“We’re humans here,” Nez Perce Tribal representative Taricia Moliga said. “I just think everyone here has that mindset.”

She spoke from the kitchen in the Pi-Nee-Waus Community Center in Lapwai, which has been buzzing with activity over the past few weeks. It's all part of the Nez Perce Tribe’s efforts to reach residents in their community and beyond after the Gwen Fire (formerly Gwen and River Fires) prompted widespread evacuations and destruction through northern Idaho communities.

“We don't know what day it is,” she said.

In the midst of chaos, neighbors pulled together to reach residents living on and off the reservation.

“Everyone was all hands on deck. We had young men out there who are not firefighters digging lines and trying to save people's homes and family homes,” Taricia said. “That's something that's really amazing with our community, you don't have to be asked. You just do.”

Nez Perce volunteers and people from surrounding areas continue dedicating countless hours meeting needs and working closely with community allies and agencies.

“Shoutouts to the firefighters. All of law enforcement has been really good about responding. And if we needed to check a house or we had the one couple where the husband was missing for five hours and they went and found him in the burning house,” she said. “It saved his life.”

The Nez Perce Tribe collaborated closely with the Red Cross of Idaho and Eastern Oregon at an evacuation shelter at a local church in Lapwai in the immediate aftermath of the fire. The shelter was moved to the Pi-Nee-Waus Community Center to accommodate the growing number of evacuees.

“We were thankful when Red Cross showed up because we just feel like, ‘OK, we have help now,’” Taricia said. “You guys know things that we don't know when it comes to this, where you guys have been there, you know?”

Both Taricia and Red Cross Disaster Program Manager Jennifer Bivert believe the collaborative effort strengthened partnerships between the Nez Perce Tribe and Red Cross volunteers and staff.

“We've had so much compassion for each other, and we've been able to help everybody and everybody's been able to help here,” Taricia said. “So that's a really good connection.”

“Our tribal partners have been absolutely amazing,” Jennifer said. “They are working so hard to take care of anybody and everybody and have made our jobs so much easier …. We couldn’t be more grateful.”