History Pub: The Past, Present and Future of Indigenous Fire Knowledge

Since time immemorial, Indigenous people in the Pacific Northwest have been tending to the land with fire. Indigenous ways of knowing and understanding a place come from generations of careful exploration, experimentation, and observation. In recent centuries, non-Native ideas about fire and its relationships to land and people have dominated management policies and practices. As the reality of climate change becomes more evident, including through devastating fires that catalyze global warming, centering Indigenous approaches to land management is increasingly important. 

Presenters Joe Scott, Siletz Tribal Member and Director of the Traditional Ecological Inquiry Program, and Elizabeth Azzuz, from the Yurok Tribe and Cultural Fire Management Council, will share stories of Indigenous histories and approaches to fire management, knowledge production, and ecological stewardship.

“All living things are fire dependent, and that is the beginning of any tending process: the reintroduction of healthy fire.” Joe Scott. 

Presented by Oregon Historical Society and World Forestry Center, this program is the second in a two-part series about forests, climate, and history. It is hosted at McMenamin’s Kennedy School.

$5 Tickets available here

About the Speakers

Joe Scott is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, a descendent of the Rogue River Tribes of what is now Southwestern Oregon. He currently lives and works on Kalapuya Illahee as Director of the Traditional Ecological Inquiry Program, collaborating with regional land stewards to support Tribal environmental engagement, promote food sovereignty, and explore traditional ways of knowing, focused on Indigenous ecological science and traditional fire. He is a fire practitioner, cultural ecologist, traditional artist, and a lifelong Tribal teacher and learner. 

Learn more at www.longtom.org/community/teip/ 

Elizabeth Azzuz is a member of the Yurok tribe in Northern California, Director of Traditional Burning and Treasurer for the Cultural Fire Management Council (CFMC) Board of Directors. The mission of CFMC is to facilitate the practice of cultural burning on the Yurok Reservation and Ancestral lands, which will lead to a healthier ecosystem for all plants and animals, long term fire protection for residents, and provide a platform that will in turn support the traditional hunting and gathering activities of Yurok. 

Learn more at www.culturalfire.org/