Amy Cardinal Christianson
Amy Cardinal Christianson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 (age 44–45) |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta (BSc (Hons), PhD) |
| Known for | First Nations wildfire evacuation research; Indigenous fire stewardship and cultural burning advocacy; Good Fire podcast |
| Awards | SSHRC Impact Award (Connection Award, 2025) Lynn Orstad Award: Women in Wildfire Resiliency (2025) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Wildfire evacuation research; Indigenous fire stewardship |
| Institutions | Indigenous Leadership Initiative Canadian Forest Service (Natural Resources Canada) Parks Canada |
Amy Cardinal Christianson (born 1981) is a Métis fire scientist and policy advisor whose work focuses on Indigenous fire stewardship and wildfire evacuations in Canada.[1][2] She is a Senior Fire Advisor with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative (ILI).[3] She previously worked as a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service (Natural Resources Canada) and as an Indigenous fire specialist with Parks Canada’s National Fire Management Division.[2][4]
Christianson co-leads the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership (FNWEP), a long-running research and knowledge-mobilization collaboration on wildfire evacuations affecting First Nations communities.[3][5]
Early life and education
Christianson grew up in Whitecourt, Alberta.[1] She earned a BSc (Honours) (2003) and a PhD (2011) from the University of Alberta.[1]
Career
Christianson has worked in federal wildland fire research and policy, including as a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service (Natural Resources Canada).[1] In 2023, she was a Canadian Forest Service research scientist and was on interchange to Parks Canada as an Indigenous fire specialist in the National Fire Management Division.[4]
In 2024, Christianson joined the Indigenous Leadership Initiative as a policy advisor, working on Indigenous-led approaches to wildfire, including Indigenous fire stewardship.[6] As Senior Fire Advisor, she works with Indigenous Nations on fire stewardship practices such as cultural burning and has advocated for Indigenous wildland firefighters.[2]
First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership
Christianson and Tara K. McGee co-lead FNWEP, which has produced research and practical guidance for communities and agencies on wildfire evacuation planning and experiences.[3][5] In 2021, McGee and Christianson (with FNWEP) published First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies with UBC Press.[7]
In 2025, McGee and Christianson received the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Impact Award (Connection Award) for their work co-leading FNWEP.[3][5]
Research
Christianson’s research includes work on evacuation patterns and impacts associated with wildland fire. For example, in 2024, she co-authored a study on wildland fire evacuations in Canada from 1980 to 2021 in the International Journal of Wildland Fire.[a]
Her work on Indigenous fire stewardship and cultural burning has also been discussed in media on wildfire impacts and policy in Canada.[8][9]
Public outreach
Christianson co-hosts the podcast Good Fire, which covers Indigenous uses of fire internationally and the ecological and cultural dimensions of fire stewardship.[b][10]
Awards and honours
- SSHRC Impact Award (Connection Award), shared with Tara McGee, 2025.[3][5]
- Lynn Orstad Award: Women in Wildfire Resiliency, 2025.[11]
Books and reports
- McGee, Tara K.; Cardinal Christianson, Amy (2021). First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies. UBC Press. ISBN 9780774880664. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- Blazing the Trail: Celebrating Indigenous Fire Stewardship (FireSmart Canada; multi-author volume).[2][12]
Notes
- ^ Christianson, Amy Cardinal; et al. (2024). "Wildland fire evacuations in Canada from 1980 to 2021". International Journal of Wildland Fire. 33: 1–18. doi:10.1071/WF23097.
- ^ "Good Fire Podcast". YourForest Podcast. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
References
- ^ a b c d Szabo, Lisa (23 September 2021). "Five Things I've Learned About Good Fire". New Trail (University of Alberta). Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson". Indigenous Leadership Initiative. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Tara McGee and Amy Cardinal Christianson". Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ a b "CIFFC National Fire Management Conversation – November 2023". Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Canada's leading social sciences and humanities scholars celebrated for achievements in research and impacts on society". CNW Group / Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Fire Expert Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson Joins the Indigenous Leadership Initiative". Indigenous Leadership Initiative. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies". UBC Press. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Canadian wildfires hit indigenous communities hard, threatening their land and culture". El País (English edition). 19 July 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ Coletta, Amanda (5 October 2025). "Canada's historic wildfire season hits Indigenous people hardest". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "'Good Fire': How Cultural Burning Heals Land and People". Living on Earth. 28 November 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ St. Pierre, Crystal (26 May 2025). "Indigenous fire practices advocate presented with wildfire resiliency award". Windspeaker.com. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ The Expert Panel on Disaster Resilience in a Changing Climate (2022). "Building a Resilient Canada (references excerpt)" (PDF). Council of Canadian Academies. Retrieved 26 January 2026.