Good Fire

S‍eason 3 Teaser 2 | Good Fire PodcastTitle: Learning Fire with Charity BattiseCharity Battise is a young Indigenous Fire Steward learning their craft. Amy and Charity met at the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network Event and they talked about Charity’s work with her Nation. Charity is a part of the Alabama Coushatta Tribe of Texas and part of the Nature Conservancies Indigenous Peoples Burning Network.

S‍eason 2 | Episode 10 | Good Fire PodcastTitle: The Abundance Will Be Forever with Victor Steffensen and Ado WebsterIn this final episode of Season 2 of the Good Fire Podcast, hosts Amy Cardinal Christianson and Matthew Kristoff sit down with Victor Steffensen and Ado Webster as they reflect on their experiences as Indigenous fire-keepers.Quote10.52 - 10.56: “We’re not governed by anyone but ourselves and by our culture and by our country.”TakeawaysRediscovering culture, discovering oneself (3.55)Ado has recently begun working with Firesticks in the capacity of an employee, and loves working in an Aboriginal cultural environment where “the knowledge is safe, the sharing is safe and people are safe”.For the landscape and the people (9.00)Ado thrives on the cultural exchange that takes place between Nations as part of his work now, something colonization deprived his community of. He is passionate about helping children access culture freely.Work that heals (14.40)Victor notes that working with the country helps liberate Aboriginal peoples from stereotypes that they are not hardworking. Work that heals the land for the future inspires youth to do the right thing to enhance their connection with the land.“Climate change is mother nature telling us to change” (19.17)Victor laments that the negative messaging in the media makes us feel helpless against climate change. He brings attention to the disasters humans have lived through, and that this can also be salvaged by “doing the good work”.When you care for the country, it cares back (28.23)Ado reassures that cultural burning is safe, which is why many go barefoot for a cultural burn. He feels a sense of oneness with all inhabitants of the land, and disagrees with preferential protective equipment for humans but not for the other animals.Fire, language and country (33.11)Ado narrates how Victor demonstrated to Ado’s Nation, his knowledge of the land that applies across different territories. Victor adds that landscapes have many similarities in values, and bringing the country back is the missing piece in reviving cultural knowledge. Let us do it our way (38.48)Ado speaks about the National Indigenous Fire Workshop they conducted for nations across Australia, where they did a cultural burn which lasted 13 days. Not having burned due to colonization has changed the landscape, and is causing sickness in the forests. The whole world gets affected (47.33)Ado says that knowledge opens up minds with the truth but it makes it more difficult to tolerate the wrong things being done. Everyone was impacted by the large bushfires in Australia, and he feels strongly about people experiencing the benefits of cultural burning.Have comments or want to give feedback? Send it to the hosts of this podcast via email at: amy.christianson@pc.gc.ca or yourforestpodcast@gmail.com. If you liked this podcast, please check out YourForest podcast too, rate and review it on Instagram and Facebook and tag a friend, and send your feedback and comments to yourforestpodcast@gmail.com.ResourcesFire Country: How Indigenous Fire Management Could Help Save Australia by Victor Steffensen‍ ‍Looking After Country with Fire: Aboriginal Burning Knowledge With Uncle Kuu Great Land by Mulong ‍ ‍‍SponsorThe Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire ScienceSupport fromCalifornia Indian Water CommissionFiresticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation

S‍eason 2 | Episode 8 | Good Fire PodcastTitle: Good Fire In Guyana with Kayla de Freitas and Nicolas CyrilIn this episode of the Good Fire Podcast, hosts Amy Cardinal Christianson and Matthew Kristoff sit down with Kayla de Freitas and Nicholas Cyril to talk about the cultural burning practices in Guyana.Quote41.54 - 42.04: “So much of that knowledge about fire and fire use and farming, hunting, is learned by doing and by living there and living that life.”TakeawaysFire since time immemorial (04.02)Nicholas has worked for 10 years at SRDC as a part-time researcher. He explains that fire in his territory has always been used and continues to be used for various reasons.The changing face of fire (10.55)Kayla’s research focus is the changing practices of Indigenous fire management and local fire governance.Timeless wisdom, current realities (13.17)Kayla describes who was interviewed for her research study and the regional fire management plan.Indigenous land rights (17.17)Nicholas notes that Indigenous peoples are allowed to burn in the villages. Kayla adds that Indigenous communities can make their own rules concerning resource governance.Towards the creation of a fire policy (19.35)The Indigenous communities in South Rupununi are working to create a local fire policy appropriate to their landscape.Burning season (23.46)Kayla highlights the seasonal fire calendar that the district council uses and a collection of interview responses on putting fire on the landscape.Beyond fire (25.53)Kayla shares how enriching it has been to work with Indigenous communities alongside Nicholas, learning about the landscape, experiencing hospitality and developing connections.Bringing fire back (33.46)Nicholas mentions how management of fire is changing in the communities to a direct style where the council makes decisions for the community.Valuing Indigenous knowledge (35.52)Nicholas speaks about how people are moving away from the traditional way of life. Kayla comments on how Indigenous knowledge was erased by settlers, but is being reclaimed.Following in the ancestor’s footsteps (41.40)Nicholas delineates the process of a burn, when traditional knowledge is relied upon. Kayla laments that the government only pays lip service to Indigenous knowledge and practices. The sum of the parts (49.44)Kayla narrates how fire management plans are being updated in consultation with Indigenous groups, and how opt-in arrangements work for their lands.Looking ahead (54.25)Nicholas says the Indigenous communities are mindful of burning in the right seasons and work with nature’s cycles. He describes how burning assists animals in breeding.Preventing brain drain (1.04.57)Kayla mentions that the SRDC is creating opportunities for trained Guyanese people to stay in the country and serve the community. Nicholas’ work with SRDC is inspired by the desire to keep Indigenous knowledge alive and affirm Indigenous land rights.Have comments or want to give feedback? Send it to the hosts of this podcast via email at: amy.christianson@pc.gc.ca or yourforestpodcast@gmail.com. If you liked this podcast, please check out YourForest podcast too, rate and review it on Instagram and Facebook and tag a friend, and send your feedback and comments to yourforestpodcast@gmail.com.ResourcesSRDCKayla De-Freitas‍SponsorThe Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire ScienceSupport fromCalifornia Indian Water CommissionFiresticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation