Nov 18 2022 30 mins
Wildfire is integral to both nature and humanity. Yet, through colonial policies of genocide and the removal of Indigenous people from their land, the United States brought an end to traditional fire use and made suppression of most wildfires the dominating philosophy. By the mid-20th century, wildfire suppression reached an industrial scale, with the use of military tactics for suppression and a friendly mascot to deliver anti-fire rhetoric. We’ve become a nation that fears fire and fights it at all costs.
In this final episode of One Foot in the Black, we look back through the series and summarize what we’ve learned about fire in the era of climate change from voices on the front lines—from the cultural fire practitioners, wildland firefighters, fire scientists, and policy makers. We also look at how fire is portrayed in the media and how we deal collectively with climate grief in the aftermath of fires.
Our goal was to explore the facts, future, and solutions of wildfire in the era of climate change, and we hope you are coming away with a greater understanding of the importance of fire and how we can live in this fire future together.
Links & Resources
Indigenous Communities of the Klamath-Siskiyou includes links to regional organizations, resources, and Indigenous-led projects
Climate Grief Sources
Jennifer Atkinson, Facing It
Dhar Jamail on Post-doom with Michael Dowd
Glenn Albrecht: TedX + The Age of Solastalgia
Solastalgia: living with the environmental damage caused by natural disasters
Featured guests:
Tim Ingalsbee, Executive Director, Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE)
Belinda Brown, Tribal Partnership Director, Lomakatsi Restoration Project
Janet Lancaster, Fire Smart Merlin
Charles Brooks, Executive Director, Rebuild Paradise Foundation
Rick O’Rourke, Fire Coordinator, Cultural Fire Management Council
Susan Jane Brown, Senior Attorney, Wildlands and Wildlife Director, Western Environmental Law Center (WELC)
Hosts: Joseph Vaile and Alexi Lovechio
Producer: Jessica Klinke
One Foot in the Black is a production of Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (KS Wild)