FOUNDERS STATEMENT
As the original co-founder of Firesticks, alongside the early work of the late Dr George Musgrave and Dr Tommy George, I believe the organisation has now reached a point where it is ready to evolve through a name change.
Firesticks will become the Living Knowledge Network to more accurately reflect the scope and direction of our work, while honouring where that work has come from.
Firesticks grew from extensive Cultural Fire knowledge pioneered by myself alongside the late Kuku-Thaypan Elders. From this work, a network of people and communities emerged, supporting a broader movement that led to the organisation as it stands today. While Cultural Fire was the entry point, the original vision of the co-founders was always to apply the full breadth of traditional knowledge to the modern world.
Today, Firesticks supports communities to manage their lands autonomously and strengthen livelihoods through multiple applications of traditional knowledge.
The Firesticks name alone no longer reflects the full scope of this work and can suggest that the organisation is only about fire. To clearly communicate who we are today, and to open further opportunities, a name change is necessary.
Living Knowledge Network was the name of the original education site founded by myself well before Firesticks was created, drawing on work developed from the early 1990s. Given the organisation’s growth, returning to this foundation through the name Living Knowledge Network makes sense and reflects the continuity of the work rather than a departure from it.
The name Firesticks will continue as the Cultural Fire program delivered across the Living Knowledge Network. This honours the legacy, integrity and reputation of Firesticks as one of Australia’s leading Indigenous Cultural Fire programs.
The Living Knowledge Network supports communities to look toward their futures holistically and to create lasting opportunities for generations to come.
Victor Steffensen
March 2026
