This morning (31 May) CFA HQ gathered to celebrate National Reconciliation Week and launch a new video highlighting how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people conducted land management and fire practices.
The film features Bruce Pascoe, a CFA volunteer from Gipsy Point, near Mallacoota, far East Gippsland. Bruce is a well-known author and his most recent book Dark Emu, Black Seeds - agriculture or accident, challenges the notion that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were hunters.
In the film, Bruce talks about the importance of traditional burning, something CFA is learning more about and has even started implementing alongside Traditional Owners across the state.
CFA CEO Paul Smith acknowledged the significance of the week, and the way CFA was incorporating Aboriginal cultural and land management practices into its fire prevention strategies.
‘At CFA we have a lot to learn about Indigenous land management practices, including the way Aboriginal people cared for the land and used fire for agricultural practices,” he said.
“This year’s theme for National reconciliation week is “Don’t Keep History a Mystery", and we have a lot to learn from our traditional owners about how we can care for our environment and protect our communities.”
National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all of us to learn about our shared history and uncover some of the lessor known facts about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and how they lived and prospered on the land.
Steve Smith, Assistant Chief Officer for Inclusion and Fairness, reinforced the importance of CFA’s role in becoming a more inclusive and welcoming organisation.
“Part of CFA being an inclusive and welcoming organisation is to honour, respect and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history,” he said.
You can watch the film below.