Cultural Fire Education Training Modules for Burn Bosses and Educational Forum

Chumash peoples have developed an internal training module series to educate their burn bosses and those who are working in the "good fire" and cultural fire realm. However, these modules currently contain sensitive cultural information and are not accessible to train personnel outside of Chumash circles. There is a need to modify these training modules to allow for a broader distribution to those outside of the Chumash community, in order to enhance the understanding and benefits of undertaking cultural practices on the land, since the lack of understanding is currently a barrier to the successful integration of these practices into landscape management. The development of these modules must be done with compensation for those who hold this knowledge and are willing to share aspects of it to educate agency staff, fire professionals, government officials and the general public. Many professionals and decision-makers working on fire management do not understand the nuances or the difference between prescribed fire, good fire, or cultural fire. Cultural burns are Indigenous practices, while prescribed burns are managed by land managers for ecological and fire risk reduction goals. Good Fire is a broader term that can encompass both prescribed and cultural fire, referring to the positive impacts of carefully managed fire on ecosystems and human communities. Cultural fire tends to be low intensity and is implemented to achieve specific indigenous cultural goals like promoting the growth of traditional food sources, preparing materials for basketry, and maintaining plant diversity. Misunderstandings of the role of cultural fire, and confusing it with prescribed fire can result in roadblocks to implementation.

Scope: This project would develop a Cultural Fire Education Program outreach strategy and education materials for two audiences: community members/neighbors to project sites and fire practitioners/officials/agencies. The existing training modules available to the Chumash would be updated to allow for broad distribution and education.

Status: Conceptual

Cost: Low cost

Partners: Native Coast Action Network, Wildfire Resilience Collaborative

Potential Partners: Santa Barbara Fire Department (SBCFD), Santa Barbara Fire Safe Council (SBFSC) and UCSB Wildfire Resilience Initiative