Joe Gilchrist, a member of the Skeetchestn Indian Band of the Secwepemc Nation conducting a cultural prescribed burn (image provided by Penelope Bridge to USA Today).
The homelands of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s western mountains were carefully managed to provide a relatively stable environment that provided important cultural resources. In Banff it was Indigenous fires that created grasslands, shrublands and young pine stands that historically covered the valley bottom corridor now holding the railroad, highway and towns. Routine use of fire provided habitats for wildlife and plants and reduced the possibility of extreme wildfire intensities cultural use areas.
This section describes examples of how fire’s cultural and ecological interactions have influenced Banff’s ecosystems, and can be managed not only restore ecological integrity, but also protect public safety and park infrastructure.
