arts

Namaygoosisagagun First Nation/Collins has burned to the ground. The entire community is nothing but ashes after being quickly consumed by wildfires. They did not have any support from emergency services, and no one offered aid. The community saved themselves by escaping into boats because no one came.

Mishkeegogamang and Cat Lake have lost power. Families are ending up in shelters with nothing. Armstrong, Lac La Croix, Whitesand, Gull Bay, Lac des Mille Lacs are currently in the fires path and all members are being evacuated.

All this loss, all this devastation, and it was entirely preventable.

After steadily underfunding wildland firefighting and purposefully excluding Indigenous wildland firefighters and Indigenous wildfire organizations from wildfire operations, firefighter training, decisionmaking, and resource exchanges, in 2025, Doug Ford slashed the forest firefighting budget.

It's hard to ignore his decision to cut funding and leave us out of adequate fire training (even though we've lived with forest fires for thousands of years—far longer than settlers have been in Canada—and made sure fires like the ones we're all seeing today were prevented through kinisitotēn) when, despite making up less than 5% of the population, we account for 42% percent of all wildfire evacuations in Canada.

And when we are successfully evacuated, we face discrimination and racism—like Kashechewan—because it's always been easier to blame us than it is to blame the true culprit: denialism, corportate greed, and colonization.

The people of Collins and every other impacted community deserve better.

Right now, the AFN is currently accepting donations to help Collins First Nation. If you're able to, please consider donating.

ONWA (Ontario Native Women's Association) is another great place to donate to. They have outreach vans going to motels and inns and offering food, water, resources, and cultural support to those impacted by the wildfires.

Other places to consider donating to are Mikinakoos Emergency Fund, Red Cross, True North Aid, Indigenous Climate Action. You can also send donations directly to Whitesand First Nation via e-transfer ([email protected]) and they request that you add your full name in the e-transfer comment section to receive a tax receipt.

*Before sending money, verify that the appeal appears on an official First Nation, Tribal Council or registered charity channel.

If you can't offer financial support, please consider donating items of need. Moontime Connections is currently accepting drop-off donations. If you live in the Thunder Bay area, Namaygoosisagagun Health Office is also taking in donations! They can also bemailed to Superior Inn Hotel & Conference Centre at 555 West Arthur Street, Thunder Bay, ON, P7E 5P8.

items needed are: food, diapers, medical masks, men’s and women’s joggers (all sizes), children’s clothing (newborn to size 14), children’s shoes, summer clothing, men’s clothing, toiletries (lotion, Vaseline, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, etc.), strollers, adult depends-all sizes, dog & cat food

My name is Alaa, and I am 17 years old. I live with my family in a small tent Gaza — six of us sharing just four by six meters of space. We face hunger, heat, cold, disease, and deep uncertainty about what tomorrow will bring. But I hold on to my dream: I want to become a pediatrician. I want to heal others. Even now, I study every day in the ruins, attending classes whenever I can, despite the dangers. Education is my hope, my way forward, and my way to serve others someday. I love learning, and my studies are one of the things that keeps me going despite the circumstances we are in. My favorite subject is physics, but I love all science. Why We're Raising Funds Alaa has a small group of friends in the United States who speak with her and her family often. Together, we are organizing this campaign to evacuate Alaa and her mother from Gaza. Your donations will directly support: Safe evacuation costs (permits, border fees, transportation) Temporary housing and basic needs once we escape Continuing my education safely outside Gaza We need to raise $40,000 to cover the full cost of evacuation, resettlement, and the first year of living expenses while Alaa rebuilds her life.

My mother survived a high-risk surgery, but she is still in the ICU fighting for her life. The surgery was only half the battle we cannot afford the daily medication keeping her alive.

The Goal: We urgently need $465 for this week's ICU care.

The Crisis: We only raised $35. The donations have completely frozen.

The price of a single cup of coffee could buy my mother's next breath. Please don't let everything she survived be in vain.

If you can’t donate $1 or $5, you MUST REBLOG this immediately. Your reblog is what keeps her alive.