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.