We really have to question the priorities of the elected officials for Stoney Nakoda.
While on the one hand, the Chiniki chief and council are suing one of their own residents for disagreeing with a proposed referendum to open up reserve land for private development, on the other, they are clearly woefully underserving their citizens when it comes to fire protection.
With a population of 3,700 spread out over 445 square kilometres, the Stoney Nakoda Fire Department does not have enough resources to respond to significant calls. Morley alone has more than 700 houses and 75 other buildings, while the department has two trucks, three volunteers and only responds to calls Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The federal government provides a mere $89,000 a year on average for fire services, but the cost to contract the MD of Bighorn fire department to respond to false alarm calls in 2017 was $67,000. The fact is that the neighbouring department’s resources are being tasked on a regular basis to respond to 911 calls, including house fires.
But when it takes more than 30 minutes to arrive, the chances of saving a structure, let alone a life, are extremely low.
A 2007 Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation report found that First Nations people living on reserve in Canada are 10.4 times more likely to die in a house fire than Canadians. With the level of service offered to Stoney Nakoda residents, it is no wonder they are more at risk.
The Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada and Indigenous Services Canada introduced the Joint First Nations Fire Protection Strategy in 2016 and it was a step in the right direction. But does it actually go far enough?
By focusing efforts on prevention – spending $3.7 million to install 128,000 smoke alarms in homes on reserves across the country – the program misses out on an opportunity to make a big difference in terms of fire response.
Fire departments on First Nation reserves need more support, either through the protection strategy, Indigenous Services Canada, or locally elected band councils.
We are not sure Stoney Nakoda Tribal Council, or its three band councils, even recognize the issue as their responsibility, given their refusal to discuss it with the Outlook.
Instead, efforts seem to be focused on silencing their own citizens from speaking out if they disagree with what’s going on. Rachel Snow is facing a $1 million lawsuit for speaking against a referendum that proposed to re-designate 3,000 hectares of land for commercial use.
Snow shared her opinions on social media and now must defend her right to free speech in court against Chief Aaron Young and the entire Chiniki band council.
We have to ask if this is really what they should be spending their time and efforts on given that other issues like fire protection are considerably more important.
All three band councils and administrations would do better serving their residents by being accountable, fostering a culture of respect where free speech is encouraged, and working toward creating better services like fire protection.
