Wildfire management has long been the domain of colonial governments. Despite a rich history of living with, managing, and using fire as a tool since time immemorial, Indigenous people were not permitted to practice cultural fire and their knowledge was largely ignored. As a result, total fire suppression became the prominent policy. With the most active force of natural succession abruptly halted, Indigenous communities suffered as the land changed. Today, western society has recognized the ecological problem a lack of fire has created, however, the cultural impact has been largely ignored. Frank Lake has spent a great deal of time contemplating the role of Indigenous people in fire management, and he has some great insight into how we can begin to change fire management for the benefit of all people.

Episode highlight

In this podcast, Vanessa Cavanagh shares her journey as an Aboriginal woman in cultural burning and firefighting.

Resources

Vanessa Cavanagh: https://scholars.uow.edu.au/display/vanessa_cavanagh

Sponsors

The Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire Science

Support from:

● California Indian Water Commission

● Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation

Quotes

1.01.23 - 1.01.32: “We never know all the answers, it’s always just an ongoing experience and … that’s the work and the process where we're trying to change as we go along.”

Takeaways

Reconciliation (1.45)

Vanessa is passionate about maintaining her mother tongue from the Bundjalung country in New South Wales.

On the shoulders of other women (5.55)

Vanessa shares her career journey, and how fire forms a part of the belief systems that were founded on a relationship with the land.

The role of women in cultural burning (13.47)

Vanessa acknowledges that gender roles do come into effect at work, and encourages more space for Aboriginal women in her cultural burning research.

The social dynamics of gender (22.07)

In Vanessa’s experience, “Indigenous men working in cultural burning have always promoted the position of Aboriginal women’s roles in cultural burning”.

Cultural change (28.45)

Vanessa points out how people are more open to learning from Aboriginal knowledge and land management practices today.

Change is uncomfortable (31.57)

Vanessa states that since social structures promote the privilege of one group, they become resistant to change. It takes energy and political effort to change the dominant narrative.

Celebration of learned individual success (38.59)

Vanessa considers maintaining her connection with the community as one of the reasons people find her inspiring.

Lifelong learning and teaching (46.01)

In her workshops, Vanessa finds that people are excited and eager to learn about Aboriginal fire when given the opportunity to engage with it.

Three-pronged approach (52.04)

Vanessa outlines the 3 questions she is seeking to address in her Ph.D. within an Indigenous methodological approach: 1) How do Aboriginal women engage in cultural burning in New South Wales? 2) How do Aboriginal women want their knowledge and narratives of cultural burning to be presented and shared? 3) Are there barriers or challenges to the full participation of Aboriginal women in cultural burning that can be addressed through policy implementation or development? If yes, how can those be developed to help assist more participation?

Knowledge sharing opportunity (55.17)

Vanessa has developed a huge network through her work in the national parks’ annual meetings of Aboriginal staffers and had women approaching her about burning when she shared her Ph.D. topic.

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