Indigenous societies around the world manage large tracts of tropical forest that are crucial for combating climate change through a customary land management practice known as swidden (aka, “slash-and-burn”) agriculture. Swidden has been studied by social and natural scientists since the 18th century. However, insights about complex adaptive systems (CAS) have not been organized into a coherent framework for explaining this enduring integrated human and natural system. In this talk, I will present results from nearly 20 years of fieldwork in two Q’eqchi’ Maya villages in southern Belize that have long histories of swidden cultivation. I will outline how customary land use practices, social norms, and decisions — typically made at the household or individual level — are key drivers of swidden disturbance patterns. I will present a theoretical framework and preliminary modeling results that show how concepts from CAS can provide valuable insights into the interactions between society, culture, and ecology, as well as the conditions under which sustainable swidden practices can emerge.