Gianna Apoderado
5/25/2021 12:46 AM
I have some knowledge of how indigenous peoples are some of the best caretakers of the land, from sustainable harvesting and hunting, to doing controlled burns. It wasn’t until taking this action that I learned in-depth the wealth of knowledge indigenous people have about the land and the extensive services that their practices provide. We can learn so much from them, and maybe we can mitigate our climate impact through learning from them.
For this challenge, after reading the articles, I wanted to focus on a local, or in California indigenous group that is doing one of these practices, namely prescribed fire, after reading Bill Gammage detail the various indigenous uses of fire: “first was to control wildfire fuel; second, to maintain diversity; third, to balance species; fourth, to ensure abundance; and five, to locate resources conveniently and predictably.” I found a webinar presenting on this very topic, given by members of the Lomakatsi Restoration Project titled “The First, Best Stewards: Aboriginal Fire and the Klamath Siskiyous.” It addresses the history of and importance of prescribed burns culturally and ecologically. Indigenous folks share their story of how long they’ve been doing controlled burns such as this, and why it is important to allow and increase this practice. Belinda Brown notes that we are having wildfires because our connection to nature and understanding nature has diminished. By doing prescribed burns, both humans and animals benefit, because has many benefits, such as increasing the diversity of vegetation, helping scatter prey species, and limiting the occurrences and spread of wildfires. What I learned that I could apply to my own life is that I should be more cognizant of how I treat the land around me. I should not take for granted things such as how my household has access to homegrown vegetables, and that I can be a better steward for our own land. It was also insightful to hear how Lomakatsi Restoration Group places an emphasis on collective action, as they acknowledge that it will take a lot of people with diverse backgrounds to effectively upkeep this practice, and it brings me back to the point of many of these individual EcoChallenges that we take!
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Alice Ma 6/01/2021 2:31 AMHi Gianna! I love that you researched controlled burning for your challenge! I also looked into the topic, specifically looking at practices from indigenous groups in northern California as we’re heading into this next wildfire season. The webinar you watched sounds super interesting too, I’ll be sure to check it out when I have the time! One of the benefits of controlled burns I honestly had not really considered until I did research into it is the cultural significance. You mentioned the traditional and cultural importance in addition to the environmental benefits of prescribed burning and I came across some of the same research. In addition to all the benefits you’d mentioned in your post, I discovered that many indigenous peoples have traditional practices that tie into their prescribed burning, practices that have almost been forgotten because of the legal ramifications of conducting non-government sanctioned burning. Just like how you mentioned the Lomakatsi Restoration group emphasizing collective action, I think the federal, state and local governments in the U.S. can do a lot more in terms of forming alliances and righting past wrongs with indigenous groups. As the consequences of climate change are becoming more and more serious, it really is imperative that government institutions work with indigenous peoples to collaborate on taking care of our environment and our ecosystems.What you mentioned about being more cognizant of the land around you also really resonated with me. I think during the course of these EcoChallenges, I’ve definitely been challenged to be observant, grateful, and contributory to the space that I live in. Up until coming to UCLA, I’d never really fully understood the concept of unceded indigenous land or the significance of the U.S. government seizing native lands. Those past actions have not only destroyed cultures, lives, and lands but have also created a system where education about these issues is limited. I think a huge step in being more collaborative in our solutions to climate change is educating the population about the issues that contribute to it in hopes of creating a force of people who can work towards combating the crisis. I really appreciate your post and it definitely made me reflect on my role in the land that I live on!
