Colonialisme et déplacements : des catastrophes non naturelles

The document argues that disasters affecting Indigenous communities in Canada are 'non-natural' because they are exacerbated by colonial legacies, such as the Indian Act and territorial dispossession. Using the Siksika Nation's experience with the 2013 Bow River floods, it details a five-phase displacement process where evacuees faced inadequate housing and psychological trauma. It highlights the Dancing Deer Disaster Recovery Centre as a model for Indigenous self-determination, providing culturally appropriate, community-led healing services.

• Indigenous peoples in Canada face significantly higher risks during disasters than non-Indigenous populations; First Nations members are 18 times more likely to be evacuated and experience over 10 times the death rate from fires.
• The 2013 floods in the Siksika Nation caused the displacement of over 1,000 people and damaged 171 homes. Recovery was prolonged, with some members still unable to return home six and a half years after the event.
• The displacement process for Siksika members occurred in five phases: initial confusion in makeshift shelters, hotel stays with limited service access, residence in restrictive ATCO trailers, transition to poor-quality provisional housing, and a long-term search for permanent homes.
• Colonial policies, specifically the Indian Act of 1876, created systemic vulnerabilities by forcing Indigenous peoples into small reserves, restricting traditional land use, and leaving them without critical infrastructure like flood dykes.
• The Dancing Deer Disaster Recovery Centre serves as a model for self-determination by providing multidisciplinary, culturally appropriate support—including art therapy and traditional plant harvesting—delivered directly in the homes of displaced persons.

APA

Woman-Munro, D. Y. O., Yumagulova, L., & Dicken, E. (2021). Colonialisme et déplacements : des catastrophes non naturelles. Canadian Climate Institute. https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/catastrophes-non-naturelles/

Chicago

Woman-Munro, Darlene Yellow Old, Lilia Yumagulova, and Emily Dicken. Colonialisme et déplacements : des catastrophes non naturelles. Canadian Climate Institute, 2021. https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/catastrophes-non-naturelles/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Woman-Munro |first1=Darlene Yellow Old |last2=Yumagulova |first2=Lilia |last3=Dicken |first3=Emily |title=Colonialisme et déplacements : des catastrophes non naturelles |publisher=Canadian Climate Institute |date=25 June 2021 |url=https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/catastrophes-non-naturelles/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{womanmunro2021colonialisme, author = {Woman-Munro, Darlene Yellow Old and Yumagulova, Lilia and Dicken, Emily}, title = {{Colonialisme et déplacements : des catastrophes non naturelles}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/catastrophes-non-naturelles/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }