California can right a historic wrong by recognizing tribal authority for cultural burns

In recent years, California has seen the devastating consequences of ignoring the wisdom that Indigenous people have carried for a millennia: Fire is essential for both human and ecosystem health. The state’s history of fire suppression and the criminalization of Indigenous burning have contributed to an era of catastrophic wildfires, wreaking havoc on our environment and our way of life. As a Karuk person, I have known this for a long time. Fire is central to our Karuk identity, and the suppression of Indigenous burning has deeply impacted our people...