Life in the Woods

In the "life in the woods" department . . .  there is a fascinating account on the Smithsonian magazine web site of a Russian family that lived in a remote part of Siberia with no contact with other people for 40 years : they lived alone in the wilderness from the mid-1930s  until they were "discovere"d in 1978:

The Lykov children knew there were places called cities where humans lived crammed together in tall buildings. They had heard there were countries other than Russia. But such concepts were no more than abstractions to them. Their only reading matter was prayer books and an ancient family Bible. Akulina had used the gospels to teach her children to read and write, using sharpened birch sticks dipped into honeysuckle juice as pen and ink. When Agafia was shown a picture of a horse, she recognized it from her mother’s Bible stories. “Look, papa,” she exclaimed. “A steed!”

But if the family’s isolation was hard to grasp, the unmitigated harshness of their lives was not. Traveling to the Lykov homestead on foot was astonishingly arduous, even with the help of a boat along the Abakan. On his first visit to the Lykovs, Peskov—who would appoint himself the family’s chief chronicler—noted that “we traversed 250 kilometres [155 miles] without seeing a single human dwelling!”

Isolation made survival in the wilderness close to impossible. Dependent solely on their own resources, the Lykovs struggled to replace the few things they had brought into the taiga with them. They fashioned birch-bark galoshes in place of shoes. Clothes were patched and repatched until they fell apart, then replaced with hemp cloth grown from seed.

The Lykovs had carried a crude spinning wheel and, incredibly, the components of a loom into the taiga with them—moving these from place to place as they gradually went further into the wilderness must have required many long and arduous journeys—but they had no technology for replacing metal. A couple of kettles served them well for many years, but when rust finally overcame them, the only replacements they could fashion came from birch bark. Since these could not be placed in a fire, it became far harder to cook. By the time the Lykovs were discovered, their staple diet was potato patties mixed with ground rye and hemp seeds.

You can read more here.

No Impact Man

The discussion of Joseph Knowles on Monday made me think of the year that Colin Beavan spent gradually trying to eliminate his environmental impact by giving up what many people view as necessities and conveniences of modern life. Although he didn't forgo clothing and return to the wilderness, he did make drastic lifestyle changes as the year progressed in order to have a non-existent carbon footprint while living in New York City with his wife and young daughter. Perhaps his journey can be viewed as a more modern form of primitivism?

He gives a detailed account of the year in his book, No Impact Man, but his blog contains many of the steps that he took (some that are easy for most people to implement in their own lives, others not so much), as well as other interesting information on current environmental issues. Every few months he organizes a "No Impact Week," where people can try to implement his year long program over the course of a week.

http://noimpactman.typepad.com/

In The Know: Should Americans Return To A Simpler, Stone Age Lifestyle?

Some primitivist humor from America's number one news source, The Onion.

In The Know: Should Americans Return To A Simpler, Stone Age Lifestyle?
Panelists reminisce about how much better things used to be 10,000 years ago.

September 13, 2007 | Issue 45•07

Primitivism in Popular Culture

Based on the discussion that we had in class about the concept of Primitivism, and the wonderful song that we heard from The Kinks, I think that it is interesting to see this portrayal in popular culture. I was flipping through the channels to catch a hockey game and came across a show on the travel channel that you may or may not be familiar with. This program outlines an "adventure" that two men had, one being a former soldier and the other a journalist, in which they lived with a tribe that had been unchanged for thousands of years. In fact, the only changes that they had undergone were those associated with missionaries and their new association with Christianity. I just thought it was interesting some of the opinions that the "westerners" had and how they were so boldly in contrast with the dialogue of the tribe(which had seemingly been translated). Take from this what you will but I just found it to be interesting to see how the two groups interacted and some of the conclusions that the outsiders had come to.

This is the link: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Mark_and_Olly/ci.Download_Mark_and_Olly.show?vgnextfmt=show&idLink=611c16c26dd2f110VgnVCM100000698b3a0a_

Cheers

More on "anarcho-primitivism" and rewilding

Despite the fact that I probably breezed past the subject of "rewilding" a bit too quickly in lecture the other day, the topic is another great topic either for a term paper or (note to self) for a future NTRES 2320 lecture.

It's important to note that "rewilding" has both a narrow usage (e.g., Harry Greene et al and "Pleistocene Rewilding") but also a far broader one, e.g., as used in the "anarcho-primitivism" social movement. Perhaps I too casually conflated the two senses in my lecture comments the other day, but I think it is a fairly straightforward matter to make some very real connections between these two uses of the term "rewilding."

For example, here is a NationMaster Encyclopedia entry that turns up from a quick google search on 'rewilding' and 'primitivism':

Encyclopedia > Rewilding

Rewilding is the process of undoing domestication.^[1] In green anarchism and anarcho-primitivism, humans are said to be "domesticated" by civilization. Supporters of such human rewilding argue that through the process of domestication, our wildness has been tamed and taken from us.^[2] Rewilding, then, is about overcoming our domestication and returning to our innate wildness. Though often associated with primitive skills and relearning knowledge of wild plants and animals, it emphasizes primal living as a holistic reality rather than just a number of skills or specific type of knowledge. Animalia redirects here. ..

Rewilding is most associated with green anarchy and anarcho-primitivism or anti-civilization anarchy in general,^[3] though there is a large primitive living contingent who come at it from a less militant direction.^[4] Green anarchism is a set of related political theories that is derived from philosophical and social movements such as social ecologists, feminism, egoism, situationism, surrealism, the Luddites, Anarcho-primitivism, post- and anti-leftists, indigenous, anti-industrialism, and pre-civilized people. ... Anarcho-primitivism is an anarchist critique of the origins and progress of civilization.

The term rewilding is also sometimes used to refer to efforts to correct perceived imbalances in the ecosystem based on differences between modern and prehistoric ecologies. Among these efforts is a proposal by Cornell graduate student Josh Donlan to introduce megafauna such as cheetahs, elephants, and lions to North America, where they have been extinct since the Pleistocene epoch 13,000 years ago.^[5] An ecosystem, a contraction of ecological and system, refers to the collection of biotic and abiotic components and processes that comprise and govern the behavior of some defined subset of the biosphere. ...

Another common use of the term 'rewilding' refers to the restoration of native plant species to a plot of land, such as a backyard or streamside.

References

1. ^ "Rewilding" from Green Anarchist Infoshop
2. ^ GA Collective & Coalition Against Civilization, "The Origins of Civilization
3. ^ The GA & Wildroots Collectives, "A Primer for a Balanced Existence Amid the Ruins of Civilization"
4. ^ "Visons" page at SacredLands.org
5. ^ "Proposal Would Allow Wild Animals to Roam North America," Cornell University Press Release

Again, this is a big topic and deserving of a more responsible treatment than I could give it in class. Perfect paper topic!

Rewilding North America

For those interested, Harry Greene is giving the Natural Resources departmental seminar on February 3 on this topic. It was dismissed very easily in lecture as yet another primitivist idea. Knowing Harry as a friend and colleague I can say that ignoring the idea as primitivist is a fairly parochial perspective that actually detracts attention away from the very issues the idea meant to bring to light. SO! Harry loves to argue, and I'm sure the lecture would stir ideas and new perspectives.

Let's Get Mesolithic

Here's some song lyrics from Eddie From Ohio. It may be possible to download the MP3 for free here. At any rate, enjoy!

Let's Get Mesolithic

I searched the whole world over- to find the perfect mate.
There’s no place for traditionalists- If you want someone to date.
I just can’t catch that special match- in the Age of Modern Man.
I need to be transported to some ancient distant land
It’s B.C. vs. P.C.- It’s Darwin vs. God.
It’s Rubble vs. Redford- I want a hairy bod

Let’s get Mesolithic, you can pull me by my hair.
Call this girl old-fashioned, but I say a cave is where
you’ll find a loving cro-mag who will hunt and gather fare.
Let’s get Mesolithic tonight

I’ve dated new age women- they don’t impress me much.
There’s only one advantage- they insist on going dutch
The independent self-reliant gals you see these days
don’t understand my manly scent and knuckle-dragging ways

It’s B.C. vs. P.C.- It’s hands vs. fork & knife.
it’s Wilma vs. Jane Fonda- I need an obedient wife

Let’s get Mesolithic. let me drag you by your hair.
Call this guy old-fashioned but I say I cave is where
you’ll find submissive woman with her Stone Age Tupperware.
Let’s get Mesolithic tonight

I love it when you’re rough.
I just can’t get enough.
Come on over, Cave-boy, to my lair.
Give me some of that Alley Oop love stuff

I have no aspirations to leave the dwelling place.
I’m moody, broody & feel a duty to tidy the living space
So throw away your pager and forget that power lunch
I’m a “yes man” among women and I can surely take a punch

It’s B.C. vs. P.C.- It’s bedrock vs. couch.
It’s flintstones vs. Brad Pitt, I want someone who’ll slouch

Let’s get Mesolithic. We’ll grow out both our locks.
Instead of filing jointly we’ll just gather sticks and rocks.
There’s homo-erectus see the funny way he walks.
Let’s get Mesolithic tonight.

I have no big ambitions except to hunt the beast.
I poke sticks at the Mastodon for a big carnivorous feast.
I am a hunter and a gatherer, I like my woman dumb.
I’ll keep her my unequal to hold under my thumb.

It’s B.C. vs. P.C. It’s big man vs. wuss
It’s Steak Nite vs. Vegan, I’m a lion not a puss.

Let’s get Mesolithic and grow hair upon our backs.
Outsmart bigger predators and run when they attack.
Hang out naked and display my privates and your rack.
Let’s get Mesolithic tonight.

Let’s get Mesolithic, it’s the way it’s meant to be.
Why go buy a condo you can live up in a tree.
There’s no stress in a world when all the food and love are free.
Oh, let’s get Mesolithic, let’s get Mesolithic, let’s get Mesolithic tonight.

Mike Clem © 2001 J. Fish Music/ASCAP

Dead River Rough Cut

beaverish water . . . .

Hi everyone,
thanks to everyone for another year's fantastic showing of the classic back-to-nature film, Dead River Rough Cut. Depicting a year in the life of Bob Wagg and Walter Lane, this cult favorite is touted as "the most requested video at the Maine State Prison!"

For those of you who missed it, a copy will be on reserve at Mann Library so that you can watch it after spring break.

Anyway, have a great break everyone! see you when you get back.
Jim

That's beaverish . . . .

If you just can't get enough Joe Knowles . . .

Hi everybody,
Just in case you haven't gotten enough Joseph Knowles this week, here are two items.

First, a glorious Joe Knowles beefcake shot (above) from Knowles's book, Alone in the Wilderness. Suitable for framing!

And second, a book about Joe Knowles has just been published--as in published four days ago! You are among the first to hear about this publishing landmark. Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery, by Jim Motavilli, tells the story of our hero and places him in broader cultural context. Here's the blurb from amazon.com:

One hundred years ago, Joseph Knowles staged America's first Survivor-like "reality shows"--questionable adventures in the wild, fueled by tabloid wars and wilderness hysteria. Joseph Knowles was a forty-five-year-old part-time painter, ex-Navy man, friend of the Sioux, and onetime hunting guide who stepped--nearly naked--into the woods to live off the land and his own devices. From 1913 to 1916, Knowles's dispatches to the world--alternating accounts of bear clubbing and quiet contemplation, written in charcoal on pieces of birch bark--set off major newspaper wars, exploiting readers' fears of modernization. Did Knowles really survive for months at a time in the untamed wilderness without any aid, and why is the answer still so vital to the American psyche? Part adventure story, part cultural investigation, Naked in the Woods reveals a whole new dimension of our natural history.

Be the first kid on your block to read this book.

Anyway, have a great weekend everyone.

Check out the Joe Knowles picture gallery

As mentioned in lecture, on the old course web page. Enjoy.