NATIVE AMERICAN USE OF FIRE

THE NATIVE AMERICANS USED FIRE TO BURN UNDERSTORY BRUSH UNDER OAK AND OTHER TREES. ARCHAEOLOGISTS DETERMINED THAT PREHISTORIC TRIBES ALSO USED BURNING TO REDUCE WILDFIRES AND TO CLEAR UNDERSTORY BRUSH WHERE THE DEER TRAILS WERE. THAT WAY THEY COULD WALK BETTER THROUGHOUT THE BRUSH AND CATCH DEER EASIER. ARCHAEOLOGISTS STUDY OBSIDIAN TO KNOW WHEN INDIANS BURNED DURING PREHISTORIC TIMES.

THEY HAD UNDERSTORY FIRES UNDER OAKS TO REMOVE DUFF, LEAVES, BRUSH AND DRIED WOOD. IT HELPS TO KEEP PESTS AWAY FROM THE OAK TREES AS WELL. IT ALSO KILLS PARASITES.
IT INCREASES THE OAK SHOOTS FOR THEIR BASKETS. BECAUSE THE FIRE LEAVES ASH DEPOSITS IT INCREASES THE ABILITY OF MUSHROOMS TO GROW AS WELL AS OTHER SEEDLINGS AND GRASSES.

THE INDIANS THUS CHANGED THE APPEARANCE OF THE FORESTS IN WHICH THEY LIVED WITH REGULAR BURNING.