The importance of context-relevant feminist perspectives in disaster studies. The case of a research on forest fires with the Atikamekw First Nation
Disaster Prevention and Management
ISSN: 0965-3562
Article publication date: 29 November 2021
Issue publication date: 22 April 2022
Abstract
Purpose
My research is a study of forest fires that occurred near the Atikamekw community of Wemotaci (Quebec, Canada). This article focuses on the gendered aspects of two forest fire situations experienced by the people of Wemotaci, as I realized during fieldwork that men and women had different experiences and roles during the fires that did not seem to be valued the same. As a result, I decided to mobilize Indigenous feminist theories to understand the entanglement of multiple oppressions especially colonialism and the patriarchy in disaster situations.
Design/methodology/approach
I used interviews, participant observation and focus-groups during several stays in Wemotaci. I drew on methodologies developed by Indigenous researchers who aim to decolonize research. In this approach, I built respectful relationships with participants, conscious that I was part of the network I was studying.
Findings
This research reveals the importance in disaster research to adapt our methodology to the participants realities while factoring our positionality in. More specifically, I show how the use of an Indigenous feminist perspective allows me to understand how patriarchal-colonialism manifests during forest fire situations intertwined with traditional Atikamekw gender roles. This understanding makes it possible to see ways of managing and studying disasters that challenge systemic oppressions by rethinking the notion of vulnerability and making space for Indigenous people agency, knowledge and experiences.
Originality/value
The use of a feminist framework in this male-dominated field is still innovative, especially mobilizing a feminist approach that is consistent with the participants' realities while acknowledging the researcher's positionality which translate here in the use of Indigenous feminist theories.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the Atikamekw people who generously made this research possible and the people who supported them in writing this article and shared their precious comments, particularly Christine Eriksen who guided them along the process, and Elizabeth Marino, Amy Christianson, A.J. Faas and Martin Hébert who helped them make this article better. Similarly, the author would like to thank the reviewers for their insightful comments and the editors who made this special issue possible.
Citation
Gonzalez Bautista, N. (2022), "The importance of context-relevant feminist perspectives in disaster studies. The case of a research on forest fires with the Atikamekw First Nation", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-03-2021-0114
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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