Tim Kanoa's guest appearances

Tim Kanoa

YourForest

Who's Your Mob

Good Fire

Trent Nelson

Chris Smith

Peter Williams

David Price

Chris Olson

John Nash

Greg Wilson

Mark Johnston

Robert Wagner

Nathan Lauer

Scott Nielsen

Todd Nash

David Andison

Ryan Prosser

Matthew Pyper

OwlTail

Amy Cardinal Christianson

‘Good Fire’ is a podcast series about cultural burning around the world. I was fortunate enough to get to be a part of the conversations, even though my contribution was often one of ignorant questions. It is a great series that delves into the conversations around cultural burning and its impacts on local communities and environment. Today’s episode is the second of the ‘Good Fire’ series, we spoke to two gentlemen in Australia about their connection to the land and what burning means to their mobs and the larger Australian public.

#72-Burning in Australia with Amy Cardinal Christianson, Trent Nelson and Tim Kanoa

Cultural burning exists around the world. This week we spoke with Trent Nelson and Tim Kanoa about the huge forward strides they have taken to get cultural burning back on the landscape on the other side of the globe, in Australia. We discuss the deep cultural ties to burning, what has been lost, and what can be gained by having it back on the land. We could learn a lot from their experience.  ResourcesTrent Nelson: https://www.firstpeoplesvic.org/reserved-seat-holders/members-reserved-seat-holders/trent-nelson/ Tim Kanoa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-kanoa-69803a103/ The Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy: https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/fuel-management-report-2018-19/statewide-achievements/cultural-fire-strategyNative Title: https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/native-title Recognition and Settlement Agreement: https://djadjawurrung.com.au/galka-our-organisation/#recognition-settlement-agreement Cultural Landscape: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1577/ SponsorsThe Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire ScienceSupport from:●       California Indian Water Commission●       Firesticks Alliance Indigenous CorporationQuotes18.02 - 18.08: When the world evolves, so does the culture… If we didn’t evolve as a culture, we wouldn’t be the longest living culture in the world.” (Tim)25.31 - 25.36: “It’s not just about burning the landscape, it's about healing your people as well.” (Trent)37.20 - 37.40: “When you’ve been in a group of people that have been oppressed for some 230 years - when I say oppressed, I mean - oppressed so that we can’t practise our culture, we can’t talk our language, we can’t live our way of life, then obviously that does lower your confidence.” (Trent)TakeawaysThe Australian Aboriginal Flag (01.30)Trent describes the bi-coloured Australian Aboriginal Flag with black representing people, red representing Mother Earth and blood, and a yellow circle in the middle representing the sun. Tim adds that it was designed by Harold Thomas in the 1970s, an Aboriginal artist and activist from Central Australia. He points out the flag is a symbol of the Aboriginal peoples and is now also used as a political statement by Olympians like Cathy Freeman and Damien Hooper. Get to know Trent and Tim (5.29)Trent is Yorta Yorta on his grandmother’s side and Dja Dja Wurrung on his grandfather’s side. He now lives in Central Victoria and works in land management with the parks agency. Tim is from Gunditjmara First Nation and works for the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. He works to ensure that the nation is represented in the business of that department but also on the board of the corporation responsible for rights in the nation.Trent’s history of cultural burning (07.46)Trent believes that continuing the custom of cultural burning is a way of paying respect to their ancestors. Burning was stopped 175 years ago due to the gold rush displacement, but fire was brought back to the landscape of their nation 3 years ago. He learned burning techniques from his father and is working with the government to set policy and procedures to burn in Victoria to improve the health of the landscape and restore the kangaroo population. Tim’s history of cultural burning (16.27)Tim’s Nation has a volcanic landscape, and they have been using cultural burning “since time immemorial”. For his Nation, fire means many different things - it is connected to dreaming stories, it is used for safety, rejuvenating plant species and protecting animal species for land and resource management, and it helps younger generations understand ancient cultural systems. He speaks of the diversity in Aboriginal groups in their languages and customs.The cultural significance of burning (22.09)Trent’s grandmother and grandfather came from two Nations that have very diverse landscapes and therefore different reasons for burning. In his grandfather’s Nation, burning is done to restore certain species, celebrate the fire season, and for asset protection. He believes that Aboriginal peoples have a right to burn on traditional lands, which they had been denied, and that it is important to bring back that culture, family kinship laws and ceremony onto the land.Native Title (25.41)Tim’s Nation’s landscape is primarily wetlands, and burning has been difficult due to the fires going into the underground caves. He talks about Native Title in Australia which protects the Australian Aboriginal peoples' rights and interests to their land that derive from traditional laws and customs. Native Title allows them to go to crown land for hunting, gathering and conducting cultural practices in working partnership with the government. Fire as a positive force (32.20)Tim’s Nation has created a document that they give the companies that share their vision for the future to understand what they want for their peoples. He emphasizes the importance of communication between non-Aboriginal people and Aboriginal peoples, who, for too long, “were in the shadows, too afraid to step out”. He finds that fire has become a positive tool for people to connect and protect the environment. “Nothing is lost” (36.05)Trent says that even though Aboriginal peoples' way of living in society has been disrupted, the knowledge of using fire still lies with them - they just need the confidence to be able to do it. Some ways to do so are to get younger people back on the landscape, restore cultural governance, and create a “genuine community”. He stresses the importance of the community understanding fire - the science behind it and the need for it - and cultural knowledge.“A lot of the stuff we carry, we carry in our hearts” (40.48)Trent shares that although documentation is a good way of broadening knowledge, cultural protocols are carried in their hearts as passed down through generations. Colonization has affected their social and cultural governance, he says, but they now invite Elders to every burning site to take their permission to restore the culture and familial connections in the community. What feels right within your heart and spirit? (42.59)Tim highlights that of the 38 Aboriginal languages in Victoria, there are only 2 that can be spoken fluently. Their knowledge and traditions were passed down orally through ceremony, song and dance, but the settlers documented them since the time of colonization. Together with oral teaching and the documentation available, Tim says that “we will recreate what is necessary and what is meaningful for us”. “Fire has not been treated with enough respect” (48.08)Trent explains that Aboriginal practices were so scientifically astute and complex, that it was incomprehensible to settler academics. Their ancient practices are inspired by caring for Mother Earth with the least impact. However, he laments that even though fire gives us life and is an important part of ceremony, it has been viewed as a fearful threat. He works towards blending Aboriginal knowledge with Western science to make all people able custodians of the land.Collaborative governance (54.06)Tim’s uncle found that it took a few years to come to a level of understanding with the government about burning and working together in the process. The state government of Victoria is committed to Aboriginal self-determination and to achieving a treaty with the Victorian Aboriginal community. This will ensure that Aboriginal mobs will make key decisions about governance. “You’ve got to do the right thing before you get everything right” (57.12)Trent expounds on the Recognition and Settlement Agreement in Victoria, which titles them as the First Peoples of the area in the band ring they work within and as partners in the state. He and Tim narrate how Aboriginal fire management is being restored through championing advocacy work. A Cultural Burning Strategy is being developed which will enable traditional groups and agencies to work with each other.   Community building through fire (1.06.27)Trent delineates how fire-keepers in his community undergo general firefighter training to help them care for their communities holistically. Elders have stepped foot back into the country to enable cultural burning. They are also giving other people the opportunity to participate in the experience of cultural burning, to create a positive environment. He explains his role in the cultural burning process and the different steps in the process.Aboriginal cultural landscape (1.11.30)Tim explicates how fire has helped Aboriginal mobs by registering the Aboriginal cultural landscape with UNESCO. It was through burning that a new stone hut was discovered, which unearthed the important cultural significance of that land. He aims to use fire to discover more cultural findings, help non-Aboriginal people learn about his peoples, and make his community healthy and vibrant.  If you liked this podcast, please check out YourForest podcast too, rate and review it on Instagram and Facebook and tag a friend, and send your feedback and comments to yourforestpodcast@gmail.co.

Cultural burning exists around the world. This week we spoke with Trent Nelson and Tim Kanoa about the huge forward strides they have taken to get cultural burning back on the landscape on the other side of the globe, in Australia. We discuss the deep cultural ties to burning, what has been lost, and what can be gained by having it back on the land. We could learn a lot from their experience. ResourcesTrent Nelson: <a href="https://www.firstpeoplesvic.org/reserved-seat-holders/members-reserved-seat-holders/trent-nelson/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.firstpeoplesvic.org/reserved-seat-holders/members-reserved-seat-holders/trent-nelson/</a> Tim Kanoa: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-kanoa-69803a103/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-kanoa-69803a103/</a> The Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy: <a href="https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/fuel-management-report-2018-19/statewide-achievements/cultural-fire-strategy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/fuel-management-report-2018-19/statewide-achievements/cultural-fire-strategy</a>Native Title: <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/native-title" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/native-title</a> Recognition and Settlement Agreement: <a href="https://djadjawurrung.com.au/galka-our-organisation/#recognition-settlement-agreement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://djadjawurrung.com.au/galka-our-organisation/#recognition-settlement-agreement</a> Cultural Landscape: <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1577/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1577/</a> Sponsors<a href="https://www.canadawildfire.org/about#:~:text=The%20Canadian%20Partnership%20for%20Wildland,the%20Canadian%20Forest%20Service%20(CFS)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire Science</a>Support from:●       <a href="https://ciwcwater.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">California Indian Water Commission</a>●       <a href="https://www.firesticks.org.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation</a>Quotes18.02 - 18.08: When the world evolves, so does the culture… If we didn’t evolve as a culture, we wouldn’t be the longest living culture in the world.” (Tim)25.31 - 25.36: “It’s not just about burning the landscape, it's about healing your people as well.” (Trent)37.20 - 37.40: “When you’ve been in a group of people that have been oppressed for some 230 years - when I say oppressed, I mean - oppressed so that we can’t practise our culture, we can’t talk our language, we can’t live our way of life, then obviously that does lower your confidence.” (Trent)TakeawaysThe Australian Aboriginal Flag (01.30)Trent describes the bi-coloured Australian Aboriginal Flag with black representing people, red representing Mother Earth and blood, and a yellow circle in the middle representing the sun. Tim adds that it was designed by Harold Thomas in the 1970s, an Aboriginal artist and activist from Central Australia. He points out the flag is a symbol of the Aboriginal peoples and is now also used as a political statement by Olympians like Cathy Freeman and Damien Hooper. Get to know Trent and Tim (5.29)Trent is Yorta Yorta on his grandmother’s side and Dja Dja Wurrung on his grandfather’s side. He now lives in Central Victoria and works in land management with the parks agency. Tim is from Gunditjmara First Nation and works for the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. He works to ensure that the nation is represented in the business of that department but also on the board of the corporation responsible for rights in the nation.Trent’s history of cultural burning (07.46)Trent believes that continuing the custom of cultural burning is a way of paying respect to their ancestors. Burning was stopped 175 years ago due to the gold rush displacement, but fire was brought back to the landscape of their nation 3 years ago. He learned burning techniques from his father and is working with the government to set policy and procedures to burn in Victoria to improve the health of the landscape and restore the kangaroo population. Tim’s history of cultural burning (16.27)Tim’s Nation has a volcanic landscape, and they have been using cultural burning “since time immemorial”. For his Nation, fire means many different things - it is connected to dreaming stories, it is used for safety, rejuvenating plant species and protecting animal species for land and resource management, and it helps younger generations understand ancient cultural systems. He speaks of the diversity in Aboriginal groups in their languages and customs.The cultural significance of burning (22.09)Trent’s grandmother and grandfather came from two Nations that have very diverse landscapes and therefore different reasons for burning. In his grandfather’s Nation, burning is done to restore certain species, celebrate the fire season, and for asset protection. He believes that Aboriginal peoples have a right to burn on traditional lands, which they had been denied, and that it is important to bring back that culture, family kinship laws and ceremony onto the land.Native Title (25.41)Tim’s Nation’s landscape is primarily wetlands, and burning has been difficult due to the fires going into the underground caves. He talks about Native Title in Australia which protects the Australian Aboriginal peoples' rights and interests to their land that derive from traditional laws and customs. Native Title allows them to go to crown land for hunting, gathering and conducting cultural practices in working partnership with the government. Fire as a positive force (32.20)Tim’s Nation has created a document that they give the companies that share their vision for the future to understand what they want for their peoples. He emphasizes the importance of communication between non-Aboriginal people and Aboriginal peoples, who, for too long, “were in the shadows, too afraid to step out”. He finds that fire has become a positive tool for people to connect and protect the environment. “Nothing is lost” (36.05)Trent says that even though Aboriginal peoples' way of living in society has been disrupted, the knowledge of using fire still lies with them - they just need the confidence to be able to do it. Some ways to do so are to get younger people back on the landscape, restore cultural governance, and create a “genuine community”. He stresses the importance of the community understanding fire - the science behind it and the need for it - and cultural knowledge.“A lot of the stuff we carry, we carry in our hearts” (40.48)Trent shares that although documentation is a good way of broadening knowledge, cultural protocols are carried in their hearts as passed down through generations. Colonization has affected their social and cultural governance, he says, but they now invite Elders to every burning site to take their permission to restore the culture and familial connections in the community. What feels right within your heart and spirit? (42.59)Tim highlights that of the 38 Aboriginal languages in Victoria, there are only 2 that can be spoken fluently. Their knowledge and traditions were passed down orally through ceremony, song and dance, but the settlers documented them since the time of colonization. Together with oral teaching and the documentation available, Tim says that “we will recreate what is necessary and what is meaningful for us”. “Fire has not been treated with enough respect” (48.08)Trent explains that Aboriginal practices were so scientifically astute and complex, that it was incomprehensible to settler academics. Their ancient practices are inspired by caring for Mother Earth with the least impact. However, he laments that even though fire gives us life and is an important part of ceremony, it has been viewed as a fearful threat. He works towards blending Aboriginal knowledge with Western science to make all people able custodians of the land.Collaborative governance (54.06)Tim’s uncle found that it took a few years to come to a level of understanding with the government about burning and working together in the process. The state government of Victoria is committed to Aboriginal self-determination and to achieving a treaty with the Victorian Aboriginal community. This will ensure that Aboriginal mobs will make key decisions about governance. “You’ve got to do the right thing before you get everything right” (57.12)Trent expounds on the Recognition and Settlement Agreement in Victoria, which titles them as the First Peoples of the area in the band ring they work within and as partners in the state. He and Tim narrate how Aboriginal fire management is being restored through championing advocacy work. A Cultural Burning Strategy is being developed which will enable traditional groups and agencies to work with each other.   Community building through fire (1.06.27)Trent delineates how fire-keepers in his community undergo general firefighter training to help them care for their communities holistically. Elders have stepped foot back into the country to enable cultural burning. They are also giving other people the opportunity to participate in the experience of cultural burning, to create a positive environment. He explains his role in the cultural burning process and the different steps in the process.Aboriginal cultural landscape (1.11.30)Tim explicates how fire has helped Aboriginal mobs by registering the Aboriginal cultural landscape with UNESCO. It was through burning that a new stone hut was discovered, which unearthed the important cultural significance of that land. He aims to use fire to discover more cultural findings, help non-Aboriginal people learn about his peoples, and make his community healthy and vibrant.  If you liked this podcast, please check out <a href="https://yourforestpodcast.com/episode-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YourForest podcast</a> too, rate and review it on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/yourforestpodcast/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/yourforestpodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and tag a friend, and send your feedback and comments to <a href="mailto:yourforestpodcast@gmail.com">yourforestpodcast@gmail.co</a>.

Burning on territory in Victoria, Australia with Trent Nelson and Tim Kanoa

Great to kick back and have a yarn with Tim after work looking out on Nicholson St, Melbourne. Such a multi-talented and in demand man, we talk primarily about creating music and dance for 'The Fighting Gunditjmara' but also touching on his work within government roles for community and being vegetarian.https://www.facebook.com/The-Fighting-Gunditjmara-489787907767417

Great to kick back and have a yarn with Tim after work looking out on Nicholson St, Melbourne. Such a multi-talented and in demand man, we talk primarily about creating music and dance for 'The Fighting Gunditjmara' but also touching on his work within government roles for community and being vegetarian. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Fighting-Gunditjmara-489787907767417" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/The-Fighting-Gunditjmara-489787907767417</a>