By Jimmy Lee Beason II, Osage Nation
White academics, and policy makers are finally recognizing the validity of Indigenous ecological knowledge to improve the environment and thwart ecological destruction. Across the country, there is a growing trend of land stewardship returned to or shared between tribal communities and state and federal agencies. The most noticeable example of this shift in policy is California.
In the year 2020, Cali seen a record number of wildfires sweep across the landscape that consumed 4.3 million acres of land, resulting in thirty-three fatalities and the destruction of 11,000 man made structures. As a result, tribal people once undermined and mocked for their “backwardness” (to the point genocide was the state’s legal answer to the so-called “Indian problem”), are now looked upon as the key ingredient to preventing out of control fires.
Indigenous stewarding practices are referred to by Western science as Traditional Ecological Knowledge. This is the kind of knowledge that has been accumulated for thousands of years by Indigenous hunters, farmers, and fishermen, on how best to interact with the environment. Over time, animal movements could be predicted, edible plants identified, and medicines were gathered to heal the sick and wounded.
Amidst these observations, Indigenous people realized if they started small fires and controlled them, the abundance of ignitable undergrowth would be cleared out and in turn, optimal growth of plant life would occur while reducing the chances of wildfires. Controlled burning also played a role in controlling the movements of game animals, who would either be deterred or brought to certain areas. But tribal worldviews toward fire goes beyond basic land management practices to prevent the destruction of condominium complexes embedded in the middle of the forest.
Many tribal communities view fire as being a medicine and very sacred. For some tribes such as the Yurok, controlled burning improved the quality of hazelnut shrub stems used to make traditional baskets. The Green Corn ceremony of southeastern tribes for example, acknowledges the contributions fire gives to human beings. One Seminole elder told me a long time ago, that fire is given respect for what it provides – light, the means to cook food, and stay warm. Although there is much more to it than this simple explanation, the point is, fire is a central component of reverence for traditional spiritual practices.
Although state governments and policy makers do not revere fire in a spiritual sense, some have managed to recognize the benefits of setting controlled fires to reduce the chances a mountain retreat turns into Dante’s Inferno. Of course, out of control fires do not only pose a threat to the human population. When wildfires sweep through forests and consume thousands of acres, they burn so hot the trees are killed off entirely as seeds are destroyed and more than likely will not grow back. Forested areas hit with wildfires can be reduced to nothing more than lifeless patches of landscape.
Using fire to improve access to plants and animals is not restricted to Indigenous communities in North America, but all over the world. Aboriginal Torres Strait Islanders implemented fire stick farming which helped maintain the lands biodiversity. Controlled burning reduced fuel for wildfires, balanced out animal species by either attracting or deterring them. Even birds understood the benefits of controlled burning, as falcons were observed dropping flaming branches on dry areas so the heat would force out mice and lizards.
Recognizing the need for tribal communities to maintain stewardship over the land is seen with lands being “given” back to tribes in general. The Wabanaki Confederacy now has access to the 150-acre Pine Island that was stolen from them by White squatters in the early days of colonization. The Open Space Institute in New York returned 156 acres of land to the Mohican Nation for preservation purposes.
In western Montana, the Confederated Salish Kootenai Nation is now managing around 18,000 acres of land that contains the National Bison Range. Instead of the buffalo being handled in an aggressive manner by non-Natives, the tribe approaches them with more respect recognizing their importance as animal relatives who fed and clothed their ancestors.
Replacing colonial attitudes toward the environment with Indigenous knowledge, can only benefit everyone. In 1911, President Taft signed the Weeks Act, which effectively outlawed cultural burning practices. As a result, years and years of undergrowth and forest debris has built up increasing the intensity of wildfires in places like California. It is apparent Indigenous knowledge implemented years ago could have prevented such destruction. Hopefully, we continue to see it’s continual implementation across the country.
