Traditional Owners to get grants for cultural fire projects

TWO Traditional Owners groups in south-west Victoria have received grants to support their efforts to conduct cultural burning on Country.

Projects by the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation and Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation are being funded through the state government’s Cultural Fire Grants Program.

Across Victoria, 10 projects will be funded by the $6.3 million program, assisting Traditional Owners to conduct cultural burns across the Victorian landscape.

Also known as cultural fire, cultural burning is fire deliberately put into the landscape authorised and led by the Traditional Owners of that Country for a variety of purposes.

These include but are not limited to ceremony, protection of cultural and natural assets, fuel reduction, regeneration and management of food, fibre and medicines, flora regeneration, fauna habitat protection and healing Country’s spirit.

“Eastern Maar have identified prime Warrian (bandicoot) habitat as our focus for returning fire to the landscape,” Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation general manager of cultural landscapes John Clarke said.

“The return of Maar Biocultural objectives into landscape management will have benefits for all Victorians as we return to the conservation model influenced by and developed for the local landscape.”

Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation executive manager of programs Jane Walker said her organisation was very excited to continue restoring weeyn yakeen (fire dreaming) back into the landscape.

“This project is about enabling Gunditjmara Traditional Owners to heal Country and fulfil their rights and obligations to care for Country through weeyn.

“The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is an incredibly special and unique place. By working with community to build skills and knowledge in weeyn yakeen, we are supporting Gunditjmara obligations for looking after Country.”

The grant program supports Aboriginal Victorians to care for Country, investing in projects that promote self-determination through land management and enhance cultural and environmental values on Country.

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action is investing $22.5 million over four years to reinvigorate Traditional Owner-led cultural land and fire management practices as part of the broader Reducing Bushfire Risk funding.

The program contributes to achieving the vision of the Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy and supports existing partnerships between Traditional Owners and state agencies.

“We’re supporting Traditional Owners to lead cultural burning across the region and helping to create a space for traditional land management practices,” Forest Fire Management Victoria deputy chief fire officer for Barwon South West Andrew Morrow said.

For more information, head to environment.vic.gov.au/grants/cultural-fire-grants