The Wire

A collaborative project is bringing together Traditional fire management and contemporary land practices, in Cape York’s Lakefield National Park. The Kuku Thaypan Traditional Knowledge Recording Project has enabled traditional owners to re-introduce therapeutic burning regimes and at the same time, have their bush wisdom recorded. It’s the first time in decades that traditional fire management is being practiced in the area. The project’s manager, Victor Steffensen, says younger generations have a lot to learn from their elders, but that non-Indigenous Australians should also be paying attention. Mr Steffensen hopes the project will provide scientific evidence of the value of Aboriginal knowledge and how it can fit into contemporary land management practices. He says giving recognition to Aboriginal customs is a step towards reconciling the differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.