The Fire Within Us
Youth resiliency in the face of the devastating Elephant Hill Wildfire that destroyed our community and tore us apart.
Video
Pitch video
Synopsis
July 7, 2017 - the day the Elephant Hill Wildfire swept through the Ashcroft Indian Band destroying almost half of the homes and lands in less than 30 minutes before going on to be one of the biggest fires in B.C. history. This story will share the real and raw youth experiences from the day of the fire, from having to evacuate with no time to gather belongings, to watching their homes and everything they owned and knew burn from afar. This will be the first time the youth will be sharing what they went through on that devastating day, and we feel this story is important to share. Not only will it showcase the pain and loss they suffered, but will highlight how strong and resilient they truly are!
The team
Meet our very talented and diverse team at the Ashcroft Indian Band! Together, we hope to create a story that showcases the strength and resiliency of our people and share it with the world!
Production
Interview Roster
Shane Alendal was one of the only young adults in our community who lost his home in the wildfire. His story is one of the most important to capture. The day of the fire Shane had no time to gather his belonging and had to run to gather his family, his animals, and get to safety. His experience and voice are extremely important to this project.
Kaylee Dick is a member of the Ashcroft Band and has lived on the reserve her whole life. The day of the wildfire, Kaylee not only had to worry about her safety, but also had to worry about her two small children. Kaylee bring the perspective of a young mother to this project and her story is very important to share!
Rachel Dixon was working at the Ashcroft Indian Band as a summer student the day of the fire. Not only did she take many pictures of the growing fire and the devastation it caused, but she was on the ground experiencing it all. She had to help evacuate people from their homes, as well as try to help animals escape. Through this project Rachel will be able to share her story and tell why she will never forget July 7, 2017.
Mackenzie Pittman has lived on the Ashcroft Indian Band Reserve his whole life. He was at home sleeping the day of the fire and was awoken by his mother that he needed to pack a bag and get out of the house! When Mackenzie left he saw that the reserve was on fire and spent the whole night believing that his house, his parents house and everything on the reserve had burnt. His story is important to share because it shows the emotional and physical exhaustion many experienced that all started the day of the fire.