Moccasins Troubleshooting
December 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
I made a pair of moccasins for my mom today and I took some pictures along the way to better illustrate the instructions I have on the “How to make moccasins” page. There were a few areas where I ran into trouble the first time I made them, so I wanted to clarify those areas for you. This is not meant to be instructions on how to make the moccasins. Rather it’s meant to supplement some of the trouble areas. So when you make your moccasins, read the instructions first and then refer to this troubleshooting guide to help clarify.
This is what the two pieces look like after they’ve been cut out from the leather.
Once you’ve cut your pieces out, start at the top of the toe and sew down one side until you reach the middle of the heel. When you’re finished it will look like this. The picture is taken with the sole of the shoe facing up.
Next, start at the top of the toe again and sew down the other side until you meet the other stitches at the middle of the heel.
Sometimes there will be some extra leather sticking out from the sole of the shoe. That just means that you made the top pattern a bit too long. But it’s okay, it’ normal for that to happen, and it can be fixed easily.
Just cut the excess leather off so that it’s even with the soul of the shoe.
Now, sew up the back of the shoe, starting at the bottom where the side of the shoe meets the heel. Leave one inch at the top and then cut inward toward the dot you made on the pattern.
Flip the shoe inside-out and voila! You now have a completed moccasin. Use your imagination to decorate it however you want.
Tracker School
December 17, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
If you’re looking for a place to really learn forest skills- tracking, awareness, shelter, hunting, gathering food- Tom Brown’s Tracker School is where you want to go. I went there for the first time in August 2007. I’d been scouring the Internet for months before I ever heard of it for a place I could go to live with a hunter-gather tribe cause I wanted to learn how the natives lived. I wanted to get involved and learn the skills and learn what they did on a daily basis. Since I’m native myself, I thought it’d be a good way to connect with my roots. To learn how my ancestors lived.
But I didn’t find a tribe to live with. Instead I found Tracker School. It’s what first piqued my interest in learning primitive skills. And it’s the foundation for all the skills I’m learning and everything I’m posting on this website.
Me on a path in the Pine Barrens
The story is this:
Tom Brown Jr, met an Apache Indian, who he called Grandfather, when he was 7 years old. Grandfather taught him everything he knew about the wilderness, survival and tracking until Tom Brown was 18 years old. Then he wandered the Earth for 10 years before coming back and opening up Tracker School. Obviously, there’s a lot more to the story, but that’s the gist. And now he’s passing on the skills that Grandfather taught him to other people.
Practicing throwing stick- I hit the target. Yes, we can eat tonight!
I went. And it was an amazing experience. It changed my life and changed the way I see the world. It was that powerful. I’ve talked to other people since who have had similar experiences. The details are different, but the experience of profound change is the same. I’ll tell you more about it in my next post.
The roaring fire that was always lit
Becoming Primitive
December 13, 2008 by admin · 2 Comments
Hi Everyone!
Welcome to my site. I’m on a mission- I’m learning how to live like the natives did before the European settlers came over to this continent. Aka- like a primitive native. Specifically, since I’m Wampanoag, like the Wampanoag’s did. Though, since so much knowledge has been completely lost over the years, and since I currently live on the opposite coast, it’s a bit of a challenge. However, even though certain skills vary from tribe to tribe and from region to region, there’s still a similarity between them all. For that reason I’ll draw from different native traditions. But the goal is the same- to be able to walk into the forest and live like the natives did. To learn a different way of life.
That’s why I’ve created this site. Because I want to share what I learn with anyone who is interested and wants to learn too. I’m going to use this blog to document my journey- to write about anything I see, experience, learn and do on the way. I’ll share insights, problems, solutions, news- anything related to primitive skills, Native Americans and the Wampanoag.
As I learn more, I’ll add to the website as well. It will become a database of everything I’ve learned and done on my journey. I want to focus on sharing what I’ve learned, so you can learn a different way to live too.
So… subscribe to my feed so you’ll always be up to date on my journey and check the site often for the latest information.