Winba = fire, the Banbai Fire and Seasons Calendar

Abstract

Our research describes the reintroduction of cultural burning at Wattleridge Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) in New South Wales Australia, owned by the Banbai Aboriginal Nation, and considers the ecological and cultural changes that occur when fire is reintroduced to a long unburnt ecosystem. Through participatory action research, semi-structured interviews and the development of cross-cultural science, (using Indigenous and western scientific knowledge), we monitored the impact of cultural burning on important plants and animals and developed a fire and seasons calendar for Wattleridge IPA. Winba = Fire presents the biocultural indicators, Banbai language names, fire management recommendations and results of cross-cultural monitoring. In our experience, cultural burning is so much more than just lighting a fire. It encourages cultural revitalisation, use of threatened Aboriginal languages, ecological restoration, hazard reduction and asset protection (diversity of assets), responsible and appropriate fire management, community engagement and reconciliation. Cultural burning provides a mechanism whereby Aboriginal people ‘get out on Country’ and transfer knowledge of an ancient cultural practice. The practice of burning is exciting which encourages young people to be involved. We have found that cultural knowledge can be relearned and may not be lost forever, even in communities where the impacts of colonisation were particularly severe. Cultural burning is empowering for Aboriginal communities and can have benefits for all of Australia.