Bringing Traditional Fire to Tribal Lands

Since time immemorial, fire has been used to cleanse the land and bring new growth, a practice that Cow Creek Tribal Fire Management staff are proud to bring into modern day wildfire prevention and forestry practices. In September and October, they participated in two prescribed burns on Tribal land: the Dole Road Property and Old Tom’s Prairie.

“We’re proud to be a part of the re-implementation of fire back on the landscape as it was historically done, and to be able to partner with other agencies to  implement more of that on Tribal lands,” said Brennan Pettibone, Cow Creek Fire Management Operations Supervisor.

Before the prescribed burn on the Tribal-owned property at Dole Road near Myrtle Creek, Tribal staff from the Education, Heritage, and Cultural Resources teams conducted a ceremony to prepare the land for the burn. Education Programs Officer Jesse Jackson led the ceremony with an eagle-bone whistle, and three songs to the beat of a hand drum. Heritage Programs Manager Ben Steward performed a smudge for the attendants, and Cultural Resources Programs Manager Jennifer Bryant and Cultural Resources Coordinator Cassandra Nava smudged the property and washed the hands of the firefighters with spring water from Elk Creek. As both the eldest Elder present and the Fire Chief, Monte Bryan placed a blessing of tobacco on the land as well.

Following the ceremony, the Tribal Fire Management team worked alongside fire staff from the Douglas Forest Protection Agency, the Myrtle Creek Fire  Department, the Riddle Fire Department, and the Tribe’s Natural Resources and Forestry teams to perform the burn on 280 acres of Tribal land. Working in small, controlled sections at a time, they used fire to burn off blackberries, poison oak, dead grass, and deadfall that are dangerous fuels that can make wildfires far more dangerous and widespread.

“This type of ‘good fire’ promotes soil health and new growth, while decreasing the overall fuel loading for future wildfires and making the area safer for  agriculture and wildlife,” said Bryan.

The team also worked alongside the U.S. Forest Service on a prescribed burn to protect Old Tom’s Prairie, a culturally significant place for spiritual gatherings, and was historically known as a site where Tribal families hid to avoid being taken to reservations. The prescribed burn was intended to treat hazardous fuel loads on 112 acres, an area that has not been treated with prescribed fire for 150 years. The team consulted with Heritage staff to avoid damaging any of the archaeological sites in the area. Since the project was first proposed, the team has undergone nine years of studies, surveys, plans, site preparations, and legal compliances to be able to perform the burn.

“These burns reinforced a lot of relationships we’ve had with these agencies,” said Pettibone. “With us having a fire engine in Tiller all summer long, we work with these folks day in and day out. They are able to ask us for help, and know they can trust us to get the job done without worrying about us. These relationships are key for us as we continue to build out our Fire Management Program.”