advocacy

I am committed to advocating for equitable, solutions-oriented wildland fire policy, which must prioritize reducing barriers for Indigenous peoples to practice cultural burning. Importantly, I believe moving towards more equitable, solutions-oriented wildland fire policy will first require us to challenge narratives around fire that erase Indigenous peoples. In my own institutions, I have challenged Indigenous erasure by integrating Indigenous fire stewardship into the University of Montana’s wildfire curriculum and working with Indigenous and non-Indigenous colleagues to draft recommendations for the Association for Fire Ecology on creating a culture that promotes respectful narratives around Indigenous fire practices.

If you would like to learn more about Indigenous fire practices and US Native History, some of my favorite resources include:

Indian Country 101 training: The Whitener Group and The Nature Conservancy developed six courses that provide an overview of US Native History and a deep dive into Washington Tribes. They also provide resources on respectful tribal engagement for natural resource practioners.

Good Fire: The Karuk Tribe hosts a digital story and report about barriers to cultural burning in California and recommended solutions.

Fire on the Land: The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Natural Resources Department developed a learning module about historic and contemporary fire use by the Salish and Pend d’Oreille Tribes.