Indigenous Language Inclusion in Emergency Communications: A Case Study of the 2023 Yellowknife Wildfire Evacuation

This thesis evaluates the exclusion of Indigenous languages from emergency communication during the 2023 North Slave Complex wildfires and examines the implications for reconciliation and public safety. Despite the Government of the Northwest Territories’ recognition of nine Indigenous languages, all alerts were issued only in English and French. Using a decolonizing policy analysis informed by cultural safety theory (Papps & Ramsden, 1996; Smith, 1999) and resilience engineering (Hollnagel et al., 2011), this study analyzes government records obtained through Freedom of Information requests, policy documents, and media coverage. Findings demonstrate systemic barriers that continue to marginalize Indigenous language speakers during crises, increasing their vulnerability. Comparative case studies from Nunavut, Alaska, Hawaii, and Aotearoa New Zealand illustrate practical models for Indigenous language integration. Policy recommendations are proposed to strengthen reconciliation through legislative reform, infrastructure investment, and Indigenous-led governance. This research contributes to scholarship by showing that linguistic exclusion in emergency management is not only a public safety failure but also a continuation of colonial inequities (Tuck & Yang, 2012; Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015).

Author dc:creator

• Wilson, Sara

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Pete, Shauneen

• School of communication and culture

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.25316/IR-20486

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:null:10613/28922