By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews This story is published through the Indigenous News Alliance. In April, after an out-of-control wildfire threatened the remote Xeni Gwet’in First Nation in “B.C.,” local governments issued evacuation alerts. The fire quickly spread to 250 hectares, before being extinguished a few days later, and the evacuation alert was rescinded. Although Xeni Gwet’in’s nearly 500 residents were relieved, the crisis was a reminder of what many Indigenous leaders say is governments’ inadequate emergency communications with Indigenous communities. Authorities do not provide alerts in the Tŝilhqot’in language, the only one spoken by many Elders in Xeni Gwet’in, and the mother tongue of nearly 650 people in the larger Tŝilhqot’in Nation. This adds an additional layer of difficulty during disasters because many families look toward…
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