First Nations Members Working to Protect the Forest

Up until the late 1970s, Québec’s forest monitoring system consisted of a network of fire towers installed throughout most of the province. It was the end of an era when the fire towers along the north shore were replaced by an air patrol system and specially trained initial attack crews sent by helicopter to extinguish or control the blaze before it starts to grow. The all-Innu initial attack crews of the Laurentian Fire Protection Association, which was headquartered in Baie-Comeau, earned a solid reputation over the years, handily winning annual trade skills contests. The crews were composed of Innu from Pessamit, including brothers Robert and Paul-Émile Dominique, Jean-Marie-Kanapé and Pierre Benjamin, and from La Romaine, including Zacharie Bellefleur, to name just a few.

Robert Dominique, an attack crew leader at the time, reflected on the useful role Innu from the Côte-Nord region played in fighting forest fires:

In 2008, a group of forest workers from Obedjiwan founded the Inter-Nations Cooperative with the aim of creating jobs in their community. “Tree planting tops the list of the cooperative’s activities. The Atikamekw know a lot about the trade. Tree planters are always in high demand in the community.” (Awashish, 2011) Reforestation foreman Anthony Dubé says tree planting is hard and entails physical risks, such as strains, sprains, broken ankles, heatstroke, and so forth. According to Mr. Dubé, a team spirit and sense of cooperation make the hard work easier: “It’s fun to be with the gang. We like it. The atmosphere is good. We joke around. It’s nice, because there’s no animosity between the members of the cooperative.” Even though tree planting or brush cutting is not an easy life and is almost always performed in rugged terrain, “the work is fulfilling, especially for people who love being in the bush.” (Ibid.)

(Awashish 2011: Web clip available on YouTube)