Stacey Burns was one of many residents to evacuate early this week. She said her main concern is her family’s safety.
Amidst the chaos, she’s also balancing her role as the Language and Culture Coordinator on top of her duties as a mother and community member. She says that it's all hands on deck at the shelter, with evacuees themselves volunteering.
What is crucial for other evacuees to protect is slightly different for her community.
There are hard copies, digital and audio files of Numa, Newe and Washoe languages that were moved down to Reno. These languages are at risk of becoming endangered.
“What is deemed essential is cultural,” Burns said. “Those teachings, those stories, those songs — they're essential for us as Native Indigenous people to move forward, but then to also preserve our teachings, to preserve our identity.”
At the shelter, she said there’s a shared feeling of wanting to go home and get back to normal.
“It's time to get back to life. It's time to get back to school, to work, and we're ready. Once Mother Nature tells us we're ready, we're ready,” Burns said.
The Reno Sparks Indian Colony will continue to provide resources for tribal members until the fires are contained.
