Fighting Fire with Fire

In Beshara Magazine

Victor Steffensen talks to Rosemary Rule about his pioneering work reintroducing indigenous cultural burning practices in Australia

One of the most visible effects of the climate crisis has been the sight of wildfires raging in the great forests of America, Canada, Australia and Europe. As the devastating consequences of global warming become clear, there is increasing interest in the wisdom of indigenous traditions which for millennia cared for the environment in a sustainable way. In this article we talk to traditional fire practitioner Victor Steffensen [/], who has pioneered the reintroduction of aboriginal burning methods in Australia. A filmmaker, musician, and educator, Victor is the co-founder of the National Indigenous Fire Workshops and the Firesticks Alliance, and the author of two books which lay out the benefits of this ancient practice: Fire Country [1] and a bright and accessible picture-book, Looking After Country with Fire, for younger people. We spoke to him by phone from his home near Cairns in Far North Queensland FOR MORE