Living History Programs
To offer a safe environment for students to live cooperatively with others through an intensive experience.
The following activities provide individuals with the opportunity to learn ancient, almost forgotten skills. These skills were once utilized on an everyday basis, and were important aspects of daily life. Now, hundreds of years later, technology and change has almost wiped out any need for these skills.
Traditional Living Skills Demonstrations
Participants will learn how prehistoric cultures throughout the world (America, Asia, Africa, Europe) performed many day to day chores, including making fire with friction, making functional tools from stone and strong rope from plant fibers, tanning and processing animal hides, gathering foods, drilling holes, and shaping and carving wood.
Fire
Participants will learn the fine art of making fire with friction, using only natural materials found in our area. Students will learn how to construct a complete bow-drill fire set, learn to identify and gather proper materials, and receive instruction on using the bow-drill to create an ember and nurse it into a flame. (flint and steel are also options)
Also, Fire "THE TOOL" This class focuses on the controlled use of fire to shape wood into tools and implements such as bowls and spoons.
Gourds
Participants will learn the usefulness of the gourd as they shape these dried fruits into everyday items such as bowls, plates, canteens, ladles, containers, vases, etc. This class involves a small materials fee.
Fibers
Participants will gain an appreciation for the importance of rope and string in primitive cultures as they learn how to twist fibers into strong natural cordage. Students will also learn about the many different local plants and materials used for this purpose.
Debris Shelter Construction
With the advent of modern day tents, flies, and tarps, shelter in the wilderness or backcountry is quite convenient. However, there are instances in which people can become lost or disoriented and find themselves without their comfortable sleeping bags or pricey tents. This workshop can help you better prepare for the "what if" of a survival situation. Gathering your own material from the forest floor to create a structure that is sound and dry can be a real lifesaver in the event of such an emergency.
Arts of the Ancestors
Participants will learn to make paints from stone pigments, make brushes from animal hair and explore nature's palettes. Students will also examine early cave paintings and discuss their meaning and symbolism. Information and experiments in the creation of petroglyphs, pictographs and petroforms can also be included.
Ancient Arts Traveling Museum
Participants will experience a cultural history museum with no glass barriers. The collection of quality reproductions includes tools of stone, bone, antler and wood; baskets, containers, kitchenware, pottery, hunting weapons, gardening tools, musical instruments, games, toys and art. Students will have the opportunity to handle some objects from the display and use them.
Jewelry
Participants will explore the ancient art of adornment and ponder its purposes and origins. Instruction may include cordage and paint making, along with crafting beads and medallions made from stones, wood, cane, gourds and/or shells.
Native American Pottery*
Participants will create art and useful bowls, cups, etc. straight from natural clays gathered locally. Open fires will be used to dry the pottery, following the process used by the first tribes of the Americas.
North Carolina History and Interpretation**
Participants will gain a more personal understanding of the unique history of the mountain region of North Carolina through techniques such as oral history. Content in this course can be integrated with classroom curriculum, and may focus on the specific history of the Boone area (Daniel Boone), Valle Crucis and the mission, or the Highland area in general.
Open Hearth Cooking
Participants will prepare a Native American style meal without the use of modern stoves, metal cookware, or matches to light a fire. Students will gather wild foods, collect wood for the fire, construct a stone oven, smoke venison jerky, experiment with ceramic, stone, and explore the traditional foods of pre-Colombian America. The last step is to enjoy the fruits of labor by eating the meal that the group has prepared.
Appalachian Cultural Studies
This course consists of a visit to the Appalachian Cultural Museum in Boone for an overview of the life and development of Appalachia. Students will enjoy a guided tour by a knowledgeable museum staff member, and have some time to explore on their own. This trip can also include a picnic lunch at a nearby park, a historical tour of the local mountains of Ashe, Avery, and Watauga counties, exploring buildings, cemeteries, and churches.