'Kin, not evacuees’: inside Kingston's support for Kashechewan Cree residents

More than a month after arriving in Kingston, residents from Kashechewan First Nation are still living in hotel rooms far from home, adjusting to unfamiliar routines, coping with uncertainty, and navigating the emotional strain of displacement.

More than 250 people from the northern Ontario Cree community were relocated to Kingston beginning Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, after a critical failure in Kashechewan’s water system left residents without safe drinking water. Many are considered 'tier one' or especially vulnerable evacuees, including elders, young families, and individuals with complex medical needs.

At the centre of the local response is the Kingston Native Centre and Language Nest (KNCLN), which has been coordinating cultural supports, programming, and community connections for displaced people.

For Executive Director Brandon Maracle, the situation is both deeply personal and painfully familiar.

“When families first arrive, they cope,” Maracle said. “But as the days turn into weeks, it takes a toll on your spirit, mind, and emotions. Our role at KNCLN is to soften that impact — to make sure people feel supported, connected, and cared for while they are here.”

Preparing for arrival

In the days leading up to the relocation, KNCLN staff moved quickly to prepare for what they expected would not be a short-term emergency.

The organization connected with local hotels to discuss accommodations, drawing on lessons learned from previous evacuations elsewhere in Ontario, where cultural needs and trauma-informed supports were not always fully integrated.

Those conversations helped staff anticipate the realities of longer stays, including the importance of culturally appropriate food, access to community gathering spaces, and emotional supports for families facing prolonged uncertainty, Maracle explained.

“We knew from past evacuations that you can’t treat this like a temporary overnight situation,” he said. “People need stability, dignity, and a sense of belonging.”

When the first families arrived at the airport, KNCLN staff and volunteers were there to meet them — including Cree speakers who could offer greetings in their first language. Some staff came on their own time, bringing hot food to provide comfort after long travel days.

“That first moment matters,” Maracle said. “It sets the tone that you are not alone, that you are entering a community that sees you as family.”

Daily challenges remain

Despite those efforts, daily life remains challenging for many of the evacuees.

Most are living in hotel rooms with small kitchenettes, sharing tight quarters as they adjust to unfamiliar foods, routines, and surroundings.

For children, particularly those with complex health or developmental needs, the disruption can be especially difficult.

“Imagine moving a family with children who have autism or other needs into a small hotel room in a city they’ve never been to,” Maracle said. “Even with support, it’s incredibly overwhelming.”

To help address those pressures, KNCLN began offering hot meals at the Centre, including foods that reflect traditional diets. Programming has also expanded into evenings and weekends, creating opportunities for Kashechewan residents to gather, socialize, and reconnect with cultural practices.

The organization also worked with the emergency management contractor, The Loomex Group, coordinating the relocation to ensure shuttle routes included the Native Centre, making it easier for families to access services and supports.

Maracle said the community response has been strong.

“I was honestly overwhelmed by how many volunteers and organizations reached out to ask how they could help — and then followed through,” he said. “There’s been a real effort to make sure families feel welcomed.”

He added that local partners have helped families navigate services, provided culturally appropriate meals, supported education needs, and focused on responding to community requests rather than imposing solutions.

Kin, not evacuees

At KNCLN, staff intentionally refer to displaced residents as “kin” rather than evacuees — language that reflects Indigenous approaches to community and belonging.

“Indigenous kinship isn’t as nuclear as western models,” Maracle said. “These are neighbours joining our community, not just evacuees passing through.”

Rather than offering one-size-fits-all services, staff focus on responding to families’ requests and building trust over time — what Maracle describes as “moving at the speed of relationship.”

“We don’t assume we know what people need,” he said. “We listen, we build relationships, and we respond.”

Uncertainty weighs heavily

One of the greatest challenges remains the uncertainty surrounding how long families will be displaced.

Maracle said the Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief and the Chief of Kashechewan First Nation travelled to Kingston to meet with evacuees and provide updates on water testing and next steps, but timelines remain unclear.

“The hardest part right now is the waiting,” Maracle said. “People don’t know when they’ll be able to go home, and that uncertainty creates a lot of stress.”

Displacement has also separated extended families relocated to different cities, including Niagara Falls, where roughly 900 people are staying.

Maracle said that separation carries particular weight within Indigenous communities, where extended kinship networks play a central role in daily life.

He also emphasized that Cree culture and experiences differ significantly from those of other Indigenous nations, cautioning against treating Indigenous communities as a single group. He said the Cree have distinct approaches to communication, decision-making, and family relationships — differences that can shape how displacement is experienced and underscore the need for culturally informed supports.

“When families are spread across multiple cities, that’s another layer of trauma,” he said.

A long-standing crisis

Kashechewan’s water emergency is the latest in a series of recurring infrastructure challenges facing the remote community along the Albany River near James Bay.

Like many First Nations reserves, the community was established on land chosen for colonial convenience rather than environmental suitability, Maracle said.

Residents have faced repeated flooding, water treatment failures, and ongoing relocation discussions for decades.

“You’re talking about thousands of people living with repeated disruptions — flooding, water issues, and now the prospect of relocating their entire community,” Maracle pointed out. “That level of instability would be unimaginable for most municipalities.”

He added that in southern communities such as Kingston or Napanee, similar infrastructure failures would likely be addressed quickly rather than persisting for years.

Continuing support

KNCLN says it will continue providing meals, programming, cultural supports, transportation access, and advocacy for as long as families remain in Kingston.

“Kingston has really stepped up,” Maracle said. “What matters most now is sustaining that care and understanding while families navigate something that is deeply difficult and uncertain.”