Indigenous burning project of the Kootzaduka'a People in the Mono Basin

A prescribed burn within the Mono Basin, conducted by Inyo National Forest to improve forest health and reduce accumulated fuels within Jeffrey pine forests.

Photo by Dean Tonenna

Numu Tuna'e

By Dean Tonenna of the Kootzaduka'a People, one of the seven traditionally associated tribes of Yosemite

"Soo tukwekwetzeba teepu mabetse’a. O’nosoo soo tukwekwetzeba koo Numu koso maka. Soo tukwekwetzeba koo Numu tuna’e tuneddooepu. O’nosoo managwana soo Numu tukwekwetzeba tumadza’eggu ka teepu tunaehaggwena, teepu mabetse'akwuse."

"The lightning takes care of the earth. Long ago the lightning gave the People fire. The lightning taught the People to set fires. Since that time the People help the lightning and set fire to the earth, at certain places and times, in order to take care of the earth." —Mono Lake Kootzaduka'a elder

 

Kootzaduka'a Artist Carrie Bethel's basket of coiled willow, sedgeroot, redbud, and bracken fern root. This large basket is normally on display in the Yosemite Museum's Indian Cultural Exhibit.

The Mono Lake Kootzaduka'a are known for their utilitarian and artistic basketry. Materials needed for basketry were collected from the east and west slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. All of the plants needed for basketry evolved with fire and need periodic burning to clear out dead material and to combat insect and fungal pests. Fire was also needed to alter the form of the plants to provide materials suitable for basket weaving. Without fire, willow, in particular, will become infected with insect pests and pathogens, which deteriorate the quality of the stems over time. Numu Tuna'e (Nuh-muh Tuh-nah-ee) is translated as "the People's Burn' or "the burning that the People did." Burning was an important tool in land stewardship.

"Soo suube wo’abe tudutse’yoo. Numme ki suube wo’abe poonne’wa’ne’yoo ka suubewaekoo. Umu suuponodoo. Umu suuponogwaeggoo tuwasoo. Ka numme suube pegwuunase, suube wo’abe poonne. Umu unutse oagwedaddu. Ka ewa’yoo suube wo’abe, umu suube koekwu. Numme koo suube tuna’e suube wo’abe koekwuse. Yaese suube besa naadooa."

"The willow worm is tiny. We can’t see the willow worm because it is inside the willow. They make willow galls. They are inside the willow galls too. When we split willows we see the willow worm. They are bright orange in color. When there are a lot of willow worms, they will kill the willows. We burn the willows in order to kill the willow worms. Then the willows will grow good." —Mono Lake Kootzaduka'a elder

It is well documented in the scientific literature that fire has an important role in maintaining the ecological health of vegetation communities and wildlife habitat. It is equally understood that Native People used fire to restore health and vigor to decadent vegetation communities; benefitting both wildlife and themselves.

Without periodic burning, fire adapted vegetation communities such as willow decline. Insect pests and mistletoe infest willow stands and weaken the plant. As willow stems die they remain in place and crowd out available growing space leaving willow stands, over time stunted and branched as the willow sends out many branches to find sunlight for photosynthesis, as seen in the photo below. The accumulated dead willows make the willow tree more vulnerable to fire as the dead and dried wood is flammable and creates intense fire that can kill or damage plant roots or tissues.

 

This once-prized willow gathering area has not experienced a tribal burn in over 100 years.  As a result, the willow stands are full of branched stems and standing dead wood.

Photo by Dean Tonenna

 

Map of the burn area

Map by Dean Tonenna

 

The tribal burn is designed to remove fallen and standing dead willow stems and branches. The flames, smoke and ashes will kill insect and fungal pests that are embedded into the plant tissue or that are buried within the organic duff that has accumulated at the base of the plant. The light-intensity fire will not severely damage the root crown of the plants and will provide a stimulus that will cause the plant to send up shoots the following spring and summer.

The plant has a large root network in place which continues to allow the plant to uptake nutrients and water. The plant will use energy that it has stored in its roots to grow new tissue rapidly as the plant must create stems to support leaves and leaves are needed to capture energy from the sun in a process known as photosynthesis.

The plant will use energy from the sun to continue to build more stems and leaves and will also store energy back into its root system so that it is prepared for periods of no sunlight (night time) and for unexpected impacts such as insect attacks, browsing by wildlife, harvesting of plant stems by humans, or another fire.

Learn more about the Mono Lake Kootzaduka'a Tribe on their website.