Indigenous Peoples Burning Network (IPBN)
The Indigenous Peoples Burning Network (IPBN) is an intertribal initiative led by the Yurok, Hupa, and Karuk Tribes to revitalize cultural burning practices. The network supports Indigenous fire sovereignty through training exchanges, youth programs, community education, and the sharing of traditional ecological knowledge across generations.
Subject Tags
- Indigenous Peoples
- Fire management
Summary
The Indigenous Peoples Burning Network (IPBN) is an intertribal effort led by the Yurok, Hupa, and Karuk Tribes to restore the practice of cultural burning in Indigenous communities. The network seeks to revitalize traditional fire stewardship through the sharing of traditional ecological knowledge, hands-on training, and intergenerational learning while protecting Indigenous rights to fire. Key activities include Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges (TREX), family-based and ceremonial burning, youth education programs, community outreach, fire effects monitoring, and engagement in legal and policy processes affecting sovereign burning rights. Grounded in Indigenous leadership and supported by conservation and fire management partners, IPBN builds capacity to operate in both traditional and contemporary fire management systems, strengthening ecosystem resilience, cultural continuity, and community well-being.