50 Remarkable Alumni: Jenna Noppen helps Indigenous communities prepare for emergencies

The 2021 atmospheric river flooding in the eastern Fraser Valley was devastating, but sometimes, a negative event can be the catalyst for positive change.

For UFV alumni Jenna Noppen (BA ‘19), a Cowessess First Nation Member born and raised within Coast Salish territory, the disaster revealed significant gaps in emergency preparedness and management for Indigenous communities. It also sparked in her the determination to tackle the situation.

Jenna was working for the Semá:th (Sumas) First Nation when the Nooksack River overflowed its banks. Living in Chilliwack, she was cut off from work when the floodwaters took out a section of Highway 1.

“A lot of our key staff weren’t able to get to the community for a long time,” she recalls. “There were a lot of meetings and phone calls, but we felt guilty for not being able to assist in the way that we wanted to. It was challenging knowing what was going on –- the initial flooding, an RV explosion, and a major power outage, all at once — and knowing that there wasn’t much we could do to assist the community in the ways we wanted to.”

The Semá:th community was resilient and everyone came together to help one another. However, at the time, they had no emergency department, and leadership was inundated with calls and requests for response on all levels.

“We didn’t have an emergency management department at the time, and the flood highlighted the critical need for year-round planning, resources and training,” Jenna says. “I am steadfast in my belief that resilience is not just about weathering storms but about transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.”

A strong grant writer, Jenna moved quickly to secure funding to create the Sumas First Nation Emergency Department in 2022 and took on the new role of Disaster Recovery Manager. Reflecting with community members months after the flooding drove home the importance of the work.

“Because of 2021 and what they went through, even the sound of rain was having severe impact on our elders,” Jenna says. “One of the things we started doing was, when we have flood warnings, we call our elders, checking in to see how they’re doing. We drop off comfort kits and we just let them know that we’re here if they need us.

“It’s just a little reassurance that someone’s just a phone call away.”

Jenna says it’s been “an amazing journey” connecting with the community, and she feels Semá:th has made a lot of progress in relatively little time.

“We have really focused on ‘boots on the ground,’ connecting and strengthening relationships with the community and our elders,” Jenna says. “Listening to the community and incorporating their voices into our emergency management practices is vital. We’ve hosted sharing circles and framed our plans around what we’ve heard. It’s so important that we do things in a way that demonstrates cultural competency and humility in everyday emergency management practices.”

Beyond her impactful work with Semá:th, Jenna has also played an important role in co-developing the Emergency Support Services for Nations (ESSFN) team, which was established to support and enhance the capacity of Indigenous communities throughout the Mainland Coast Salish region. This regional team currently has 12 Mainland Coast Salish Communities working together from Boston Bar to the Coast. Because of this work, Jenna recently travelled to Ottawa to receive the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award. The Resilient Communities category of the award, is given to individuals and groups across Canada who demonstrate excellence in preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies and disasters.

Jenna says UFV prepared her well for what she’s doing, giving her skills and knowledge she could bring back to Indigenous communities.

“When I was at university, I knew that whatever I was going to do, I wanted to take that knowledge back to lift up our communities,” she says. “And I really found a safe space for myself when I was connected to the Indigenous Student Centre. We had the Elders-in-Residence and different staff who really helped mentor Indigenous students.

“Every time I sat down with an Elder for tea, I took what they said to heart, and a lot of what they said has stuck with me and guided me. My advice to students is to listen. You will learn so many lessons you can take forward into your profession.”

Help celebrate the 50 Remarkable Alumni in person. The UFV 50 Remarkable Alumni Reception will celebrate this year’s incredible recipients on Friday, April 4 at 5:30 pm at UFV Abbotsford. As part of Alumni and Friends Weekend, it’s a chance to reconnect with old friends, create new memories, and toast to the legacy of UFV. Tickets for the reception are available here.