“Forest doesn’t burn anymore”: Indigenous ontologies of cultural burning and fire in Southern India

Historically, many Indigenous communities across the world have practiced seasonal burning to manage their local ecosystems. This practice shaped forest terrains worldwide and established an intentional and active relationship between humans and fire. Yet, perceived as a threat to wildlife and biodiversity, colonial policies have banned the burning of forests, and customary fire management remains a point of disagreement between conventional forest managers and Indigenous Peoples. This is particularly evident among Adivasis (Indigenous Peoples of India), whose use and understanding of fire are often disregarded in forest management, and the prohibition on traditional burning practices continues in India. Through open-ended interviews and transect walks in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in the South Indian state of Kerala, we discuss Adivasi engagements with cultural burning. In this study, Adivasi members characterized fire as: (1) a preserver and groomer of landscape identity; (2) a co-manager and actor within specific forest terrains; and (3) an enabler of socio-ecological function and relationships. Through this, we explain human–fire coexistence—what enables it and how it benefits human–forest systems and fire's multifaceted role in many ecosystems. Fire clears up forests and supports Adivasi mobility, access within and interactions with forest ecosystems, and coexistence with wild animals. It enables the growth of grass and native trees, leading to a productive, functional, and healthy “good forest.” We argue that alternative fire dialogs provide opportunities for land management policies that better reflect distinct fire ontologies and for the practices that might then follow. Additionally, as forest fires increase, revisiting Indigenous perspectives can offer lessons for coexistence with fire to minimize its consequences in future landscapes.

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