| Sumario: | This Master's Degree program research work examines the conception of fire use held by Indigenous Miskiru people and forest technicians in Waspam, Nicaragua, in the year 2000. Ire looks at the "why" of the persistent recurrence of forest fires in the Saupuka y Bilwaskarma communal areas. Ire is a field research carried out with support from York University (Canada) and URACC~ (Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Canbe Nicaragüense Universiry of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast). In order to understand the concept of fire use under review and the persistent recurrence of forest fires, I used a serni-structured design for imerviews based on a question guide and on participatory observation. Four categories of analysis were indemnified from the results of the imerviews with both groups of imerviewees: cosmovision and uses of fire; fire management knowledge; forest fire causes and effects; and lastly, possible solurions to chis problem. Based on their communal cosmovision, lndigenous people strongly assert that foresrs will never disappear because they were creared by God. Their life experience has taughr them that forests have survived for rnillennia despite the impact of fires, and has provided them with their basic needs. Likewise, the technicians interviewed thoughr that forests would not disappear, but based their views on the scienrific principles of resistance and adaprability to hear. However, they pointed out rhat damages from fires are significant. Both groups concurred that fire is used as a tool and is a basic necessity to carry out such subsistence activities as huming, fishing, farming, among others. Both showed they have a lot of knowledge regarding fire use and management. However, communities see burning as a necessity for their survival, while the government, through the work of its rechnicians, cases chis issue from the point of view of economics and environmental prorection, Both groups think that che majar cause of fires is human activity; community members, however, point to sorne supernarural elements such as the "elves" and also to outsiders as che main culprirs behind the fires Technicians, however, point to the local inhabitants and their ¡ subsistence activities as che problern's source. Boch groups see che lack of property-right definition and the lack of defined right to l natural resources as a factor promoting che invasion of outsider’s L into the communal areas and their illegal exploitation of resources. ~ As possible solutions to che forest-fire problem both groufs poi?r a to che issue of defining property and natural resource nights m favor of che communities, bue insist that this be in che form of ª Indigenous territories. As well, they point to ~ ~ore responsible l role for government in support of communes and m forest protection work, and lastly to ongoing preventive action by communal leaders. In a general way, the study shows that forest technicians are differentiated from government policies because they define forest protection as chef domain of government and not that of the communities. The interest of communal folks and of the local technicians is not to eliminate forest fires totally, blue on the contrary, to have a moderate, but ongoing succession of fires, because chey form part of che traditional life system, are a potential source of local jobs, and are useful for managing the forests.
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