Leok Po Demonstration & Workshop
2024 REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
The Cache Creek Conservancy, in partnership with Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, offers Leok Po (Good Fire) workshop and burn demonstrations about the use and importance of beneficial fire using indigenous traditional ecological knowledge (TEK).
This workshop combines cultural sensitivity and awareness training about California tribal cultural practices related to “Good Fire,” workforce development training for existing and future fire management professionals, and public education to build support for the use of beneficial fire using TEK.
Leok Po (pronounced lay-oak poe) in the Wintun language means “Good Fire”. This demonstration and workshop will showcase California Native American use of fire to enhance cultural resources and help restore the environment.
Recent wildfires in California and the passage of SB 332 (Dodd) have sparked interest in TEK, specifically about the use of low-intensity fire. There is a need to educate fire professionals and the public about the difference between cultural burns and beneficial burns (formally called prescribed burns). Both kinds of fire can be good for the ecosystem, and in some ways the results are similar, but the intention and purpose of each differs.
Cultural burns are to promote new growth in native plants to keep them healthy and of beneficial use for Native American practices e.g., baskets or food or medicine. Cultural burns tend to be less intense, with cooler and lower flames than proscribed burns. They are started using natural materials like tule or cattail fluff.
Beneficial fires are used by fire professionals and cultural experts for several reasons, including fuel load reduction, biodiversity, subsistence, and ceremonial activities. Beneficial (proscribed) burns are started with petroleum-based propellants using drip torches, although they are still greatly less hot and intense than wildfires.
Most California native plants are adapted to fire and in some instances, require fire to start seed generation. The photos above show the process with a California Redbud at the Tending & Gathering Garden in 2022.
Both types of fire also help ecosystem processes by adding nutrients and minerals into the landscape.
Cultural Experts and Educators
Diana Almendariz: (Wintun, Nisenan, Hupa), cultural expert and natural and cultural history expert
Danny Manning: (Mountain Maidu) cultural expert, professional firefighter
Melinda Adams: (San Carlos Apache), cultural practitioner and Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Science
Ali Meders-Knight: Mechoopda traditional basket weaver, expert in Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and executive director of California Open Lands. Ms. Meders-Knight will present only on Friday, November 10.
Photo from California Open Lands in Chico, where Ali Meders-Knight is the Executive Director.
Previous Leok Po Events
Leok Po Demonstration & Workshop 2022 (click to see more photos and information)
Review of the 2023 workshop: The Many Impacts of Leok Po
Carrying the Fire: A fire crew carries fire in a bucket to a new area to be burned (center of line, red shirt). The fire was from the original fire set by cultural practitioner Danny Manning. Earlier in the day, fire started by practitioner Diana Almendariz was transferred to her daughter, Christine Almendariz to a different site, who then transferred the flames to her daughter (Diana’s granddaughter), Julie Almendariz. This was both a literal and symbolic passing of knowledge from one generation to the next, and the carrying of the flame shown above continues that tradition.
Fires and Poppies: Cultural fire tends to be low intensity, and here a flame approaches some late blooming California poppies. There was a cry to “save the poppies” from the fire (even though California poppies are fire adapted). With such a low intensity flame, fire crew members were able to redirect the flame so it went around the poppies and they were unscathed.
Melinda Adams and tule bundles: Native American cultural practitioner Melinda Adams brings extra dried tule to help keep the fires lit at the recent Leok Po event. With rain a few days before and cooler temperatures, the dry grasses had too much moisture to burn without some additional fuel.
Shingle Springs fire crew: The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians sent 20 fire crew members to the Leok Po. They are in the Tending and Gathering awaiting orders to assist with the burns that happened there.
Tending the Fire: A member of the Shingle Springs fire crew adds dried tule to the flames to keep the fire going in one area of the Cache Creek Nature Preserve.