Indigenous Fire Management
Indigenous fire management practices are another example of Indigenous knowledge empowering people to do good in their ecosystem. Native peoples in certain parts of the world–including California and Australia–have long used fire to manage the land. In recent years, as fires in the American West have escalated, there has been more outreach to Native groups there about this knowledge. In California, certain Native groups refer to “cultural burning.” Part of this concept is controlled burns that stimulate the growth of certain plants and encourage life. In Australia’s Kimberley region, native groups have been re-implementing controlled burns to support the Gouldian Finch, a bird that relies on fire to access edible seeds. This type of knowledge of place can allow people to be positive actors in their broader environmental context, something the world surely needs.