Realities of Going Primitive - The Anarchist Library

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Realities of Going Primitive
Brent Ladd
So, you have been considering a change of pace? Want to
leavetheratracebehind?Possiblyevenbypassingthecabinon
thehillwithsheep,chickens,andanorganicgarden,anddiving
head long into that wild lake of your dreams called Primitive
Lifestyle? Great! I welcome the company. You see, I took the
plunge two years ago, and I am still swimming with my head
abovewater,thoughjustbarelyattimes.
IamnowlivinginNorthernMichigan,togetherwithafew
others who have also heard the call of the wild and have an-
swered it. I was asked by Steve Hulsey, Editor of Wilderness
Way,towriteofmyjourneyofthepastseveralyears,andhow
Iseeandexperiencetherealitiesoflivingaprimitivelifestyle.
BrentLadd
IwanttobeasencouragingasIcanbetothoseofyouseek-
RealitiesofGoingPrimitive
ingthiswayoflife.However,Iamalsogoingtotellitstraight
up,justlikeitis.
RetrievedonMay8,2009fromanti-politics.net
HavingbeenthroughwhatIhaveinthepastseveralyears,I
[email protected]
havedevelopedsomesenseofwhatisgoingdownintheworld.
accountofhis3yearslivinginthewildernessandislooking
Ibelievetherearemanywonderfulhumanbeingsthatarede-
forpublishers.
pressed, devastated, and overwhelmed by the crazed society
thatsurroundsthem.Theirtruedesireistoliveasclosetothe
theanarchistlibrary.org
landaspossible.Perhapsnooneelseknowsthattheyfeelthis
way and they tell no one for fear of rejection and ridicule. So
theirsecretconsumestheirthoughtsanddreamsandtheycon-
tinue going through the motions of crazed society, living the
waytheyreallywanttoonlyintheirheads.Iknowwhatthis
is like and maybe some of you reading this also know. Also, I
hopereaderscanlearnfrommistakesIhavemade.Irefuseto
writeaflowery,buttered-upstoryoflivingnative,butIwillsay
thatthejoys,rewardsandfreedomIhaveexperiencedarewell
worthanyhardshipsencountered.So,thisisnotablueprintfor
goingprimitive,justthehumansideofmyattemptthusfar.
Whatisitliketoliveprimitive,thedifficulties,thecompro-
mises, the progressions and rewards? I will finish by relating
whatIfeeltobethetwomostimportantaspectsoflivingprim-
itive.Theyarenotfoundinanywildernessskillsbook,butcan
determineone’ssuccessatlivinginthewild.
SometimesIthinkIwaspredestinedforaprimitivelifeway.
AsayoungsterIwasfascinatedwithallthings“Indian.”Ispent
longhoursexploringthetallgrasspasturesofourfarm,shoot-
ingarrowsandthrowingspears.PerhapsIwasalsoinfluenced
bybooksIread,likeIslandoftheBlueDolphins.Insomeways,
Ihavecomefullcirclebacktomyearlydays.
Notunlikemanyofyou,Iwasraisedinaruralfarmingcom-
munity,Indianatobeexact.AsayoungboyIwasresponsible
for looking after the pigs, cows and occasionally the horses. I
enjoyedbeingaroundtheanimalsandthoughtIwouldproba-
blyfarmforaliving.Whengraduationcame,therightthingto
dowastogetthatcollegeeducation,because,afterall,farming
wasbecomingmorecomplicatedeveryyear.Livinginthecity
at the university was nerve wracking. I was used to roaming
pasturesandcornfields.Iworkedparttimetopayfortuition
andbooks,and,ohyeah,theoccasionalbeerparty…Majoring
inagribusinessandanimalscienceandbelongingtoalargefra-
ternity, I was, after two years, disgusted with myself and the
college scene. I moved back home and commuted to class, de-
terminedtofinishwhatIhadstarted.
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Attitude. It can make or break ya. It is important to know Since my weekends were no longer filled with parties and
skills like fire making inside and out, but if you’re caught in womenchasing,IhadmoretimetothinkaboutwhatIwasdo-
a rain storm or blizzard or whatever, and you let the weather ingwithmylife.Eventhen,Ihadbeguntodoubtmyinterests
gettoyoupsychologically—itcouldmeanhypothermia.Iam inacareer,especiallyintheagribusiness.Onawhim,Ienrolled
learning that I need a sense of confidence and courage to live in an elective, Forestry 240 — Wildlife in America, with Fred
thewayIhaveinthepasttwoyears.Manydoubtshaveentered Montague.LittledidIknowatthetimethatthiswasapivotal
my mind about what I am doing. I havehad to suck it up and decision in the path I would later take. Dr. Montague is one
getpastthefearsandletmyselfknowIcandoit.IfIfail,Itry ofthoseuniqueprofessorsthatgoesfarbeyondtheprescribed
again.Ican’tgiveuponanythingandcontinuetoliveprimitive. coursetext,infact,prettymuchthrowingthetextoutthewin-
Manythingsneedtobelearned.Somewiseeldersaid,“When dow.Notonlydidwehavediscussionsonwildlife,butwewere
you get up in the morning, encourage yourself. No one else challenged with every factor that affected wildlife: pollution,
will,soyouhavetodoitforyourself.” habitat destruction, mindless capitalism, the very civilization
A sense of humor is a big part of the right attitude. Mine itself.
can get very sarcastic at times. I deal with the set backs and By the time college graduation rolled around, I had done a
compromises with humor-poking fun and being sarcastic. Be- 180. Wanting nothing to do with agribusiness, I had thoughts
ing able to laugh at myself (I do it often) helps a great deal. ofstartingasmallfarmorgoingtoCaliforniainsearchofthe
When things don’t go just the way I’ve planned, I can either musicbusiness(atthetimeIwasleadguitaristforasmalltime
getdownonmyself,blamesomeoneelse,orlaughatmyselfor rock-n-rollband).Iwasdepressed,withnojob.Itisfunnyhow,
thesituation.HavingbeenthroughwhatIhave,Icansaythat whenyouthinkyou’vehitrockbottom,thingscanchangeina
laughter is indeed the best medicine. When I began to live a flash.Somethinghadclicked.Ilikedanimalsandlikedobserv-
freelifestyle,mypersonalityalsobecamemorefree. ingthem.Ihadloadsofexperiencewithfarmanimals.Iwould
Actually I hope I have not been too heavy on the com- becomeafarmanimalbehaviorist⁉Wastheresuchathing?A
promises and difficulties of going primitive. It is difficult to phonecallandafewdayslater,Ifoundmyselfintheofficeof
describe the magnitude of feelings of freedom and awesome apremierefarmanimalbehavioristwhoactuallyhadagradu-
sights, sounds, smells that enliven my senses in the woods. atestudentstudyingtheeffectsofmusiconfarmanimals.The
The joys and rewards of this life are not things which can be professorputmeonthepayroll.Ididn’tblinkaneye.Myduty
understoodfromtalkingorreadingaboutthem,butaremeant wastoassisthisstudentinherresearch.SoonIwasenrolledin
to be experienced first hand. So get out there. Experience it agraduateprogramofmyownwithmyownresearchprojects.
andliveit! Myco-graduatestudent,well,sheandIsawthingseyetoeye
I have enjoyed sharing some of my experiences of the past andlikedoneanother.Wewereagreatteam.BeforeIknewit,
fewyearsinmyjourneytowardafullprimitivelifeway.Ihope wewereengagedtobemarried.BythistimeIwasheavyinto
ithasencouragedmanyofyoutomakethebreakfrommodern the environmentalism scene. I became vegetarian, except for
existence.Maybewewillmeetsomeday. occasional pork raised back home on the small farm. I began
puttingmoreandmorepressureonmyselftomakeadifference
withinthesystem.
22 3
In time my marriage began to fail — and I didn’t even see Iwanttogoscoutforbeaverordeerorwhatever,Igodoit.IfI
itcoming.Afterpassingmythesisdefense,Iheadedtoalarge wanttosimplysithalfofthedayinthesunbytheriver,Ican
universityinthesouthtostudybehaviorandconsciousnessin do that too. I am very flexible with what I can do and when I
animals. Things fell through, and my wife and I got into jobs doit.Thisisapartofbeingfree,Ibelieve.
withtheU.S.D.A.studyinganimalwelfare. AnotheraspectIhavenoticedismychangeinsenseoftime.
My marriage was all but over, although I still couldn’t real- I am relaxed and not hurrying around to beat the clock. As I
ize it. It was a dark time for me. I took a week off from work havesloweddown,itappearsthatthereismoretime!Awon-
and went on a humanitarian mission to the slums of Juarez, derfulparadox,isn’tit?Ithinklessofthefutureandlivemore
Mexico—abordertown.Ifonecouldmajorinprimitiveliving, in the present moment. Time seems to have opened up and
I think I would make as a pre-requisite that one visit a “third blossomed—expandedifyouwill.Ifeelmoreintothenatural
world”country.One’sideasonmaterialismandwhatonecan flowoflife.Thistooisapartoffreedom,Ibelieve.Livinginthe
dowithoutquicklybecomesolidified. presentmomentisn’tsomethingIhaveconsciouslytriedtoac-
I felt very positiveabout my decision to leave the material/ complish,butisgraduallyandnaturallyoccurringthelongerI
civilized way of existence behind. I just wasn’t sure where I aminthewoods.
wouldbegoingtoleaveitbehind.Afriendloanedmeapacket IsaidIwouldfinishbytalkingabouttwoaspectsofprimitive
ofinfoonoutdoorsurvivalschools.InthepacketIcameacross living that are not found in any skills book, yet, that I believe
one that gave me goosebumps. I wrote a short note saying areessentialtosuccessinlongtermwildernessliving.Theyare
I wanted to attend the gathering. They responded by saying (1)Community(i.e.family,tribe,friends)and(2)Attitude.
“gladtohaveyou,andbythewaywehaveafewstaffpositions Community, in my eyes, comes before all else. A group of
open.”Myintuitionsaid“Thisisyourchance,dude!”Myheart people with common goals and shared interests is a power-
said, “Hey look, you’re still married, even if unhappily, and fulthing.Youbecomelikebrothersandsisters,andcareabout
you’dbetterstayputifyouwanttomakethismarriagework.”I each other.When someone is hurt or sick, the others pitch in.
feltcaughttosaytheleast.Mywifemusthaveknownbecause, Ifsomeoneisdownordepressed,wetalkandplaymusic.Ifa
to my surprise, she enthusiastically stated that weshould call lodgeistobebuilt,weallhelp.Ifsomeonekillsadeer,ortraps
abouttheopenings! abeaver,allshareinthemeat.
Withinamonth,mywifeandIfoundourselvesintheNorth- Beinginacommunityisalsolikeamirrortoyourself.Real-
woodsofWisconsinattheoutdoorschool.Ifeltthatthiswas izing each of us has come from a messed up society, we each
the beginning of making a go at living the earth ways. How- have our own personal hang-ups that we each work on. We
ever, if you want to canoe wild rivers, there are bound to be don’talwaysagreeoneverythinginourcommunity,andthat
rapids and waterfalls. Two weeks after arriving at the school, isgoodbecausewehavetothinktwiceaboutthingsandhash
mywifemadeitclearshenolongerwantedtostayinthemar- themout.
riage. This devastated me. Only those who have gone thru di- Iamthankfulforthecommunitywehave,thoughitmaybe
vorcecanunderstandthedarkness,painandanxietyofsuchan onlyfivepeoplenow.Ihopeotherswillbeabletoforminthe
experience.IhadgoneoverthewaterfallandfeltIwasdrown- nearfuture.
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away. Because of the number of skills and amount of knowl- ing.Indeed,foratime,IfeltIwouldbebetterofftodierather
edgeneededtoliveinthewild,Iamhavingtobepatientand thanendurethesufferingandheartacheIwasgoingthrough.
take the time to learn. I do not always wear buckskins. I am I was alone now, but in the few short months I resided at
using cast iron to cook in until adequate clay pots are made. the outdoor school, I had gained some close friendships, and
I own and drive a car to and from certain hunting areas, to hadbeguntolearnsomebasicprimitivelivingskills.Ihadalso
schools, to visit relatives, etc. At some point, I hope to canoe learnedtocanoe,andhadlivedinaprimitiveshelter.Itwasmy
orwalk(most)everywhere.Iusewoolblanketsandasleeping firsttasteofwhatlivingprimitivemightbelike,andIwasstill
bag until enough fur pelts are tanned for a sleeping robe. In hungry.
otherwords,thetransitionfrommodernsocietytoaprimitive Being restless, I moved around the Northwoods of Wiscon-
lifestyle is just that, a transition. I have had to rely on certain sin.Ibuiltacampofmyownconsistingofabirchbarkcovered
non-wildernessproductstosurvive.Iamreiteratingallofthis wikiup(seepicture),byasmallbassfilledlake.Havingnocash
because I want to emphasize that this transition takes lots of andwantingtomakemyowndeerskinclothes,Ibarteredmy
time, time to learn skills, time to heal from living in modern services. I did ceiling dry-wall work, a tough job, for a local
society,timetodealwithinsecurities,timetoadjusttoamajor butcher,remodelingandreceivedadecentpileofdeerskinsin
lifestylechange. exchange. At this time, I did not know enough about hunting
Thereissimplynoculturalcircleinplacetohelpthoseofus and trapping to procure a food supply, and so it was quickly
pursuing the “wilderness way.” We have few, if any, elders to looking like either food stamps or a job. I took a temporary,
learnfrom.Wehavebeenschooledandpreppedfrombirthfor low paying farm labour job for a month. Again it was either
the helter-skelter business world, not the aboriginal world of divine intervention or dumb luck; it happened to be a diverse
gatherer-hunter.Ihavehadtorefrainfrombeingsocriticalof farm,andIwasabletotakehomewithmeseveralbagsofgreat
myselftoavoidbecomingdiscouragedandbeacceptingandas apples,andallthesquashandpumpkinIwanted,aswell.These
patientaspossible. wereaboontomydiet.
Ihopethisletsthereaderknowthatthereisn’taready-made Notlongafter,Iretrievedaroadkilldeerinfineshapethat
primitivewayoflifewaitingoncejobsareleftandhousesare gavememeatthroughthewinter.Iwascomingtobelievethat
sold,etc.,Whathasbeenencouragingforme,istheknowledge prayerdidworkafterall!
thateveryone’sancestor’s(99%+)werehunter-gatherers.This At this point, I had left a decent paying research position,
isourtrueheritage.AsIhavemovedclosertowarda100%prim- payed off my debts and with a few hundred dollars left, had
itive lifestyle, things seem to get easier. Ideas form quicker. A wandered through the Northwoods of Wisconsin, gradu-
certaingraspofthewholecircleofwhatlivingprimitivemeans ally gaining confidence in my abilities to survive. I was an
is being made. I just have had (and continue) to have the per- opportunist-doingwhateverIhadtotosurvive,withoutgoing
severancetobelieveitispossibleandthatIcandoit. back to civilization. I was, in effect, making a break from
Isupposetherearelevelsoffreedomthesedays.Inmyopin- civilization at the mental and emotional levels. I was trusting
ion,goingprimitiveoffersthemostfreedompossible.Attimes more in myself and discovering my true heritage. Knowing
itexhilaratesmeanddefinitelyenhancesmylife.Mylifeismy that99.95%ofmyancestorshadlivedahunter-gathererwayof
own.IfIwanttogoexploreanewwildernessarea,Igodoit.If lifemademyheartgrowstronger.Mydreamsbeganchanging
20 5
from being chased by gunmen in city streets, to scenes of inallivingatschoolsforafee,andthisisanotherwayIcanget
ancientlandscapeswithancientpeople. income,whileeducatingothers.
The deep snows off of Lake Superior made the woods even I would much rather share how to do something (i.e. make
more quiet. I had heaps of time alone to reflect on my past, abarkbasket,tanaskin,etc.)thantomakeitmyselfandthen
the present, and the unknown future. This quiet time helped sellittosomeonewhowillhangitontheirwalloftheirhalfa
me to heal from past emotional wounds. The days and nights milliondollarhouse.
spent out by my wikiup camp were incredibly awesome for When I first embarked on living primitive, I wanted to be
me.Thefirstnightinthewikiupwaslateinthehunter’smoon abletoliveitfulltimewithoutneedingacarorextrafood.For
(October-late).Frostwasintheair—myfavoriteseason.Icame now,therealityisthatIneedincome,justalittle,tomakeends
clearupoutofmybalsamfirbedwhenaBanedowllandedin meet.
anearbytreeandgaveabloodcurdlingyowl!Ifyou’veheard The reality of land is also important. We as a community
thisatcloserange,youknowwhatIamtalkingabout.Thevery didn’t(don’t)liketheideaof“owning”land.Whatitboilsdown
next evening, a few coyotes came down to the lake and were toiseitherbewillingtobenomadicinnationalforestsorbuy
lettingeveryoneknowwithsharp,cacklingvocals,andhowls. land or have a generous relative. Although being nomadic on
Now this was the wildlife! I thought. A few weeks later and I publiclandhasitsadvantages,fornowhavingahomebaseand
heard my first wild wolf howl. There was a pack of wolves in nothavetoworryaboutharassmentfromDNRandForestSer-
thevicinity,thoughfewpeoplehaveheardorseenthem. viceofficialsisthebestchoice.Afterlookingawhile,wefound
Yes,Ihavelostmywayinthewoodsseveraltimes,andboy agreatlittlepieceoflandforsaleinthewildestareaoftheen-
doesitgivetheheartaworkout!Ileftthebeatenpathandjust tiremidwest,surroundedbynationalforest.Ithasacreekand
when I was ready to head back, I stepped in a hole and fell. I river on it as well. To me it is paradise, and I am looking for-
was a bit disoriented when I stood and the clouds had moved ward to moving there soon (June ’96). Of course, the flip side
in.Nothinglookedfamiliar.Theadage“thingslookawholelot isthatIamindebtduetothelandpurchase.Thatmeansmore
differentonthewayoutthantheydogoingin”isverytrue.I outside work is in order. This currently is ranging from part
pausedandtriedtolookformytracks,whichisn’ttheeasiest timemasonryandhouseremodelingworktogivingtalksand
feat when no sun is shining into a cedar swamp. By the time demonstrations on aboriginal life at elementary schools. We
I had checked for tracks, I seemed to see them in every direc- hopetobegivingworkshopsonaboriginallivingsoon.
tion. It was beginning to get late in the day. My now steady Some people become disappointed when I tell them I drive
breathinggotjustatadheavier.Ifyou’veeverbeendownina a car occasionally, or that I don’t get all of my food from the
brushswampofcedarandtagalderandarenotpositivewhich wild. They have an idealistic sense of what living with nature
directionwilltakeyouout,youstarttogetworried.Itookoff is. This seems to stem from what they think a real “Indian” is
inthedirectionIthoughtIhadcomein,notrealizingitwasex- or should be. Before I actually went primitive, I also had an
actlyoppositeofthewayIwantedtogo,andfoughtwaveafter unrealisticviewofwhatitwouldbeliketoliveprimitive.
waveoftagalderheaven.Myfaceandarmswerescratchedup, At present there is no cut and dried dividing line between
I was dripping wet with sweat, I was sinking up to my knees modern living and primitive living. It is a grand illusion to
in bog every step, and was now plumb confused. It was then think you can totally step from one world to the other right
6 19
Itisnotonlybeingwatchedandthehuntingregulationsthat that I must have lost track of both time and space, but finally
aggravateme,butthereisalsotheissueofhousingcodesand cameoutonaloggingroad.
zoning nightmares. Social Services once threatened friends of During this period that I think of as the very beginning of
minewhowereresidinginawigwamwiththeirchildrenthat myattemptingagoatprimitivelifeways,IhadwhatIcall“the
thechildrenwouldbetakenawayunlesstheywereinahouse Shaman complex.” The Shaman, or medicine person, is what
that met zoning codes. This meant they had to have tar paper is glorified and emphasized about native cultures by our me-
on the roof, a wooden floor, no open fire, and a thing called a dia.Therefore,I,alongwithmanyothersIknow,areespecially
“ratwall.” drawn to this aspect when first learning about primitive life-
Thereisanimmenseneedforeducationonthisissueofprim- ways. In other words, learning about all the plants and the
itive living. U.S. History classes are now incorporating study medicine uses seemed paramount to me (and others I’ve run
of lifestyles previous to European contact. I have started go- into)andtoppedmylist.Thisisn’tabadthing,ifoneprogresses
ing to elementary schools to talk with children about what it beyond it, for it drew me into the woods, meadows and river
isliketoliveaboriginallyandtodemonstratemakingfireand areasandallowedmetofamiliarizemyselfwithwildness.My
cordage;theitemsIuseindailylife.Thechildrenreallytaketo first summer I learned maybe one hundred plants and their
this,andhavemanyquestionstheywantanswered.Adultstoo uses as medicines (one need only learn a half dozen or so to
are interested, many I thought unlikely to be intrigued about takecareofmostmedicalneedsfrombeestringstocuts/bleed-
thelifestyleIamliving.Justyesterday,mymothertoldmeshe ingtocolds!).Idon’tmeantobelittlethemedicineperson,and
had gone to the dentist, same dentist I went to as a kid, and infact,Istillamdrawntoaidinhealing.
he asked what I was doing. Mom said he was thrilled when MidwaythroughmyfirstwinterintheNorthwoods,Imeta
she told him, and he excitedly said he had always wanted to womanwhowasailingfromLyme’sdisease—amostdebilitat-
dosomethinglikethat(i.e.,wildernessliving).Withadults,the ingandawfuldisease,spreadbydeerticks.Igrewfondofher
response is usually either “you’re going to freeze to death” or and wanted to help in any way I could. Because many of her
“howwonderful,IthinkIwillhavetomakeavisittocheckthis dayswerespentinbed,sheaskedifIwouldmoveinandcare
out.” for her. I said I would. It was very difficult for me to see this
ThepresenceofmodernsocietyisarealitythatIdealwith, person in misery despite everything I tried. The mythic aura
notjustinpassing,butalsowhenitcomestomakingendsmeet. surrounding“theShaman”hadbeenburst,andIhadlearneda
AtthistimeneitherI,noranyoneelseIknowof,canliveprimi- gooddealaboutmyselfandthefragilityofhumanlife.Beinga
tively100%.Idothinkitwillbepossibleinthefuture.Fornow, medicinepersonhaslittletodowithdrumsorrattlesorchants,
there are land taxes (the community recently purchased land or even how many herbs you know. In fact, this woman was
—withariveronit!)automobilecosts,andcarinsurance(very helped not so much by the herb I gave her as by my simply
costly),andextrafoodcosts.Ihavebeendoingsomeconstruc- beingthere,lendinganearandahandandlettingherknowI
tion and masonry work part time to enable me to meet these cared. I no longer have the “Shaman complex.” I realized that
expenses,yetalsocontinuepursuingtheprimitivelifestyleal- we all have unique potentials to help and to heal by our pres-
mostfulltime.Ihavestartedgivingdemonstrationsonaborig- enceandcaring.
18 7
Havingbeenawayfrom“civilized”waysoflivingforabout days?”comesup.Then,“Don’tyouknowthosepeoplediedbe-
oneyearnow,Iwaslongingtobewithotherswhoalsowanted fore they turned 40⁈” Me: “I seriously doubt that the human
toliveaprimitivelifeway.Ihadbeenkeepingintouchwitha species would still be around if all people died that early and
fewofmyfriendsfromtheoutdoorschoolIhadmettheprevi- even if they did, I would rather live a free and full life in the
oussummer.Wehadbeenkickingaroundtheideaofstartinga wildanddieat40thanliveadesperate,searedandisolatedex-
communitybasedonlivingprimitively.Afterworkingoutde- istenceof80years.Then,“Yourteethwillfalloutandyou’llget
tails of where we could set up a primitive camp and agreeing cataracts!”Me:“Myteethhaveneverbeenhealthier,especially
onsomebasicpremises,atribewasborn.Whenitcomestoa sinceIamnoteatingjunkanymore,andmyeyes—…I’lldrink
tribe or community, the adage “the whole is greater than the somewillowtea,it’ssupposedtopreventcataracts.”Them:“It
sum of its parts” is very true. We had been able to make the must be miserable living in a tipi in the winter and so cold!”
breakfromcivilizationattheemotionalandmentallevels,but Me:“Yes,itdoesgetcold,butIfeelgreatandinvigoratedstay-
nowwewereattemptingtodoitatthephysicallevelbyliving ing in my tipi. Fresh air always at my nose, a nice warm fire
theoldways. withmeatcooking,lookingupatthestarsasIgotosleep—no
So,whatisitliketoliveaprimitivelifeway,sleepinginacon- Iwouldn’ttradetipilifeforanyhouse.”
ical birchbark lodge, wearing deer skin clothing, making and Icouldgoonwiththeyearsofmythsthatcrowdourminds
using tools, traps and weapons to supply meat, and all of the concerning the natural life. I have to meet my own doubts
other multifarious aspects of wilderness living? In the follow- andmythshead-on.Ibelievethatmostaboriginalpeoplelived
ing pages, I will detail my experience of living close to earth. long,healthyandjoyouslives.Sure,therewerehardshipsand
Again,itwillnotbeafloweryaccount,butratheronethatisfull heartaches. If there wasn’t some adversities and struggle it
ofcompromisesandhardships,butalsoofrewardsandjoys. wouldn’t be much of a life, and how would one learn about
I do not claim to know everything about primitive living therightwaysandwrongwaystodothings?
or survival, and I have not lived in this way long enough to Modern society and its disdain for the primitive do some-
be100%proficientandself-sufficient.However,Ihavelearned thing that always seems to be just over the ridge. It is impos-
muchandwanttosharewhatIhavelearned.Primarily,Iwant sible to hide from its ever searching eye and I am often hum-
todiscussthemanyunexpectedmysteriesonehastofigureout mingGregBrown’ssong“Ain’ttherenoplaceaway…”Ican’t
andlearnbeforeprogressingfurther.Ihavecalledmyquestthe put my finger on it exactly, but fear and misinformation has
journeyfromcivilizedchaostoprimitiveparadise. bredagargantuatemonsterofregulations,lawsandcodesthat
MovinguptonorthernMichiganwasmyfifthmoveinone canbeaggravatingtothewould-beprimitive.I’vealreadyspo-
year. As you might guess, my material possessions were at a ken of hunting/trapping limitations with DNR officials who
basicminimum.Whenitcomestobringingit,lessismore.Less are armed to the teeth. I may be a bit paranoid, but after we
baggage — more freedom. The items needed to live primitive had built our lodges, it seemed that air traffic directly over
arefew. ourshelterspickedupimmensely.Maybejustintriguedpilots
ThosefewfriendsjoinedmeandIwasthrilledtobepartof or maybe some surveillance by government officials? Several
this new tribe/community. To my way of thinking, this is the timeswe’vehadgroupsofF-16fighterjetsstormthetreetops
realstartingpointofprimitiveliving;afamilyofsomesort.It aboveourlodges.
8 17
Of course we all know too well that the modern diet and was myself, another bachelor, and a married couple. Though
lifestyle results in exactly the opposite effects as found in the one could get a good start on primitive living on one’s own,
primitivepeoples. humansaremeanttolivetogether,andhavingcompanionship
AnotherquestionIamasked,especiallybygirlsandwomen, andsupportisadefiniteplus.
is“wheredoyougotothebathroom?”Ithinktheyarepolitely Ihavehearditsaid,thatinsurvivalsituations,thereisahi-
asking what does one use in place of t.p. Well, hygiene in the erarchy of needs as follows: heat, shelter (including clothing),
wild is pretty important in order to stay healthy and, like all water, food. This hierarchy could also be applied to getting a
things,mothernatureprovidesforeverynecessaryneed.Moist primitiveencampmentstarted,thoughshelter,waterandfood
leaves on the forest floor do quite well, and sphagnum moss all kind of co-evolve. We knew where we were going to get
(which has anti-septic qualities) is even better. Snow works water — a fresh water spring 3/4 mile away and we had been
duringthewhiteseason.Aftertakingdailytripstothewoods working on brain-tanning deer skins to make clothing. Other
when “nature calls” I can say that most any bathroom or out- than wild greens, we would have to wait until fall to be legal
houseseemssmellyandunsanitarytome.Besides,whenI“go” huntersofmeat.Thisfact,togetherwiththefactofsleepingin
tothewoods,Iamclosingthecircle,givingsomethingbackif tents(polyurethanenightmare)meantIputconstructingsemi-
youwill.Itcanreallybecomesomethingofaritual. permanentprimitivesheltersatthetopofourlist.Thiswasno
When you’re back in the woods, hygiene is an important easy task as you will see, for it held some basic realities and
factorofall-aroundhealth.Keepingcampcleanandpickedup “compromises”wehavehadto accept for thetime being. One
andkeepingyourselfcleanisapriority.Havingariverorlake of these realities is that most land in this country is privately
to take occasional swims during warm seasons is refreshing owned,andwhatisconsideredpubliclandoftenhasstrictlim-
andalsoallowseasycleaningofcookingandeatingbowls.We itations. For instance, the state forest out our back door (ac-
have a sweat lodge where periodic sweats are taken. This is tually, front door as we’ve no back door) is highly regulated.
tremendous at removing dirt and grease from the body and Theoretically,ifcaughttakingevensomuchasatwigcouldre-
hairandalsohelpscleananytoxinsfromtheskin.Ihavenever sultinafineandlossofprivileges(i.e.hunting/trapping).Thus
feltcleanerormorerefreshedthanaftertakingasweat! oneisfairlylimitedtowherecampcanbesetup.Preferablywe
Since I have broken the “civilized” habit of daily showers wantednexttowater;sincewedidn’thavenecessaryfundsto
using synthetic soaps and shampoos my hair and skin feel purchase land, we were settling for staying on a community
much better. No more itchy, dry skin. In fact, taking daily members’ parent’s land. This in itself is a compromise, as we
bathswashesoilsfromtheskinthatarenecessaryforvitamin agreed to work part time remodeling a house in exchange for
D production in the body. At any rate, body oils and odor staying on the land. This turns out o.k. as we do get paid for
seemtostabilizeafterafewmonthsinthewoods.Waitingfor working.
greasy hair to “stabilize” was trying, but once it did my hair Of course, we wanted to build our shelters from materials
hasbeenveryhealthy. wewouldharvestfromtheforests.Materialsthatwouldmake
Thereareanumberofmythsaboutourprimitiveancestors ashelterworthyofnorthernMichiganweather—frombelow
perpetuated by modern civilized people. These are often di- zerotoabove100degrees—andallthesnowandrainanyone
rected toward me when the topic of “what do you do these would want. We have sandy soils here and not much grass or
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clay. We thought, as have most of North America’s subarctic I am often asked if I ever miss soda pop or candy bars or
tribes,thatbirchbarkwasideal.Ittakesapproximately40–50 pizza.Currently,Idon’t,butwhenIwasfirststartingout,Idid
goodsheetsofbark(dependsonsizeofshoot)tocovera12ft. havecravings.Honestly,Icannotdrinkasodanow,becauseof
wigwamorconicallodge.Weappliedforapermitwiththefor- how sugary sweet it tastes. Wild apples, blueberries, raspber-
estservicetoharvestbirchbarkfromseveralstandsscheduled ries, and strawberries, are native sweets and they more than
tobeclearcut.Weneededtoborrowapick-upfortransporting satisfyme.Ialsoeventuallydidn’tmisssalt.Mostofthestews
thebark.Ittookthreetrips(3fulldays)toharvestthebarkand Imadearevoidofsaltandspicesandtheystilltastegood.
getittowherewecoulduseit.Someofthesebarksheetswere I want to say something on food variety. This past summer,
sewnendtoendwithspruceroottomakepanels.Otherswere I got sick of peanut butter and cheese sandwiches and could
placedindividuallyonthelodgeframes.(Seepictureofplacing barelychokedownblackbeansandricebyfall.Aftertrapping
panelssewntogetheronwigwamonnextpage) seasonstarted,andwehadbeavertoeat,InevernoticedIwas
Generally(andIemphasize)onecannotimproveuponwhat eatingbeaverstewthreetimesaday!Itisgood.
has worked for thousands of years for indigenous people. We Foodvarietyisfairlylimitedintheprimitivediet.Thatdoes
wouldprovethisouttimeandagain,oftenthehardway.Shel- not mean it isn’t a good diet. Studies of pre-contact primitive
terhasbeenaprimeexample.WeexertedmoreenergythanI peoples the world over have found that these “limited” diets
care to think of in attempting to build the “perfect primitive” meet every body requirement. In the book, Nutrition and
shelter,onlytoreturntothebasicsintheend. PhysicalDegeneration,byWestonPrice,itwasconcludedthat
AsIwritethis,Iamremindedofhowweoftenforgetwhat these primitives had unbelievable endurance, erect postures
theprimitivepersonhadtoworkwithfortools;namelywood, and cheerful personalities. They were found to have excellent
boneandstoneimplements.Itisamazinghowquicklyonecan bone structure and well developed jaw and teeth free from
destroyandtraveldownthewrongpathwiththewhiteman’s decay. In case after case, Price found no incidence of cancer,
axe, shovel and saw. Prior to actually getting birch bark, we ulcers, tuberculosis, heart or kidney disease, high blood
haddecidedtotrytobuildearthlodges,basicallyunderground pressure,musculardystrophyorsclerosisorcerebralpalsy.
shelters.Asincredulousasitnowsoundstome,wedugafour Price also spoke of these primitive societies having no psy-
feetdeepbysixteenfeetdiameterpitthroughsandandgravel, chiatrists,nocrime,noprisons,nomentalillness,alcoholismor
usingsteelshovels.Weweremodelingourstructuresafterthe drugaddiction.Everybabywasnursedbyitsmother,andthere
Mandan Earth Lodges (which were not dug but a foot down). were no neglected children. In other words, physical health
Wehadaxeddownhugehop-hornbeamsupportsandwerefig- wenthandinhandwithmentalandemotionalhealth.
uringoutthebestwayofplacingtheceilingbeamson.Itwas TheHunzas,whowerelivingintheHimalayas,werestudied
becoming more and more apparent that the sheer amount of byanEnglishphysiciannamedRobertMcCanison.Theresults
materials needed to construct the lodge would be prohibitive. mirroredthosefoundbyPrice.ItwassaidaHunzamessenger
Inaddition,webeganquestioningwhatstructuralintegritywe couldcarryamessagetoavillage35milesawayandreturnthe
wouldendupwith,knowingthattonsofearthwouldbepush- samedaywithnosignsoffatigue!
ing from all directions. We were trying to live primitively by Othergroupsofaboriginalpeoplestudiedbydoctorsinpre-
usingthewhiteman(readcivilized)mentality. contactperiodsalsoagreewithPrice’sfindings.
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