Fire-Making, Storytelling, and Ceremony: Secrets of the Forest

by Mark Warren

Overview

In the second volume of the Secrets of the Forest series, Mark Warren addresses a wide range of what an outdoorsperson needs to know about fire such as:

• how to create it from scratch using three different methods (hand drill, bow drill, and fire-saw).
• which species of trees and dried winter weeds make good candidates for a fire kit.
• where to find tinder that can combust.
• how to construct a fail-proof pyre by mixing fast-burning fuel with dense hardwood.
• how to sustain a fire for the long term, including how to safely store a smoldering fire that can survive for several days.

The second half of the book is dedicated to storytelling and ceremony. Its main purpose is how to design stories that augment whatever lessons a teacher has in mind. Such stories can familiarize students with the fine points of archery, canoeing, tracking, stalking, and other crafts or skills. Borrowing from Native American traditions, Warren introduces dozens of ways for young outdoorspeople to build self-esteem and a deep connection with the forest. This volume contains more than 100 original activities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493045570
Publisher:	Globe Pequot Publishing
Publication date:	04/01/2020
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	10.80(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Mark Warren owns and runs nationally renowned Medicine Bow Wilderness School in the mountains of North Georgia where he teaches nature classes and primitive skills of the Cherokee. Mark has taught survival courses to thousands of schools and groups all over the country. In 1980, the National Wildlife Federation honored Mark as Georgia’s Conservation Educator of the Year. In 1998 Mark became the U.S. National Champion in whitewater canoeing, and in 1999, he won the World Championship Longbow title. He is the author of the memoir Two Winters in a Tipi published in 2012 by Lyon’s Press.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Author's Note xi

Part 1 Calling Up the Flame 1

Chapter 1 Striking Out-The Match, for Better or for Worse 3

Chapter 2 "Thinking Like a Flame!"-Master Pyre Building 19

Chapter 3 The Trees That Swallowed Fire-Finding the Proper Wood to Create a Fire of Friction 35

Chapter 4 First Friction Fire-The Bow-Drill 43

Chapter 5 By These Two Hands-The Hand-Drill 69

Chapter 6 Rubbing Two Sticks Together-The Fire-Saw 87

Chapter 7 The Eternal Flame-Making a Lasting Fire 93

Part 2 Storytelling and Ceremony 99

Author's Note 101

Chapter 8 Tall Tale Teachers-The Story That Shares a Lesson 105

Chapter 9 Stories for Pure Entertainment-No Audience Member Left Behind 121

Chapter 10 A Story of Place-The Legend of the Medicine Bow 129

Chapter 11 Slipping into Someone Else's Skin-Teaching Empathy through Storytelling 151

Chapter 12 Giving Birth to Transition-The Voice of Ceremony 155

Chapter 13 Defining the Spirit-The Naming Ceremony 175

Chapter 14 A Cloak of Pride and Proficiency-The Honor Shirt 195

Chapter 15 The Tracks of Time-The Winter Count and Medicine Pouch 199

Chapter 16 The Fire Within-A Warrior for Our Times 207

Chapter 17 The Sequester and the Song-A Journey Within 211

Suggested Reading 217

Index 219