John Trudell Lecture in Native American Studies

Indigenous peoples have always understood fire as a living relationship rather than an agent of destruction; it is part of a broader system of reciprocity in which humans have obligations to maintain balance. We have also understood fire as governance. By using low intensity fire stewardship across diverse landscapes, Indigenous Peoples have long shaped environments to support food systems, biodiversity, and cultural materials. These practices are guided by generations of observation and knowledge passed through story, ceremony, and practices that are adaptive, place-based science.

This talk offers Indigenous cultural fire, prescribed fire led with Traditional Ecological Knowledge, as a time-honored system of environmental stewardship rooted in Indigenous science, sovereignty, and relational responsibility. Discussion will situate cultural fire within rights-based frameworks, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), emphasizing that knowledge sovereignty and Indigenous decision-making are essential to effective ecosystem resilience.

Sponsors: Native American Studies, Goldstein Family Community Family Chair in Human Rights, Goldstein Center for Human Rights, History, Religious Studies, Sociology/Anthropology and Political Science.