PROGRAM TOPICS

Overview programs on a variety of topics are very popular and give participants a solid introduction to "primitive technologies".

Most programs are "hands-on" and the participants usually come away with something they have made themselves by hand.

Presentations with no hands on participation are available on all of the topics. This approach is preferable for groups larger than 20 people.

CORDAGE
The knowledge of how to make string is one of the most basic & important human skills.
Programs or demonstrations on cordage can range from a few hours to a whole day. Longer programs allow more depth and hands on participation. All programs utilize Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum), the most widespread and widely utilized native fiber plant in North America. Longer programs give time to explore a variety of twisting methods, different ways to splice in new fiber, and for an introduction to net and ropemaking. Discussion and/or use of other fiber bearing plants and materials are other common additions.

FIREMAKING
Obtaining the knowledge of how to make fire by friction was a critical step in human evolution. It is also an important part of stone age living and wilderness survival skills.
Programs on firemaking can range from a few hours to a whole day. A common request is to include a demonstration of making a fire as part of another program. In the shortest programs, participants have the opportunity to try to make a hand and/or bow drill fire using supplied already prepared kits. Longer programs give time for the participants to make their own hand drill kits and allow for more practice and experimentation. Other methods of making fire such as the fire plough, fire piston, and flint & steel, as well as firebuilding, safety, and maintenance can also be incorporated.

WILD FOODS
Most of the wild foods utilized by local native peoples require some sort of processing before they are eaten.
Programs on native foods involve an exploration of the technologies developed to process the food into an edible /palatable meal. For example, processing acorns involves cracking, pounding, sifting, leaching and cooking, while manzanita berries only require pounding. Some major foods which are easily covered in a program are acorns, manzanita berries, and bay nuts. Other foods can be discussed or covered with special preparation.

ETHNOBOTANICAL PLANT WALKS
The cornerstone of survival for a hunter/gatherer society is an adequate knowledge of how to utilize the local flora.
The first step in utilizing plants is identifying them. A great way of introducing people to this aspect of the local ecosystem is to take them on an ethnobotanical plant walk. These walks can range from a few hours to a whole day, during which time the identity and uses of the plants encountered are described. Depending upon the interests of the participants and the feasibility of harvesting plant materials at the location, this program can also easily be expanded to include some hands on utilization of what we find. The focus can also be expanded to include a display and discussion of a variety of items made from local plant sources, including many native plant foods.

BRAINTANNING
The art of tanning the skins of wild animals by utilizing the fatty acids contained in brains is called braintanning and is the tanning method which has been used by Native Americans for thousands of years. The process is completely natural and non-toxic and the resulting buckskin is a soft, washable, strong, and durable leather.
The braintanning process is lengthy and time intensive and requires a hands on seminar of at least two long days. In situations where a hide cannot actually be tanned, a demonstration which consists of samples of a typical hide at each stage, samples of the tools used, and a discussion of the process and history of braintanning gives participants or observers a better idea of the process.

USES OF THE DEER
Animals are made up of much more than just skin and meat. All of the other parts are of great importance as well. In many ways, an animal's body is a virtual hardware store of miscellaneous useful items.
Programs on this subject can take a variety of forms. The shortest and simplest is a demonstration/discussion in which many different articles made from various parts of the deer are displayed and discussed. For a more hands on version, lower legs of deer can be supplied as a sort of mini representation of processing. This way participants can then learn a little about skinning, removing sinew, processing sinew, and boneworking. For a more complete and intensive approach, the group can process an entire animal. More time is required and the animal needs to be supplied. Educational institutions may be able to get a road kill permit or a similar sized domestic animal could also be processed.

PIGMENTS & PAINTS
Mineral pigments are only one of the many materials which people around the world have used to brighten their lives and express themselves artistically. Deposits of colors —ranging from black and white to green, blue, red, and yellow —can be found in many different locations and have long been valued, gathered, and processed into paint.
This program consists of identifying, processing, and utilizing mineral pigments, which can then be used to decorate most anything. Different mediums and binders are also discussed and utilized. Time can range from a few hours to an entire weekend.

STONEWORKING
In pre-metal technology, stones provide many of the tools necessary for practicing virtually any living skill.
Pecking & Grinding is the method used to shape stones into such articles as mortars and pestles, manos and metates, hammers, axes, adzes, and net weights. It consists of hitting a suitable stone with a harder stone in order to peck away little bits, eventually reducing it to the desired shape. The final piece is then often ground to make a smoother finish, or, in the case of cutting tools, to sharpen them. Grinding is also utilized by itself in shaping certain kinds of stone.
Flintknapping is the method used to shape siliceous stones such as obsidian, chert, jasper, and flint into arrowheads, spearpoints, knives, drills, and miscellaneous multipurpose flake tools. It consists of striking, or otherwise applying pressure to, certain types of stone in a controlled manner so as to break them along a desired plane.
There are many different ways to make and use stone tools. The methodology depends on the rock and the intended use. Any of the programs listed can be carried out using solely stone-age tools made of stone, bone, shell, and plant materials. Programs focusing on making a certain stone object, such as a mortar and pestle or stone beads, require more time and may be limited by lack of materials.
Flintknapping can be demonstrated as part of a program on stone tools.

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