First Nations women, cultural fire knowledge, wellbeing and memory

The project is an impact evaluation of the Australia Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (AUS-WTREX) program. The project aims to understand if and how participating in the program impacts First Nations women's physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and their memory.

This project is significant as it will address current research gaps regarding the experiences of Indigenous women in caring for Country and cultural burning; contribute to a growing body of literature on the health and wellbeing impacts for Indigenous people engaged in caring for Country through cultural burning practices, and explore novel concepts such as the impact of women-led gatherings, cultural burning and knowledge exchange on memory. 

The Australia Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (AUS-WTREX) is a 12-day intensive training opportunity to enhance firefighting skills, with a specific focus on highlighting the role of Indigenous women in fire management and building a supportive international network.

There are several anticipated outcomes with national relevance: 

• How cultural burning, gathering and knowledge exchange can be a protective factor in building disaster resilience with First Nations partners, First Nations staff and First Nations communities more broadly, especially with engagement of women. 

• Evidence on how to reframe relationships with fire from fear-based narratives to working with fire for wellbeing. 

• A better understanding of the impacts of sharing and exchanging cultural knowledge between First Nations peoples locally and internationally.