The devastating bushfires along Australia’s East Coast at the end of 2019 and into 2020 might feel like a distant memory given how much has happened since. However, another hot Australian summer is almost on our doorstep, and we can’t afford to “wait years or months…we have to get in now and burn [these young invasive plants] straight away,” according to Adrian, a member of the Mudjingaalbaraga Firesticks team.
Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation is an Indigenous-led organisation that aims to re-invigorate the use of cultural burning by facilitating cultural learning pathways to fire and land management.
‘Cultural burning’ is described as burning practices developed by Aboriginal people to enhance the health of the land and its people. According to Firesticks Alliance, cultural burning can include the burning or prevention of burning of Country for the health of particular plants and animals and may involve patch burning to create different fire intervals across the landscape. Read more at: Firesticks – What is cultural burning?
Recently, members of the Mudjingaalbaraga Firesticks team revisited Bundanon to show the difference between Country that had Cultural Fire applied in 2018, with Country destroyed by wildfire in 2020. The difference was stark.
In the wake of the 2020 bushfires, Pure Community donated to Firesticks, so they could continue to provide Indigenous leadership, advocacy and action to protect Country through cultural fire and land management practices. In the past year, this incredible organisation has delivered mentoring and training programs in Tasmania, Victoria, NSW, and Queensland continuing to work with Indigenous communities in the National Indigenous Fire Network as well as wider Australian communities.
However, there is no better cure than prevention. And so, we are proud to again support Firesticks Alliance and heed their strong message for us to be united in taking responsibility for caring for this land by donating $2,103 this quarter, before it’s too late.
“Ensuring western fire science works together with Indigenous fire knowledge is crucial in order to create a knowledge system that understands not only what constitutes a healthy environment, but also the value that it provides to the wider communities.” - Uncle Nook (Noel Webster)
WATCH: Dharrawal-Yuin Ngurra, the Good Fire video showcase ↗︎
*Pure Community and Pure Finance have no direct affiliation with the organisations and causes listed above, we simply appreciate the work that they do, and choose to show our appreciation by donating to them.