Summer-Fall 1997

Grandfather Class Rocks

Any new class is a risk, but when the new class is titled, "Grandfather" the risk has to be diminished. In July, the newest class on the Tracker curriculum will be taught. In fact, by the time you are reading this it will be recorded history.

The focus of the class is on the philosophy behind the individual skills that Grandfather taught. For example, the bow drill fire is one of the most basic skills. There is a specific philosophy behind it, how and when it is used, and symbology surrounding its use. There are also stories -- mythology around its origin. These are the types of topics that will be covered.

Because of all that Grandfather taught Tom, it will not be possible to cover all the skills, but there are many stories that Stalking Wolf told Tom as he taught these skills that Tom will relate to his students.

Response to the class has been strong, and enthusiasm for the class is there. Perhaps this may be a class that will be added to the permanent curriculum.

NEWS FROM THE FARM

GREETINGS

Greetings! WELCOME to the sixth edition of the True Tracks Newsletter! We're all very happy you have enjoyed them so far! Many of you have called about receiving past issues, but the only extras we have are from issue #4. If you didn't receive it, call the office and we will send one. Please - there are no more copies of the first three newsletters, so we cannot send any. Perhaps you know of someone who can make a copy of theirs. There are always glitches in large mailings so we apologize if you haven't received them. Also, they are available online at the Tracker School website.

CALLING ALL SHADOW SCOUTS

E ach year we allow a limited number of Scout Class graduates to return as Shadow Scouts to stalk and challenge the skills of the current Scout students. In order to participate as a Shadow Scout in next year's Scout class, you must be a Scout graduate, and you must register in writing with Richard Cleveland. Unfortunately, we cannot allow drop-ins and non-Scout graduates to participate in the experience. Every application will be reviewed. Once you have been selected, you will be sent a set of guidelines that you will be required to observe. If you are interested, please drop Richard a line.

CLASS LIST NOTE

It is not unusual to meet up at a class with someone you want to stay in touch with. If that is the case, make sure to get their name and number in your notebook - or better yet - make up a class list. The school respects the privacy of students and cannot give out addresses or phone numbers.

CALLING NINJA/TRACKERS

Ninja Joe wants to let all the Ninja/Trackers out there know that Tom and Deb will be at this year's New Jersey Tai Kai July l7th thru 20th. We will also have a Tracker booth there.

CORRECTION

Last issue Seth wrote a wonderful article on Heat and I of course forgot to give him the proper attribution. So let it be known that Seth is the author of last issue's articJc on Heat.

WELCOME AND HELLO

Say hello to our new interns - Brian Richard and Dan Stanchfield. You may remember them as caretaker Dan and Brian. They will be working as interns and helping the instructors with transportation and logistics. Say hello to them when you see them.

TRACKER ONLINE

It is now possible to contact the school using email or visit the School website.

This winter I did quite a bit of hide tanning and have a few tips and tricks to pass on. The first task I faced was to flesh all the hides (remember fleshing is pushing, not cutting, the meat and fat off the skin). I also wanted the hair to slip (falloff), so I asked Tom what he thought the fastest method to do that was. His favorite is to soak the hides in warm soapy water, so that is what I did. Remember, plain water will do, soap just speeds it up, and warm water even more so, especially in the winter. I found the hides that slipped best were those that soaked either while unfleshed or with unfleshed hides because of the extra blood and meat that boosted the bacteria population hastening hide breakdown and hair slippage. Careful! Check your hides often so you do not over soak them (they can rot quickly).

After a few days of hard work and the help of Walter G. who was a helper at the December philosophy classes (thanks again Walt), we had the 14 hides fleshed, but only half of them slipped well. While out checking the hides I noticed a newcomer, a nice big deer hide hanging nearby. I admired it and felt the hair for slippage, and out came handfuls of hair - it totally slipped. I enviously asked Caretaker Dan, who owned the hide, "how did you get it to slip so well?" He said he peed on it because he had heard urine removes grease, then he staked the hide out on the ground for two days. And actually, he said he did not want the hair to fall off and that he had planned to tan it hair on. I have not tried the urine method, but it was the best slipped-hide 1 have ever seen, so try it out if it fits your style. The bottom line though is camouflage your intent, because those hides you want to tan hair off will not slip, and those hides you plan to tan hair on will easily lose their hair! Go figure!

When I soften a hide after braining it, 1 prefer to work by hand instead of retying the hide to a rack. That way, if I get tired after a few hours I can put the hide into a plastic bag and refrigerate it until I can finish it the next day. Careful though, the last couple of hides I did were somewhat stiff and needed to be re-brained. What they taught me was I needed to be more aggressive during the softening process. The hides need very active stretching until completely dry. Try stretching the hide in all directions both over a smooth, rounded stake (like a shovel handle) that is secured in a vise or in the ground, and buffing and stretching the hide around a tightly tied rope or cable.

Finally, for smoking the hide I learned a slick trick from a video on how the Cree Indians in Quebec tanned hides. They sew the hide into a tube (or sew two hides together), sew on a skirt along the bottom to keep the hide further from the heat and hang it. Instead of using coals to create smoke they heat a softball sized rock in the fire for about an hour, put it into a pot (I used a stew pot) on a bed of dry, punky, rotten wood, then they cover the rock with more punky wood. They secure the skirt around the pot and they are off and smoking. It works great! W1lile smoking, never leave the hide because a flare up of flames can ruin the hide. Using a rock controls the smoldering wood better than coals, hence, fewer flare-ups. I smoked two pairs of hides, one for 45 minutes, the other thinner pair 30 minutes per side. They turned out beautifully. That definitely is my preferred method of smoking (you can smoke a rock, Bryan).

The last thing I want to mention is there is a fantastic new book out on brain tanning, the best and most comprehensive I have seen, "Wet Scrapped Braintanned Buckskin" by Steven Edholm and Tamara Wilder. It talks more about wet scraping (we teach dry scraping in the standard) but they are similar processes. The book discusses both and all other aspects of brain tanning very thoroughly.

Happy tanning!

LIVING COMFORTABLY IN A LONG TERM SHELTER
by Seth Recarde

There are many things you can do to make a shelter more comfortable. The type of shelter and its shape must be suited to the environment in which it is built. The tipi type shelters tend to keep the smoke level up high. This is great for areas which are frequented by storms and low pressure fronts that keep the smoke from flowing smoothly out the smoke hole. Having a few extra feet of room for the smoke to settle can make all the difference on a stormy day. The drawback to having that extra space is that much of your heat rises to tile top of the shelter, requiring you to have a larger fire and gather more fuel in order to keep the floor temperature comfortable.

The dome type shelters (wigwams, etc.) With their low, round ceiling reflect heat well and keep that heat closer to floor level than tipi shelters. But smoke can quickly fill its interior if a low pressure front moves in or the fire is not well maintained. This can be prevented by using small diameter wood in the fire and keeping it burning cleanly in a tipi shape. Also, having the smoke flap open into the wind creates a stronger draft which will help the smoke flow out of the shelter smoothly.

With a little care and attention, dome shelters can be warm, firewood efficient, smoke free, and very comfortable. They're great for areas with long winters and inhabitants that prefer working on skills instead of spending their time gathering firewood. The interior of the shelter can be made cozy and practical by focusing your efforts on a few key areas: Doorways that are extended out a few feet from the shelter (like a debris hut) allow you the opportunity to have two doors. A heavy outer door that can be well sealed and an inner door or door flap made of hides, etc. will cut down on drafts and keep the heat in the shelter where it belongs. It also gives you a place to keep your muddy moccasins or icy snowshoes.

Fire pits that are too deep radiate most of their heat up towards the center of the shelter, leaving you colder when sitting on the floor next to the fire. The fire pit should be 6" deep at the center and gently slope up to floor level. Making a ring of rocks or dirt around the pit cuts back on the heat reflected to the floor level just like a deep pit. This ring is useful when building a fire on flat ground in order to contain the coals and ash but if a shallow, sloping pit is used the ring is unnecessary and can rob you of floor level heat.

Beds built by making a rectangle of logs, stakes, etc. and filling the inside with pine boughs, pine needles, grasses, or dry leaves are very comfortable. The filling should be at least 8" thick after being compressed to keep you well insulated from the ground. The best beds are built a foot or more off the floor by pounding stakes in the ground, lashing a frame to the stakes, and making a solid platform on top of the frame. The platform is covered with any of the above bedding materials to make it soft and then the space under the platform is stuffed with the same. The insulation underneath does not get compressed which increases the amount of dead air space it contains. It holds heat better and you sleep warmer. Building your bed up off the floor keeps you away from the drafts and up in the warmer part of the shelter. You can also use some of the space under the bed for storage.

Tables and workbenches can be built like the raised bed without the insulation. These are great for preparing food, working on projects, or storing materials. Make them so they are a comfortable height to work on when you are sitting (or standing, if your shelter is tall enough).

Backrests are great if you plan to spend a lot of time sitting an working around the fire. They can be covered with a grass mat to insulate them. When you're sitting by the fire working on a project with a warm front and a warm back, you'll be glad you took the time to make one.

Cooking is best done in an outside fire if you have the choice. Heating questionable rocks inside your shelter's fire pit for rock boiling can be dangerous and in some cases damaging to your body should the rock explode. Most cooking is done over coals and not flames. Coals tend to create a lot of smoke which can quickly fill your shelter and drive you out. On nice days an outside cooking fire is best. If you are forced to cook inside due to bad weather, keep you main fire burning cleanly and pull a small quantity of coals to the edge of the pit. As the coals cool and begin to produce more smoke, swap them for some fresh coals from the main fire. If you must heat rocks, try to use rocks that have been heated previously and you know to be safe.

I hope these ideas and tips will help you live happy and comfortable in your long term shelter. A little bit of planning goes a long way when it comes to enjoying your time spent living in the outdoors. So now that you have a few new ideas and hopefully some time to spare, get out there and enjoy!

MOTHER NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE
by NINJA Joe Lau

Many beginning students have very romantic expectations about the Tracker school. This is, of course, only normal after having read Tom's stories of his education and training under Stalking Wolf. Because of this, many students sometimes unknowingly put the Tracker family under a microscope, longing to see those of us who work here stalk silently across a bed of dried leaves. I remember coming to the school with these expectations myself.

It is in this frame of mind that many will miss some main points of the lessons taught here. Tom is very well known for saying, "Kill the White Winged Buffalo." Meaning, many students come to the school with their head in the clouds looking for a spiritual sideshow. Our way however, is to have students create their own "miracles" by helping them create a solid foundation with their feet firmly on the ground.

The ancient skills are the starting point. The spiritual benefits of the physical skills begins in the feelings of "oneness" that are activated by them. It is the deeper understanding of humans' relationships with the natural world on a level that cannot come by logical analysis, only by experience.

Our physical/spiritual relationship with the Earth is very distant since we no longer live a hand-to-mouth existence in nature. We are also no longer living in close knit tribes and clans. Our physical spiritual relationships with each other as human beings seem just as distant. Many times we get disgusted with each other's behavior. "Environmentalists" especially sometimes seem to turn into human haters. You should know that the people who make up the Tracker family live normal lives without fantasies of running into the wilderness to forever avoid the disappointments of society. Years ago, I too had to re-clarify my perceptions that there is a balance possible between living in nature and living in society. It is the school's vision and purpose to teach others to find this balance between society and nature.

In my last article, I wrote about Dr. Robert L. Humphrey's dual life values theory of self and others. "Others" seem to have a slight edge over "self." It would seem as we look at the world that we are self-preservers. However, as Budo Taijutsu (martial arts) teacher Jack Hoban said in his article "Human Nature and Mother Nature", when it comes down to a matter of life and death we tend to value "Women and Children first" over "Every man for himself." We call a person who saves himself a survivor, while we call the person who saves others a hero.

In my opinion, these same self preservation and species preservation values are found in nature. Have you ever accidentally disturbed an ant's nest? What is the first thing they do? They grab their eggs and take them to safety and protect them. Animals can have instinctual species preservation values to help protect against Mother Nature's "survival of the fittest." But in humans, we seem to honor most those who protect the weak. Maybe Human Nature is the choice of the two values -- of having the courage to choose others over self.
I feel that when one studies the ancient skills, one should practice with the feeling of "providing life" rather than "I am ready to take on any wilderness situation." I feel this is a more enlightened view and to me it simply feels better. Try it if you don't believe me. Because of the skills we carry inside, as Dr. Humphrey says, "Wherever you go, everyone should be safer because you are there, and everyone in need has a friend." Maybe in the past, some of us have been guilty of thinking, somewhat self-importantly, that "I'll get by even if he/she doesn't." To me this doesn't feel as good. Not everyone may know it, but I believe many will pick up these vibes unconsciously.

So practice your skills - not to run away, but to have the awareness, knowledge, and experience to be a better human being for other human beings.

NEWS FROM ASSOCIATES

TRACKER CONSULTING MAKES HEADWAY IN CORPORATE WORLD
by Kevin Reeve

We are pleased to announce Tracker Consulting -- a company dedicated to bringing the wilderness teachings of Stalking Wolf into the corporate arena, has successfully worked with two large clients.

Our vision is to create companies that are both profitable and sustainable (sustainable means that there is no utilization of nonrenewable resources or generation of non-recyclable waste). We believe that if we can influence the leaders of corporations, those who make decisions about resource consumption, and reconnect them with the earth, then we can have significant impact.

Our first major client is Xerox. Working with the Xerox Management Institute in Leesburg, VA, we taught a four day class, held in Sedona, Arizona. Twenty five senior level (Director and above) managers participated. The students learned awareness skills that are easily applied in their organization.

They learned to fox walk, stalk, and use wide angle vision as a metaphor for how they pay attention in their own organizations. The also made fire using a bow drill. However the spindle was a 4' section of telephone pole and the bow was a 18' long fence pole. This giant size bow drill threw out a coal the size of a charcoal briquette. The students were truly amazed at their own accomplishments.

We will be working with other companies, including Barclays Bank in the UK and several high-tech firms.

Tracker Consulting is headed by Kevin Reeve, Bill Horrocks, and Michael Popowits.

EARTHWALK NORTHWEST, INC.
FRANK & KAREN'S SKILLS CLASSES
P.O. Box 461, Issaquah, WA 98027
(206) 746-7267

1998 Classes will include:
. Four day Herbal Studies Course
. Advanced Skills Course
. Wild Edibles Weekend
. Big Frank's Brain Tanning, Primitive Skills, & Wild Gourmet Foods Course
. Brain Tanning II
. Skills Refresher Course
. Edible Vegetable Course
. Log Cabin Building
. Primitive Bow and Spear Fishing
. Semi-survival Treks
To Register, please call.

EARTH-HEART
The purpose of Earth-Heart is to help people to clarify and progress in their personal and spiritual development. We recognize the unique challenges each individual faces on their life 's path, and seek to design programs tl1at respond to those individual needs. We offer the following programs: Personal Intensive, a six day program to address specific personal or spiritual issues in your life; Spiritual Retreat, a two week course to clarify and deepen understanding and experience of the spiritual path; Bridgeworks, a one week course focusing on living our vision in daily life and a Vision Quest program.

CHILDREN
by Richard Cleveland

Children are perhaps the greatest gifts the Creator ever gave us. And as adults perhaps our greatest challenge. It's so easy to get caught up in ourselves and our daily routine. It's no wonder that spending time with our children often goes by the way side.

I remember when I was growing up, often hearing the cliché "the future is in our children." At the time I don't think I truly understood or appreciated how important and powerful that statement really is. After all, I was too busy playing, partying, and trying to control my hormones then to be concerned about children. In fact, children kind of annoyed me most of the time.

I guess the change happened when I was about 30 years old. I started playing more with my brother's children, and suddenly began seeing the future through their eyes. After all, I wasn't going to live forever and I couldn't take all those fishing poles and sporting goods (that I hardly ever used) with me when I died anyway. I suddenly realized that up till then my life totally revolved around me. And I noticed that I really hadn't gotten a whole lot done anyway. I hadn't done much of anything to try to leave this world a better place for future generations.

I realized then that it was the children who were going to inherit this earth, and it was and is our responsibility as adults to make sure that we teach our children to love nature and learn to live with it. And immerse them at an early age into all the beauty and wonder that our great planet gives to us. To give them that gift at an early age is so important to the future of our planet. A gift that too few of us had when we were young. Hopefully then they will make better decisions in their lives than we made. And hopefully the destructive trend that human kind has followed thus far can be turned around forever. It's not too late.

Students often ask me what and how I teach children at my programs here at the school. I can tell they're a little surprised at how simple I make it sound. Well the truth is, it is simple. I teach kids the four most important elements of survival: shelter, water, fire and food. Then I mix in a bunch of awareness exercises and a little spiritual stuff. Over all I get them as dirty as I can and have as much fun as possible. And hopefully I'll plant a few seeds.

I don't have a degree in child psychology and I don't teach from a text book. I teach straight from the heart, and I am able to adjust and adapt at a moment's notice. And it's a lost more fun this way. My advise to people who want to teach kids, but are a little afraid, is to jump in feet first and go for it. Any teaching is better than no teaching at all. And besides, they'll teach you more than you'll teach them anyway. So have fun.

A friend of mine sent me a card that pretty well sums it all up. On the card there is a picture of a little boy standing on the shore of a lake, gazing out across the water. The card is entitled "PRIORITIES" and it says" A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child." There are a lot of children out there waiting for someone to make a difference in their lives...maybe it's you! .

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED !
by Seth Recarde

The number of people attending the classes at the Tracker School continues to grow. This has created a need for volunteers who have taken the Standard course to act as visiting instructors for upcoming Standard courses.
Your primary responsibilities will be to help us in preparing for the classes and in working with the students. This includes giving general help, especially during workshops and meal breaks, and being available to answer student questions and assist them with skill practice. It is a great opportunity to review the Standard class materials, and is great fun as well.

We are looking for Standard course graduates who have practiced their skills, who relate to the students in a caring and positive manner, and are willing to give us a hand. You can sleep in a tent or the barn, and best of all you can eat stew with the class. So pack as you did for the standard, but bring all those extras you wish you had last time, (like a thick cushion to sit on) and join us. It will be fun to have you here.

We are also accepting applications for volunteer instructors for the advanced classes. You must have already attended the class as a student and be proficient in skills and techniques taught. If you are interested, fill in the form below and send it off. We will get back to you as soon as we can confirm your dates.

SCOUT MARTIAL ARTS
by Paul Bonner

Dates have been set for the 1997 Scout Martial Arts class. This year's class will be held October 6 - 11, 1997 in the Pine Barrens Primitive camp. This year Tom will be participating, teaching Grandfather's martial philosophy and martial games as it relates to the Apache scout. Prerequisite for Scout Martial Arts is Scout.

Class will be taught by Paul Bonner and George and Vanessa Larson. Paul has been teaching at the Scout class since 1989 and George and Vanessa since 1992. All three are Tracker graduates and have been through Scout. Paul Bonner specializes in Philipino Martial art of Kali, and is certified under Dan Inosanto and Rick Faye. In addition, he is certified in JKD concepts (Bruce Lee's concepts), Muay-Thai boxing and Wing Chun, Maphilindo Silat, Kenpo and jujitsu. He is also certified by World Heavyweight Shoot Fighting champion Bart Vale. Paul teaches law enforcement of all types from recruits, to tactical teams and drug enforcement agents.

George and Venessa Larson are also certified by Dan Inosanto to teach Philipino and JKD. They train under Rick Faye in Minneapolis.

TRACKER WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE
by Kevin Reeve

By the time you are reading this, we will have completed our first pilot of the Tracker Wilderness Experience. For those of you who have not heard of it, the Wilderness Experience is an opportunity for Back-to-Back graduates to practice full wilderness living in a less intimidating situation.

The program is designed for a small number of participants to go into the wilderness with a knife and a blanket for a week. Class size is limited to 32, and participants are formed into groups of 8. Each group has a pair of instructors assigned, so the ratio is one instructor to four students.

The emphasis is on living the sacred order. The first days are spent making shelter, finding sources of pure water, making fire, and finding sources of food. Besides gathering edible plants, we will do non-lethal trapping and hunting, and will supply canned meat for those who successfully take an animal in a non-lethal trap or who" count coup" on an animal they stalk. The rest of the week will be spent perfecting skills and learning new approaches to existing skills.

Since Tom is not participating directly we are able to offer this experience at many locations around the country. The pilot in July will be held in upstate New York, and a second pilot will be offered in September in California on property adjoining Yosemite.

Since the number of advanced classes is limited in 1998, we will offer several regional opportunities for the Wilderness Experience.

FROM THE MAILBAG
by Kevin Reeve

I have a computer. I am also connected to the Internet. There are many advantages to being online. One of the greatest for me has been the new friends I have made on the Tracker listserver. The Tracker listserver is not affiliated with the Tracker school in any way, but it has provided a forum for Tracker students to meet and discuss Tracker related issues on-line. It provides great freedom for discussion and opportunity for folks from around the country to learn.

One of the things that has come up consistently on this forum is the perception that exists out there in the primitive skills world that some Tracker students have a lot of book knowledge, but little dirt time. They have a tendency to rely on Tom's knowledge about a given skill rather than making it their own.

This criticism does not apply to everyone. In fact, I believe it actually applies to very few. Most of the students I know are serious about perfecting their skills and work hard getting dirt time. However there are some for whom a Tracker class is strictly an academic experience. They take notes furiously, and then stick their notebooks up on the shelf and leave them there. They can talk a good talk, but when push comes to shove, they haven't walked the walk. Perhaps Tom makes these skills too easy for us to obtain. Perhaps some miss out on the Coyote. (If you haven't tried the traps you learned in your Back to Back, by the time you get to Scout, it will be obvious -- the information is not always complete, something you won't discover till you try it.) My point is that book knowledge is great. Knowing ABOUT how to survive and actually surviving are two different things. The challenge is mastering our skills, not our knowledge.

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