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The Knowledge

Learning from ancestral wisdom to save our challenging global environment
Brief Description
'Indigenous knowledge must lead us out of the emergency of climate change and species extinction. Buy this book.' β€” David Suzuki Catastrophic wildfires have overwhelmed countries around the world from Australia, Canada, and the United States to Greece and Brazil. Despite our growing climate crisis, changes... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3799
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In this follow-up to his bestselling Fire Country, Victor Steffensen offers a positive pathway for healing the planet based on traditional Indigenous knowledge systems.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'Indigenous knowledge must lead us out of the emergency of climate change and species extinction. Buy this book.' β€” David Suzuki

Catastrophic wildfires have overwhelmed countries around the world from Australia, Canada, and the United States to Greece and Brazil. Despite our growing climate crisis, changes to Western environmental approaches have been scant, and many land management practices continue to destroy the land. It's time for a 'new' way of thinking. The solutions lie in the cultures of First Peoples, if only we're willing to listen.

As a Tagalaka man from Australia, Victor Steffensen spends his days educating people around the world about Aboriginal fire and land management knowledge. Applying the practices passed onto him by his mentors, Victor is on a mission to teach others the value of this knowledge.

In The Knowledge, Victor shares the simple yet core belief underlying Indigenous knowledge systems: that humans are part of the natural world. The land is not something to be dominated and exploited. Rather, we are nature, and the way forward is to realign ourselves with the Earth, recognising our responsibility to care for the planet both environmentally and socially. Filled with stories of Victor's work applying Indigenous solutions, The Knowledge will transform the way you think about our responses to bushfires, floods, and the climate crisis.

Never has the call to change our global environmental approach been so strong or so clear. Destined to become a seminal work, The Knowledge is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of our planet.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761500862

Publisher: Murdoch Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 June 2026

Country: Australia

Imprint: Murdoch Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Victor Steffensen is an author, filmmaker, musician and traditional knowledge practitioner. He is a descendant of the Tagalaka people from North Queensland and respectfully acknowledges the European connections within his family tree. Much of Victor's work is based on the arts and reviving practical traditional knowledge values, particularly Aboriginal fire and land management, with Aboriginal and non-Indigenous communities. He is co-founder of the Firesticks Alliance, which involves a large community network across Australia and internationally. Victor holds an Honorary Doctorate of Science from James Cook University. He is the author of Fire Country, and the children's books Looking After Country With Fire, The Trees and Animals On Country. Through his artistic label, Mulong, Victor has published music tracks and videos such as 'Great Land', 'Cool Burning', 'The Trees' and 'The Animals'.

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  • Looking After Country with Fire
    SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 WILDERNESS 'KARAJIA AWARDS FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE' SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 WILDERNESS 'ENVIRONMENT AWARDS' Looking After Country with Fire is a picture book for 5- to 10-year-olds that demonstrates respect for Indigenous knowledge, following the success of Victor Steffensen's bestselling adult book Fire Country. Mother Nature has a language. If we listen, and read the signs in...
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  • Fire Country
    Delving deep into the Australian landscape and the environmental challenges we face, Fire Country is a powerful account from Indigenous land management expert Victor Steffensen on how the revival of cultural burning practices, and improved 'reading' of country, could help to restore our land. From a young age, Victor has had a passion for traditional cultural and ecological knowledge. This...
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  • The Trees
    Take a walk with Uncle Kuu in The Trees, a picture book about caring for Country and respect for Indigenous knowledge. Looking after the trees is important for keeping Country happy and healthy. First Nations People have cared for the trees on Country for thousands of years. In return, the trees look after the people and provide them with gifts...
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    For thousands of years, Aboriginal people looked after the land to keep it healthy, so there was plenty of food for the animals to eat. But today, the animals are wondering what has happened to the people. Trees have been cut down, land has been cleared, and rivers have been polluted. Join Uncle Kuu as he takes children out on...
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