Cultural Burning in California

The revitalization of cultural burning is a priority for many Native American tribes and for organizations that recognize the cultural and ecological importance of this practice. Traditional fire practitioners are working to reestablish cultural burning to promote traditional foods and materials, exercise their sovereignty in land management, and strengthen their communities’ cultural, physical and emotional wellbeing. Despite broad support, the needs of practitioners are often poorly understood by non-Native people, limiting the potential for productive cross-cultural partnerships that serve Indigenous nations and communities. Learn more about California cultural burning practices and delve into the history and context informing the experiences of today’s cultural fire practitioners and its beneficial impact on the land and environment.

Suggested Reading: Indigenous Fire Futures: Anticolonial Approaches to Shifting Fire Relations in California Online at www.berghahnjournals.com/view/ journals/environment-and-society/14/1/ares140109.xml 

Instructor: Deniss J. Martinez is a community-engaged environmental justice scholar. Her research focuses on finding natural resource management strategies that support Tribal selfdetermination and governance. Using qualitative methods and community-based research, Deniss’ current work centers on the stories and narratives of cultural fire practitioners in California.