“Burning is always a large part of the ranger program in Kiwirrkurra, for environmental and cultural reasons. Everything works in a synergy. For example - burning for hunting.”: Kiwirrkurra IPA Coordinator Dannica Shultz.
“Firstly, burning helps with the hunt, then it creates patches of new bush foods for animals and people. And then it becomes a fire break for big wildfires- protecting threatened species and cultural sites.”
And that brings us to Dannica’s highlight in the work she does with Kiwirrkurra.
Photo: Mary, Dannica and Kat (pilot)
In March this year, for the first time, two Kiwirrkurra women participated in their Aerial Incendiary Machine Operator training with the fellas. Kiwirrkurra IPA Coordinator, Dannica Shultz said this led to the first ever all Women Aerial Burning Team job in June.
“To have the women rangers now able to do aerial burning is super special to me as building the young ladies’ capacity and skill set has been a big part of my aspirations in my job and seeing it in the air was so cool. Mary got to burn her mother’s country for the first time and was so proud of herself and felt really happy to be the first of the women to do it,” Dannica said.
Aerial burning is used in partnership with on ground burning, which people do regularly but can only be done in places accessible by car. This technique is imperative to Kiwirrkurra people as the country is so remote and inaccessible via car and is so vast!
“We also use the opportunity to use the helicopter to visit cultural sites that people haven’t seen for decades, places that the old people use to walk around,” Dannica said.
