassland that’s overdue for a burn and covered in prickly, dead vegetation. “That forest isn’t healthy, it’s sick. There’s no food for the animals, the predators have lots of places to hide,” he said. “Spiritually speaking, there’s always a battle between the light and the dark. If the forest is dark, it’s because it’s too thick and it hasn’t been looked after.” Gilchrist is a member of the Skeetchestn Indian Band, part of the Secwepemc Nation in British Columbia. He is a traditional fire keeper…
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