10 Native American survival skills
In today’s modern culture offering fresh meat in the grocery store, purified water from the kitchen tap, microwave ovens, flushing toilets and home security systems, most people’s survival skills consist of pulling out their multi-purpose cell phones and calling 911. How do you think those people would fare if civilization were to be suddenly hurled back two or three hundred years by a natural disaster or an EMP emergency?
In order to understand how to survive in North America without modern conveniences for any length of time, all we have to do is study how Native Americans did it prior to and after Europeans arrived on our shores. Their abilities to build shelters with leaves and sticks, start fires by creating friction between two branches, move with great stealth, and use knives to attack, defend, clean game, and cut, shave and carve wood made them master survivalists long before modern Americans started to focus on survival skills.
In an article titled “Wilderness Survival: Blending Modern and Native American Survival Skills” (see link below), Jason Knight reveals how to solve difficult outdoor challenges through knowledge of both modern and Native American survival skills. He stresses the importance of combining mental and physical resources to accomplish the task and convincingly explains why creating works of art was important to Native Americans as they fashioned their weapons, canoe paddles, grinding bowls and much more.
Hope you enjoy it. Meet you on the other side.
http://www.wildernesscollege.com/native-american-survival-skills.html
Below I’ve listed my top 10 Native American survival skills. Let me know others you would add.
- Building natural shelters
- Purifying water
- Creating friction fire
- Finding wild food
- Chopping, carving and cutting wood
- Stripping bark for lashing
- Properly identifying, gathering and preparing wild plants for meals, medicines and tools
- Creating weapons
- Reading tracks and signs made by mammals, birds, reptiles and humans
- Moving with stealth through a forest
Dear Frank,
In our book that you and POWER4PATRIOTS published in 2013; SURVIVAL 101- HOW TO BUG-OUT AND SURVIVE THE FIRST 72 HOURS, as well as, the companion books 102, 103 and 104 we are currently finishing up, we have always blended Primitive, Native American, Mountainman, Pioneer, Modern and newfangled 21st Century techniques, skills and tools.
As you know we have already saved lives and pray our humble efforts save even more.
Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless To All,
Orrin
Dear Frank,
The 10 survival skills you mentioned are all good but what you have forgotten is that connection that native americans had between nature/Creator and all that they made, used and all they did. all things had a meaning and a connection. this is what the early europeans couldnt understand and apparently their decendants aren’t fairing much better. and they didnt just (#7) gather plants….they prayed and talked with the spirits of those plants. and dont forget the part of always giving back…..never taking more than you need. respect all life. WATER IS LIFE when you are one with nature and spirits, you can easily walk with stealth through the forests.
Bravo
Seriously, do you think this country is going down the crapper in total destruction that I have to think about building a shelter out of sticks, and of course, stock up on your food. Where are you going, to Cayman Islands. I even bought the book, America 2020. I’ll move the family farms first but will still keep the faith mankind will be peaceful.
I believe he is saying that history is clear in that no nation through the millennia have survived destruction, that isolated calamities happen to all peoples/communities every day all over the globe, and that given these facts, having skills /survival knowledge, will allow us to save ourselves & family, or at the very least extend life.
If you want to see how far down this civilization has gone ask anyone under 21 who has not been in the military or Boy Scouts to point to the four directions of the compass. It amazes me when I ask such a simple question and they have not a clue other than I’ll check the compass in my car or on my phone.
One of the reasons the native americans survived so well was the process of natural selection, From birth on if you were weak you died. Hard thoughts but true. The survivors worked hard, played hard and fought hard. Neighboring tribes often attacked and took women and children for wives and slaves. If you could not make something or trade for it in your village you could always steal it from neighbors. The white man did not understand this type of exsistance and killed off great numbers of native americans. As you teach the survival skills make sure you understand that humans haven’t changed much in all these years.
Sadly things like this seem to have a limit useful life. We will need to depend upon our skills to survive and not some toy that will last a short time and wear out in the middle of depending upon them.
Ty for all youre doing for people.info is key.im a 61yr old native fem.independant but growing weaker with age.lol i have a crossbow with scope.the knives you gave plus many of my own.a hatchet that im fairly accurate with but i go2sleep with a blowtorch and pitbull.lol i do appreciate your wealth of knowledge and am proud to be a patriot
To care for external infected wounds; when in Rome, (or anywhere else!) do as the Romans did after their battles. Cook a head of cabbage (organic if possible) –drain water, mash cabbage into a pulp and apply while warm to affected area. Wrap with gauze and leave on for 24 hours. Remove gauze, rinse with cool water, leave undressed for 2 – 3 hours. Repeat process daily. Will even suspend progression of gangrene and cure same. For sunburns; use cabbage in juice machine, strain juice through coffee filter, pour into spray bottle.
1000+- years ago in the South West the Sinauga, early Piute, Anasazi etc used to find area with agave process ferment & distill the agave into there beverage. Remote areas you can find Fire (mescal) pits where broken pottery are actually fused into rock from the heat. I’m shure they had many uses with mescal. I do.
one of the Main things the Native Americans built and used was the bow and arrows not only for a weapon but they used them for hunting large and small game. that would be high on my list. I think it would be really hard to sneak up on game close enough kill them with a knife…. except maybe humans. ( just kidding.)
I am diabetic 2 for 10 yrs, alpha lapoic acid, pill 600mg 2x day. Takes away foot pain, natural anti-oxidant. GNC best place.
Huh?
I have always admired the resilience of Native Americans in the wild. Their skills are really remarkable
I AM 34 and i am a only child. no dad my mom died when i started to get to know her then my grandma died then my aunts died then my grandpaw and last my uncle from overdose i have one son and thats it i struggle evey day to get buy so i sometimes day dream of things go back to when thay were cowboys and natives were things were simple and most people servived on there on on some plane in the hills im just out my 20s and i dont care for smartphones and all that stuff i guess cuz i can’t aford it but i love the idea of polishin up on are skillz to servive and like reading franks stuff it keep my mind of things i feel for old people and evertime i see them out i try to help them in a way thay are like me and its hard to carryon when no one loves you
I have learned that you are only as lonely as you let yourself be. Seek community. Give yourself and your time to others. Build relationships with little things every day. You’ll find that belonging you seek. Oh, and do internet searches for “bush craft” – I think that’ll be just what you’re looking for.
spend time with yourself, your child, nature, and most importantly….with God. all these things will help you feel the love you desire. God bein your number 1 friend and companion.
just because you think you’re alone, doesn’t make it so!
I THINK WHAT THE NATIVE AMERICANS WERE ABLE TO DO FOR CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR IS IMPORTANT. WHAT WE BRING WI,L WEAR OUT MUCH FASTER OUT IN THE COUNTRY. BEFORE THEY GO AWAY IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE THE SKILLS TO DO SOME OF IT FOR OURSELVES AND OUR CHILDREN AND POSSIBLY TEACH OTHERS. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR SITE. VERY VALUABLE STUFF.
I thought the ability to tan leather would make the list.
Too complicated for we urbanites, or not important?
In response to Glenn; the eastern US is over-run with deer, lots of them, in fact, too many in some places. Elk wander into some urban western cities. Texas has an overload of wild boar. Food is out there, knowing how to hunt it and kill it is where the balance of those who are fed, and those who are starving, will happen.
I’d like to know if anyone has tried making Pemmican & if so, what is the storage life of it.
I know a properly made pemmican properly stored can last for years. I prefer the taste of peanut butter for calorie-dense traveling food, personally, so I’ve never tried to make it.
I am a 72 year old pre diabetic who lives on a ranch and I get hurt one way or another most every day doing chores and my wounds heal slowly. I use a bar of soap to heal wounds. I wet the bar and scrub the area several times a day – leaving the soap on to dry. The wound heals faster than if I use an antibiotic cream with usually no scar.
I’m a full-blown diabetic with a tendency toward severe swollen legs and painful leg infections stemming from even a tiny scratch anywhere below the knee. I find that quickly cleaning the wound and then covering it with either Triple Antibiotic Ointment, or Silver Sulfadiazide Cream (prescription only) stops these high-risk infections before they get started. Another excellent ointment that is exceptionally effective against all infections, whether bacterial, viral or spore-based, is Corona Ointment, basically a livestock preparation whose basic ingredient is Oxyquinoline (Rx for humans), with Lanolin & a few other things thrown in. I have saved more livestock from impending death with that stuff — and its shelf life is near forever. You can get it online from equine shops, or at most local stores that deal with horses or cows.
I was taught to use the Milkweed Plant as a ban aid for minor cuts , scrapes. Pick or snap the main stalk of the Plant and the milky white part is to be applied to the area. A modern version is to use baby powder or even flour to stop bleeding. To apply the amount that helps stop bleeding and do not wipe off any nor try to compress it, just leave it on.
what kind of soap or name brand
Probably Pine Tar soap, or coal tar soap (if you can find it anymore).
raw honey (NOT store bought, pasteurized) is a better antibiotic than ANYTHING in the world today!
idk how the sugars will affect your diabetes tho. from what i understand, raw honey is 1 of the best sugars a diabetic can eat………(8-0
Not to mention that with all the farms around here (Cotton, corn, carrots, whatever) plus people putting out poisons to get rid of the critters, I wouldn’t trust any of the wild meat hereabouts. I have a small flock of chickens for eggs, anyway. I grew up in Port Chester, N.Y. on the site of an old Mohegan village. Always dug arrowheads, cast off tries, etc. My great grandmother was Delaware Indian which inhabited NYC and environs like Sullivan Cty. right across the Hudson river. I was always playing Indian…eveb made tepees, beadwork, caught a fish on a bent wire lure, etc. The perfect Tomboy to my mother’s consternation. Now here I am. a fairly fit 79 year old great grandmother and a widow. Kids want me to sell my place, get rid of the animals, and move into town. Unh uh! Ain’t gonna do it. So, to keep in shape and stay independent, I follow advice such as yours. Thank you!
Everyone needs a dump station. Where it’s placed is critical!
I am afraid most wildlife resources have diminished that there is no way groups of fleeing survivalists will make it for long. With factory grown animals and food, there isnt much out there in the woods. Of what resources are not polluted or contaminated, the outcome is very bleak.
Confidence will help to ensure survival …. wisdom comes from the Use of Knowledge . Try building your confidence, for example: if you are confident that you know how to build a fire then most likely you will not be afraid to build one.
Bury your water bottles in the snow to keep them from freezing overnight.
I’m all the time telling my wife about playing in the woods behind my grandfathers house at the Indian school in Oklahoma, learing from him and others about the ways of the Indians for all my years as a youth . My second cousin was Chief of the Creek nation and all my relatives I’m very proud of today. I still wish I could have learned even more now as I can see the importance of ithe ways they lived and the skills the had back then. Keep teaching all that you can it’s very important to those who want to learn!
I also am a great-great-great grand-daughter of Chief of the Creek nation. I, too, wish more of the ways of living and skills of survival were passed down especially in our family. We could be cousins??
For me…I was born a conservationist and to survive in a world where there is chaos…I believe the Shaman or one who travels to other worlds and sees in darkness and has answers and can heal the soul would be one of the most important persons to have in a group or tribe. This shaman could provide guidance, healing and leadership skills to a group of persons that are finding their way amidst the chaos. My grandfather a Yaqui Indian lead us in this way and taught us how to heal ourselves and how to journey to the world that is unseen.
Get together with people that know or have survival ideas and get the older people to the stuff they can do. The more help the better the chances you are to make it, The more the safe you are.[ A tribe] and teach. the young…
Having spent many a day in my younger years in the wilderness of northern Michigan hunting and fishing I learned what leaves to use in place of toilet tissue. Make sure you know what poison ivy looks like!. I’m 75 now and in a wheelchair from several strokes and doing what I can to get prepared for what ever happens. I’ve kept a self-contained motorhome up instead of selling it. I’ve ordered your food supplies and stocked up on water. Wish me luck!
Good Luck I’m only 63. But spend the time and effort to be prepared for myself and extended family.
please don’t forget tanning animal skins, preparing dead falls, snares, fish traps were applicable,proper care of in a large animal after kill, how to dry meat, fish, berries. How to respect your outdoor surroundings and keep them so no one knows you’re there.
How to make clothes from animal skins.
The Indigenous Tribes were the Ultimate Conservatives. They only took from the Earth what was needed. They rotated Crops to maximize the Harvest. They used Fish as fertilizer. They gave the dying Animal they Hunted Respect until they knew it had fully passed on. They didnt waste anything. They had a Spirituality that was not understood by the Europeans or anyone who came to America and destroyed it in the name of progress. We called them Heathens. Yet the Mormon Bible says that Jesus communicated with Them after The Ascension. The Indian Tribes have been decimated and look at what Humanity has been left with; Electronic and Drug addicted Zombies who don’t make a move until the TV tells them to. So sad.
Hello Frank yes this all sounds very interesting, I am indian myself if you haven’t guesed by my last name. I already know this stuff but would be interested in seeing what you got. I’m always willing to learn new things.
off the subject:
I really enjoyed the talk from Kevin Thompson.
He gave the E Mail that has the three payment plain, but not the two payment plain.
Do you know the other wed page?
It had to be that Art Appreciation had to have its roots in the pride of making tools necessary for survival. Great realization for me. Perhaps it is time we all got to our roots.
Making warm cloths for the fall and winter months . . .
I am partial Blackfoot Indian my relatives came from canda so I probably could stand a chance in the winter
How to make dead falls, snares etc for capturing small game
Cecil,
I’ve got a Survival 101 book (written by a fellow Power4Patriots customer!) coming out late summer/early fall that has instructions for snares and traps.
I would like to get the book about snares & traps, in actual book form. How can I get it?
http://www.bugoutbag4patriots.com
Creating groups of people (nations or so-called tribes) that have a system of living together based on a common language, tribal custom, law and religion that allowed them to live at peace within their group for thousands of years. Creating a system of trade with other nations that spanned great distances, even without modern travel conveniences.
Seems to me , when not if, the s—- hits the fan, your better pocess retain skills in order to obtain the bare essentials of survival, ie; food, shelter, water
If not be prepared to give up whatever needed supplies to achieve afore mentioned goals, which will leave u further in debt and lacking what u need to get thru each day !
If I were u , I’d pay close attention to the emails so freely supplied by Frank Bates, AND take them to heart as you’ll not survive very long without his experience and knowledge
Thx Frank,
Got ur back if needed!!
Am
Having read all the comments it sounds like there are at least some that would be okay if they had to “disappear” for awhile. I too would be okay but… I have a wife and daughter and who knows who else will have to come along if the SHTF and we had to bug out in this articles manner. I don’t worry about the spring, summer and not to much about the fall. The winter is the toughest time to survive no matter where you are. keeping the fire burning, food and moving camp is hard. The trail you leave is easy to follow. Food gets scarce. Shelter is difficult to maintain. The trees are bare and the foliage is gone. It’s hard to hide. If you have the unwilling or not too enthused to be there, (wife and kids) it could be VERY bad for all those involved. I suggest as the Bible says, “wo unto those that have to flee in the winter”. Pray these scenarios never happen. Practice winter survival, it’s not just camping then. I “practice” just for fun on my property periodically. You people in the city won’t even be able to get out of town. My belief is those trying to get some where safe and the Militia will be the ones mostly that have to survive like this. Best wishes to all, Indian or not. (yes, I too am of Native heritage. Nipmunk of the Algonquin Nation)
Good and valid points, but if we were so damned good how come we are going away? Not being critical of your comments, they are spot on, just a little sad.
Don Linville- Kalanu
of Ani Un Wiya
first thing is stay focused and do not panic. do this you die. next qiuck shelter,water then food.you make things as easy as possible so you use less energy. when you move do so with caution,you cant walk it would be nearly impossible to survive.dont waste time on chasing a squirrel when berries and insects,etc. are an easier meal using less energy. just use common scense and you will be fine
EASYER SAID THAN DONE. lIVIING IN THE CITY WILL MAKE IT HARD TO BUG OUTEVEN HARDER IF MARSHAL LAW IS IN EFFECT. I KNOW SO MANY GUYS WHO COULD NOT SURVEI IN THE WILD. i GREW UP IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ASA KID WE WOULD GO BACK PACKING FOR WEEKS AND LIVEDON RABBITS AND FOWL. YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ON EATING BERRIES AND INSECTS. ALOT ARE POISIANOUS. KNOW I;M AN OLD MAN WITH AN INCURABLE VIRAL DIEASE IN MY BRAIN AND HAVE HEART DIEASE. THE NATIONAL FOREST ALL THE GOOD PLACES TO HIDE AHVE BEEN BURNED IN CA. SEQOYA NATIONAL PARK WOULD BE THE BEST PACE TO LIVE. BUT YOU WOULD NEED A CAVE NEAR A STREAM . YOU DON’T WANT ANYONE TO SEE YOUR FIRE, SO A CAVE IS A GOOD PLACE TO HUNKER DOWN AND LIVE. THEN AGAIN THATS A 7 HOUR DRIVE FROM WHERE I LIVE. THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE NEAR PEPPER SPAY TO KEEP THE COUGARS AND BEARS AWAY. A GOOD 8 ROUND SHOT GUN WITH A 10″ SAWED OFF BARREL IS GOOD FOR HUNTING AND HUMAN PREDITORS.GET A GOOD SLUG ROUNDS IN CASE YOU WANT TO TAKE A BUCK DOWN FOR FOOD AND IT’S PELT FOR WINTER.JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF SALT FOR DRYING OUT THE SKIN . ME LAST TIME I WENT DEER HUNTING I COULD NOT KILL SUCH A PEACEFUL ANIMAL, YET ALONE SKIN IT AND GUT IT. BARF! THEN WHEN YOUR STARVING IT WONT MATTER.
I was a child in the 1920’s and 30’s and we lived in Wisconsin. We did not have running water or flushing Toilets. We lived out in the country so you know that we did not have electricity either. Of course we did not have anything like Computers, Television, or Cellphones or any of the confusing stuff that goes with those Phones. I am amazed at all the stuff that has come up since my grade school days.
primitive weapons construction and use…sling and bow as well as the knife
Good article. I find myself compelled to comment on a couple of things. Some folks comment on their native American geneology. This is something to be quite proud of; however, it has NOTHING to do with survival skills. survival skills are taught/learned in the course of a lifetime and are not genetically programmed into people. I am married to a native American and also grew up surrounded by Cajun people in southern Louisiana. Having very close ties to both cultures, I can honestly say that those Cajun people (a Celtic people who originated from European roots) are vastly more equipped for wilderness survival than the native Americans who were deeply skilled only a couple of generations ago. The difference? Native Americans’ culture was severely disrupted and their people largely forced to abandon their wilderness survival skills for a couple of generations while depending upon government as so many millions from various cultures do today. Cajun people were expelled from Nove Scotia due to their catholic faith and forced to carve survival from the wilderness of the gulf coast where they thrive today and have created a powerful culture based upon conservation and harmonic dependance upon natrue as native Americans did in their original founding. The so-called Cajuns grew up close to a strange land that they were thrust into after their forced deportation. They were instructed by their elders as they had to learn a new terrain, new zoological and botanical reality and begin a society from scratch. This, to me, is evidence that it is not some genetic ability but is more a cultural development issue that allows people to thrive or perish in the wilderness. Indeed, the most valuable element is the fact that in every case, it is civility, spirituality and organization that allow people to advance while simply surviving. Both native Americans and Cajun people are known to be deeply and even fiercly spiritual. An agricultural base will always result as a culture develops the ability to produce food more efficiently, domesticate animals and develop time to be utilized for formal education, art and engineering. The Europeans simple had the advantage of developing these social traits before the north American natives did. Otherwise, history would be quite different than that which we know today.
These comments are all very knobel, warm and fuzzy and great in a utopic world. We are coming up on a financial collaps, Mayhem, military forces, nucular threats, catastrophic natural desasters and war that will last a long time. you are going to have to be an excellent judge of charicture, trust know one till they have proven there allegiance and be willing to kill them before they kill you and your hole family wile you sleep. You will need to be smart and think like a warrior and give aid to those who are in need. Listening and being aware of your surroundings will be key. Improvising and staying nourished and hydrated will be the key goal. We will all have to learn how to be humble and helpful to oneanother, respectfull and diligent in teaching our younger folks how to survive and keep faith. With any luck we will turn out a little better than a Mad Max movie. Sorry to be so blunt but I need to pop this bubble. Oh ya I almost forgot we need to take the scalps of those bastards that attack us to send a message to the rest of them. Remember we have way more of us than they are coming with.
I am NATIVE AMERICAN!
I am NOT!
Ability to carry coals to start next fire without time and effort of beginning new fire by friction each time
use of flint and steel to create fire quickly.
IdEntity wild food & how to cook it
Something you might want to add to your list is something I think many of us don’t think of as a survival tool.
Something the Indians looked to for insight, inspiration and general guidance throughout their lives. The source of their spirit. What ever one looks to to feed your soul, that which we look to for an emotional and spiritual hand up. We never truely work alone even at our independant, survivalistic best we need a source that is bigger,smarter,wiser and stronger than us to draw upon.And in our hummility will we be lifted to the task at hand. In this I believe the indians drew their fortitude and strength to live in peace with their surroundings.
excellent info…
Mr. Crowfox has hit the nail on the head with his comment about listening but stopped a little short. If you learn to truly listen by stopping your internal dialog, you will also begin to “hear”. In this way / state of mind you will also hear your own body telling you what ails it or what it needs and wants. The earth will also communicate with you on a different level than simply hearing birds sing or wind blow.
great article once again frank.
Making clothes should be added
I SHOULD KNOW BECAUSE I AM 25% SIOUX INDIAN
one winter i went camping in momtana in the middle of the winter. we did not have a camp heater but we stayed toasty warm as we slept because we camped beside a stream that had large smooth rocks. i built a surround of these rocks double high around my fire and let them get very hot. then i wrapped them in old toweling and put them in our sleeping bags. while these rocks heated the bags and tent i had other rocks heating to replace the ones that were in the bags. before i put the bags down i had dug a shallow place under the bags and buried hot rocks in the shallow ground covering it with a mat of vegetation and a canvas mat,the bags were put on top and the heat stayed in the ground and kept the mat warm.with the ones in the sleepomg bag om the inter side alomg the edge our bags stayed nice and warm and we did not feel the cold of sleeping om the ground or the snow surrounding us. oh if you do not have a tent make snow balls built up in an igloo with a small howl at the top for fresh air you can have a very small fire inside and the igloo will stay warm. be careful to make the snow balls very firm so it is a tight ball. if air goes through it it will melt you can make it atound tighed together limbs sort of like a teepe for extra support. just make the snow balls around the poles. this works best if you are using it more than one night. be sure to keep yoyr fire going through out the night by banking it and adding a couple of green branches that will smolder in the coals while the other wood is burning by morning it will be dried out and will burn also. good luck and enjoy the winter camp.
All this knowledge & skill is wonderful to have but what happens when one gets older and has no one who cares about survival & helping each other?? In natural societies, as a person becomes unable to hunt or practice other phyically difficult skills, they are given jobs they can do and feel good about themselves, while helping others. Modern society throws us away. Many survival groups are beyond the realm some of us want to associate with. Do we oldies but still knowledgeable & willing have to group together and survive the best we can? What about the oldies who are loners and don’t prefer constant contact with many people at once? The old crone in the woods once had a place in society. The hunter who contributed but then went his way was honored.
you would be welcome with us…Patriot Crossroads
The older people are considered “elders” in natural societies, and for a good reason – they are the teachers! They have experienced life before modern “junk” made everyone lazy, and the majority have survived numerous hard times. It doesn’t matter if you are a loner or not, you are the ones that should be writing down your worst experiences in life and how you survived them, as this is the best way to teach the younger generation.
Finding food is a must, but preserving food for the future was/is also important. Smoking, smoke cured jerky, salting, (Yes, the Indians knew the “salt bogs” and did use salt when they found it, along with wild pepper grass!) and other methods. I am married to a man whose mother was half-Choctaw out of Mississippi, and large amounts of salt is something we have in storage. The Indians also used natural dehydration. So have we, with garden veggies and fruits from our trees. It takes longer than my dehydrator, but honestly, I think the flavor is better.
Identify and plant some medicinal herbs now, before it’s too late! Dry some in the sun for future use!
Rubbing elderberry leaves or sassafras leaves on the body will repel most biting insects. Also wormwood, oregano, or rosemary. Dried sassafras branches have a coating on the stem which prevents rain from making it wet, so good to use in wet weather as fire kindling.
You can break a fine grained rock by hitting it against another rock (stand stradding the rock you are hitting, and what breaks off can be used as a rudimentary knife for skinning game.
Great article, there is so much knowledge we can share.
What Liberal Democratic bs is this?????? I sent away for info on solar energy and the fat cat that control the price of electricity and this is what i get????? Someone needs to get on the ball over there.
Very good information. Why has this not occurred to someone before? Thank you.
One of the greatest skills and nearly lost art of survival is listening. I am half-Native and my elders taught me to listen to the wind and to the animals. There are sounds that indicate storms, dangers, safety, and many other indicators that we can hear if we only learn how. Many sounds are almost inaudible so one must understand the value of silence. Another skill is how to make one’s own clothing. Other comments have covered the rest.
I think the most important concept the American Indian had at his disposal was a love of God. All the arts were in honor of God. All the dances were in honor of God. The care taken with planting and harvesting and gathering and hunting were in honor of God. The daily sacrifices were in honor of God. I am from the Mississippi Choctaw and our people survived the Trail of Tears march to Oklahoma. Our love of God is what inspires us and that is what makes us strong. Those who lose touch with The Great Spirit lose heart. Our traditions and devotion to honor is what allows us to endure. Those who follow a life without God at the center are weak and are a poor example for the rest of the people. Remember your heritage and be strong always. May The Great Spirit be with you and dwell in your heart always.
I could not agree more! this is a saying I really like thought you may like it also.
Fires dance the shadows,
Winds whisper the trees,
Mother talkin’ the waters,
Spirit moves it moves through all things.
Fire starting and maintenance and keeping things warm and dry are as important as hunting and gathering. Both take time, so it’s nice to have a partner. Don’t think we’ll be sharing a sleeping bag naked though…maybe in our long johns.
What about respect and reverence for nature, especially the Eagle, the Wolf, the Buffalo, and the Bear to mention a few, which gave them food, Clothing, Blankets, ART, Culture – ie Dances, Music, Mysticism and taught them many, many survival skills as they observed how they lived in the wild.
They also had a very great knowledge of the poisionous value and the medicinal value of plants. Herbs and roots were used to numb extremedies for surgery/setting bones etc.; detoxing, and obtaining high nutritional food, keeping their bodies free of preservatives, food coloring, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and the FDA.
Becoming one with nature and learning to take only what’s needed to survive through the seasons.
Edible plants and roots
Field expedient tools/weapons
Trapping
Fishing
Developing the “I can attitude!”
Fire starting
Staying hydrated
Natural shelters
Knots and rope lore
Natural medicines and first Aid
Knowing your surroundings
Being a Native American myself from the Sokoki/Abenaki Indian Nation, I have been in survival mode most of my grown up life. I have practiced the various aspects of survival and living off the land. Now back to the modern world. I am a certified Gun-Smith and I know if for instance that if marshal law were enacted, I will disappear on my own before they get me because I am a survivalist, I will be one of the ones the FEDS will want to get rid of. Heaven forbid there be a guy that is a trained Native American Gun-Smith who thinks for himself and is a survivalists at the same time. Wouldn’t you want to eliminate that possible threat???? One of the items that I did not see in your list of items is;
Brain-Tanning green Hides, and that is any animal hide can be tanned in this manner and the out come is far better than the chemical tanned hides. Brain-tanned hide are cool in summer, and warm in winter, provided you don’t go swimming in the winter. Also collecting natural fibers to make tumplines, twined bags, and baskets for food storage et al.
Send more of your knowledge, please.
It is “martial law”, NOT marshall law. Martial means the military. —
Great Article on Native American Survival tips.mI showed it to a few friends who are Native American and they thought it was really good and accurate.
It is sort of implied but I think hunting and snaring wild game deserves more of a direct mention. Likewise it should be creating and using weapons, the more types of which could be listed. Also, there is nothing about collecting insects (hoppers, etc.) for food. Also catching fish for food.
you can’t see the forest thru the trees, todays people can’t survive thru the cement tall trees called buildings in megacities and voerflow of people. Wouldn’t want to be in a megacity!
I’ve found that simple mayonaise has a few health purposes that most people don’t know about. Naked with a friend in a sleeping bag is also a very good way of conserving body heat, if it’s really cold out, put some rocks in the fire and take them out and put them in a frying pan just before you get in the bag, just rub the pan all over the inside then jump in and leave the pan close by.
Wilderness First Aid
Setting boobe-traps.
Staying warm. Naked in a sleeping bag with other bodies. Cycling energy (heat).
Climbing trees and mountainous terrain, hillsides, cliffs.
Having knowledge of the best clothing to utilize.
How to keep from getting bit by bugs (citronella oil, smoke, fire, etc.)
Utilizing and knowing animal calls.
Constellations.
Atmospheric cycles.
Moon and Sun cycles.
Knowing animal behaviors.
Cooking with few resources.
Staying clean and healthy.
Storing food, water, and resources.
Signaling others (smoke, drums, calls, flares, whistles, etc.)
Gardening (farming).
Preserving energy. Energy conservation.
Environmental Consciousness.
Environmental Ethics.
Environmental education.
Hunting and fishing.
Canoeing
knot tying
Drying clothing.
Extracting oils from plants for medicine
Finding and purifying fresh water.
Water witching
Hatchet, knife and Axe usage.
Carving.
Pottery
…