Indigenous fire ecologies, restoration, and territorial sovereignty in the Brazilian Cerrado: The case of two Xavante reserves

Abstract

Indigenous and traditional peoples worldwide ignite vegetation to promote resource availability, diversity, and resilience. Their burning traditions are indispensable for sustenance, territorial management, and cultural expression. In some countries, Indigenous peoples are key partners in developing fire policies and interventions. The Brazilian federal government has recently undertaken pilot fire management projects with Indigenous participation, receiving praise for promising early results along with cautious criticism for inadequately incorporating local communities and perspectives. The Xavante ethnic group is well known for burning cerrado vegetation during large group hunts associated with ceremonial events. Despite growing academic and policy attention to Xavante burning practices, they continue to be leveraged for cultural shaming in the public sphere. In this article, we examine interconnections between human rights and fire ecologies, management, and restoration based on the case of two Xavante Indigenous reserves in Central Brazil. Whereas the Pimentel Barbosa reserve shows evidence of reforestation in conjunction with periodic hunting with fire, Marãiwatsédé has suffered a series of highly destructive uncontrolled fires since its recent Indigenous reoccupation after decades of management by commercial ranchers. These contrasting fire profiles are largely attributable to divergent histories of land appropriation and use, suggesting that effective fire control efforts should begin with territorial sovereignty and incorporate Indigenous and traditional communities as equal conservation partners.