{"id":2389087,"date":"2025-01-11T06:26:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-11T11:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-look-to-indigenous-knowledge-for-fire-help-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-11T06:30:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-11T11:30:41","slug":"dems-look-to-indigenous-knowledge-for-fire-help-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-look-to-indigenous-knowledge-for-fire-help-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Dems look to indigenous knowledge for fire help &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdems-look-to-indigenous-knowledge-for-fire-help-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2389087&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Federal and \u2062state officials in California are increasingly\u200b incorporating &#8220;indigenous\u2064 knowledge,&#8221; also referred to as &#8220;traditional ecological\u2064 knowledge,&#8221; into their\u2062 strategies for wildfire preparedness and management. This shift, motivated by the desire to \u200cmitigate wildfire risks \u2063and \u2063damages, follows recent devastating fires in Los \u200cAngeles County\u200c and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-launch-probe-into-jennifer-granholms-ev-road-trip-fiasco\/\" title=\"House Republicans investigate Jennifer Granholm&#039;s EV road trip failure.\">includes significant funding<\/a> from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the National Science Foundation (NSF), which has committed millions \u200cto these initiatives between 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n<p>In November \u200d2022, the Biden administration issued directives for over two dozen federal \u2064agencies to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-hosted-indigenous-knowledge-lecture-in-egypt\/\" title=\"White House held &#039;Indigenous Knowledge&#039; talk in Egypt\">integrate indigenous knowledge<\/a> into their operations, defining it as a collection of insights and \u2063practices developed by Indigenous Peoples through their environmental interactions. This approach aims to create a\u200d more collaborative framework, allowing for the exchange\u2063 of indigenous and Western scientific methodologies \u2062in wildfire management, with grants funding workshops to achieve this interconnection.<\/p>\n<p>While some studies\u2062 support\u200d the alignment between indigenous\u2062 practices\u2014such as\u2063 controlled burns\u2014and mainstream scientific techniques,criticism persists regarding the potential dangers of prioritizing \u2063indigenous knowledge \u2063over empirical scientific methods,with experts voicing concerns about the implications this could have on safe and effective\u200b wildfire management.<\/p>\n<p>The broader agenda \u2064underlying this\u2064 initiative suggests a shift in perspective that not only\u2062 seeks to acknowledge the ecological wisdom inherent in indigenous practices but also \u200caims to address historical marginalization of these systems within the scientific community. The efforts reflect a national trend to engage Indigenous communities in\u2063 discussions concerning environmental conservation and climate change, with the potential to enrich scientific understanding through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-biden-wants-to-turn-your-elementary-schooler-into-a-climate-justice-activist\/\" title=\"Biden aims to transform young students into climate activists.\">diverse knowledge systems<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Government officials turned to &lsquo;indigenous knowledge&rsquo; to combat Californian wildfires<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1930838\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Federal and state officials turned toward &ldquo;&rsquo;indigenous knowledge,&rdquo; also known as &ldquo;traditional ecological knowledge,&rdquo; to help California better prepare for wildfires prior to the recent blazes in Los Angeles County, spending millions of dollars in the process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the National Science Foundation have collectively spent millions on projects intended to extract ancient knowledge from Native Americans to then be applied to mitigate the risk and damages of wildfires. The grants, disbursed between 2023 and 2024, preceded the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3280334\/deadly-california-fires-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">recent widespread fires<\/a> in the Los Angeles area. As the fires continue to burn, officials serving California and Los Angeles have faced criticism online for allegedly prioritizing diversity initiatives and other left-of-center agenda items over competency.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In November 2022, the Biden administration <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/OSTP-CEQ-IK-Guidance.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">directed<\/a> over two dozen federal agencies, including the NSF, to incorporate &ldquo;indigenous knowledge&rdquo; into their &ldquo;research, policies, and decision making.&rdquo; The memo from the administration defined &ldquo;indigenous knowledge,&rdquo; also known by the name &ldquo;traditional ecological knowledge,&rdquo; as &ldquo;a body of observations, oral and written knowledge, innovations, practices, and beliefs developed by Tribes and Indigenous Peoples through interaction and experience with the environment&rdquo; that &ldquo;is applied to phenomena across biological, physical, social, cultural and spiritual systems.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire crews monitor the Palisades Fire in the outskirts of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo\/Eric Thayer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Since then, the NSF has approved roughly half a million dollars in grant funding tailored toward implementing indigenous knowledge into wildfire preparedness plans in California. One such <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_2332937_4900\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">grant<\/a> sought to create a &ldquo;fire plan&rdquo; by &ldquo;interconnecting knowledge systems to advance the science and application of fire in ways that respect tribal sovereignty.&rdquo; To accomplish this, the grant funded &ldquo;a series of collaborative workshops and working group meetings&rdquo; that were &ldquo;focused on interconnecting indigenous and western knowledge systems to create reciprocal relationships of exchange and center native protocol for data and knowledge use to develop effective solutions to altered wildfire regimes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Some scientists have <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/biden-administration\/this-is-extremely-dangerous-inside-the-biden-administrations-push-to-swap-science-for-indigenous-wisdom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">criticized <\/a>the use of indigenous knowledge as dangerous and characterized it as incompatible with the scientific method.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is extremely dangerous,&rdquo; University of Southern California chemistry professor Anna Krylov told the <em>Washington Free Beacon<\/em>, in reference to its reporting on the Biden administration memo.&nbsp; &ldquo;When I conduct experiments, I need to follow the rules and procedures and think about safety. I have to keep track of what I&rsquo;m doing. I&rsquo;m not thinking about chants or dancing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A property is destroyed by the Palisades Fire along Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo\/John Locher)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In some instances, however, indigenous knowledge practices and science are in agreement. Native tribes, for instance, have long held controlled burns as an important cultural practice. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;[Cultural burning] links back to the tribal philosophy of fire as medicine,&rdquo; a 2021 academic paper reads. &ldquo;When you prescribe it, you&rsquo;re getting the right dose to maintain the abundance of productivity of all ecosystem services to support the ecology in your culture.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Some mainstream scientists have also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/story\/managing-fire#:~:text=Prescribed%20fire%20%E2%80%94%20sometimes%20called%20a,a%20year%20with%20prescribed%20fire.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">endorsed <\/a>controlled burns as a way to reduce the risk and intensity of wildfires. <\/p>\n<p>The Biden administration&rsquo;s promotion of indigenous knowledge, though, goes beyond these points of common ground, accusing &ldquo;Western science&rdquo; of unfairly marginalizing indigenous knowledge due to &ldquo;a lack of awareness, unfamiliarity and methodological dogma, and, too often, racism and imperialism.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Indigenous Knowledge is based in ethical foundations often grounded in social, spiritual, cultural, and natural systems that are frequently intertwined and inseparable, offering a holistic perspective,&rdquo; the administration&rsquo;s memo reads. &ldquo;Indigenous Knowledge is inherently heterogeneous due to the cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic differences from which it is derived, and is shaped by the Indigenous Peoples&rsquo; understanding of their history and the surrounding environment.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Use of [traditional ecological knowledge] enhances the knowledge used for decision-making about species and habitats, provides longitudinal knowledge for climate change and planning projects, and builds relationships with Indigenous peoples around environmental topics of common interest,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/subjects\/tek\/benefits.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">according <\/a>to the National Park Service.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_2332226_4900\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Two<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_2332227_4900\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">separate<\/a> NSF grants sought to incorporate indigenous knowledge into Californian wildfire management formulated &ldquo;plans to advance wildland fire research science and management&rdquo; by &ldquo;bring[ing] together regional stakeholders, scholars, and practitioners to collaborate on an <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">action framework combining indigenous knowledge systems<\/a>, natural sciences, and the social sciences, to assess wildfire causes, effects, and management techniques.&rdquo; A different <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaspending.gov\/award\/ASST_NON_2415989_4900\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">grant <\/a>embarked to improve &ldquo;informal environmental science learning&rdquo; related to wildfires by &ldquo;integrat[ing] indigenous knowledge and western environmental science.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire as it engulfs structures Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo\/Nic Coury)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>California, like the federal government, has turned toward indigenous knowledge to help contain and mitigate the damage of wildfires.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in April 2024 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ca.gov\/2024\/04\/26\/a-step-towards-healing-and-restoration-california-to-support-the-return-of-ancestral-tribal-lands-and-lands-management-projects\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">announced<\/a> over $100 million in grants allocated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for tribal land projects that would, among other things, implement traditional ecological knowledge into California&rsquo;s land management practices.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These awards are an acknowledgment of past sins, a promise of accountability, and a commitment to a better future &ndash; for the land and all its people, especially its original stewards,&rdquo; Newsom said at the time. &ldquo;Only through partnership with California Native American tribes can we address the climate and biodiversity crisis and build a healthier California.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Between <a href=\"https:\/\/34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net\/-\/media\/calfire-website\/what-we-do\/grants\/other\/twr-2023-solicitation-grant-awards-table.pdf?rev=1cf8762f12934d83b0833b08e29366e4&amp;hash=523E5BBC484E8D3E826BFFEE2E99EDFF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">2023<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net\/-\/media\/calfire-website\/what-we-do\/grants\/twr-grants\/table-of-awards-2024-twr-tnbs.pdf?rev=3f236b4ba0a345ffac1b972b9fba323e&amp;hash=FC19CB6DB983B8DD16143821115064B2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">2024<\/a> California awarded five grants that specifically mention traditional ecological knowledge to modify land management practices in the state. These awards, spanning from northern to southern California, cost roughly $6.4 million.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;America&rsquo;s institutions have devoted themselves to solving fake problems &ndash; systemic racism, implicit bias, diversity &ndash; while real problems are still lurking,&rdquo; conservative activist Chris Rufo <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/realchrisrufo\/status\/1877403366663258348\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">wrote<\/a>, commenting on the generally on the practices of Los Angeles&rsquo; government. &ldquo;And eventually, those real problems blow up: the doors fly off the planes; the fires devour the neighborhood.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Rufo went on to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/realchrisrufo\/status\/1877409595267686586\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">point out<\/a> that the Los Angeles Fire Department has a strategic plan prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion over &ldquo;technological innovations&rdquo; and &ldquo;disaster recovery capabilities&rdquo; and that the department <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/realchrisrufo\/status\/1877407982549455199\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">maintains<\/a> an equity bureau.<\/p>\n<p>The NSF and California Governor&rsquo;s Office did not respond to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>&rsquo;s requests for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1930838\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1930838\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Officials utilized &#8216;indigenous knowledge&#8217; to address California wildfires<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":894,"featured_media":2389088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25010749619119.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3933,36279,48316,46836,32076],"class_list":["post-2389087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-dems","tag-environmental-policy","tag-fire-management","tag-indigenous-knowledge","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25010749619119.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2389087"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2389091,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389087\/revisions\/2389091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2389088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2389087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2389087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2389087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}