This is because I felt privileged to be there, witnessing Indigenous kids learning about cultural burns by two knowledgeable Indigenous figures in the Bega Valley Shire.

Hearing why managing country was important from Uncle Warren Foster and Dan Morgan was an enriching experience.

I also found it inspiring to discover there were projects being run to help Indigenous youth reconnect with traditional customs - and in this case, it was managing country.

I look forward to seeing more of these projects develop and more Indigenous traditions and customs being taught and re-applied in society.

- Amandine

As Reconciliation Week began, a group of Indigenous kids from Narooma were taught invaluable lessons about cultural burns in the Bermagui state forest, by two knowledgeable Indigenous figures in the community.

On May 27, southern regional coordinator for Firesticks Alliance Dan Morgan taught the youth how to identify different country types and explained the importance for cultural burns on country.

Uncle Warren Foster, a cultural knowledge holder from the Djiringanj clan in Corunna, taught them about the importance of reconnecting with the traditional ways of managing country.

He built a small fire and conducted a smoke ceremony, blessing all the people present on the day.

The youth are part of a project called Caring for Country, run by NSW Police.

Aboriginal community liaison officer Edward (Eddie) Moore, said the project will teach the kids significant cultural opportunities that will connect them back to country.

"We had to structure something that could cater to the needs of these young people in regards to their mental health after the bushfires and COVID," he said.

Mr Moore said the project also provided the opportunity for a group on the South Coast to engage with cultural burning. The 15 week project will provide training opportunities in RFS firefighting modules, first aid, white card, and traditional culture burning techniques.

"So now if these guys want to sign up with the local RFS they can. I'm sure those guys in the RFS will be pretty happy to have these guys involved with them to share the knowledge they have been taught from Dan," Mr Moore said.

The key advice passed on to the kids by Uncle Warren and Mr Morgan was to not be ashamed of their traditions, but rather embrace them and learn the cultural knowledge.

"When I teach culture the first thing I teach is there is no shame," Uncle Warren said.

They were told that by learning the traditional fire regime they can help heal country, a cultural responsibility that has been passed down for thousands of years.

"This teaching of traditional land management through fire is not only important for the future of our youth but the future of all living beings," Mr Morgan said.

Uncle Warren said fire was made and treated with respect in the traditional Indigenous culture.

"When we rub the sticks together, we don't look at it as dead because if you put these dead sticks in that fire there, it comes back to life, if it ain't alive, try and grab it," he said.

"So when we make that fire, we get that little ember and we blow our spirit into it.

"We've got to be extra careful and respectful because that's our spirit.

"Back in those days, that's how we did it, that's why fire was so important to us."

Mr Morgan taught the kids the difference between different country types, teaching them how to identify the different tree types.

He said it's important to work together for the sustainability and health of fragile ecosystems, especially after the devastating bushfires.

"By connecting community back to traditional land management and giving them ownership of managing what is rightfully theirs to manage, I think could be a solution to a lot of the social issues," he said.

Mr Morgan said it had always been their cultural responsibility to care for country sustainably and it was important that it's continued for generations to come.

The Caring for Country project has been developed in partnership with the Fire Sticks Alliance with the assistance of several government agencies including NSW PCYC, NSW Education, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW National Parks, Biamanga and Gulaga Board Management and funding partnerships with Regional NSW and the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

The Caring for Country project has been developed to create alternative and positive role models for youth throughout the South Coast Police District and aims to encourage confidence, increase self-esteem and help the Aboriginal youth reach their full potential.

The group is made up of 10 kids from Narooma, five of each gender and all belonging to traditional families in the South Coast.

Eddie Moore said Superintendent Greg Moore asked them to create a project that could cater to the needs of young people in regards to their mental health following the bushfires and COVID restrictions in 2019-20.

He said the project was a really good opportunity to bring the kids together and break down some local barriers.

"It's Reconciliation Week as we speak, breaking down those barriers is what we want to achieve," Mr Moore said.

"As I said before to the kids, if we don't know where we've been or where we come from, we don't know where we're going."