Cultural burning exists around the world. This week we spoke with Trent Nelson and Tim Kanoa about the huge forward strides they have taken to get cultural burning back on the landscape on the other side of the globe, in Australia. We discuss the deep cultural ties to burning, what has been lost, and what can be gained by having it back on the land. We could learn a lot from their experience.

Resources

Native Title: https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/native-title

RSA: https://djadjawurrung.com.au/galka-our-organisation/#recognition-settlement-agreement

Cultural Landscape: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1577/

The Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy: https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/fuel-management-report-2018-19/statewide-achievements/cultural-fire-strategy

Sponsors

The Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire Science

Support from:

● California Indian Water Commission

● Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation

Quotes

18.02 - 18.08: When the world evolves, so does the culture… If we didn’t evolve as a culture, we wouldn’t be the longest living culture in the world.”

25.31 - 25.36: “It’s not just about burning the landscape, it's about healing your people as well.”

Takeaways

Get to know Trent and Tim (5.29)

Trent is Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung. He works in land management with the parks agency. Tim is from Gunditjmara First Nation and works for the environment department.

Trent’s history of cultural burning (07.46)

Trent believes that continuing the custom of cultural burning is a way of paying respect to their ancestors. Fire was brought back to the landscape of their nation 3 years ago.

Tim’s history of cultural burning (16.27)

For Tim’s nation, fire means many different things. He speaks of the diversity in Aboriginal groups in their languages and customs.

Native Title (25.41)

Tim talks about Native Title in Australia which protects the Aboriginal peoples' rights and interests to their land that derive from traditional laws and customs.

Fire as a positive force (32.20)

Tim emphasizes the importance of communication between non-Aboriginal people and Aboriginal peoples. Fire has become a positive tool for people to connect.

“Nothing is lost” (36.05)

Trent says that even though Aboriginal peoples' way of living in society has been disrupted, the knowledge of using fire still lies with them.

Cultural protocols (40.48)

Trent shares that cultural protocols are carried in their hearts as passed down through generations. They now invite Elders to every burning site to take their permission.

Respect fire (48.08)

Trent laments that even though fire gives us life and is an important part of ceremony, it has been viewed as a fearful threat.

Collaborative governance (54.06)

The state government of Victoria is committed to Aboriginal self-determination and to achieving a treaty with the Victorian Aboriginal community.

RSA (57.12)

Trent expounds on the Recognition and Settlement Agreement in Victoria. He and Tim narrate how Aboriginal fire management is being restored through advocacy work.

Aboriginal cultural landscape (1.11.30)

Tim explicates how fire has helped Aboriginal mobs by registering the Aboriginal cultural landscape with UNESCO.

If you liked this podcast, please check out YourForest podcast too, rate and review it on Instagram and Facebook and tag a friend, and send your feedback and comments to [email protected]