Indigenous leaders revive cultural fire practices in Pacific Northwest

Indigenous leaders and researchers are working to revitalize cultural fire practices across the Pacific Northwest, drawing on traditional knowledge and new research, according to reporting by OPB. Joe Scott, an elder from the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, demonstrated traditional fire-carrying techniques during a cultural burn in Southern Oregon, reflecting practices used by ancestors to steward the land. 

Researchers, including Glenn Jones of Oregon State University, are studying fire history in the region and found evidence that forests burned more frequently in the past than previously believed. Indigenous leaders and experts said cultural burning has long been used for ceremony and land management, but the practice declined following colonization and fire suppression policies. Organizers of recent cultural fire exchanges said the effort aims to reconnect communities and restore traditional practices.