Gendered dimensions of Aboriginal Australian and California Indian fire knowledge retention and revival

Authors

Christine Eriksen, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

84591

Publication Details

Eriksen, C. (2013). Gendered dimensions of Aboriginal Australian and California Indian fire knowledge retention and revival. Current Conservation, 7 (1), 22-26.

Abstract

Fire has played a key role in the land management practices of Aboriginal Australians and Native Americans for millennia. However, colonial interests have disrupted indigenous use of fire in multiple ways. This article summarises how gender is entwined—spatially and temporally— in the adaptive knowledge trajectories through which some Aboriginal Australian and California Indian fire knowledge is retained and revived. The article draws on oral narratives shared by indigenous elders, cultural practitioners, and land stewards during prescribed burns, fire knowledge workshops, field trips with students, informal conversations and audio-recorded interviews.