Burning was common among many tribes. When in Billings Montana I had to laugh because in an interview with a Crow chief in the Billings Gazette, front page no less, the comment was made "Not only is it beautiful - it cleanses." A comment like that could arouse the attention of a fireman as it might be coming from a pyromaniac.
Actually annual burning stops invasive brush species from taking over grasslands. It also stimulates the grasslands as I witnessed firsthand as I had burned the vegetation on the sides of my driveway to ameliorate the snowdrifts that would otherwise occur with the windbreak. Next spring the burned area grew faster and taller than the rest of the field. Also the brush that was invading the field was stopped at the fireline. Native Americans had firsthand traditional knowledge of natural stewardship. They neither tilled nor sowed those lands yet we read the 100plus year ago histories and see the devastating
fires that ruined watersheds came with the wasetchu - otherwise known as "the locust people" as they ate everything including the rocks and trees.
White peoples have a poor record in recommending themselves as stewards. They also are very quick to tell Native Americans the time tested traditional methods are wrong as well. :)
Kirk
"E. C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
"E. C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Interesting, Kirk
Have you researched that name (i haven't), & found
that it applied because the Native Americans
control-burned the forests that covered the mountain
slopes? If so, to what purpose? I find that notion a
bit of a stretch, in light of what i've read & learned
about Native Americans' deep respect -- yes,
reverence, even -- for the Earth & its natural
inhabitants, plant and animal.
Might it (the name) be more likely derived from
observation of the natural phenomenon of the
atmospheric inversion that made L.A. "the smog capital
of the world" even before today's obscene paved
parking lot?
No disrespect for L.A., which millions regard as a
vibrant, culturally-diverse & progressive community of
communities -- but in the context of millions of acres
of "managed" forest lands, that valley IS pretty
miniscule, even if ancient Native Americans did
similarly "manage" timber there.
Regards,
Allen (E. Allen C)
--- Kirk McLoren <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
>
> Not so miniscule
> The native American name for where Los Angeles is
> now was "Valley of the smokes"
>
> Kirk
>
>
> "E. C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
>
> whooee Jason or Katie, et al;
>
> what a gigantic can-o'-worms y'all have opened
> there!
> -- & none suitable for vermiculture, either. ;-)
>
> Controlled burning has been common since settlers
> invaded Native American's homelands (yes, they also
> used the practice, but on a miniscule scale). Until
> perhaps the last couple decades, it was considered
> "sound science", especially by Big Lumber & eager
> human habitat developers -- still is, in
> mostly-denialist quarters.
>
> Only recently has science caught up with what we all
> know, instinctively: Ma Nature knows best how to
> handle eco-systems and, in the short term (thinking
> in
> multiple millenia), can be pretty unforgiving of
> species (like humans) who refuse to recognise that
> maxim. Unfortunately, because we (humans) have
> become
> so ubiquitious, prolific, & bellicose, we face the
> possibility of taking many, many species with us
> into
> oblivion (California Condors, Polar Bears, Amazon (&
> other)Frogs, Butterflies & Penguins are just the tip
> of a melting iceberg).
>
> Earnest regards,
> Allen
>
> --- mark manchester wrote:
>
> > I feel this is wrong thinking also. The California
> > Condor population
> > deserves respect too.
> > Jesse
> >
> > From: Kirk McLoren
> > Reply-To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org
> > Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2006 20:30:54 -0700 (PDT)
> > To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org
> > Subject: Re: [Biofuel] seasonal burning
> >
> >
> > The really sad thing about stopping the burns - in
> > fact the native Americans
> > used to do burns- was the filling of whole areas
> > with brush that used to
> > have grass, The California Condor population was
> > decimated by the brush.
> > They could not take off near brush and hunting
> > grounds disappeared.
> >
> >
> >
> > Kirk
> >
> >
> >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > Biofuel mailing list
> > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
> >
>
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
> >
> > Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
> > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
> >
> > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list
> > archives (50,000 messages):
> >
>
http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam
> protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Biofuel mailing list
> Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
>
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
>
> Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
> http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
>
> Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list
> archives (50,000 messages):
>
http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam
> protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com >
_______________________________________________
> Biofuel mailing list
> Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
>
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
>
> Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
> http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
>
> Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list
> archives (50,000 messages):
>
http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
>
>
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):
http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired
of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
