Does Contemporary Fire Management Reflect Indigenous Women's Cultural Values and Preferences? A Case Study From the Mimal Indigenous Protected Area, Northern Australia

ABSTRACT The reinstatement of Indigenous fire practices across northern Australia has demonstrated positive biocultural outcomes for local Indigenous communities, including reconnection to culture, Country and biodiversity conservation. However, limited research has specifically investigated the alignment of contemporary Indigenous fire management to fine‐grained preferences, values and responsibilities for cultural fire, especially those of Indigenous women. This study incorporated qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess whether recent fire regimes in the Mimal Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) reflect the preferences and values of Dalabon, Rembarrnga and Mayili women across culturally important places. Contemporary Indigenous women's knowledge and obligations for burning were also elicited, including site‐based responsibilities shaped by cultural protocols and kinship roles, ongoing care of culturally significant areas, and responsibilities for intergenerational knowledge transfer. The research indicated substantial alignment of contemporary fire management to traditional and gendered values and responsibilities in caring for Country. All women interviewed had a nuanced understanding of which areas to burn and why, often related to protecting sacred sites, promoting traditional bush foods, and access for hunting or recreation. Some discrepancies between preferences and fire regimes across several cultural sites indicated that more explicit incorporation of broader community values, particularly those of women, into fire management decision‐making processes would likely benefit overall cultural and land management outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of engaging Indigenous women and their knowledge in conservation initiatives to help inform community‐based decision‐making in cultural fire management.