Owl Creek Cultural Burn

Filmed in July 2022, the Owl Creek Cultural Burn was implemented by Lil’wat Nation with support from BC Wildfire Service in Mount Currie on Lil’wat Nation Traditional Territory just outside of Pemberton, BC. The objective of the project was to introduce fire back to the landscape to try and revitalize the berry population for the benefit of the community and the grizzly bear habitat. This case study showcases the value of traditional ecological knowledge with fire stewardship and land management.The second video features several members of the Penticton Indian Band/syilx Nation, including elders and knowledge keepers. Filmed at snpink’tn, located in the Southern Okanagan Valley within the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, we discuss how fire has been used as a land management tool by the people of the syilx nation for thousands of years, the importance of ecosystem health, and the value of Indigenous culture, traditions and protocols.