As natural disasters ravage Indigenous land, uninsured residents struggle to rebuild

Ashes fly into the air as Ron Bellerose sifts through the rubble of his destroyed home.

A bunch of coils are all that remain of his mattress, while a charred stove and fridge stand nearby. There is nothing left of the 63-year-old's house in East Prairie Métis Settlement in northern Alberta after a wildfire tore through the community last month, destroying his home and 13 others.

Bellerose comes back every other day to clean up and work on the property.

"It's unbelievable," he said. "You want to cry … you can't put it in words."

He fled after a mandatory evacuation order with some clothes and nothing else. He's been living in a hotel in High Prairie, approximately 35 kilometres northwest, and is wondering how to rebuild his life. 

Recovery is likely to be difficult — Bellerose did not have insurance for his belongings and said he was given a long list of reasons years ago on why he was denied.

"They said because we didn't have a proper fire department, we're too far away from the fire hydrant and the High Prairie Fire Department is too far away. By the time they get here, there'll be nothing left to salvage," Bellerose said.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada told CBC News that homeowner policies for houses in Indigenous communities are possible to obtain, but admits they can be difficult and expensive.

There are active discussions with the federal government about how best to cover First Nations, particularly in relation to catastrophic losses related to climate change, said Craig Stewart, vice-president of climate change and federal issues with the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

"Indigenous reserves are a special case. They're going to need special attention and certain solutions," he said.

Alberta NDP MP Blake Desjarlais recently visited East Prairie Métis Settlement to see the damage himself. He understands the experience of wildfire firsthand. In 2003, as a child, he was evacuated from Fishing Lake Métis Settlement because of a wildfire — an experience that left him traumatized.

There is a long history of First Nations and Métis people being uninsured, he said.

Desjarlais wants to see more investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and emergency preparedness. He's also a proponent of having a publicly funded insurance program for houses in Indigenous communities, saying it could go a long way. 

"We need to just offer them the resources and tools and partnership to build a resilient, publicly administered insurance program that's going to make sure that they're not left behind," he said.