As part of this year’s Northern Landscapes Festival at North House Folk School, environmental scientist and author Ferin Davis Anderson delivered a Saturday evening talk on the cultural and ecological role of fire.

Anderson, an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, works for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), where she leads efforts in ecological restoration and fire management. Her presentation was rooted in personal experience and professional practice and centered on themes from her book, Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire.

Anderson described fire not only as a natural element but also as a sacred relative. She discussed the reintroduction of prescribed and cultural burns on tribal lands in Minnesota, the role of fire in maintaining ecosystems, and the importance of involving community in land stewardship. 

Cultural educator Hope Flanagan joined Anderson to share teachings on fire’s spiritual significance and the importance of reciprocity between humans and the natural world. Together, the two women emphasized fire not as a force to be feared, but as a partner in healing land, culture, and community.

Anderson’s presentation was part of a weekend of workshops, hikes, and talks at North House Folk School exploring the northern landscape through the lenses of science, craft, and Indigenous knowledge.