The Politics of Fire and the Social Impacts of Fire Exclusion on the Klamath
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Date
2014
Authors
Norgaard, Kari
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Humboldt Journal of Social Relations
Abstract
The exceptional biological diversity of the mid-Klamath River region of northern
California has emerged in conjunction with sophisticated Karuk land management
practices, including the regulation of the forest and fisheries through ceremony and the
use of fire. Over three quarters of Karuk traditional food and cultural use species are enhanced
by fire. Fire is also central to cultural and spiritual practices. Land management techniques
since the 1900s have emphasized fire suppression and the “exclusion” of wildfire from the
landscape. This paper uses data from interviews, surveys and other documents to describe the
social impacts of fire exclusion for Karuk tribal members. The exclusion of fire from the
ecosystem has a host of interrelated ecological and social impacts including impacts to cultural
practice, political sovereignty, social relations, subsistence activities, and the mental and
physical health of individual tribal members. In addition, Karuk tribal members are negatively
impacted by the effects of catastrophic fires and intensive firefighting activities that in turn
result from fire exclusion. Whereas existing literature has addressed ecological and social
impacts of changing ecosystems as separate categories, the social, ecological and economic
impacts of fire exclusion are here understood to be intrinsically linked.
Description
25 pages