Before colonization, landscapes were consciously shaped by the transformative power of fire. Many Indigenous peoples used fire to clear the land, protect it from uncontrolled wildfires, improve harvests of nuts and acorns and to conserve water for selected plants and trees. This process was central to cultures of fire; to shape the land, to grow the food, to generate the plants for medicine and ceremonies. Many Native Nations, including the Yurok, Hoopa and Karuk of Northern California managed underbrush with fire.
John Muir commented that the area that became Sequoia National Park looked like a natural, pristine wilderness garden. He did not understand that the gardeners who had shaped the land for thousands of years were the Indigenous people whom he and other newcomers wanted to exclude, complete with their practices to maintain the beauty and health of the area.
For one hundred years between the late 1800s and 1900s, fire was suppressed in National Parks and throughout the USA. The grand redwood and sequoia trees suffered, due to brush capturing their water and the devastating wildfires that resulted from a lack of controlled burns of the excess fuel of the undergrowth. Native culture and food sources could not thrive either, prohibited from their cultural burns.
It took a century for Western science to catch up with traditional wisdom. In the National Parks, foresters began to light controlled fires in 1968. Those were not in consultation with traditional Native practices, however. Cultural burns were only completed on Indigenous lands largely until this millennia.
Partnerships are forming now between the National Parks, the US Forest Service and the traditional keepers of the land. Native American elders formed the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network (IPBN) in 2015 to support traditional fire practices with trainings and a network of indigenous traditional knowledge-holders. The first group of cultural fire leaders are from the Miwok, Yurok, Hoopa and Karuk tribes.The Nature Conservancy upholds their work.
Currently under President Biden, the Director of the US National Park Service is Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III, of Cayuse and Walla Walla heritage and he’s an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Northeast Oregon. His boss, the US Director of the Interior is Deb Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico. Deep changes are happening in regards to old policies and procedures through the catalyst of fire. The cultural stewards of the land are regaining access to the sacred earth and fire is transforming and regenerating both.
Cultural burning leads to greater biodiversity. Fire can save forests from the ravages of climate change, as an adaptation strategy and a way to store carbon. Burning with traditional wisdom creates good healing fire.
¡Olè! –Rebecca
More Reading:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/tribal-and-indigenous-heritage
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fire/indigenous-fire-practices-shape-our-land.htm
https://www.culturalfire.org/
https://bioneers.org/good-fire-indigenous-cultural-burns-renew-life-zmbz2108/
https://nature.berkeley.edu/karuk-collaborative/?p=1444
Fake Flamenco 
Thanks for sharing Rebecca, I had no knowledge of this.
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Thanks, Sadje. New knowledge for is of ancient traditions.
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🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
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That’s so interesting. Is the indigenous population still in touch with its ancient wisdom? It’s been so comprehensively suppressed for so long that it would be a miracle if they’ve been able to maintain their learning intact.
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Great question, Margaret. The tribes who formed the IPBN had continued a bit of cultural burning on tribal land. But they were discouraged from it.
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Slow learners in charge …
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They were, and now those with a richer cultural heritage are taking a turn.
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Ohhh you are doing such post after a long time.
Glad to read them, something new and refreshing.
Best wishes.
I hope you are doing well.
Keep shining
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Thanks, Devang. Last week in soil, this week on the ecological import of fire.
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Next week the air 😁
Keep sharing valuable content 🙂
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Air or water 😉 Thanks, Devang.
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That would be cool 😁
You can actually work on all the elements.
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Thanks for sharing this information, Rebecca. Here’s hoping that this partnership will save what’s left of our forests.
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Yes, Rosaliene. Does seem a bit 11th hour. Hope the NPS will accept guidance from tribal elders now and into the future, for the best possible outcome.
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It took a long time for our parks departments to realize how to manage wildfires too and that they’re actually important gor the forest. Things that were keeping the forests healthy for generations were ignored. Here’s hoping the future will be healthier for the forests. Maggie
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Thanks for your comments, Maggie. Hope the listening to ancient wisdom is a new trend. 🙂
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We have so much to learn.
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So very true, especially listening skills 🙂
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A long time coming but encouraging news. Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks, Michele. It is heartening. We need good ecological advice.
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Thank you! Yes, we do.
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I had no idea that fires actually help the environment– if anything, I would assume they’d be disastrous! Native Americans really know how to cultivate this beautiful land, and we can definitely learn a lot from them; it’s great that the government is working together with them to make our land gorgeous again!
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Yes, it is surprising without knowing the horticulture behind the idea! Turns out that the burn cycle is yearly in some areas. I’m happy to see Native representation in high offices. The tribal elders have much to teach us in living right for the land.
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