Red Fire © Jordan Twist
The Reciprocity, Ecology, and Diversity in fire (REDfire) Lab is an interdisciplinary research hub that supports collaborative studies related to Indigenous fire stewardship. We develop opportunities to collaborate on exciting, Indigenous-led research projects with a variety of researchers, including:
- Elders
- youth
- students
- land-users/land-stewards
- academics
Guiding principles and values
- Respond to Indigenous needs
- Respect the sovereignty of Indigenous Nations, Peoples, communities
- Strengthen relationships through fire-related research
The REDfire Lab has a crucial role in a renewed relationship with Indigenous Peoples. This reuniting includes recognizing and respecting their expertise as an equal and valid approach to understanding fire on the landscape and developing fire management policies and practices.
Our research supports strengthened Indigenous sovereignty and promotes reconciliation with fire by building relationships with Indigenous Nations and communities.
Projects and initiatives
The types of projects that the REDfire Lab supports may include research related to:
- cultural burning practices and Indigenous uses of fire on the landscape
- Indigenous rights (Inherent, Treaty, Constitutional) and landscape fire
- Indigenous-identified values-at-risk and landscape fire
- Indigenous-led community preparedness projects, including supporting documentation of Traditional Knowledge for Indigenous partners
- fire ecology or related sciences
- historical and policy research, including archival research, policy analysis, oral history
- emergency preparedness and evacuation
- intergenerational and cross-cultural knowledge sharing activities, including artistic expression
- the role of allyship in Indigenous-led research
- colonization and Indigenous fire stewardship
Collaborations and partnerships
The REDfire Lab is involved in numerous collaborative research projects with Indigenous Nations and organizations, academic institutions and research centres, and national and international government agencies.
Indigenous fire stewardship
The REDFire Lab defines Indigenous fire stewardship as:
a range of practices, informed by Indigenous Knowledge, through which Indigenous Peoples and Nations assert their rights and jurisdiction with landscape fire.
Indigenous Knowledge belongs to a Nation and is adaptable to technology and changing fire conditions.
All research supported by the REDfire Lab follows best practices for Indigenous data sovereignty.
Our collaboration partners and networks include, but are not limited to:
- Indigenous organizations
- Indigenous Nations and communities
- Indigenous grassroots collectives, think-tanks, or non-profits
- international governments, agencies, and organizations
- Canadian federal and provincial governments
- academia in Canada and around the world
The REDfire Lab is Natural Resources Canada’s Centre of Expertise in Indigenous Fire Stewardship. We along with other areas of NRCan, action the Government of Canada’s commitment to recognize, uphold and support Indigenous rights, including as they relate to landscape fire.
We are funded under the Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate program. Our research aligns with the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, as well as adapting to and transforming how wildland fire is managed across Canada.
Through collaboration with Indigenous rights holders, the REDfire Lab will help provide long-term support for Indigenous involvement and leadership in joint decision making and stewardship.
A key science theme for the Canadian Forest Service is recognizing Indigenous Knowledge and collaborating with Indigenous Peoples for better wildland fire management, including using the strengths of complementary forms of western science and Indigenous knowledge.
The REDfire Lab plays a crucial role in this mission through its research and collaborations with Indigenous rights holders and other Indigenous entities who lead and participate in emergency management, community safety and preparedness, and respond to the changing conditions of fire on the landscape.
Contact us
If you are interested in working with us or would like more information about internships, research positions, partnership opportunities or our research and projects, please email the REDFire team.