Social science research on Indigenous wildfire management in the 21st century and future research needs

Abstract

This article reviews social science research on Indigenous wildfire management in Australia, Canada and the United States after the year 2000 and explores future research needs in the field. In these three countries, social science research exploring contemporary Indigenous wildfire management has been limited although there have been interesting findings about how Indigenous culture and knowledge influences fire management. Research with Indigenous communities may be limited not because of a lack of interest by social scientists, but rather by obstacles to doing research with Indigenous communities, such as ethical and time concerns. Research needs on Indigenous wildfire management are presented, centred on the four pillars of emergency management (preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery).