Fire country : how indigenous fire management could help save Australia
Victor Steffensen (Actor)
Delving deep into the Australian landscape and the environmental challenges we face, Fire Country is a powerful account from Indigenous land management expert Victor Steffensen on how the revival of cultural burning practices, and improved 'reading' of country, could help to restore our land.From a young age, Victor has had a passion for traditional cultural and ecological knowledge. This was further developed after meeting two Elders, who were to become his mentors and teach him the importance of cultural burning. Developed over many generations, this knowledge shows clearly that Australia actually needs fire. Moreover, fire is an important part of a wholistic approach to the environment, and when burning is done in a carefully considered manner, this ensures proper land care and healing.Victor's story is unassuming and honest, while demonstrating the incredibly sophisticated and complex cultural knowledge that has been passed down to him, which he wants to share with others. Fire Country is written in a way that reflects the nature of yarning, and while some of the knowledge shared in this book may not align with Western views, there is much evidence that, if adopted, it could greatly benefit all Australians
1 online resource
9781743586839, 1743586833
1140968916
Part one : Finding the old people
Finding the old people
Hiding the mailbags
Part two : The fire
The Fire
Starting the fire
The start of the season ; Boxwood country and gun-tree country ; Stringybark country and sand-ridge country
Mixed-tree country
Storm burn country
No-fire country
Through the tress
Part three : The other side
The other side
The battle for acknowledgement
The obstacle of man
Science or oppression?
Part four : Sharing the fire knowledge
The Traditional Knowledge Recording Project
Go ahead
Fire and the story
The Indigenous Fire Workshop
For Country and spirit
Part five : Healing country, healing people
The 'praction'
The animals talking
What have they done to the country?
Healing people with country
Healing country
Living Knowledge