WatchNative fire watch
Watching and sharing the return of Native fire
Long before agencies talked about prescribed fire, Indigenous peoples were putting fire on the land the right way. These are the networks leading its return, in Australia and across the United States, and the places to learn from them.
Where it started for me
Firesticks & the Living Knowledge Network
Firesticks
Firesticks is the Australian national Indigenous network that brought Cultural Fire back into the conversation. Founded around the work of Tagalaka man Victor Steffensen and other Traditional Owners, it trains and supports Indigenous communities to read Country and burn the right way again: cool, careful fires guided by Traditional Knowledge that heal the land, reduce dangerous fuel loads, and strengthen community. Firesticks has now grown into its next chapter, the Living Knowledge Network, and the original website leads there today.
Visit Firesticks
AustraliaLiving Knowledge Network
The Living Knowledge Network is the next chapter of Firesticks: a community-led, Indigenous-led nonprofit that grew out of the Cultural Fire movement into a broader national network. It sits at the intersection of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, environmental stewardship, community wellbeing and cultural sovereignty, supporting communities to lead and making the knowledge of the oldest living cultures on Earth accessible to everyone. Cultural Fire remains a cornerstone of its work on Country.
Visit Living Knowledge NetworkUnited States
US Native fire networks & resources
Across the United States, Tribal nations and Native fire practitioners are rebuilding their fire cultures and reclaiming fire sovereignty. These are the networks worth watching, supporting and learning from.
Indigenous Peoples Burning Network (IPBN)
A support network among Native American communities revitalizing their traditional fire cultures in a contemporary context. Founded in 2015 and led by Native American elders and fire practitioners, the IPBN supports family-led cultural burning, Healthy Country Planning and Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges, with partners in states including Alabama, California, Minnesota, Oregon, Virginia and Washington.
Learn moreFire Networks (Fire Learning Network & TREX)
A nationwide partnership, with support from The Nature Conservancy, that brings the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network, the Fire Learning Network and Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges (TREX) under one roof. It helps communities of all kinds return beneficial fire to the land, including Tribal-led cultural burns and training opportunities for the next generation of fire practitioners.
Learn moreCultural Fire Resources - Association for Fire Ecology
A curated directory of Cultural Fire resources from the Association for Fire Ecology: research on Indigenous fire practices, training materials, and guidance on how agencies and neighbors can respectfully support and partner with Native fire practitioners.
Learn moreIndigenous Fire Practices - National Park Service
The National Park Service overview of how Indigenous peoples have used sophisticated fire practices to care for landscapes across what is now the United States since time immemorial, and how the agency partners with Tribal communities to bring cultural burning back to parks and other public lands.
Learn moreCanada
Canadian Indigenous fire networks
North of the border, First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities are also bringing cultural fire home. These Canadian networks and programs are worth watching.
National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (NIFSC)
Driven by the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada, the NIFSC supports First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities across Canada with fire safety, prevention and training, and is a leading voice for Indigenous-led fire and emergency services on reserve.
Learn moreParks Canada - Indigenous Fire Stewardship
Parks Canada is working with First Nations partners to bring Indigenous fire stewardship back to national parks and historic sites, combining Traditional Knowledge with park fire management through shared cultural burns and learning.
Learn moreIndigenous Leadership Initiative
The Indigenous Leadership Initiative champions Indigenous-led land and water stewardship across Canada, including the Indigenous Guardians programs that care for Country - work that increasingly includes returning good fire to the land.
Learn moreCultural Burning & Prescribed Fire (Canada)
A Canadian hub for good fire: resources, stories and training connections around cultural burning and prescribed fire, with a growing focus on Indigenous-led burning as communities reclaim their fire practices.
Learn more