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Recovering Ancestral Skills


For over 300,000 years, Homo sapiens has practiced place-based technologies that have allowed them to live as integral parts of their landscapes.  These skills gave humans true sovereignty because they were not dependent on growers, manufacturers, and retailers.  Importantly, these are a set of practices that are documented as being the least impactful manner of interaction with the planet (i.e., primitive technologies are the most sustainable lifeways ever witnessed).  Given that everyone alive today has hunter-gatherer ancestors, the practice of ancestral skills is part of all people's heritage.

Join Arthur Haines for four days of recovering our ancestor's ways of being.  You will be exposed to a broad array of nature-based technologies, including shelter, friction fire, primitive cooking, fiber arts, container manufacture, edible and medicinal plants, tracking, nature observation, trapping, and hunting weapons.  Where possible, students will be approached individually in order to further their skill set (i.e., those who have previous exposure to primitive living skills will be advanced beyond introductory material).  Time will be allotted for discussion of topics central to human rewilding, especially the relevance of ancestral lifeways in today's world.

Students should expect to spend much of the weekend outside, including time roaming the landscape (so be prepared for weather and uneven terrain).  This class will be taught by Arthur Haines and will be offered at the Delta Institute of Natural History in Canton, ME (click here if you need directions).  All food will be included and prepared by Chef Frank Giglio.  Expect local, wild, and/or organic food offerings from the four food kingdoms prepared in a traditional manner (i.e., a Weston Price-inspired menu).

Bring footwear for uneven ground, and proper clothing for whatever the weather may be on that day. Camping is available on site.

Price is $500.00 and class is limited to 12 students.

Class begins at 6:00 pm on Thursday and ends at 12:00 pm on Sunday.

*****This class is full and registrations are no longer being accepted.  To join the waiting list, please use the contact link in the upper right portion of the page.*****

Register:

Please specify which class you are registering for in the "instructions to merchant" section of the PayPayl checkout

This class is co-hosted by Wilder Waters Non-profit. 

This class is co-hosted by Wilder Waters Non-profit. 

Earlier Event: July 26
Dawnland Gathering
Later Event: October 6
Maine Herbalist Gathering