‘It’s a tool, it’s an ally’: Why an Indigenous-led burning group wants to change California’s relationship to fire – Capradio.org

February 3, 2025

Kayley Walker is no stranger to fire.

It’s a force that’s painted all parts of her life — like as a kid, when she’d watch her grandfather light piles of dried sticks and brush at the family ranch. That’s a good memory for Walker, and one she counts among her first experiences with fire in an Indigenous context.

But that relationship became more complex in 2017 when, as a teenager, she saw her home consumed by a blaze during the Tubbs Fire.

“At that point, fire was just something to be afraid of,” Walker said.

Despite that fear, she felt drawn to work with fire. She’s a tribal member of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians and says the practice of cultural burning has been an important one to her Tribe for millennia. After some years, she started to explore her relationship with fire and began connecting to Indigenous practitioners.

Read More: https://www.capradio.org/articles/2025/02/03/its-a-tool-its-an-ally-why-an-indigenous-led-burning-group-wants-to-change-californias-relationship-to-fire/