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Post by wombat on Feb 28, 2015 5:26:59 GMT -5
This is in a way a reply to a point on rewilding being pointless. I would agree that Rewilding™ is pointless and to a certain degree it could be said that primitive skills are pointless. A personal thing, but not something that could be taken very far as a driving element of rebellion. In another thread I brought up that rewilding is not just primitive skills and wilderness knowledges, but it is also breaking with domestication. It is a process of becoming-feral. As stated by KT, the commercialization of rewilding ignores the strong, negative edge of rewilding in order to promote it as an outdoors hobby.
I still think rewilding is primitive skills, wilderness knowledge, knowledge of the particular area as a habitat and so on, but these skills are learned to be applied in real world living scenarios in an experimental manner. They are learned alongside learning why we can't just leave civilization and what civilization is. At least, that seems to be what it is to my understanding.
With this in mind, perhaps part of understanding rewilding might be to ask "What would John do?" How does JZ rewild? Write books and a radio show? Wuh? While not all of us live a life of intensive reading like John seems to, for those interested in learning to rewild, to start a process of breaking with the chains of domestication, asking ourselves to read and talk about things isn't too much to ask. It also is more accessible for people that may be anti-civ friendly, but still nervous about outdoor activities or maybe feel uncomfortable with learning primitive skills right off the bat. What do y'all think?
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Post by KT on Feb 28, 2015 14:35:05 GMT -5
What separates rewilding from hiking, retreats, and survivalism is a framework. I think reading is definitely a part of opening perceptions, but that context is necessary. So there are things about the way the OP is framed that I don't agree with, but whittling it down to its core, I think a rewilding reading group is a really good idea, but definitely needs to encourage breaking down barriers. There's no short cut here that can happen without at least starting with observation. Even beginning with a sit spot routine. Some suggestions right off the bat: Jon Young's "What the Robin Knows" Paul Rezendes "The Wild Within" and "Tracking and the Art of Seeing" Paul Shepard "Traces of an Omnivore" David Abram "Spell of the Sensuous" Roger Welsch "Weed Em and Reap" Euell Gibbon's books I know a lot of people love Tom Brown's books, but we know the mythos there is bullshit even when the info he gives is legit and a lot of insights as well. There are a ton more that I'm not thinking of, so I'll get back to it. But if people want to start taking steps towards the wild self, but are for whatever reason slow on the want to actually get out there, then diet and movement should be a huge part of it. A lot of ethnographies come to mind, but Nora Gedgaudas "Primal Body, Primal Mind" is a big one. There are also "field guides" like Sam Thayer's "Forager's Harvest" books that are great in their information, enthusiasm, and anecdotal knowledge. Probably an easier start than some of the more technical guides.
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Post by northernfrostbite on Mar 4, 2015 21:38:59 GMT -5
I've seen way too many people get obsessed with primitive skills as the keystone to rewilding only to end up in crisis because they can't stand being in the woods for a long time, or they can't cooperate in a group to establish camp life. But even more so, they end up being incredibly clumsy because they have no recognition of natural patterns and rhythms. The actual "skills" could be learned by any fool, it takes a lot more to become part of wild nature.
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