Rick
02-04-2008, 01:06 PM
I ran across this article and thought that doesn't make any sense but it's a great title. Good enough to draw me into the article. After I read it, I completely understood and agree with the author. Survival is about making works of art.
Here is the article from:
http://www.wildernesscollege.com/native-american-survival-skills.html
"Survival is making works of art."
At first glance this statement seemed odd to me. How is wilderness survival related to making works of art? Yes, many hunter-gatherers ornately decorated many of their important tools relating to their survival, such as canoe paddles, grinding bowls, etc., but how does this relate to surviving a rough night in the woods?
Oral tradition often has a way of containing layers of teachings within teachings. Upon further reflection, this statement could be further interpreted in that much time, energy, and care goes into the artistic construction of each survival tool to ensure that tool's effectiveness. By putting care into what you build, it becomes a work of art, while at the same time increasing its practical value.
The importance of this concept has been clearly demonstrated to me over the years I've spent teaching Native American survival skills. For example, a hastily built fire-making drill is much less likely to produce fire than an artfully constructed kit, where close attention was paid to each working detail.
When I adopted the concept of survival being "making works of art", my shelters ended up being warmer, my fire kits worked better, and I gained a new level of respect for the artfulness of wilderness living. I hope you too will discover the "art" in survival.
Here is the article from:
http://www.wildernesscollege.com/native-american-survival-skills.html
"Survival is making works of art."
At first glance this statement seemed odd to me. How is wilderness survival related to making works of art? Yes, many hunter-gatherers ornately decorated many of their important tools relating to their survival, such as canoe paddles, grinding bowls, etc., but how does this relate to surviving a rough night in the woods?
Oral tradition often has a way of containing layers of teachings within teachings. Upon further reflection, this statement could be further interpreted in that much time, energy, and care goes into the artistic construction of each survival tool to ensure that tool's effectiveness. By putting care into what you build, it becomes a work of art, while at the same time increasing its practical value.
The importance of this concept has been clearly demonstrated to me over the years I've spent teaching Native American survival skills. For example, a hastily built fire-making drill is much less likely to produce fire than an artfully constructed kit, where close attention was paid to each working detail.
When I adopted the concept of survival being "making works of art", my shelters ended up being warmer, my fire kits worked better, and I gained a new level of respect for the artfulness of wilderness living. I hope you too will discover the "art" in survival.