First Peoples and Fire

Fire was an important tool widely used by Native
Americans. It was part of their everyday life. Fire had many uses: reducing the
undergrowth thereby opening up the area for more food plants such as berries;
clearing the land for crops; and hunting-driving game in an open woods was
quieter and easier to move through when hunting. For a long time it was
believed that the Native Americans had little impact on the land they
inhabited, taking only what was needed and moving on. However this version of
history is not true.
Native Americans and in fact all people have changed the
landscape they live on to meet their needs for survival and growth. Fires were
purposely set by Native Americans for many reasons all critical for their
survival: providing food, places to live, safety, and in warfare.

Of
course naturally caused fires such as those started by lightening or volcanoes
did happen but the fires set by Native Americans were different in three ways:

1. Time of the year. Native Americans set their fires at certain
   times of the year depending on what the purpose of that fire was. For example
   fires set to clear land for growing crops and stimulating berry growth were set
   in the early spring in the northern part of North America just as the new
   growth was starting.
2. Timing. Fires were set at regular intervals, often as
   frequently as every 5 years. This was more often than naturally occurring
   fires.

We also know fire was an important part of Native
American culture because it is part of their mythology.

According to
Williams (2000) Native Americans used fire for the following reasons:
Teaching Activity

1. Hunting. Fire was used to drive large game such as
   deer, elk, and bison into areas that made hunting easier. Sometimes animals
   were driven by fire over cliffs or into narrow canyons, rivers or lakes where
   they could be more easily killed. Torches were set to find deer and attract
   fish. Smoke was a useful tool in forcing raccoons and bears from their tree
   dens.
2. Growing Food. Fire was used to clear areas for growing
   food; prevent fields from growing back to shrubs and trees while they were
   fallow; increase the yield of berries such as strawberries, raspberries,
   huckleberries; and clear areas under oak trees to make the gathering of acorns
   easier.
3. Insect Collection. Fire was used to collect and roast
   crickets and grasshoppers. Smoke was used to drive bees from nests aiding in
   honey collection.
4. Pest Management. Fire helped to keep the population
   levels of pests such as rodents, poisonous snakes, flies, and mosquitoes
   down.
5. Range Management. Fire stimulated the growth of new
   grasses for grazing animals and kept the area from growing back to shrubs and
   trees.
6. Fireproofing. Native Americans knew how to fight fire
   with fire. Fires were deliberately set near settlements and other special
   areas. If a fire moved through the area it might go out when reaching the
   already burned area because there was no fuel.
7. Warfare and Signaling. Fires were purposely set in
   fighting enemies. A cleared area was hard to hide in. Fires were used to
   destroy enemy property. Fires were set during an escape to camouflage movement.
   Large fires were also set to notify others of enemy movements and gather forces
   for fighting.
8. Economic Extortion. Some tribes burned large areas to
   prevent settlers and traders from finding game. They would then trade with them
   for dried meats.
9. Clearing Areas for Travel. Keeping trails open and
   free from brush was important for travel, and safety.
10. Tree Felling. Trees were important for building
    structures and canoes. Before axes were available through trade, Native
    Americans used fire to kill trees. One method was to drill two intersecting
    holes in a trunk, put charcoal in one hole and let the smoke escape in the
    other. The other method involved encircling a tree with fire at the base,
    “girdling” it, and eventually killing it.
11. Clear Riparian Areas. A riparian area is land near
    water. Clearing brush made hunting for beaver, muskrats, moose, and waterfowl
    easier.

References:

William, G.W. 2000. Introduction to
Aboriginal Fire Use in North America. Fire Management Today. 60(3):8-12.