This webinar is the fifth in the Australian Centre’s 2023 Critical Public Conversations series: Country, Climate, Colonialism.
In August 2021, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its sixth assessment report which unequivocally identified climate change as a human induced process. Indigenous peoples compromise less than 5% of the world’s population yet we protect 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity in the forests, deserts, grasslands, and marine environments in which we have lived for centuries.
Climate change has been identified as a key factor in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the Western United States. Wildfire in California can be traced to roots of colonialism through the establishment and persistence of “no burn” policies. Agencies have recognised the detrimental effects of fire suppression on ecosystems, and scholars have emphasised the need for climate adaptation partnerships with Indigenous communities. However, we are asking the same agencies that created the problem to be responsible for the solution.
This talk will centralise the significance of working with Indigenous fire practitioners and cultural bearers to reclaim cultural practices in Northern California, and now in the Midwest area of the United States. These demonstrations edify decolonial approaches to fire practices, land care, and Indigenous ecological intelligence towards our collective climate futurity.
Melinda M. Adams
Assistant Professor Geography and Atmospheric Science and Indigenous Studies at the University of Kansas
Dr Adams, Ph.D. is an Indigenous woman, scientist, and cultural fire practitioner. She belongs to the N’dee San Carlos Apache Tribe and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science and Indigenous Studies at The University of Kansas.
As a fire scholar, Dr. Adams concentrates on encouraging public participation in prescribed and controlled burns, getting more people fire certified, and placing more Indigenous-led cultural fire to the ground with allies, agencies, and Tribal members: “Decolonising fire” as she describes.
Dr. Adams holds her Bachelor of Science from Haskell Indian Nations University (one of thirty-seven tribal colleges located across the United States), her Master of Science from Purdue University, and PhD from the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on the revitalisation of cultural fire with Tribes at the intersection of ecology, environmental science, environmental policy, and Native American Studies.
Mkutano huu wa wavuti ni wa tano katika safu ya Mazungumzo ya Umma ya Kisaikolojia ya Kituo cha Australia cha 2023: Nchi, Hali ya Hewa, Ukoloni. Mnamo Agosti 2021, Jopo la Kati la Serikali juu ya Mabadiliko ya Hali ya Hewa lilitoa ripoti yake ya tathmini ya sita ambayo ilitambua wazi mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa kama mchakato uliosababishwa na binadamu. Wenyeji wa asili ni chini ya asilimia tano ya idadi ya watu duniani, lakini tunalinda asilimia 80 ya viumbe mbalimbali duniani katika misitu, jangwa, nyasi na mazingira ya baharini ambayo tumekuwa tukikaa kwa karne nyingi. Mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa yametambuliwa kuwa sababu kuu ya kuongezeka kwa hatari na kiwango cha moto wa misitu katika magharibi mwa Marekani. Moto wa mwituni huko California unaweza kufuatiliwa kwa mizizi ya ukoloni kupitia kuanzishwa na kuendelea kwa sera za "hakuna kuchoma". Wakala wametambua athari mbaya za kuzima moto kwenye mifumo ya ikolojia, na wasomi wamekazia hitaji la ushirikiano wa kukabiliana na hali ya hewa na jamii za asili. Hata hivyo, tunaomba mashirika yaleyale yaliyounda tatizo kuwa na jukumu la suluhisho. "Mkutano huu utazingatia umuhimu wa kufanya kazi na watendaji wa moto wa asili na wabebaji wa utamaduni ili kurudisha mazoea ya kitamaduni Kaskazini mwa California, na sasa katika eneo la Midwest la Marekani. """ Maonyesho haya yanajenga mbinu za decolonial kwa mazoea ya moto, utunzaji wa ardhi, na akili ya ikolojia ya wenyeji kuelekea siku zijazo za hali ya hewa yetu ya pamoja. Melinda M. Adams, Profesa Msaidizi wa Jiografia na Sayansi ya Anga na Mafunzo ya Wenyeji wa Kansas, ni mwanamke wa asili, mwanasayansi, na mtaalamu wa moto wa kitamaduni. Yeye ni wa kabila la N'Dee San Carlos Apache na ni Profesa Msaidizi katika Idara ya Jiografia na Sayansi ya Anga na Mafunzo ya Wenyeji wa Kansas. Kama msomi wa moto, Dk Adams anajishughulisha na kuhamasisha ushiriki wa umma katika kuchoma kwa kuamriwa na kudhibitiwa, kupata watu zaidi wa moto waliothibitishwa, na kuweka moto zaidi wa kitamaduni ulioongozwa na wenyeji kwenye ardhi na washirika, mashirika, na wanachama wa kabila: "Dekolonizing moto" kama anavyoelezea. Adams amepata shahada ya kwanza ya sayansi kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Haskell Indian Nations (moja ya vyuo vikuu 37 vya kikabila nchini Marekani), shahada ya kwanza ya sayansi kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Purdue, na shahada ya PhD kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha California, Davis. Utafiti wake unazingatia uamsho wa moto wa kitamaduni na Makabila katika makutano ya ikolojia, sayansi ya mazingira, sera ya mazingira, na Mafunzo ya Wenyeji wa Amerika.