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Title
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Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
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This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
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The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
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1983-1993
Format
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journals (periodicals)
Language
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English
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Text
Dublin Core
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Title
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<em>Katúah Journal Index, 1983-1993</em>
Description
An account of the resource
This document is a topical index to all 38 issues of <em><a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/items/browse?collection=79" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</a>. </em>
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, </em> later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal, </em>was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.</em></p>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Periodicals--Indexes
Sustainable living--Periodicals--Indexes
North Carolina, Western
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Creator
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Rob Messick
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1993
Language
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English
Type
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Text
Format
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periodical indexes
PDF
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
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<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Acid Deposition
Agriculture
Alternative Energy
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Bioregional Definitions
Black Bears
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Children's Page
Community
Death and Dying
Earth Energies
Ecological Peril
Economic Alternatives
Education
Electric Power Companies
European Immigration
Fire
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest History
Forest Issues
Forest Practice
Geography
Glossaries
Good Medicine
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Health
Hunting
Katúah
Katúah Organization
Permaculture
Pigeon River
Plants and Herbs
Poems
Politics
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Recycling
Sacred Sites
Shelter
South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness)
Stories
Transportation Issues
Turtle Island
Villages
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance
Wilderness
Women's Issues
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ISSUE
AUTUMN
NO. 1
1983
�BIOREGIONS :
"The Trail To Home"
FROM ULSTER TO CAROLINA :
(The Scotch-Irish Migration To N. Carolina)
1
3
(""!
N
4
PERHACULTURE PRACTICES
A Story
MOSHKA & LAKIMA
N
By
Snow Bear
<
z
H
,.J
0
''Wind Rose" By George Ellison
MAP MEDITATIONS
6
8
OLD TIME APPLES
POETRY
......
co
The Katuah Bioregion
9
10
i:x:
<
u
::c
f-1
i:x:
MOUNTAIN GUIDES
A Resource Bibliography
i.2
BIOREGIONAL CONGRESSES
14
ALTERNATIVES TO ECONOMICS
17
FINDING KATUAH
0
z
19
A Bioregional Questionnaire
FALL CAL EN l}\R
21
CREATIVE DISTRIBUTION
22
..
(""!
......
co
�"A TRAIL TO HOME": continued from page l
By W1frI of definition of this word, Peter Berg writes :
The teim refers both to a gecgrapti.cal terrain and a terrain of consciousness - to a place and the ideas that haVe
developed about how to live in that place. Within a bi.ore9ioo the oonditicns that influence l ife are slllli.lar, and
these in turn have influenced lunan ooc:upancy.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Bonrue .CamJ;:bel.l
'1b:mas Rain Crowe
IDretta Rattler
Arrly Feinstin
Oluck Marsh
a:1 McNeil!
Olip Smith
Ida Mc:Neill
Mamie Muller
David Reed
Sam Sutker
Martha Tree
David Wheeler
A bimegioo can be detemined initially by the use of climatology, physiognqily, animal and pl.ant geogra?lY, natural history, and other descriptive natural sciences. The final
boundaries o f a bioregioo are best described by the people who
live within it, th:cough hunan rec:cgnitioo of the realities of
livin:;J-in-place.
All life al the planet is ocmected in a f&1 obvious ways, and
in many nme that are barely explora:i. But there is a distinct
resonance lllDl19 living things and the factors which influence
them that occurs specifically within each separate place al the
planet. Di.soovering and describing that resonance is a way to
describe a bioregion."
EDITORIAL OFFICE FOR THIS ISSUE:
Long Branch Environmental
~ducation Center
Route 2, Box 132
Leicester, N.C . 28748
PRINTING:
Sylva Herald Publishing Co.
Sylva, N.C.
ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO:
Kat.µab: Biorez1onal Joµrnal of the
Southern Appalachians
Box 873
Cullowhee, N.C. 28723
'lbe effects of seeing the world in this W1frI would be far-reaching.
WOUld our national policies be the sane if the land was seen as a
sacred being? WOUld our eoonanic:s be the sane if the <X>St to the
biosphere were reckoned into the price of production? WOUld our politics be the same if power over an area were in the hands of the
people who lived there? lllat if oak, bear, fox, and chickadee had a
voice in the decisial-lll!lking oouncils?
The key to this transitioo is in the spiritual realm, for
in disoovering the land as she is in the place \othere we
live, we di.soover ourselves in the izooess. 'DleJ:e is a necessary connecti.cn here, for the self we see axoum us is
not our own nature in metapx>r or reflection. I t is our
own aelf tJ:uly and actually. 'lbis is the mystical oonneotion that makes healing, knowl.edl;Je, and power all possible. If we make a gesture to the earth, the earth gestures
back - this is the source of the nagic.
'!!le geological fomations urx3erpinning the land, the sprinq
rains every year, the wims sweeping in f%an the west, the
tan;Jled uniergrowth of a rhoc!odermon slick, the juna>es
playing anong the forest trees - these are mcng the forces
that shape our bioregion and give it its unique character.
'lbese forces also shape the landscape of our own cxnscicus-
ness.
But our mind is a creative force as well, and the attuned
h1.1nan mind can be a power for encx:iuragi.ng the ecological
health of an area. 'lb:>se who see thEmlelves as sta.lards,
protectors, and healers will be uniting the power of their
minds to this task.
To these pe:>ple falls the responsibility of keeping the essential nature of the nountain area intact. 'lbe .A{pllac:bjans are the oldest irountains, and they are strong sources
o f power for the whole eastern half of TUrtle Island. This
is .iJttx>ssible to explain to those who do not already understand it fran their own experience. To them, this po-
....
-·.,,.-··
.
sition would seen reactionary and a::>unter-pr:oduc:tive, and
they cannot see why it is ultimately inportant to the
survival of us all.
we are here to make changes, but the biggest changes are
within ourselves. We are here to learn and grow and, like
the great trees of the forest, to develop roots and beo:rne part of this place.
In this way the process of transfomation begins. It is a
healing process, a voluntai:y marriage of ourselves to the
land. As we help the land to repair the damage done by a
careless humanity, so does she help us to repair the damage done within our hearts and minds by a bankrupt system.
By infomling our
vision and giving a a::>ntext to our work,
the idea of a bioregion can be a powerful tool in our
spiritual, ecxxanic, and political liberation. It can help
us to becane whole in our spirit, in our bodies , in the land,
and in our experience.
Prayer chant:
"Ancient M::>ther I Ancient M::>ther
You who have waited so l.alg,
You Wio have waited so lcn;J
For your children to return,
Your children are oow returned Here we are"
,
KATU1!.H - page 2
'lbe Blue Ridge M::>untains are under duress, but the area
still has a feeling of sacredness, an aura of power that
has protected it sanewhat fran the ravages of humankind.
we are lucky in the land that has been left to us. 'lbis
area is a prine location to hatch an ecologically sane
and healthy society - the no.mtains are equal to the task
if we are. We have an area that is relatively untraapled
and not overpopll.ated. Because of its inaccessibility, it
is econ::mically depressEd and therefore relatively \mindustrialized. Because of its isolation many of its p e o p l e ,
are unsqhlsticated and still feel close ties to the
mountains.
aubml 1983
�FROM ULSTER TO CAROLINA
The Migration Of The Scotch-Irish To Southwestern North Carolina
The study of migration is particularly valuable to Americans, for either in an
ancient past (for American Indians) or in more recent centuries, all Americans
are immigrants. To an amazing degree we have remained a migratory people,
profoundly mobile, moving from city to city, state to state. Alexis de Tocqueville
observed of early American society that the American "grows accustomed to
change." Once having moved, it was easier to move again and again.
Migration frequently leaves only a sketchy historical record. While the great
sweep of events might be clear, the details are often lost in the confusion of move·
ment. Many family histories remain incomplete and often even the names of those
who first came are lost. The problem of understanding and evaluating the ex·
perience of the Scotch-Irish is made more difficult by the eagerness with which
they threw over the culture of the Old World which might have identified them
as a group in America. Still, their presence surrounds us in the Southern Appalachians in the evidence o( family names, in the stamp they placed upon the
customs of the region and in lingering memories. A distinctive feature of the
Southern Appalachian region is that its relative isolation in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries has preserved a strong sense of a Scotch-Irish past.
At the close of the American Revolution, the territory west of the Blue Ridge
and Allegheny Mountains quickly opened to the first legal white immigra.nts.
Southwestern North Carolina was one of many regions across the new American
nation that received a flood of new people. For perhaps two decades before the
area was opened for settlement, it had been admired by the inhabitants of the
western Piedmont and Watauga who hunted there and fought with General
Rutherford against the Cherokee in 1776. In the last year~ of the Revolutionary
War, North Carolina passed legislation granting mountam lands to ve~erans of
the state's militia and the Continental Army - from 640 acres for pnvates to
12 ()()() for brigadier generals. For others, land was available throughout the period
fo; five and ten cents per acre plus fees. A series of treaties with the C~erokee
between 1785 and the 1830s progressively opened the land and kept tt cheap
and plentiful. Beginning in 1787, when the first grants were made on t~e Swan·
nanoa and French Broad Rivers, war veterans and settlers from the Piedmont
and Watauga, as well as a steady flow of people down the Great Wagon Road,
settled the mountain lands with surprising sp~. Although early census figures
are notorious for underestimating populations, the census of 1790 recorded 88
families some 559 souls already settled on Reems Creek, and a considerable settlement' to the south ~here Bee Tree Creek enters the Swannanoa River.
Between 1787 and 1840 the Old West Frontier passed through southwestern
North Carolina and a new society evolved. The census of 1840 recorded a population of approximately 34,000 people in that region west of the eastern boundary
of Buncombe County, divided at that time into Buncombe, Henderson, Hayw?°'1,
Macon and Cherokee counties. Like all frontiers, the region was never static or
isolated but constantly growing and changing. For many new settlers, western
North Carolina was only another temporary stop. There were people who grew
a few crops on land they never legally claimed and then pushed on either westward
into Tennessee and Kentucky, or southward to Georgia and Alabama. Some
raised children before seeking another home and still others stayed. ~os~ who
settled amongst and frequently displaced the Cherokee were of ~tverse
backgrounds: English, German, French, Black, Welsh as w_ell as Scotc~·lr1Sh: No
single ethnic group can claim an exclusive role in the creation of fr~~tte~ ~1ety,
but a careful examination of the family names in the new communmes md1cates
that the largest group among the early settlers was the Scotch-Irish.
aubm'l
1983
Mountain Agriculture
"I doubt not that those
(Scotch-Irish) pioneers who
came to the South and gave
all cheir strength and devotion
to the fabrication of such
civilization as we have were
grim and decermined and stiff.
necked and opinionated and
fearless people. le is probably
easier to admire chem than it
would have been pleasant to
live with chem. I spent my
earliest days amongst them
and I have no doubt that their
arrributes had been transmitted almost unmodified to them
by their ancestors for generation after generation. They
were and they are
undemonstrative, apparently
without affection and superficially cold. But they generally
have opinions, right or wrong,
and they are altogether willing,
if nor anxious, to stand by
their opinions to their last
breaths. I scarcely think our
government could have come
into being without them."}.
K. Hall on his Scotch-Irish
ancestors in North Carolina,
personal correspondence, 1941.
This large, mobile and adaptive group of immigrants brought to their new homes
a culture formed in Scotland and the north of Ireland and molded by migration.
Much of the Ulster legacy had been put aside for new ways with few signs of
regret. The Scotch-Irish brought a simple, practical and unadorned style of life,
but in at least two essential areas, religion and agriculture, thier mark upon mountain life still bears witness to their Ulster origins.
The other area besides religion where the Scotch-Irish left their mark upon
mountain life was their use of the land. The pattern of mixed farming which
they develop«P was one that they brought with them and which they found wellsuited to their new environment.
This mixed farming was appropriate for the mountains because it did not require enormous amounts of first-quality land and could in fact utilize unclaimed
"open range." Nor did it require the kind of capital that was needed to obtain
the best lands, so it was better suited to a people most of whom had left Ulster
with little material wealth. and it was appropriate to a heavily-forested and laborshort area.
This type of mixed farming is described in the wills and farm inventories of
the earliest settlers, such as those surviving for Haywood County. Grains were
the dominant crops with Indian corn far and away the leader, followed oy oats,
wheat and barley.- Plows are listed in most of the inventories, indicating that in
addition to hoe cultivation many fields were also being cleared and plowed as
agriculture moved out of the earliest pioneer phase. Other crops such as flax and
cotton were also grown, though in small amounts for local use.
This .t ype of agriculture, using slash and burn techniques to remove trees and
the hoe to cultivate around the stumps which were left, as well as the raising
of small numbers of animals, was a pattern which had been practiced in Ulster
in the infield-outfield system, and it was a pattern which the Scotch-Irish stamped
upon the mountains of western North Carolina.
James Patton, the weaver from County Derry, offers a valuable insight into
that.aspect of the frontier economy. In the Philadelphia area he had found various
employment as a casual laborer until he had accumulated enough money by 1789
to purchase a supply of·goods and set out for western North Carolina. His experiences in Pennsylvania indicate that in fact Patton knew little about farm work
and had no taste for it. This marked the beginning of his new career as a traveling merchant, taking trade goods south to the North Carolina mountains and
driving livestock north to the cities of Washington, Balti!Ilore, and Philadelphia.
His experiences give a good idea of what it took to prosper as.a merchant working
the Great Wagon Road and into western North Carolina. During his life, he
saw economic activity grow from the late 1780s, when there was little money
available in the mountains, to the 1830s when his inventories of trade goods reveal
a significant expansion of commerce. The primary "cash crop" that mountaineers
raised was livestock, whici1 according to Patton was driven out of the mountains
in large numbers, supplemented by furs, feathers, beeswax, and roots for medicine
such as gipseng and snake root. He observed:
... I settled in the upper part of North Carolina at that time the poorest part
of the country I ever saw to make property; but I do not entertain the same opi·
nion now. Changes and improvements have convinced me that there are few sections of country superior to the western part of North Carolina.
,
KAW.AH - page 3
�WHAT IS PERMACULTURE
" • • • Pe.Jtma.c.u.ltwr.e. -l6 ~ a c.oMdoU6ly duigne.d ag.Jtic.uli:WLe. .t>y.t>tem • ••
that c.ombinu land.6c.ape. duign wi;th pe11.e.nniai. pf.ant.6 a.nd a.nimai.6 to make a.
.t>a.6e. a.nd .6U6tainable. 11.uoWLc.e. 6011. town a.nd c.ou.ntluj• •a. :t.Jwly a.pp11.op.Jtia.te.
te.c.hnology giving h-i..gh yie.ld.6 6011. low e.ne.11.gy inpd.6, a.nd U.6.lng only hu.ma.n
.t>IUU and Welle.ct to a.c.hie.ve. a .t>table. ILe..l)oWLc.e 06 g11.e.a.t c.ompf.ex.lty and
.6tabil..ity•
• • • ( pe11.mac.u.ltwr.e.) -l6 a philo.t>ophy 06 woll.h.ing wi;th, 11.athell. than agaiMt
na.twr.e; 06 p11.otll.a.c.te.d a.nd thought6ul ob.6M.va.tion 11.athell. than p11.otll.a.cte.d and
thoughtlu.6 labo11.; and o~ looking a.t pf.a.nt.6 a.nd a.n.imal.6 in all the.ill.
6u.nc.tionli , Jta:the11. than tll.e.a.ting a.ny a.11.e.a. a..6 a. .t>ingle.-p11.odu.ct .t>y.t>tem."
---&ill. Molti..6on
a..6 quoted in AGAYULI , Pvuna.c.uli:WLe New6lette11.
THE CHICKENWIRE DAM
EVERY YEAR HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF TONS OF TOPSOIL
WASH OFF OF OUR AMERICAN LAND INTO THE OCEAN. SOIL IS
ONE OF OUR K>ST PRECIOUS RESOURCES . WITHOUT F!ln'I LE
SOIL. AGRICULTURE -THE FOUNDATION OF OUR CIVILI ZATI ONFAILS. THE LAND CAN NO LONGER SUPPO!n' BUMAN LIFE. THIS
HAS HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF OUR PLANET MANY
TIMES. IN FACT. MANY OF THE WORLD'S DESERTS ARE THE
DIRECT RESULT OF POOR AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND DE FORESTATION THAT LED TO SOIL LOSS THROUGH WIND AND WATER
EROSION.
PEBMACULTURE IS AN ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP AGRICULTURAL
SYSTEMS THAT ARE ECOLOGICALLY SOUND,PERMANENT.SUSTAINABLE AND ENERGY AND RESOURCE CONSERVING. THE PRACTICE OF
PERMACULTURE DRAWS FROM THE BEST OF EXISTING AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND COMBINES THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNIQUES TO CREATE CONSCIOUSLY DESIGNED, H!GH QUALITY LIFE
SUPPORT SYSTEMS. THE CllICKENWIRE DAM. WHICH WAS DISCOVERED QUITE BY ACCIDENT. CAN PROVIDE A USEFUL TOOL FOR
SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION FOR SMALL STREAMS IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF PERMACULTURAL SYSTEMS.
THE CHICKENWIRE DAM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A RUMANMADE BEAVER DAM, IS QUITE EASY TO BUILD. SET LOCUST POSTS
AT 4- FOOT INTERVALS ACROSS A SHALL STREAM BED AND UP THE
SIDESOF THE STREAM BANK TO THE TOP EDGES. SECURE THE TWO
END POSTS WITH GUY WIRES OR SOME OTHER BRACING SYSTP.M.
ATTACH 36" OR 48" HI GH, l " OR 2" MESH CHICKENWIRE TO THE
POST IN THE SAHE MANNER AS IF YOU WERE FENCING A CHICKEN
YARD. IN FACT THIS DAM CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO A CHICKEN ENCLOSURE. SECURE THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE CHICKENWIRE
TO THE STREAM BOTTOM AND BANKS WITH PEGS OR ROCK. FLOAT
HAY, LEAVES. OR SIMILAR DEBRIS DOWN THE STREAM ABOVE THE
FENCING AND ALLOW IT TO BUILD UP ON THE FENCING AND GRADUALLY SEAL ON THE MESH .
WATER WILL BEGIN TO DAM UP BEHIND THE DEBRIS-CLOGGED
FENCING, WHILE SOME WATER ~LL CONTINUE TO PASS THROUGH
AND OVER THE DAM.
THIS STEP WILL HAVE TO BE REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES TO
INCREASE THE HEIGHT OF THE DAM, AS DEBRIS PROGRESSIVELY
BUILDS UP HIGHER AND HIGHER ON THE FENCING. EVEN THOUGH
AT FIRST THE DAM WILL LEAK COPIOUSLY, OVER TIME THE DEBRIS
WILL SEAL MORE TIGHTLY AGAINST THE CHICKENWIRE.
THE CHICKENWIRE DAM HAS MANY POTENTIAL PERMACULTURAL
APPLICATIONS. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE SYSTEM'S VIRTUES AND USES. IF YOU CAN COME UP WITH ANY MORE, PLEASE
LET ME KNOW.
1. THE DAM IS INEXPENSIVE AND QUICK AND EASY TO
CONSTRUCT. OTHER MATERIAL THAN CHICKENWIRE. SUCH AS
WOVEN CANE OR BRUSH SECURED IN THE CREEK BEAVERDAM
FASHION COULD BE USED.
2. THE DAM IS FLOOD PROOF. WATER JUST FLOWS THROUGH
THE DAM OR OVER THE CHICKENWIRE CLOGGED WITH DEBRIS.
IN FACT. FLOODS CAN ACTUALLY MAKE THE DAM POND DEEPER
BY ADDING DEBRIS HIGHER UP ON THE DAM FENCING.
J. THE DAM SLOWS WATER LFAVING THE PROPERTY AND
INCREASES THE WATER' S POTENTIAL USES.
4. THE DAM ACTS TO COLLECT SILT AND SOIL BEING
CARRIED DOWNSTREAM. THUS REDUCING A PROPERTY'S SOIL
LOSS AND PROVIDING A SOURCE OF RIGH QUALITY , EASILY
COLLECTED SOIL FOR RETURNING TO FIELDS AND GARDENS.
THESE DAMS CAN BE PLACED IN A SERIES ALONG A STREAM
FOR EVEN GREATER SOIL CONSERVATION AND COLLECTION.
THE SILT THAT EVENTUALLY WOULD FILL THE AREA BEHIND
THE DAM COULD BE USED FOR STREAMSIDE GROWING AREAS
FOR SUCH PLANTS AS WILD RICE. CATTAILS, SAGITTARIA,
CREEK MINT AND .OTHER AQUATIC PLANTS.
5. PONDS SO CREATED MAKE "
GREAT POULTRY WATERING
HOLES AND HABITAT FOR DOCKS . GEESE, FROGS , CRAYFISH,
AND OTHER WILDLIFE OR DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
6. THE DAMS. IF PLACED NEAR CULTIVATED AREAS.
CAN BE USED FOR IRRIGATION PONDS FOR FLOOD. GRAVITY
OR PUMP IRRIGATION SYSTEMS .
By: Chuck Marsh , Bountiful Gardens ,
P.O . Box 509 , Dillsboro, NC 28725
(70 4) 586- 5186
,
I<ATlWI - page
4
autum 1983
�SCOTCH-IRISH MIGRATION
a-/fer ]uia,
b°'J'
t:lt &atlt
continued from page 3
ij nf
aJ4 :J }J,..lt Ml 1'.W\li:
~ HtAo""J ,,., k tu tfD.," ;,,, ft""' JJAilu.re1.
'JI JA°'rt:f wilh ,,,_ i1j c/,eu,., wa.h1J1
"These mountains /of North
Caro/ma/ begin ro be
populated rapidly. The salubri·
ry of rhe air, rhe excellence of
rhc warcr, and more especially
rhe pasrurage of rhese wild
peas for the carrle, are so
many causes char induce new
inhabiranrs ro serrle rhere.
"Esrares of rhe first class are
sold at rhe rare of two dollars,
and rhe raxes are nor more
rhan a half.penny per acre. In·
dian corn, whear, rye, oats,
and peach rrees, are the sold
ob1ecr of culrure.
"The inhabitants of these
mountains are famed for being
excel/enc hunters. Towards the
middle of aurumn mosr of
chem go in pursuir of bears, of
which rhey sell rhe skins, and
rhe flesh, which is very good,
sttves chem in sr:.ear measure
for food during that season.
They prefer ir ro al/ ocher
kinds of meat, and look upon
it as the only thing rhey can
ear wirhour being indisposed
by it. They make also of their
hind legs the most delicious
hams ... They hunt chem
wirh great dogs, which,
wirhouc going near chem,
bar/c, cease, and oblige chem
to climb up a rree, when rhe
hunter kills chem wirh a car·
bine." F. A. Michaux, Travels
il nulu.r11 "'Y jDUl.
'); luJJ 1"I i.IO!Jf f/,I J4ih If rtpl ihidi"f
/w ilj oi.m JIM.
gtt~ 1~"f1' :J fA1Ut ~11WfA- ttltcYJ
A~ j/u.""'1j #f iWAUJJ f
:J f•r M tvf/, fo,. 11¥ &.rlJ, ij wilA. Mes
Llj ~hl.a.inj w ilj JIA)
ihtj fJ!mflJrl ~.
0, fta1 &ulJ,,, ym M je1 tl ""1«~vd
i,. ilcl ~ '1f Mj tMM-~) I
'-n filt1J, ""f 1'1i1Wi ,.,jlJi. n111t..l#ttj ~
""°'!
1-ttJ MY 14JO!HJI,.
jur1ly lit# iur 41'11 IJ,,e J'4j4,.j
;Mil
..n
lite
l4YJ If
fo/1""'
Ml
,,.r Zift
uJ :; 1c1>ZZ J.in
j,,,
The Drovers' Road through
North Carolina
connected rhe region ro
Charleston and Savannah. Ir
was a roure of serrlement in
che early 19th century as well
as rhe sire of rhe carrle and
swine drives char were so im·
porranc ro che regional
economy.
sourhwesr~
i
l!Je ha.vlf ef ih~
far1r1r-.
_,y,. 1if:
~J ~.u,. CJr41111
HOW THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS GOT THEIR NAME
- FROM A GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
It is worthv notice, that our mountaini; are not liOlitnn• and scattered
confusedlv o~er the face of the countrv; but that the~ c:ommcnce at
about 15~ miles from the sea-coast, are' disposed in ridges one behind
another, running nearly parallel with the sea-coast, though rather
approaching it as they advance north-eastwardly. To the south-west,
as the tract of countrv between the sea-coast and the ~l ississippi
becomes narrower, the ~1ountains converge into a single ridge, which.
as it appronches the Culph of :\lexico, subsides into plain countr~'· and
gives rise to some of the wilters of that ~ulph. and particularly to a
ri\'er called the Apillachicola, probably from tht- :\p;1l;1d1il'S, an Indian
nation formerh· n•sidin~ on it. Hence the mount.tins ~i\'in~ rise to that
river, and s~n from its various parts. ,,.l'rc e;1lll•d thl' :\p;1lachi;1n
mountains, being in fact the md or ll'rmination only uf tlw ~'feat rid~es
passing through the <.'Ontinl'llt. European gcograplwrs howc\'er l'Xtended the name northwardlv ns far as the mountoins extended; some
giving it, after their separation into different ridges, to the Blue ridge,
others to the North mountain, others to the Alleghaney, others to the
Laurel ridge, as may he seen in their different maps. But the fact I
believe is, that none of these ridges were e,·er lmo\\11 by that name
to the inh;1bitants, either nati\'e or emigrant, but a~ tht>y saw them liO
called in European maps. In the same dir<.'C'tion ~t·1wr;11l\' are the \'t>ins
of limcstmll'. coal. and other minerals hitherto 1lisl~l\'t•rt•tl : :incl so range
the foils of our ~rt·at ri\'ers.
-TllOM.\S jEFt'Ell.>;OS
Xotc1 0 11 tl1c State nf \ 'ir::,i11ia. 1781-82
West of the Alleghania,
1802.
Two fundamental features of the early Scotch-Irish do stand out. The first is
the cultural interaction they experienced with people around them throughout
their migrations. They never settled in isolation from others. The second is their
readiness to change and adopt new ideas and practices. Perhaps their most per·
sistent trait as settlers on the American frontier was their way of using the land,
evolved in the uplands of Scotland and Ireland and ideally suited to the frontier
that unfolded south and west of Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Their familiarity, even contentment, with this way of life drew them to the fron·
tier and invited them ever onward in search of plentiful land and game. And
here too their preference for the single family farm over the village community
sustained their strong spirit of individuality and the importance of family and
self-sufficiency. This is where their greatest influence lies - in the kind of land .
use and social organization they brought to much of the South. The open range
system in which crops were fenced and livestock roamed free prevailed across
much of the South into .t he 20th century and is an important element in the
shaping of Southern history.
Southwestern North Carolina had by the mid-19th century created a society
that was a synthesis of cultures and peoples reacting to their new environment.
This new Appalachian culture was shaped by forces distinct to the region. Ethnicity
was largely submerged by regional conflicts within the state; by new economic
activities such as logging, mining, and tourism; by the intervention of the federal
government in land policies and development projects; and by continuing in·
and out-migration as the Southern Appalachians became increasingly differentiated from surrounding regions. Those who would understand modern Appalachia would be right to pursue these themes; but a true understanding of the
traditions of the region and its sense of itself still calls us to back to the ethnic
heritages the first settlers brought.
~
Migration of rhe Scocch·lrish People
A Comprehensive Ex hibition Produced By
Mounrain Heritage Center of Western Carolina University
Sam Gray: Project Director
Curtis Wood and Tykr Blethen: Hntorical
autum 1983
R~arch
and Writing
'
I<ATUAH - page
s
�MOSHKA. t LAKlMA
The. moon .6m.U.e.d Jted .thJr.ough the. ne.u a:t the. edge
06 the meadow. TJr.Unk, bMnc.h a.nd lea6 .6ha.dOW.6 .6netc.hed a.c.Jr.0.6.6 a. JLlppUng .6ea 06 the. t:a.ll gMUU a.nd wil..d6loWelL6 belong.lng to Ealith Mathe.Jr.' .6 late .6wnmeJt. Ro.6e.
c.oloJted ha.Jr.vut moonU.ght .6lowly ga.ve. wa.y to .6h.,i.n,lng
.6il.ve.1r., a.nd a..6 the. nee .6ha.do1Al6 .6hMnk, the. .li..ght 6eU
upon the. two 6ox pup.6 pe.1r.c.he.d upon the. ta.ll.., .6mooth,
Jr.Ound gMnlle. boulde.Jr. ,ln the. VeJL':f c.e.n.te.Jr. 06 the.
meadow.
A STORY BY SNOW BEAR
Mo.6hka. a.nd La.IWna. 6eU the a.nc.ient powe.Jr. 06 .tha:t
Jr.Oc.k .6.lng.lng thJr.Ough them, c.oUIL6ing ~d.6 th/Lough
the pa.d6 06 the.iJr. plW6. But the.iJr. ga.ze tAn-6 6.bc.e.d upon
the meadow; .6lowly .the.iJr. .6.talr.e. c»r.c.J.e.d .it., taJUng bt
the. bowa:ty 06 ti6e tha..t .tlvt.ive.d on that JUc.h, bla.c.k
.60il. and the plant.6 a.nd wec.U tha..t gJte:w on a.nd w.lthbt. The.iJr. e.alt.6 c.a.u.ght .the. c.on.tented IWmbl.lng 6Jr.Om .the
bla.c.k beaJL '.6 thJr.Oa..t a..6 .6he. e.66oltt,lu.6lq lti.pped open
.the Jr.Otten hemlock tha..t ha.d 6a.Ueninto .the. me.a.drxu. She
.6a..t on he.Jr. hau.nc.hu, tic.k.lng 6Jr.Om he.Jr. pa.w the. wh.U:e.
g.ltl.Lb.6 tha:t ha.d lived w.i.tkin the. log. HeJt c.ub poked
a.nd .6c.Jr.a..tc.he.d a..t .the. .6o6t wood, 6incllng he.Jr. own 6ood .
Clo.6eJt .to .the. a.nc.ie.n.t Jr.Och .the. wh.ue. 6la..6h 06 the
.6kunk '.6 .6.tJU.pu dlr.w .the..ilt a.tte.n.tlon. A6 .they wa-tc.he.d
he. .6c.Jr.a..tc.he.d a. hole. ,ln the. .6oil., Jte.a.c.hing down wLth
one pa.w a.nd wlth.dJr..aw.in a. gJtea..t p.(.nk ri.igh.t CltaWleJr..
Then .tluwr. lz.e.e.n eyu caught the. UniJ Jtu.6.tting 06
gM.6.6 a..6 the. 6,le.ld mou.6e. Mn thJr.Ough hi.6 tunnel, c.otte.c.U.ng 6a.Ue.n .6e.e.d. They .6e.n.6e.d hi.6 6eaJL a..6 he. 6Jr.Oze.
when the. .6ha.dow pa.ue.d ave.Jr. hi.6 ba.c.lz.. Vown-!Wrlne.d
6ea..the.lr..6 mu.66te.d the. .6ound 06 the. gJtea..t ho1tned owl' .6
6.li..ght a..6 .it. .6WOOped bt a..t gM.6.6 top level. to ha.Jr.vut
IJU a.no.their. /,i..e.ld 110U6e. The. .6p.iJLlt6 06 the. boo young
6oxu .6oa.Jted upon the. .6ong.6 06 the. night: .the. c.hiltp
0 6 the. c.Jr.ic.lz.e.t.6, the. wlU.6 pelt 0 6 the. glta.6.6 e.6 tha..t
ntaltke.d .the. pa.u.i.ng 06 .the tung .6nake., the. .tJt.iLllng 06
the. nee. 6Jr.Og.6, the. yipp.i.ng a.nd how.U.ng o 6 the c.oyotu,
.the. de.e.p-.tlvr.oa..te.d hooting 06 .the owl.
But then, 6Jr.Om the. wut, ca.me. a. ha.Jr..6h Jr.Oa.!Llng .tha:t
dlr.owne.d out the .6ong.6 06 .the night. Mo.6hlz.a. a.nd LalWna.
tultned a.nd IAJ!Lin.k,l.e.d theAJr. nw.LZzlU a..t the. .6meU a.nd
.6ound 06 da.nge.1r. .tha..t wa..6he.d oveJt them. They c.Jr.Ouc.he.d
down tow, pltU.6.ing the.tn.6e.l.uu a.ga.in.6t the. gMnlle. be.neath, gJr.Owt..i.ng a..t the. btv.l6ible. .thltea..t ,ln .the. w. A.nd
.then, a..6 the. Jr.Oa.!Llng gJtw unbea.Mbly loud, .they .6a.w .it.
c.oming ! A. bU.teJt, ove.1r.powe.Jt.lng w.ind bUIL6.t upon .the.
va.Uey, .6na.pp.lng wea.lz. tJr.e.e..top.6, upending .6ha.Uow Jtoote.d
nee tltunk.6 and 6la.tte.ning .the deU.c.a..te. meadow gJta.uu.
It .6la.ppe.d the. two 6oxu, nybtg to tea.Jr. them aJAJa.':f 6Jr.Om
.the a.nc.ient .6.tone., but they hehl on w.it.h a.U the.iJr.
.6ne.ngth. Ic.y 6.ingell.6 cfug be.neath theAJr. .61z.bt; .the.Vt
ha.c.lz.lu we.1r.e. M.l6ed, .theAJr. ha.iJt .6t.ood on end. And then,
a..6 .6wi6tty a..6 .it. ha.d c.ome., .it. pa.ue.d on. They looked
up bt we to .6 ee. .tha..t teM.lble. w.ind Jtoa.!Llng down the.
vall.ey, .6 na.ppi.ng ne.u a.nd 6latte.n.i.ng gM.6.6 u a..6 .it.
went.
The. wind ha.d le.6.t; .it..6 biting c.hilt wU:hbt .them; the.
on the.iJr. ne.c.lz..6 .6til.t .6tood out, the.iJr. eyu we.Jte
wide. a.nd gla..6.6y with teJr.Jr.OJt. Looking a..t the. meadow they
.6a.w d.tvtk .6ha.dowy c.la.IAl6 a.nd teeth Jr.U6hing a:t them. The.
moonUgh.t 6-lU.e.d .the. .6pa.cu be.tween the .6ha.dow c.la.IAl6
with gho.6.tly .6il.ve1t .6ha.pu .tha..t CltaWle.d a.long .the. e.dgu
06 the 6ie.td. The. moon .it..6e.l.6 Wd.6 .tro.l6.te.d in.to a. .6c.owl.lng huma.n 6a.c.e.. PaiJr.6 06 a.ngJty Jte.d eyu .6t.alr.e.d a:t .them
ha,iJr.
KATOAR - page 6
autlm1 1983
�6Jtom wltkin .the g.11.a.uu thlr.eate.ning .to pou.nc.e and claw
and b.lte. F1tom a.U. cU/r.e.c;tion6 came kideou.6 AntL'Ll.6 g1towl6
and Al.U:he.Jt.ing noi6u .
'
Pa.n.i.c made. .them dlUJw down w.ltJWt .them6elvu 6rwthe.1t
and 6WLtheJL; .they e.a.c.h. weJLe. 4b.6otu.telq alone., 601tgo.tten
to ea.ch o.theJL. They coul.d onhj hu.nc.h oveJL and Ah..i.veJL.
r.t l.00.6 Lak..ima. who 6.irralt.lJ ga.the11.ed the. 1tenw.Uning 4.tl!.e.ngth
06 hi6 Ahltin#Ung .6p.iltU and .in an .i.Jvr.u..Uta.bte. bu;t .6.U.e.nt
vo.i.c.e. Aa..id, " Mo.6hka, took at me.I Look .into my e.yu l "
She. twr.ned he.It he.ad and looked .in.to he.It bJto.the.Jt '.6 e.yu.
A4 .the»r. eyu met, a Apalr.k l.00.6 tu..ndled. The tonge.Jt they
looked, the AtltongeJL .the 6lame 61tOm .that Apalr.k g1te.w,
until. .the 6.i.Jte 06 Ap.ilt.lt bl.a.zed .in .the.ilr. .6ou.l.6, rn.<.nd4 and
bod.i.u. That IAJtVUnth .6plle.a.d .thJtOu.ghou;t to dutltoy .the cold
6e.a.Jt .that had COn6u.med .th~.
When .the l.tu.t .tlutcu 06 6e.4Jt we.1te. gone, they bltOke
.the.ilr. gaze upon ea.ch o.the.1t. They looked to the E44.t .into
.the n,ight .that ha.d Awai.towed .that cold, powe.1t6u.l wlnd
and .they .6en6ed a Ao6t Jtu.4.t.Ung 6.tow.i.ng up .the. valley.
A '4Wlm, gentle bJte.eze moved .the .tl!.eu .into a Jthy.thmic.,
.614.tly.i.ng danc.e. It U6.ted up .the gll.444e6 .that had been
p1r.u.6ed 6la.t and ILi.ppt.ed them gently, 44 .i.6 .the meadow
l.00.6 the 4u.Jt6ace. 06 a AIWrrneJL.i.ng lake. The. &«1IUll iAJind
calte.6.6 ed the.iJr. 6aCe6, and played wUh .the.i.Jt 6u.Jt 44 .lt
had wUh .the. gJUZUe.6, JUppLi.llg .lt .in IAllVe.6 06 lted,
white and black. Then .they 6elt .lt pa.u .in.to .the Wut,
Jtutolt.i.ng eve11.rJ-th.i.ng .to .the calm .that had been be601te
.the. cold wlnd lt4vaged .the. va.U.e.y. Once. 494.i.n .the meadow
l.00.6 a pt.ace 06 be.a.u;ty .that frilled them IAllth Aong. The
Aong came 6oltth ucaping .in.to .the. cte.a.Jt n.ight aAJr. and
l.00.6 dJuuAwt .in.to .the he.a.Jtt 06 e.veJLy Uv.ing .th.i.ng .in .that
pt.ace.
Exha.u.6ted, .they padded Atowl.q and 40(,t.l.y u.p .the. Vlt.i.p
Spll.i.ng Hollow and cLimbed .the. hA..U to .the. ltOck owt:Cltopping .that hel.d .the.ilr. home.. S.i..tt.i.ng .in a c.i.Jtcte .in 61tont
06 .the. den we11.e. Tlt..i.4hka and Ka.lwn4, .the.ilr. mo.the.It and
6athe11., and w.i.4e. old W44hte., the IUlcoon. The1te we.Jte
.6.tlutnge du,i.gn6 .6CIUltched .into .the e.a.Jtth be601te. .them;
they Aat .touch.i.ng ea.ch o.the11. '.6 paW6 and A.i.ng.i.ng .i.n a
la.ngu.a.ge .the young 6oxu had neve.Jt he.a.ltd be60Jt.e.
When .they dlr.e.w clo4 e, fAl44hte looked u.p and 44.i.d,
" Thi6 n.i.ght you. have 6ou.ght tong and luvtd wUh an
enemy 6e.w Me able .to conqu.e.Jt. FoJt you. have conqu.e11.ed
the Sp.(Jt.lt 06 Fe.a.It and though .lt mtL1J 4444u.lt you. o6ten,
you. wlU a.l.wa.y.6 be .lt4 ma.6.tell.. The. powe.Jt 06 .the. love
.i.n you. that m44.te.Jted .lt wlU g1tow .6.tl!.onge.Jt .in .the
1Je.a.lt4 ahe.a.d. We .thJtee have 14Nltc.hed you. g1tow, r..m..tJUng
.the Path 06 TIW.th, and knew you Welte 1te.a.dy .to 6ac.e
.thi6 tJUal.. r.t l.00.6 we Jto Ae.nt .that Sp.(Jt.lt 06 Fe4Jt
upon you., .to .6.tl!.e.ng.then you. and 40 you. m,i.ght know .the
powe.Jt .that h44 601t Ao tong AptVr.k.t.ed wl.th.in you.Jt eyu.
F1t0m .tw day on, you. have. w.ltJWt you.Jt Ap.i.Jr..lt .the
c.hih.llten you. we.1te, bwt we wlU .tl!.U6t you. 44 ou.Jt .tJtu.ebJto.the.Jt and .t1we-.6i4.te.1t. But now, .into .the den
wUh you.. "
When .they CltaWled wl.th.i.n .the. 11.oc.k.6, be.6 011.e. .them a
6eJU.t l.00.6 la.id ou;t 06 a.U. .the.i.Jt 6avolt.lte. 6Jtu..lt4 06 the.
meadow: bla.c.kbeNtq, .6br.awbeM.y, ll.44pbeM.IJ, and pe!t4..innon,
all luvtvu.ted and dlr..i.ed .in .the. ti.me. 06 the.i.Jt Jt.i.pene.6.6.
They ate glt4.te6u.lty, .then la..i.d down .in ne.w, .606.t bed.6
06 pu!Li6y.ing c.e.dalr. bou.gh.4 and went glt4Ce.6u.lty .in.to
.the IA10lthJ. 06 dlr.e.am.6~
autmn 1983
Snow Bear is a teacher and herbalist of traditional
alternatives for children and adults. He and his
wife Khalisa are founders and directors of the
Pepper land Farm Camp in Farner, Tenn.
~ - page 7
�In the North Carolina mountains,
people have developed an appreciation
for a variety of apples because apples
were used in so many ways. In the old
days, apples were not an occasional
treat. They were a staple food. From
the planning of the home orchard to the
drying of the apple slices, every way
possible was used to extend the apple
season and preserve the fruit. In the
absence of modern refrigeration, various
kinds of apples came to be known not
only for their taste but also for their
rate of ripening and their capacity for
preservation. Each apple had its specific
season and purpose. Some apples are
early apples and some are better late
in the season. Some are for drying ,
some are best suited for sauce while
others are best for canning. There are
juicy ones for cider and hard ones for
storing and, of course, there are plain
And who knows how the Leatherman,
old eating apples.
the Milam, ~he Democrat and the
During the season, some of the best
Knotley Pea got their names. Many
by Dou;J Elliott
old-time eating apples are Crow's Eggs,
of the apple varieties I mention
Bellflowers, Black Hoovers, Virginia
here are found only in a particular
Beauties, and Spice apples. The small
area, perhaps as small as a portion
yellow Spice apples actually have a
Just about anyone who's been raised of the county. And some names might
distinctive wintergreen-mint flavor .
be a local name for a widespread
in·· the mountains or who's looked at
Some eating apples will keep for months,
variety. For example , Theron showed
apples in the western part of our
while others might be right for eating
me what he called a "No-rthern Spice
State has come cross Winter Johns or
during only a few weeks of the season.
Apple" that looked suspiciously
some of the other old and almost
Theron showed me a little apple called
like a common New England breed
forgotten varieties of apples. Until
a Stripey. Early in the season the apple
called "Northern Spy . "
recently, an apple was just an apple
has a crisp, tangy, white flesh; but if
One of the great proponents of prefor me. That was before I started
it gets too ripe or you let it sit around
serving the many varieties of apples
ranging the hills and hollows with
the house too long, sometimes even for a
was L.H . Bailey whose 1922 book, The
Jheron Edwards, a sharp-eyed mountain
few days, its crisp texture turns mealy.
Apple Tree, lamented that of the more
man from Yancey County raised in the
"It'll almost choke you," says Theron of
mountain tradition of self-sufficiency than 800 varieties listed in nurseryits sawdust-like texture. As good as this
men's catalogues in 1892, not more
and well in touch with much of the
delicious morsel is fresh from the tree,
than a hundred were available at the
old-time wisdom and ways . After a
you'll never find it in the suppermarket.
time of book's publication.
couple of seasons of seeing apples
Sauce apples and canning apples each
'
through Theron's eyes, I felt like
have different properties; they aren't
someone who had been shown a rainjust labeled as cooking apples . Good
bow in full color after seeing only
canning apples are firm-fruited and won't
black and white.
turn brown while a whole panful is peeled
The fact is, there's an incredible
andsliced. The slices hold their shape as
variety of apples in the mountains of
they are exposed to the rigors of home
North Carolina. And by biting into a
canning. Some good canning apples are
few of these old-time apples we can
Winter Johns, Pippins, Milams, Sweet
tap the richness of a rapidly distA~
Russets, Knotley Peas, and Spitzbergens.
appearing culture and life style.
Although it is possible to make sauce out
When I asked Theron how many types
a,
of almost any apple, the best have a soft
of apples he knew, he rattled off a
texture that will break down into sauce
list of more than 20 varieties . Just
with little cooking. Bellflowers and
the names of these almost forgotten
Stripeys are ideal for sauce-making. Juicy
breeds left my head reeling with deapples like Winesaps and Sheep's Nose lend
light. Some were named for what they
themselves well to cider-making. Pippins
resembled, like the elongated, lopand Crow's Eggs are favorite pie apples.
sided Sheep's Nose apple, the oval
The large Stripped Ben Davis is a favorite
Crow's Egg, and the yellow Bellflower.
"Why do we need so many kinds of
baking apple.
Others took people's names, presumapples?" Mr . Bailey asks. "Because
Good canning apples are usually good
ably the ones who developed the
there are so many folks," he says.
drying apples because of their firm flesh.
variety or who first brought it into
"A person has a right to gratify his
Apple-drying was an important home industry
the area. So there's Stark Apples,
legitimate taste. If he wants twenty or in many parts of North Carolina . Itinerant
Betsy Deatons, Black Hoovers, Stripforty kinds of apples for his personal
merchants traveled back country buying or
ed Ben Davis's and Ducketts. Still
use, running from Early Harvest to
trading dried apples. Theron tells of
Others, like the Winesap, Sweet
Roxbury Russett, he should be accorded
peeling and slicing basket after basket
Russet, Stripey and Spice apple are
the privilege. There is merit in
of apples which were dried on racks over
named for their distinctive tastes,
variety itself . It provides more
the cookstove . In some areas the apples wer
color patterns or both. The
contacts with life, and leads away
cored and sliced into rings which were drie
_ Spitzbergen and the Virginia Beauty
from uniformity and monotony."
by stringing the slices on a pole . Drying
refer tn their place of origin; the
Today, according to the North
is one of the simplest and, if you have a
Horse apple is so big and sour that
Carolina Agricultural Extension Service wood stove, one of the most efficient ways
it is considered fit only as feed
90% of the State's co11DDercial apple
to preserve apples. Just slice the apples
for horses; the Limbertwig was
crop is made up of only their varieties thinly and spread them on window screens
named for the distinctive shape and
Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and
CONTINUED ON
flexible limbs of
arent tree.
Rome Beaut •
aubml 1983
KMUAH - paqe 8
,,
=1nd by bitin.y into
a few of tAese
old-time apples
we can ttLf
rtc/in,ess '?f
:ap tdl_y dts°i'feartTtj cutture and
lifestyle.''
�...- :·
. ~,.
. •>...,, .
--
· _ _
..,.....a
-
.-
-~---~
for B, a geopolitical song as emblem,
in this 22nd year of heavenly deadlock
"The bastard wilde Popple is called ••••• in English winde Rose •• ••• "
Gerarde, Herbal (II, lxx 301), 1597
"In those days, even though ancient astronomers had learned to divide the circle mathematically, directions were not
marked by degrees, but in terms of winds • Every experienced seaman, however untutored, knew his winds. They meant more
to him than any number 0 to 360. Since the ancients recognized 12 primary winds, at first the medieval compass cards
were circles divided into 12 directional points •• ••• And the way they were drawn, often with artistic flair, reminded
sailors of a 32-petaled flower. Hence the compass cards became known as wind roses. To this day the Portugese call the
compass card a rosa dos ventos, a wind rose, and any modern cartographer wishing to affect an old chart places in one
corner an elaborate and full- blown wind rose."
John Noble Wilford, The Mapmakers, 1981
Finally, of course, there are oo naps, oo c:arpasses, oo
destinations.
No plans . No yesterdays. No tarorrows. Just place.
The only lodestar is your heart.
Switchbacking
fran the cul-de-sac above the shade
we pass through air so still
it is a balm
but we can see that sure breeze
jagging treelight
on the crestline
& when we get there, love, I pranise you
it will swirl us into pattern
up the main ridge to CliJ'9'1BllS
(passi1'¥3 over the JUdge's eyrie at Sharp Top
we' 11 raven-croak in unison into his solanness)
& sail us Cbwn the high divde to Silers Bald & 'lhurderhead
& on & on & on
devouring the upgrades & laurel hells with the sheer ease
of flight
(the ridges west in Tennessee are negligible
but eyeing the other incline
we'll tick off
Forney Welch Jenkins Twenty Mile & IDI¥3 Hun;p:y
&you&I
will spy the threads in this tapestry glinting in the
norni1'¥3 sun
Peachtree Noland Forney Hazel
for this is our
&
Eagle
range)
till the downdraft shelves to Fontana
& ~ering back through the old river valley
finds us
wieldil'¥3 these walkID]sticks
tryi1'¥3 to get a little higher
on the slope
together •
.
..• .
... . ;,.,·
autl:lm 1983
KAnfAH - page 9
�......
"I WAS VRIVING BACK ON 1-40 FROM RALEIGH, AMV I
STARTEV TO GET THIS EXCITEV FEELING AS I VROVE INTO
THE FOOTHILLS. I BEGAN TO FEEL THAT CERTAIN FEELING
OF BEING IN THE MOUNTAINS AGAIN AS I STARTEV TO
CLIMB, ANV I KNEW I WAS COMING HOME.
THE MOUNTAINS WERE IN FRONT OF ME, LOOKING MAGNIFICENT. YOU KN(XJJ THE WAY THEY ARE SOMETIMES, WITH l
BIG CLOUDS GATHEREV ALL AROUMV THE TOPS ANV THE SUNLIGfT SLANTING THROUGI, LIKE GOV WAS SAYING, 'THESE ~
ARE MY MOUNTAINS, KEEP THEM HOLY'."
THE APPALACHIAN BIOREGION,
LIKE THE LAND ANYWHERE, IS AN
EXPERIENCE. IT IS THE BEING
THERE, THE WORKING , THE EXPLORING, THE COMING TO GRIPS
WITH ITS MYSTERIES THAT ULTIMATELY .PROVIDES OUR PHYSICAL
SUBSISTENCE AND OUR SPIRITUAL STRENGTH.
WRITINGS AND MAPS CAN NEVER
SUBSTITUTE FOR THIS EXPERIENCE. THERE IS A SPECIAL INTENSITY IN STANDING AT THE
TOP OF A STEEP MOUNTAIN
RIDGE LOOKING OUR OVER FORESTED VALLEYS OR IN ARISING
AT DAYBREAK ABOVE ROLLING
BANKS OF CLOUDS THAT ISOLATE
THE MOUNTAINTOPS LIKE ISLANDS
IN A GRAY OCEAN. THERE IS A
PERVADCNG SENSE OF ALIVENESS """
AND AWARENESS IN A FOREST OF
TALL TREES THAT AWAKENS THE
MIND TO THE NATURAL SURROUNDINGS AND REVEALS A SPECIAL
SENSE OF PRESENCE.
BUT WORDS AND PICTURES CAN BE
GUIDES TO POINT THE WAY. IT
IS PLAIN TO SEE ON THE LAND
SURFACE MAP OF THE EASTERN
RALF OF THE CONTINENT, TURTLE
ISLAND, THAT THERE IS AN APEX
OF INTENSE ENERGY: THE BLUE
RIDGE AND SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS, WITH THE GREAT SMOKY
MOUNTAINS AS THE ENERGY CENTER.
FROM THAT CENI'ER, THE ENERGY FLOWS OUT, RADIATING IN ALL
DIRECTIONS. JUST AS IRON FILINGS WILL DELINEATE THE INVISIBLE FLOWS OF MAGNETIC FORCE, THE LINES OF THE RIVERS ON THE
MAP SHOW THE ENERGY PATHS RADIATING OUTWARD.
THE RIVERS ARE BORN IN THE MOUNTAINS. TREY FLOW OUTWARD IN
ALL DIRECTIONS: EAST TO THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD; SOUTH INTO
THE PALMETTO COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA; INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH THE ALABAMA LOWLANDS OR
BY WAY OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE WEST; EVEN NORTH TO
THE GREAT LAKES. THE POWER OF THE EARTH SPIRIT FLOWS OUT
OVER ALL THE LANDS
THERE ARE BOUNDARIES TO THE MOUNTAIN REGION; BUT THEY ARE
"SOFT" BOUNDARIES. NATURE DOES NOT LEND HERSELF TO HARDAND-FAST LINES, BUT RATHER TO TENCENCIES. NIGHT MOVES INTO
DAY, WINTER MOVES INTO SPRING - THE DIFFERENCES ARE APPAI<A1lJAH - page 10
RENT, BUT THE PRECISE POINT WHERE THE TRANSITION TAKES
PLACE IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DEFINE. SO IT IS WITH THE LAND. AS
ONE TYPE OF CLIMATE, VEGETATION, OR TERRAIN MERGES INTO
ANOTHER, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MARK THE PRECISE CROSSOVER
POINT.
/
t<ATUAH: THE CENTER
"ON CEREMONIAL OCCASIONS, THEY FREQUENTLY SPEAK OF
THEMSELVES AS "ANI-KITUHWAGI" OR "PEOPLE OF KITUWHA", AN ANCIENT SITTLEMENT ON THE TUCKASEGEE RIVER
ANV APPARENTLY THE ORIGINAL NUCLEUS OF THE TRIBE."
- Jamu Mooney, My.th.6 06 .the. CheJr.Oke.e.
~
THIS NAME, KATUAH, APPEARING IN A VARIETY OF PHONETIC SPELLINGS, REFERRED TO THE CHEROKEE VILLAGE LOCATED JUST BELOW
THE JUNCTION OF THE TUCKASEGEE AND OCONOLUFTEE RIVERS IN
autmin 1983
�WHAT IS NOW CALLED SWAIN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THIS VILLAGE DOMINATED THE "MIDDLE TOWNS" OF THE CHEROKEE NATION,
THOSE VILLAGES LYING ALONG THE TUCKASEGEE AND THE UPPER
PART OF THE LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVER, AND THAT AREA WAS FREQUENTLY REFERRED TO AS KATfiAH.
..
THE MEANING OF THE WORD KATUAH HAS BEEN LOST, BUT IT IS ONE
OF THOSE WORDS THAT CARRIES A SIGNIFICANCE DEEPER THAN ITS
DEFINITION. THE WORD WAS USED WITH DEEP RESPECT, AND, ACCORDING TO MOONEY, WAS "FREQUENTLY EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE
WHOLE TRIBE".
...
THESE RANGES PERHAPS RELATE MORE TO THEIR LOCAL ENVIRONS
THAN TO THE APPALACHIAN SYSTEM AS A WHOLE.
ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE APPALACHIAN CHAIN, THE PIEDMONT
PLATEAU FOLLOWS THW MOUNTAINS SERVING AS A TRANSITION AREA
BETWEEN THE HEIGHTS AND THE COASTAL PLAIN •
APPALACHIA IS BOUNDED ON THE WEST BY THE TERRITORY DEFINED
BY THE OHIO, CUNBERLAND, AND TENNESSEE RIVER DRAINAGES.
TO THE SOUTH, THE MOUNTAIN SYSTEM DIMINISHES IN NORTH
GEORGIA AND NORTHEAST ALABAMA UNTIL IT CEASES ALTOGETHER IN
,
THE VICINITY OF THE GREAT ETOWAH MOUND NEAR MARIETTA, GEORINDEED, IT CAN BE SEEN ON THE MAP THAT KATtl-·- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . , GIA.
AH IS THE GEOGRAPHICAL CENTER OF THE CBER<r
KEE TERRITORY, AS TH.§ INDIANS APPARENTLY
ECONOMICALLY , THE CITY OF ATLANTA , ORIWERE WELL AWARE . KATUAH ALSO COINCIDES WITH
GINALLY THE OLD RAILROAD JUNCTION,
THE ENERGY CENTER FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF
FACES AWAY FROM THE HIGHLANDS TOWARDS
THE TURTLE ISLAND CONTINENT. IT IS FROM
THE PROFITABLE COMMERCE OF THE SOUTHTHIS CENTEJ WE BORROW THE NAME FOR OUR PR<r
EASTERN FLATLANDS. YET .THE MOUNVINCE, l<ATUAH. AND '!T IS THROUGH THE NAME
TAINS ARE ALWAYS THERE, SENDING
KATLJAH WE HOPE IN OUR MODERN CONTEXT TO REOUT THEIR INFLUENCE, AND STILL
AWAKEN THE SPIRITUAL IDENTITY THIS AREA HAS
HAVE A HOLD ON THE HEARTS OF MANY
HAD IN THE PAST.
OF THE CITY'S PEOPLE.
THIS PROVINCE, THE FOCUS OF OUR ENERGIES
THE APPALACHIANS ARE THE OLDEST
AND OUR OWN BIOGEOGRAPHICAL NICHE, ROUGHLY
MOUNTAINS ON THE CONTINENT. IN THE
COINCIDES WITH THE ORIGINAL AREA OF CHER<r
EONS OF THEIR YOUTH, IT IS HYPOTHEKEE SETTLEMENT IN PRE-COLUMBIAN TIMES.
SIZED THAT THEY STOOD AS TALL AS THE
THIS AREA IS ALSO LARGELY COINCIDENTAL WITH
HIMALAYAS. NOW, ROUNDED AND WORN WITH
"OLD APPALACHIA", THE GEOLOGICAL NAME FOR
AGE, THEY ARE A DEEP STORE OF WISDOM,
THE EARLIER FORMATIONS OF THE APPALACHIAN
STRENGTH, AND ENDURANCE. THEY ARE THE
CHAIN - THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS, THE UNAKA
ELDERS OF THE LAND, AND THEIR ENERRANGE, AND THE TRANSVERSE RANGES BETWEEN
GIES ARE MORE SUBTLE AND DEMAND MORE
THEM .
~""" d.e. "'-.P
ATTUNEMENT THAN THE RAW PRIDE OF THE
Tll f.: CllJ:;HOJ<EI·:
MOUNTAINS TO THE WEST GLORYING IN
THEIR PHYSICAL STRENGTH.
THE APPALACHIAN CHAIN WAS FORMED IN TWO
DISTINCT STAGES. "THE GREAT APPALACHIAN
.JAMl':S :-.100.N t-:\"
THE POWER OF THE APPALACHIANS IS A
11:)00
VALLEY" - THE TENNESSEE AND SHENANDOAH
STRONG FORCE IN THE LIVES OF ALL
RIVER VALLEYS SEEN AS ONE - DIVIDES
@dui-rft..J K~ ..t~ site.
THE PEOPLE UNDER THEIR INFLUENCE.
"OLD APPALACHIA" FROM "NEW APPALACHIA" ~
.__ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __.THEY STAND STRONG ABOVE THE RUSH OF
THE ALLEGHENIES AND THE CUMBERLAND
THE COASTAL POPULATION CENTERS.
MOUNTAINS, YOUNGER RANGES THAT CONTAIN THE MASSIVE COAL DECALM, IMPASSIVE, ENDURING, THEY GROUND AND BALANCE THE
POSITS SO CHARACTERISTIC OF APPALACHIA JN MANY PEOPLE'S
l'KENETIC ENERGIES OF THE PROFIT-SEEKERS AND THOSE TOO
MINDS.
ABSORBED IN SIMPLY MEETING THE BILLS ON THEIR LIVES TO
NOTICE WHERE THEY ARE OR THE WORLD OF LIFE AROUND THEM.
THE MOUNTAINS ARE IN MANY WAYS SIMILAR THROUGHOUT, BUT THE
MINING OF COAL HAS PERMEATED THE HISTORY, CULTURE, ECONOLIKE THE MOUNTAINS' POSITIVE BENEFITS, THE CHANGES THAT
MICS, AND CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE PEOPLE OF "NEW APPALACHIA"
WOULD COME ABOUT IF THEIR INFLUENCE WERE DIMINISHED BY
TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CONDITIONS HAVE
THE MISTAKES AND EXCESSES OF HUMANKIND WOULD ALSO BE
BEEN CREATED BETWEEN THE TWO HALVES OF THE APPALACHIAN
SUBTLE AND FAR-REACHING. IN WHAT MANNER THESE CHANGES
CHAIN. HOPEFULLY, THESE WILL BE RESOLVED IN THE COURSE OF
WOULD APPEAR IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY, BUT THEY WOULD
POST-INDUSTRIAL HISTORY, BUT IT WILL TAKE TIME.
SURELY aE DESTRUCTIVE AND WOULD LESSEN THE VITALITY OF
THE HUMAN SPECIES AND OUR POTENTIAL FOR SURVIVAL.
APPALACHIA: O SIORE&lON
UR
THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS FROM EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TO THEIR
SOUTHERN LIMITS IN NORTHERN GEORGIA AND ALABAMA COMPRISE OUR
COMPLETE BIOREGION.
PROTECTING AND MAINTAINING THE LIFE OF THE MOUNTAINS
IS A VERY PRACTICAL SORT OF WISDOM, FOR OUR WELL-BEING
AND THE SPIRITUAL HEALTH OF THE LAND ARE INTIMATELY
LINKED.
CLWTINUED ON PAG£ tO
GEOLOGICALLY, THE APPALACHIAN CHAIN PICKS UP AGAIN TO THE
NORTH AS THE CATSKILL AND ADIRONDACK MOUNTAiNS IN NEW YORK
STATE AND THE GREEN AND WHITE MOUNTAINS IN NEW ENGLAND. BUT
aut\ml 1983
r
KATlWl - page 11
�A RESOURCE BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR KATUAH AREA
THE BIOREGION IVEA
AKWESASNE NOTES. A BASIC CALL TO CONSCIOUSNESS: THE RAV DENO SAU NEE ADDRESS TO
THE WESTERN WORLD. AKWESASNE NOTES, PUBLISHER-cJo MOHAWK NATION, ROOSEVELTOWN, NY 1368~e bioregional ethic as lived by the Iroquois Nation from
Paleolithic era to the present and the attack upon it by European colonialism.
BERG, PETER, ed. REINHABITING ! SEPARATE COUNTRY. PLANET DRUM FOUNDATION, BOX 31251,
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. 1978. The bioregional experience, Northern California as example.
BERRY, WENDELL. THE UNSETTLING OF AMERICA. SIERRA CLUB,
LAND. NORTH POINT PRESS,
SNYDER, GARY . EARTH HOUSE.ti:OLD. NEW DIRECTIONS; THE OLD WAYS. CITY LIGHTS; THE
REAL WORK. NEW DIRECTIONS; TURTLE ISLAND. NEW DIRECTIONS. Bioregional
classics - poems and essays of respect to Gaia and the "real work", getting
in touch with ourselves and nature.
TUKEL, GEORGE. TOWARD! BIOREGIONAL MODEL ; BERG, PETER. t?IGURES OF REGULATION;
TODD, JOHN & TUKE~. GEORGE. REINHABITING CITIES AND TOWNS. PLANET DRUM
FOUNDATION, publisher. Some of the publications from Planet DrlDD which
give a good overall $ense of designing for sustainability.
periodicals:
AKWESASNE NOTES. c/o MOhAWK NATION, ROOSEVELTOWN, NY 13683. Official publication
of the Mohawk Nation; Best statemect of the traditional Native viewpoint
on modern problems .
CoEVOLUTION QUARTERLY (CEQ). "WATERSHE!'JS" ISSUE. WINTER, 1976-77. published t;y
the Whole Earth Catalog, Box 428, Sausalito, CA 94966.
CoEVOLUTION QUARTERLY. "BIOREGIONS" ISS!.iE . no . 32 WINTER 1981. published oy tile:
Whole Earth Catalog .
RAISE 7HE STAKES.PLANET DRUM FOUNDATION, Box 31251, Sa& Francisco, CA 94~31.
- - Tri-annual publication dedicated to "deve:!.oping, analyzing <i-:ld communicating the concept of a bioregion". Interested in developing an exchange
among individuals and groups "tnat are exploring cultural, environmental
anci economic forms appropriate to L:he places they live in".
GEOLOG'I
ROGERS, JOHN. THE TECTONICS OF THE APPALACHIANS. WILEY-INTERSCIENCE, 1970.
NATURAL HISTORY
Use any good field identification books ( The A~dubon Field Guides
good) plus the following of special regional interest:
BROOKS, MORRIS. THE APPALACHIANS.
~re
particularly
Natural History textbook.
CAMPBELL, HUTSON, SHARPE. GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN WILDFLOWERS . UNIVERSITY OF TN PRESS.
CHILTOSKEY, .'1ARY & HAMEL, PAUL . CHEROKEE PLANTS. HERALD PUBLISHING, 1975. Syl va, NC
ELLIOTT, DOUG. ROOTS. CHATHAM PRESS . Exceller.t 5uide to r:ne underground world of
medicinal and othe::vide useful plant rhizomes.
GRAY, SAM. HAZEL CREEK: PATTERNS OF LIFE ON AN APPALACHIAN WATERSHED. MOUNTAIN
HERITAGE CENTER, WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, CULLOWHEE, NC.
HESLER, L. R•. ' MUSHROOMS OF THE GREAT SMOKIES.
KROCHMAL, ARNOLD AND CONNIE. GUIDE TO MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE UNITED STATES . QUADRANGLE PRESS. Experts on Appalachian plant life.
KATUAH - page 12
autunn 1983
�LINZEY, ALICIA AND DONALD. MAMMALS OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK.
UNIVERSITY OF TN PRESS.
STUPKA, ARTHUR. NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK;
TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK.
One of the best-k. lwn naturalists specializing on this area.
STUPKA, ARTHUR AND HUHEEY, JAMES. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE GREAT SMOKY
MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK. The Smokies are known for the varieties of
amphibious creatures.
BARTRAM, WILLIAM. THE TRAVELS OF WILLIAM BARTRAM. BARNES & NOBLE. One of the
first whites into the area, Bartram wrote of the land and the Indians
in almost an untouched state.
TIME-LIFE. THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS . TIME-LIFE BOOKS AND JEROME DOOLITTLE, 1975.
NATIVE INHABITANTS
There are a lot of books on the Cherokees, but it is hard to find information
about their traditional ways. Mooney is the best source.
MOONEY, JAMES. MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE AND SACRED FORMULAS OF THE CHEROKEE.
CHARLES ELDER, BOOKSELLER.
GRAY, SAM. MYTHIC MAPS: CHEROKEE LEGENDS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. MOUNTAIN
HERITAGE CENTER, WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY.
ULMER, MARY AND BECK, SAMUEL. CHEROKEE COOKLORE . PUBLISHED BY MARY AND GOINGBACK
CHILTOSKY, 1951. MUSEUM OF CHEROKEE INDIAN.
JOURNAL OF THE CHEROKEE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. CHEROKEE, NC 28719 . Periodical .
Sometimes interesting, sometimes boring accounts of Cherokee life and
history, almost always by white academics.
WHITE SETTLERS: HISTORY ANO CU L
TURE
CAMPBELL, JOHN C. THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDER AND HIS HOMELAND. UNIVERSITY PRESS OF
KENTUCKY .
KEPHART, HORACE. OUR SOUTHERN HIGHLANDERS . UNIVERSITY OF TN PRESS
LOVINS, CLIFFORD R. OUR MOUNTAIN HERITAGE. MOUNTAIN HERITAGE CENTER, WESTERN
CAROLINA UNIVERSITY.
PARRIS, JOHN. ROAMING THE MOUNTAINS ; MY MOUNTAINEERS, MY PEOPLE; THESE STORIED
MOUNTAINS. A good storyteller and knowledgeable"""'ibout the mountains, if
you can get through his descriptive verbiage .
VAN NOPPEN, JOHN AND INA. WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA SINCE THE CIVIL WAR. APPALACHIAN
CONSORTIUM PRESS.
WIGGINTON, ELIOT, ed. THE FOXFIRE BOOK and FOXFIRE 2-6. ANCHOR PRESS/DOUBLEDAY.
The famous interview series on mountain culture.
SEEING
BERRY, WENDELL. THE WHEEL (poems) ; FARMING:~ HANDBOOK : THE COUNTRY OF
MARRIAGE
CARTER, FORREST. THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE. DELACORTE PRESS.
A young boy learns from his Cherokee grandparents in East Tennessee.
DILLARD, ANNIE. PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK. HARPER'S MAGAZINE PRESS.
PORTER, ELIOT (PHOTOS) AND ABBEY, EDWARD (TEXT). APPALACHIAN WILDERNESS .
BALLANTINE BOOKS. NEW YORK, 1973.
POLITICS
ASKINS, JOHNSON, LEWIS, editors . COLONIALISM IN MODERN AMERICA: THE APPALACHIAN
CASE.
EMERGING 810REGIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS
THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN RESOURCE CATALOG. PUBLISHED 1980-82 . AVAILABLE NOW
IN LIBRARIES OF WNC AREA.
autunn 1983
�FOLKS IN THE OZARKS HAVE BEEN MEETING AS
A BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS EACH YEAR FOR THE
LAST THREE YEARS. OTHER BIOREGIONAL CONGRESSES AROUND OUR CONTINENT ARE BEGINNING TO CONVENE AS WELL. IN FACT, THERE
IS EVEN GOING TO BE A NORTH AMERICAN BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS IN SPRING OF 1984 TO
BRING TOGETHER ALL OF THESE CONGRESSES.
WHY ARE THESE CONGRESSES HAPPENING AND
WHAT ARE THEY ABOUT? WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
BIOREGIONAL BOUNDARIES ARE CLEARLY DIFFERENT THAN POLITICAL BOUNDARIES.WHEN YOU
BEGIN TO THINK BIOREGIONALLY, YOU BEGIN
TO HONOR WHOLE PROCESSES THAT SURROUND
YOU. YOU CANNOT CUT OFF A MOUNTAIN RANGE
JUST BECAUSE IT HAPPENS TO EXTEND INTO
ANOTHER STATE; NOR CAN YOU SAY THAT YOU
CAN FORGET WHAT HAPPENS DOWN RIVER BECAUSE IT HAPPENS TO BE UNDER OTHER'POLITICAL JURISDICTION'. IN OTHER WORDS,
BIOREGIONAL BOUNDARIES INCLUDE "WHOLE
SYSTEMS" AND HONOR THE NATURAL, ECOLOGICAL "LEGAL" SYSTEM THAT IS ALREADY
FUNCTIONING.
BIOREGIONAL CONGRESSES A.lIB INFORMAL LEGISLATIVE BODIES WHICH HAVE 'CROPPED UP',
SO TO SPEAK, WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE BIOREGIONS. A MAIN PURPOSE OF A BIOREGIONAL
CONGRESS IS TO REFLECT WITHIN THE HUMAN
CONSCIOUSNESS/CULTURE THE WIDER "BIOLEGAL" STRUCTURE THAT EXISTS IN THAT BIOREGION; IN OTHER WORDS, TO TRANSLATE INTO HUMAN TERMS THE ECOLOGICAL LEGAL SYSTEM WHICH IS ALREADY FUNCTIONING IN THAT
BIOREGION.
ANOTHER PURPOSE OF A BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS
IS TO FACILITATE THE ADAPTATION--INTEGRATION--INTER-FACING OF THE HUMAN CULTURE
INTO THE WIDER BIO-SYSTEM. HERE THE EMPHASIS IS ON "SUSTAINABILITY". ARE HUMAN
PRACTICES THERE --ECONOMIC, SPIRITUAL,
SOCIAL,ETC.-- ALLOWING FOR OR CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE BIOREG- ION.
THE FOLKS IN THE OZARKS WHO CONVENE EACH
YEAR AS THE OZARK AREA COMMUNITY CONGRESS
(O.A.C.C.) HAVE BEGUN TO EVOLVE A VIABLE
PROCESS FOR "CONGRESSING". THEY HAVE FIRST
IDENTIFIED ALL THE VARIOUS ASPECTS IN THE
BIOREGION WHICH THEY CONSIDER TO BE SIGNIFICANT. HAVING IDENTIFIED THESE ASPECTS,
THEY , THEN, HAVE SET UP ELEVEN PERMANENT
STANDING COMMITTEES TO ADDRESS THESE INDIVIDUAL ASPECTS AND TO CAUCUS DURING
EACH CONGRESS. THE ELEVEN COMMITTEES ARE
AS FOLLOWS : APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
ENVIRONMENTAL/ECOLOGICAL
COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS
COMMUNITIES/ALTERNATIVE LAND TENU
AGRICULTURE/DIRECT MARKETING
BIOREGIONAL/ECOLOGICAL POLITICS
ENERGY/RENEWABLE RESOURCES
HEALTH
EDUCATION/NETWORKING/COMMUNICATION
PEACE/HUMAN RIGHTS
SAFE ENERGY
KAT6AH -
page 14
autunn 1983
�EACH REPRESENTATIVE ATTENDING THE CONGRESS
IS ASKED TO JOIN ONE OF THE ELEVEN STANDING
COMMITTEES AND TO CAUCUS WITH THAT COMMITTEE DURING THE CONGRESSIONAL SESSION. THE
COMMITTEES MEET SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE
FOUR-DAY SESSION OF THE CONGRESS --DOING
INTENSIVE NETWORKING, INFORMATION-SHARING,
AND PLANNING WHAT THEY WILL DO AS A GROUP
FOR THE COMING YEAR.
A MAJOR FUNCTION FOR EACH STANDING COMMITTEE IS TO DRAFT A SET OF RESOLUTIONS -WHICH ACT AS A PERMANENT GUlDELINE FOR
THAT COMMITTEE'S DIRECTION. TOWARDS THE
END OF THE CONGRESSIONAL SESSION , THE RESOLUTIONS ARE THEN BROUGHT TO THE FULL CONGRESS IN PLENARY SESS ION AND ARE REVIEWED
AND RATIFIED . TAKEN AS A WHOLE THE BODY OF
RESOLUTIONS FROM THE ELEVEN MAJOR COMMITTEES THEN FORMS THE CONSTITUTION/MISSION
STATEMENT FOR THE CONGRESS.
THROUGH ITS CONSTITUTION , THE CONGRESS-BY IDENTIFYING THE MAJOR AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BIOREGION -- HOPES TO PROVIDE
A "ONE-TO-ONE CORRESPONDENCE" TO THE ACTUAL
BIOREGION, IN ORDER TO ACKNOWLEDGE ITS COMPLEXITY AND INTERWOVENESS AND, THEREFORE,
TO CONSCIOUSLY PLAN FOR ITS SUSTAINABILITY.
IN OTHER WORDS , THE CONGRESS HOPES TO
"MIRROR" THE BIOREGION.
THE REPRESENTATIVES WHO ATTEND THE CONGRESS
ARE MAINLY PEOPLE FROM THE BIOREGION WHO
ARE ALREADY INVOLVED IN THE "SUSTAINABILITY" OF THE BIOREGION IN SOME WAY --EITHER
THROUGH THE ARTS, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE
REGIONAL ECONOMY,ETC . THE CONGRESS IS NOT
"JUST ONE MORE THING TO DO" -- IT IS A WAY
OF LETTING PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY WORKING
ON PARTICULAR ISSUES OR IN SPECIFIC AREAS
SEE HOW THEY ' FIT IN' TO THE WIDER PICTURE
OF SUSTAINING THE BIOREGION AND TO RENEW
THEIR SENSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR PERSONAL ACTION .
IN THE YEAR BETWEEN CONGRESSES, THE STANDING COMMITTEES MAY MEET PHYSICALLY , OR JUST
MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MEMBERS , OR
DO NOTHING AT ALL. THEIR DEGREE OF ORGANIZATION IS ENTIRELY SELF-DETERMINING AND DEVELOPS OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS. O.A.C.C.
FEELS THAT IT IS KEY THAT THE CONGRESS DEVELOP IN A NON-FORCED, ORGANIC WAY -- THAT
THERE NOT BE STRONG EXPECTATIONS LAID ON
THE CONGRESS OR ITS COMMITTEES IN ITS FIRST
YEARS. THE METAPHOR IS THAT OF Ni\TURAL
AND ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES: LET IT UNFOLD,
REMEMBERING THAT THE BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS
MODEL IS NOT BASED ON "HUMAN LAW" AND
HUMAN PRIORITIES BUT RATHER ON THE WIDER
RHYTHMS.
THE VARIOUS BIOREGIONAL CONGRESSES ON
THIS CONTINENT AND THOSE BEGINNING IN
EUROPE ARE EMERGING BECAUSE THE STANDARD
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES, BOTH REGIONALLY
AND NATIONALLY, ARE NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THIS REALITY OF WHOLE, INTERDEPENDENT SYSTEMS NOR ARE THEY TAKING ON THE
TASK OF SUSTAINING OUR ECOLOGICAL, CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE. THESE EMERGING BIOREGIONAL CONGRESSES ARE PROVIDING A MEANS
FOR HEALING AND RE-NEWING THE BODY POLITIC,
IN ITS TRUE SENSE. THROUGH THESE CONGRESSES,
WE HUMANS CAN AGAIN ALIGN OURSELVES WITH
THE FORCES THAT ALLOW THIS PLANET TO
EXIST.
dltawn 61Wm c.onveJt6a..Uon6 wlth Vav.ld Hae.nke.
HERE IS A LIST OF BIOREGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS,
BOTH EXISTING ONES AND THOSE IN FORMATION:
OZARK AREA COMMUNITY CONGRESS , O.A.C.C. O.A. C. C., Box 129, Drury, Missouri 65638. Thia Congress meets in the fall of each year. Bioregionaliata from other areas are welcome to attend. O.A. C.C.
is also spearheading t he co-ordination of the upcOIDing North Amer ican Bioregional Congress .
THE GREAT LAKES BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS G.L.B.C. , Box 24 , Old Mission, Michigan 49673. Thia
Congress is now being formed and plans to hold its
first congress in October ('83).
OCOOH AREA COHMUNITY CONGRESS OCOOH, c/o Spark Burwiaater, Rt.l, Box 77A, Chaseburg
Wisconsin 54621. This Congress is now organizing and
may hold a Congress this fall ('83).
NEW YORK STATE BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS -
c/o Alan Casline/ROOTDRINKER, Box 864, Sarasota
Springs , New York 12866. Thia Congress is now
forming and is planning for a Congress to be held
July 4, 1984.
KANSAS AREA WATERSHED COUNCIL, KAW KAW, 816 Mississippi St, Lawrence, Kansas 66044.
Thia Congress formed in Kay, 1982. A Congress is
scheduled for tbJ.s fall ( '83).
O. S.INTERIOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST c/o Michael Pilarski, Friends of the Trees Society
Box 1064, Tonasket, Washington 98855 . A bioregional gathering is being planned for this winter ('83).
SOUTHERN APPALACHIA BIOREGION c/o KATUAH, Rt . 2 Box 132, Leicester, NC 28748.
A strong bioregional consciousness is coming out
of this area. A new bioregional journal KATUAH
will be published quarterly, beginning i~
fall ('83). There is also interest in forming a
Congress for the area .
U.S.SOOTHEAST c/o Southern Onity Network/Renewable Energy Projects (SUNREP) P.O.Box 10121, Knoxville,TN 37919 .
SUNR!P organized the Southeastern Connections Conference which was held in August '82 and was cosponsored by over 77 organizations in the Southeast. This conference included vorbhops on bioregional organizing. SUNREP offers to help facilitate people in the Southeast to s et up bioregional organizations in their area.
COLORADO PLATEAU Southwest Bioregional Congress, 227 Eas t Coronado,
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 . A Southwest Bioregional Congress is in the process of being formed. A
Congress was scheduled for fall ' 83, but has been
postponed.
OHIO RIVER BASIN Ohio River Basin Information Service (ORBIS) c/o
Sunrock Farm, 103 Gibson Lane, Wilder, KY 41076.
The Ohio River Basin Information Service has been
formed to facilitate bioregional awareness in this
vast watershed .
TENNESSEE BIOREGIONS c/o Louise Gorenflo, editor , Tennessee Organic Growe r, Route 6 Box 526, Crossville, TN 38555. Bioregional consciousness is being developed in this area
and a bioregional gathering is being planned.
INTERNATIONAL
THAMES VALLEY BIOREGION c/o Mark ltinzley, 7 Gayshaa Avenue, Cants Hill ,
Ilford, Essex IG2 6TB England. A bioregional
organization is beginning to form in London.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IM LEARNING
MORE ABOUT BIOREGIONAL CONGRESSES
OR IN HELPING TO FORM A CONGRESS
FOR OUR SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BIOREGION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Marnie Mulle r c/o KATUAH
Rt.2 Box 132, Leicester,NC 28748
RNIE MULLER
autum 1983
KATdtw -
page 15 '
�" TheJte. ne.e.d.6 to be. Continent Con91tu6
that the.
occ.upa~
6.inai.1.tj become
60
06 Nollth Ame.JU.ca can
.inhabUa~
LEARN TO BUILV A LCXll-COST, FUEL-EFFICIENT
FINNISH MA.SONRV WOOV-HEATER
and frind out
whVte the.IJ Me.•• Th-U ti.me Con91tu6 iA
a veJtb •.. Cong1tu6, come togetheJt. Come
togetheJt with the continent. "
- PeteJt Be.Ilg, 7976
THE NORTH AMERICAN BIOREGIONAL
CONGRESS ( NABC ) IS SCHEDULED TO
BE HELD IN MAY, 1984 IN THE NORTHERN OZARKS. IT WILL
BE THE FIRST MAJOR CONVENING OF THE CONTINENTAL BIOREGIONALIST MOVEMENT AND WILL INCLUDE THOSE WORJ<ING
IN 'GREEN POLITICS' AND FOR SUSTAINABILITY, IN GENERAL,AS WELL AS NATIVE TRIBES AND ORGANIZATIONS.
A HANDS-ON
CONSTRUCTION
WORKSHOP wU:h
an in-depth 1teview 06
it.6 contJt.a-ntow duign
pll.inciptu
SEPT.16-18, 1983
Workshop leader:
Tom Trout
FOR THE EXPERIENCED
AND INEXPERIENCED
SINCE 1981 WHEN A RESOLUTION WAS PASSED BY O.A.C.C.II
ALIKE
(OZARK AREA COMMUNITY CONGRESS) CALLING FOR A NORTH
AMERICAN BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS, INDIVIDUALS AND ORGAN- Thi6 week-end wo1tfuhop
IZATIONS HAVE BEEN WORJ<ING TOWARDS CO-ORDINATING THIS
6e.atWle both a
CONGRESS.
1tev.lew 06 the F.lnn.i.6h
Ma.6onlllj He.ateJt du.lgn
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR ORGANIZATION BECOMING
A CO-SPONSOR FOR THIS CONGRESS OR IF YOU WANT TO PART- M well. M the hand.6on con.6.tlw.ct.ion 06 it
ICIPATE IN CO-ORDINATING THIS CONGRESS, CONTACT:
---at Long Bllanch EnTHE BIOREGIONAL PROJECT/N.A.B.C.
v.i.Jr.onmentai. Education
BOX 129
CenteJt.
DRURY, MO 65638
rwt
--~:::c;;:CCI
P.-.-n--.:::=~-
I.ONG BRANCH
t:N\?IRONMl:NTAl
t:OUCATJON
Cf:NTt:R
Rl'ul.z 2. Box 132
1..ek:es\er. N .C . 28748
INFORMATION
683-3662
PLANET DRUM BOOKS
Planet Drum Foundation is dedicated to the vision
of communities living within the natural cycles and
energy flows of their particular bioregion-in the city
or in the country-as conscious participants in the biosphere. Many people and a growingnumberofcommunities have adopted a bioregional stan~-they
retnhabit their regions, they choose to Uve-inplace and intend to restore and maintain that
place in the planetary web of life.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
We foster and report the bioregional
movement. and relate It to devolution,
Native American issues and dec:entralism
in Raile tlw Stoia, a trl-annual review.
We network amon1 emerpnt bioreg·
Iona I sroups to provide needed information. reference to expertise and contacts with potential memben and other groups.
Planet Drum Foundation memben
set Roi# tlw Stalra.
Planet/ Drum "Bundle1"
and publications from Planet Drum Books. We
respond to requests for information and
contacts. and consider memben as
bioresional correspondents. Membership
also helps support our efforts to achieve recognition for bioregions and create a reinhabitory society.
Yearly Membenldp/115
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We invite you to join the Planet Drum circle.
D S15 regular membership (one year)
Help us help your bioregional ettorts
Name ··- _ _
-~
Addn·'~
(1!\
Zip
BOX 31251 SAN FRANCISCO. CALIFORNIA. 94131 USA
• Rrlnhabiling a Srparatr
Country: A Bloregional Anthol·
OJ.!!/ of Northern California.
editt'<i hy Peter Berg. 220 pages.
E~ay,, natural history, biographies, poem~ and stories re\·ealing Northern Co&lifomia as a di.~
tinct area of the planetary biosphere. SS postpaid.
• Devolutionary Note1 by
Michael Zwerln. 64 pages. A fir~t
hand account or European M>parati~t movements today. S3.50
postpaid.
• Eco-Derf'ntrali.st Dmgn: A 3.
,·olume set including Figura of
Regulation: Guides for Re-Bala ncing Society with Thr Biosphere by Peter Berg; Toward a
Bioregional Model: Clearing
Ground for Watershed Planning
by George Tukel; and Reinhabiting Cities and Towns: Delignlng
for Swtainability by John Todd
with Geori~e Tukel. 98 pages
complete. Critical preliminary
readings for intentional bioregional planning. $10 postpaid.
• Bloreglons: Winter l 981 / 2,
issue 132 or CoEvolution Quar·
terly. Guest edited by Peter Bertt
and Stephanie Mills. 144 pages.
Murra)' Bookchin on social ecology, Jan Morris, Gary Snyder,
and Peter Berg with essays on
de\'olution and the Fourth
World. Jerry Mandt>r. Winona
La Dukt•, \\'t"' Jac-kson and Paul
I la" kt•n art' amon2 othl'f'i "ho
l'ontrih11tt• tu thi' il'.,•1t·. R<·1l<1rt'
on tlw South"t"t. Gre:.11 Plain\.
'1:11rtl1 \\ 11e11k ,111d :\la,k.t in tht•
l ' ~.A. ~4 l''"tpaid
BUNDLES
• Rur l..lm111 Tiie Rm kir\. A \IX·
p.ut l\11ndl1· of l"-\a\·s. p0t•m,.
j1111rnak c·alt·ndar' and prnpmah
ahout tht• fral!ilt Rock' ~toun
tain,. $4 po\lllaid.
PLEASE CUT AND MAIL IN TODAYi .
.
~
- page 16
autam 1983
�ALTERNATJVES
TO ECONOMJCS
SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR BIOREGION IS INTIMATELY BOUNV TO
OUR ABILITY TO RE-CONCEPTUALIZE OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM. WE
AS A CULTURE NEEV JO GET OURSELVES BACK ON AN EVEN KEEL
WITH OUR ENVIRONMENT BY FIGURING OUT HOW TO INTEGRATE
OUR HUMAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM INTO THE WIVER 'PRIMARY ECONOMIC SYSTEM' OF THE BIOSPHERE. RIGHT NOW OUR HUMAN
ECONOMIC SYSTEM IS OPERATING OFF-BALANCE BECAUSE IT
VOES NOT REFLECT THE ACTUAL ENERGY INPUT-OUTPUT THAT
IS OCCURING ANV BECAUSE IT EXTERNALIZES A PORTION OF
ITS BASIC COSTS OUTSIVE OF ITS BUVGETING SYSTEM.
A GOOV TEXT TO REAV ON THIS SUBJECT IS HAZEL HENVERSON'S
THE POLITICS OF THE SOLAR AGE: ALTERNATIVES TO ECONOMICS
(Ancho~ Book'6~, 1981). THIS VERY REAVABLE BOOi<°IS ACTUALLY A TREATISE ON REFORMULATING ECONOMICS --HlXAJ TO SHIFT
"FROM ECONOMIES THAT MAXIMIZE PROVUCTION ANV ARE BASEV
ON NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES, TO ECONOMIES THAT MINIMIZE
WASTE, RECYCLE EVERYTHING, MAXIMIZE RENEWABLE RESOURCES,
ANV ARE MANAGE'O FOR SUSTAINEV-YIELV PROVUCTIVITY".(p. 81
HENVERSON APPROACHES THE QUESTION OF RE-CONCEPTUALIZING
ECONOMICS FROM A PLANETARY PERSPECTIVE, BUT HER "MEASURING STICKS" CAN WORK ON A BIOREGIONAL LEVEL, AS WELL.
FOR OUR BIOREGION, WE CAN BEGIN TO ASK THESE KEY QUESTIONS:
If the economic system in the bioregion is considered to be efficient/beneficial/productive, FOR
WHOM is it efficient/beneficial/productive and OVER
WHAT PERIOD OF TIME is this being judged?
-Since no system is value-free, what are the
VALUES inherent in our EXISTING economic system?
In terms of scale, what is the best scale to
use when the variables of RENEWABLE ENERGY, FULL EMPLOYMENT and ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY are being
considered?
RE-CONCEPTUALIZING ECONOMICS FOR OUR BIOREGION MEANS
THAT WE BEGIN TO KEENLY EXAMINE THE PRACTICES OF OUR
CULTURE TO SEE IF THEY REFLECT OUR TRUE VALUES ANV TO
SEE IF THEY ARE IN SYNCHRONICITY WITH THE WIVER ECOSYSTEM. WE NEEV TO STUVY A WIVE VARIETY OF PRACTICES
INCLUVING: BANKING PRACTICES; BUILVING COVES; FOOVPROVUCTION; TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS; SOIL ANV WATER
CONSERVATION; HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS; RESEARCH SECTOR;
MARKffiNG SYSTEMS; GOVERNMENTAL BUVGET PRIORITIES;
ANV SO ON.
,,
KATUAH WOULO LIKE TO PROVIVE A FORUM FOR THOSE OF
US IN THIS AREA WHO ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTEV IN
RE-CONCEPTUALIZING ECONOMICS FOR OUR AREA. IF YOU
ARE INTERESTEV IN RESEARCHING A SPECIFIC AREA OF
THIS ISSUE OR IN WRITING AN ARTICLE OR IN SHARING
IVEAS, PLEASE LET US KNOOJ.~
- MARNIE MULLER, A..lteJtna;t,lve Econom.i.C.6
,,
EditoJr.
KATUAH, Rt. 2 Box. 132, LeicuteJL, NC
FROM POLITICS OF THE SOLAR AGE:
ALTERNATIVES TO ECONOMICS
Hazel Henderson • • ••••. • • • ••
'
v ..
'
. .
'~ -. ··
'
•.
l!n··
. ff il
~.
"The task for all of us committed to these
social-change movements (human rights, corporate accountability, economic justice, ~onsumer
and environmental protection, holistic health,
appropriate technologies and those promoting
stmple living, personal growth, and greater
awareness of the interdependence of the human
family on this blue planet) is to see that
we a.te. 011e. coa.Lltlort in the larger politics of
reconceptualization . Together we must demystify today's counterfeit priesthood of •puppet•
leaders, and map and align our own energies
with these larger-field forces and the energies
that, in reality, drive our planet: the daily
solar flux, which in turn drives our planetary
weather system; the cycles of oxygen, of nitrogen, and of hydrogen, and the plant photosyntbeais that is our ~ e.collOm.i.c 4114tem•••••••••
• • • we can see ourselves and our diverse socialchange activities as part of a living orchestration, generating larger patterns, out of which
grow new paradigms of knowledge, policy, and
personal behavior.•
• •• For many of us, activities in various movements for social change have helped us understand our own and each other's inner space and
to tap the deeply coded knowledge of the creation. This inner/outer search provides a base
for healing the body politic. Some of us, in
the environmental movement for example, began
with the objective manifestations of human
pathology or, as in my case, with diagnosing
the pathology of economics . Now we are coming
together in a growing coalition with the potential for 'wholing' ourselves 111td recycling our
culture.•
"Farmers have always understood what
sustained-yield productivity means -now we have to teach it to economists."
"When asked for advice by the U.S.State
Department concerning the formulas that
economics might develop, my response was
that the economic method was entirely
inappropriate, since economic models do
not take account of bio-productivity,
the requirement for diversity in ecosystems. the widely differing approaches
to production and consumption in each
culture and value system as lte.60WtCe.6 ••• "
28748
autmJn
1983
f
KA'lUNI - page 17
\
�CONTIMIED FROM PAc.£ 8
(preferably nylon screens) suspended a few
The apple tree, like most of us who call
ourselves American, is not native to the
feet above your wopd stove or oth~r heat
source. The drying usually takes three days
Americas. Some crab apples are an exception,
to a week. During warm, dry weather
but the apple tree actually originated in
(a rarity in the Appalachains) apples can
Persia although it had been cultivated in
Europe for at least 2000 years before it
be sun-dried, but they must be taken inside
every night to protect them from the dew.
was brought to the New World. Despite its
Traditionally, people who were preparing
foreign origins, no tree has contributed
more to America than the apple tree . Besides
apples for the market peeled them to make
the vinegars and tonics , it's given us apple
a more refinerl product. However. this is not
necessar y, especially if the apples have not
jack, apple brandy, apple wine and apple
been sprayed.
cider ; there's apple jelly, apple sauce,
The art of preserving fresh-eating apples
apple butter, apple cake and pie; and
l\'\Cr't-,
nowadays has been relegated to the relm of
don't forget apple leather (broiled and
horticultural science and refrigeration
dried apples), candy apples, baked apples,
engineering. Modern storage houses are vaporscalloped apples, apple grunter and apple crisp
sealed and have massive refrigeration systems
that maintain a constant temperature of 31 F.
and a relative humidity of at least 85% .
However, the-old-time methods of storing
apples are still worth knowing, not only
because they may be of use to those who
might like to store a few bushels of apples
for home use but also because they demonstrate
a creative relationship with the enviornment
app~.
and a sensitivity to nature that is disappearing from our modern world.
Eor· th~ person versed in the art of applestoring, the first thing to consider is the
hase of the moon. As Theron tells it ,"keeping"
apples are best picked on the "down side"
of the moon (yhen it is waning). During this
phase, any bruises that occur will most likely
dry up and not ruin the apple. However, if
you make hard cider or home brew, you'd best
make it during the "comin' up" of the moon,
since things "work" or ferment better as the
on is waxing.
Next you must choose a good keepingapple variety. Winter Johns and HardThere are apple toys like apple-faced
enings are the favorites in our area .
dolls and apple games like bobbing for
The apples are picked carefully, each
apples. Appl e wood is prized wherever
apple lifted upward to snap off the
a hard, fine- gr a ined wood i s called for.
stem. If it is pulled so that the stem
In colonial days, it was used for marips out of the apple , decay can soon
chinery, particularly cogs, wheels and
ruin it. In colonial days two men, a
shuttles. Even the apple tree bark can
picker and a packer, harvested each tree
be used as a vegetable dye to give vivid
with gloved hands . The picker handed
golds and yellows.
two apples at a time down to the packer
Jonathan Chapman, better known as
who carefully laid the apples in straw
Johnny Appleseed, said, " Nothing gives
on a sled. (A sled juggled and bumped
more yet asks less in r eturn than a tree,
less than a wagon or a wheelbarrow.)
particularly the appl e."
When loaded, the sled was skidded over
Whenever you roam the hills and the
hay to the packing cellar.
hollows of the Appalachians and come upon
The apples were then stored in cellars .
an apple tree, stop and look around . You
In Vermont and Connecticut where there
will probably see others as well and
was ready access to quarries, some apple
perhaps some ancient rose bushes, lilacs
cellars actually had marble shelves to
or other cultivated plants. Nearby, you
keep the fruit cold and dry. Sometimes
may see the ruins of an old cabin, perhaps
they even had windmills that operated
no more than the fallen chimney and a
fans inside them to keep the air moving.
depression i n the ground that marks the
Noah Webster recommended packing apples
cellar where many an apple was stored.
in heat-dried sand . Others used grain
Living in the space age, it is difficult
pr dry straw. Sometimes really special
_
for most of us to understand the richness
apples were hung "by their tails" (stems) ~-~ ~- 7 -~
as well as the hardships of that kind of
from the cellar 's rafters. One favorite ~ -:::;../
l lfe. Other than reading a little history,
down-home Appalachian apple sot rehouse
~'=:--:::;-~ - "
listening to the music and the s tories of
is a hollow chestnut stump. It is cleaned
the old-timers, there aren't many ways for
out, lined with dry leaves, filled with
us to get a flavor of the old times-unless
apples, covered with more dry leaves and
it's through the flavor of old-time apples.
some slabs of bark to shed the rain .
Theron has also piled apples on the ground
and then covered them with a thick layer
Voug Elliott iA c.uJrJr.enti.y Uvi.ng i.n
of "loose blade fodder"-dried corn leaves8UIUt6 ville, N. C. • He iA well.-known
tied in bundles. This insulates the apples
i.n :the mounta..LM a.6 an heJLbai.iA:t a.nd
from severe cold, yet allows plenty of
a. hil.alti..olLA i,tolltj:telle.JL. He -l6 :the
air circulation. "They'll keep all winter,"
au:tholl 06 a. book, Root.6: An UndeJr.Theron says.
gJr.Ound Follag eJL' .s GUlde.
'Not~i" ~i'ffll,S
fet
lt7j
a7K7
m rtlur111
pdtrtt.<,tki~ r.!f
,,
tfw;
~
KA1UAH - page 18
autmn 1983
�WHAT IS THE ELEVATION OF THE PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE
WHAT IS THE GEOLOGICAL UNVERPINNINGS OF YOUR PLACE
?
?
HOW WAS IT FORMEV
?
TRACE THE ROUTE OF WATER FLOW FROM YOUR HOUSE TO THE OCEAN - -TRACE THE PATH OF THE ENERGY THAT POWERS YOUR HOME FROM ITS SOURCE TO YOU --FROM WHICH VIRECTIONS ARE THE SEASONAL PREVAILING WINVS IN YOUR AREA
?
NAME SEVEN COMMON TREES IN YOUR AREA --NAME SEVEN COMMON WILV ANIMALS IN YOUR AREA --NAME SEVEN VARIETIES OF BIRVS COMMON TO YOUR AREA - ARE THEY WINTER OR SUMMER
RESIVENTS ?
VO YOU TALK TO TREES
?
PLANTS
?
LIST FIVE CRITICAL ECOLOGICAL ISSUES IN YOUR AREA ---
· ·~ ~;;%;:.
.
~~~I!~~~
WHAT ANV WHERE IS THE CLOSEST NUCLEAR FACILITY TO YOU
?
WHAT ANV WHERE ARE THE LARGE INVUSTRIES NEAR YOU ?
A.) WHAT ARE THEIR WASTE PROVUCTS ? HOW ARE THEY TREATEV ?
8.) VO THEY SELL WITHIN OR OUTSIVE OUR BIOREGION, OR BOTH ?
WHAT IS THE POLICY OF YOUR LOCAL VUMP ON SALVAGE ANV RECYCLING
?
WHAT IS THE STORY BEHINV THE NAME OF YOUR LIVING PLACE ( cove, CJteek, town, etc. ) ?
We woui.d Uk.e yowr. JLupon.6 e and po.6.6-i.ble .6k.e.tchu t.o the tJAJO qu.ution.6
below. Plea.6 e mail. to: Katuah, P.O.Box 873, Cu.Uotdtee, N.C. 28723.
WHAT IS THE TOTEM CREATURE FOR OUR REGION ? ( That -U, the CJtea.twr.e that
by at; wU.qu.enu.6, at; ,impo!Lta.nce to the na:tu.lta.l ecology, oil at; pJLevalence
but expJLU.6U the. .6p.i.Jr1;t 06 owr. aJLea - example.: Pac-i..6-i.c. Nold.hwut - .6a.lmon I
WHAT IS THE TOTEM PLANT FOR OUR REGION
? (
example.: Ozallk. Mou.nta-i..n6 - oak )
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _l_ _ _I
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
......... ,,,.•
A..
.....
I
-=-
I
~ ~
........
11.....
•
lll&P..."llli
....1p•11•u-1. , :"°'.
--
I
I
I
111111.'llll
...........
~-Wmrpml belt representin3 the fonnation of the Il:oquoian League with design meaning "one heart for all the nations. n
--------------------------------------------
autumn 1983
IOOU'AH _ page 19
/
�_Q:O:oo~®.oQ....oc.Qo_~_.o-~.oo-or~
REmIABITATIOO
••• IT IS TI ME TO RETURN HOME . .. TO LI VE AS ~
NATIVE PEOPLES OF THIS AREA, MAKING OUR LIVING BY SKI LL ANV ~
ATTUNEMENT TO THIS PLACE, AJJIARE ANV SENSITIVE TO ITS
CHANGES, LIVING SO ITS CHANGES REALLY MATTER ..• RATHER THAN
LIVING IN ONE PLACE ANV SUPPORTING OURSELVES BY EXPLOITING
J:l
THE RESOURCES OF SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT IS TIME TO ROOT OUR
~
LIVES HERE ••• TO SHARE THI~ PLACE WITH TffE LIVING BEINGS
1--J
WHO SHARE IT WITH US...
~
SUSTAINABILITY
... THE LEVEL AT WHICH A BIOREGION CAN
CONTINUE TO PROVUCE WITH INTEGRITY ... MEETING OUR FOOV, WATER ANV ENERGY VEMANVS FROM WITHIN OUR OWN AREA BY TECHNIQUES APPROPRIATE TO THAT AREA ... SHAPING OUR VE
MANVS TO THE
ABILITY OF OUR REGION TO PROVIVE .•. "LIVING FOR THE SEVENTH
GENERATION OF OUR CHILVREN'S CHILVREN"...
g
JJ:
tl
Li
D
~
P.
••• "A VOMICILE ••• LJALLS OF HILLS OR MOUNTAINS, A
FLOOR OF A RIVER OR A LAKE, A ROOF OF RAINCLOUVS . .. CLOUVS ~ ·
PART WITH RAIN WHICH FALLS ANV EROVES THE WALLS INTO THE
AQUEOUS FLOOR WHICH EVAPORATES BACK INTO THE CLOUV R OF ...
O
THE WATER CIRCLE/CYCLE FORMS A BIO-SPHERE"...
N
(Pe.tell Wa11..6ha.U.)
l'1
WATEBSHED
0
ECOLOGICAL LA/JI OF THE BIOSPHERE AS
~
EXPRESSEV IN THE FORCE OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS - EARTH, WATER, ~
FIRE, ANV AIR - IN MOTION ••• THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THESE
ELEMENTS VEFINEV AS LIFE-FORMS , OF WHICH THE HUMAN SPECIES IS ONLY ONE AMONG MANY .•. GREEN LA/JI: BEAUTIFUL, VISPASSIONATE, INEXORABLE, RUTHLESS, ANV TOTALLY JUST...
~
"GREEN IM"
••• THE
~
••• A COUNCIL MEETING OF THE BIOTIC
~
A GOVERNMENT, BUT ITS NATURAL ALTERNATIVE •••
HERE ALL ARE REPRESENTEV, BE THEY CLOUVS, ROCK, SOIL,
PLANTS , ANIMALS, TREES, OR PEOPLE ... WHERE CONSENSUS IS
SOUGHT ON THE ECOLOGICAL LAJJIS OF THE LANV AS WE REAV THEM
IN THE BIOREGION ANV THE LIFE THAT SURROUNVS US . .. WHERE
THE STEWARVS ANV CARETAVERS OF THE LANV VEVELOP STRATEGIES TO VEFENV AN1J PROTECT THE NATURAL ECOLOGY ANV TO
STRENGTHEN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NATURAL WORLV ...
BIOREX;IOOAL
COMMUNITY ... NOT
~
•• •"ALL THE THINGS OF THE WORLV ARE REAL, MATERIAL THINGS. THE CREATION IS A TRUE, MATERIAL PHENOMENON,
ANV THE CREATION MANIFESTS ITSELF THROUGH REALITY •.. THE
SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE, THEN, IS MANIFEST TO HUMANS AS THE
CREATION .. . (64om the Invoca.tion)
Appalachian Physiographic Provinces
MA? ME.D\TAT\ONS -- c.oNT!NUEO FROM PA•E II
LAND/LIFE/FORMS
WE CAN NEVER COMPREHENV HER, BUT WE CAN KN()il HER. VEEP
IN OUR EVERY CELL, VEEP IN THE SOUL O~ OUR BEING, THERE
CAN AJJIAKEN AN AFFINITY FOR THE LANV SO THAT ONE MOVES
INSTINCTIVELY TO HER RHYTHMS, KNOWS WHERE TO FINV VEER
OR GINSENG, KNOWS WHEN IT WILL RAIN, KNOWS HOW TO
SPEAK TO MOUNTAINS.
••• OUR MOTHER GAIA, THE EARTH, SINGS TO US ••.
IN EVERY PLACE THE SONG IS VIFFERENT: BE IT STEEP, FORESTEV
MOUNTAINS: WIVE, FLAT PLAINS; OR PALM TREE BEACHES ... EACH
EXPRESSION IS UNIQUE ANV REQUIRES A UNIQUE RESPONSE IN THE
THIS IS NATIVENESS. THIS CAN COME FROM GENERATIONS OF
ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, ANV SPIRITUAL LIFE OF THOSE HUMANS
LIVING IN THE SAME AREA, OR IT CAN BE CULTIVATEV BY
WHO ARE LISTENING ... THE PLACE, THE SONG, THE RESPONSE:
~ CONSCIOUSNESS ANV AWARENESS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE
THE BIOREGION...
~ LAN1J ANV HER WAYS ANV HOW WE LIFE OUR VAILY LIVES IN
HER PRESENCE .
BIOREGION
..n... cs-cro.QtrcJLL>®..o~_o:o_p_g_ :o:o::.o..~
a
''THE IDEA OF A BIOREGIONAL IS CULTURAL. IT DEFINES
BOTH A PLACE AND ADAPTIVE IDEAS ABOUT LIVING IN THAT
PLACE," SAYS PETER BERG OF THE PLANET DRUM FOUNDATION.
THE BIOREGION, AS WELL AS BEIN D
G EFINED B THE LAY OF
Y
THE LAND AND THE FORCE-FLOWS OF THE ELEMENTS, IS ALSO
IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF ITS PEOPLE.
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THOSE WHO LOOK TO THE MOUNTAINS TO SEE BEAUTY, THOSE WHO LOOK TO THE MOUNTAINS
FOR STRENGTH AND INSPIRATION, THOSE WHO DEFINE THEMSELVES IN THE MOUNTAINS' TERMS ARE ALL RIGHT THERE IN
THE MOUNTAIN BIOREGION.
THE BIOREGION DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ORGANIZED OR PROCLAIMED. IT IS ALREADY THERE, WAITING FOR US TO DISCOVER IT. IT IS A PROCESS BEGUN LONG AGO, WAITING
ONLY FOR US TO PLUNGE INTO ITS STREAM.
,P'
autum 1983
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FOR TH E I DEAS AND INFoRMATioN !.!il.:!;!: 1!¥.!!m;::~:~~
ABOUT BIOREGIONAL CONSCIENCE
ll{17:~;;tt;.1~~u~~tl~!~~:1
•t1•·-r1 Jt--ffll.,... -~.
THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BRING
~·!!ll~·1r~:rr~:.:.:!r:l:.~
FORTH IN KATt1AH TO BE SPREAD
~tfu~~j~;~:filf.4il~!fJ
FAR AND WIDE WITHIN THE REG:Ujtilf~JHl~~riE~:~}).!.j~
ION, WE NEED THE JOURNAL TO
~iif,lt;1m=.-1~~~-ni';tr.~1J
..... (1:•·l- ·-··l~:·.hl ...~
REACH AS WIDE A GROUP OF PEO- ~:.m!u;~~)jmi!;h.!.:::.i.:.;:
~ ... .!~~m1 1 !L!;!a:!:Cct:\r1
PLE AS POSSIBLE.
:!r.:;!;:t!,~:i~1!~!J·~~~rn~!•
: •r···~t"·J··~1~· , ... ,r
SEEKING THE ,;,~-ur.-·:li:ta :7!,Ji;~.!r~~
TO THIS END WE ARE
·
1 ~:~:;n...:....!-:;,·1:1t':;i.;;
SUPPORT OF OUR READERS IN DE- :~..t-~~:ti!:\!~j!~~!llj~?5i
VELOPING A REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. IF YOU ARE INTER-mi.=ifoil~Bi:"..;~~~::
··· ··:t··-:::?l!~!f~:S.~t·
1
h;!§nil~filH;~ilii'!lli-
ESTED IN HELPING TO DISTRIBUTE
THIS JOURNAL IN YOUR AREA
,
BY
ILLING
PLEASE CONTACT us
F
... ,,..,·,,.,f, ..oi
r..:.F.f!i':!a-r• OUT T HE FORM BELOr.T
'".
· · ....... ·
:w.~~:~m;r.i.lli:!..~tn~:=
~m!;as;.·?~..!<~~:i !;-~hi
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...::,n,-.:--
[r.··f·'·ft~··· 1 c .......n . 1lt
':i;.~.{!i .• 1.~:.::~r~-:!~~
DISTRIBUTORS CONTRACT TO BUY THE JOURN~L AT THE
WHOLESALE PRICE. ALSO FOR EVERY 20 COPIES OF THE
JOURNAL THAT THEY SELL, DISTRIBUTORS GET ONE COPY
FREE TO SELL OR KEEP.
;t;j;
~.
~m·
1.?J
.. ,.
~ii
~-
THIS INCENTIVE IS TO ENCOURAGE DIRECT DISTRIBUTION :irt~
BECAUSE, AS WELL AS BEING A MEDIA COMMUNICATION,
THE JOURNAL IS A "TALKING TOOL" TO HELP INITIATE
DIALOGUE. IN FACT, IT WORKS BEST THAT WAY. THE
~~
STRONGEST CONNECTIONS ARE FACE-TO-FACE AND HEART- :J.::~j
fiiEl
;rn
···TO-HEART. PLAIN WORDS CARRY A STRONG MEANING THEN· ~ll!
PERHAPS YOU FEEL THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE
ABOUT KATUAH AND THE BIOREGIONAL IDEA IN GENERAL
so AS TO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE DIALOGUING AND
FIELDING QUESTIONS FROM YOUR NEIGHBORS OR PEOPLE
ON THE STREET.
THIS IS WHY WE PROPOSE LOCAL MEETING GROUPS. THESE
ARE GROUPS OF PEOPLE IN EACH COUNTY OR CITY WHO
MEET TO TALK ABOUT BIOREGIONAL ISSUES IN GENERAL,
AND TO STUDY THEIR LOCAL HABITAT, IN PARTICULAR.
THEY GATHER STORIES OF UNIQUE PEOPLE AND PLACES IN
THEIR AREA AND SEND THEM TO THE JOURNAL. THEY
COALESCE INTO AN AFFINITY/ACTION GROUP IN CASE OF
AN ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY.
THIS IS WHY THERE ARE ONLY I MEMBERS' AND NO I SUBSCRIBERS. TO KATUAH. THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR
THIS JOURNAL WILLHOPEFULLY GROW INTO A PROCESS A DYNAMIC PROCESS OF INTERACTION, OPENING, AND
CHANGING ON ALL SIDES THAT WILL FOSTER A GROWING
AWARENESS OF WHAT Is AT STAKE FOR OUR LIVES AND THE
LAND IN THE DAYS TO COME INTERESTED? WRITE US, AND WE'LL EXPLAIN THE DISTRIBUTION PROCEDURE AND HOOK YOU UP WITH OTHERS
NEAR YOU WHO WANT TO GET INVOLVED. THESE ARE THE
TIMES!
U1.{
#
•
#
~-' about KA""·~Ah and a u.<..uueJtulA. uny
-': ', A~.,.
~
0,
0
loofU.liln a:t and Uv,lng wl:t.h theliind, they might al.-60 C1VVr..IJ
·~
h
nO
a c.ameJul and maybe a. .6maU ta.pe /[.eC'.oltdeJt. At:, t: ey .tlr.a.v~,
they .talk wlth people about Ka..tU.a.h, note thw JtUpon.6U,
and pellha.p-6 take thU!t p.i.c.tu.11.e. Fii.om t/W, ,lnteJr.c.hange
c.omu mateJLial.. 60/[. the next .U.6ue 06 the j 0wr.na.l. -- the
c.a.nclld though.t.6 and 6ee.li.ng.6 06 oUJr. ne-i.ghboJUi .
... ""he -v'LU. ~-v ..... "OV"" """"~-vAo,,,.~ ~ -v.. ""he ,...,"""- '\A.In ""'d agni"', .o\.l'i
.. ,... +e "":-e ~·
""L.elj
tW ""........,,
leaJLn the te.Jr.JIJU.n. They Lind .6topning "'""c.u: .the homu
06 new 61Llend6 wheJte they ft.ind a :;;;i.C'.c:;- whetheJr. 6Ji.om
old mountai.n 6olk.6, new age homuteade.JU,, 0/[. .60cia.l.
o.ct.lv.Uu Uv.ing ,ln a ~ a""'""'"... ent.
,,;-1-..
~...,..,,,
The ,,;,.A .. : .,. ,,.;d,, .. /··~01..,,,.~ IM.Q\...
..J:.,.,OV"" n""' mou~""ni .....:0.1_
~...., ..~ .....
'""-1',-v ....
,IA._... ~
0 An-'· nnd 6 ;.,.d "Ov"• "nd .. idgn• .,.L.A.,. •oon be"ome 0°-'
u.o """
"""'' '- ~ ""'
~ ""-nuA... ""
'-'.
Ao
• : .,. ""h
·
LJLle.nu.o. The Vta.v~M.6 J[.e.tuJul to V;(..6-v\.. ""- em '\.,. :- and aga..ut.
A,111e
o
Pe!Lha.fl6 they w.ill be 91Llded onto l.lttte-U.6ed tJw.il..6 that
they Vi.ample down and wlden by thw c.ontinued pa.6.611gU
.60 that t:hey }[.ema.in M r.ooi.fUng }[.OutU 60/[. othell.6 to 60.U.Ow
on thw own joUJr.netj.6 ,ln lateJr. ti.mu when people w.iU
enjoy r.ooi.ki..ng to the,Vr. du.ti.na.ti.on-6.
V.UVUbu:ti.ng KatUo.h c.ould be a new uny to .6ee OWl land
and heJL. people ClMe up.
AnotheJr. .6C'.ene: A 6am-U.y ta.ku Ka:t&.a.h to the c.ornrnunay
At:,
t hey CJVVr..y t he.
WO'W
0
'V ..
.(..U.
'V..
""""
.(..U..
'V\..
potlllc.k and .6eU up a ta.bte to hell. the joWtniJ..l to the.ilt
61Llend6 and ne,ighboJUi. "HeJte, ta.ke a. look. 16 you like U,
you c.a.n. butj .lt. )U.6t don, t .6p.i.U a.ny o6 tha:t g1U1vy on a,
now. Tell. me what you th..i.nk."
::µ:
~~
Olt p.i.dWte th,U,: The .60und 06 dlr.wn6 WU OVVl the bU.6tte
and din 06 the mountain 6a.ilt OJ[. CJLa6t .6how. People W.6t
ii~.~-_: OVeJt to a b!Li.gh:tty C'.Olo}[.ed booth ba.c.ked by a l<Vtge map 06
-··
the Ka,tilah mountai.n Me.a. TheJte they jo,ln people al.Jr.eady
i~~ da.nc..ing to the ciJw.m6 and c.hanting vo,lc.u, "Ka-tu-ah.
*~ Ka-tu-ah. II The .6ound6 JtLLn up and down thw .6p.i.nu,
~ij~; M.ng,lng deeply, open-ing .6e.cJLet pla.c.u c.lo.6ed by c.en.tWLiu
~ht: o6 c..i.v.illza:t..Um.
Hii±~ Then the mU-6,l('. -6.top.6 and .6omeone .6pe.a.k.6 b1Lle6ly .06 a bio~nm 11.eg,lonal 6u.tUJr.e ,ln KatJ.a.h. Thvr.e Me quu.tion-6 and an.6we!L6,
~·f\'{f. and .6ome n_innau'..nu Me .6old. The mU-6.lc. c.ontinuu. A .6eed
:..~!·-·!,n.
-:i
d -·--' b ·
.,.
_ • 06 ®Wi.enU.6 and c.omrrun.lttJ .U pla.nte u.na eg-<..n-6 "-o g}[.ow.
t~·~
~ij~ AnotheJr. ..<.de.a: Young people U.6ed to peddle nW6papeJL6 on
~&T ,,;-1-,, .6:t.1Leet.6 to make a Li.;t;Ue ex.tlul money. Tho.6e da.tj.6 may
f.!t~ b;bac.k, but now U' .6 .in the wl.de c.oMA..doJUi 06 hhopping
i:E~ rnali.li, a:t the c..i.v,lc. c.enteJt on c.onc.eJtt rr-ight, 0/[. maybe a:t
H~ a c.oun:tluj da.nc.e. 16 you know .60me !fOung 60.t.k.6 tha-t would
j~!?. .Uke to make ~ome money 6oJt them6e1.vu, Ka:tUa.h wil.t .6upply
~~~g the mga.z.i.nu.
!"(•--·
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t1~.•~!>.1.,,~., ,.,,~!~r!E!i:·~ ,· ···;J"····,~l.fl·,,,, .:.:!..!J. ····,···.' ·.!~:;! ......:.,.. !H.~ •• ,.......J ......, ',,· •!ll~•• ·;tr.. , , ......
....
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":!.
YES, I AM INTERESTED IN FINqING OUT
.:-cm.~~:
MORE ABOUT DISTRIBUTING KATUAH. I
·•·r··~~,1
UNDERSTAND THAT I CAN RECEIVE COPIES
•:,:-~:~.o.:
OF KATUAH AT THE WHOLESALE PRICE OF
r-Jfu-t~'.
$1.10 AND CAN SELL THEM AT THE RETAIL {~¥~ki~
PRICE OF $1. 50. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT .;!:m;i~
NO PAYMENT IS DUE UNTIL THE COPIES ARE r:.u··:t:~
i~~h!~
SOLD •
''-''·~~~:::.
:.r;,m::iii
PHONE--------
~
RETURN TO:
KATUAH
P.O.BOX 873
CULLOWHEE,NC 2 8 7 2 3
KMUAl:I - page 22
autmn 1983
�WMATTO 8JUN<t t
SCHEPULE:
10 - 12:30 - Discussion of bi oregional
concerns, issues, and directions for
future gr owth
12 : 30 - 2:00 - POT-LUCK LUNCH
2:00 - 5:00 - Tradin', pl ayin ', socializin ' , and interest group meetings
-Covered dish and utensils for the
whole family
-Items for trade , barter, sale (plant s,
craft s , produce, canned goods)
-Information to share : issues, topics ,
interesting folks , organization
bioregional happenings
-Hope , good humor, and ideal ism
OCTOBER 29
at DEEP CREEK CAMPGROUND
GREAT SMOKY MTN . NATIONAL PARK
Driving : Go to Bryson City, N.C. and follow signs
to " ~ ep Creek Campgrounds"
EVERYONE WELCOME!
For more information , contact:
paqe 23
�ISSUE
NO . l
AUTUMN
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1983
mmmooomnunoog
I
1n the beginning, we we/le told that t he human
being.6 that IAXli.h.. abou..t on :the Ecvvth have been
g
pMvided with all the thing.6 nec.Ul>aJl.y f,011.. li6e ..E!
We we/le ..i.n.6.tJw.eted to C'.aJl.ll..y a love. f,011.. one.
~
arto.thell, and to l>how a 11..upeet f,011. all the be- g
ing.6 of, thl.6 EaM:h. We aJi.e L>hown that ouJL li6e ~
exi-6.t.6 with the .tll.ee Uf,e, -that oWt we.U-being ~
depe.nd.6 on the wei...t-being of, :the. vegetable.
g
Uf,e, that we. a11.e. the. c1.o.6e. 11.e.f.ativu of, the.
~
6oWt-legged being.6. In OW!. VXJ.lj.6, .6p,i.Jt,(;twi£
~
c.on.6eioU.6nU.6 i.6 the. highut f,oJun of, poUt-i.c6 .
g
OW!..6 i.6 a v.xi.y of, Uf,e. . We. believe. that all
Uving thing.6 aJl.e. .6 pi!U:tua..f. be.ing.6 . S pVU;t-6
~ c.an be exp11.u.6ed M e.nellgy f,Oll.1116 manif,uted
i= ,(.n mat.tell. A biade ofi gJt.aM i.6 an ene11.gy f,011..m
manif,ute.d in rna:ltell - gJt.aM m
atte.11... The
~ .6 pilU:t 0 6 the gll..a.6.6 ,(A that U.n.6 een f,011.c.e whic.h
f3 p11.odl.1.c.u the. .6 peciu ofi gll.M .6 , and it i.6
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~ U.6 :thMu.gh 11..e.af.it.y. Th e. .6 p,i.Jt,(;tual u.nivelll> e.,
o then, i.6 man-i.Lu t t o man M the. Cll..eation, the
~ Cll..eation wh..i..c.h i,u.ppoJtt.6 Li6e. . We believe that
e man i.6 11..ea.l, a paJtt o6 C11..e.at.lo n, and that
g hi.6 du..ty i.6 to .t>u.ppoll.:t Uf,e. in c.onju.netion
with o.t:heJr. be.inQ' •
Oo
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who
v.xi..f.k abou..t on the Ea.11.:th a.11.e to e.xp11.u.6 a
g11.e.at 11.upe.et, and a6f,e.etion, and a g.Jta.t..ltu.de
toVXJ.Jt.d all the .t>p.i.Jr.i,t.6 wh.i..c.h c.11.e.ate. and .6u.ppoll.:t Uf,e. . We give. a g11..eeting and a tha.nkl>giving to the many .6u.ppoll.:tell.6 of, ou.11.. own Uvu the c.011..n, the. bean.6, :the .t>qu.a..6h, :the wind.6,
.the i,u.n. When people c.eMe :to 11.upe.et and explle.6.6 glLD.t:-i;tude f, 011. :thue many :thing.6, then
all Uf,e. wlU be dutll.oyed, and human Uf,e
on thi.6 pl.a.net will. c.ome to an end.
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we have a g.11.e.at love 6011. ou.11. c.ou.n:tll.y, f,011. ou.11.
e fWtthpl.a.c.e i.6 the/le . The. .6oil i.6 11..ic.h f,11.0m :the.
g bonu of, thou.L>and.6 of, ou.11. g.e.nellation.6. Eac.h 06
~ U.6 VXJ..6 c.11.e.ate.d in :tho.6 e .f.a.nd.6, and i:t AA Ou.IL
~ dl.1.ty to take. c.a11.e. of, them, bec.a.u.L>e 611.om thue.
g
dl.1.ty to take. g.11.e.at c.a.11.e. o6 them, be.c.a.u.L> e. 611.om
I ~~~~e.~~~~~ri11!e.t~~~~~~f~~~~
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address of the Hau De No Sau Nee
to the western world (presented
to the United Nations, Conference
of Non-governmental Organizations;
Geneva, Switzerland, 1977)
9
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"The land is sacred," the Indians told the European ool onists.
It is only in this generation, un:ier the threat of nmaway uraniml,
runaway in:iustrialization, and the ravages of EX>isol'OlS sprays am
waste-EX>llutants that we are CDning to realize the true depth and
meaning of these words. Now we have rediscovered the web of life,
called "the ecology" am the spirit of the lam, "the envirorment."
cnly now, alm::lst 500 years after Colurbls, refugees fran the invading irdustrial society are anbarking on amther voyage of exploration into the New World. We are looking at the lam with new eyes to
fin:i space, subsistence, am meaning for our lives. Ia:>king arourXi,
we see a different world, alive and p.tlsating, a spiritual being.
OUr planet seen in this way, we call GAI A. a living organism with a
will and an intelligence of her own. She dances to her own time,
and it is to our own peril i f we do oot follow her lead.
'lhe ancient name of this continent we inhabit is TURTLE 1SLANV.
0
"Turtle Island - the old/ new name for the continent based
on many creation myths of the people who have been living
here for rnillenia, and rea.pplied by sane of than to "North
.America" in recent years. Also, ari idea fourxi world-wide,
o f the earth, or the cosnos even, sustained by a great
turtle or serpent-of-eternity.
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name: that we may see ourse lves 11Dre accurately on this
continent of watersheds and life-camnmities - plant zones,
piysiograpri.c provinces, culture areas; following nat\Jral
boundaries. 'lhe "U.S.A"and its states and oounties are arbitrary and inaccurate inp::>sitions on what is really here."
- Gary Snyder
A
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speak of the world 11Dre accurately, to speak of the world that is
really here instead of the arbitrary ploitical boun3aries, we speak
of BIOREG!ONS.
TO
0
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autum 1983
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians,</em> Issue 1, Autumn 1983
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Apples--Varieties--North Carolina, Western
Apples--Storage
Traditional Farming--United States--Appalachian Region, Southern
Alternative agriculture--Appalachian Region, Southern
Permaculture--Appalachian Region, Southern
Animals--Folklore
Appalachians (People)--History
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Description
An account of the resource
The first issue of <em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, published in the fall of 1983, sets the platform of the publication which expresses and overall tone of respect and stewardship of the land and all life in it. Topics in this issue include Katúah and its meaning, the world as bioregions, the migration of Ulster Scots to North Carolina, and sustainable practices. Authors and artists in this issue include: Chuck Marsh, Thomas Rain Crowe, Sam Gray, Curtis Wood, Tyler Blethen, Snow Bear, Doug Elliott, George Ellison, and Marnie Muller.<br /><br />Beginning with Issue 19, Spring 1988, the journal title was shortened to <em>Katúah Journal</em>. The journal was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. <br /><br />
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Bioregions: "The Trail to Home".......1<br /><br />From Ulster to Carolina : <br />(The Scotch-Irish Migration to N. Carolina).......3<br /><br />Permaculture Practices.......4 <br /><br />Moshka & Lakima : A Story By Snow Bear.......6 <br /><br />Old Time Apples.......8 <br /><br />Poetry : "Wind Rose" by George Ellison.......9 <br /><br />Map Meditations : The Katuah Bioregion.......10 <br /><br />Mountain Guides : A Resource Bibliography.......12<br /><br />Bioregional Congresses.......14<br /><br />Alternatives to Economics.......17 <br /><br />Finding Katuah : A Bioregional Questionnaire.......22 <br /><br />Fall Calendar........21 <br /><br />Creative Distribution.......22<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Agriculture
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Bioregional Definitions
Economic Alternatives
European Immigration
Geography
Glossaries
Katúah
Permaculture
Poems
Reading Resources
Stories
Turtle Island
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/3e9189ae1600329a1984e9503b662c4a.pdf
c04c06016795d378da7269be5fab0d52
PDF Text
Text
���������������������������������
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, Issue 5, Autumn 1984
Description
An account of the resource
The fifth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on topics such as Cherokee sculptor John Wilnoty, Celtic heritage, issues surrounding protecting wilderness areas, and ginseng's role in the mountains. Authors and artists in this issue include: Barbara Reimensnyder, Barbara Singer, John Wilnoty (Wilnota), Phillip Daughtry, Thomas Rain Crowe, Robert Zahner, Marnie Muller, Robbie Gordon, and Chuck Marsh. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1984
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
<p>Harvest.......1</p>
<p>Cherokee: The Old Days, The Old Ways.......3</p>
<p>The Work of John Wilnoty.......4<br /><br />Our Celtic Heritage.......6</p>
<p>The New Celt by Philip Daughtry.......7</p>
<p>"You Must Go Home Again" by Thomas Rain Crowe.......8</p>
<p>Wilderness, Appalachian Style Part III by Robert Zahner.......10<br /><br />Nuclear Waste in Our Mountains?.......13<br /><br />The Politics of Participation by Marnie Muller.......14<br /><br />Good Medicine "The Healing Darkness".......18<br /><br />Ginseng.......19<br /><br />Mountain Agriculture: a series by Chuck Marsh.......20<br /><br />Bioregionalism: Past, Present, Future by J. Linn Mackey.......22<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em></p>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cherokee art
Cherokee Indians--History
Forest management--Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachians (People)--History
Radioactive waste disposal--Appalachian Region, Southern
American ginseng--Appalachian Region
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Agriculture
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Cherokees
European Immigration
Forest History
Forest Issues
Good Medicine
Katúah
Permaculture
Plants and Herbs
Poems
Politics
Radioactive Waste
Stories
Turtle Island
Wilderness
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/4d450fedff98db51d827ad2d6b6eb05e.pdf
17a990be6fc8c33627511b8f4ccfd428
PDF Text
Text
�������������������������������������
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
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1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
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English
Type
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Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, Issue 7, Spring 1985
Description
An account of the resource
The seventh issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on the culture of economics and work. This issue features an essay on economy by poet, novelist, and environmentalist Wendell Berry. Other authors and artists in this issue include: Donna Obrecht, Elizabeth Squire, Becky Wellborn, Sparrel Wood, Mark Friedrich, Rick Murray, Thomas Rain Crowe, Chip Smith, C. B. Squire, Robert Penn Warren, Barbara Reimensnyder, and Michael Hockaday. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1985
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Looking to the Future.......1<br /><br />Sustainable Economics.......1<br /><br />The Great Economy by Wendell Berry.......3<br /><br />Native Village Economy.......4<br /><br />Hot Springs.......5<br /><br />Worker-Ownership.......6<br /><br />Busy Needle.......7<br /><br />Working in the Web of Life.......8<br /><br />Spring Creek.......12<br /><br />Self-Help Credit Union.......13<br /><br />Responsible Investing.......15<br /><br />Madison County.......16<br /><br />Wild Turkey.......18<br /><br />Update: Forest Service Plan.......20<br /><br />Nuclear Waste Update.......22<br /><br />The Gift Economy.......23<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Regional economics
Sustainable development--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cooperative societies--North Carolina, Western
Barter--Appalachian Region, Southern
Investments--Moral and ethical aspects
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Book Reviews
Children's Page
Economic Alternatives
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Glossaries
Good Medicine
Habitat
Hunting
Katúah
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Turtle Island
Villages
Wilderness
Women's Issues
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/962957d2fbc58ba3d1a81a382fb3c3bc.pdf
cc384e642678c5ef0ae41167bc6ca93f
PDF Text
Text
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, Issue 8, Summer 1985
Description
An account of the resource
The eighth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on the theme of celebration of life and community. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Dan Pittillo, Bill Oldham, Hilda Downer, Donna Obrecht, Barbara Reimensnyder, B.J. Bach, Jay Wentworth, Lowell Hayes, and Thomas Rain Crowe. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1985
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
<p>Celebration: Way of Life.......1<br /><br />Katúah 18,000 Years Ago.......3<br /><br />Poetry by Hilda Downer.......6<br /><br />Cherokee Heritage Center.......7<br /><br />Farmers Ball.......9<br /><br />Celebrating Folk Arts in the Schools.......10<br /><br />The Simple Tools of Healing.......12<br /><br />Paintings by Lowell Hayes<br />Poetry by Jay Wentworth.......13<br /><br />Good Medicine: "Summer Solstice".......14<br /><br />Sacred Sites Project.......15<br /><br />Sun Cycle, Moon Cycle (Centerfold).......16<br /><br />Wild Turkey Part 2.......18<br /><br />Natural News Update.......20<br /><br />A Children's Page.......23<br /><br />Reviews: Minstral of the Appalachians<br /> Who Owns Appalachia?.......24<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em></p>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cherokee art
Turkey Hunting--North Carolina, Western
Folklore and education--North Carolina, Western
Cherokee Indians--History
Appalachians (People)--History
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Children's Page
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Geography
Good Medicine
Habitat
Health
Hunting
Katúah
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Sacred Sites
Turtle Island
Water Quality
Wilderness
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/b43bdfc4e48d9084d720074c3f532000.pdf
f6e1b33862bc826e4229a0a73d43e38b
PDF Text
Text
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PubU6he.d Qu.o.JLt.eJtl.Jj
l.6.6ue. IX
Fall, 1985
�'--
CONTENTS
THE WALDEE FOREST .......................... I
THE TREES SPEAK. ... .......................... . 3
MIGRATING FOR~TS .. ......................... 4
"HOG KILLING SATURDAY" - A POEM ......... 6
HORSE LOGGING ................................ 7
THE NUCLEAR SUPPOSITORY:
WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT! .... .. ....... 8
GOOD 'MEDICINE .............................. . 10
STARTING A TREE CROP ............ . ......... II
NATUBAL WORLD NEWS ....................... 12
URB.AN TREES .................................. 15
ACORN BREAD ................................ . 19
MYTHnID .................................... 20
THE CHILDREN'S PAGE ...................... .. 27
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�!Jf;,, laid- his hand 'f"lt tk tr~: ~ ~ Jzad, Ju
'7un so s~ and ~ ~;f & _fut mu:l -/Jzxmreya;vqU
.1~ and tiz£ ~!fit;
n4iilzv a:s
_fa~ nor a:J" ~; it wa:s ik
~lrb_f &
liP1::f -kw ii-45-
A WALK IN THE
WALDEE FOREST
Near the top of Cowee Mountbir. in
Macon coun ty ju&t below the national
forest boundary, hes an 150 acre
tract of forested mountain slopes that
is a living testament to the life ~d
work of a pair of reJ11arkablc people .
oee Leather111c1n Smith ii' the fourth
generation of her family lo Jive on
the family homcsite. Her husbantl,
Walton, is a forester of 35 years '
rxrerience ~ith thP U. S . Forest
Ser~ice, anc !6 010re year6 a6 Q
private consultant . In tl.ejr 47 years
n1ana9in9 the property, they have
realized a vi&ion of what a fJroduclive, habitable, ecologically
l·t!althy section of the Appalachian
forest could look like.
There is " small SaW!!'i 11 on the
plo<"f ar.c ~od- ..orlting shops that can
turn tr<:cs ir.to saleable, finiEhec
wood products nght there on the land.
There are ale;o bec•hives, a trout 1>0nd,
< Email garden plot, and o greenhouse,
r.u t c.n l»<cursioro irto the Walcee
Forest is fitl:'t clllC !Otl'r•CSL d jovrney
1rot<• a livir.•J n.<eodel o: tlie prir.t·i ples
of all-aye, all-species forest manage~' nt: a n1.ir111qer1ent plan <ippropriate lo
tlat. l'articul<1r c·onditions oC the
;.ppalachum hatdwood (orPSl. The key
a• tt.i~ tt>chnique, accor<.inc; to Walton
~:r.ith , is an (!t(·hasis oi• st>lecti"e
I ir•l".rr hcorVN•t inc;:.
We waHea tllf" lano ~·itl> OPl• and
Wallor. one cl<1y , .ind he Sl•OkE' first
a~out the histor) of tlw place .
"['e<0 • c l;re,.t-src.ndratt>nts <"co~IC
I•.-:• ~ot•I. .. 1 CJ ! (•• <,ol<" . Tiwy \<<ci to«pp<dr.tE-cJ "l ll 1o t , SC.> lhC) tlirneo
:o sol'letl lr.y tl1<:y kr....,., olld tlidt ...~
f,1rni119 .
"\;l1H I lol1)' Ci.lit•(: t<:ll, thif. l.lnd
, .... s t.l'Vt it<l J..y v1r<,ir forest. Thf're
·n•tt poi, 1111 t t!'<'s ar.<.! otli111 ~.recies,
0
K.n{AH - page l
but largely it was a mature
chestnut trees, 3-6 feet in
gro.. ing closely and forming
so dense that nothing could
btand of
diameter,
a canopy
grow under
try one thing, and if it doesn't work,
I try something else. I've concluded
that what I want is a mixed, all-age
stand, meaning a diverse variety of
lt .
tree species o! all ages froa1
"Chestnut w4s not then considered
desirable as a timber tree, and these
people were farmers, so they had to
clear the land, and grub out the
stumps , because chestnut sprouts
profusely . To them, the forest of
great trees was seen only as a
detriment to their way of life.
"As they began to till the land,
they built stone terraces to make
snall areas of level land to raise
crops . They raised small patches of
corn, sorghum, and buckwheat; apples
on the slopes; and free-ranged cattle,
geese , h09s, and sheep for wool. It
wos a l1ard way of life.
seedlings to large, mature trees
growing t09ether .
"It will take tin.a to achieve
this, because l started out with an
even-aged stand, but now there is a
variety of trees here--poplar, maple,
hickory, oak, white pine, ash, walnut,
an uoderstory of doqwood--and I will
pick my select trees and thin around
them, sOllle from below and some from
above.
"What I hope to get 80 years from
now is trees of all ages, all species,
and all size classes and ll>OVe strictly
into selective, uneven-aged forest
management. This is the start of it.•
Walton led us up the road. It was
a hot day, but the woods were cool and
green--a pleasant place to be. We
stopped in a grove composed primarily
of tall, straight poplar trees.
"The poplars on this five acre
tract are 50-60 years old now. They
have been thinned fro111 below," Walton
explained. "We picked out our best
trees and took 5 cords per acre of the
rest. This freed up those high quality
trees so they could get ample soil
n.oisture and a certain a!':ount of sunli9ht to keep putting on n1aximur::
9rowth.
"We dicn't take out anythir.g we
didn 't need to. We leave theGt.> understory trees--these d09woods, thi~ red
ciaple--for 'nurse trees.' They "1<t~t.'
the poplars gro~. shed their lower
limbs, and ihoot straight for the sky.
Those bi c, t l"t:'l.'S have de-1 in•bc-c. them-
:..:--~
•1•0 like to show you this place
arod some of the things we're doing
t:f'rf' ." Wal ton set out up a srr.al 1
IO<Jgins ioocl ~i th a stride that denied
hi5 7~ yo~tt of age .
"MC..t>t ,,r my forest iG expriP1er·tal, • he raid ovet hi1> s!.ouloer . "I
(continued on p. 22)
Fsll
198~
�.( 2!2·,1.·.
·!1·
1
·,·
. ...
Il il#ll(lll 1\QP1114tmnt10....,_
.
EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE:
David Reed
Scott Bird
Ba r bara Rein•ensnydE r
Richard Ciccarelli
Chip Smith
Thomas Rain Crowe
Sarah Jane Thomas
J . Linn Mackey
Martha Tree
Michael Red Fox
David Wheeler
Marnie Muller
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Korey Goldsmith
Cindy Kiger
Joe Roberts
Weogo
Mark Yancey
EDITORIAL OFFICE THIS ISSUE:
Long Branch Environmental
Education Center
Leicester, NC
PRINTED BY:
CORRESPONDENCE TO:
Sylva Herald
Katiiah
Publishing Co.
llox 873
Cullowhee, NC
Sylva, NC
28783
TELEPHONE: (704) 252-9167
Special thanks to Tom Schulz, Larry Tucker,
and Sparrel Wood
~: Great poplar and chestnut trees photographed at
the turn of the century by the Whiting Lumber Co. to
impress their stockholders with the wealth of timber
available in the Appalachian forestlands. Fortunately,
the trees pictured here escaped the saws, and the two
poplars in the center may still be viewed in the Joyce
Kilmer Memorial Forest area in the Snowbird Mountains
of Graham County, NC .
,, ~
()
He.ite. .&t .the. 6ordhe.itn-mo6.t he..a..ir..U.and 06 .the.
Appa.la.clUan moun.ta.ln.6, .the. oldu.t mowi.tiLln Mnge.
on oWt con.t.&te.n.t, T!J.4.tle. l6lo.n.d, a 6ma.U but gMw~ .9-:-0"P ha6 be.g~n ~ ~e. on a 6en.t.e. 06 .llUpon6-<.b.U.Uy 60.ll .the. .(.1"pU.c.a..ti.on6 06 .tha..t 9e.09M.ph.i..c.a.t
and c.u.Uwutl. heJl.Uage.. Thi..6 6en.t.e. 06 .lle.6pon.6i.bil..lt.y
ce.n.te.lt6 on .the. concept 06 Uv..<.ng wlth.&t the. na.tu..llal.
11.c.a.l.e. a.nd balance. 06 un.lvvwa.l 6yi..te.m6 and l.a.w6.
We. be.g.&i by .&ivolWtg ~he. Che.itoke.e. name. "Ka.tii..o.h" 46
.the. old/ne.w name. 60.ll .thiA a.Ile.a 06 the. mo~ and
6O.ll .(,u j OU.llnttl 46 we..ll.
The. e.d-U.o!WJ.1. plt,(.oll.U:A.u 60.ll 146 a.11.e. .to coUe.et and
d.i66e.m.i.na.te. in6oltllla.tWn and e.ne.itgy whlc.h pe.Jt.ta.in6
"pecl6.<.ca.lty .to .thiA a11.e.a, and .to 604.teJt the. ai.ooJt.e.ne.66 .tha..t .the. l.a.nd .iA a Uv..<.ng be..&tg du e.itv.lng o 6 oWt
l.Dve. and .lle.6pe.et. U.ving bt .thiA manne.it .U. .the. onl.4j
Ull.Y .to e.Jtl>Wte .the 6146.ta..i.nabili..tll o ~ OU.ll b.io6phe.ite and
a l.a.6.t.&tg p(.!tce. 6011. oWt4e.lvu .<.n .<,u c.o~ e.vo!.Li.U.orwty plt.OCe.64.
We. "e.em .to have. JU>Ache.d .the. 61.t!Cll.Wft point o 6 a "dD
d..i..e." 6.i...ti.uz.t.i.n .<.n .ttW!l6 08 a coniln.u.e.d qu.o..Uty
6.tand41td. 06 U.6e. on .th.l6 plo.ne.t . It .U. .the. ai.Jn 06
.thiA joWtnttl to do .<.a. pcut.t .<.n .the. .lle.-.&ihabita.tion
and M.-cu.Uwt.iz..t<.an 06 the. Ka.tU.a.h plt.Ovince. 06 .the. Sou.the.itn Appa.la.clUan6. Th.l6 plt.OV.&tce. .u. .<.nd.i..c.a.te.d by U4
natWta.l bowtdaJt.i.e.6 : .the. Ne.w IU.ve.it vi..c.i..n.lty .to .the.
no.ll.th; .the. ~oothil.l.6 of, .the. piedmont a11.e.a .to .the.
eiu.t; Yol'lll Mowi.t.<Wt and .the. Ge.o11.g.itt hil.l6 to .the..
i.ou.th; and .the. Te.rute.t.He. IU.veJt ~·aUe.y .to the. we..&t .
O.ll
JRV0Clll':I0R
We are not a people who demand, or ask anything of the
Creators of Life, but instead, we give greetings and
thanksgiving that all the forces of Life are still at
work. We deeply understand our relationship to all living
things •• ••• Our roots are deep in the lands where we live.
We have a great love for our country, for our birthplace
is here . The soil is rich from the bones of thousands of
our generations . Each of us was created in these lands ,
and it is our duty to take great care of them, because
from these lands will spring the future generations of
the Ongwhehonwhe, We walk about with a great respect,
for the Earth is a very sacred place.
from: A Basic Call to consciousness:
'nle Hau de no sau nee Address
to the Western World
i<ArtAH - page 2.
Humbly , 46 i.a6-appo.<.nte.d 6.t~ with 6acJte.d .i.A6.tll.tlctlon6 46 "new na..tlvu •· .to p1t.O.te.et a.nd ~uMVe
.U6 64Clte.dne.66, we. advocate. a ce.n.teJte.d applt.Oal!h to
.the. conc.e.pt 06 de.ce.rWu:LU.za.t.ion a.hd hope. .to be.cog Cl
6uppo.ll.t 61J6tem 6011. .thoH acce.pt.ing the. c.h.a.Ue.nge 06
6cu..ta.Utab.u.lt1J and .the. C.lle.a.t.i.ort 06 luvurtort.q and bell.cu1ce. .&t a J:./Jt.a.1. 6 en.t. e., he.ite. .<.n .thiA plo.ce..
�I.t l4XU> 0nl.y a. ,()ho/Lt :ti.me. a.g 0' iu. .:the.
new .6 p!Llng le.a.vu we11.e. be.g,lnn.lng .:to
ma.Ile. .:theNe.lvu e.v.<.de.n.t iu. .:they cove11.ed .:the. h.tvt.dwood.6 a.nd .:the. .60 6.:teJL de.c.lduoUI> tlt.e.u down a.long .:the. bo.:t.:toml>
a.nd neM wa.teJL, .tha..:t my wl6e. a.nd I ma.de.
oWt wa.y up .:the. U.llpe.n.:t-Uke. .6pine. 06
.:the. 8.tueJl..i.dge. Pllllb.way .:toWMd OWL dutlna;t(.011 06 M.t.Mltche.U ( '8la.ck Mowr..:ta.ht '
iu. known .to .:the. tlt.a.cli.tlom:ii. CheJtoke.e.
people. 06 .:the. .1te.g.i.onl. We. we.Jte. on a
pi.tgJL.i.ma.ge. o6 ' .:tha.niu. g.i.v.i.ng ' - - - g o.i.ng
.:to .:th.i..6 .6a.CJte.d moun.ta..i.11 popula..:te.d by
.:the. .6 p.iJLULu:t.t. a.ncu.:toM o 6 .:the. Che.Jtoke.e.
.:the. ' Nunne.hu', .:to e.xcha.nge. 'tha.niu. '
and pJta.yeJL 6Oii. .:the. g.i.6t o 6 mo n.i.u .tha..:t
ha.d g.1ta.c.loU1>l.y be.en p11.ov.i.de.d .:to U4 .:to
do me.a.n.i.ng6ul. a.nd .i.mpolLta.nt wo.ltk .:toWMd
.:the. p11.o.:te.ctlon 06 I .6a.CJ!.e.d .6.i..:tU I he11.e.
.i.n .:thue. old mounta..i.n.6. To o66eJL the
mon.i.u up .:to thue. a.ncu.:tolt.6 iu. a. pledge. 06 OWL .6e.Jtv.i.ce. .:to .:th.i..6 'ca.U.6e. ' , .tha..:t
U be. done. .i.n .the. Jt.i.gh.:t wa.y a.nd .ln .the.
6p.(/vU 06 Wl4e.l6.l4hne.6.6 and he.a.Ung . To
o66e.Jt .the. gJte.en g.i.6.:t up .:to .the..6e., 'the.
wll.e. onu', .:tha.:t .:they be oWL 'gu.<.du'
a.long the. pa..th.6 06 .:the. woJtk wl.:th .:th.i..6
p!l.O j ec.:t wh.i.ch la.tj ahe.a.d • ..
A..6 we. dJtove. .:tfvtough the. ' ga.:te.wa.y' .:to
the. p.i.nna.cle. 06 the. mounta..i.n: "CJulggy
Galtde.M", a.:t a he..lgh.:t 06 oveJt 6,000 6.:t.
we began .:to not.lee. how the. we.a.:the.Jt--.:the.
tll.lnd.6, .the. 6.:totr.m1;, .:the. e.x.tlt.e.mu 06 he.a..:t
and cold, and .:the. .:th.i.nne.Jt a.Ui.-- wa..6
'we.a11.b1p away' (a.lmo.6.:t iu. .i..6 .:the. wlnd
we.Jte wa.te.Jt wa..6hb1g a.wa.y Mck, only .i.n
.:th.i..6 caoe.: /tock. .:that had .:ta.fle.n .:the 6oJtm
06 tlt.e.u) a.:t the ve.ge,t.a.:t.lon .:tha.:t cove.Jte.d .:the. .:topo o 6 thue. old hUl..6, Ufle
.:th.lnn.i.ng old ha.a. 8u-t along wl.:th .:the
e.v.i.de.nce 06 na.:tuJtal .1te.ge.ne.Jta.:t.i.on, the.Jte
we.1te .lnCJte.ao.i..ngl.y , iu. we. ma.de. oWt wa.y
.:towa.Jtd .:the. top 06 .the mounta..i.n, .6ma.l.l
a.Jte.iu. o 6 dea.d a.nd dy.i.ng tlt.eu .:tha.:t
4:tJt.ucfl U.6 a..6 be..lng unna..tuJta.l.ly 'bUgh.:te.d'. Smail 6.ta.nd.6 06 6-Ut. and pine-gJtOupe.d toge..:the.Jt and 4.ta.nd.lng out 1>.ta.Ji.k~
l.tj 611.orn .the 11.e.o.t-.i..n-fl.i..nd o 6 hea.l.:thy
g11.ee.n and .:twl.6.:te.d '6a.m.i.ly' --iu. .i..6 do.i.ng
1>ome gho1>.:tl.1J gne.y dance. 06 6ubm.l.66.i.on
.to .:the. e.te.me.n.U. The. whole. a.Ji.ea. l.oofl.i..ng
iu. .i..(.. U ha.d come down wl.:th a ma.l..i..c.loUI>
o 66-whUe ca.oe. o 6 .:the. 'me.Miu' --a d.i...6eiu.e. U.6ua.lf..iJ only acqu.i.11.e.d by the. tJOung
... "Sbtange.", 1 .thought .:to mtj6e.l6, ".:tha.:t
.:theoe mountai.n.6 • .60 old, would have
.ta.ke.n 0tl .:th.i..6 we.iu.e. 06 1Ch.ll.dJten If"
we. moved 6l.cwly up .:the. moun.ta..i.11 . . .
The clo1> <>A. .to .the .6Ull!l'llU we. 90.:t, .:the.
l.aJi.g <>A. and g11.e.ve..1t .thu e a.11.e.ao o6 dy-i.ng
eve.JtgJt.een.6 became. On bo.:th 6.<.du 06 .:the.
11.oa.d and -i.n eve.Jty d-Ut.e.c.t.i..on---So bl.e.a.fl
On Mount Mitchell, a few miles
north of Asheville, NC, Robert Bruck,
associate professor of plant pathology and forestry at NC State University, is investigating the devastation
of trees on high mountains in Katuah.
According to Dr. Bruck, the red
spruce and fir above 6,350 feet are
in a severe state of decline with most
trees 45-85 years old losing 90% of
their foliage. The trees are shedding
t~ir older needles and leav1ng only
a small clump of chlorotic new growth
on branch ends .
Bruck' s findings indicate that
the trees are being killed by pollutants. To confirm this suspicion,
core samples have been taken from the
dying trees with a bit and auger. The
borings have reveaied a 50% reduction
in tree ring growth since the early
1960's, yet rainfail data shows no
evidence of drought.
Aware that tree dieback has been
occurring for two decades in the nort h-
eastern U.S. and western Germany,
au ala:tllldd Dr. Bruc k and other s c ientis t s have visited aud studLtd these
f orests hopiug to find c lues as to
the c!Xaet c ause of tree diaba ck in
K
atUah.
M
ost data reveals that symp toms
of diebac k vary from region to r egion
depending on tree s pecies, soil t ype,
and climate. Rowaver Dr. Bruck has
f ound c orraspouding s ymptoms exiat
betweeu "lilaldsterb n " (trae death ) in
West Germany and spruce-fir dieback
in Kat~ah. Evidence bas been mounting
in West Germany that ozone, a pollutant produced by a reaction of sunlight and auto exhaust, bas combined
with acidic fog. These pollutants are·
leaching magnesium, an essential element, from living trees .
It is becoming increasingly clear
(continued on page 27)
continued on page 26
Fall 1985
..
~ll.hll
- '.}f;. ·C'.o.
�,
J;
From within its borders , the forest
looks old, permanent. Yet the timelapse views of the eastern forests provided in these maps compiled by Paul
and Hazel Delcotirt's team of paleoelologists give a different story.
Plants do indeed migrate, and in
geological time the climatic changes
that resulted in the formation and
dispersal of the Laurentide ice sheet
brought on drastic changes , causing
whole forests to move from one area
of the continent to another.
The mops given here are from the
Delcourt's article " Vegetation Mops
for Eastern North America " in
Geobotony ll{Plenum Publications,
1981 ); R. Romans, Editor.
MAP KEY
0
Laurentide Ice Sheet
•
Tundra
Boreal Forests
Q
Spruce
@
The t.aurentide (ce Sheet covered the continent north of
vhat la prHontly known n the Crdt Lllke1 Rqion. Tundra condition• prevailed ln the viclnity of the glacier •nd at hi&h
elevatioftl tor soo ailu .south or th• lee front.
Spruce .and jack pii>e fou1t1 held the territory ..,uth and ust
of the alacl•rl .JdV&DCO- The cl1-t• vamed quickly .and dr•aat ic;oll:•
b.lov thb belt. eo that an oalr.-hlclr.ory-eouthern pine auociat!on
doainat•d the Atl&ntic and Gulf Coaot plains.
The aixed .. Hopbyc1~ hard...,od forut that today inhabits the
covH of Appalachia vas rutrlcted u this ciae to "refuaul •rus·· the blufflanda dong the IUuiHippi Rlvor Valley •nd ujor rlver corridor•
U\ the southeast. A eypre••-auai. assoe:iacton lived in the ..,et
~ululppl boctoaa. ;and the ~lorf.de hninsub vaa covered ~Y .. nd
dune scrub - including wild ro111a.1ry .and iaolaced 1tande >f .crub o.ait.
Spruce-Ja ck pine
Q
@
Jac k pine - Spruce
Mixed con ifer-norther n hardwood s
Deciduous Forests
Q
@
G)
Oak-Hickory
Mixed mesopbyt ic
Oak-Chest:n ut
Southeastern Evergreen Forests
<2'.)
@
@
Cypress- Gum
0
Subt r opical Hard woods
Oak- Hickory- Southern pine
Southern pine
Open Vegetat ion Types
Q
Q
<:::>
,
~:\ n;.ur
'l
Oak savaruiah
Prair ie
or
'fhu .,,h1cJcr • lwd Ct:lt+.:.til'-!d LO l ht.: lat J.Lud\$
thu Ch:Ul Wk~¥ I
raJ.elna th• tiUa luvcl soou.!what . und Liu: bc1lnning» of l ...akt.! •. rh Wt:h:
vt11tble. thu Saint Lawrence fltv~c w.11 u•\d~r J~<!. Jnd lh"' \;.ould ail .. ctul
w.itcre 1ttl1 draln-.d down thu Hi•111l-.111lppt 1 "'be.re the \lll1lc a.Jtruc.l: cuv-.:r
peulatL.J.
Th-. •pruce-Jac.k pin~ fote•t
cr~cpln¥ \!.il•tw.atJ fro. th..: plalos.
The w r • ..v\:ollth41er cMk-hfckory-.outh-.:.ro •v~rgl"-:t...-n ••~ l;,1t Ion w..a• •t J l t
rc.atrlctcd to th~ •outhurn c.;,.a;t.al vL1dn•. Tb-.: 11lxt-od •.:»0phy1 h.
8pf..'Cie*I Mlntaha.-d tlwic fuoll1vlJ ln the 8lu{fl.,nd21i ,uuJ WJC.\:f t1Vt:t
W••
corridor•.
Sand Dune Sc r ub
'- page 4
Tundro •tlll i;rlµp"J
th~
AppJl .. <ltlJn h.:Jghl•.
Pall 1985
-.
I'
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . wt ..... rOMSTDWILLllll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
Mt~Rt-\TING
Thia V"r1uJ w••
~h«ncl~rlz1:J
by a D11ld waralng tr.,nd.
Th.:
1l•clera retr~•Led .oa..,W'hat. and ll.ic1al a\tll raletd Lho levt:l ot thtt
ocun•. pushing th~ cont lncnL.al coast I lne:1 cloatt to Lhtotir prt::t:d'tl
po1lt1oos.
J•ck pint:-11f'rUC~ ••»OC:J•tlc;.n.> still do.lnatvd (r-oa th.c: •1Jvt;:,t.t to
thu ccntr•l coa~L. A thin IMnJ of tran-.tclun..1 con1ft:r-oortltt.:-ro
l1Jrd,,,..,.,,d fott.:..lit dtvtd"J th-.: ptnu-1pru~e bdt fro•• \l.&t11-cllailtt1 o•lhh:kury .-....oc:J .. t lvn wt1h: h c· uvi.:r ...J App.al.achh1 wnd lhl.t ur-.w th..at I • ''''"
r-.-1uh:•¥t.:.11.:
kfv,c v ••dli.:y
s~~IJy.
fOREST
The 4.cu 1huct reached ita aouthernmoait li•it during thi• time .
extending the coa11tltne out appr oxlaeL"ly 50 •iles beyond it_.: pr.ute.nt
bouodar1ea. Spruce-jack pine cov~r ud thu are.at pl•in• we1t of tht
H.Jasi11;stppt. Jack ptne-spro.ctt covt:r dc>t1lnat.:d the ea.atcrn half o( the
continent eouth to the preaent-day borJtrr• of AlabaaJ and Cwraf•.
Claci"r aultw•tec cool"'1 the Hl11luippl River Valhy, which prob.ably accounted for the anOllll&Joue eppura.nce of \tbite spruct1 tn.~••, a
boreal opocl .. noca•lly not found
rar 1outh. The enllre AppalachU.n
b.oge wi1s creetcd by tundra, vhU.: colJ-wuthe.r spruce and fJr dOlll-
"°
naced lh" foreau on the 90uncnln ulopca.
Thu WJ.Ulfni; li.:dlfh:tMluru• or j 1,000 - 12 ,000 yt:1.1r• 3¥,0 1.,rouaiht
dvlu&"-tf of naln In Lhu w411c.u or tht: gtu~i1:re. Clacfol 111~1t was drulnJni rapidly thruuyh thu SL. l.awc.n ..
-ncu RJvur h.•Mvln" the pruy,~nhor
unwl Iona of the t;r~Jl l..Jk'-'•·
Th~ apruct: .1nd J•c .. pint.: ••ao..:IJLJon1 covtar'--.J c-.:ntr.. t c.,twJM ttntJ
tl-.1 Nev EnK,l»nd St•lu•. Th .... coo lC '-'r-ntr.>rthtir n tt.rJwood for ....$t 114>\l' ....J
nurth and vest Into .J 1rwlly -=•paGdcJ tcrrltot'y. An Odk-hlckory
{ot'~vt arose ~•l i>f th-.: 'll11owl••lppt i.1nJ wa111 .avln& -=-•tv.arJ, fo1low'".J
by the d~v'1loptn, pr... Ir 1.... v"""-'l"'l fon.
The aht:J •"llOphyt le for\.!t.l Jdvdnc'--.J fro. th~ r lvt.::r corr tdor., l->
tak• ov~r a tors'-' part of th~ central are:a. Ook-hlclt.ory ... southern
..:versr\!cn cov-:r ¥Lill P'-'ndwtcJ ln thi.: cudvtul ploSna Jr'-'as, but u
CYJ•rl.•1:11• gum usatocl11tlun lc>uk uvvr th~ 11oouthufn <nJ ot Lhc ~lf~11da1adµltl
1
klvur t.::1Hridor. olt\J "'" uuk .. uvw.nndh LYt•u w.ft. uv~t In¥ un the ._.lur1JJ
l''"·nnJn.111...l.
Thb wu tho puk of tile "heplithano&J. • var1111ng period, and t ... parat u r u ware h1&her th<ln in the prHe.ot d•1· The land and fora1t
conf1guration• bqao to tllte"" tho th&pu va ... r..ui.ar vith today.
The: conUer-oortbaru ba.Tdvoode foreat covered a vast area fro.
the Creat I.eke• rasioo to tbe coa1t. Tha oak-blclcory and aixed aHophyt lc hardwood !orut• occupied euentWly the • .,.. aru1 they do at
prueat, wtu.la conditioas c.au.sed an oak-chutaut forest to ti•• to doeln&nce on the u1tuo 1lopes of the Appelacbi.ans, vbil1 spru:a •nd !lr
still clung to the colder, biaher elevatioo1.
Southern pine arose to doain.anc• over auch of the aru lt occupies
todly.
�Hog Killing Saturday
BY H. M. SPOTISWOOD
The red sun was waiting for me, round
as the washpot that would be the center
of my day. There I would chop the kindling,
feed oak to the fire, stir the black water
while they worked silently under the cedar.
Grady was always there by seven, in his hard
overalls, paid dollars for his sweet brutality.
I knew the one they picked, had fed him rinds
and the saved ends of Tuesday's cornbread.
His grounds were avuncular in the sweet stench
of Friday's dusk, his hide hard as a gritty
July watermelon to my finger poking through
the pen. Once I'd run the mile to Clara
for a Nehi and some vanilla extract with screams
following me through the pines as they cornered
him to clamp the rings in his nose. Painless
gristle, they called his snout, when I fingered
the steel points like barbed wire spikes.
For sure he'd rooted up three fences, ripped
the small south pasture to a knobby moonscape.
He knew me for peach seeds and rusty coffee cans
full of Pa's rich, hard-bought cottonseed me.al.
I still feel the guilt for the erotic rush
of glee that lasted a second. And Grandma,
the painful endless picture of her scraping
his boiled nose with a paring knife. Grady
I hoped, would hit his mark the first time
with the scarred steel butt of the old axe.
I listened too hard over the frantic steam,
heard only board sounds and birds in the oaks.
The afternoon was easier, foul and logistical.
The mail ran at one, and Mr. Hardee waved.
Bayree, the cats, and the thoughtless chickens
were underfoot for items they could find. I
created a parable for the high-stepping rooster
mincing his spurs among the leafy entrails.
The coarse salt did not hurt my bitten nails
when we rubbed the bacon and hams to hang.
I knew the bowl and Limp grey mountain
of entrails would be waiting on the table.
Pa brutalized my city taste with family
ridicule for not tasting. He hadn't shaved.
The hairs were coarse yellow in the light
of kerosene. In the window curtained with gay
feedsack the sun was an oblate orange yolk
--·~-·s,epuating into the black <~eek~
'
f
�HORSE LOGGING
Fall 6.11.0m be.Utg a qua.Utt ruuicJvum.i.6m, togg.<.ng wlth hOJt6U
.l6 6t.iU pMv.<.ng .it6 u»ILtlt a6 .the. method mo6t o.pp!tOplLi.a;te. 6011.
«»JtlUng moun.ta.in 6l.ope.6 ldte.11.e. .the. togge.11. .l6 de.a.li..ng wlth a
11.0ugh Olt 611.agile. .teNUU.n 011. a 1U.9hl.y 6e.l.e.c:Uve. .ti.mbe.11. Cl.Lt.
It .l6 al.60 6.Qrd.<.ng 6a.vOll. wUh l.a.ndowne.11.6 ldto hold coMe.11.-
vat.i.on me.a6Wl.e.6 a.nd a.u.the..UC6 a6 h.i.gh p!l)..oM.t.lu .
Holl.6e. togging a.l.60 luu. economic a.dva.n.ta.gu 6011. togge/1.6
ldto do n.o.t have. a. tot o 6 capUai. tc 6.talt..t a. bU6.<.ne.66 Oii. c.dio
w.i.l.h tc ke.e.p the.ill. oveJtlie.a.d tow. With holl.6u , to~~e/1.6 ca.n
ma.k.e. up .ui Mull c.diat they ta.ck. .ui 6-Uia.ncla.l.. ba.c/U.ng.
John Va.v.U,, Ve.nn.i.6 Hotde.11., a.nd holl.6U Tony a.nd Flt.e.d «»11.k
.Qr a.nd cur.ou.nd .the. Nan.taha.l.a Na.t.i.ona.t FOll.u.t. The.y a11.e. a. .tlgh.t
.team, a.n.d tlte..i.11. e.xpe.11..le.nce. 6hoWA . The.y make. .the. ha.11.d woll.k 06
w.tt&tg a.nd ha.u.Ung .ti.mbe.11. took a.l.mo6.t e.a.61J.
John: ' I started in on horses when I was four . My daddy
started me. I worked some other jobs, but I ' ve al.ways kept
my truck, regardless of what I've done . I like being in the
woods. You don ' t make a lot of money , but if you ' re satisfied,
that ' s what counts :·
Dennis: You ain't gonna make nothing but a living, whatever you do. Anything you go after, a living ' s all you 're
going to make out of it:
John: •r•ve got a garden, my horse and my truck- I 'm
never going to starve ."
photos by Martha Tree
Dennis : "Horse don't got to be a big one, i f he'll pull.
I can take Fred, and he'll pull horses weighing 1800 lbs .
When I call on him, he'll go out there, and he ' ll hang. He
won ' t back back up . A lot of horses pull against it too hard,
and they'll back back up. But I could hook Fred to that truck
right tncre and call on ' im, and he'll stand on and pull 'til
he dies .
"!wouldn't cake n thousand dollar bill for ' im just like
he stands there I ain ' t got that in ' im, but I wouldn't take
it . He ' s paid for himself ten times over I could give him
away today and still wouldn't go in the hole .~
K.\Tt:AH -
page
7
Fall 1985
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MAlllFOIUTDWIWM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
By Michael Red Fox
The U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) has just announced plans
to site and construct a Monitored
Retrievable Storage facility
(MRS) in Eastern Tennessee.
Three possible sites have been
chosen. The Clinch River Breeder
Reactor site at Oak Ridge is the
preferred site. TVA's H:lrtsville
nuclear plant site and the Oak
Ridge Reservation have also been
included for further study.
In January 1986 the DOE will
announce which one of the three
"semi-finalists" will host the
MRS. DOE documents describe
the MRS as a processing facility
for spent nuclear fuel. The
processing will include consolidation and packaging of high
level wastes for delivery to
permanent suppositories. The
MRS will also serve as a backup
facility for storage of spent
fuel and high-level wastes
from all commercial nuclear
power plants, all foreign
subscribers to the "Atoms For
Peace" program, and U.S. nuclear
weapons production.
All three East Tennessee sites
are upwind of Kat~ah. Several
of the main transportation
routes to the MRS site pass
through our region including
interstate 81 and interstates
26 and 40 , which conjoin at
Asheville. If you thought
Asheville was a "hot town" before
this, just wait ... . •..
According to the DOE, the MRS
candidates were chosen on the
basis of cost efficiency, risk
of accident, and the geographic
relationship to the potential
underg~ound suppository.
It
must be noted that the Nuclear
Waste Policy Act of 1982 declared
that no one state may get both
sn MRS and a permanent waste
dump . The relative prox1.mity
of Kat~ah to the proposed MRS
can lead to no other conclusion:
Katuah is under siege! Not only
does Katuah become a transportation corridor for nuclear waste
from all over the world but, she
also becomes a leading candidate
for the sweepstakes nobody wants
to win: permanent waste dump!
The MRS is considered to be
the "front end" of the permanent
suppository. According to the
"Mission Plan" being peddled by
:<.n{.ui - page 8
the DOE, wastes processed at the
MRS will travel across the
country to the first geologic
suppository. Currently stiff
opposition, environmental problems , and legal fights are
stifling DOE's plan to select A
site in the western states,
The agency cannot fail to
notice that it might be sinpler
to l) speed up selection for
the ~astern suppository or 2)
change the Waste Policy Act so
that both suppositories wil l
be built in the F
ast. In fact
Paul Kerns, a DOE front msn,
bas recently said that if all
of the candidate sites under
consideration in the first
round turn out to be losers
the DOE may turn to the crystalline states for both suppositories.
I
I
..
·.
I
.\
"
• I
:i
I
\
I
~.
Crvstalline (granite) rock
formations are being considered
for nuclear waste disposal
because they are uniform
throughout and have qualities
allowing them to dissipate heat
from nuclear materials. However in a blistering analysis
of their own three year pilot
study (1981-1984) called the
"Climax Project" in Jack Ass
Flats,Nevada, DOE noted serious
problems. Not only did the
expensive stainless steel cannisters leak, hut the te9tin~
caused cracks in the granite
and the testing mechanisms
failed so they could not
determine how much leakage
occurred!
Among the crystalline
suppository states, the Southeastern Region (includin~ Katuah)
is perhaps the most vulnerable.
Ginger King, of DOE's Civilian
Radioactive Waste Management,
conf inned this suspic ion when
she said, "the most likely 9lace
is the Southeast since 85i o f
the nation ' s nuclear plants are
east of the Mississippi." Much
of the Northeast will be eliminated because of population
density and distribution. Although the North Central Region
has crystalline rock formations
whic h are among the n~ tions
most stable, Wisconsin, ~ichigan
and Minnesota have erected legal
and political barriers that may
outweigh potential geologic
suitability.
Politics is the name of the
suppository game according to
Dave Berich of the Environmental
Policy Institute in Washington.
Unlike the North Central States,
North Carolina, which contains
most of the prime sites in
Katuah, has no siting laws.
There are no nuclear waste
education programs, no citizen
advisory boards, and no public
surveys. North Carolina has not
even one employee working fullt ime on our response to the
suppository site project.
What North Carolina does have
is a governor who bas said he
would not veto a site selected
here. Every other governor in
every state under consideration
has promised a veto. A governor
veto of a site mean~ that a
full congressional review and
approval is necessary before
wastes can be implanted. A
veto would force DOE to do the
proper scientific studies to
find the best site - not just
follow the path of least
resistance. Incredible as it
may seem, at a public "infor111ation seminar in Boone, NC,
DOE publicity man Kerns warned,
''What 1 can do is encourage
you guys not to trust us; take
us to taok." Dave Berich of
EPI ar,roes. He has said.
Fall 1985
" Si"~q - t-.J..J . /J;
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WEAMFOM:~OWEWlll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
"There needs to be s whole new
science developed for each
repository site, nnd the DOE
is unwilling to spend the
necessary money and time to
adequately study all the potential reek bodies for the best
possible site."
The rext step in the selection process is for the nuclear
energy junkies at DOE to reduce
their list of 236 crystalline
rock sites down to 20 possible
sites this November.
TRANSPORTATION OP NUCl.EAR WASTES
The llOE goes to gceat lengths
to assure the public that the
shipment of spent fuel is safe .
It distributes films showing
dramatic full-scale crash tests
of spent fuel casks propelled
by rocket sleds into a massive
concrete wall at speeds up to
80 mph. The DOE fails to point
out, however, that the casks
were eaptY. though they implied
otherwise, by calling them
spent fuel casks. Upon testing
the survivability of casks after
a railroad accident with fire,
the DOE failed to say that on
the avera~e most railroad fires
Nuclear
Shipment Routes
N\ TfaH - page 9
THI l/11ct1.t1 11111P1J11101r,
WE'il i/OT t;O/NfJ 11 TANE 11/
last twice as long as the test
fire. The Nuclear Regulatory
Commission reported that the
tests on Transport Cask<1 "wPre
interesting but not particularly
useful."
The most definitive work to
date on the possible results
from a real transportation accident spilling real plutonuim
has been done by Sandia
Laboratories in New Mexico.
Their analysis indicates that
a "large quantity" shipment of
commercial plutonium released
in an urban area could result
in nearly 4,000 latent cancer
fatalities, 952 early morbidities (non-fatal health disorders) and scores of early
fatalities. The cost of
cleaning up such an accident
could range as high as two
billion dollars. The Sierra
Club has estimated that there
will be 9,000 shipments per
year of high-level wastes
from constipated reactors co
t~ N~, i~l~i.
W
~i~
ments per day to the
suppository .
The continued push towards
a nuclear technocracy offers
us no guarantees except the
production of more nuclear
waste.
The time has come for the
people of Katuah to form a
solid core of diasent and
stop this technological
train wreck. We must demand
that the governor veto any and
all sites within his political
realm. We must convince our
congresspeople to invite DOE
officials to come and experience our opposition.
We must form affinity groups,
like Ben Drake of the Highlander Center in :-:ew ~larket,
Tennessee, who is organizing
folks along tranooortotion
routes.
The nuclear waste suppository
means degra~ation of the land,
de~radation of the water, degradation of human health,
radioactive particles in the
air , and probable ~enetic
damage and mutations among all
living things in the area. We
do not want to be known as the
generation that let it happen
here. The situation requires
nothing less than our best efforts to shut this menace ,,,, #
down!
,P"'
Write to your political representatives expressing your
opposition to the MRS, transportation of nuclear waste
through Katuah, and the planned
suppository.
The Honorable James Martin
State Capitol
Raleigh, NC 27611
House of Representatives
Washington
2463 Rayburn House Office
Building
Washington, DC 20515
Write to these folks for
current information and join
them in the battle to save
Katuah!
Blue Ridge Enviromental
Defense League
P.O. Box 1308
West Jefferson , NC 28694
Western North Carolina
Alliance
P.O. Box 1591
Franklin NC 28734
(704) 524-3389
Mr. Steve Conrad
Director of Division of
Land Resources
Department of Natural
Resource and Community
Development
P.O . Box 27687
Raleigh, NC 27611
Highlander Center
Rt. 3 Box 370
New Market, Tn . 37820
Fall 1985
c;
~2.&q
- H, ••
J
�The message the plant people give to us: from the sourwood's early
red leaves, the beautiful multicolor of the saw briar, the
yellow of the poplar, the rust of the oaks, the pinks and
reds of the red maple·· all these differences create beauty
that moves the inner part of ourselves and prepares us
for the great rest.
We are told it is the i:iiver of breath's plan that we may have differences.
All of the giver of breath's creation lives in harmony and
peace with one another with the expection of man.
We are told that we have completed a circle of life by this time of year.
Let's look at ~he lessons that have been given to us in this
circle. It is alright what you are. It is alright what I am.
Let's take and move evenly together with our differences and give our
unborn and their unborn yet to be a chance to go
through this same circle.
Communities
We are told these are the oldest mountains upon the earth. Life has
been here longer than any place else on the great
mother.
We are told this is one of the few places upon the earth where spirit
still dwells, in the deep rich coves where the seng grows
and the voices of water are talking to someone. All the
life forces talk to the spiritual aspect of ourselves, the
real part of us.
We are told that all through our mountains··from northern Georgia all
the way up the Appalachian trail, from the moon eyed
people to the native people to the European people's
spirits have been attracted to the power that these
mountains place upon us.
We are told that people come here with their spiritual and relisious
ideas because they seem to fit with what is here. ·1 hey
start their own communities-- healing communities.
spiritual communities, communities based on a_pamcular philosophy or political point of view. But a mistake
that our brothers and sisters make causes them to miss
the power and the gift that the mountains give to us all.
Their communities develop an ego just as an individual
would develop an ego.
We are told that now the time of great rest comes upon the mountains
again, as it has for thqusands of years, the time when
trees lose their leaves and evergreens get greener. Let's
listen to the message that the mountains and the streams
say to us.
We are told that the differences aren't enough reason for us to be
separate. We should strive to pull our communities
together, to work together to preserve this spiritual
oasis for us all. We can work with people who are
different without having expectations for them to follow
our path.
i<Ai~Af! - .eW!e 10
Fall 1985
11
Io
�The publications listed below are
available from Appalachian Regional
Office, I.T.C.I.U.S.A,. lnc., Route
I, Gravel Switch, KY 40328. Prices
listed include postage and handling
within the U.S.
PROPAGATION METHODS AND SOURCES FOR
UNCOMMON PERENNIAL FOOD PLANTS: A
LITERATURE REVIEW IN TABULAR FORM
Gregory Williams, 1983 (slightly ;.:vised 1984), 49 pp ., $6.00 .
by Brian Caldwell
We are trying an lntercropping
system that might be of utility on
other fal"lls. On an 80 ft. by 90 ft.
test plot, we have planted raspberries in rows 15 feet apart (about
Lwice the usual spacing). In the rows
with the berry canes, we set young
Chinese chestnut trees every 15 feet.
The chestnut trees are mulched, weeded and fertilized along with the berries, which are allowed to grow close
beside the trees. Beds of vegetables
about 5 feet wide run between the
raspberry-chestnut rows.
This system is an attempt to
care for a succession of crops with
the least effort, while making good
use of space . We suspect that the
raspberries. grown without the use of
pesticides, have fewer problems with
fungal diseases due to the improved
air circulation of wide rows. It
seems reasonable to use the extra
space for vegetables. Because rasp-·
berry plantings typically last only
about 5-7 years because of virus problems, the chestnuts provide a crop
to "take over" after the berries.The
young trees require special care
(particularly weed control) for about
3 years after planting, yet bearing
begins only after about 5 years or
more.le does not make much sense to
invest the special care and space exclusively for the non-bearing trees
so we put them right in the berry
rows! They will not seriously compete
with the berries until the berries
are on the way out. The berry mulching and fertilizing are ideal for the
Lrees, and competition from the berries doe~ not appear significant.
Note that. with the use of mulch, it
is important to protect the tree
trunks from rodents with some sort of
guards.
Eventually . we will have a grovt·
of chestnut trees on a 15 feet by 15
feet spacing. This is too close for
mature t recs. However, these a re•
~eedllng trees, not ~rafts . and iL is
11ko.!ly thoc some will be poorer beorl'rs thun OLhers.After about 15 venrs,
Lhey will be Lhinned out, leaving
onlv the best. The area formerly occ-
upied by raspberries and vegetables
will be sheep pasture . And the chestnut yield in the early years will
have been much improved over the
yield for trees originally planted on
a recommended spacing of 30 feet by
30 feet.
This system is appropriate for
many kinds of trees . Strawberries
could substitute for the vegetables,
but blueberries, gooseberries, asparagus, and rhubarb all last so long
that their total production as "raspberry substitutes" would be seriously
reduced by the trees.
Areas used for this system
should be free from perennial weeds.
to our plot, we have had problems
only with the tarnished plant bug
and, at first, coo low fertility for
high raspberry yields. An organic
fertilizer (about 20 pounds of N per
acre) placed beneath the mulch the
last two springs resulted in much
better growth of the fruiting canes.
The berries also benefit from vege• table fertilization.
Reprinted from ~&~~estry Review.
Back issues available from:
Inte rnational Tree Crops Institute,
Appalachian Regional Office
USA
Route 1,
Gravel Switch, Ky. 40328
--
~-(;& i.ist : tyu <N'O~
AGRISILVICULTURE FOR APPALACHTA: A
BIBLIOGRAPHY, Gregory Williams, 1979,
9 pp .• $2.00.
ACRISfLVICULTURE : A NECESSARY RENAISSANCE, Gregory Williams, 1979, 4 pp.,
$1.00.
TREE CROPS FOR SMALL FARMS IN APPALACHIA: PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL FOR RESEARCH, Flip Bell. John Pohlman,
Gregory Williams, 1977, 24 pp., $4.00.
ENERGY-CONSERVING PERENNIAL AGRICULTURE FOR MARGINAL LAND IN SOUTHERN
APPALACHIA: FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT
Gregory Williams, 1982, 52 pp. , $8'.oo
HORTIDEAS, Published monthly, Subscriptions $10.00/yr. (U.S.)
SOME SOURCES OF HARD-TO-OBTAIN SEEDS
AND. PLANTS FOR TREE CROPPING
CHESTNUT HILL NURSERY,Rt. 3, Box 477,
Alachua, Fl. 32615. Hybrid AmericanOriental chestnuts. Price list free.
DOUGLAS, Earl, Red Creek, NY 13143.
Hybrid American-Oriental chestnuts.
Send SASE for price list.
HIDDEN SPRINGS NURSERY, Route 14, BOX
159, Cookeville, TN. 38501. Seedling
and grafted fruit and nut trees, including honeylocust. Price list free.
---
l!<?Q_KS ABQ.l!l'_!REE CROPS:
TREE CROPS: A PERMANENT AGRICULTURE,
J. Russell Smith. Devin-Adair, New
York, 1953. Founding work for the
tree crops "movement"; somewhat dated, but worth reading to get excited
about the idea of a tree-based agriculture .
TREES FOR THE YARD, ORCHARD, AND
WOODLOT, Roger Yepsen, Jr., editor,
Rodale Press. Emmaus, Pennsylvania,
1976. Introductory chapters on landscaping. orcharding, nut trees. propagation, pest control. useful wild
~pecies, maple sugaring, and woodlot
rianagement.
NUT TREE CULTURE IN NORTH AMERICA,
Richard Jaynes, editor, NNGA, Hamden,
Connecticut, 1979. Very thorough and
authoritativt• reference--" the bible"!
ITCIUSA APPALACHIAN REGIONAL OFFICE,
Route l, Gravel Swi.tch, KY 40328.
Seeds and graf twood of select honeylocust, black locust, and American
persimmon. Price list free.
JOHNSON ORCHARD & NURSERY.Route 5,
Hox 325, El1jay, GA 30540. Manx peach
and nectarine cultivars, also graftc-d apples. Catalog, $1.
LAWSON'S NURSERY, Route 1, Box 294,
Ball Ground, GA 30107. Many apple and
pear cultivars. Catalog free. ~
Special thanks to Greg Williams of
t.T.C.l.U.S.A.
Fall 1985 . ~
�·-----------------------·Wl-R>MSTDWILUM_____________________......
o~
NATURAL
WORLD
-(
NEWS
.,,/
~':;:{<'!._ :
bCac~ buws :
a ~uestion
of
survivat /
Black bears have well developed
instincts for self-preservation and
a reputation for taking care of themselves. tncreaslng human pressure,
though, has seriously reduced their
numbers to the point that they may
not surTive!
Recent research trom N. c. State
University and the University ot
Tennessee shows that over 12! ot the
breeding tema.l.e black bears in the
Pisgah Bear Sanctuary, and over~
ot the total. population under study
there are being killed! This devastating kill rate casts serious doubt on
the ability ot the Pisgah Bear Sanctuary to 1D&inta1n an effective breeding nucleus.
In the Harmon Den Bear Sanctuary, on the edge of the Great Smoky
National Park, over 80% of the bears
under study were killed. With the
present black bear habitat a scant
5-10% of the species original range,
serious questions arise as to whether
or not the black bear may be completely extirpated from Katuah.
Poaching is the major ceason
the bears are disappearing. But
dwindling range, periodic food short-
Six endangered peregrine falcons
took fl i ght from atop Grandfather Mount·
ain, N.C. this summer. The restoration
program, now in its second year is part
of the ?lorth Carolina Wildlife Resource
Commission's Nongame and Endangered
Species Program. Most of the funding
came via checkoff contributions on the
~
ages and an inadequate management
plan al.so contribute to a dwindling
bear population.
Black bears reflect a medicine
tradition long valued by our earth
based cultures. The Cherokee believe
black bear is a descendent of the
human tribe and he left the villages
to seek his own way in the forests.
A Healing Management Program
would include a moratorium on bear
hunting until stable reproducing populations could be establisheP .
North Carolina which has the
longest bear hunting season in the
southeast would do well to shorten
the season by scheduling opening day
later in the year. This would protect
females since they go into dens sooner and would thus discourage their
extinction.
Other suggestions include, discontinuing use of radioactive iso·
topes for scat monitoring, ban hunting with dogs, ban 2-way radio hunting, protecting old age timber stands
for their den trees and hard mast
(oak & hickory) and expansion of
habitat areas and sanctuaries.
state income tax form. A similar program is underway in Virginia with releases scheduled lo begin next year in
the high mountains of Tennessee.
Peregrine falcons are native to the
high mounts ins of Katuah and will be
sharing the air streams with 6 golden
eagles released this summer from th e
Shining Rock Wilderness. The restoration project is administered and
staffed by the TVA and the N.C. Wildlife Commission.
SG
_, ,
"
...,.. _,;Jt
Because of the urgency of black
bear survival, it seems important
for all of ua to begin to pool information on bear sightings and to document incidents of use of dogs, 2way radios , poaching, and other
kills. This documentation will be
decisive in influencing the Wildlife
Resources Commission to shift its
policies from species eradication to
species conservation.
To participate in the Bear Action Network, please call or write
Paul Gallimore, Long Branch Environmental Education Center. Big Sandy
M.lsh Creek, Leicester, NC 28748.
704/683-3662.
To voice your conservation concerns, write NC Wildife Resources
Commission, 512 N. Salisbury St.
Raleigh, NC 27611. Please send a
copy of your letter to each of the
Commissioners: M. WoodroWli'rice,
Dr. Richard Adams, David Allsbrook,
Jack Bailey, Cy Brame. F.ddie Bridges,
Joe Carpenter, Dr. John Hamrick,
Henry Kitchin, Stuart Paine, Donald
Thompson. Jerry Wright. and Vernon
n ~vill, Executive Director. ~
'\.
�The Western North Carolina Alliance, the Cowee Community Development Organization of Macon County,
Alark.a Laurel Limited, and Walton
Smith, a professional forester,
have officially filed an administrative appeal with the U.S. Forest
Service opposing clear- cutting,
poisoning and burning on public
lands in the Nantabala National Forest. The jolnt appeal argues that
selective cuttin~ and all-age management are far superior to the proposed clear-cutting in the Little
Laurel timber sale. It is argued
further that the sale violates the
National Forest Management Act
(NFMA), the Multiple Use and Sustained Yield Act, and the National
Environment Policy Act (NEPA).
Clear-cutting requires very
little professional skill to implement and SU?ervise a timber sale.
In the shore run, it produces the
greatest mo~etary return and is
thus attractive to administrators
working on a limited budget. However, the method imposes adverse
environmental conditions on an
otherwise diverse and self mainttaining syst em, precluding the
multiple use and long- term productivity of the southern Appalachian hardwood forests.
A summation of these violations are as follows: The appeal
maintains that in its Environmental
Assessment (EA), the Forest Service
fa Ued to consider selective cutting as an alternative. The appeal
states that the EA "sets a precedent and represents a general policy
~·
..,-·
~-
choice in silviculture techniques,
a choice that should not be made
in the absence of a 'systematic,
interdisciplinary' analysis of
long-term environmental impacts.·•
The NFMA of 1976 was designed
to restrict the extent to which the
USFS incorporates clear-cutting in
its overall management plans. The
foundation for the enactment of
NFMA was the Church guidelines
which state that clear-cutting may
only be used where "silviculturally
essential" and after "multidisciplinary review" has been completed.
The appeal states that the "EA
contains no finding that clearcutting is 'ailviculturally essential'. The USFS's primary justification for clear-cutting is the
allegedly high cost of selective
cutting, a justification which violates Congress' Jirective that the
'greatest dollar return' is not
sufficient reason to clear-cut.
Section 4(a) of the ~ultiple
Use Sustained Yield Act specifies
that "some land will be used for
less than all of the resources,.,
and that the best use is " not
necessarily the combination of
uses that will give the greatest
dollar return or the greatest
unit output."
The appeal supports the position that "each national forest
must be managed with the goal
of enhancing its unique inherent contribution to the entire
system." Th:fq ... should not be
(cont'd on p.14)
~
Champion International recently
celebrated "75 Years of Excellence"
but to the Pigeon River Action Group
(PRAC) of Haywood County, NC, it represents 75 years of effluents. Recently, Champion's permit to dump
wastes into the Pigeon R\ver came up
for renewal. The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC)
( a state commission in charge of issuing permit renewals) issued a new
pemit, called "toothless and vague"
by many citizens, and submitted it to
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for comments, according
to federal guidelines. Earlier, the
EMC had rejected suggestions by the
the director of the NC Division of
Environmental Management (who ultimately has to approve the permit , on
the state level) to str engthen the
(cont 'd on p.14)
'(AttAl! - page 13
---~=:..:...:,,,,:::....::===-=-....;~
----ae-
r
..
In a time of misguided "Superfunds"
and continuing "Studies" it is encourging to know that grass root efforts are
still effective.•The snow balling movement to save the Horsepasture River is
such a story. (See l<.atuah issues 16 &
18) .
Since the spring of '84 the
"Friends of the Horsepasture" have
fought a proposal by Carrasan Co. (an
out - of state investors tax write-off)
to dam and develop the river and her
five waterfalls. Hore than eleven hundred dues-paying members have contacted
their elected officals in Raleigh and
encouraged them to support N.C. Senator
Hipps and Rep. Crawford's legislation
that would include the river in the
N. C. Natural and Scenic Rivers System. The bill wuld also direct the
N.C. Dept. of Natural Resources to develop a management plan to qualify the
Borsepasture for inclusion into the
National Wild and Scenic River System.
On June 7 the N.C. House and Senate
voted unanimously in favor of this legislation. It is now up to Govenor
Martin to request the U.S. Secretary of
Interior to admit the river into the
national system. Appropriation of
funds to the U.S. Forest Service from
the Land & Water Conservation Fund by
Congress will be needed to purchase
land to accomplish complete protection of the tract which includes 3 of
the 5 major falls. U.S. Congressperson Rendon is exploring this possibility.
. Hore info:
FRIENDS OF THE BORSEPASTURE
P.O.Box 272
~~
Cedar Mountain,NC 28718 ~
�~
' ?,
no! ..• clear-c utting
(cont'd from p.13)
compromised in order to harvest
a fixed quota of timber on an
annual basis.'' Cutting for pulpwood and replanting in white
pine while neglecting the diversity of native species shows
that the USFS is pursuing the
"greatest unit output" and is
in direct violation of this Act.
The appeal is now being considered by Regional Forester,
Joe Alcock. The Alliance has
won a "stay'' on this sale and is
advocating a moratorium on clearcutting in the Nantahala National Forests, until the contents
of the revised 50-year forest
management plan are revealed.
CORPORATE
FORESTRY
PRACTICES
Hello,
A friend haa suggested that I write
a letter to Kat6ah about my experiences with the forestry practices in
the southeast of our country. I ' ve
worked the trees (treeplanting) in
the southeast for five seasons now,
the last two as a foreman for a large
treeplanting outfit.
Most of my experience has been on
land owned privately by large paper
companies. If you study maps of the
southern states , you'll see many
large areas with minimum development.
These are often paper company lands.
Corn and cotton farming devastated
much of this land, rendering it useless for farming and enabling the
big companies to acquire it quite
cheaply.
Forestry, as practiced by the paper companies, means pines, generally genetically improved stock of the
loblolly species. This inhibits local varieties and leaves little or
no room for hardwood varieties.
Once, while riding to a site with
a young forester , I remarked about
the nice big oaks in someone's yard.
The forester smiled and said, "That• s
two words that you don ' t hear in the
same sentence in forestry school:
' n ice' and 'oak'. If it ' s not pine,
it's weeds."
Practices vary from company to
company, and even from forester to
forester within the same company,
but generally the only areas left to
hardwoods sre wetlands and drains ,
KA TG.\H
-
page 14
.....::
permit guidelines. One commission
member stated," I would hate to see
a threat put on a company that has
really broken their back (to improve
water quality on the Pigeon River)."
EPA, within the 90-day comment period, responded to the EMC by insisting that the permit contain tougher
language and specific action. Ignoring EPA ' s review comments, EMC
went ahead and issued the original
weak permit, anyways.
Historically, the EPA has never voided a permit that a state has
issued. However, in an unprecedented move, EPA voided this North Carolina permit in August. As indicated
by EPA's comments to EMC, the permit did not comply with the required
federal Clean Water Act guidelines.
Now, the EMC has 90 days to draft a
new permit or the EPA will take over and issue its own. James O. Sheppard, Jr., a spokesperson for the
NC Division of Environmental Management has stated that the EMC might
not have the statutory authority to
implement the recommendations.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is suing
North Carolina and Champion stating
and that often reluctantly. Even
steep hillsides get replanted in
pine. A few companies seem unwilling
even to leave the drains i f they own
land on both sides of a creek or river.
Champion International - "largest
paper company in the world" - also
probably the largest landowner in
the eastern US, is still doing clearcuts of a phenomal size: up to 2,000
acres in a single tract. Of course,
clearcut ting doesn't eliminate hardwoods, as we ' re well aware. This
means that the land must be further
prepared for treeplanting by either
rootraking and piling, chopping, and
burning the brush; or even disking
and double-disking the soil. These
techniques eliminate hardwoods, as
well as rootmats, groundcover, and
most of the topsoil that's managed
to reform onto what was often mediocre land at best.
A technique rising in popular~ty
that effectively eliminates the hardwoods and saves the topsoil is the
use of massive quantities of herbicides. This can effectively wipe out
the hardwoods, but it tends to hove
very detrialental effects on wildlife, as well as on the foresters
and technicians doing the applications. Aerial spray and burn is being
utilized on a large scale. I've been
on sites that were over 600 acres
and devastated by application of
herbicide and thorough burning.
Some major problems arising from
this approach are: overspray onto
str eams and rivers and onto "innocent" land (including crop fields)
and residential wells and springs.
People directing the spray are often soaked by the stuff.
Once the land is prepped, tree-
; .•
~
...._:
~11111.·.-::~...'t. - _.,,.;r - '"'~ •
e5cont 'd from p.13)
that the mill should be required to
clean up the river and thus meet
Tennessee clean water standards. A 1980
N.C. state analysis showed that the
water was so dark that sunlight could
not penetrate and nurture the aquatic
life required by most fish to live.
Champion has recently installed a
small scale ultrafiltration test syst
to explore the feasibility of removing
the color from the effluent. But, Dick
Mullinix, chairperson of PRAG, points
out that since 1973 Champion has held
patent on a sy:;t:em that could clean up
to 90% of the colored effluent but it
was ignored, and only recently has
public pressure forced the company to
begin testing.
PRAG and its legal backers, the
Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation (LEAF, Knoxville,TN) and the Con
servation Council of North Carolina,
rallied support and urged EPA to take
up this issue. Further legal action is
expected.
Hore info:
,_ °'
""'
Pigeon River Action Croi '
p
P.O.Box 105
h
Waynesville, NC 28786
/.
planters come in and set out the
pines in a grid designed to close
off a canopy in 5 to 7 years. This
keeps out new growth and eliminates
the diversity of plant life and
habitat so necessary for wild things
to prosper.
"How about some solutions?" you
say. The best solution is, of course,
the people getting the land again,
rebuilding homesites and gardens, and
developing wells , springs, villages ,
and communities. But these are quite
complex and difficult issues, especially as forestry in the private
sector is first and foremost an economic undertaking. Perhaps some
grassroots "forest watch" operations
will develop, which might provide
some means of regulating the use of
the land and eliminating its destruction. lllaybe by restricting the size
of some of these logging operations
and giving local people some recourse to deal with abuses by their
corporate neighbors. ln the meantime, l will suggest that, while
travelling, you get on some "blue
line" highways and see for yourself
how the land is being cared for.
Tom Franko
Rt. 1, Box 243-8
Floyd, VA 24091
~
P'
Fall 1985
C.
fl
cc - AA
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111!11!!11. . . .!lll..... WIAMJORUTDWO.l.IN~. . . .~. . . . . .11111. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
After three months of discussion and
R-5 the only trees that will requir~
Ur' Gr¥ftc£s
by Gus Radom
"Thtn• arc tides in the affairs of
humankind and we are at a low ebb."
Preclsely at the moment requiring the
Krcalcst leadership we have the least.
This region, Asheville in particular,
ls going through dramatic change:
change that will touch our lives dircct ly and daily, whether or not we
choose to be involved.
Thg city of Ashevi11P fAcPs ~er
ious problems. "Asheville," according
to former city manager, Ken Michalovc,
"is literally rotting away . " The infrastructure that supports our urban
way of life is rapidly falling apart.
But the deterioration that I
wish to address is on the surface of
the land. As our natural environmenl
L•rodes, so does the quality of our
lives .
Cotn111ercial development is rapidly transforming the landscape and
lhus the character of our city. The
standard approach has been :o cut
down all the trees, level the site,
and pave everything . Once the process
begins it snowballs . The development
tragedies on Merriman Avenue have
diminished the value of every home in
North Asheville. Trees buffer our
neighborhoods from the harshness of
the street and the collllllercial districts. When they are gone we lose a
part of our heritage. Our sense of
place, our peace, and our solitude
are diminished.
Our homes constitute the largest
investment most of us will ever make.
We spend our entire adult lives paying for that investment. That purchase provides us shelter and offers
us community . Collectively, our homes
create our neighborhoods,our major
place in the world . Our neighborhoods,
under normal circumstances, pass from
one generation to the next providing
the same healthy environment year
after year. Asheville has long provided all the South with a wonderful retreat. But how long, at the present
rate, will there be a cool, green Asheville? We have oo coaprehensive plan of
development. We have no blueprint to
guide us. We are stumbling expensively
into the future.
A few private citizens, including myself. observing the damage snd
seeing no established leadership addressing the issue of tree destruclion,
have been trying to turn this around.
KATCAH - page 15
research (gathering tree ordinances
and advice from all over the South)
we produced a tree ordinance unique
to our situation. We consulted two
members of the city council, seeking
their support and advice. They suggested that we first gain the endorsement of the Tree Conunission and allow
the commission to present the ordinance to council. We did this . For months
we pressed the Tree Commission for
their support of an ordinance t~at
they should have initiated years ago.
Thanks to the self-serving leadership
of several members of the commission
this ordinance was weakened by numerous amendments and delayed for more
than nine months. The ordinance finally passed the Tree Commission , but
the leadership of the commission has
done nothing to promote this o rdinance before city council.
The proposed tree ordinance is
by no means assured to pass City
Council. It is controversial and will
cost the City some money to enforce .
It will pass only if the members of
the Council believe it has strong
support from a majority of the people in the city.
The proposed Asheville Tree
Ordinance is designed to prevent the
indiscriminate pruning and removal
of trees in the City , but without
denying the reasonable use and economic benefit of real property.Although the emphasis in this Ordinance
is on protection, the authors intend
this to be only a first step in a
comprehensive program to preserve ,
maintain and replenish Asheville's
green environment.
The Ordinance has five essential
components:
~~ ARBORIST
First, it calls for the hiring
of a CITY ARBORIST: a tree specialist who will help the city make informed decisions when tree removal
is requested, and to help formulate
policies to properly care for the
City ' s own trees. Most importantly,
the CITY ARBORIST will design an educational program to make the general public aware of the value of our
own trees and to give technical information on how to care for them.
PERMIT FOR REMOVAL
-- -Seconcf,--c-heOrdinance requires
any person who intends to remove any
tree over 12 inches in diameter to
obtain a permit from the City. The
only exception to this requirement
is trees within the setback lines of
property zoned residential. ln other
words, for property zoned R-1 thru
a permit to be removed will be thost·
within a certain margin around the
perimeter of each lot .
If a developer or landowner lntends to remove a t ree during the
development of any land in the City.
a lree removal permit will be required along with other building
permits, and the City will have the
power to rescind all the permits if
the provisions of the Tree Protection Ordinance are not followed. The
Ordinance also includes guidelines
for the protection of existing trees
during construction.
A lree removal permit will be
granted in any case where the applicant can demonstrate a good reason
for removing the tree. Specifically ,
a permit will be granted if the tree
is dead, diseased, or otherwise dangerous or obstructive, or if removal
of the tree is necessary for the
proper development of the property,
or for the benefit and health of
other trees.In some cases permits
will be granted on the condition
that new trees are planted on the
property.
Special provisions have been
made ~n the Ordinance to regulate,
but not impede, the pruning and cutting done by the public utility companies in the course of maintaining
utility lines. Other special provisions have been made for emergencies
such as severe storms,and for the
appeal of permit denials.
PRUNING AND TOPPING
A third section of the ordinance requires that any pruning of
trees be done according to standards
set by the Tree Commission. Although
no permit will be required for pruning, excessive pruning that cause
the death of any tree will be treated as if the trees were cut down
without a permit. The purpose of
these provisions is to stop the unsightly mutilation of mature hardwoods in the name of •topping~
PENALTIES
~-Tht?°penalties section of the
Ordinance makes both the lsndowner
and the person who actually does the
cutting subject to the penalties.
The criminal penalties that may be
imposed are $50. per tree, or 30
days in jail. Civil penalties can be
up to $10,000 .
PLANTING ON CITY PROPERTY
-- Finally , the Ordinance encourages any citizens of Asheville to
plant trees on City property in accurdanc .. with the City Tree Plan adopted by the Tree Commission.
cont'd on p.21
·•
~~~ ~
-
" Fsll~l985
�t .•
A
Fall 1985
•
t~
�Fall 1985
.... ~.
-
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WEAM,OIOUTDWD.UM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
DRUMMING
LETIERS TO KATUAH
Hello Ka tuah !
Just got done reading Gary Snyder's interview
in The Mother Earth News and will use that reinspiration to write. Bioregionalism does nothing but make sense to me and I have discussed
it with lots of folks since my introduction to
it through ex-Co-Evolution Quarterly. I am
drawn to the idea for ecological(moral) and
political(decentralization) reasons. I do not
consider myself a pessimist, yet I cannot see
the institution of such "radical" politics in
my lifetime. Still, given my personal reality
and witnessing a growth of spiritual awakening
in .. this country, it is time to promote sanity
and cOllDDunity . The establishment of bioregionalism would be, to me, nothing short of mass
enlightenment, the birth of human beings • .. ••
We are capable as a species. May we rise to
our potential through creative insight and
courage.
Please send me any and all necessary info to
better educate me so I may pass the truth along
to others. I'll thank you in advance for your
kindness and help and your loving work for the
earth and its creatures.
·
One woman, trying to walk in balance- Cotton
Willis, Va.
"one does not give over to alternative realities
without summon ing up forces of nature and mind
which urban-industrialism was designed to exclude,
never to contain"
Theodore Roszak
Where The Wasteland Ends
Dear Katuah,
I ' m writing to request that you publish a correction to an article published in the Spring 1985
loouc of KotWih. The article was on Socially Responsible '"ii\veBting (page 15).
The problem is simply that you screwed up our
address in the "Resources" sect.ion. The address
given is "28 Montpelier, VT.05602" . The correct
address is: 28 Main St . ; Montpelier, VT 05602.
While I have your attention, I just want to let
you know that I think your publication is absolutely first-rate; it' s the strongest, most coherent publication I've seen yet from the bioregional
oovement.
Thanks for your help and support.
Sincerely,
Larry Lewack
Marketing Director
GOOD MONEY
:<ATf. - page 18
.\H
Dear Friends,
I'm writing to express my feelings of how meaningful I think your paper is for the times we
face today. I think Kat6ah represents an emerging awareness and networking of peoplP with many
basic concerns. beliefs and philosophies.I
think that i• is part of the global consciousness that is striving for peace, equality between peoples and nations, and an expression of
feelings of love for the Mother Earth.
~et me tell you briefly of our goals and current
function here at Northwoods Center for Natural
Health. One is to network out info=mation to
people in every way that we can . We do this
through newsletters, talks, newspaper articles,
etc. A second ts to begin a Center for networking with individuals that can help teach a selfsustaining way of life and a respect for the
earth. With that we want to instill a greater
degree of planetary consciousness in people by
bringing them in contact with guest lecturers.
Thirdly , we will have health retreat weeks for
those interested in regaining health in a European rejuvenation setting. And fourth, we provide personalized health programs and back and
neck pain therapy for any individual coming to
our Center in Brevard.
With Warmth and Light,
Or. Frank Trombetta, O.Sc.
Ro list ic Health
304 Water Oak Suites
Brevard NC 28712
Hi Good People,
The SU11DDer issue is great but the second part
of Lowell Hayes' painting is upside down. The
reservoir flooded up the valley covering the
homestead as It rose.
Touching gently our Mother Earth,
Karl Yost
Willis, Va.
KatU'ah,
On my 10th birthday, spent here in these mountains, I announced to my family that one day
this would be my home. I knew even then that
these maternal nurturing hills would cradle me
and I would live a life close to the earth. Nowfinally-1 am home! No other place ever felt like
home-only these mountains. So if this is my home,
where are my roots, my past knowledge of gener.
ations. my life cord?
Katuah is just that ... connecting me with relatives living and those who have gone on before
me. It is my anchoring roots-so that I may concentrate on producing nurturing fruits.
Suaan Claese
~
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WlAlllfOllUTOW'IU.EMI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
AS 1 sit beneath the towering
white oak, I feel the coolness of
it's breath on this hot SU11111er day.
I lay my palms upon the base of it's
trunk and feel it's life blood courslng beneath the bark. Earth-breath
stirs the leaves gently and I am reminded that where there is breath,
there is spirit I remember the
breathing of the oak and try to make
my breath juat as silent. Leaning
against the oak, I place my hands
'and bare feet against the bare soil;
illlagining them to be roots, 1 push
them into the soil and draw the
Earth Hother's healing and growing
power into myself The oak's abundant fruit has fed me, and now it's
strong spirit nourishes me. I feel
it's plentiful power flooding me
with strength, vigor, and endurance
I open my eyes, give my thanks to
the white oak and realize that when
I need these things, the oak will be
there for me. 1 will protect and
preserve it as long as I shall live,
and I will pass the task on to my
children, who inherit the stewardship of this land. With my newfound strength, I run up to the
ridge and down to my valley home.
FRIEND TO HUMANS
The oaks have been known as
sustainers and healers for centuries . A variety of species of oak
(spp. quercus ) are indigenous to
Turtle Island (N. America) and their
gifts have been well known to many
native tribes. I have been told that
the old-time Cherokee runners earring messages between the different
clans travelled only with extra mocassins and a pouch of acorn and corn
Meal on their belts. The runners
would keep a pinch in their mouth as
they ran for an hour or so, then
swallow and take another. This sustained the runners as they covered
up to 100 miles in a loping, 20 hour
trot through the rich woodlands of
Katuah.
All acorns are edible and all
contain bitter tannin in varying amounts 'Ille oaks are divided into
two groups by botanists: the white
oaks, whose leaves have rounded
lobes, with sweeter acorns and more
tannin in the bark; and the red oaks,
whose leaves have pointed lobes, with
bitter acorns and less tannin in the
bark. ~~st desirable for food are the
chestnut oak (quercus prinus) acorns.
The nut meats are the largest I know,
so less time is spent shelling and
they are very owcct
The whicc ook
(quercus alba) is so sweet that a
light roasting will render them edible, with a bitterness comparable to
that of coffee. Gather the acorns
as soon as possible after they fall,
as most become infested with weevils
within a week. Green acorns are fine.
The bitterness is removed by a leaching process. First, grind the shelled acorns in a flour mill into course
acorn grits. The moist acorns will
not pass through if the mill is set
too fine. Put the grits in a cotton
On Tall Trees
O mighty oak
Long in silence I look on you
And draw power and renewal
from your aura.
Often I wonder
of your making,
Gnarled in places,
How slowly,
slowly
do you grow,
How long
how many years
in the making!
Controller of climate and
rainfall
Protector of top soil,
protector of the earth,
Inspiring of strength
Favorite of ancients
of Druids,
of religious groups.
How mighty in sinew,
Inspiring in strength!
0 to stop the crime
Of wasting you!
What mystery radiances
breathe you in
and breathe you out?
You are of the tall trees,
The friend of owls,
You are old .•. so old!
You are the acorn,
You are the oak!
©
W. Walters
oock, tic it closed and place in cold
running water; a creek or in the sick
under a slow, steady stream. White
oak acorns will leach in 4-8 hours;
some red oaks take as long as 14-16
hours. Just taste the grits to see if
all the astringency has been removed.
Then spread the grits in a thin layer
on a flat surface (a stone heated by
the sun or fire, or on a cookie sheet
in a 200 degree oven) and dry thoroughly. Grind the brown grits into a
fine flour. You now have a food that
is approximately 6.5% protein, 68%
carbohydrate , .1% fat and for each
100 grams, you get 12 mg calci11111, 314
mg phosphorous, 2 mg iron, .02 mg
thiamine, .40 mg riboflavin and .5 mg
niacin - not to mention all your body
will tell you about its food value.
ASH CAKES
Traditionally, acorn flour and
corn meal are mixed with water and a
small amount of sifted oak wood ash
(which makes the protein more accessible to our bodies) to make a stiff
batter After your oak and hickory
wood fire has burned for 1 hour, remove wood and coals, dig a large,
bread loaf sized pit in the hearth
and line it with red hot coals and
ashes. Pour the batter onto the coals
then place more ash on top, then more
coals, then build the fire back up on
top. After one half to one hour (depending on the size of your ash cake) I
take out the bread. The blackened
outer crust has formed an "oven" for
the sweet, moist bread inside. Thia
is a very sustaining food with a
complete, balanced protein content.
When you're in the kitchen, try
this recipe for the most delicious
corn bread you've ever had:
I
I
cornmeal
le
l/2c acorn flour
I/Jc soy flour
l/4c w/wheat flour
2tsp salt
l
egg
l}i;c milk
3tbsp honey
Jtbsp oil
optional:
le chopped
black walnuts
le toasted
sunflower seed
mix all dry ingredients , add liquids
and beat until smooth. Pour into
muffin tins or cake pan and bake for
20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes
out clean .
Medicinally oak bark is a powerful astringent - antiseptic with several applications A decoction made
(cont'd. p. 24)
198S
�ed together to form a starry patchwork quilt of colldctive being . Feminine power is once more on the ascendant; the summer lion of personal
will d:lssolves in the glory o f transcendent love ••• "
" Feminine power is activated in
the fall as vital energy descends to
the roots of our beings . It is through the feminine aspect in human nature that the purifying fire of M
ichael can rightfully be wielded. Justice, a feminine fi gure, watches over
and weighs the spiritual harvest ••• "
"In the first half of autwun, we
gather in the harvest and clear away
the 'chaff ' . In the second half, we
integrate the spiritual fruits of the
past year cycle. The 'sword of trut h'
and the scale are symbolic of the first
psychic process, which is inspired and
facilitated by the observance of Michaelmas, the Great New Moon C
ere1110ny,
Yom Kippur, and Hallowmas. The mysticas
al union of spiritual fruits is symbolized by the Jewish suka (four-sided
hut), the Native American medicine
wheel and World Tree with four roots,
the Chr istian Ad ven t wreath , and the
Chanukah dr e i dl .. . "
Fil.Om the I n-tltodu.c,Uo n
to .the Calendalt :
"This calendar j ournal
is intended to demonstra te
t hat the celebrations of all
racial and r eligious cultures
represent complementary aspects of one gr eat world cult ure and are r eflected in the
diverse psychic elements that
m
ake up each individual . Holy
days and all notable historic
events can be viewed in the
context of the annual cycle
as phases of individual and
collective development. According to an old Dakota song
' t he year is a circle around
the world '. The myths of all
cultures can be meaningfully
pr ojected on the mandala of
the annual rhythm. "
"Fall is the time to reap the
psvchic as well aa physical fruits of
th.a groving season. Each of us is a
ray which goes forth 1o spring t o embr ace a particular aspact of crdation
and r•turns i n fall with a ~rsonal
harves t to share wit h our COlmllWlity.
Individual •xpcriancea are now joinK.\TCAH - page 20
"Fall is the season of complet ion,
of 1110ving toward mystic wholeness when
diverse states of consciousness may be
brought into h8rlll0ny. In the Gnostic
view, Christ is the soul of the Earth
(the incarnate solar principle). The
soul of the world, the center of the
circle cross of the Earth symbol, can
be approached only by man.Heating within ourselves the essential nature of
every religion and cult ure. The most
important message of the fall is that
all faiths are essentially bas.sd on one
great body of truth of which each world
religion and culture is an integral
part.
The medicine wheel is a primary
Native American symbol which defines the
four parts of the human psyche, provtd.ss
a path to the integration of these psychic elemenes and indicates how the individual may best be integrated into the
tribal community. A person first experiences each of the four directions
before balancing i n the center o f the
circle cross. Then all four states of
being come alive at the same time and
the medicine wheel begins to turn.
The medicine wheel of Native Amer-
ica and the Great Pyramid both symbolize the procciss of psychic transformation through which the formative elements of human nature are aligned
and integrated by the fifth principle
(the quJ.ntessence}, spiritual awareness. This transformative process is
also the purpose of the Cherokee
"s quard ground" which is used for ceremonial dance in this season. It is
the basis for celebrating the four
we4*. Advent period which culminates
in the ligh ting of a f ifth candle in
a "medicine wheel" circle of greenery .
Fall is the season to create a
new state of being, a more inclusive
form of consciousness, aud it is the
time to consciously let go of the old
form, to ring in the new year. Creative meditation and rational fasting
have a place in this process and so
do singing, chanting , and dancing .
Let's recall the words of Lame D
e1:1r:
'Dancing and praying-it's the same
thing', when w1:1 celebrate Advent and
include a little enlightened Saturnalia, for its purpose is to break up
psychic patterns from the old year, to
help us open our hearts to the ligh t
of a new star ••• "
(f
'1e~v ts~ c1vc- le~v-oV1noL the wov\d~
the
"The New Moon of Libra , the
first following the Fall Equinox ,
marks the spiritual New Year in the
New World Cycle of Celebrations ... .
This is the time of the Great New
M
oon Ceremony, the New Year celebration commemorating the world ' s
creation in Cherokee and Iroquois
tradition . Immersion in a pure body
of w
ater at sunrise followed by
crystal ga zing co perceive the future year is a traditional aspect
of the ceremony."
Advance o r ders for The 1986 " New
W l d Cycle of Celebrations Calenor
dar Journal" a r e now being ta ken .
Send $8. 00 to :
New Wo r l d Celebra tions
P . O. Box 6054
Charlot te, N 2820 7 ~
C
!!". • --FaH l91f5
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WEAMFOFIUTOWlii.ERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11111!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
Review
M)UNTAINEERS AND RANGERS: A HISTORY
OF FEDERAL FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE
SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS 1900-81
Shelley Smith Mastran and Nan
Lowerre (U. S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, D. C. 20402)
$7.00
The federal government, particularly in the form of the U. S. Forest
Service, has been a strong force in
the development of the current
were mounted knights carrying the
conservation message into the wilds.
Now, since the political tide has
turned, a new chapter in the history
of federal involvement in Kat6ah is
being wcitten. The DOE is threatening to dump nuclear waste on the
mountains. The Forest Service is
meeting considerable popular opposition for undertaking large-scale
clear-cutting operations, and has
been implicated in offering the
lumber interests large hand-outs
in the form of below-cost timber
sales. But that is to be read in
the future. At present, MOUNTAINEERS AND RANGERS offers an illuminating look at one of the powers
that helped to shape today .
VRDAN Tl\EES
(continued from p.15)
Recently at a conference on
Buncombe County ln the 21st Century,
Ian McHarg, noted author and landscape architect , emphasized the importance of incorporating the natural environment into the design of our
cities. Approximately 76% of Americans live in or near urban areas.
This figure will rise. As we purchase smaller homes on less or no land,
we instinctively turn to our urban
forests for that occasional respite,
for the reflection and solace we
sometimes desperately need in our
often crowded and hectic lives . Imagine New York City without Central
Park. Urban forests offer city folks
a wide variety of delights and benefits. In spite of unrelenting pressures for urbanization, 30% of the
surface area of an average U.S. city
is covered with trees. This is a
larger portion of forest cover than
is found in the typical countryside.
The proposed city arborist in the
Ordinance would facilitate the crucially importa:it integration of
sound urban forest planning and management with commercial and residential development.
In conclusion, as private citizens we have a responsibility to act
when there is no action. If we fail
to do so, we become the victims.
Your help in the passage of the tree
ordinance is critical. We need your
influence, your letters, your phone
calls . This is but a first step. We
can turn this thing around. ~
economic and cultural realities of
the Katclah province. Under contract
to the U.S . Forest Service, researchers Shelley Smith Mastran and Nan
Lowerre have docu~ented the federal
***
presence and the changes it has
"In the early days, only the largest
brought to Southern Appalachian
forestry and forest lands in the
and highest quality trees were cut:
course of the 20th century .
cherry, ash, walnut, oak, and yellowUnlike many goverument public(tulip) poplar, often as large as 25
ations, MOUNTAINEERS AND RANGERS
feet in circumference. Although it
is not a monotonous litany of
is difficult to imagine today, trees
alphabet agencies or a selfwere felled that were larger in diajustifying array of statistics
meter than an average man stands. Some
designed to def end an agency
portable sawmills were brought into
budget. Rather, the authors have
the mountains in the earlier years,
produced a book that is interesting
but logs from these enormous trees
and readable because they have
were usually transported to a'mill,
given attention to the existing
some miles distant, by horse, oxen,
forestry practices and cultural
or water . Typically, log splash dams
patterns in the area and, for better
were built on the shallow mountain
or wors~, the profound effect the
streams so that many logs could be
federal agencies have had on land
moved at one time. Logs were rolled
use and the mountain way of life.
into the lakes formed behind the dams,
UndLCStandably, they linger in
and with a buildup from rain or
the golden days of forestry in the·
melting snow, the.dams were opened to
Appalachians: the days of Teddy
let the logs cascade down the mountains.
Roosevelt, Carl Schenck, and
Prom wider places on the river,
Gifford Pinchot, when the Forest
Gi.1.6 Hado11.n, a ~i.den;t; 06 At.hetrees - as many as 40 to 120 at a
Service was young and "the district
ville, NC, htU> be.e.n a p!Llnci.pal. i.ntime - were lashed together to form
-ltla;to11. ht de.ve.i.op.ing a comp11.ehe.nranger • •• was the backbone of forest
rafts, which were piloted downriv~;~~
administration . " Forest rangers
1>i.ve Vi.ee. oJr.di.nanc.e. 601t hi.6 ~.
to the mills."
,P"'
at that time were crusaders - messengers bearing tidings of the young
science of forestry, of conservation and enlightened land use
to the mountain people. The days
of the CCC, when thousands of people
were gainfully employed at useful
conservation work during the
depression years is also emphasized,
but the book does not neglect discussions of the social impact of the
Forest Service's land acquisition
policies, the economic effects of the
federal government as landowner, and
the controversy surrounding the
RARE II proposals of the early
1980's .
The federal government has figured
so prominently in the history of
Katuah since the turn of the century,
that MOUNTAINEERS AND RANGERS offers
a good overview of the history of the
province and its forests during this
period . The book is extensively
annotated, and the bibliography alone
is an excellent guide to readings on
Southern Appalachia during this period.
There is a certain admiration and
nostalgia for the days when issues
were simpler, before Forest Service
"Aw, sheee-iit"
ethics became entangled in the
economics of the international
timber market , and when the rangers
Fall 1985
OS sgaq - Hf.~1/J.
�The publications listed below are
available from Appalachian Regional
Office, l.T.C.I.U.S.A,, lnc., Route
I, Gravel Switch, KY 40328. Prices
l isted include postage and handling
within the U.S.
PROPAGATION METHODS AND SOURCES FOR
UNCOMMON PERENNIAL FOOD PLANTS: A
LITERATURE REVIEW IN TABULAR FORM
Cregory Williams, 1983 (slightly
vised 1984), 49 pp., $6.00.
;e-
by Brian Caldwell
We are trying an intercropping
system that might be of utility on
other farns. On an 80 ft. by 90 ft.
test plot, we have planted raspberries in rows 15 feet apart (about
twice the usual spacing). In the rows
with the berry canes, we set young
Chinese chestnut trees every 15 feet.
The chestnut trees are mulched, weeded and fertilized along with the berries, which are allowed to grow close
beside the trees. Beds of vegetables
about 5 feet wide run between the
raspberry-chestnut rows.
This system is an attempt to
care for a succession of crops with
the least effort, while making good
use of space. We suspect that the
raspberries. grown without the use of
pesticides, have fewer problems with
fungal diseases due to the improved
air circulation of wide rows. It
seems reasonable to use the extra
space for vegetables. Because rasp-·
berry plantings typically last only
about 5-7 years because of virus problems, the chestnuts provide a crop
co "take over" after the berries.The
young trees require special care
(particularly weed control) for about
3 years after planting, yet bearing
begins on l y after about 5 years or
more.It does not make much sense to
invest the special care and space exclusively for the non-bearing trees
so we put them right in the berry
rows! They will not seriously compete
with the berries until the berries
are on the way out. The berry mulching and fertilizing are ideal fo r the
trees, and competition from the berries does not appear siRnificant.
Note that, with the use of mulch, it
is important to protect the tree
trunks from rodents with some sort of
guards.
Eventually. we will have a ~rove
of chestnut trees on a 15 feet by 15
feet spacing. This is too close for
mature t rel'!1. llowever. t hcse a re
seedlin~ trees, not ~rafts. and it is
likely that somt• will be poorer bearPrs than others.After about JS vears,
they will b~ thinned out, leaving
onlv the best. The aTea formerlv occ~
:'-\;'~'AH -
?ag~
ll
upied by raspberries and vegetables
will be sheep pasture. And the chestnut yield in the early years will
have been much improved over the
yield for trees originally planted on
a recommended spacing of 30 feet by
30 feet.
This system is appropriate for
many kinds of trees . Strawberries
could substitute for the vegetables,
but blueberries, gooseberries, asparagus, and rhubarb all last so long
that their total production as "raspberry substitutes" would be seriously
reduced by the trees.
Areas used for this system
should be free from perennial weeds.
fn our plot, we have had problems
only with the tarnished plant bug
and, at first, too low fertility for
high raspberry yields. An organic
fertilizer (about 20 pounds of N per
acre) placed beneath the mulch the
last two springs resulted in much
better growth of the fruiting canes.
The berries also benefit from vegetable fertilization .
Reprinted from Agroforestry Review.
Back issues available from: - - International Tree Crops Institute,
Appalachian Regional Office
USA
Route 1,
Gravel Switch, Ky. 40328
------ r-e.so-~ i.is~ : tyu U"op~ - - ~KS
ABOUT TREE CROPS:
TREE CROPS: A PERMANENT AGRICULTURE,
J. Russell Smith, Devin-Adair, New
York, 1953. Founding work for the
tree crops "movement"; somewhat dated, but worth reading to get excited
about the idea of a tree-based agriculture.
TREES FOR THE YARD, ORCHARD, AND
'"'OODLOT. Roger Yepsen, Jr. , editor,
Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
1976. Introductory chapters on landscaping. orcharding, nut trees. propagation, pest control, useful wild
species. maple sugaring. and woodlot
management.
NlIT TREE CULTURE IN NORTH AMERTCA,
Richard Jaynes, editor, NNGA, Hamden,
Connecticut, 1979. Very thorough and
authoritativt• reference--" the bib le"!
ACRISILVICULTURE FOR APPALACHIA: A
BIBLIOGRAPHY, Gregory Williams, 1979,
9 pp .• $2.00.
AGRlSILVICULTURE: A NECESSARY RENAISSANCE, Gregory Williams, 1979, 4 pp.,
$1.00.
TREE CROPS FOR SMALL FARMS IN APPALACHIA: PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL FOR RESEARCH, Flip Bell. John Pohlman,
Gregory Williams, 1977, 24 pp . , $4.00.
ENERGY-CONSERVING PERENNIAL AGRICULTURE FOR MARGINAL LAND IN SOUTHERN
APPALACHIA: FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT
Gregory Williams, 1982, 52 pp. , $8~00
HORTIDEAS, Published monthly, Subscriptions $10.00/yr. (U.S.)
SOME SOURCES OF HARD-TO-OBTAIN SEEDS
AND PLANTS FOR TREE CROPPING
CHESTNUT HILL NURSERY,Rt. 3, Box 477,
Alachua, Fl. 32615. Hybrid AmericanOriental chestnuts. Price list free.
DOUGLAS, Earl, Red Creek, NY 13143.
Hybrid American-O r iental chestnuts.
Send SASE for price list .
HIDDEN SPRINGS NURSERY, Route 14, BOX
159, Cookeville, TN . 38501 . Seedling
and grafted fruit and nut trees, including honeylocust. Price list free.
ITCIUSA APPALACHIAN REGIONAL OFFICE,
Route I, Gravel Switch, KY 40328.
Seeds and graf t wood of select honeylocust, black locust, and American
persimmon. Price list free.
JOHNSON ORCHARD & NURSERY , Route 5,
60x 325, E1ijay, GA 30540 . Mltoy peach
and nectarine cultivars, also graft~d apples. Catalog, $1.
LAWSON ' S NURSERY, Route I, Box 294,
Ball Ground, GA 30107. Many apple and
pear cultivars. Catalog free. ~
Special thanks to Greg Williams of
LT .c.r.u.s.A.
Ea-11 19a5
�....................................llllllll........... Wl4MIOOIOTOWILWIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
"T<•c '""'Y of our forebt .. rs and
lut'.U<·•ncri ti uk u tern•s of o fl'"
Cf'le,·t<!d "l*C'1es--whot tl.cy eel l
' iorf!ft trt'd Sl>t-ClE:s '--so that IJy
el in in<>t ion ol l other tr<-es oecor ••e
1
'A t!(•d V.pt!tie!i ..
The
1
'Afl'l•O Sf>eClt-C'
ron•<-~t ~act•lct th•t • •orcsttr
sl.ou le CJl'l r io of any t t ee Veil i eties
bul thl' few thc>t are currently ld.<Jh on
th<> 11... ikPl. Tl.is rnov.-s low.;1d ,, 110110C\.ll ur ,. prnct ice . l·•onocul tu re y1·owiny
ovi:rtaxe& the soil, exposes tlie crop
lrees Lo dun9er fron insec ts, disease,
er fire, •rad pUtb the landow11cr at the
n·l'rcy of • consta ntly fluctuat inc;
lll<O ):et..
"Tl 1t: t. t t::..~ Ven
i ~Lieb kuowu
lW~y db
'wef'd s 1>C'cies ' .. re ~.ir>l'lY trcei. thdt
we do not know how to use. Ev1:r~
Sl'(•ci<•s of tr<>e has j ts own pot..,11tial.
As an exd~plE: the dogwood tree i s not
tighly desira~le today, but 20 ye&rs
ago do9woud wat• one of the mo11t
valuabl~ wood~ in the forest.
It was
used to no~k.e textile shuttles, because
the wooo would wear slllO(>th and would
not pick the threads. Ever~· small town
had a dogwood mill wh~-~ voltt'r &a,.s
cul d09wood blocks irto squdre lo be
roade :uoto i.huttles. Because textile
blin ttlei; are now nade of COlll[>rt-sbed
wood or ~yr•tl1E:llc l'ldterials, do<;wood
h ..1< no n.iket today . But tl1a1 doc-s not
~"' tht: ..OO<; is cseless.
rt su I l lb
on( cf t hi! l:'est woods growir.<J. we
s1rnr•lr llO:t'cl :o fir•c where it C"11n Ii<·
l: Pt t used.
"1'h<•H .:n~ othe r woods in birrdlar
C' l r t·1Jn1! t nnc<'s.
M
1..ll.t1r ry j s " .. pl vr•t J d
woc1d ll•r i11lryi; . Sassafra .. wooo bot
bf'iJUI If l: I l ones tJ11d ... ) J I yi V<· C1f j i Is
1 l• a1.i1 <J odor for 50 Yl"<•I>. Silv~·th<•ll
ii; io 1•lai11 wood, but 1 t firii::l.1·~ "ell
"r1u car1 l l• la.&ec.! 1 r
t\Jt ri1 r
y wood
; r oductt!. l'lM'I, t.Jl..n l l i " white wood .
•r Uti(d 10 te ~01.11>0 .r 11,,. lntcl11•r
t Joor <•f o;v«r~ nt>u1:tdit1 r.•! lt , t..< rul•s•
INhl·n 1 t h•s sc.-nhbec "ith ""' <·r, ll
t1.rni'c1 ,, lt11lli<11~t wJ·ite, c.lr•<bt J.ke
. .. 111•• ~ lN> le1.111· !"locu . Fae-ti k a.c! c·~
\ Ood !w. l l ' (•WI ' C"hi•tdL t t-d!ol iCS . I
Jtt.l J~Vl
<i~'\'•
ti
•
jCioc;! sr:ioll
~Ut'ilP!·t
('C'l\.d\.O lll·
lUJ<'<> growing Sl't·c·icl wo,•dt- fM
(to next page)
KATUAP. - page 23
l8ll 1 ill.
SIVILCULTURE SIMPLIFIED
There are two major silviculture
practices, even-aged and uneven-aged.
Ir even-aged silviculturt a for~st is
cut complet.ely to the bt1re ground and
a r.ew forest is started with seedlings
or sprouts from cul trees . An unevenaged forest contains trees of all age
and size classes a11d n• be of one or
ay
111any sJ,Jecit-s, as ir. the case with
hardwoods . It is harvested perioeically by cutting a portion of the
trees, usually the n~ture trees or
trees of poorer quality.
Even-aged s1l1;iculture is more
coll1Itl0n with tie pinet-, firs, spruce,
and other coniferous tr<·es, although
it has been practiced i r. recent years
on harc!woods.
Even-aged silviculture can be
accornplished by clearcut.Ling the
forest in blocks or in strips , the
latter bEing known ab the shelterwood
system . The size of the cuttings
varies from entire mountainsides to
sruall blocks of 20 to 40 acres, or
strips a few hundred feet wide that
run ir. parallel bands or wind with the
contour on steeper land. After clearcutlin9, a ne .. for1:st must be established. Nature will generally do this
by seedlings or seeds left on the
forest floor or from sprouts growing
Croni cut stems. Humans can change this
by planting sceolings of the tree
species thal lhey desire.
After a few yl'ars, the clearcut
area grows up thickly with thousands
of seeolings and sprouts and usually
needs a cleanir.g to release the
desired trees. This is usually done
mechanically with tools, but can be
done .. ith hArbicides th<at poi&on the
unwanted sten.s. Fire can only be used
after the trees gro..· larger, and some
speci E.'s can wHhstand heat that will
kill others. After 20 to 40 years a
thinning cut lb made to harvest some
pulpwood-sized trees while leaving the
Detter trees for the final crop. The
final crop of trees is harvested when
rnat ure, usu.;lly 60 LO 80 years, and
tt,en the cycle is repedted.
Unever.-ac;ec! silviculturE: maintains
a gra..ing forest o f all ages and size
classes at all tines . Jt is much CJOre
~ifficl.ilt to practice and necessitates
p1cfessic.nal i;k1lls t hat require a
ful. 1rno.. Jedg<' of trc•t species , soils,
,,nd tt>eir intt-rrf\lationbhl.f•S. It also
i-«qvire!- t he kno.. ledge to grade tree
•1u.,) lly .>ml o htl J undcrstondi ny o!
tla•
fut tlCI' lire.ducts .
al'l'l ic:.ltion o~ thu Silvi-
noarkE·t~·
Tl e
cultural r.iethod is by ha rvesting ,
preferably for sale, bu~ sornt.ti1u~s as
a non-commercial operatior. to improve
a forest 1otand.
Harvesting can be by the single
tree selection method or by 9roup
selection. The latter is more practical and often rl turns the highest
product dividends .
Jn sin9le tree selection, the
!ore1oter marks individual trees that
are mature, or trees of lower quolity
thot ahould be removec for the im
vr~ved growth of better quality trees.
Removing these trees must be done very
carefully to avoid damaging the trees
to be left for future harvests .
In group selection, an attempt is
111ade to harvest several trees fairly
close together to open up a sizeable
area , letting sunlight enter to give
young trees a start . The area size
depends on the nature of the timber ,
topography , and other facton,, and
usually is not over an acre in size.
Group selection makes harvestin9
easier.
Thinning is a form of selective
cutting and is applied when forest~
become too thick and tree growth slows
down. "Thinning from above" means
taking out the more mature trees and
releasing the smaller ones . "Thinning
from below" is taking out trees that
have been suppressed or are of poor
form and giving the larger and better
quality trees less competition so they
can maintain a high growth rate while
adding on high quality wood .
Selective cutting can be a
coinbina tion of several of the above
methods, the main purpose being to
maintain a growing , viable forest of
many species (especially in bardwoods), many age classes, and several
size classes. Cutting cycles are
usually 10 to lS years apart .
In selective cutting , there is an
opportunity to favor wildlife by
leaving a certain number of den trees,
dnd trees producing hard mast, like
hickory and oak, even though their
product value may be questionable.
There is also an opportunity to
favor aesthetics and recreational
pursuits when selective cutting by
JUciciously leaving unusual trees
L~cause of size , species, or rarity .
--Walton P. Smith
�WALOEE FOREST
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ AMFOllESTDWBURS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
cont . from page 23
Walton looked up at the young
poplars as if to check their yrowth
and then turned awa~.
"We recently had a little tornado
in here," he said as we wound our way
along the trail again, "and it blew
down six white pine . l wasn't aol~ to
get to them before, but we recently
built a road in here, and now J can
recover them.
"A road is the first thing that a
landowner needs to think about if he
or she is considering forest management . There has to be access , no
matter what kind of management practice one is going to undertake.
Roadbuilding has got to be done right .
Building the roads is wha t causes most
of the erosion damage and tree damage
associated with logging operations .
"I can now get to over 80\ of this
150 acres for thinning and harvesting
operations . This has cost me $4,000
over a period of 16 years . These are
not gr aveled roads; they are woods
roads with grassy banks . They have
culverts and are not eroding . AlJ J
have to do is go over them twice a
year with a bush- hog mower . J don ' t
think that represents unreasonable
expense or maintenance .
"Clearcutting on a larye scale
requires a road built on 6 inches of
rock and gravel to get in a cable rig
and a tractor-t r ailer to haul the
timber . That's why it cost the Forest
Service one-half million dollars to
put in a six mile road on the mountain
above us . I couldn't get a tractorACORN •••
cont'd
61tOm p . 19
by steeping l oz. of the inner bark
powder in l pint of water (dosage l
~sp. four times a day) is effective
for diarrhea and dysentery . It can
be used as a gargle for sore throat,
or as an external wash for cuts and
wounds and poison ivy, Jethro Kloss
(Back To Eden) reports that the unleachc'd""acorn powder resist the venom of poisonous snakes and spiders.
The decoction is also a good ingredient in ene.mas for colonic cleansing .
In using t he food and medicine of
the oak, let us always remember our
trees with gifts - gifts of thanks
trailer ng ir. on this roac!, but lhe
<lifference is thcrt 1 log ,.jt h a ch., in
saw and a wir.ch on I lie front. E111<l o!' /1
jeep. A Sl!lal l ldnclowner is workiny on
an entirely different scale."
As we continued our walk, Walto11
said, "We ' re goir.g by another s.Lc1nu of
young fraser fir 1 'rr 9ro1dn9 for
Christmas trees . I try lo h<tv., lt•..,Sf'
areas clean·cl by h<1nd rather tl1<rn
spraying then. witl• poisonous sprays .
Jf I went simply by economics, it
would pay to buy the chemicals ancl
spray poison to keep the sptct.>ts d(,wn,
but there ' s too niuch gooci Wdter up
here to do 1.hcrt . I'd rathE:r spf:nd a
tittle extra time ond effort a11a avoic
the poisons .
"l know of farms that have been
passed down in the same family for
generations . I ' d li~e to see forests
treated like that as well. It takes SO
and prayer for the spirit, the Creator behind the spirit and the knowlege to use these things wisely,
gifts of cedar, sage or tobacco to
nourish the body and spirit of the
tree that nourishes us . In doing so,
we may become like the oaks , the
standing people, with our feet firmly planted in the Ear tr. Mother, our
trunks strong and flexible in the
fiercest of winds, our branches
reaching for the heavens, accepting
the light and warmth of the sun,
turning it into food and medicin~
that our people may live .
y~ars to g~I. ever) t loir g "'orlur y t l<;hl.
We ' re jusl now <J"'ttin~ tlin<J& lO "'<a·k
.r.Hjht
bete . "
Thundttt rut l• l fd i r. ti<· wi;st.
Wal tor. qi.i cker1E'd tis E ...c< .. s 11E'
,. tc1 rl Eid up tie f i na J grc.ue towards the
hOUSE'.
"} f<ttt} thf-t(''li CJnt tlt~J ,y Wl' t'nVe
to offer," le SblO tloughtfully.
"\\e've wotkea 011 ll1J.!O vlace for 47
yc•s1·s now, anC: l ti ink we h .. ve
dev ... lopi=C: a n•ociel tv show sornt
principles lhat coUd be cc1rried out
on a
lary~t sc~le.
"Quite .. (e-. ~ tudents <:<Jr.•e h•·re . l
91"e th .. r. tl1i~ sa~1e tour, and tl1ey ,;e•
ti. is pl ii CE', ul\C: N1ny Of then Jl?dVC'
with the &onoe c;,ut fecd1n9 that ""
l.cive; that there ' s a .b~tttr way to
1.-.rnage lhis App.. lachian tinberland. "
Lat.er , as we &ot i" the l.ouse
Wdtchir.y the rain 1.>C•Und tl•e wirdows
out~ide, Walton said, "Jf son•l'Ollt- ii.
driviny by oro tt.e h\!,hwdy , Jookir9 al
the forest, it odght look dense , dark
und scart-y--full o~ bears and :maker; .
Th~ edqe of tht forest is like a
walled barrier that turns away mur•y
people who aren ' t fc101Jli1>r -.i1.h thtforest.
"But once one bn•oks throuyh tl:f:
edge anC: 9ets in .. mong the trr•es, one·
can see the forest. Jt can't be &een
from the out.Eide . Jt becomt>s "n
entirely different place con•pated to
loow it appenred from the ldyhw.,y . lt's
a place of beauty . A good 1.>lace to
be--a qood place to live. ~
Necorded by D. W.
...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•
~a~0
~\IIL~I
'Na~r~
T-SHIRTS
Each origina l design
hand screened in 5 colors
on the finest 100%
pre- shrunk cotton
rl
short and long sleeve t· shirts.
Short Sleeve '10 PP · (.S&P CiVF<)c', l'f, o., ~(I
s14 ,..pc1.
CNAlf9£ ,.,.
J Ong slPeve indudes howlc feothers /beorpow~)
long Sleeve
Nome
Address
Blocli 8eor 0 Silver 0 Ton 0 Wh'te
u::::=;;:;;::;~::::::::::::::::::::::::::
1
Phone
Mostercord Viso tt
Red-foiled Howle 0 Ecru Q Silver CJ Ton ""'" ' •: AqeA...,., N101nl•
Ex-p--d ,,,e -- - .,- . :-- 1
Shor1 Q
long Q
S·M· l ·Xl
1 ~?,~,!!~d W•r•.,.ill•. llC28lRS or write for brochure
·~ ·-~·
,,
KATUAfl - page 24
MALAPROP'S
BOOKSTORE/CAFE
BOOKS -
CARDS -
RECORDS
6 1 HAYwooO ST. ASHElllU.E. N C. 28801
704-2!14-S734
Fall 1985 .
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WlAMOOESTDWrUIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .
.
I
'
'
A CHILDREN'S PAGE
Compiled by Karen Paquette
KATUAH KIDS TALK ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE TREES
l
Erin, age 7:
The Black Walnuts in my yard are mine
I like to climb them. Once I climbed
one and wouldn' t come down - I
ate my dinner up there until the bugs
bit me too badly. I felt safe up there it was like my mother.
Shane, age 11:
,
I like the big poplars on Standing
Indian and I would like to visit the
Redwoods . They both have a lot of
history behind them. Today some
varieties of trees are dying out
because of acid rain and bugs like
weevils.
Some people in the world are not
fortunate to have trees , like in the
African deserts and the Sudan region.
We need to share our knowledge of
tree culture as well as appreciate
our own trees mor e and take care
of them
Drawing by Savannah
Shinnah, age 7:
I like the Weeping Willow tree
because I like the way it leans over
with its branches and I like the name it tells what this tree is like . It
makes me feel good to look at it.
It likes to grow near water so its
roots can grow down into the ground
and get water from the creek . It
only cries in winter because it doesn ' t
get much sun and it smiles in the
summer time .
In Haiti they ruined all the trees and
it became a desert. Everyone in
the world must learn to conserve
trees and plant more like on t ree
farms . Clearcutting is not right if we don ' t have trees we will have
problems . Trees provide shelter
for birds and animals and prevent
erosion .
Emily, age 3:
I
like trees because they are pretty .
1 also like apple trees because they
have food on them. Apples have lots
of vitamin C in thero, they make me
happy.
Jason, age 8:
There used to be a lot of American
Chestnuts but they got the Chestnut
blight. I see them lying down in
the woods and I miss them . We still
have the Chinese Chestnuts though, only
they are different
Trees are good for people. They
give us firewood , boards , paper and
food . We ' ve got to save trees
~chuh
;
KATCAH -
Fall 1985
page :?5
~-
~aaq
-
llhJ IAA
�..
----111!1--------~----.--- Wl-fOllQTDWW.OIS
____________________..
11
'~~~~~~11rr~1~t 1.~;~~i111~11:1l\~1·~~~~~~:!~:;~~~:i:~1~ ~,~~~~~~~~~~;~~~
1
I
j·\\h•I
lj I'l I
which i..tJt.uck me a.& be-Uig the. co.Ue.ct.i..ve
vo.lc.e 06 all. thohe. de.ad and dy.lng 6-iM
j~
and pi.nu , i.1Wt-g11.e.y wUh an anc.ie.nt
I mObb g11.owing 611.0m thW. bkel.e.ta.l 11.ema..i.n.6
I
like. a be.a1t.d would g.11.0W 611.0m the. clun 06
a 111C1n only Hcond.6 dead ... And w.Uh .the.
V1
aLUUte.nub 06 the. ' p11.uence' alt.o came a
'voice'-- a 6e.e..t.lng- which bpoke. .to me
w.Uh i.u.ch an au.11.a 06 c.a.lm and w<.bdom
continued from page 3
that goobebu.mpA (wha.t .the old moun.ta..i.n
6olli .LJt .thue moun.ta..i.n4 had call.e.d
and li.6 e.lub lln4 .the. land.6 c.a.pe. be.com.i.ng
"glolt!J bu.mP6" a.& 1 lln4 gllOIAl(.ng u.p, a
.tha.t OUll. CJJJVi..ob.(,ty bee.a.me., Ve.Juj quickly, boy . .. I JU1lt all. u.p o.n.d down my CZIU!l4, a.&
mo11. 06 a 6e.el.i.ng 06 oveJr.Whe.lm.lng btlll.1 walke.d 611.om .the. p:WWtg lot up .the.
pll.iA e. and conce.11.n a.& .the. •ha.iJILi.ne.' o 6
h.lU and .<.n.to what had once. be.en '.the.
.the. 6Olte.6.t !00.6 not only '.th.lnn.lng ' , but,
wood6 '. . •
.LJt 6ac.t, 'bal.d.lng' a.& we. 11.eache.d .the.
What .th.iA 'voice o 6 M.che..typa.t knoiulng '
.topl
UXl.6 .te.U.lng me UXl.6: .that .the ex.tent 06
Reaching .the. bu.nmlt 06 .the moun.ta.i.lt, a.&
.the deva.&.t.a..t.lon I UXl.6 He.i.ltg and 6eet.i.ltg
we. .twtne.d .thoi.e la4.t couple. 06 be.nd.6 .LJt
i.o deeply lln4, in 6ac.t, a v.iA.lble 'b.lgn'
.the. 11.0ad, what !CXt6 tu«tU.lng tL.6 «n4 - and i..t.a..te.me.nt made by .the i.p(.JL(..t 06 .thue
Jtathe.11. .than a .tlvume. -like. v.iA .to. IJ.lttLi,t.tll.eu 1 ~ be.e.lng a.& 'de.ad'. That .th.iA
.lng .the. ll.e..ttLll.n 06 ' .the. god.6' -- a .6Ce.ne.
baCJte.d and ve.11.y publi..c. place had be.en
06 de.va.6.t.a..t.lon only compaJt.D.ble. .LJt my
choben by .the. bpi.JL(..t6 06 human, bea6t,
m.i.11d .to .<.magu 06 NagMak.l and H.lll.oi.h.ll!ICl and vege..ta.t.lon, to lllClke. a bold bta.teme.n.t
1 had been in 6.llm6 and p(.c.twte booki. .
to .thobe. human be..lngi. i..t.Ul ~ng
He.11.e. on .th.U powe11.6ul and baClte.d mouna.11.Dund .LJt .thobe. holUlU .the.y ca.Ue.d
.to..i.n we. we.11.e. being g11.e.e..te.d by an a11.my
'bod.lei.'. That .t.lte dev.uta.t.lon 06 .th.iA
06 g11.e.y-ghob.te.d boul4 06 a d.iAembod.le.d
9e.og11aph.i.c landmo.11.k v.lb.Ued by .tholUland.6
'11ace.' ... TholUland.6 06 de.ad .tll.e.u! "The.
06 toUll..iA.t.6 and na.t.lvu each yeJVr., lln4
Cltown 06 CJtea.t.lon", I .thought bMCa.&.tall.owed a.& a b.i.gnboall.d, a.& a tlWUl.i.ng, o 6
.i.call.y .to mYJ>el.6. "So .thiA .iA .the. gi6.t
.the. be.ve.11..ittj 06 .the. .imbalancu .that ex06 'WJ.jutJ.1' bu.towed upon .the. g11.e.a.t
.l6.te.d .LJt .the. na..twi.a.t woltld a..t .the. ltandi.
'k.lngb' 06 .the na.twt.a..t kingdom! How .the
06, a.& a 11.uuU 06, .the. bhoJLt-i..lgh.te.d
EaJLth be.kn.i.g h.t6 heA 'IUVIJl.ioll.6', .thob e
.th.i.ltk.lng and VXJ.Yb o 6 .thob c now living
.that Stave 4tlltv.i.ve.d and Jt..i.6e.11, .i.n pl!..lde. o6
accompU&hme.nt, .to buch g11.e.a.t 'he..lgh.t.6' ! " on .the. eall..th. So cle.M !00.6 th.iA mu Mg e. 1 !CXt6 11.e.ce..lv.i.ltg .tha.t U al.mob.t
A6 my .11.ational m.i.nd .took ove.11. 611.om my
We.11.all.y began .to .to.Ile. on both vo.i.ce.
emo.t.lo ~ , .tll.y.i.ltg to .<.n.te.Ue.c.tuaU.z e. .the
and language. a6 1 11.eache.d .the. .top 06
pou.lble. c.a..u.6e.(b I, .tlte. 1tea6on6 'why' ,
.the. mountain and a be.cl.u.de.d .lUtt.e
6011. ~ 'gho4.tltj clea11.Cut', .th.iA 'unclea.IL(.ng whe.11.e. T .&t.te.nde.cl to do a
na..twi.al' d.iAa.&.te.11., me.mo.IL(.u 06 bto.IL(.u
i..<.mple. Uttle. ce.11.e.mony 06 .thankJ>g.i.vand newh-11.epoll.U I'd heall.d, about how
.i.ltg:
.the. 'acid IUlht' UXl.6 beg.i.lt~ .to .to.ke.
"The. i..lgn6 he.11.e. been by a.U
U4 .to.fl. on .the. .tlt.e.u .i.n .the. h.lghe.11.
wU.l i.how .thobe. cuJL(.olJJl people 06
el.e.va.ti.on.6, c.a.me. .to m.i.nd. And iulthout
bc.ie.nce. .the. widup11.e.ad e.v.ldence. 06
any o.thvr. known pobb.lb.lUt.lu a6 1te.Mon6 ,
.the. e.x.te.nt o 6 .thw own du .tJt.uc.ta6 c.a..u.6e, 6011. all. .th.iA 6011.u.t laid to
.lon. 06 .the. compounded nc. lui.e 06
l\n4.te., the. I Jta..in I e.a4il.lj and qui.ckty 1
1
~ ~
1
I
'
I
I
liQJIC
,,
KA n'AB - page 26
I
I
S
I
1 1
JIUl.t a.& poW.y .u, the he.al.Utg
a.&pec.t 06 language, i.o .iA .U .<.mpoJLtan.t people. took to .the.ut bod.lei. and
m.i.nd.6 wUh 11.egall.d .to he.alih and 1
be..ing. To 6oCIUl .thW. pe.11.6onal and
co.Ue~ve goal.6 on the. qu.a..Uty and
longe.v.Uy 06 eu'.4.te.nce, and the.ut
o.IL(.ginal an~ na..tWl.al b.lll..th.IL(.gh.t, be.yond death. It .iA he.11.e., .ln .thue
WOJJ4, .that .the heaUng a.&pec.t6 06
'.the Cltea.t.lve' i.e.11.ve .to .ln6u.11.e. you.11.
H11.6e. 06 pe.11.6e.ct.i..on, .thll.Ough tonge.v.Uy, o.11d .the con.t.i.ltua.Uon o 6 an
a66.i.ltm.Utg and v.ltal 6u.twt.e.! The.
jou.11.ne.y 06 hwnank.lnd a11.ound .the
baCJte.d c.iltcle. 06 U.6e. w<.U b.IL(.ng
a.U, 6.lnall.y, .ln.to .the. 6M.u.t o 6
.the. 11.eg.lon 06 un.lve.11.6al. con6c.io1Ul· nub and awa11.enu.6. A place whe.11.e.
.the b.lg .tll.e.u gll.Ow. The hiding
placu 06 .the unknown, and .the
'be.yond'. What one. dou he.11.e. among.6.t '.the. o.11c.ient onu' depend6
upon what one. ha.& done t\IUh idte.11.e
one. ha.6 been be.60.lte.. How one ha.6
bu..i.U and completed tlte 'g11.oundwo11.k', .the. wo11.k iulth 'boil' , in
.the. pllev-i.olUl expe.JL(.encu 06 one' .6
'joU11.ne.y'. He.11.e. among the old
.tll.eu , one bll..lngb one.' b IUIWl.e.nub o 6 who one. .l6 .i.ltto JL(.gh.t .'leta.t.lon6h.lp 1
\IUh the. un.i.ve.11.6al
bcale. 06 .the bp.lll.(.,tua.l-ph116.<.cal
rnall./L(.age bha1te.d .lnhe.11.e.ii.tf.tJ -<.n .the.
concept 06 .the. God-11.e.al.lze.d One.nub among all .th.lngi.! lri bO do.i.ng one. comu 6u.U-c.lll.c1e. .to one' b
.tJt.ue beg.ltuU.ngi., and .iA 'Home.' .
GODack now, and .te.U th.iA to all.
IJOU know... "
Th.iA th e.n, .iA what 1 have. be.en . Th.iA
1 ha~e. been -told. To i.hall.e. w.Uh IJOU.,
a.U, whom 1 know. Th-IA mui.age. 611.0m
.the. vo.lce. 06 .the 'acid Jta.i.n' ••.
- - -Thoma6 Rain CMwe.
Fall 1985
�................................................Wl""'"*"DWILLllll................................................
Milw~ukee
• C,leveltm::l
continued from page J
thac thc1 causes of tree dicback h.src
in K
atuah as wc1ll as in thc northc1rn
Appalachians and the Black Forest of
Wast C.sn:iany (where JO of all tr•n
ra ~ardlc1Ss of elevation are dying)can
be attributed to two general claa$i
ficatioos of anthropogenic(human-madc)
pollution: acid rain and at1D03phcric
dc1position.
Acid rain is arbitrarily defin.sd
as any precipitation having a Ph lass
than S.6 (7 i s n.sutral), since this
is thc1 Ph wh.sra atmoshperic C02 combines with water in the air to form a
dilute solution of carbonic a cid .
Human mad.s sources o f acid substances
are a r~ult o f t he living standard
of highly industrialized countries.
'Ibey include auto exhaust, industrial
c<mmissions from s~lters and fossil
fuc1l c1adssions from c1lcctrica l gc1narating plants. Some of the acidic compounds arc sulfur dioxide (S02) , nitrous oxides (HN03) , hydrogc1n chloridc1,
and hydrogen fluoride.
1besc1 compounds arc rc1laased into the atmosphc1ra and are widely disP•rsed by continental air fl<M. According to Or. Bruck and others, the
mountai •. foraats of Katliah , acting
like giant "scrubbers " , c harly racc1ivc very high ratci.s of acidic deposit ion. 'Ibis is largely due to t he
geographic c1ffect of increasing ratll!I
of p rc1cipitatioo as air masses are
forcc1d to go up aud over high mountains. fin additional source of acidic
deposition is simply cloud water interception by trees, as the tops of
the mountains are often bathed in
clouds passing by . Studies of these
clouds and precipitation rates in the
northern Appalachians show chat mow1tain tops receive four times more
acidic deposition than lower elevations.
11l•r• a r e many effc1cts of acid
rain on treclS and the soil in which
they livc1. 8v overwhclminr th• natural soil Ph balance and causing a
more acid soil, aluminum, a metal
which is toxic to trees, is released
and mad¥ available for uptake by
trc1e roots.
Atmospheric deposition can be
defined as the combined anthropogenic (human-caused) pollutants falling back on Mother Earth. It is composed of assorted noxious effluvia
includin~ ozone, heavy metals such
as lead (from gasoline combustion
and lead arsenate pesticides) , coppcr
from smcllters and nitrogen compounds.
According to those study in~ the
dlehacks , there i s not enough data
to c learly point fingers and say that
a particular pollutant coming from a
1'..a rti cular source l s caus in~ apec l K.Arl:AH - page :'.!7
fie damage to tra•a in Katiiah.
It is Or. 8ruck's contention
that there may be a "stress syndrome" whereby various combinatioos
of these toxic substances may be
causing t he diaback . Experlmentall~
in the lab Or . Bruck has studied the
affects of acid run from nitrogen
and sulfur sources. He has discovered severe suppression of the symbiotic fungi known as mycorrhizae
which help the trees' roots derive
nutrition from tha soil . Bruck believes that the suppression of mycorrhizae (up to 50%) has led to severe supprassioo of tree root growth
which may be causi.n g th• retarded
growth obs erved in the trae ring borings. Alandog as these reductions
appear to be, the question still remains: Is it reducad ring growth that
is causing the trees to die?
Exploring f urthar under the
soil mantle where the treas' roots
are bound inseparably with the lifegi ving mycorrhizae Bruck has found
an extre~ly high accumulation of
lead, particularly on slopes which
face into the predoadnaot winds. Levels of lead ara three to seven times
higher on top of Ht. Mitchell than in
urban Asheville soil. Studies revd&l
that there is alraady as much as two
grams or 1DOre of lead per square met-
Sources of Sulfur Dioxide (SOJ ~nd Nitrogen
Oxides (NO,) In North Caroli~
so,
620,000 Ions/yr.
-
Ublot•
WIND ROSE for Asheville, NC
er in the forest soils at high elevatiooa ! Most studics on the toxicity
of lead have focused an human beings,
h<Mevar some studies have bean performed on microorganisms and planta.
These studies clearly indicate direct
metabolic effects in all life fora111.
These studies also shOW-a marked reduction in species diversity of adcroorganisma in the soil and on leaf surfaces . When lead and acidity (under
Ph 5) vars combined in ooa study, a
profound effect oo the mobilization
and utilization of lead was noticed.
Certain species of mycorrhizae ware
inhibited in soils that ware acid and
contained lead while those same sp•cias of lll)'corrhizae ware present in a
lass acidic soil with lead.
Like the canaries used by miners
to warn of impending danger our treas
are a kind of environmental litmus.
lbat litmus is giving an acidic reading threatening life as we know it.
The. e.nv.ili.onme.n.ta.l co114e.que.nct.6 oG
tong .teMI col!4wnption and ~.te. aJLt
combtg home.. Whil.e. the. 1>~.t4
plod c.au,Uo1J.1;.t.y .in mowita.01 cemeteJt.tu 1>t11J1.Ch.ing 60.11. 1>pec..i.6.ic knowledge
o& .the. IUU.t11. m.i.l>.t, we. 46 ch.i.J.dlte.n
o 6 Motht11. Ellll.th mlJ.4.t l>eaAch de.tpllJ
wltkin 60.11. a "p.Ur,Uua..t. d.U:tg no1>.l6 46
we.U. T.11.e.u M.e. OU.It gucw.Li.all4 and
OWi. .te.acheJt.6, .theq g~ve com6oll-t and
wl.6e. cou111>ei and .the.y aJLe. ca.lUng
out .to each 06 IJ.4 NOW 6.11.0m de.adt.IJ
1>IV1.Du.d4 06 m.i.l>.t. We. can no tongtll.
ign0.11.e .tlte. de.g1U1.d.Utg e.66e.ct 06 oWt
14UIJI> o 6 Uv.ing.
OU.It Uvu 111tt bound i..n.6e.pa11.abty
.to .the. .tli.e.u. 1n .th.U. c1.c1> e.d. e.cotog.ic.al. 1>y1>.tem we. Uve. .in, the..<A du.tJW.ct.i.on .inl>Wtu oWt du.tJwcwn. Tl1e.
1>e.aJtch 6011. knowt.e.dge. and a ".te.cltnotog.ic.al. 6.i.x" w.Ul ne.vt11. .11.e.place. 1te." pe.ct a.t. we. .intt11.t1ct w.i..th Moth eJt
Ellll.th.
by Michael Red ~
Fall 198)
~ >:)J.·F. -
~ 1,~
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MA~fOIOUTDWEUEllS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
26
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
Patrick Ball (Celtic harp)
McDibbs
12 Cherry St.
12
ASHEVILLE, NC
Asheville Ethnic Festival
Montford Park
Call (704) 253-3714
28
I
CULLOWHEE, NC
Mountain Heritage Day
(traditional music, country dancing, crafts, exhibits, tobacco spitting)
Western Carolina University
12
UUFF MOUNTAIN
SEPTEMBER
A REGIONAL EXHIBIT
PRODUCED BY THE MEMBERS OF
111E APPALACHIAN CONSORTIUM
MUSEUM COOPEBATIVE
Opening night: September 12
Talk by Wilma Dykeman
Founders ' Auditorium, 7:00 pm
Public showing:
September 13 - Januar y 23
Western Carolina University
13
13-15 TOCCOA, GA
Earth Stewardship Seminar
Christian perspectives on
ecology. $95
Elevent h Colllllandment Fellowship
540 Oakland Ave. SE
Atlanta , GA 30312
14
October - November
CHEROKEE, NC
" Cherokee Sculptor" - Carl
Lloyd Owle
Center of Cherokee Heritage
20-22 BLACK l()UNTAIN, NC
Black Mountain Pall Festival (traditional music)
Grey Eagle and Friends
Call (704) 669-2456
21
Fall Equinox
~- ·"-'TUAll
-
page 28
CHEROKEE, 1~C
Cherokee Indian Fall
Festival (Indian dancing,
stickball, chestnut bread,
crafts , exhibits)
Ceremonial Grounds
2
WILLIS, VA
" Native American Teachings" AmyLee, Iroquois teacher and
apprentice medicine woman
Indian Valley Holistic Center
Rt. 2, Box 58; Willis, VA
Willis, VA 24380
4-8
ASHEVILLE, NC
" Rel ping Women Win : A Candidate Training School for
Women" - League of Women
Voters
Call (704) 258- 8223
5
BONAS DEFEAT GORGE
(Jackson County)
Day hike with NC Nature
Conservancy. $5. 00
Ann Mciver
130 Carr St.
Chapel Rill, NC 27514
MOSHEIM, TN
First Annual Organic Harvesters ' Festival
Call (615) 422-7769
20-22 CLAYTON, GA
NATURE'S DOLLAR WORKSHOP:
A look at the real price of . .
.• forest, soil, watershed &
wildlife management, land
use, pollution, etc . •• translating these key mountain
issues into the language of
nature's dollar.
"Comparing human accounting
with nature's accounting, the
monetary dol lar is an incomplete and unrealistic measur e of the value of things."
Friends of the Mountains
Rt.2, Box 2306-A
Clayton, GA 30525
(404) 782-2657
Asheville, NC
CropWalk against hunger
Call Sally Bridenstine,
(704) 254- 5072
13
DEEP CREEK Swain Co. , NC
Katuah Fall Gathering See notice next page
14
BEAR HUNTING SEASON OPEijS
Beat the bushes ! warn Yona
of the danger
OCTOBER
1-5
"In exam.ln.<.ng .the meanlng~ 06 .the
6oJl£4t, we JLeaUze .tha.t. .the Appa.ta.c.h.la.n 601Lut .iA not jUJ.t a. na.twta.l
.to.ndl>ca.pe, ,U .iA a. cuUwu:il ta.nd.6c.a.pe. • • • • In .6.tli.dy.Uig .the 6oJLUt,
we .f.ea.ltn a.bou.t oWtcS e.lvu . . . • . "
(Avery County)
Day Rike $5. 00
NC Nature Conservancy
See 10/5
5-6
BRASSTOWN, NC
12th Annual Fall Festival
(Craft s fair, performances)
John C. Campbell Folk School
Rt. l
Brasstown , NC 28902
Call (704) 837-2775
. ..
a:
·~·
18-20 Willis, VA
" Our Stories - Ourselves Louise Kessler, storyteller
Indian Valley Holistic C'tr.
Pre-register. See 10/2
19
ROAN MOUNTAIN
(Mi:tchell County)
Fall color hike. $5 . 00
NC Nature Conservancy
See 10/5
19
BANNER ELK, NC
Banner Elk Wooly Worm
Festival
21
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
" Forests and Trees of the
Smokies" - field school
Non-Credit Prograns
2016 Lake Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37996
11-13 BRASSTOWN, NC.
Fall Craft Weekend
(workshops)
also
Chamber Music Houseparty
John C. Campbell Folk School
See 10/5-6
12
SPRUCE PINE , NC
8th Annual Art Auction
(includes tour of craftspeoples ' studios in Celo area)
Toe River Ar ts Council
Call (704) 682-7215
12
ASHEVILLE , NC
Visit of delegation of
Soviet women - sponsored by
Peace Links
Call (704) 258-8223
•••
~·
17-20 Highlands, NC
. •
Fall Landscape Workshop
(photographic exploration of
Highlands area) Tuition $100
Highlands Biological Station
P.O. Drawer 580
Highlands , NC 28741
25-27 BRASSTOWN, NC
Fall Dance Weekend (workshops
in English country dance including Garland and Northwest Morris, also contra and
square dancing)
John C. Campbell Folk School
See 10/5-6
26-27 GRF.AT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
Mt . Leconte overnight hike
See 9/21
31
Samhain Celebration
�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WlAMrollESTDWBUM. . . . . . . . . .1111111. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .
NOVEMBER
BRASSTOWN, NC
60th Anniversary Party of
the Campbell Folk School
See l0/5-6
2
"SWORN TO FUN"
9-lO WILUS, VA
Massage Workshop Libby Outlaw
Indian Valley Holistic Center . Pr e-register.
See 10/2
16-17 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
Winter Highcountry Camping
See 9/21
s,~..alJll {j De~ .J>luxk .J>(a.<. 1111·
~·1.(i 6 P<1fartr_11 Bal<v1<"1•· •
C...rfi..·d
'M:«j Dr'VujJl
Sol.·~
255-TQ~
t/.2~15.li
Special thanks to Judith Hallock
Nov . 2-3
ASHEVILLE, NC
"Learning to Focus on Life" - seminar
Dr. Scout Lee , part Seminole Indian,
author, therapis t, professor, lecturer, comedian, mystic visionary, and
master game player
Offering experiences to develop creativity, courage, power, love, and fun
Pre-register: Cat Gilliam
16 Lookout Dr .
Asheville, NC 28804
(704) 254-8140
3-16
9
BRASSTOWN, NC
Fall Craft and Rome Week
(Blacksmithing, tool sharpening, weaving, quilting,
ax handles, wind energy
turbine construction)
John C Campbell Polk School
See 10/5-6
Georgia Organic Growers '
Association Fall Conference
For information, contact:
Deborah Pelham
1185 Bend Cr eek Trail
Suwanee, GA 30174
l \\. BURLESO
N
November
I 3
October
4 6
Meditation in Action -
K.'""''
A
YO!!<' Weekend, With the
Southern Dh,,rm., St~rr
II
14
18 23
2S 27
A lfiking Meditation Wnkend foll Color l>oscm.oery. With JOHN ORR
An Intens ive Meditation Re trea t With JACQUELINE S. MANDELL
Yoga in the Iyengar Tntdillon W11h ULLAH SCHWARTZ
@
8 . 10
15 17
22 24
Joy and laughter · Finding Your
Inner Child - With HARRIET ELDER
A Weekend of Tibetan Buddhist
Meditation - With JON BARBIERI
A New View of Ancient Astro logy With HARRIET M1LLER
Neuro·Lin.guistic Programming -
With MIKE BUCKNER
Dec. 28 · A New Year's Meditation Intensive Jan. 4 With JOHN ORR
Southern Dharrna Retreat Center is located in a remote area of the Smoky
Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. For further information about
Southern Dharrnaorabout any of the programsabove,call(704)622 7112,or
254·1351. or wnte;
SOUTHERN DHARMA RETREAT CENTER
Rt . I, Box 34-H
Hot Sprmgs, NC 28743
~ &Co. ~
~~ . . . --<-._
~
he rbs, native plants, perennials,
flowers, fruit trees, bulbs,
bedding plants.
80 lake&ide Drive
8/ IOths of a mile from Hardee'•
in Franklin, N.C.
for informatio n call 524-3321
SOLAR HOUSE WITH
C~USE
area near Franklin. Passive
solar w
ith cedar siding and tria, win·
dow quilts, tromb wall. $68,500, negotiable financing. Call 524-3321
during business hours.
Fall 1985
!i - ~
�NICARAGUAN COFFEE. Delicious,roasted
coffee beans or ground coffee available for $6.00 a pound. Contact:
Steve Livingston (704) 257-3019
LEGAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION (LEAF) is a public interest law
firm which works with the public,private and governmental sectors to promote a quality environment. More info: LEAF, 602 Gay St. Suite 507,Knoxville, TN 37902
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED at the Laurentine
Shelter for the homeless to stay for
either the evening or overnight. Ic
Asheville,NC. Call Carol Lathuras:
(704) 252-2752
APPALACHIAN PEACE EDUCATION CENTER
(APEC) publishes APEC News, an informative peace newsletter for the
southern VA area. More info: APEC,
114 Court St., Abingdon, VA 24210
GREENPEACE has established the
Rainbow Warrior Emergency Fund to
provide funds for the care of the
children of the crewman who got
killed when their flagship was
bombed in July and to get the ship,
the Rainbow Warrior, seaworthy again. GREENPEACE, 1611 Connecticut
Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
MADISON COUNTY PLOWSHARES PEACE
GROUP has postcards of their "Windows on the World" Friendship Quilt
available for $3.00 a dozen, ppd.
Contact: Karol Kavaya, 25 Back
Branch, Marshall, NC 28753
SELF-HELP CREDIT UNION has now opened a branch office in Western North
Carolina through the State Employees
Credit Union system. For more info:
Write: S.B.C.U., P.O.Box 3259 , Durham, NC 27705. Or go by: State Employees Credit Onion, 200 All Souls
Crescent, Asheville, NC/telephone:
(704) 274-4200.
SEAT WEAVING. Caning, rush, split
seats. Also classes available. Call:
(704) 253-6241
ONGOING SESSIONS in Raja Yoga for
beginning and continuing students.
Pre-registration required. Raja Yoga
Ashram, 272 Patton Cove Rd, Swannan
oa, NC 28778. (704) 686-3037
S.T.A.R., Space Technology And Research Foundation, is a non-profit,
tax-exempt organization which uses
monies to advance all aspects of
parasensory phenomena and psi research. For contributions or subscription to bi-monthly newsletter:
S.T.A.R. Fdtn, 448 Rabbit Skin Rd ,
Waynesville, NC 28786
RURAL SOUTHERN VOICE for PEACE
(R.S.V.P.) is a network of people in
rural/small city communities in the
Southeast who are working to build
the nonviolent alternative systems
and lifestyles that can bri ng peac e
to our world. Publishes RSVP Newsletter. More info: RSVP, Rt 5 Box
335, Burnsville, NC 28714
SO~H
A VARIETY OF
WHOLESOME BAKED COODS
704 293·5912
tiWV. 107
RT. 68 BOX 125
CULLOWHEE, NC 28723
~Sl 1 - '...-"°"Bl RD
: cttd.. , £ rcd""ood
·""'
rR
gn~"~!~
WHOLISTIC HEALING SEMINARS in Barbados. For more info: Rita Li vingston,
% Loving, 1424 South Palm Way, Lake
Worth, FL 33460. (305) 582-7902
PRE '68 DELUXE SUNROOF VW MICRO
BUS Wanted. With good body; Not
running, O.K. Contact: We8go,
216 Botany Rd, Greenville, SC
29615. (803) 244-4786.
WRITERS WORKSHOP. Classes in
poetry, science fiction, technical writing,etc. At "ls Wall St.
Room 18, Asheville, NC 28801.
(704) 669-5471
WEBWORK1NG is free.
Send submissions to:
Katua h
P .O.Box 873
Cullowhee, NC
28723
PROOUCTS WATER ANAlYSIS
RANDALL C LANIER
c"';lom ""ood
I N 17th YEAR OF PUBLICATION, Akwesasne Notes is a Journal for Native
and Natural Peoples, covering world
events which effect indigenous peoples. For subscriptions or tax-deductibl e contributions: AKWESASNE
NOTES, P.O.Box 196, Mohawk Nation,
Rooseveltown, NY 13683-0196.
1
I
We. now
---+-I
BU ll::DING
&
NATURAL FOOD STORE
& DELI
r-
REM OD ELIN G
~liH:::E:~r- -- ·
residentia l
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~pec.ia.l.6,
c.ui.th
4
cU6 6e1tent:
SUPER SPECIAL EACH WEEK
160 Broadway
Asheville, N.C. 28801
(704) 253-7656
Where Broadway
Meets Merrimon
.\nd 1·240
Open 7 Days A Week
Monday · Friday
9:00 a.m. · 8:00 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 a .m. · 6:30 p.m.
Sunday
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m .
�GET BACK! ISSUES OF KATUAH
ISSUE ONE -AUTUMN 1983
ISSUE FIVE - FALL 1984
Scotch-Irish Migratiof-lfit::? Meditations: Kat-·<-· 1(5"\~\J
~
Al+-~- ~ n
~tnl.CS • Old
Ti
\.?,. .tfioregioris • Chicken
Wi.c: uam • Poetry: George Ellison
Harvest • Old Ways In Cherokee •
Ginseng • Nuclear Waste • Our
Celtic Heritage • Bioregionalism
Past, Present, And Future • John
Wilnoty • Healing Darkness •
Politics Of Participation
®\Q.I
@
ISSUE TWO - WINTER 1983-84
ISSUE SIX - WINTER 1984-85
Yona • Bear Hunters • Pigeon River
• Another Way With Animals • Alma:
Poems • Becoming Politically Effective • Mountain Woodlands •
Katuah Under The Drill • Spiritual Warriors
Winter Solstice Earth ceremony •
Horsepasture River • Coming of
Light • Log Cabin Roots • Mountain Agriculture-The Right Crop•
William Taylor • Forest's Future
ISSUE THREE - SPRING 1984
ISSUE SEVEN - SPRING 1985
Sl.lstainable Agriculture • sunflower_, • Human Impact On The
Forest • Childrens' Education •
Veronica Nicholas: Woman In
Politics • Little People •
M d icine Allies
e
Springs • Worker ownership • The
Great Economy • Self Help
Credit Union • Wild Turkey • Responsible Investing• Working
In The Web Of Life
ISSUE FOUR - SUMMER 1984
ISS UE E I GHT - SUMMER 1985
Water Orum • Water Quality • Kudzu
• Solar Eclipse • Clearcutting •
Trout • Going To Water•Ram Pumps
• Micro hydro • Poems : Bennie Lee
Sinclair, Jim Wayne Miller
Ce lebration: A Way of Life •
Katuah 18,000 Years Ago• Sacred
Sites• Folk Arts in the Schools
Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle • Hilda
Downer • Cherokee Heritage Cen ter • Who Owns Appalachia?
KATUAH: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians
B0x 873i Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723
For more info: call Marnie Muller (704) 252-9167
Name
Regu l ar M
embership •.. • • $10/yr.
Spon sor .•..•.•.••• • • • •• $20/yr.
Cont r i b u tor ••••• • • • •.•. $50/yr .
Address
Enclo4ed
~~i4
C1 ty
State
Area Code
KATUAli -
Phone Number
page
31
i
r
sustainable Economics • Hot
Zi p
i4 ,
t66o ~~
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I can be a l ocal con t a ct
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ORDER FORM
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
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The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
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1983-1993
Format
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journals (periodicals)
Language
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English
Type
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Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, Issue 9, Fall 1985
Description
An account of the resource
The ninth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on topics such as nuclear energy, pollution and the forests, and other challenges with trees. Authors and artists in this issue include: H. M. Spottswood, Michael Red Fox, Brian Caldwell, Gus Hadorn, Walton B. Smith, David Wheeler, and Thomas Rain Crowe. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1985
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
The Waldee Forest.......1<br /><br />The Trees Speak.......3<br /><br />Migrating Forests.......4<br /><br />"Hog Killing Saturday" - A Poem.......6<br /><br />Horse Logging.......7<br /><br />The Nuclear Suppository: We're Not Going to Take It!.......8<br /><br />Good Medicine.......10<br /><br />Starting a Tree Crop.......11<br /><br />Natural World News.......12<br /><br />Urban Trees.......15<br /><br />Acorn Bread.......19<br /><br />Myth/Time.......20<br /><br />The Children's Page.......27<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Forest management--Appalachian Region, Southern
Acid rain
Paleoecology--Appalachian Region
Trees in cities--North Carolina--Asheville
Cooking (Acorns)
Animals in logging--Appalachian Region
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
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English
Type
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Text
Source
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<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
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<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
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Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
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PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Acid Deposition
Agriculture
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Black Bears
Children's Page
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest History
Forest Issues
Forest Practice
Good Medicine
Habitat
Katúah
Permaculture
Pigeon River
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Turtle Island
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/a1feba40871ce614a08133c6846cda92.pdf
9ea20a95b097d62eeecabfc775e81415
PDF Text
Text
---~
ATUAB
$JOO
~
ISSUE XII
) " SUMMER 1986
�LIVI~ IN 'THE GARC>EN..............................................•...•...............1
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Nl.n.EAR FEFERENDl.M..---···..····----·······-··········-···.3
SHIIT'Ali<E•••.••.•..•.•..•.......•......••••..•........................................................4
"Tl-E WATER CYCLE": A PC:EM...................................................•..6
'THE SACRE.D SCA,RAB.•...•...•...........................................................7
CIRCl.ES
~UNICATIC:>l'il-................................................•...8
a=
fEVIEW: JHEWISE VOMN HERBAL
FOO Tl-IE Cl-tll.DBEARI~ YEAR...........................................9
REVBV: 1HE SMALL-scAl..E AQ.JACULTI.JAE BOOK..........10
C3C:XD MEDONE: TOOA,COO.........................................................12
SUN ROOT.....•...................................................................................14
POEM: "THE HCMESTEAD ~ HORN MCX.JNTAIN"....-.............14
"HD..AHl'VlJ_.": THE FORMATIQ\J OF 1HE
APPAl..ACl-tlAN ~NTAINS.............................................15
NATIJRAL ~ NEWS..............................................................19
'1l£ WIUDNTIEE": ACHILDREN'S STORY......-.................25
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ATUAH
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Tf£ ffiSSlBLE ffiMOlst:
LtUING 1 THE: GAPlOc(\)
N
"The garden", as it is known in the community below,
occupies a small clearing among the folded ridges of the
Black Mountains. In the summer the Rarden blooms
profusely. Flowers, shrubs, vegetables, and trees crowd
toget~r in what first appears to be a wild disarray of diverse
colors and textures falling over the stone terraces stacked up
the hillside. A tiny log cabin and gnomish yurt stand at the
edge of the trees to one side, while "the pavilion", a large
buildmg that is both work space and community danc~ hall
looms above.
In the midst ofthe riot of Rrowth, partners Joe Hollis
and Rhea Rose Orm1Jnd work, looking like the small
human figures in the middle of a Chinese paiflling. Joe has
been on this site for 15 years now, intuitively creating an
enviroMMnt to meet his particular needs of habitation, and
consciously attuning and adapting himself to his chosen
niche.
KATUAH - page 1
ISSUE XII
SUMMm 1986
by Joe Hollis
illustrations by Rhea Rose Ormond
"I came here with an idea to start a garden. It took: me
a couple of years to clear trees and to build this cabin where I
live now. But then I started to garden. I started right in front
of the cabin, and I've been working out since then. The soil
is good here; there's a lot of leaf mold in it. But it took: a lot
of clearing to get out the roots, the stumps, the black:benies and the rocks. It is extremely rocky in this hollow. Some
kind of landslide ended up here. The rocks are all jumbled;
you can see how they ended up on top of each other. As I
began to dig them out. I made rock piles. Then. to get rid of
the rock piles, I made walls. Now this whole hillside is a
tcrraccd garden, and the terraces are still growing. There arc
rock piles down there right now waiting to get laid up.
"I started with the standard flowering percnniaJ plants poppy, Sweet William, bulbs. All good, sturdy local
varieties that I'd get by trading with old ladies down in the
neighborhood. Then when I bad some walls laid up, I got
the idea to put strawberries among the stones. Once I had the
notion that plants could help tie the walls together, I stumbled
into the world of rock gardening. For many people, rock
- continued on p. 13
Summer 1986
�'
2!2·,·!l·.·#jW:·,·H:l U¢iijiJ@ld!#lt·UO,.
· il!ll.
EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE:
Rob Messick
Martha Tree
Martha Overlock
J. Linn Mackey
David Wheeler
Will Ashe Bason
Chip Smith
Mamie Muller
Michael Red Fox
Scott Bird
Brad Stanback
Judith Hallock
EDITORIAL ASSISIANCE:
Joe Roberts
Brooks Michael
Jeff Fobes
EDITORIAL OFFICE
THIS ISSUE:
Asheville, NC
PRINTEPBY:
Sylva lk.rsls1
Publishing Co.
Sylva, NC
WEITEUSAI:
TELEPHONE:
(704) 252-9167
Kmih
Box 873
Cullowbee, NC 28723
COVER· Rob Messick
JR\10CllTJ0R
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Statement ofPurpose
Here in the southern-most heanland of the Appalachian
mountains, the oldest mountain range on our continent,
Turtle Island, a small but growing group has begun to take
on a sense of responsibiliry for the implications of that
geographical and cultural heritage. This sense of
responsibiliry centers on the concept of living within the
natural scale and balance of universal systems and laws. We
begin by invoking the Cherokee name "Kariiah" as the
old/new name for this area of the mountains and for its
journal as well.
The editorial priorities for us are to collect and
disseminate information and energy which pertains
specifically to this area, and to foster the awareness that the
land is a living being deserving of our love and respect.
Living in this manner is the only way to ensure the
sustainability of our biosphere and a lasting place for~
ourselves in its contifll4ing evolutionary process.
) ,
We seem to have reached the fulcrum point of a "db or
die" situation in terms of a contilll4ed quality standard of life
on this planet. It is the aim ofthis journal tO db its part in the
re-inhabitation and re-culturation of the Kamah province of
the Southern Appalachians. This province is indicated by its
natural boundaries: the New River vicinity to the north; the
foothills ofthe piedmont area to the east; Yona Mountain and
the Georgia hill.s to the south; and the Tennessee River Valley
to the west.
Humbly, as self-appointed stewards with sacred
instructions as "new natives" to protect and preserve its
sacredness, we advocate a centered approach to the concept
of decentralization and hope to become a support system for
those accepting the challenge of sustainabiliry and the
creation of harmony and balance in a total sense, here in this
plaa.
We welcome all correspondence, criticism, pertinent
informa1ion, articles, artwork, etc. with hopes that K1l1fJ.gh
will grow to serve the best interests of this region and all its
living, breathing family members.
• The Editors
The Internal Revenue Service has declared K.aWAh a
non-profit organization under section 50J(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
All contributions to KilWlb. are deductible from
personal income tax.
Summer 19 6
�I
THE IMPORTANCE OF SAYING "NO"
'
THE NORTH CAROLINA NUCLEAR WASTE REFERENDUM
by Avram Friedman
On May 6, 1986, 93% of the
electorate in North Carolina rejected the
location of a high level nuclear waste and
spent fuel repository in that state.
At first glance' this event may not
seem astounding, but its political
significance is potentially far-reaching and
could mean a watershed of good news for
environmentalists on the local, state,
regional, and national levels.
The news of this referendum is still
so fresh that as of yet many organiz.ations,
active individuals, and politicians have not
grasped the meaning of what has happened.
A Powerful New Tool For Local
Organizations
A powerful tool has just been handed
to anti-nuclear waste, anti-nuclear energy,
and environmental organiz.ations in North
Carolina State officials and politicians who
have their fingers lifted to the winds to
sense the public mood, just ran into a
hurricane. 1t is now a matter of public
record that Nonh Carolinians almost
unanimously reject participation in one part
of the nuclear fuel cycle. Politicians can
now be effectively pressured into taking
further environmentally responsible actions.
For example, since the referendum,
the Citizens for a Choice on Nuclear Waste
(CCNW), of Jackson County, has informed
every state legislator that North Carolina
should not enter into a "compact" with other
southeastern states that would result in this
state receiving all th~low-level radioactive
waste produced by the entire region.
CCNW told the politicians that the public
would be informed how each legislator
votes on the issue when the decision is
made this July in Raleigh. Will politicians
dare to stand against 93% of the public in an
election year?
Although the entire 93% cannot
necessarily be transferred from one related
issue to the next, a politician can only use
the information available to him/her to draw
assumptions about the public mood. The
only concrete indication available at this
time, concerning nuclear issues, is the waste
referendum. Combined with the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant accident in April, the
THERE WILL BE NO "SUSPENSION"OF
To those who have worked on the related
issues of the nuclear waste dump, the
Monitored Retrievable Storage Facility
(MRS), and the transportation of nuclear
waste through the mountains of KatUah, it is
blatantly obvious that the recent
announcemer.t l.>y Energy Secretary John
Herrington that the search for an eastern
waste suppository has been "suspended" is
a political move designed to take the heat off
the incumbent administration until after the
next presidential elections, at which time the
hunt for the second nuclear waste
suppository will be continued at full force.
It is hard to believe the degree of
callousness of those who would toy in this
way with the hopes, the dreams, and the
expectations of the people who live in the
affected areas. Ultimately, their scheme will
backfire, because eventually the people will
know that they have been disenfranchised
by the machinations of the technocrats who
seem to wield so much power in
government While it may put people to
sleep for a time, in the end it will serve only
to drive home the realization that doing
away with nuclear involvement altogether is
the only permanent solution to the problem
of nuclear waste.
Besides the obvious goal of
manipulating the electoral vote, the strategic
purposes of this move, the "suspension
announcement", are twofold:
First, the nuclear consortium hopes to
divide the anti-waste movement They hope
KA
AH-page 3
that by offering a false security to the
residents of the eastern states, they can
increase the pressure on the western states
to force a nuclear waste dump on them.
Onoe this is accomplished, they will then
tum their full attention to the goal of
establishing a second dump site in the east
The bureaucrats' second purpose is to
create a lull in which they might establish an
MRS facility in eastern Tennessee. The
MRS always has been and still is the !'mt
step in the strategy to bring a nuclear waste
dump into the Appalachians. Allowing the
MRS to be emplaced would constitute an
engraved invitation to emplant a nuclear
waste suppository in Katfiah sometime in
the future.
In one way the "suspension"
announcement is helpful. It makes clear the
difference between the politicians who are
working in the interests of the people of this
area and in the interests of the land itself and
those politicians who are working strictly in
their own interest or on behalf of large
corporations in other parts of the country.
Those who do not care about this land and
its people are parading about crowing, "It's
over! We've won! It's all finished now!"
They are trying to disarm us and put us to
sleep in the face of an impending nuclear
catastrophe.
But the leaders who have the interests
of the people at heart are cautioning that the
mountain interstates are stiJJ prime routes for
the transportation of nuclear wastes and still
referendum bas dramatically shifted the
burden of popular support to the nuclear
industry. Anti-nuclear groups will find it
much easier to convince politicians that the
safe political ground lies in opposing nukes.
In addition to the political leverage
gained in dealing with legislative action,
anti-dump groups and individuals will now
find it much easier and safer to carry out
further actions against the U.S. Department
· continued on . 26
DISBELIEF
opposing the MRS. A truly conscientious
leader would exhibit the courage to call for a
moratorium on the construction and
operation of all new nuclear facilities, but a
leader of such caliber has not yet stepped
forward.
The "suspension" of the nuclear
waste dump plan in the east does not mean a
suspension of interest on the part of the
DOE, but rather the suspension of a
panicular strategic approach that has proved
a failure. The DOE is simply going to
approach its self-chosen task more
carefully, trying to diYide and then conquer
the anti-suppository movement and to
disarm the people of Katuab in hopes they
would awaken one day in the future to be
faced with afait accompli in the form of an
MRS facility installed in Tennessee just
waiting to package high-level radioactive
wastes for a second waste suppository in
Appalachia.
If this country is to have a nuclear
future, and there is no doubt that this is
what the DOE, the present political
administration, and the giant energy
corporations desire, there will necessarily
have to be a second nuclear waste dump.
The recent "suspension" of activity makes
clear our task: to expose the actual
environmental and economic costs of
nuclear power and to promote the
development of a more viable fuel to power
our future.
,
ummer 1986
�by Michael Red Fox
The generic name is Lentinus e®des,
but say "shc-i-ta'-kee" if you want people to
know that you arc talking about an oriental
mushroom that has become a popular item
in western urban gourmet cuisine. Long
known in both China and Japan as "The
Emperor's Food" and jealously guarded by
Samurai warriors, shiitake today offers the
more democratic promise of being a
low-cost way to diversify small farm
income and to improve the health of regular
users.
Demand for the dark brown,
wide-gilled shiitakc mushrooms far exceeds
the present supply. Why the demand?
Because as well as being renowned for its
flavor, the easily grown mush.room resists
bruising and spoiling and can be quickly
pickled, canned, or dried (remaining
nutritious for 13 months). Using beat to
dry shiitakc enhances certain popular navor
characteristics. Shiitakc rehydrates well and
when cooked maintains its color and impartS
a smokey. full-bodied, aromatic navor
while maintaining a delightfully delicate,
fleshy texture. It can be added to any dish
which uses the familiar white mushroom,
though much Jess shiitakc is needed.
Shiitakc has twice the protein value of
the common mushroom and contains all
eight essential amino acids in proportions
similar to that or milk and animal nesh. It is
low in calorics and contains large amounts
of B vitamins and minerals.
For centuries, the Japanese have
priud the health· giving benefits of shiitake.
Now modern research shows that shiitake
reduces scrum cholesterol, strengthens the
immune system against viral diseases, and
bas prevented or caused remission of certain
typeS of tumors in mice.
Sbiitake already generates more than
$1 billion annually in export sales for Japan.
There arc nearly 200,000 shiitake growers
in Japan raising 161,000 metric tons of
shlitake every year.
Toby Farris, head of the USDA
Mushroom Project in Asheville, NC,
estimates that small farms in KatUah can
increase their incomes 30% by growing
shiitakc. But he suggests that small farmers
gradually develop shiitakc cultivation as a
stabilizing second income rather than trying
to turn it into a get-rich.quick scheme.
Market price of fresh shiitake is
anywhere from $4.00 - 20.00 per pound.
This price varies according to the quality of
GROWING SHIITAKE - HERE'S HOW
There arc six key cultivation phases in
growing shiitakc, each of which requires
careful attention. These arc: 1) obtaining
viable inoculum (spawn) in pure culture and
storing it until use, 2) preparing logs for
cultivation, 3) inoculation, 4) laying the logs
to favor fungal growth, 5) raising the spawn
to favor fruiting, and 6) harvesting and
storing the crop.
Spawn: Shiitakc spawn is usually
grown on small dowel or peg-like pieces of
wood 3/8 to 3/4 inches in length that are
supplied in sealed autoclaved plastic
containers. Occasionally it is grown on
sawdust.
The spawn should be moist, generally
white, and appear rather fuzzy. Spawn may
be kept as long as one year under
refrigeration. The retail cost of spawn
varies widely, so it would pay to carefully
check different prices and quality.
the product and the location of the market
A com of oak firewood can sell for as
little as $30.00. That same cord of wood
could produce between $1,000 - 2,000 of
shiitake during the average five-year life
cycle.
Preparing the logs: The most
important ingredient of a good shHtakc farm
is a sustainable source of hardwoods,
prefcrabTy oak,. 6CCCii, or hornbeam. Softer
hardwoods, such as poplar and maple arc
being used experimentally to nurture
shiitakc mushrooms, but whether they have
a commercial future is still uncertain.
White, black, northern red, and chestnut
oak wilJ hold onto their bark and maintain
the proper moisture content for shiitake.
Thick-barked trees, such as locust, hamper
the inoculations and spread of the shiitakc
spawn.
A growing area is necessary that
provides protection from direct sunlight
(70-85% shade is best) and from strong
winds. Nearby there must be a good source
of clean water.
Shiitake is a non-pathogenic fungus
and will not grow on living tissues. It
survives on dead wood only and must
establish itself before competitive fungi
colonize the wood. For these reasons, only
live trees arc cut for shiitakc cultivation.
Cutting the live tree is best done in the
fall or winter to capture the supply of sugar
stored in the dormant wood. Also the bark
tends to stay on the logs longer if the trees
arc cut when the leaves arc gone. Keeping
the bark on the logs and keeping it intact is
�critical for proper moisture control and to
block competitive "weed" fungi
Logs are cut to 3-5 foot lengths and
may be 2-8 inches in diameter. Branches
may also be used. Seal the ends of the logs
with a latex paint or soft wax to provide a
moisture barrier and to keep out the "weed
fungi". It is important to keep the exposed
log ends from coming in contact with the
soil. Therefore, never skid the logs from
the forest. Soil contact greatly increases
contamination of the logs. Stack the logs
off the ground for six weeks to allow the
natural defense mechanism against fungi to
die off and allow the moisture level to adjust
to 50-70%.
How will you know when the logs
have reached the proper moisture level? It
can be measured by slicing off the end of a
log and weighing it This figure is the net
weight Weigh the cut end again after it has
been dried overnight in a warm oven. This
figure is the dry weight. Subtracting the dry
weight from net weight gives the weight of
the water in the slice. Dividing that figure
by the net weight of the piece gives the
percent of moisture in the log.
Before inoculation, scrape lichen,
mosses and debris off the logs without
damaging the barlc.
Inoculation: Inoculation is best
done when daytime temperatures are 50-60
degrees F and the coldest weather is past.
March and April are the best times to
inoculate. Inoculation should be done in a
shaded area to avoid direct exposure of the
spawn to sunlight
To inoculate the logs, drill holes 6-8
inches apart in a row along the length of the
log.
Insert a dowel in each hole
immediately after drilling. Space the rows
so that the holes are staggered and 2-3
inches apart around the citcumfercnce of the
log. Tap the dowels in gently with a
hammer and immediately brush over the
plug with a thin layer of wax. Growth
begins almost immediately under favorable
conditions. If sawdust-grown spawn is
used, the holes should be completely filled
with the sawdust-and-spawn mixture.
Laying: In practice, most failures in
shiitake cultivation have been traced to
incorrect stacking of the logs in the "laying
yard" that creates conditions that favor
"weed fungi" instead of the shiitake.
Logs should be laid at a 45 degree
angle to encourage growth of the shiitake
mycelia. They should be reversed every 2-4
months to encourage even mycelial growth.
In addition, the logs may be soaked in water
for 18-24 hours if necessary during
exceptionally dry periods. The optimum
conditions in the laying yard are
temperatures between 59-82 degrees F and a
relative humidity of 80-85%.
Raising: The following winter the
logs can be moved to the "raising yard".
There they arc laid nearly upright or stacked
log cabin style and kept shaded and moist
until fruiting.
A relatively dry log surface will help
discourage the growth of surface molds.
Therefore, if logs are watered artificially,
they should be watered thoroughly for a
relatively short period of time. Studies
show that if motsture is maintained near
70%, a 50% increase in production will
result, but light, frequent waterings should
be avoided.
In commercial production,
dehydration of the logs followed by soaking
in cool water 55-70 degrees F is often done
to stimulate fruiting. Logs that have been
dehydrated usually produce bumper crops
within a week of being soaked! Soaking
also tends to eliminate cerUin kinds of
pests.
Any logs that lose their bark should
be discarded. Old logs should be disposed
of in a separate location a good distance
from the cultivation site.
logs ca.n provide 3-5 years of consistent
cropping of shiitake mushrooms.
Cultivated in the Orient for more than
400 years and praised as the "ginseng of
mushrooms" and "elixir of life'', shiitake
offers special promise for small farmers in
Katuah.
Happy 'shrooming!
SOURCES OF SHIITAKE MUSHROOM
SPAWN AND CULTIVATION AIDS:
Fruiting: Shiitake is capable of
fruiting only after the mycelia have
completely colonized the log. First fruiting
usually occurs early in spring or in late fall
of the year following inoculation. At this
time, a fuzzy white fungal growth can be
seen at the cut ends of the Jog in the
sapwood area, especially just under the
bark. From this time on, conditions should
be altered w favor fruiting.
To fruit, the fungus requires abundant
moisture, sufficient air movement, and little
exposure to light Fruiting is favored by
cool nights of 46-72 degrees F followed by
warm days and a constantly high relative
humidity of 85-90%.
When the mushrooms appear, the
caps begin as round buttons and flatten out
as the mushroom matures. They will
eventually reach a size of 2-6 inches in
diameter. A flush of shiitake may last a
week.
Harvesting:
Mushrooms are
harvested as the cap begins to open to
expose the gills. Fresh shiitake can be
stored under refrigeration in ventilated
containers for 2 weeks.
Continuing Harvests: After
ceasing to produce mushrooms, the logs
must be rested for 3-6 months in an
environment similar to the raising
conditions. Winter conditions in KatUah
ordinarily would not damage the mycelia as
they lay dormant, ready to flush again
during the next spring and again the
following fall. Properly treated and cured,
American Forest Mushroom Association
P.O. Box 1362
Asheville, NC 28802
Ellie Corporation
Route 1
Arvonia, VA 23004
Mushroompeople
P.O. Box 158
Inverness, CA 94937
Dr. Yoo Farm
P.O. Box 290
College Park, MD 20740
REFERENCES:
Shiitake News ($25 I year)
from Forest Resource Center
Route 2, Box 156-A
Lanesboro, MN 55949
Shiitake Oardcnine and Fannin&
by Bob Harris ($3.00)
CUltiyation of Shiitake The Japanese forest
Mushroom. on Loes
by Gary Leatham ($1.50)
How to erow Forest Mushrooms CShiitakel
by Daniel D. Kuo and Maw H. Kuo
($10.45)
(Books listed above are available from
Mushroompeople)
"
�KATUAH - page 6
Sum.mer 1986
�I have been _successfully
experimenting with scandt1'cctles and their
larvae as an answer to the problem of
disposing of human waste. After eight
years of 'field research', I feel I can now
pass on what I have uncovered to .Ka.1Wih
readers.
Scarab beetle larvae eat fecal matter
with a vengeance, turning it into a flaky,
dry, odorless substance, which can later be
used as a fertilizer. It is an extremely
sanitary process, and no flies venture near
the scarab beetle's domain, as they'll eat fly
eggs too. The waste becomes so broken
down or compacted that an individual could
not fill a two foot square bole for many
years no matter how much food be
consumed.
A change of location will not confuse
the beetles, provided it is not too far away.
All you need do is dig a new hole and bait
it, and when spring has been around for a
while, the beetles will be in the base of the
hole awaiting your return. They will roll the
fecal matter into little balls and lay their
eggs.
You may cover the hole with the
luxury of an outhouse, or simply cover it
with plywood so the scarabs won't drown
when it rains. And as a matter of courtesy I
avoid urinating on them. An empty jar will
suffice for thaL Also avoid using lime.
In peak summer months, one visit to
the outhouse will be disposed of in a matter
of minutes, provided you have built up a
good population. They slow down activity
when the nights get below freezing, and
when the days no longer hold wannth they
become dormant, not noticeably becoming
efficient again until late spring or early
summer. I know one fellow who kept his
larvae warm enough to keep them active
throughout the year so that there was no
gap. I have an alternative outhouse that I
use a few months out of the year. This past
year my larvae did not close up shop until
early January, but I kept a number of the
larvae alive on into the winter by placing a
large frying pan over them. On cold ni~hts
this was warmed by a candle I placed m a
jar covered by a metal lid punched with
holes. I would pull it all off in the mornings
and all the little things would be huddled
under the operation. But I began to worry
that I might be interfering with their normal
life cycle or that when the new adults came,
they might cat the balls with the eggs. In
any case, on the coldest night of the year
they perished. Either the candle went out,
or after setting up my little rig, trembling,
with a flashlight in my mouth, I forgot to
light the candle. They must have cocooned
or died thinking I was crazy.
I think they can be kept alive in the
KA
AH-page 7
winter, but at this time I would recommend
keeping a batch to survive the winter and a
batch to keep their natural cycle for this
region.
Facts on scarab beetles arc mentioned
in some texts, but utilizing their
undertakings has never been considered,
nor their effectiveness realized. At least not
since the Egyptians, who regarded both
beetles and their larvae as sacred.
My variety of beetle is indigenous to
the piedmont of South Carolina. They arc
black and arc about the size of a quarter. A
smaller, colorful variety has infiltrated their
ranks in lesser numbers.
I do not have any good pictures of
them. I have a very overexposed slide of
one beetle. The slide was taken under far
too powerful a flash. The photographer
should have gone with a bright light (but be
was stressfully lazy). Usually they arc very
gentle and docile, but this poor beetle must
have bu.med its retinas out, for it went
berserk - I never knew they could move that
fast I put it back in the gallon jar to take it
back home, but somehow it escaped,
probably into the environs of the car, and I
have felt quite sick about it ever since.
When you get to know them, you will know
that this is no joke.
I have never considered turning this
operation into a business, though the right
person with the right setup could easily do
so. If the dung ball gets rolling I could bask
in the knowledge that I had done
humankind, Mother Earth, and life itself a
great service. I do not really eat enough to
punch them out in vast quantities, though I
do have more than enough, and usually feel
obligated to make sure they get enough to
eat during their active cycles. If I bad a
larger setup a.n d more active, shitting
humans, populations would soar. And I
could go to Europe!
I personally started with about 60
larvae. I expect 7- 10,000 by late summer,
but it could be in the millions with more
food. Sending larvae is a way to start a
herd. They arc clean and easy to ship. I am
willing to give away starter colonies maybe for a $10.00 mailing and handling
fee. And if someone is enterprising enough
to get a business going, a bumble royalty
would not insult my virtues.
Neither the larvae nor the beetles arc
offensive to the sight or in any other
manner. They are man (sic) and beast at
their finest hour.
For more information, contact
Corry
P.O. Box 5242
Columbia, SC 29250
The ancien1 Egyptians Wt!refascinated
by the small scarab beetle. The scarab
beetle, Scarabeus sggr, "lays its eggs in a
ball of dung some two inches across,· this it
subsequen1ly pushes around with its rear
legs with great determination, loohng for a
suitable crevice in which to deposit it.
Inside the ball, the larvaefud on the dung until they eventually break through the ball
to freedom. This was regarded by the
ancienr Egyptians as a most mysterious
process of self-generation: the young butlu
appearing from a ball qfdung aµr they had
been helped only by a single scarab butle.
Jn a grand analogy, ii was a beetle thal was
seen to be rolling the sun itself over the
eastern horizon, as the climax to the
self generative processes thal had taken
place during the night. The beetle itself
became a symbol for the change of state
from deaJh to rebirth, which was ofprimary
interest to the ancienl theologians, who
described it in sorru: ofthe long tats ofthe
royal tombs in considerable detail. The
beetle also became one ofthe most popular
symbols of ancien1 Egypt and small scarab
seals were made in mi/JWns, a tradition thal
continues to this day. It seems too, that
parts of the mysterious functions of this
beetle have never been lost since ancien1
times; early in the presen1 cenJUry the village
women of Thebes ate these harny black
insects which were supposed to aid their
fertility, and many properties similar to the
ancient symbolisms are attributed to
Scarabeus sacer in the writings of the
mediaeval alchemists."
from valley Qf tbc Kines.
byJohnRorru:r, 1981.
~
Summer 1986
�"-"X.1.NB NEW FR.1.ENDI
HAV\NCl J'UNI
J'1.JU:I "11.'JlU>UT '1.o\'J'Cf(£1
J'ORAB1.NB "11.LD FOODI
CONCf:N'Jll..tTI.ON •.. .• CR.ljlTALI ... . . tC&U.1.NB
11.NCl'lNCl
D.ANC1.NCl
DR.WU
1.N TH£ 11"1£.U LOME . ••••
KAWAH - page 8
J'1.ND'lNCl "1KO "1£
~
Summer I 986
�Review
Wise Woman Herb al
Childbearing Year
for
the
by Susun S. Weed
published by Ashtree Publishing, POB 64,
Woodstock, NY 12498
($ 6.95 plus $ 2.00 for shipping & handling)
reviewed by Ise Williams
For more than a million years Wise Women have used
herbs - ga1hered, eaten, tended, loved herbs - and taughl their
daughters the wisdom of herbs in the cllildbean·ng year.
In Europe, five hundred years ago, men tortured and
burned the Wise Women who healed with herbs, the
midwives, the ones who celebrated the cyclical ways.
Calling them witches, they burned them in millions and
broke the flow of mother-to-daughter transmission.
In the Americas, their sons in later years killed the
medicine women and c11randeras. the Wise Women of the
New World. Then they denied the existence of Wise Wome"
in history.
Without our connections ro each other and the Earth,
withollt our mothers' wisdom, we forgot our power. When
we were told that we had no souls, and no minds, and no
sisters, we believed it was true. When they cold us that
childbearing was too difficult for women, midwives, and
herbs, we believed it was true.
Bm the Wise Women live in our dreams, our visions,
our deepest munories. We hear their whispers, and we
listen..
Wise Women herbalists see the whole herb, the
physical forces and the subtle forces, and respect the
wholeness. Wise Women make use of rite color, form,
spirit, and substance of a plant, using it as a whole, not
dividing it into parts and seeing power only in the HactiveH
principle. Wise Women lcnbw thaJ we are each whole and
unique, in an individu.a l, everchanging, symbiotic
relationship with herbs.
Wise Woman healing is grounded, earthed, rooted.
The Wise Woman accepts herself and her changes, her
moods, and her bleedings. She tends to birthing and dying
withaur alienaiion from herself or rite ones site helps. Site is
open to the life song surrounding her, she ~ the secrets
of the herbs. Fairies appear to her; devas bless her. All that
she needs for health and well-being grows within the fall of
her foot.
This book speaks to the Wise Woman in you - the
pregnant woman - aT1d to the Wise Woman in your mare,
lover, midwife, doctor, childbinh educator, and friends. It is
based on the belief that you are capable of observing yo1u
own body, heart, and mind, responding to the messages you
receive during the childbearing year, and caring/or yourself
in a context of loving s11ppon and assistance.
·from the introduction
Thie; is a wonderful herbal. one that I'm sure will
become the companion of many a pregnant woman, and also
a resource that goes far beyond lhe childbearing year. Since
pregnancy is a period of growth which couches on all aspeccs
of our lives, I find many of the issues covered are also
applicable to the situations of my non-pregnant friends,
women and men alike.
The dedication makes clear the spirit m which lhe book
is written:
May the six directzons empower tlus medicine work. May it
be pleasing to my grandmothers, the a11ciem ones. And may
it be of benefic to all beings.
One of lhe chapters, titled "Herbal Pharmacy", covers
very concisely how co respectfully encounter planes in our
environment and how to safely tum them into water-.
alcohol and oil-based herbal medicines. le is an excellent
and comprehensive guide for everyone desiring to take
responsibility for their own health care.
KATUAH - page 9
The book is written in the Wise Woman tradition,
which views everything as cyclical and deeply
interconnected. In these ancient traditions, once owned by
each tribe and each people, women were the gacherers and
growers of herbs, the nunurers, and the healers. Today
more and more men are beginning to work out of the same
stream of consciousness. However, in our society the oral
tradition has been brutally interrupted by the medieval witch
burnings. A large body of knowledge was destroyed and
losL We are only now beginning to reclaim it. Healing
ways evencually were narrowed down co male-dominated
allopathic medicine, which is linear in Lhink.ing and promotes
a world view of black and white, of sickness versus health.
Wise Woman healing begins with nourishing and nurturing
and reseIVes dramatic interventions as the last reson.
"Wise Women understand the attunement built into our
cells after thousands of generations nourished on wild foods,
the special kinship our bodies have with the vital elements
condensed in herbs", says Susun Weed. Consequently
you'll find in this Wjse Woman Herbal references to other
pertinent publications, addresses of conscientious herb
businesses, appendices that list herbal soun:es of vitamins
and minerals, and recipes for herbal preparations. There are
lovingly handwritten notes in the margins that give the names
of herbs in different languages - including Russian and
Chinese! A comprehensive index makes it easy to locate
specific information.
Susun's knowledge cenainly could fill many a
volume. I hope that Susun will find the time to be a prolific
writer, besides being an avid gardener, homesteader,
naturalist, feminist artist, and travelling lecturer/workshop
facilitator. Presently, her busy schedule takes ber from coast
to coast, attending herbalists' conferences and sharing the
knowledge extracted from 20 years of studying and working
with medicinal herbs.
The Wjse Woman Herbal is written with compassion
and from direct experience. It is not just another compilation /;:;41"
of facts retrieved from other books. What a blessing!
p
'* Elder
The fragile, cream-colored flowers of Sambucus
species, when tinctured., provide a superb remedy for treating
infants' fevers. Elder blossom tincture seems to encourage
balance in the mechanism which regulates temperature. It
reduces frighteningly high fevers without fail. Put one drop
per pound of body weight directly under your baby's tongue,
or slide the dropper alongside your nipple and administer the
drops while the baby is nursing. (Measure the drops into a
spoon, then take the correct dose into the empty dropper.)
The dose may be repeated as often as needed; it is completely
harmless. The fever usually begins to decrease within a few
hours of the first dose.
Stories abound about the dangerous Elder. And there
is a story told all over the world, in different cultures and
various versions, of the woman who lives in the Elder.
Sometimes she is called the Elder Lady, sometimes Elder
Woman, but my favorite name for her is Elda Mor.
The stories say that Elda Mor is a Wise Woman who
has taken the shape of a tree in order to heal her children.
She is powerful and she demands respect. If you wish to
have her help, you must honor her. If you abuse her, or fail
to ask her permission to take part of her, Elda Mor will
poison you.
Elder grows somewhere near you; look and ask for
her. When you find an Elder bush, develop a relationship
with Elda Mor. Visit with her from time to time. Then,
when the Elder blooms, go out in the moonlight and tell her
of your desire to heal with her magic and her knowledge.
She wilJ respond, granting permission for you to take her
sweet flowers. Thank her and put up your tincture
immediately, capturing moon beams, Elder dreams, and the
ancient wisdom of women in your bottle.
From The Wjse Woman Herbal for the Chjldbearine Year
�Review:
THE FRESHWATER AQUACU LT URE BOOK
A handbook for small scale fish culture in North America
The Freshwater Aguaculture Book· A Handbook for Small
Scale Fish Culture jn Noah America; William McLamey
(Point Roberts, WA 98281; Box 147; Hartley and Marks,
1984) 600 pp. 150 illustrations; appendices, index.
available from the publisher for $40.00 plus $1.00 handling.
The need/or aquaculture arises from the same root as
thaJ for agriculture. It is commonly accepted thaJ it would be
impossible to supply human demands for meat solely on the
basis of hunring wild game, or to provide all our fruits and
vegetables by foraging in the naJUral environment. Yet most
of the world still obtains fish in this manner, through
traditional "capture" fisheries based on natural stocks .....
The current world harvest of about seventy million
metric tons per year is not nearly enough to go around, much
less to keep pace with the demands imposed by a
still-increasing human population. The obvious solution is
oquacubure.
- The Freshwater Aquaculture Boole
Bill McLarney was trained as a fisheries biologist at
John Carroll University and the University of Michigan. He
was a co-founder and director of aquaculture studies at the
New Alchemy Institute in Massachusetts, which for 20 years
has done pioneer experiments in ecological living. He
presently divides his time between Fran.k lin, NC in Katiiab
and Costa Rica, where he is director of New Alchemy's
Central America project
In the l 970's McLarney and his co-workers at New
Alchemy developed innovative techniques for small-scale,
low-budget fish culture. Because of their careful study,
observation, and creativity, many of the methods developed
then still stand as the simplest and most efficient available
today.
McLamey has distilled his years of experience and
research into The Freshwater Aguaculturc Book. He has
taken on an ambitious project, and has succeeded in giving
us a highly useful tool: a comprehensive manual for raising
all known varieties of food fish (as well as some types of
aquatic animals) in all the areas of Turtle Island where
fish-raising is feasible. There are also sections on
greenhouse and closed system culture.
McLamey's work is by far the most complete
collection of factual material on the topic to date, but it is also
of importance that he writes from a perspective that respects
the needs and conditions of local ecologies and the "hidden"
economic value and practicality of the efforts of small
producers. This makes The freshwater Aquacul!ure Book
eminently appropriate and a very valuable resource for people
who choose to worJc in the context of their own particular
locale.
WORLD AQUACULTURE
The introduction to the book is a brief survey of the
history and practice of aquaculture around the world. But in
the course of the world overview, McLarney breaks down
these two primary values, ecological awareness and
decentralization, into a set of principles which underpin the
information he presents throughout the book. Illustrative
examples are drawn mainly from the Chinese aquaculture
system, which McLamey regards as the most highly
develo~ in terms of simplicity, productivity, efficiency,
and minimal environmental disruption. But although the
language is "fish culture", the principles expressed could
serve as well to ensure the sound operation and long-term
survival of any type of bioregional enterprise.
Keep in mind thaJ part ofthe secret ofChinese fish culture is
in making the best use of a given local ecology and materials.
However, consider this: The currem average production of
traditional pond polyculture in China is said to be over 4 ,000
lb/acre/year (4,412 kg/ha/yr). (Much higher yields are
achieved in southern China and in southeast Asia, where the
growing season is year-round.) This is accomplished
primarily through the use of fertilizers, with no processed
feeds whatsoever, with virtually no technology, and using
ancient methods developed without benefit of scientific
research . The products of Chinese pond polyculture have
traditionally been available widely and cheaply; they are an
important factor in the nutrition of the Chinese people, as
well as in Chinese high cuisine. Chinese aquaculture may
also be regarded as ecologically beneficial, as it provides a
facility f or recycling organic "wastes".
The effect of s.kik must be considered for any
enterprise in terms of economics, necessary labor, and
relation to the surrounding environment to determine what is
truly the most effective and appropriate system. l l i
Freshwater Aquaculture Book emphasizes the simplest
possible systems that require the least capital investment and
are easiest to construcL
INTEGRATED FARMSTEAD
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KAWAH - page JO
Surnrnerl986
�From the many aquatic habitars available, rite Chinese chose
the small pond as providing the best combination of
prod11ctiviry and manageability. Though aquaculrure has
subseque111ly been pracriced in virmally every orher type of
aquaric environmen.t, the truth of this rarely acknowledged
insighr remains. Ponds are nawrally present in many
localities and may be constructed, by hand labor if necessary,
in nwst other places. As compared to larger laJces and the
oceans, a higher percentage of pond warer is relatively
shallow, hence more productive and easier to harvesr.
Srreams represent a rheorerically more productive
environment, but use of flowing waler often raises
comperirive situations with regard to water righ1s,j1Shing,
pollution, ere
culrure or eaJ comnu:m carp, and aquaculrurisrs had to seek
other fishJo raise. It was found rhar if one stocked several
kinds offish - say one which fed on the botrom, one which
fed in
mid-water, and one which could eat green leaves
provided by the farmer - grearer yields would be achieved
rhan if one stocked the same number of common carp only.
This was the beginning ofpolyculture. Through trial
and error and observation, Chinese fish culrurists eventually
developed much more complex polyculrures, in some cases
including as many as a dozen species. These culrure systems
are ofren unique to a particular locality, having taken
advantage of local conditions, availability of stocks ofj1Sh,
feed, or ferrilizer marerials.
WASTE UTILIZATION
What we wish to create are living systems, but it must
be remembered that these living systems are always parts of
greater ecosystems or natural communities and can only be
considered as parts of the larger whole. This concept
Mclarney calls jntemrion.
It is nor customary in Norrh America 10 rlunk of bodies
of water used for intensive aquaculture as parrs of a total
farm ecosystem. A commercial fish/arm is afHh.farm period. Yet inregrarion of terrestrial and aquaric crops and
byproducrs is part and parcel of many rraditional Oriental
food-producing systems. The Oriental approach, which is
more ecologically sensirive and less dependent on
technology, may be difficult to adapt to a large-scale
commercial situation in North America, but the small,
diversified/armer, parricularly the/armer for whom fish is a
subsistence crop, would do well to study it.
The related principlcS' of diversity and~ are basic
m considering any living community. Application of these
two ideas can work to stabilize and maximize the productivity
of a fish farm, as they do in nature.
It happened that the family name of the Tang emperors was
Lee, which has the same sound as the Chinese word/or the
common carp. For a time it was considered sacrilegious to
trout, e totem spirit of the Appalachian
The cul tu
waters, is well covered in The Freshwater AQuaculturc
.RQQk, and author Bill McLamey emphasizes methods that
are suitable and affordable for the small farmer and
homesteader. Bass-bluegill combinations do well in ponds
in all but the highest elevations of Katuah, but trout will
always be most in demand as the pre-eminent Appalachian
food fish and as representative of the cold, pristine waters
beneath forested slopes that so many people come here to
find.
Trout have special requirements for their culture and
require strict adherence to certain conditions to do well.
They thrive only in cold water (50-60 degrees F) and require
a high dissolved oxygen content (7 ppm) to simulate the
freshness of a running stream - moving water is the best
habitat.
Trout are almost exclusively carnivorous and therefore
require high-protein feeds. Because they favor cold water,
they grow more slowly than do other fish species, and they
are very sensitive to excessive handling and pollution.
Cold water environments have a low nutrient-carrying
capacity, so cold water food chains are shortened. Few
intermediate-size or vegetarian fish share natural trout
habitats. Therefore, trout ponds are essentially monoculture
situations, which seems to violate the principle of
diversifying the fishpond, but trout are virtually the only
accepted food fish that can be grown in cold water, and their
popularity makes their culture worthwhile.
Because The Freshwater Aguaculture Book is a
compendium of information covering fish-raising throughout
Turtle Island, no one fish farmer will be able to use all the
information the book contains. The best way to use the book
KA AH - page 11
It is said in the study of ecology that a climax system,
the most stable community possible at a given location,
develops many layers of use for available materials, so that
very little energy leaks out of the system.
In human terms, this is stated as "Recycle!", and an
important negative cntcrion of a system's effectiveness is the
amount of waste it generates. A system truly integrated
within itself and in the natural surroundings produces a
rninimum of waste.
The Chinese seem to have recognized rhe value of
pond fertility early on, and to have understood thatfish could
be grown more cheaply through fenilizarion with "wastes"
than by direct feeding with marerials which could be eaten by
other livesrock or by people.
These basic principles, which are also basic to the
ideas we choose to call "bioregional", are underlying
assumptions to the text of The Freshwater AQuaculture Book
and are inherent even in the structure of the book itself. For
in presenting fish culture, McLamey does not set out pat
formulas or a dogmatic school of practice. Rather, he 1)
introduces the fish and their habitat requirements, 2) gives
- continued on p. 24
is to read it through one time to get an overview of
aquaculture, the conditions that need to be considered, and
the options available, then to go back, aided by the
comprehensive index, and look up the special requirements
of the fish to be raised and find the most appropriate
methods.
Whether one wants to raise trout commercially for sale
to restaurants, operate a catch-your-own trout pond, or just
have a convenient source for a quick supper in the back yard,
trout raising has a place on almost any small farm in Katilah
where flowing water is available.
Among trout species, the rainbow trout (Sa/mo
gafrdneri ) responds best to culture. The native brook trout
(Sa/mo fontinalis) are smaller, prefer colder water, and grow
more slowly. They are therefore raised only when the farmer
has a specific market or a specific personal preference for
them. Brown trout (Salnw trutta ) are the preferred fish in
commercial hatcheries for stream stocking. Of the three
species, brown crout are the hardest to catch, most tolerant of
pollution, and attain the greatest size where food is plentiful.
But the browns are sensitive to overcrowding and the least
favored for eating, and so a.re not widely cultured as a food
source.
DESIGNING A TROUT FARM
The type of enclosure in which the fish are contained is
determined by the amount of moving water available and the
size of the operation desired. Ponds are easiest and most
economical to construct for the amount of water contained,
but raceways (defined by McLamey as any enclosure where
there is a constantly moving CWTCnt perceptible throughout)
as used in commercial hatcheries, can produce more fish in a
given area of available space. McLamcy discusses the
advantages of each and gives siting and design
considerations.
Trout feeding is another important variable that is
- continued on . 21
Summer 1986
�TOBACCO
We have been told that no non-food plant has had so
great an impact on humans as tobacco. It has affected the
whole world. It is a plant native to this continent, Turtle
Island, but now there is not a country in the world that does
not use tobacco in some fonn or other.
The elders say that tobacco is an ancient planL The
native Cherokee people call it the Old One or
Tsal Agayun1i. They believe that after the lichen, moss
and fem that the fU'St plant was ginseng and the second plant
was tobacco.
Native people consider plants to have a gender and a
personality like people. Medicine plants are plants used for
direct healing by treating a disease of the body or by altering
a person spiritually. European science would say that it is
the "active principle" in the drug that makes one well Native
people call the healing power of plants the "spiritual
personality" of the planL Healing with plants was based on
the principle of using something positive to get rid of the
negative or bad thing causing sickness. The spiritual
personality of tobacco used in the traditional way was female
and positive.
We have been told that there were two original types of
tobacco used by native people. The old tobacco, Nicotiana
rustica, has yellow blossoms, the other, Nicoriana tabacwn,
has pink blossoms. The old tobacco has about ten times the
nicotine content of the tobacco raised commercially today.
The old tobacco was jealously protected by the Cherokee. It
was not usually traded with other tribes, but the
pink-flowered tobacco was a common trade item.
We have been told that the old tobacco was used for
ritual and medicine purposes. It was raised in a special way.
A medicine person would go into the woods and plant the
tobacco seed in a spot he would clear by burning. They
might plant eight or ten of these patches so that no one would
see the tobacco. The tobacco would lose its power if
someone else saw it growing.
We have been told that tobacco was smoked in a ritual
at the beginning of any important councils. The hopes and
prayers of the people were sent up to all of the creation as the
smoke rose to the heavens. It was also the custom to smoke
tobacco when someone visited another person's lodge. The
pipe was brought out and liL It would be passed around and
everyone would take one or two puffs of the sacred smoke
before the conversation would begin.
We have been told that tobacco was used also in
fasting and on vision quests. It helped a person fast because
it cwbed the appetite and suppressed the need to sleep. The
old tobacco of the Cherokees also helped to bring dreams and
visions.
We have been told that the pipes in which tobacco is
smoked arc important Native people have medicine pipes
and social pipes. Social pipes are made from clay or stone.
- page 12
Medicine pipes are carved from soapstone. The Cherokee
carved pipes are made from red or black soapstone. The red
stone is preferred, but it is hard to come by so that most
medfoine pipes are black. Images, say of a totem spirit or
animal teacher are carved on Cherokee pipes. A medicine
pipe never "belongs" to an individual. It is given to a person
by someone who thinks they are ready for the pipe.
Sometimes the pipe is a new one carved by the giver.
Sometimes the pipe bas been passed through several hands.
An individual is considered the caretaker, not the owner, of
the pipe. It is their responsibility to see that the pipe is
passed on in a good way. "A good way" means that the
pipe's new caretaker will take care of the pipe, use it
responsibly, and in tum pass it on.
We have been told that tobacco was an integral part of
a special ceremony to protect a sick person from "liver
eaters". These were people that bad the power to create an
illusion. They did not actually have the power to tum
themselves into an owl or raven, but they could create this
illusion. That is bow they moved abouL They would come
into a lodge and kiss a sick person or a person nea.r death to
taste the sweetness of their breath. The liver eater would
then draw the power from the liver of the suffering person.
This would immediately kill the person and the liver eater
would receive however much time that person had been fated
to live to extend its own evil life.
We arc told that in the ceremony to protect the sick
person, the medicine people would drive four sourwood
stakes around the lodge. They would then go into the sick
person's lodge and make a fire with sourwood or wood from
a tree that had been struck by lightning and had lived. They
would heap up the hot coals into a pile. Then they would
take a pinch of fine-ground "old" tobacco and hold it over the
coals. When the tobacco was dropped. it would fall in the
direction from which the liver eater was coming. If it hit
directly on center, then the liver eater was in the room or
above the roof. Theo another pinch of tobacco was dropped.
If it sparked or made an explosion, a person in the
community would die in four or five days, and that person
was the liver eater. That was how they killed the liver eaters.
We have been told that native people used the old
tobacco as an insect repellant on plants. It works well on
everything except tomatoes. Tobacco extract was spread on
beans and on the silks of the com. If insects eat the sprayed
parts they die, but usually the scent confuses the insects so
that they are not attracted. The only thing that eats tobacco is
the tobacco worm. Native people used the extract of the
nightshade plant to kill the tobacco worm. The extract was
made by boiling the nightshade plant in water and spraying
the water on the tobacco plants.
We have been told that tobacco was also used as a
poison. Pure nicotine is deadly in a dose as small as 100
milligrams. The nicotine was used on blow darts for revenge
killing. The darts would be soaked in nicotine for a long
time before they were used. The blow gun and poisoned dart
were used only in this way. They were never used in war.
It is true that native people never used tobacco as a
personal drug as it is frequently used today. It was taken
into the body only sparingly as part of a ceremony or ritual.
Used in this way, it promoted healing. The way it is used
today causes addiction and illness.
We have been told that among the Cherokee there are
tribal secrets about tobacco that cannot be revealed. When
these secrets are taught within the tribe, the one who receives
the knowledge promises not to reveal iL Keeping this lore
hidden is done not for the sake of the knowledge itself, but
as an obligation to the person who passed on the secret
teachings.
~
Summer 1986
�THE GARDEN - continued from p.l
gardening is a lesson in applied ecology. It deals mainly
with alpine plants, and rock gardeners go to extreme lengths
to duplicate exactly the conditions we have here: lots of
tumbled-down rocks and perfect drainage, yet deep moisture.
"In the terraces I was planting shrubs and vegetables,
and a few trees as l could obtain them, so it was all
progressing at the same time. All these beds are mixed
flowers and vegetables now. They say flowers help the
vegetables, but that is a meaningless distinction. They all
flower. They all should be here in as much diversity as
possible.
"A lot of my training has been learning by mistakes.
My gardening plan is simply to set out plants that I like, of all
different varieties and types and see what naturalizes and
multiplies. The plants you see here are the plants that have
survived a natural selection process at this site. I've used a
lot of self-seeding annuals. They pop up each year, and I
leave them where they're appropriate and pull them up where
they're in the way. They fill in all the holes.
"Berries are a good crop for around here. This is good
nut and berry country. It's easy to see, they grow so well in
the wild. Did you know that blueberries only became a
domesticated crop during the l 940's? Before that, people
found all they needed on the hilltops. The plant was brought
under cultivation under the auspices of the TVA right in this
area. They gave kids a piece of cardboard with a hole
punched in it If the kids could find a bush with berries that
wouldn't fit through the hole and could lead the growers to
it, they would earn $1.00. That's how they developed the
first cultivated varieties of blueberries.
"We're going to grow a lot more strawberries. We
became acquainted with an everbearing variety that produced
right up to Thanksgiving last year. Really good fruit! We
also have bush cherries, lots of currants, rosehips, barberries
- lots of food for wildlife. That helps to blur the line between
cultivated and uncultivated aspects of the garden.
"I've found that the easiest way to work is to use the
natural energy flows. For instance, we get some colloidal
phosphate, some lime, and some cottonseed meal for
fertilizers, but we try to bring as few materials up the hill as
possible. We plant rye in some of the beds in the fall and in
the springtime we turn it in with handforks. We pile the
weeds we pull out of the garden - it seems to generate a big
heap every three weeks.
"The creek that flows through the garden brings down
leaves during the spring floods. The stream is normally
buried by the landslide, but if it rains hard enough the stream
rises to the surface. [f it rains mal1:t hard, the stream will
flow right through the garden and on down the hill. But if I
wait until it's raining enough so that the stream recedes back
among the rocks inside the garden, I can go uphill and rake
leaves into the water and they'll be dropped off right where I
need them. They are deposited as wads of leaves mixed with
silt. I have to collect them quickly because the mixture rots
fairly fast. If I come back too late, it's already part of the
soil. It's a wonderful system: during one short season in
spring I can skim off a little of the surplus fertility."
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Joe is a quiet individual. He can be goaded to
excitemmt when talking abour the plant.s or the people thaJ he
Loves, bur he is generally content to let the obvious evitknce
of the garden speak for him. He has spent marry moonlit
nights and many winter months thinking about his
relationship to the garden and the natural mountain
landscape, however, and this shows up when he can be
coaxed to speak ofthe deeper levels of his garden experience:
"The garden is a mandala (a circular design) that
expresses our understanding of the place we live. This
garden is my conscious attempt to live in the context of
nature. 'Paradise' means 'to be perfectly integrated in
nature'. The prevalent vision in western culture of a life in
accord with nature is the Garden of Eden, where human.kind,
Adam and Eve, were given the garden and charged to 'dress
and keep it' in the beautiful words of the King James version
of the Bible <Genesis 2: 15).
"But 'paradise' does not have to be an idealized place.
It is a way of living here, wherever we're at right now. It is
a co-evolutionary process - we change together. Living and
learning, 1 transform myself to live as this place demands,
and as part of the process I also transform this place into my
personal paradise.
"Eugene Odom had a more technical vision of the ideal
human niche, which he called 'the ecosystem manager'
whose function is to maximize the productivity and
perpetuate the survival of the system. The ecosystem
manager rearranges the growth of the natural environment a
little - snipping something here, starting something over there
- and s/he gets paid a little bit by all the diversity of other
creatures in the system
"It's a similar position to that of a bear or a wolf. If
there's too much of something, that's what the bear or the
wolf gets to eat that year. The service they perfonn for that
plant or animal is selection and population control, which is
to the benefit of that species. By keeping ecological balance,
the manager gets enough off the top to keep him or her alive
and functioning. By caring for the ecological principal, one
gets to live off the ecological interest An unlimited number
of people could devote themselves to that task, and it would
provide for all of them.
"Odom's somewhat mechanistic definition hinges on
food supply as the determining factor. This is basic, but the
idea of creating a niche also has to do with being surrounded
by beautiful things when one walks out the door. Our
aesthetic sense is a natural organizing system. It is a fine
form of positive feedback that is much underrated in our
culture. In this society the basic standard is the economic
one which is expressed in terms of profit and loss. But what
I'm saying is: 'Enjoy it!' Be spontaneous in gardening.
Trust that intuitive sense of rightness that we all have in us.
It is at least as true an indicator as the profit sheet of the
health and productivity of a natural community.
"Historically, some anthropologists believe that the
'Paradise' myth refers to the transition from a hunter/gatherer
economy to an agricultural economy. Rindos, in his book
7J;=---:;:::::=~~~~ar·(iSth'-~:BF:::::_.--,r - continued on next page
�- continued from p.13 THE GARDEN
The Orieins of Amcu!ture. puts the changeover into the
context of co-evolution, saying that there were changes on
both sides. The hunter/gatherers were working with plants maybe by weeding preferred crops or by planting some
selected seeds - and while the plants were changed to be
more what the people wanted, the people were also changed
as they developed certain behaviors to encourage these plants
- disturbing the ground, staying in one place,
experimentation, selection, and observation. These two
processes together produced the gradual development of the
agroecosystem.
"I think to some extent the people were seduced into it
Perhaps it was the plants who domesticated the people. I like
to think that certain plants tricked us into devoting our lives
to changing the world for their benefit One could look at it
either way.
"The food surplus produced by agricultural techniques
had the effect of increasing human population. This resulted
in a new context for human life as specialization developed
and people became more involved within the framework of
human society and less involved in the wider circle of nature.
The human sphere continues to expand. It is replacing the
diversity of nature with human diversity, and we are the
worse off for it
"A 'niche' is a way of describing an organism from the
ecosystem's point of view: it is the relationship of the
organism to its environment and the flows of energy and
matter. Because there have been no effective natural checks
on the human population, we have created an unhealthy niche
for ourselves, called 'civilization'.
"'Paradise' is a genetic memory of a time when
humanity was integrated into the natural environment. It
could be summed up as a continuing, spontaneous, intuitive
response to the world. But that spontaneous response to the
real conditions of life is buried under millenia of accretion of
cultural elaborations on the distinction 'good/evil'.
"The garden as you see it here is a conscious attempt to
invent and occupy an appropriate niche. Using the
knowledge of modern civilization, I am attempting to work a
way back through centuries of physical and behavioral
programming (our 'needs') to a real relationship with the
Earth, a transition to a natural support system.
"More and more," Joe reflected, "I'm beginning to feel
I should specialize in the flora of the Black Mountains. It's
such a beautiful habitat, and no one else has taken it on. I
need to get out there, spend more time in the woods, find the
specimens with the biggest fruits find the particular clones,
the things that should be propagated, and work with them,
get really involved....."
- recorded by DW
SUN ROOTS
The Sun Root is a native American vegetable which
was under cultivation by many tribes, including the
Cherokee, when white people arrived here. These white
people, for mysterious reasons, ignored this Indian name and
called it Jerusalem Artichoke. The Latin name is /leliaruhus
tuberousus, which means "sunflower full of swellings".
This is an accurate label because Sun Roots are a sunflower
with large, edible roots.
By whatever name, this is one of the world's most
practical and easiest to cultivate vegetables. They are started
from a piece of tuber in the spring, much like potatoes, and
are perennial in practice since even a very careful harvest
leaves enough tubers for the next year's crop. The stalks are
6 to 12 feet high and are topped by beautiful brown and
yellow flowers which smell a little like chocolate. Most
varieties produce mature tubers in 120 days, but the
Columbia and Stampede varieties are about 30 days earlier.
Tubers can be harvested any time during the fall, winter, or
early spring when the ground is not frozen.
Nutritionally, Sun Roots are interesting because they
have very little starch. Their carbohydrates are stored in the
form of inulin, which is composed of fructose molecules.
Humans lack the enzyme inulase which is necessary to break
down this inulin, so most of the calories of Sun Roots pass
through our systems unused. What is used is the protein,
which is of very high quality and high in lysine, and the iron
which is present in large quantity. These qualities, along
with their good taste, high quality fiber, and satisfying
crunch make Sun Roots a very good, low calorie snack food.
There are people at work developing the "artichip".
Sun Roots are an excellent feedstock for fuel alcohol
stills because of their large yields and the fact that inulin,
unlike starch, does not need to be broken down before
fermentation. They are also a very good potential source of
commercial fructose. A flour made from dried sun roots is
good tasting and high in protein. A protein extract can be
taken from sun roots which is 60- 70% high quality protein
and could be used to feed the world's hungry people. The
tops of this versatile vegetable are already finding commercial
use as an animal feed
(This information is taken from The ArticboJce
Connection; Rt 2, Box 157; Spartansburg, PA 16434.
Subscriptions are $10 a year and it comes out on a quarterly
basis.)
THE HOMESTEAD
ON HORN MOUNTAIN
Long ago
someone climbed to the top of this mountain
and dug a well.
This is the place, marked
by an elderly pine.
I part a way through the overgrowth
with my stick
to the black brackish water in its circle of stones.
This is mystery:
the circle,
older than the pine,
stone more ancient than the mountain: water
as eternal as all circles.
Someone lived here and drank that water
and disappeared under moss and bramble.
The ground is littered with rocks
of a fallen homestead.
The well is a shaft of memory sunk in the ground.
Turning to scribble a note to myself
I start to the sound
ofa motor.
since I last climbed Hom Mountain somebody
has cut a road just above the old homestead,
I can see the cigarette
in the driver's hand as a yellow truck comes
trundling past -
r duck below the bramble like the spirit of ruin
that haunts this place,
diving back down the black shaft
of undrinkable remembrance
past the names of mountains and roots of pines
down to the fertile aquifer of earth's
forgetfulness.
Stephen Wingeier
;e:t'
~
KAfUAH - page 14
))t
Summer 1986
�by 4 cords
hanging down ·
the island earth
from the sky vault
suspended
of solid rock
east
west
floating
north
south
in a sea of water
�0
750 MILLION
ON1CF.
-
650 MILU ON
I
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n
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A(~
The southern Appalachians have evolved in a series of
collisions of fragments of continental or island-an: material at
the eastern edge of North America.
About 750 million years ago magma rising deep from the
interior of the earth split a megacontinental expanse into at
least two large continents
Laurentia or proto-North America
Gondwana or proto-Africa
and at least
two continental fragments that included the Inner
Piedmont-Blue Ridge fragment and the Carolina slate belt
fragment ...
Volcanism started in the island an: of the Carolina slate belt
fragment some 650 million years ago.
...500 million years ago
the basin between proto-North America and the
Inner-Piedmont-Blue Ridge fragments began to close...
beyond the arch
in Galunlati above
when all was water
the animals were very crowded
and wanting more room
they wondered what was below the water
Dayunisi, the little Water-beetle
offered to go down and see if he could learn
It darted over the surface in every direction
but could find no firm place to rest
Then it dived to the bottom
and came up with some soft mud
which began to grow and spread
on every side until it became
the island Earth
500 MILLION
Most of the rocks at the swface of the southern Appalachians
are highly defonned metamorphic ones ... older than or
contemporaneous with the horizontal sedimentary strata
under them ... suggesting that roughly 415 million years ago
the swface rocks began to be transported as a thin sheet for at
least 260 kilometers over the eastern continental margin of
the land mass that was to become North America.
...from 300 million to 250 million years ago, the last major
compressional event was the Alleghenian orogeny. This
mountain-building episode can be attributed to the collision
of proto-North America and proto-Africa (or perhaps South
America) to form the supen:ontinent of Pangaea.
...a segment of the African
(or South American) continental shelf underthrust the eastern
margin of the Carolina slate belt fragment resulting in a
fold-and-thrust belt that went in the opposite direction...the
southern Appalachians...
...western Africa and northern South America
all have belts of folding and thrusting...
The Mauritanide
mountain chain of western Africa is characterized east to west
by a series of belts that are similar in some ways to the
Appalachian belts.
... the Mauritanids are a mirror image of the Appalachians...
�~75
MILLION
200 MILLION
300 .. 250MILLION
··....
'····· .......
at first the earth was flat
and very soft and wet
...
-~{_,:.:,+~. -
.·
the animals were anxious to get down
and sent out different birds to see if it was dry
but they found no place to alight
and returned to Galunlati
.....•
,,·
t
••
at last it seemed to be time
and they sent out the Buzzard
and told him to go and make ready for them
.
·············· ·········
:
..·········.
'7..
\
~
....··
...
··············
the Great Buzzard flew over the earth
low down near the ground
when he reached Cherokee Country
he was very tired and his wings
began to flap and strike the ground
...
.·
..···
and wherever they struck
the earth was a valley
and where they turned up
there was a mountain
...
...
...the continents that now border the Atlantic were joined 200
million years ago like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to fonn
one huge expanse of land ... a megacontinent Pangaea...
At that time North America began to separate from Europe,
Africa, and South America.
·
As the continents drifted apart the Atlantic
Ocean was left in their wake.
As the Atlantic grew the current
continental shelf was built up off the eastern coast of North
America (and off the western coast of Africa and the northern
coast of Sou~ America).
when the animals above saw this
they were afraid the whole world
would be mountains
so they called him back
but the Cherokee Country remains
full of mountains until this day
...·
.·
.....
.·
••
.
�--
..
(
J
.
:•
...······ .
...
.··
.,...•
when the world grows old
and the earth will sink
the people will die
down into the ocean
and the cord will break
and all will be water again
written by Jeny Trivette
drawings by Rob Messick
�0 --"
NATURAL
WORLD
NEWS
NANTAHALACO.BROUGHTTO
U.S. SUPREME COURT
Natunl World News Service
Since 1976, when Henry Truett of
Bryson City, NC filed suit against the
Nantahala Power Company to protest the
high costs resulting from hydroelectricity
being drained from the mountains of KatUah
to fuel the Alcoa aluminum plant in
Marysville, TN, the question "Who owns
the mountain water power?" has been a
botJy-contested issue in this region (see
Ki1V.ah #3).
.
The dispute came to a head April 21
as arguments were heard in the US Supreme
Court from attorneys for Alcoa and for the
Committee for Low-Cost Power, a citizens'
group from five counties in Ka!Uah.
The case was an appeal by Alcoa of a
North Carolina State Suptcme Court ruling
handed down last July that awarded $29
million in refunds to Nantahala customers
because of practices by the company ~t .led
to excessive rate costs. Two other surular
decisions by the court awarded the
ratepayers another $16 million in refunds.
The conflict goes back to the very
beginnings of the ~ant~hala Power
Company and Tapoco, its sister company
which operates two hydroelectric dams on
the Santeetlah and Cheoah Rivers. Both
companies arc registered as public utilities,
but both arc also wholly-owned subsidiaries
of the Alcoa Corporation. All the power
from the Tapoco Company has gone to
operate Alcoa smelters in Tennessee,
although since its inception th7 coml?any ~
been receiving the benefits of us des1gnanon
as a utility. Tapoco has never be~n
responsible to regional customers, and 1n
1960 even tried to sell its high-power
transmission lines to the Duke Power
Company. But while "fapoco power .has
been flowing down the nver to Marysville,
the Nantahala Power Company has been
supplementing its hydroelectric power with
expensive, imported, nuclear power
generated in Tennessee .by the.-rv:A. The
North Carolina court recnfied this difference
by declaring that North Carolina ratepayers
should retroactively be charged as though
the cheaper Tapoco power were available to
them, which would result in a total of $45
million in refunds.
Alcoa attorneys maintained in the
Supreme Court hearings that the Nort!1
Carolina courts had overstepped the1t
boundaries and were trying to set rates for
power generation between states, citing a
KATUAH - page 19
1971 Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) ruling that Tapoco had
no obligation to make its power available to
the Nantahala Company. Alcoa attorney
Rex Lee stated before the court, "What
North Carolina has done ... is to take from
Tennessee a share of power which properly
belongs to Tennessee."
But William Crisp, a Raleigh lawyer
who has worked with Nantahala ratepayers
for 25 years, explained meticulously and
eloquentJy that this was not a case of one
state's interest against another's, but "a
flagrant example of a corporate giant, a
multinational. taking over public assets for
its own benefit" Pointing out that the
ruling of the NC Supreme Court did not
actually divert any power, but instead
created a "roll-in" where both companies
were considered as one for ratemalcing
purposes, Crisp made it clear that the issue
was whether the hydroelectric resources of
the mountains shouJd be used for public
service or private profit. Alcoa has
attempted to develop its subsidiary company
Tapoco solely to divert water resources
from Kanfah strictly for its own benefit,
Crisp maintained, which in effect has forced
the ratepayers in the mountains to pay the
difference for Alcoa's cheap hydroelectric
power.
Alcoa has threatened that if they do
not win continued access to the mountain
water power, they would close their
Marysville plant, terminating o~er l,~
jobs in East Tennessee. Responding to this
threat, the US Steelworkers Union, Local
309, which represents the Alcoa plant
workers, joined the corporate appeal as a
"friend of the court".
"If they had known the true facts of
the case," said Veronica Nicholas, Jackson
County commissioner and witness to the
Supreme Court hearing, "I don 't believe
they wouJd have taken that position. If we
could talk with them people-to-people, I
thinlc they would see that the corporation is
trying to victimize us all in pursuit of its
interests."
,
BIG MOUNTAIN UPDATE
Na!W'al World News Service
The Big Mountain issue - the
proposed removal of 10,000 to 15 ,~
Navajo (Dineh) and Hopi Indians from their
ancient homeland • remains critical. In 1974
Congtcss passed legislation (P.L. 93-531)
to settJe a so-called "land dispute" between
the two tribes calling for the removal by
July 7, 1986 (see Kutfah #11).
CoincidentJy, this area known as the Four
Corners is extremely rich with high-quality
coal and uranium deposits. Peabody Coal
Co., among other energy giants, is
extremely interested in the resources o~ the
area. It appears, however, that a rrunor
victory has been won.
In early May, 1986, Ross Swimmer
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and
Ivan Sidney, Hopi Tribal Chairperson, said
that they wouJd not forcibly remove Najajos
(Dineh) from what they and the U.S.
Government call "disputed land". The Hopi
Tribal Council is a creation of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs and the traditional people feel
that the Tribal Council is a sham and docs
not represent their interests. Swimmer
sought an opinion from the U.S. Solicitor
General who s.Ud that July, 1986 was
merely a target date and was not cited within
the actual law. Sidney commented, "We do
want those Navajo off our land."
This delay in the forced .remo~al ~s
just that - a delay. Perhaps the intention 1s
to allow the media and public attention on
the issue to subside. The Big Mountain
Legal Defense is still urging citiz.cns to ~te
letters to U.S. Senators and Represent.aUves
demanding the repeal of P.L. 93-531. If
you write a letter and receive a form
response, BMLD is asking that you wr!te
and write again to establish dialogue with
those in power. Send copies of your letters
as well as copies of responses to:
Big Mountain (JUA) Legal D/O Committee
2501 N. 4th St Suite 18
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Write them also for updates and local
contactinformation,orcall(602)7~
LOWER WEST SLOPE OF
GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN UP
FOR SALE
N11unl World News Sctvice
AIRPORT PLANNED FOR
JULIAN PRICE PARK
Nllunl Wor1d News Service
The Watauga County Commission is
trying to build a county airport in Julian
Price Park, part of the Blue Ridge Parkway
near Blowing Rock, NC. The National
Park Service is strongly opposed to an
airport on Park Service land, but much of
the lobbying for the airport is going on over
their heads at the Department of Interior in
Washington. The secret agenda ~or the
airport is a new highway connec~g the
high country ski and resort are~ directly
with the Charlotte metropolitan area.
National Parle land couJd not be obtained for
the construction of a highway, but ~ere is
apparently some precedent for putnng an
airport in a National Park. Once the airport
was OK'd, the highway could be put in to
provide access to it and the developers
would have their way.
The lower west side of Grandfather
Mountain in Avery County is up for sale
and threatened with development as a ski
resort Hugh Morton, one of Grandfather
Mountain's owners, is adamant about
protecting the upper elevations of the
mountain, which is designated as a North
Carolina Natural Heritage Area. A new
hiking trail is being construe~ t~ ~la?C
the classic Shanty Spring trail which 1s in
the area to be sold.
,
~
_
. ' J
...~~,fii;·}...... ~.
'~"'-~
. -
,/.,
'<..
:.
'
, ..\IV'
---~
- continued on next page
Summer 1 86
�.·
USFS 50-YEAR PLAN
IN THE MAKING
OUR "CHAMPION" IN COURT
Nalllnl World News Service
The dispute over the discharge
standards of the Champion Paper Company
plant in Canton, NC is heating up. In recent
months charges and countercllargcs have
been flying, there llas been a furious
shllffiing of papers, and two solemn collrt
decrees have been ordered. Yet the Pigeon
River is still smelly, mllfky, and rolling
with foam as it flows into Tennessee.
On March 31 Judge David Scntclle of
U.S. District Court in Asheville declared
that the Champion Paper Company would
have to apply for a federal wastewater
discllarge pennit from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) while litigation
continues in the controversy over the quality
of the Pigeon River waters.
The decision arose from an
unprecedented move by the EPA, which in
November of 1985 stepped in and
superseded the right of the North Carolina
Environmental Management Commission
(EMC) to issue Champion a wastewater
discllarge permit (as reported in KaW1h.
#10). Under the national Clean Water Act,
the issuance of discharge permits was
placed under the jurisdiction of the EPA, but
the agency has traditionally delegated that
power to state environmental regulatory
agencies and acted only in a supervisory
capacity.
In January of this year Champion
responded to the EPA's action by filing suit
in the District Court to void the agency's
authority in the Pigeon River dispute. The
company simultaneously filed a motion for a
tctnporary restraining order to release
Champion from obtaining a federal permit
while the primary lawsuit was in the courts.
It was this motion that was struck down,
compelling Champion to apply to the EPA
for a permit to operate until a ve.r dict on the
request for a permanent injunction is
reaclled.
The EPA move to strip the state EMC
of its power to dispense a permit to
Champion implied that the federal
government saw extraordinary neglect in
enforcement of basic environmental
standards by the state agency.
In a prepared statement read last
January, Champion manager Oliver
Blackwell disagreed with that assessment,
praising the state for a "professional job" of
determining operating standards for the
factory. This may have to do with the fact
that in recent years the EMC has issued
"variances" and "special consent orders"
which have allowed Champion to operate
below existing norms in the most
controversial areas of regulation, water
temperature and color, instead of
comprehensive and enforceable discllarge
directives.
Apparent neglect on the part of the
state environmental agency turned into
apparent collusion as state attorneys sat at
the same table with Champion lawyers in
the district courtroom to argue that the
corporate giant should be allowed to have its
way with the Pigeon River without federal
interference. "They shouldn't have taken
the power away from the state," said
assistant state attorney general Don Oakley.
Although Champion did reluctantly
comply with the judge's order to submit an
application to the EPA, the company's
pending suit will definitely delay a stringent
The US Forest Service (USFS) is
soliciting active citizen input on its revised
version of the 50-ycar management plan for
the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.
According to Bob Cunningham, US
Forest Service planner in the Asheville
office, Forest Service staff have reorganized
their data and are now compiling the
preliminary results for their new plan.
During the latter part of June and July,
Cunningham will meet with individuals or
representatives of any interest groups who
wish to discuss the data at the Forest
Service office in Asheville.
"We're going to be building the new
plan as we interact with the public on it,"
said Cunningham.
Maps and brochures interpreting the
environmental effects of each of the Forest
Service plans will be available to the public
at the USFS District Offices free upon
request
The Forest Service is inviting
comment on the new plan. Take them up on
it! Although they would like people to come
to their Asheville office, cards and letters
from those who cannot go to the city Yi.ill
make a difference. Let the Forest Service
serve us. Tell them how you feel about
their policies, either in person or in writing:
George Olson, Forest Supervisor
US Forest Service
Box 2750
Asheville, NC 28802
~
(704) 257-4200
P'
KA
AH - page 20
Natutal Wodd News SeMcc
permiL "It reveals the company's true
stripes," said Pigeon River Action Group
activist Jim Harrison. "They won't spend a
nickel on the environment unless they're
absolutely forced to. The money (and
paper) they arc squandering on legal
entanglement would be far better spent for
real action to restore the river."
In another collrtroOm in Nashville,
the Tennessee State Supreme Court on April
21 threw out a lawsuit brought in 1983 by
the government of that state against
Champion that wollld have required the
paper company to pay civil damages of
$10,000 per day since 1977 to compensate
for the degradation of the river in heu of a
total river cleanup. The suit, as argued by
Tennessee deputy attorney general Frank
Scanlon, was based on Tennessee
environmental protection laws, particularly
clauses regulating water color standards,
which are much stricter than the North
Carolina laws tlnder which the Champion
plant is operating.
But the collrt ruled that one state has
no jurisdiction or control over another
state's environmental laws, even if laxness
or environmental neglect causes damage tllat
extends over state lines.
After receiving the disappointing
ruling of the Tennessee high court, deputy
attorney general Scanlon vowed to carry the
case on to the U.S. Supreme Collrt. There
would seem to be some basis for this, for,
short of discarding the whole patchwork
system of state governments, there needs to
be some remedy found to accommodate the
blatant disregard by the natural clements of
the illegitimate state boundaries.
It would be unfortunate if this ruling
were allowed to remain as a precedent, for
the whole issue of atmospheric deposition
("acid rain") hinges on the ability of one
region to convince the hllman inhabitants of
a different region of their accountability for
destruction of a distant habitaL In this
ever-shrinking world, it is imperative that
we recognize the evidences of Ollf close
interdependence. Much is at stake.
WRITE!
There is sometlling we can do to help
the Pigeon. The conditions of Champion's
operating permit are being decided right
now by the EPA. Write to:
Jack Ravan, Regional Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
345 Courtland SL NE
Atlanta, GA 30365
Ask that the new permit determine the
maximum limits for color and water
temperature, and that minimum levels of
dissolved oxygen be maintained.
Please send a copy of your letter to:
Dick Mullinix
c/o Pigeon River Action Group
P.O. Box 105
WaynesviUc, NC 28786
Summer 1986
�COMMUNITY ALERT:
BUNCOMBECO.THREATENED
BY WASTE INCINERATOR
Natun.I World News Service
The
Buncombe
County
Commissioners are being pressured to
pursue a co-incinerator (for burning both
municipal sewage sludge and solid waste)
as a means to relieve the growing problems
of sewage sludge and over 600 tons per day
of solid waste going into the landfill on the
French Broad River.
In order to qualify for a $5 million
EPA grant to help with new sewage
treatment facilities, the Commissioners must
decide prior to June 31, 1986 whether to
pursue the technology of incineration.
URGENT NEED FOR PUBLIC
HEARINGS!
Please write the commissioners,
Curtis Ratcliff, Jesse Ledbetter, Wayne
Montgomery, Tom Sobol, and Doris
Giezentanner to request that a series of
public hearings be held on the question of
mcineration to examine the potential health
risks from:
•
Hazardous air emissions (dioxin,
dibenzo-furans, acid gasses, ethylene
dichloride, toxic metals, etc.)
•
The disposal of toxic ash residue
(heavy metals and other contaminants)
•
The inability to adequately screen out
hazardous wastes from entering the
incinerator
Buncombe County Commissioners
POB 7435
Asheville, NC 28807
252-5536
CLEARCUTTING
BATTLE
MOVES TO JACKSON COUNfY
from a repon by Pcny Eul)'
Proposed clcarcuts in the Nantahala
National Forest in Jackson County have led
residents to organize a county chapter of the
Western North Carolina Alliance to preserve
the natural diversity of the forest
Sites on Greens Creek are scheduled
to be clearcut this fall if citizen action cannot
change the Forest Service's plans. Other
clearcuts adding up to an estimated 300
acres of land are planned during the coming
decade in the Sheeps Knob, Dicks Creek,
Terrapin Mountain, Buckeye Gap, Fall
Cliff, and Pinhook areas.
Petitions bearing the names of over
300 Jackson County residents demanding
that the Forest Service change its cutting
methods have been sent to the USFS
Regional Office in Atlanta. The next move
in the campaign to save the Jackson County
forest areas depends on the response of the
Forest Service to the petitions.
Clarence Hall, head of the Jackson
County group, said, "I walked the area they
plan to cut on Greens Creek with Marcus
Moore and some of the Forest Service
people. They acted real nice and were much
easier to talk with than they have been in the
past. They made some changes for us smaller areas to be clearcut, leaving some
spots of timber, things like that
"They seemed like they were very
willing to compromise, but I think that the
Gramm-Rudman Act has hit them hard, and
they're not going to compromise any further
than what they've been cut back to already."
WNC Alliance
SOURCE SEPARATION, RECYCLING,
AND COMPOSTING ARE PROVEN
- ~ALTERNATIVF.S!
, ..p repared by Long Branch Environmen~
Education Center (704) 683-3662
/:"'
HERE WE GLOW AGAIN!
Natural World News Service
Five western North Carolina counties
are being seriously considered in the search
for a suitable site to receive the low-level
radioactive waste (LLW's) from eight
southeastern states. The eight states
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,
Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, and
Nonh Carolina) have joined a Southeastern
Compact to deal jointly with the waste
problem, but many North Carolina citizens
are demanding that North Carolina
withdraw from the compact if the burden of
waste disposal is to be shouldered by that
state alone. The compact will choose one of
its member states as the host for the
low-level waste dump site by July 14, 1986
and locations in Burke, Cleveland,
McDowell, Polk, and Rutherford counties
are being closely examined for a potential
low-level nuclear waste dump site.
The term "low-level" is actually a
mis-nomer as the category is defined as all
radioactive wastes that are not specifically
classified as "high-level".
This
encompasses a wide range of materials,
many of which arc as deadly as high-level
KATUAH- page 21
P.O. Box 117
Murphy, NC 28906
Call Clarence Hall at (704) 586-2056 for
/
more infonnation.
wastes. LLW s can in fact be potentially
more dangerous in many cases because
there are no stringent safety standards for
the handling of low-level radioactive
materials.
The most massive and most
dangerous of the low-level wastes produced
in North Carolina come mainly from the
nuclear power plants which account for
approximately 87% of the volume and 97%
of the radioactivity. Citizen groups are
suggesting that power plants manage their
own waste in safe, on-site, storage facilities
at their own expense.
The remaining wastes - mostly
medical, industrial and research wastes - a
lot of which are short-lived - could be
managed by the state in a small storage
facility. It is important, the groups advise,
that there be fi2 landfills and that various
low-level wastes be separated according to
radioactive life-span and managed in
above-ground, monitored, retrievable
storage facilities.
For more info, contact
- continued from p. 11
TROUT FARMING
dependent on the size of the operation and
the intensity of culture employed. Most
trout farmers now use dry commercial feeds
because of the high protein requirement of
trout, but live foods are often less
expensive, can sometimes be produced on
the site, and have the advantage of
producing trout flesh that is pink in color
and tastier than that of commercially-fed
fish, which is white in color.
McLamey discusses several
possibilities, including feeding trout meat
wastes or slaughterhouse offal, starting a
worm-raising operation to complement the
home fish farm, using "bug lights" to
capture insects, and even the trick of putting
a rotting log upstream to be a free, natural
culture medium for live trout food. Feeding
times, feeding amount, and many other
specifics are also covered.
Methods of harvesting and handling
fish are outlined in detail in the book. Trout
can be harvested by seining, various kinds
of trapping nets, or by draining the pond to
capture all the fish. An "umbrella net"
dangled under the feeding place is an easy
alternative for a partial harvest, but the
fishing rod will never be totally replaced for
the home pond.
McLarncy gives
suggestions and complete instructions for
the use of various nets and traps. Pests,
predators, diseases, and contamination by
silt and pollution are also discussed.
Appendices to the book give
additional infonnation on cooking the fish, a
summary of their characteristics, and
resource information on standard reference
works and sources for supplies and further
advice.
"Experience is the best teacher", but
The Freshwater Agyacutwre Book is an
excellent place to start a fish-raising
operation.
Bill McLarney is offering an
aquaculture consulting service for fish
farmers in KatUah. Inquire by letter to:
1176 Bryson City Rd.
Franklin, NC 28734
~
j:Y
h erbs, nct t ive plcsnl!;, f1erennidl:.,
flow~rs,
fruit lrees, bulbs,
bedding planl:..
80 lakeside Drive
8/I01hs of a mile from turdee'li
in Franklin, N.C.
for infurmdlion c:all 524·3321
Millie Buch;man, Clca.n Water Fund ~
(704) 253-4423
/:"'
Summer 1986
�RUMMING
..
LETTERS TO KATUAH
In Dwellers jn the L,and. Kirkpatrick Sale states: "What
makes the bioregional vision different -- in any foreseeable
future, anyway -- is that it asks nothing of the Federal
government and needs no national legislation, no
governmental regulation, no Presidential dispensation" (p.
169).
But it seems to me that the bioregional movement
cannot simply wait for the exhaustion of the world's supplies
of fossil fuels to make long-distance transportation
uneconomical and thus force the world to adopt bioregional
economies. The carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
by the combustion of fossil and biomass fuels will so
drastically change the climate of all pans of the earth as to
fundamentally alter the biotic potential of every bioregion. In
order to prevent that, it would be necessary for all industrial
nations to begin ~ to phase out the petroleum, coal,
automobile, railroad, and merchant marine industries. That
would require political action, since those industries will not
voluntary go out of business. How else could a liveable
bioregional world be brought into being?
Ed Price
Sylva, NC
Dear Friends,
I have r;ad and enjoyed the K.aWah. I am broadcasting
on WUM radio on Sundays at 1:45 P.M. I sing sacred
songs, read poems, Bible, and etc. I am sending some home
remedies from an old New York doctor book published
1919.
Kate Rogers
Franklin, NC
LEMONS
Heartburn - Slowly suck the juice from one to two lemons,
which is generally sufficient to give relief.
Colds - Add the juice of two lemons to the same quantity of
strained honey, and mix thoroughly. Take a teaspoonful of
this mixture every ten or fifteen minutes.
Rheumatism - Take the juice of several lemons every day and
in a short time all signs of rheumatism will disappear.
Corns - Bind a piece of lemon over the com every night for
four or five nights.
Asthma - Persons suffering from asthma should drink the
juice of two or three lemons every day.
Headache - The juice from half a lemon added to a cup of hot
water sweetened with honey will generally relieve the most
severe headache.
(For more on Kare Rogers, see Kmfil.lb.1110 - Eds.)
KA
1 offer you a quote that has been a source of great
power for me:
Remember thaJ you live always wuler the protection of
some mysterious force. T.hi.s...ffU« i~ ~.Therefore, true
self-defense does not stop with defending oneself against
others, but strives to make oneself worthy of defense by
nature herself ... When your mind and your acts become OIU!
with narure, then narure will protect you.
Fear no enemy; fear only to be separated from the
mind of nature. If you are on the right path, nature will
protect you and you need not fear anything. Trust nanlre and
do not worry. Leave both your mind and body to narure.
Do not recognize friend or foe in your mind. In your
heart, let tlwre be generosiry as large as the sea, which
accepts both clean and unclean water. Let your mind be as
merciful as namre, which loves the smallest tree or blade of
grass. Let your mind be strong with sincerity thaJ can pierce
iron or srone. Repay the favors of nature, work/or the good
of all, and make yourself a person whom nature is pleased to
let live.
Koichi Tohei
(in Ajkjdo, The Art of Self-Defense I
The spirit and practice of the martial art of Aikido can
give us some idea of principles that can successfully be used
in political resistance. My knowledge and understandfog of
Aikido are limited, so I speak as no expert, but to my
understanding Aik.ido works with the "flow" of energy and
does not confront force with force. Instead, it allows the
opposing force its expression and then moves to turn the
opposing force to its own disadvantage. The Aikido
practitioner will allow an attacker to lunge and with a simple
movement will use the attackers own energy to send him
reeling. Aikido works with centering and directing the
body's energy or ,Ki. That's an oversimplistic explanation,
but it might give you an idea.
Translating the principles into action is what presents
the challenge. Obviously we can't match force with the
nuclear power industry, the chemical industry, or the
technological forces which are killing our Mother Earth. The
Indians tried to stop it with force years ago, and look what
happened So how do we keep it from happening and stay
sane at the same time?
First, maybe we have to give up the notion that ~
have to keep it from happening. If this crazy absurdity of the
modem world were not a part of the Great Spirit's plan, it
would not be happening. And maybe it's going to have to
get even crazier before the majority of humans arc going to
pay attention. Once during a discourse with a "psychic
being", l expressed a great deal of concern about the rampant
commercial development that was placing all our best food
growing land under concrete and asphalt I was advised that
the disease must run its course and not to base my life on
fighting the disease, for if I did, when the disease vanished
so would my life.
So do we just give it up as hopeless? Absolutely not.
F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, "The test of a first rate
intelligence is to hold cwo opposed ideas in your mind at the
same time and still retain your capacity to function. You
should, for example, be able to sec that things are hopeless
and yet be determined to make them otherwise."
It sounds a lot easier than it really is. Once we begin
the work in earnest in our own hearts, then the Great Spirit
may guide us to other action. If we try to tackle the "evil"
without purifying our own hearts, then we simply give it
more energy and make it stronger.
We are not alone. Many people all over this planet are
facing similar situations. We live in a world that is extremely
unbalanced and full of great suffering. For this reason we
must develop and hold a clear vision of the world as we wish
it to be - happy, healthy, and filled with life. Affirm that
vision every day. Don't let negatives get in the way. Our
vision is our prayer. Keep the vision foremost and clear.
And we must not wish ill on our perceived "enemies" -- this
is not Good Medicine. Pray for happiness, health and peace
for all beings on the Earth Mother.
Dan Vega
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Summer 1986
�Dear Folks,
l am writing you concerning your promotional material
for your Spring Gathering. I think .K..iUia.h is a great
publication and I think your having a gathering is a good
idea. Snow Bear came to our Fall Gathering last year and
was on the teaching staff with Grandfather Wallace Black
Elk, Grandmother Grace Spotted Eagle, Buck Ghost Horse,
Ron Evans, and others. We really like Snow Bear and
promote his camp through our newsletter.
The way you have stated "SACRED SWEAT
LODGE" on your promotional material can be easily
interpreted to mean that you are selling the sweat lodge. I
hope you are clear about what you are doing. I don't believe
that Snow Bear would in fact charge money for a sweat.
SeUing ceremonies of this type is as offensjve as having
Christian sacraments offered on a sale basis. Advertising
sweats as a prominent clement of a for-sale program is also
offensive to many people.
I wish you no harm. Several of your staff know me
personally. I would appreciate some cla. ification on these
r
matters. We all make errors and it seems that errors of
advertising and pubHcation are very easy to make and once
made propagate rapidly.
Sincerely,
Art Horn
Marietta, GA
An,
As the person who drew up the flyer for the ~
Spring Ga1hering, I am the person to respond to your letter.
Thonks very much/or raising the issue. We appreciate your
lerrer and the spirit in which it was offered.
We did nor consider the Gathering as something that
was for sale when we put together the flyer. The money
mentioned represented our guess as to the minimum amount
we would require from each participant ro cover our basic
expenses for renting the camp and providing our food. All
work on the Gathering was volunteer, as is all work on the
Kiufimljournal. Nobody took any money home, unlike a lot
of spiritual seminars put on by some white people (and a few
native people, too, who have been mentioned/or Hselling"
sacred gatherings and sacred objects). If we had been fasting
in a wilderness area, the Ka1Uilh Gathering would have been
free.
I did not show the flyer to Snow Bear before sending
it out. If I had, he said he would have advised me 10 take the
sweat lodge off the page. He had some good words about
that. He said that regardless of our circumstances, it is an
historical fact that white people have consistently taken the
tra&tions ofthe native people and abused them. We cenainly
do not want to do that. On rlie contrary, I mentioned the
proposed sweat lodge so people would know that we were
seeking the highest possible spiritual level for our meeting,
not to produce the opposite effect. So with that in mind, we
thank you for poillling our attention to this mistake, and I
rrust we won't re,,ea1 it.
David Wheeler
~Friends,
It seems desirable to consider some positive
alternatives to the wasteful and dangerous burial of high level
nuclear waste in "solid" rock. So, here is an alternative
pattern that seems worth consideration:
( 1) Instead of transporting dangerous nuclear waste to
an individual repository, why not keep the waste at the site
where it is produced, thus avoiding the danger of
transporting these dangerous materials. If persons in a given
location produce such waste, and probably benefit financially
from the operation, it seems only fair that those same people
should deal with the waste; not persons in some distant
location.
(2) High level nuclear waste contains a great deal of
energy. Instead of heating rock with that energy, it is
suggested that the energy be converted directly to some
useful form. (e.g., it is estimated that the 70,000 tons of
waste proposed for burial in a permanent repository would
yield, in a 256 year period, over 60 billion dollars worth of
energy at $.035 per kwh.)
(3) The present method of using thermal fission
processes, with the demonstrated danger of catastrophic
meltdown, is a relatively inefficient means of obtaining
electrical energy. It is possible to ~izc direct coo version to
electrical energy by slowing the beta and alpha particles in an
electric field. The direct conversion could be used with
suitably processed waste as weU as with nuclear fuel now
being used in wasteful and dangerous thermal fission
reactors. (Note: Some of the nuclear physicists who
demonstrated the conversion of matter to energy in the early
experiments with Fermi wanted to develop safer, more
efficient conversion schemes for commercial use. The
politics of that situation led to the present dangerous and
wasteful methods, rather than the safer and more efficient
processes proposed by those early pioneers in nuclear
physics. It may be time to pay attention to the suggestions of
those expert and creative persons.)
(4) Placing large amounts of collected waste in a
localized region is contrary to the teaching of the old ones.
The forests, meadows, waters, winds, and earth processes
tend to scatter and diffuse matter. Large concentrations may
be an expression of humankind that is destructive and
hannful when out-of-tune with nature.
(5) Instead of spending over 9 billion dollars to place
dangerous waste in the ground, why not spend that money
on research and development that would use the waste for
useful purposes and help to preserve the natural ways given
to us?
(6) Those of us in Katuah (Katuahins?) can come
together to encourage alternative, more constructive patterns.
The epic of nuclear processes on earth demonstrates
again the power of the mind to rcaHze signillcant new
patterns. That power of the mind can be used to help form
these new patterns into beautiful and useful configurations.
Fear, greed, and ignorance can be replaced by peace,
fairness, and understanding.
Harmony is a possible alternative.
Ho,
Peregrine Falcon
KATIJAH - page 23
John Artley
Hot Springs, NC
- continued on p. 24
�- continued from p. 23
Dear Folks at~
Dear~.
I wrote to the President of the United States and
enclosed the pullout section on the nuclear dump plan from
the spring K.ci.ah.
Yesterday, I recieved a two page typed letter written
"on behalf of President Reagan" in response to my letter
"regarding the Nation's second repository program." The
letter and a folder of materials came from the Department of
Energy.
According to the letter, "the DOE evaluated, with State
assi.stance, existing publicly available geologic and
envuonmental data ... to identify preliminary candidate
areas.''
In my opinion, North Carolinians should be asking,
"Where was Gevemor Martin during the time that South
Carolina's Governor was in Washington, D.C. fighting to
protect that state from being dumped on more than they
already have beenr' Arc the people aware that Governor
Martin is from South Carolina?
Also, the people should be made aware that
Congressman Bill Hendon accepted campaign funds from 18
out-of-state nuclear power companies of $250.00 each plus
donations from in-state companies. Isn't it reasonable to
assume that he would feel obligated to them rather than the
people of this state? Isn't it possible that he may not be
well-informed on the potential threat to the lives of the people
in thC: vicinity of a hazardous nuclear waste dump as we arc?
Consider the fact that he recently made a "mistake" in voting
[Qr the MRS budget and that he has not been successful in
getting one bill through Congress in over three years.
If we are to be successful in protecting ourselves and
future generations from a nuclear holocaust, we must get
involved in the political process and elect public officials who
w~ be responsive to our urgent requests to protect our
envuonment
DOE anticipates "recommending to the President three
sites for characterization for a second repository in the early
1990's." Let's be sure that the people of wesrcrn North
Carolina have someone in Washington, D.C. to care for YJnotjust big industry.
Sincerely,
Esther c. Cunningham
Franklin, NC
- continued from p. 11
'I
.
. . I am mtei:ested in_ proi:notin~ home music-making -smgmg & playing music with friends and writing songs.
Those of us who were not born where we have put down
roo~ become part of local culture, and can bring our insights
& light co a place ... music is my way of doing it. I love
spontaneous music-making & sharing. rt turns us away
from mass culture (TV & MTV, etc.) and gives us a beauty
and richness we can share.
Als~>, in a mystic~! sense, our singing and playing
adds music of a human kind 10 a place long after the music
has stopped. M~st of my son~s sing about nature anyway.
Human bemgs neeg to sing. Nature loves the singing.
Thank you for .Katlulh's song.
Love,
Cindy Crossen
Pittsboro, NC
Dear friends at Kill!.ah.
We appreciate your kind words for our publication and
the Backroads column. We have seen young people,
families, older people, and combinations of all of the above
taking those tours. They occasionally stop by to say hello
and all of them have been very nice people who appreciate
the very things we would like to preserve about the Blue
Ridge. We know that, like everywhere else, growth is
inevitablC:, _but we hope to ~ abl~ to guide that growth along
more posittve, non-destrucuve hnes. We feel one way is to
create an awareness of what is here and has been here. In the
past two years, The Mountain I.aurel has attracted national
attention, so we must be on the right track. We have no
degrees in journalism, but follow only our instincts. We try
to present mountain people and their ways and mountain
places in their true light and give people a "taste" of what
mountain life is really like.
Susan Thigpen, Editor
The Mountain I.aurel:
Monthly Journal of Mountain Life
Route I
MeadowsofDan, VA 24120
,,#
,P'
AQUACULTURE
basic background information for each stage of the
fish-raising process, and 3) offers a variety of techniques to
handle the different fish species in different fish farm
situations. The result is that fish farmers are able to design
their own individual aquaculture operations that arc tailored
to the particular conditions of their environment and the scale
at which they want to work.
The freshwater Aguaculture Book is a multi-leveled
statement In its form and in its content it speaks to the
question of what arc the true and enduring values that will
make fish culture or any other enterprise a truly satisfying
and life-enhancing occupation. Many people will benefit
from the practical infonnation and advice McLamey offers on
fish-raising. It can only be hoped that some will respond as
well to the deeper discourse that seeks to define what is truly
appropriate and lasting. Ultimately, these values can only be
realized through experimentation and practice as part of a
continuing process of maintaining our "place", the point
where we arc in balance with the natural world, but il is most
helpful to have a guidebook to help point the way.
If we are to speak of an aquaculture for small groups
and individuals, it will ultimately be up to us, as small
groups and individuals, to create it. Fortuna1ely, despite the
gaps in our knowledge, there is much that we can do right
now. Some of what we can do is contained in this book.
The implementaJion of this information and the testing of
these ideas will be an important step toward a more diverse
and imponant future for aquaculture in North America.
reviewed by David Wheeler,
KA
AH-page 4
1
,, .
~•
l:11mmer 1986
�A CHILDREN'S PAGE
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AH - page 25
a11J
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- continued from p. 3
SA YING "NO!"
of Energy. With the knowledge that the
citizenry of this state is solidly behind them,
activists can organize without fear of local
h~tility from state officials. More people
will be likely to participate in civil
disobedience, for example, if it comes down
to ~at It's nice to know you're in friendly
temtory.
Rererendums on Other Issues?
When the Nonh Carolina legislature
decided to place the high-level nuclear waste
issue on the ballot, it broke a longstanding
rule against holding referendums. Indeed, it
was the first referendum in the history of the
state on anything but a Constitutional
Amendment or a bond issue, both of which
are required by state law.
Many other groups, representing a
multitude of causes, have been clamoring
for state-wide referendums on their issues,
only to be rejected by the state legislature on
the grounds that North Carolina traditionally
has a "representative form of government".
This means that the people elect officials
who in turn are supposed to make all the
important decisions for them. This is an
archaic interpretation of democratic
government which amounts to tight fisted,
autocratic control and discourages a
participatory role by the citizenry. This
philosophy of government has ruled North
Carolina and the entire Southeast since the
Revolutionary War, and kept this state in the
political dark ages. Many states, by
contrast, have instated an "Initiative
Process" whereby any group or individual
can circulate a petition for a referendum and.
once the required number of signatures has
been achieved, it is placed on the st.ate-wide
ballot In some states, such as Oregon and
Maine, initiatives become binding laws if
voted on and passed by a majority of the
people.
Now that the North Carolina State
Legislature has broken with tradition by
placing one referendum on the ballot, it will
be hard to rationalize the denial of others.
The pressure from lobbying groups will be
enormous. Perhaps the stranglehold of
authoritarian rule is finally beginning to lose
its grip and a new political age is dawning.
National Significance
On a national level, the results of this
referendum have great meaning.
. As much as the ~t of Energy
denies that politics enters its
decision-making process, politics will be the
~iding factor in where, if anywhere, a
high-level nuclear waste repository will go.
There is no safe method to bury
nuclear waste and there is no safe place for
nuclear waste. No geological location is
suitable. Everywhere is on top of some
water table. The DOE is merely in the
process of finding out where they can put
the repository so that it will be economically
suitable for the nuclear industry and where
people will let them put it without major
political upheaval.
They have now
discovered, to their disappointment, that
Nonh Carolina is not that place.
In addition to putting the DOE on
notice, the waste referendum has sent out a
signal. to the rest of the country which is of
great importance. North Carolina and the
southeast is not known for its leadership in
en.~ental issues. Quite to the contrary,
this region has been the most politically
conservative and industry-oriented. The
fact that this state has taken such an
overwhelming stand in opposition to nuclear
waste bas particular significance. The
referendum has given North Carolina
leadership potential on a national basis in
regard to the nuclear waste issue. The less
conservative st.ates, threatened with the
dump, will in all probability, hold similar
referendums of their own in the near future.
(Wisconsin held a referendum prior to
No~ .Carolina and rejc:cted the dump with a
maJOnty of 89%.) This turn of events will
create a block of st.ates from different
regions of the ceuntry in alliance with each
other. and ~pposcd to the misguided process
that 1s being used to deal with nuclear
waste. Io essence these states will
spearhead a national movement which could
lead to the demise of the Nuclear Waste
Policy Act of 1982.
•.»o0 • A variety 1J{
~f,..i""'"" wholesome baked goods
OC4 Chesterfte!d tttU
next IO French Broad Trading Co.op
Potential is the Key Word
The referendum in North Carolina has
come and gone. Those of us who worked
bard to make it a reality have tasted a small
measure of success. But the real fruits of
our labor are yet to come, and it will involve
a committment to years of hard work to
bring this saga to a happy conclusion.
The referendum has generated a great
potential to bring about all the benefits
outlined here, but the potential will not be
realized unless people make a concerted
effort to take advantage of the momentum
we presently have, to direct that momentum,
and to create the future scenario we desire.
Let's use this referendum for what
it's worth.
If you live in a state other than North
Carolina and wish to help instigate a
referendum in your state, CCNW might be a
good source of infonnation for you. Write:
NATIJRAL FOOD STORE
&DELI
CCNW
P.O. Box 653
Dillsboro, NC 28725
Avram FriMman and the CCNW group first
initiated the idea of a NC nuclear waste
referendwn this past winter (see ~
#ll).
,
Open 7 Days A Week
160 Broadway
Asheville, NC 28801
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.rn. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sunday
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.rn.
(704) 253-7656
Where Broadway
Meets Merrimoo
And 1-240
ACUPUNCTURE ASSOCIATES
of
ASHEVILLE
Mary C. Majebc
258-9016
KurtKochek
258-0837
Naoki Kubota
254-9236
Acupuncture, Nutritional Counselling, Chinese Herbology, Shiatsu
Summer 1986
�N'flBe. tJ.
- --ea-t L alces r- g-on-. C a- ca - Sh-asta, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.:..,__
Gr
- - - e i
- s -dia,
_
'The larger functi.oning of bjoregions
leads to a consideration that the Earth be
view~d pr~marily as an inlt!r-related system
of b1oreg1ons and only secondarily as a
community of nations.
'The more massive bureaucratic
nations of the world have lost their inner
vitality because they can no longer respond
to the particular functioning of the various
bioregions within their borders. A second
difficulty within the massive nations is the
exploitation of some bioregions for the
advantage of others. A third difficulty is the
threate~ devastalWn of the entire planel by
the conflict ofmassive bureaucratic nations
with their weaponry capable of continental
and even planetary devastation . To break
these nations down into their appropriate
bioregiona/ communities could be a possible
way to peace.
'This bioregional mode of thinking
and acting is presently one of the most
vigorous movements taking place anywhere
on the North American continent. Its
comprehensive concern is leading toward a
rt!()rdering ofall our existing establishmenrs:
the political-legal, the commercial-industrial
communications, educational and religio~
establishmenrs.
N
Upper Sonoran, Ohio River basin Hudson
River Estuary, and Katuah as ' well as
others. The regions themselves were
reercsented - the land, the plants, the
animals, as well as the humans. The focus
of the Congress was on the whole
ecological community of North America Turtle Island.
At the final plenary session ofNABC
I it was unanimously agreed that a second
North American Bioregional Congress
should convene in 1986.
Now plans are underway for NABC
1I! It will be hosted by the Great Lakes
Bioregional Congress (GLBC) from August
25-29, 1986. There will be a conference
style format at the beginning of the week
followed by the convening of the formal
Congress later in the week. Some major
areas of ecologically-based work which will
be represented at NABC D are:
~xhibit ~air.
The format of the Congress
itself will .be at the discretion of the
representallves.
The NABC I was
structured to include NABC Standing
Committees (Agriculture/Permaculture
Econ?mics, Forests, Culture & Arts, etc.}
~ectln~ on a regular basis plus small
d!scus~1on .groups meeting to discuss
b1orcg1onal 1ssues and practical strategies
as well as plenary sessions.
'
Throughout the week there will be
amp!~ . time for informal networking,
socializing, and celebrating.
I_'. contingency from Kat6ah will be
a~tendi.ng NABC II and is developing a
b1orc;g1onal .presentation and exhibit for
sharing with the other bioregions.
~ponsors of NABC II from Appalachia
include: Katiiab: Bjorc~onal Journal of the
Southern Appalachjans. Indian Valley
Ce~~r for Holistic Living and Learning
(Wilhs, VA), Lon~ Branch Environmental
Educatio~ Cen~ (S~dy Mush, NC), and
A~p~ach1a-Sc1ence 10 the Public Interest
~LIVlng~ton, KY).
For additional
mfonnaoon, contact
Mamie Muller
~
(704) 252-9167
P"'
All Species Rights
Appropriate Technology, An:hirecture, and Design
Bioregionalisrn...Cooperatives/Communities
Cul1we/Ans •• .Ecological Politics/Green
Ec~Feminism'Posl patriarchlal values
Politics
Educalioo...Environmental DefensdConservatioo
Forestry/Agrofaesuy
Holistic Health Care/Healing
Land Stewardship...Native People's Rights
Organic Agricu ltute/Pennaculture
- Thomas Berry in
Bjoregjons.· The Context for Rejnhabjtjng
the Eqrth. 1984
Peace/Equality/Justice...Regional Planning
In May of 1984, over 200 participants
from all over the continent attended the first
North American Bi~egional Congress ...
representatives from bloregional, ecological
an~ sustain~bility-oriented groups, and
nauve and tnbal organizations. Bioregional
areas represented included the Prairie
Ozarks, Cumberland-Green watershed'
'
Renewable Resource Development
Responsible lnves1rnent
Spiriruallty/Sacredne.WCeremony
Sustainable F.conomics/BU$iness
Water Quality
....• as weU as others.
The Conference time will include
papers,. panels and special
b1oregional presentauons,and a bioregional
"".orks~ops,
~a~e,
~~
T-SHI RTS
Each ori2inal desi 2n
hand screened in 5 colors
on the finest 100%
pre-shrunk cotton
Short SIMVe
Long SIHVe
short and lon2 sleeve t-shirts.
110
ppd. rSEJIP CJrFOC
s14 pd l
P
CNA1t9E'
• Na
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Black Bear D Silver 0 Tan 0 While
Red-failed Hawk D Ecru
long
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ISO -------Exp. date
w.,....ui.,11en7M olltu dalgns_o - .-lob-1.e__
#Nlfar o lxocJuuc
ULTRAVIOLET PURIFICATION ANO FILTERING SYSTE"IS
SOLAR PRODUCTS WATER ANAlYSIS
RANDALL C. LAN IER
704 29359 12
H W Y 107
RT. 68 BOX 125
CUL LOW HEE, N C 28 723
KAT AH - page 27
Joe Roberts
258-1038
734 Town Mountain Rd ,
01vrd Reed
253 2846
Ashtville. NC 28805
. nmml'r IQRI'\
�20-22
e
v
€
n
t'
5
13-18
Slippery Rock, PA
A People's Conference on the
Fate of Our Forests. Slippery
Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA;
sponsored by The Earth Regeneration and
Reforestation Association (fERRA); More
info: TERRA c/o Elfin Permacu!ture; P.O.
Box 202; Orange, MA 01364; (617)
544-7810.
28
20-25
28-July 5 Burnsville, NC
Southern Appalachian Wilderness
Encounter led by Doug Elliott; hiking
camping, foraging in the mountains - for
info, write or call: Doug Elliott; Rt 4, Box
137; Burnsville, NC
28714 (704)
682-9263.
Nantahala River
Nantaha!a River Festiya! - River
cleanup, environmental awareness
programs, biking, Bartram Trail walks,
swimming. Free camping; meals available.
Reply to: Brett Poirier; US 19W, Box 41;
Bryson City, NC 28713.
21
Summer Solstice-Full Moon
Celo Community, NC
Full Moon Party - Drumming,
dancing; bring instruments, snacks, high
spirits; "Mountain Gardens," 3020
Whiteoak Creek Rd. (704) 675-5664.
Pre-register: Southern Dharma Retreat
Center; Rt. 1, Box 34H; Hot Springs, NC
28743.
28
Great Smokies Park
Greeory Bald Azalea Hike
Smoky Mountain Field School, see 6121-22
28
Banner Elk, NC
R2an Mountain Hike North
Carolina Nature Conservancy; P.O. Box
805; Chapel Hill, NC 27514.
21
21
Swannanoa, NC
O_penine Concert of Swannanoa
Oamber Festival at Warxcn Wi1son Co!!cze
William Nelson and Werner John. 8:00
P.M., Kittredge Theater, WWC.
Hot Sprlngs, NC
Goddesses Arnone Us: An
Empowr;rment Retreat for Meo and Women
Black Mountain, NC
Timmy Abell Irish & Traditional.
McDibbs, see 6121.
28-29
Great Smokies Park
Mt. LeConte Lodee Hjke &
Oyernieht Research Qn Wild Mammals Qf
the Sm2kies: A Hands-On Course Qn
Animal Life jn SmQky Mountain Streams
Smoley Mountain Field School, see 6121-22
Il1LY
~
July
Genius Qf fubn Juliys WilnQty Cherokee Heritage Center.
21
Black Mountain, NC
John Pabey Conte.mporary of
Leo Kottke. McDibbs; 119 Cherry St;
B!aclc Mountain, NC 28711.
21-22
13-15
Farner, TN
Herbal Retreat at PeJ>perland
Fann Camp; herb walks, foraging for wild
foods, identifying medicinal plants, etc.
$65.00 meals & lodging/adults; children
6-16, $15; under 6, free. (704) 494-2353.
Leicester, NC
"Positively StQppine tbe Dump"
Celebration - Fuodraiser. Music, food,
volleyball and information. Sandy Mush
Community Center 12:00 Noon - 8:00 PM.
14
Great Smokies Park
Identification of Fems Smoky
Mountain Field School.
Non-credit
programs. 2016 Lake Ave.; University of
Tennessee; Knoxville, 1N 37996.
22-28
Brasstown, NC
June Dance Week English,
American & Scottish country dance and
song. Tuition $130 plus lodging and meals.
John C. Campbell Folk School, see 6/15.
14-22
Sam's Knob
Mountain Reeional Rainbow
Summer Solstice Celebration Contact:
David Recd, (704) 253-2846 (before 9:30
P.M.).
Brasstown, NC
June Festival Choice of classes
in mountain singing, recorder, and
dulcimer; or crafts. Tuition $130 plus meals
and lodging. John C. Campbell Fol.le
School; Rt. l; Brasstown, NC 28902.
(704) 837-2775.
5
Alum Ridge, VA
Psycho Chiroloey Seminar on
psychological hand interpretation with
Muzawir. $25 or barter, free camping.
Pre-register: Penny Royal Educational
Center; Rt. H C 67, Box 171 ; Alum Ridge,
VA 24051 (703)763-3728.
6-7
Turtle Island
"Circle Qf Lieht" - Prayers for
protection of the Hopis and Dineb
threatened with forced removal from their
sacred land by the U.S. Government. From
midnight July 6 throughout the removal
deadline date of July 7.
15-21
23-27
Horsepasture River
Pretty Pictures & Politics: visual
Environmentalism
Appalachian
Environmental Arts Center; P.O. Drawer
580; Highlands, NC 28741.
6-7
Celo Community, NC
"Mountain Gardens" tour and
perennial plant sale; 3020 Whiteoak Creek
Rd., (704) 675-5664.
18-21
Bakersville, NC
RhQdQdendrnn Festival
TRAC; Spruce Pine, NC 28777.
Raleigh, NC
l.ow-Jeyel Radiation Waste Rally
to urge the NC General Assembly to get out
of SE Compact (see ~ p.21) Maio
speaker: Brost Schori, biosafety radiation
officer at Dartmouth Medical Center. At
State Capitol, starts 9:00 am. more info:
(919) 832-7491.
17
25-26
Raleigh, NC
NC Al!ematiye Faonine Fjeld
Jlu. Promising new approaches for a
sustainable agriculture. More info: Dr. R.
H. Miller; Dept of Soil Science; P.O. Box
7619, NC State University; Raleigh, NC
27695-7619.
26-29
Swannanoa, NC
SwQCds intQ Plowshares
Peace Studies programs in higher
education. Warren Wilson College.
Swannanoa, NC 298-3325 (x231).
10-Aug 3 Blue Ridge Parkway
MQuntain Sweet Talk Two-act
play by The Folkte!Jers. Folk Art Center
Theater. More info: Mountain Sweet Talk;
c/o The Fol.lctellers; P.O. Box 2898;
Asheville, NC 28802 (704) 258-1113.
�11- 19
Alum Ridge, VA
Psychic Allunement Seminar with
Tom Williams and Muzawir. Explore the
self-healing abilities we all possess. S200
or barter; bring food, pre-register. sec 115.
'?
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9-10
Willis, VA
The Herbal Medjcjne Chest with
Susun S. Weed. Contact: Indian Valley
Holistic Center. Rt. 2, Box 58; Willis, VA
24380.
11-17
Willis, VA
Women's Wellness Week
Bodywork, herbal medicine and medical
self-help, see 8/9.
12
West Jefferson, NC
Bluff Mountain Hike North
Carolina Nature Conservancy, see 6128.
14-25
Elkins, WV
Augusta Heritage Arts fair food, crafts, and !otsa music! (3
workshops by Doug Elliott as well: herbs,
woodslore, basketmaking) call : (304)
636-1903 for info.
As heville, NC
39th Annya! Soythem Hiehlands
Handicraft Guild Fair. Asheville Civic
Center, (704) 298-7928.
16
Alum Ridge, VA
Environmental
Harmony
Workshop with Edward J. Kesgen of
Sunshine Weavers. Cost $35 per person,
$55 per couple; bring food. Pre-register by
8/8. see 11
5.
19
13-20
Asheville, NC
French Broad River Weck,
Featuring:
Sept. 13 RIVERFEST - AU-day event on
the Asheville waterfront celebrating the
French Broad River - raft rides, games,
crafts, displays. Music by Mike Cross and
local musicians.
Celo Community, NC
full Moon Paay - sec 612 ! .
17-20
19
Celo Community, NC
full Moon Paey - see 612 l.
Great Lakes Bioregion
North American Bjoregional
Coneress 11 NABC 11 Office; Bioregional
Project; New Life Farm, Inc. Box 3;
Brixey, MO 65618. Regionally: (704)
252-9167.
25-31
Banner Elk, NC
Bie Yellow Mountain Hike NC
Nature Conservancy, sec 6128.
Also raft and canoe trips, hikes, displays,
contests, river clean-up throughout French
Broad River Weck. Dates not set at
publication time. Call or write:
Bill Eaker
Land of Sky Regional Council
19
25 Heritage Drive
Asheville, NC 28806
(704) 254-8131
for dates and details.
SEPTEMBER
7-8
20-26
Brasstown, NC
Multi-Media Week I Basketry,
Pottery, Blacksmithing & more. John C.
Campbell Folk School, sec 6/15.
Celo Community, NC
"Mountain Gardens" tour and
perennial plant sale; see July 6-7.
18
21-25
Swannanoa, NC
The Many faces of PeacemaJcjng,
Elderhostel class on global understanding.
Warren Wilson College; More info:
298-3325 (x231).
,.st3~
.~CJ,_ .
-.
Swannanoa, NC
Facine the Nuclear Winter Njght:
Options and Actjons. World Affairs
Institute. Warren Wilson College,
Swannanoa, NC (919) 786-5233.
25-27
Modica! Sell-Help
30-Aug 3 Swannanoa, NC
fellowship of Reconcjliation
National Conference Key speakers include
Wendell Berry, Dorothy Cotton and Miles
Honon. Contact: Rural Southern Voice for
Peace; 190 I Hannah Branch Road;
Burnsville, NC 28714.
Celo Community, NC
"Moyntajn Gardens" tour and
perennial plant sale; sec July 6-7.
3-16
Brasstown, NC
Mountain Traditions Stone
Carving, Dulcimer & more. John C.
Campbell Folk School, see 6/15.
8
Brasstown, NC
Mountain Music Concert with
Homer Ledford. John C. Campbell Folk
School, see 6/15.
-
J:J11da J"!J G>tik
S1'1'C.//Jfi (} fXtp ~(11.1<tf ~f.1.wqr
:R!t~ ti 'R.;faritJ 'f3.1f..111rn~q -
A llA!rlng Ind '-"'II mou,_, _
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August 11·17
Wldl H-S-WMd, c.,..,_ M_.t, MD.
Hd 8od1 w...... udMlllklM Mtndldl Mclno..a
"!ltffJ D:<'\1u_y.u .W•11
255-19M
IHDIAH VALU!Y RETREAT
- 2ao.sa.w... vA2-110317-
, ff
13- 18
Ib'
20 -22
27-29
July
4-6
11- 13
6211-15J7
SOUTHE:RN DHARMJ\ RE:TRE:J\T CE:NTE:R
SUMMER SCHEDULE
Q11ddcuu
Eamgy,~DJKn&
AUGUST
3-4
/
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HMology
P•- . l l S -
WOQIXD1'8 w.a&Jll!a W%llX
Asheville, NC
Bele Cher Festival; Downtown
Asheville.
f(1
~
S""'"'9
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25-27
Celo Community, NC
Full Moon Paey - sec 6121.
ama111
Lii
Ao
B'-lttll Cm M= 1Dd Wgmm
with Roger Woolger. Ao iouoductloo to
the universal feminine archeiypcs aod ao
exploration or their meaoiog to us.
:Cai Cb! Cb11m - Ihc E11cmlm E11cm with
Harold Miller. A wec.ltend CllploratioD ioto
the way of oot-doiog, or dancing the
Mystic Spiral, or creating your own
Formless Form.
A ~iRllllDI MGdllllhlD Yl';ks=Dd with
Rodney Smith. RodDCy will provide useM
guidlll(:e aod instruction in medication aod
will be available as teacber-io-re11dence
June 30 through July 3 for those who wish
to do private retreats.
2S-27
SRWL with Harruoo HobU~lle, Ph.D. A
weekend or mediUtiOD aod discuuioo
~latlog Buddhitm and ChriJtlaoil:y.
Miad[11lan1 Mcdi111l11a with S11110
Augenstein. Medlutlon aod momnt to
momen1 awareness are the focUJ or this
week.cod.
Aqust
Xllll !Qt Xlllll Wb11lc l.iCI< with BODDe
Kelly. Adaptiog yoga to daily 1etivitia aod
individual needs.
22- 24 A Bjau! z,o Wi:ckmd with S&ody Stewar1.
The way or the selllesa self.
29 .
~ Hs:1lia1 I•:r Imi11 Mt:dilltiSZD IDd Cal
Sept I K.11.u. with Anna Joy Oaybeart. A
comp~hens lve ioll'Oductlon to Ille ll)(:le111
Taoist pr1ellces.
12-14 I2iss<cD1laa lb' Cbd11 Seed l1!'.ilbia with
A ~ilHlllDI Mcdllaliaa W"l"ad with
John YungbluL Exploring Christlaoi1y and
Rodney Smith.
relatiag the mystical upcrieoce of Christ to
lcsi1b1 Mcdi111i11n IDd lb' Li!c ac 1bc
meditatioo and. cootempla11ve prayer.
Southern Obarma Retreat Center is localed in a ~moie area of the Smoley M
ountains near Asheville, North
Carolina. For further information about Southern Ohanna or about aoy or the programs above, call or write:
SOtrrH.ERN DRARMA RETREAT CENTER
8-10
RLI, Boll 34-H; Roi Sprio&J, NC
28743 (704) 622-7112
�Hoaldeas GARDENING NEWSLETTER - A
monthly review gleaning the mos1 practical and
innovative ideas from hundreds of teehnical
iniemational horticuhural publications - S 10 per
year; sample copy: SI. Route I; Gravel Swhch,
KY 40328.
ACCESS is a free lelephone infonnation service on
peace issues including mili1ary spending,
environ.menial impacts of miliiary activity, conflicl
resolution, elC. Your only charge is your
long-distance phone call. ACCESS I is (202)
328-2323.
ln!m!arianal pmnacuhgrc Seeti Yearbook - The
annual bulletin, direciory, and resource guide for
pen:nacultvre practitionen; $10.00; Box 202;
Onnge,MA 01364.
DRUM WORKSHOPS - for children of all ages.
lherapeutic massage - Relaxes lhe body &
mind...Call Martha for more info 11 (704)
252-2420.
MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS - herbal salves,
tincnues, & oils for birthing & family heallh. For
brochu~ please write: Moon Dance Farm; RL I,
Box 726; Hampton. TN 37658
HOLOGRAPHIC ASTROLOGY - Every part of a
hologram con1J1ins all !he info abou1 the en1ire
hologram, and each ctll in your body contains all
!he genetic data about your whole body. Similarly,
every body conlains all Ille infounation about lhe
entire solar sysiern - you are !he solar sysiem and
each of your planeu is ooe of your potentials. Olan
& Consul11tion, SS0.00 Harrie1 Witt Miller (704)
689-4617.
FAIRGLEN FARMS offen organic, biological
feniliz.ers for fmn md garden. Send SASE for price
lisL Biologically-grown produce IO sell? We SC
interested in acting IS cooperalive nwketing agenlS
with other growers. Wriie: Rouie 1, Box 319;
Clyde, NC 28721.
HOW - TO - BOOKS: "Gemstones, Crysials &
Healing" by The.Ima Isaacs - 30 mineral families cl
oompleie descriptions ($8.00); "NllUJ'e's Pantty" by
David Wilson - 100 wild edible foods ($3.00); "The
Soler Energy N0tebook" by Rankins cl Wilson use lhe sun for home heating ($6.00}. Please add $I
~:Jpping per order. Lorien House, POB 1112,
Black Mounlain, NC 28711.
1HE RAINBOW LODGE, a conference ctnier and
reirea1 facility, is available for workshops, reueais,
ete. - Write: RL 4, Boll 4636; BWrsville, GA
30512.
CRAFTS FROM SALVADORAN AND
GUATEMALAN REFUGEES IN NICARAGUA:
Cards, plaques, boxes, puzzles, patt:bes; This irade
benefits refugees directly. Brochure from:
Dry Creek Cooperative Trading
918 Jennings CL
Woodbu.ry, TN 37190
a oon-profil oraaniz.ation.
UGHTWORKS - luminous fabric window pieces
by Cathy Scou; 734 Town Mountain Rd.;
Asheville, NC 28804.
FRIENDS OF 1lfE MOUNTAINS is a grassrOOlS
organization involved in !he conservation and
proiection of !he soulhem Appalachian highlands.
RL 2, Box 2279; ClaylOll, GA 30525.
CHEROKEE CLEANSING lEA - over a doz.en
herbs (makes app. one gallon) - $1 .SO from
Medicine Canoe Products; RL2, Box 90-E; Old
Fon. NC 28762.
ELACHEE NATURE SCIENCE CENTER dedicaled IO !he undemanding and apjX1!Cialion of lhe
nawral world. For membership or visiting info,
write P.O. Boll 2771 ; Gainesville, GA 30503.
AMRITA HERBAL PRODUCTS - Comfrey,
Eucalypws, or Golden Seal Salve, Lemon or
Lavender Pace Cream. Made wilh nawral and
essential oils and love. Send for brochure: RL 1,
Box 737; Floyd, VA 24091.
AMERICAN MINOR BREEDS CONSERVANCY
is saving endangered breeds of farm liveslOCk. If
you keep any minor breeds or know of olhen who
do, please lei AMBC know. $10 10 join. AMBC;
P.O. Box 477; PillSboro, NC 27312.
CUSTOM CELTIC HARPS - A'Coun Bason;
Travianna F1rn1; RL 1; Check. VA 24072.
Shares for sale in FLOYD AORICULTURAL
ENERGY CO-OP; par valued at $100 each. Will
Bason; Travianna Farm; Rt I ; Check, VA 24002.
•AS WE ARE" - Women's music by Pomegrana1e
Rose, a four-woman group playing lively original
music. Casse11e llpe avail.able for $9.00 ppd. from
RL 2, Box 435; Piusboro, NC 27312.
INDIAN VALLEY RETREATS - We offer
individual or group reireats on our 140 acteS of
rolling meadows, wooded r:raiJs, fresh waier streams
and clean air in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains
of Soulhwes1 Virginia, IS miles norlh of !he Blue
Ridge Parkway. Reireats can be lailorcd 10 your
needs, wilh as much or as little guidanct and social
imerx1ion as you wish. We have rustic cabins,
privaie or semi-private rooms or camping. $10 per
nigh1 per person, bed and breakfasL Indian Valley
Holistic Center; RL 2, Box 58; Willis, VA 24380
(703) 789-4295.
THE LONE RECYQ ER -- Comic book advenwres
of humankind's early suuggle to combat
was1efulness. $4.00 pp. from Long Branch
Environmenlal Education Cenicr; RL 2, Boll 132;
~._~.•::~~o
""
Send submissions io:
K.o.DWi
P.O. Boll 873
Cniiownee, NC 28723
BIG MOUNTAIN - 10,000 traditional Navajo
people lhreaiened with removal by US govemmenl
IO make way for coal and uranium mines. Support
and donations needed. Write: Big Mountain Legal
Defense/Offense Committ.ee; 2501 N. 41h SI.,
Suile 18; Flags1aff, AZ 86001 (602) 774-5233.
At ARTIIUR MORGAN SCHOOL 24 swdents and
14 staff learn iogelher by living in community.
Curriculum includes creative academics. group
decision-making, a work program, servict projects,
extensive field trips, challenging ou1door
ellperiencts. Write: 1901 Hannah Branch Rd.;
Burnsville, NC 28714.
GREEN RIVER RESEARCH JOURNAL exploring lhe connections beiween body. cools, and
land. Send $1.00 for sample copy io: Boit 1919;
Brattleboro, VT 05301.
APPALACHIAN GINSENG CO. - Cuhivaied
American ginseng, siratlfied seeds, seedling roots T-Shins wilh ginseng logo, $9.00 ppd from P.O.
Box 547; Dillsboro, NC 28725.
KA
AH - page 30
MALAPROP'S
BOOKSTORE/CAFE
BOOKS - CARDS - RECORDS
FOUR WINDS VlLLAGE - health and spiri1ua1
reireat; home for children in need. For visiting info,
write: Boll 112; Tiger, GA 30576.
61 HAYWOOD ST., ASHEVILLE, NC 28801
(704) 254-6734
Summerl986
�K1Hfiah. wants to communicate your thoughts and
f eelings 10 the other people in the bioregiona/ provirlce. Send
them to us as letters, poems, stories, drawings, or
pho tographs. Please send your contributions to us at:
Kmflgh; Box 873; Cullowhee, NC 28723.
The fall Kitiiah, Issue XIll, will collect our thoughts
and experiences of "Death and Dying". The deadline for all
submissions for that issue is August I.
Please send your ideas for a theme for the winter issue
of .Kat:Y.im.
Medicine-- .Allies
GET BACK!
issues of Katuah
full color
T-sfiirts
In the traditional Cherokee Indian
belief, the creatures in the world today are
only diminutive fonns of the mythic beings
who once inhabited the world, but who now
reside in Galuna'ti, the spirit world, the
highest heaven. But a few of the original
powers broke through the spiritual barrier
and exist yet in the world as we know it.
These beings are called with reverence
"grandfathers". And of them, the strongest
are KfilWi, the lightning, the power of the
sky; Utsa'nati. the rattlesnake, who
personifies the power of the earth plane; and
Yunwi Usdj, "the little man", as ginseng is
called in the sacred ceremonies, who draws
up power from th.e underworld.
Each is the strongest power in its own
domain. Together they are allies: their
energies complement each other to form an
even greater power. As medicine allies,
they represent the healing power of the
Appalachian Mountains.
The medicine powers of Katiiah have
been depicted in a striking T-shirt design by
Ibby Kenna. Printed in 5-color silkscreen
by Ridgerunner Naturals on top-quality,
all-cotton shirts, they are available now in
all adult sii.es from the Km.ah journal.
"To show r espect for this
supernatural trinity of the natural world is to
in turn become an ally in the continuing
process of maintaining harmony and balance
here in the mountains ofKatUah."
To order, use the form below.
ISSUE TWO - WTNTER 1983-84
Yona - But Huniers - Pigeon River Another Way With Animals - Alma Becoming Polilically Erreclive •
Mountain Woodlands - Katii.ab Under lhc
Drill - Spiritual Warriors
ISSUE THREE - SPRING 1984
SUstainable Agriculture - SuoOowers Human lm.pect oo the Forest • Childrens'
Education - Veronica Nicbolas:Woman
in Politics - Little People - Medicine
Allies
ISSUE NINE - FAll 198S
The Waldec Forest - The Trees Speak Migrating Foresu - Horse Logging Starting a Tree Crop - Urban Trees Acom Bread · Myth Tune
ISSUE FOUR - SUMMER 1984
Waier Oram - Water Quality - Kudzu Solar Eclipse - Clcarcuttin8 - Trout ·
Going to Water • Ram Pumps Microhydro - Poems: Bennie Lee
Sinclair, Jim Wayne Miller
ISSUE TEN - WINTER 198S-86 Kale
Rogers - Circles of Stone • Internal
Mylhmakiog - Holistic Hcalln8 on Trial
- Poems: Sieve Koauth - Mythic Places The Uktena's Tale - Crystal Magic "Dreamspeaking"
ISSUE FIVE- FAll 1984
Harvest • Old Ways in Cherokee Ginseng - Nuclear Wasie - Our Celtic
Heritage - Biore8ionaliJm: Past, Present,
and Future - John Wllnoty - Healio8
Oarlcness • Politics of Participation
ISSUE EL£VSN - SPRING 1986
Community Planning · Cities and the
Bioregional Vision - Recycling •
Community Gardening· Floyd County,
VA • Gasohol • Two Bioregiooal Views Nuclear Supplement - Foxfire Gamca
-Good Medicine: Visions
ISSUE SIX - WINTER 1984-85
Winter Solstice Barth Ceremony
Horsepastu.re River • Com.log of lhe
Light - Log Cabin Roou - Mountain
Agriculture: The Right Crop - William
Taylor - The Future of the Forest
ISSUE SEVEN · SPRING 19&S
Sustainable Economics - Hot Springs Worker Ownership - The Great Economy
• Self Help Credit Union - Wild Turkey Responsible Investing • Working in the
Web of Life
KATUAH: Bjoreeional Journal of the Southern Ap_palacbjans
Box 873; Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723
For more info: call Marnie Muller (704) 252-9167
Regular Membership........$10/yr.
Sponsor.......................$20/yr.
Contributor...................$50/yr.
Name
ISSUE EIGHT· SUMMER 1985
Celebration: A Way of Life - Ka!Uab
18,000 Years Ago • Sacred Siles - Folk
Ans in the Schools - Sun Cycle/Moon
Cycle Poems: Hilda Downer - Cherokee
Heritage Center · Who Owns
Appalachia?
Address
Back Issues
Issue#
@ $2.00 = $
Issue# - -@ $2.00 = $ - Issue#--@ $2.00 = $ - Issue#--@ $2.00 = $- Issue#--@ $2.00 = $ - Complete Set (2-11)
-@ $15.00 = $_ _
T-Shirts: specify quantity
color: tan
M
Enclosed is$
to give
this effort an extra boost
I can be a local contact
person for my area
State
City
Area Code
Phone Number
KATUAH - page 31
S
L
@ $9.50 each ............$_ _
XL
Zip
TOTAL PRICE =
postage paid
$_ _
Summer 1986
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, Issue 12, Summer 1986
Description
An account of the resource
The twelfth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> covers a variety of topics, including, nuclear energy issues, shiitake mushrooms, trout farms, and the Cherokee people's historic use of tobacco. Authors and artists in this issue include: Joe Hollis, Rhea Rose Ormond, Avram Friedman, Michael Red Fox, D. Newton Smith, Rob Messick, Corry, Ise Williams, David Wheeler, Stephen Wingeier, Jerry Trivette, Perry Eury, and Marnie Muller. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1986
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Living in the Garden.......1<br /><br />The NC Nuclear Referendum.......3<br /><br />Shiitake.......4<br /><br />"The Water Cycle": A Poem.......6<br /><br />The Sacred Scarab.......7<br /><br />Circles of Communication.......8<br /><br />Review: The Wise Woman Herbal For the Childbearing Year.......9<br /><br />Review: The Small-Scale Aquaculture Book.......10<br /><br />Good Medicine: Tobacco.......12<br /><br />Sun Root.......14<br /><br />Poem: "The Homestead on Horn Mountain".......14<br /><br />"Hilahi'Yu...": The Formation of the Appalachian Mountains.......15<br /><br />Natural World News.......19<br /><br />"The Willow Tree": A Children's Story.......25<br /><br />NABC II.......27<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
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Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
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Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Beginning
Human ecology
Radioactive waste disposal--Appalachian Region, Southern
Shiitake--Appalachian Region, Southern
Dung beetles
Cherokee Indians--Tobacco use--History
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
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English
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<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
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Appalachian Region, Southern
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<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
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Journals (Periodicals)
Agriculture
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Children's Page
Community
Electric Power Companies
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Good Medicine
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Health
Katúah
Pigeon River
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Stories
Turtle Island
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance
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https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/c5f08e481824615d18c6f5c6bd8ddef8.pdf
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Text
--~
ATUAH
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ISSUE XIV
WINTER 1986-87
Wintertimef
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LLOYD CARL OWLE...........................................................................1
8()()(3ERS AND MUMMERS...............................................................3
ALL SPECIES DAY .............................................................................6
POEM BY WILL ASHE BASON.........................................................9
GOOD MEDICINE..............................................................................10
CABIN FEVER UNIVERSITY.........................................................12
POEMS BY OLIVER LOVEDAY ......................................................13
KEEPING WARM: HOMELESS IN KATUAH ................................ 14
HOMEMADE HOTWATER...............................................................18
A STOVEMAKER'S NARRATIVE. ................................................19
NATURAL WORLD NEWS..............................................................20
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ISSUE XIV
WlNTER 1986-87
ART AND SURVIVAL
Lloyd Carl Owle is a Cherokee Indian, a
descendent of Yonaguska. He is field
director of the Save the Children Federation
program for the southeastern Indian nations,
but he is best known for his powerful and
expressive stone carvings. His works are on
display at the Qualia Craft Co·op and the
"Miz-Chief' store in Cherokee. NC.
Su 'The Work ofUoJd Ctul Owlt~ pp. 16-17
There is an old legend that says there
are two people inside of us. One is young,
and the other is old. These two figures of
the legend represent two different
viewpoints: the young one th:u does not
discriminate, that sees the world as a whole;
and the old one that is linear, that picks the
world apart and focusses on only one thing
at a time.
This is 1rue for us. Kids have to be
trained to think in a linear way. They take
to the other way naturally. When I was a
kid in school, I enjoyed looking at a Little
bug with all its intricacy and detail more
than doing English or math.
Even now I have 600 things in my
mind at any one time. As I'm working on
one carving l have a lot of other things
going on at the same time. They are all
pictured individually in my head, but I can
only put a part of what I see into any one
piece. Even so, when I'm doing something
with maybe ten ants and six people, it gets
very intticate and complex. I have to keep it
all in my mind at the same nme. I have to
see a piece from several different sides at
once. Either a person can see in that way or
they can't.
Size has always been strange to me,
too. 1 play with that. Neutrons, atoms,
planets.....all arc equally important to the
functioning of the universe. So in my
carvings a little ant can be as big as a
person's face, or a snake will be larger than
a person's body.
When I'm working in my shed at two
or three o'clock in the morning, I feel tuned
in to a different time. h is a time or a place
in my mind that is very primitive. My
carvings reflect this. One might say that this
"primitive" art comes from a place of deeper
vision. From this place the activities of life
have more meaning than they do to a person
of the modem culture. This is because these
things arc seen as being connected. Life is
viewed as a whole, rather than "my life",
"your Life", "their Life". This is a special
way to see Lhe world.
This power of mind is a gift that only
some people have. Medicine men have this
power, but they don't "make" it, it's already
within them. In the same way, art is a part
of a person. h's in their DNA, or their
life-soul, however it is called.
It is less an ability to consciously
make something happen than to let
something work through us. Sometimes I
have the feeling l'm just watching my hands
do something on their own. I just let them
go. Often, afcer working late at night, I have
to look at a piece again in the morning and
re-identify with it. It seems sLrange and
foreign, not like something I did myself.
And, in a way, that is true, because a good
angel came through and helped me.
This reminds me of the legend of "the
little people'; The "little people" represent
the different dimensions of the mind. All
the dimensions are here, and sometimes we
slip into another time or another phase of the
mind, and we find ourselves seeing things
in a different way. It feels SLrange to us
only because we have become separated
from ourselves.
The 'little people' are a sense that has
been given us to help us survive and protect
ourselves. Native American people have
always listened to that other voice. It is
something that has helped us to survive.
Call it ESP, call it good judgement, or
intuition-it is a way of thinking, but also a
way of communicating. The basic power of
the native medicine person was the ability to
bring up the thought in someone else's mind
that they were going to ge1 well. The
medicine person would not do this by
putting a thought from the outside into
another person's mind. They helped their
patients communicate with themselves and
the Creator so they would be well. If their
mind was not whole, they lYm sick!
Some people might say, "Why is he
talking about things like that in these
modern times?"
But this deep
communicauon still works for us, because
on thac level of the mind everything is
connected. We are simuhaneously tuned
into different times in the history of this
world, faraway civilizations of long ago,
different people living in differenc places, or
even inco space.
In dreams I've seen bowls with
arrowheads and similar designs on them that
are still buried in the ground. I know
someday they'll be found, not only in this
country, but in South America, and even in
Egypt in places along the Nile. I've seen
visions of a sculpture of a head with an
elongated face that they'll dig out along the
Nile someday. l put that face in a carving I
did. Someday they may try to relate that
carving back to the ancient Egyptian culture,
to the art I do, or even to similar carvings
from South America.
ART AS LANGUAGE
Masks, myth, music, art--anything
that arises from that deep place is a
language. Whether it's "Indians" from
North America, Indians from lndia, or any
other people, we can communicate through
that language. In that deep place we are
already connected.
People have to protect themselves and
the ways they have learned and survived.
The Cherokee tribe protects itself, its
customs, and its beliefs. The Hopi and the
people in India do the same. But art cotcrs
people's minds through the back door.
Something pleasing to the eye relaxes
people. It releases them, whether they are
creating it or looking at it. People of any
race or any culture in the world can see a
piece of art, and, simply because they love
and appreciate the beauty of it, they are
taken to that place where they experience the
same thoughts or feelings the artist bad
when be or she created it. By seeing it or
touching it, they can grasp that thought in a
way no one could explain with words. And
they also grasp that thought in a way that
doesn't threaten their beliefs. Art is a way
to communicate the differences between
people.
I'm not a doom-crier, but we need to
communicate -- blacks, whites, Indians,
Russians -· all of us. Our beliefs may be
- continued on page 25
KATUAH-page 1
Winter 1986-87
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EDITORIAL STAFF THlS ISSUE:
Scott Bird
Sylvia Fox
Judith Hallock
Rob Messick
Mamie Muller
Manha Overlock
Michael Red Fox
Chip Smith
Brad Stanback
Manha Tree
David Wheeler
EDITQRIAL ASSISTANCE:
Tom Hendricks
Mark Kelly
Brooks Michael
Jeff Fobes
Sara Jane Thomas
Julie Gaunt
EDITOR CAL OEACE
THIS ISSUE:
Asheville, NC
PRTNIEQBY:
Sylva furalQ
Publishing Co.
Sylva, NC
WRITE US AT:
Katiiah
Box 873
Cullowhee, NC 28723
TELEPHONE:
(704) 252-9167
COVER: "Primitive Fear" by Lloyd Carl Qwle
The ln1cmal Revenue Service hu declared .K.a.W&h a non-pr
organization under section SOl(c)(3) of lhc Internal Revenue Code.
All con1nbu1ions 10 K.ni!Jh arc deductible from personal income
y
WI.
.K!n1lb wishes 10 thank lhc Salisbury Community Foundation
for lheiT generous cran1 in suppon of our work.
JRV0CllTJ0R
Enter within
The cave ckep dark
:Below mountains
IVhere ln slup
tjona, 9reat black bear
And we to9ether clream
New patterns of existence
New futu res for the world
Green, blue, and white
Lcoki~back
From w£thin infinite ni9ht
Our souls m~fe
:Bri9ht amo~ the crystal stars
KATUAH - page 2
Here in the sowhem-most heartland of the Appalachian
mountains, the oldest mou111ai11 range on our continent,
Turtle Island, a small but growing group has begun to take
on a sense of responsibility for the implications of that
geographical and cultural heritage. This sense of
responsibility centers on the concept of living within the
na11ual scale and balance ofuniversal sys rems and laws. We
begin by invoking the Cherokee name "Karuali" as the
old/new name for this area of the mountains and for its
journal as well.
The editorial priorities for us are to collect and
disseminate information and energy which pertains
specijicafly to this area, and to foster the awareness thal the
land is a living being deserving of oiu love and respect.
Living in tlris manner is the only way to ensure the
sustainability of our biosphere and a lasting place for
ourselves in its continuir1g evol11tior1ary process.
We seem to have reached thefulcrtvn poim ofa "do or
die" situation in terms of a cominued quality standard oflife
on this planet. It is the aim of 1/ris journal to drJ its part in the
re-inhabitation and re-cultura1ion of the Ka1Uilh province of
the Southern Appalachians. This province is indicated by its
natural boundaries: the New River vicinity to the north; tlie
foothills oftlie piedmont area to tlie east; Yona Mountain and
the Georgia hills to the south; and tlie Tennessee River Valley
to the west.
Humbly, as self-appointed stewards with sacred
instructions as "new natives" to protect and preserve i1s
sacredness. we advocate a centered approach to tlie cor1cep1
of decentralization and hope to become a support system/or
those accepting the challenge of sustainability and the
creation of harmony and balance in a total sense, here in this
place.
We welcome all correspondence, criticism, pertinent
information, articles, artwork, etc. with hopes that Kmlttlh
wilf grow to serve the best imerests of this region and all its
living, breatlUngfamily members.
- The Editors
Winter 1986-87
�BOOGEAS AND MUMMEAS
While collecting material for his book
Cherokee Dance and Drama, Frank G.
Speck, on January 2, 1935, observed a
performance of the "Booger Dance" during
a social gathering at the house of Will
Pheasant in the Big Cove community on the
Cherokee Indian reservation.
He described the dancers as being "a
company of four to ten or more masked
men, occasionally with a couple of women
companions, representing people from far
away or across the water - Germans,
French, Chinese, Negroes.....Each masked
dancer has a personal name, usually
obscene, which is given upon request to the
host of the house party.... Europeans show
exaggerations of features--bushy eyebrows,
moustaches. chin whiskers, red cheeks, big
noses, ghastly white pallor, and bald heads.
Animal masks are occasionally worn by the
boogers when they desire to represent
themselves as hunters and then they carry
guns, bows, or clubs. Other equipment of
the boogers may be a dead chicken to
represent a wild rurkey, a dead lamb, or the
skull of a cow or a horse. Boogers may
distort their figures by stuffing abdomen,
buttocks, or shins. Some carry an imitation
phallus of gourd neck or wrapped cloth
concealed beneath a quilt of sheet, which
they expose when dashing toward women
and girls. Sometimes the gourd phallus
contains water, which is released, adding to
the burlesque."
The dancers would enter the house
acting at the same time clownishly and
violently--falling on the floor, swinging at
the men, and making rushes at the women
and girls. When questioned by the host of
the party, who acted as master of
KA TUAH - page 3
ceremonies, they said they wanted "Girls!"
and they wanted "to fight", but they were
mollified and introduced themselves with a
song and a dance solo by each member of
the cast.
The host then invited the group to
dance. Customarily, the boogers would do
one of the "winter dances", the Bear Dance
or the Eagle Dance. During the second
round of the dance, women from the
audience joined as the boogers' partners in
the dancing.
The boogers then left as boisterously
as they had come, some dashing into the
crowd of women and clumsily trying to
carry off struggling victims, amid screams
and laughter.
The Mummers
In lrcland, within living memory, it
was the custom for companies of young
men, called ''The Mummers" to go from
house to house during the nights after
ChristmaS wearing costumes and tall masks
of plaited rushes, performing a ritualized
drama of death and rebirth. The play was
ostensibly to raise money for a large
community dance, The Mummers' Ball, that
took place early in January, but the roots of
the custom go back into antiquity.
The mummers were led by a captain
who acted as master of ceremonies and was
responsible for the conduct of his tr0upe in
the kitchens of the community. In recent
years, the company consisted more or less
of eight basic characters: the Captain,
Beelzebub, Prince George (of England),
Oliver Cromwell, Saint Patrick, the Doctor,
Big Head (a musician), and Miss Funny
(the treasurer).
The captain requested entrance into
the house, and if it were granted, he strode
into the kitchen, proclaiming:
"Here comes/, Captain Mummer,
And all me men.
Room, room, gallant boys,
Give us room to rhyme.
We'll show you some diversion
Around these Chrisrmas times."
One after another the members of the
cast came into the lighted kitchen, declaring
in rhyme, and each introducing the next,
until the character of SL Patrick entered:
"Here Comes/, St. Patrick,
And tile reason I came
I'm in search ofthat bully
Prince George is his name.
And if I do find him,
I'll tell you no lie,
I'll hack him to pieces as small as a fly."
Prince George and St. Patrick then
had an altercation that ended when Prince
George drew his rapier (stick) and ran his
opponent through. The Doctor was called
for and entered, bearing
"...a wee bottle here in the waistband ofme
trousers.
Tlzey call it
Hokey pokey halicumpain.
Rise 11p dead man and jighi again."
the Doctor would say as he revived the
patient, and he would then call for Big
Head, who entered and played music for
two dancers to relieve the dramatic tension
of the perfonnance.
Miss Funny would then come in and
ask for money, "All silver and no brass."
At this point the show became more
- continued on next page
Wrnter 1986-87
�- continued
ijfonnal, and members of the household
were enco uraged to request songs and
<Wices, or to step in for a dance with Miss
Funny. At the conclusion of the event it
was customary for the people of the house
to try to guess the identity of the mummers,
and if there were girls in the house bold
enough, they might attempt to maneuver a
position where they could knock the mask
off one of the performers. The mummers
would defend their fellow by pushfog and
tickling, which frequently led to much
squealing and giggling. Then with a
farewell and good wishes the mummers
would depan into the night
In these days when people nightly
invite murder and violence into their homes
via their TV sets, the mummers' play may
seem bland and unconvincing. But it was
not as often seen in those days, and it was a
live performance: "Rhyme and action
render it all humorous, but the words are
clear. There are many young men, armed
with sticks, standing around your kitchen
who would like you to give them some
money," wrote Henry Glassie in his book
on the mumming tradition, All Silver and
No Brass,
Common T hreads
The two performances, boogers and
mummers, from disparate cultures on
opposite sides of the ocean, vary greatly due
to the differences in geography and culture.
Yet, even in such a superficial presentation
of traditions that had evolved through
centuries, certain srrong similarities stand
out.
First, the masks. These were the core
of the presentation. They lent a compelling
sense of presence to the dramas, and
plunged the audience, the familiar
household, and the players into a different
reality. This was a visitation from the spirit
world. T he masks were frightening, but
they could also amaze and delight. The
masked players were from outside the
bounds of convention. They could talk and
act in a way not permi11ed in ordinary
community life. They could speak of things
usually left unspoken. They could talce
deep tensions and transfonn them through
humor, song, and dance.
The second similarity was the time of
year. Both of these plays were done at
night as part of the winter season
celebration. Hayes Lossiah, who danced
the Booger Dance in Big Cove, said, "We'd
do it in the winter. It'd snow two, three
days, mebbe, after the dance."
"It was the performance of the
season," said Peter Flanagan of County
Ferman agh, Ireland of the Christmas
mumming shows.
'
KATUAH-page4
a• -
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t:llltec.,... ...._...,-.,.IT
The Booger Dance was sometimes
origins a nd the original purpose o f the
used by medicine men in the healing of the
Booger Dance-, for the Iroquois marked the
sick. These appearances would, of course,
transitidn between the old and new years
happen in any season needed, but: "In its
with <t winter celebration called the "festival
earliest form, the Booger Oilflce, 'strong in
of dreall'.IS~, which is. described by James
Frazer in bis book The Golden Boui:h:
magic', was undoubtedly ti mi ted to win ter
performance. since its association with
'The whole cel'cmonies lasted several
days, or even weeks, and formed a kind of
'ghosts', those of aliens, is believed to
bring killi ng frosts," said Speck.
saturnalia. Men and women, variously
The connectipn with healing shows
disguised. went from wigwnm to wigwam
smashing and throwing down whatever they
the original spiritual nature of the masks,
and should make us look closer to find the
came across. It was a time of general
purpose in the buffoonery of the winter
license; the people were supposed to be out
of their senses, and therefore not to be
Booger Dance.
The character and conduct of the
responsible for what they did ....On one day
mummers and th·e boogers is another
of the festival the ceremony of driving away
evil spiriis from the village took place. Men
similarity. In both performances the casts
showed highly exaggerated characteristics
clothed in the skins of wild beasts, their
of aggressiveness and clownishness. The
faces covered with hideous masks, and their
interplay bet ween the audience and the
hands with the shell of the tortoise, wem
performers contained an clement of the
from hut to hut making frightful noises; in
risque in both of the dramas, but it was
every hut they took the fuel from 1he fire
and scattered the embers and ashes about the
more highly ,exaggerated and exploited by
the boogers.
floor with their hands. The general
It is bold indeed to speculate on the
confession of sins which preceded the
origins of these two events of folk theatre,
festival was probably a preparation for the
when little p recise information is known
public expulsion of evil influences; it was a
about either. But the structure of the
way of stripping the people of their moral
mummers' play strongly reflects the old
burdens, that these might be collected and
cast out"
myth of the god of the new year killing the
god of the old that dates back to earliest
Clearly the booger masks of the
history in Europe and the British Isles. In
Iroquois were aiding in the exorcism of
other areas of Britain the same story is
demons - the pent-up emotions of the winter
enacted by the "wranboys" during the same
and the stale energies of the old year. This
could have been the original purpose of the
days after Christmas, who hunt and kill a
~n. the deity of the year past, in the name
Cherokee masks, as well, but as the
of "Cock Robin", who represents the
Christian missionaries inhibited the old
coming cycle of regrowth.
spiritual forms, and as European oppression
The Doctor of the mummers and his
anacked the Indians and their way of life,
"wee bottle" of "hokey pokey halicumpain"
the whites could have been given the
also provides a death and resurrection theme
principal role of devil-demon scapegoat to
act out and carry away the year's negative
symbolic of the regeneration of the year.
A solstice play would have had an
energies.
important role in an early agricultural
If we can accept, or even consider,
these intuitive conclusions as to the origins
community to teach the young and remind
of the mask dramas, we see that these two
the old that the changes of the year, while
cultures approached the challenges of the
dramatic and threatening, were a normal pan
of the yearly cycle.
winter season in very different ways: one in
The influence of the Christian church
an active, volatile way, and the other by
internalizing the energies of the season by
would have caused the substitution of St.
Patrick as the main protagonist, as it did in
re-enacting them as a story. But although
so many other holidays and rituals. But
very different from each other in their
original form, the two events seem to spring
then, as secular concerns became more
immediate, SL Patrick and St. George could
from a deep, common, spiritual matrix: the
need to maintain the community, first in the
have come to represent the relations between
Ireland and England, which had so much
changing flow of time, then of history.
bearing on the life of the poor Irish farmers.
That required that conventional social
This was of special significance in the
barriers be temporarily broken down to find
a new and basic starting point from which
divided communities of northern Ireland
the people could move together into the new
where those: tensions have continued at a
slow, smoldering bum for centuries.
year. It required exaggeration of the human
capacities for violence and foolishness, that
Wild Dreams
we normally do not wish to acknowledge,
that by laughter, movement, and song
The booger masks, it is currently
people could accept and come to terms with
thought, came to the Cherokee from the
their negativity and weakness.
Iroquoian culture of the northeastern
woodland tribes. This lends a hint as to the
u
Winter 1986-87
�rim
: . Al
look • mask plays ...,
ippc.r IO have bcea ~and iUJICiaiaiola4
pno..-doa1,;anachronisms from a primiliwi
put. Bus lookinJ
one misfit sec a
IOpbisaiCaled psycbolo&IW lbcnpy IO beal
. ,-
.....
*'ai"'
~DNA daal ~beck
the QDIDIDunity and ttansform the inner
demons that take shape in the world duriri1
the dadt winter months. We could extend
Land Roots
gradually faded away.
THE BOOGER D
ANCE
as witnessed by Tom Underwood
Tom Underwood is the proprietor of
the Medicine Man Craft Shop in Cherokee,
a long-time meeting-place for those
interested in Cherokee Indian artwork and
culture. Tom had tire rare privilege,
although he did not realize it at tlte time, of
being one of tlte few white people to see tlte
Booger Dance performed/or healing .....
I grew up in lhe Birdtown section of
the Cherokee Indian reservation. When I
was growing up, my dad had the only
automobile in that pan of the reservation, so
he was often called upon to be ambulance,
laxi, or messenger. I remember one day an
urgent message came for Bird Panridge, a
medicine man and a fine old fellow.
I was a boy, 12 or 13 at lhe time, but
I can remember it was getting dusky dark
when we neared old man Partridge's house.
My dad spoke a few words to a woman at
the door, and she motioned up the hill
behind the house. We walked up a rough
sled road through the woods. It was a pretty
good little climb, and when we got up there
we could hear people talking and chants
a'going on.
We followed a trail to a clearing
40-50 feet in diameter . There was a circle
of people around the perimeter of the
KATUAH - page 5
dwup
time from the deaceadanta o r die
Henry Glassie's statement that. "The
mummers (and the boogus) attacked the
forces that keep people ap:m."
The Cherokees and the subsistence
farmers of lhe Irish countryside shared the
heritage of a land-based small village
culture. Both groups came under the
dominance of the prevailing European
industrial culture. As their societies came
under auack, the conditions of life were
changed, and their cultures were changed as
well. The critical alteration was that, in both
cases, the strong, enduring ties to the land
that had nourished their people for centuries
were forcibly broken by the invading
culture. This was the crucial link. and when
it was severed, the masks, which
represented the spirits of the land, were
doomed.
Oppression became the primary
demon that haunted these peoples, and the
message of the masks changed. They
spoke about the invader. They spoke about
life and death in tenns the people could
understand. They were so strongly rooted
in the lives of the people, it took the
maskings 200 years to die, but once their
lifeline to the land was cut, their vitality
. \'ct.dle~-lhe---.
aiecblc.S
. . . . . . . . tlcllC .
' ia ~ . . . two eul1*'CS meet. n.
qirk ~ die .m1 •nmcn' .p1ay1 bas 4:0lne
acroa IM Waler oa the ·toa1 1trands".o(
And so, unfonunately, the last item
that these two traditions share in common is
that both are, for all practical purposes,
extinguished as meaningful communication
among the people. Although there are
elders alive who have done lhe Booger
Dance and the mummers' show, apparently
the dramas are no longer in use.
So it is relevant to question, "Why
even write about these traditions from two
culrures t hat are so distant from and so
unlike each other? Why pay so much
attention to old traditions that have already
passed away?"
It is tr ue. To study the mask
traditions, the kachjnas of the Hopi Indians,
which have been brought vinually intact
through the time barrier of modern
civilization, offer a much better subject for
study. There the myth stories of the land
and the e lemental beings still live in the
wbite-llci.nftcd immigrantS 10 lhcir anceslOR
in Europe. The booger spirits, too, lie
dormant in the mountain shadows. their
native home - sleeping, waiting to be
aroused once again.
The masks are looking for ne w
fonns, for new meanings, and for a new
generdtion to bring them alive . It would
require only that some of lhe hu mans
reconnect the vital link between themselves
and the land, and the masks and the spirits
they represenl would be resurrecled to chant
and dance and amaze the people in the
community circle once again.
They are old, litera.lly "as old as the
hills'', yet when lhe people call upon the
masks, they will arise and come, bringing
powers of invocation, communication,
liberation, and delight.
Resource Reading:
All Silver and No Brass: Henry Glassie
(Indiana University Press, Bloomington,
IN) 1975
Cherokee Dance and Drama: Frank G.
Speck and Leonard Broom (University of
California Press, Berkeley, CA) 1951
yearly cycle of mask celebrations.
clearing. In the center was a fire, and by the
fire lay a person all wrapped up, obviously
sick, and over him hovered another, the
medicine man. I didn't see it, but I suppose
the medicine man had given the pat.ient some
medicine.
Around this pair at the center were
about 15-18 people with masks of many
differenl kinds. Every one of them was
covered up with blankets or old raggedy
clothes, so no one could tell who they were
at all. They wore all kinds of scarey masks.
One was a hornets' nest - it was an old
hornets' nest with the eyeholes and a
breathing hole cul out. Most of the masks
were faces cut out of wood. The m:tsked
figures were dancing in a circle around the
medicine man and the sick person at the fire.
All of them were chanting. I knew the
medicine man was old Bird Panridge, even
though a mask covered his entire face.
That went on for a little while, until a
few of them noticed us, and then every bit
of it just quit. My daddy stated his business
and said that someone had an emergency.
maybe it was a death in the family, and that
he would carry the person back down.
The people in the circle never moved
another peg until we got out of lhe clearing
and over the hill. As we walked down the
hill, I could hear them taking up the chanl
again.
That was the only time I ever actually
saw the Booger Dance performed in
sincerity like it was done a long time ago. I
was just a boy, but I remember it very
vividly. My interest in it at the time was
very casual, but later l became much more
interested as I began to read and talk with
other people.
Masks were used in other ceremonies
as well, but the booger masks were usually
thought of as scarey masks. I have one at
home I've had for 50 years. My father
acquired it. It is very, very scarey-looking.
~
100-year-otd mask by famed Cherokee mask-maker
Will West Long
Winter 1986-87
�.
~LL SPtC~tS
DAY
by Marnie Muller
Ahead of the pageant, each person is asked to choose a
plant or animal that they feel closest to, that they would like
to represent at the celebration. Then there are mask-making
sessions with a great deal of storytelling going on during this
time about how individual creatures have helped the Earth
and how many indigenous peoples have regarded the Eanh
as the sacred being that it is. There are also stories of the
interdependence of all life.
"For more than 99 percent of human
history, the world was enchanted
and [humans] saw (themselves] as
an integra l part of it. The complete
reversal or this perception in a mere
four hundred years or so has
destroyed the continuity of the
huma n experience and the integrity
of the human psyche. It has ver y
nearly wrecked the planet as well.
The only hope, or so it seems to me,
lies in a reenchantment of the world.
Morris Berman
In his book The Reenchantment of the World, Morris
Berman explores the possibility of reawakening the integral
or participating consciousness of the human psyche through
a rich, sensual, ecological perspective of the world around
us. This visceral, int.ellcctual, full re-understanding of the
human connection with all life allows a deeper, more
ttuthful perception of our "place" in the universe and in the
specific place we inhabit
An exciting educational project which nurtures this
sense of "reenchantment" rooted in an ecological base is
The All Species Day Project. Successful as a school
curriculum activily or as a full-blown community pageant ,
All Species Day has provided both children and adults with
an opportunity to celebrate and become the myriad species of
plants and animal that co-inhabit _the place where we live. A_n
All Species Day event usually Ulcludes a parade, dramanc
presentations, storytelling, displays and a 'Creature
Congress'. The Congress is a rime when each person who
has represented a species can speak for or perform on behalf
of that species. During this time, species may dialogue with
each other in improvisational ways and can make requests or
pleas, for example to humans. The Congress is a rime for all
the species to convene and share a common vision of the
world with each other and to speak to each other about the
region they inhabit They can speak of its beauty and wealth
but they can also speak of problems they as a species may
face. All Species Day may also include a potluck picnic and
music and games as well.
With mask-making, movement and sound as well as
storytelling, drama and dance, the many plants and animals
and lifeforms that inhabit our world are able to "visit" and
share with us their stories and visions. The bear, the hawk.
the rainbow trout.... the cougar, the chickadee, the tunle... the
ginseng, the willow, the chestnuL..all can come join in the
festivities.
KATUAH ·page 6
"All Species Day offers an
educational fest ival in which
ecological r eality is brought to life
through a n organic, animistic
celebration wher e the ancient,
mimetic sense of identifying with
plants and a nimals is playfully
enacted in mask-making, parade,
storytelling and drama."
-Amy Hannon
The mask-making itself is full of fun and
creativity..and ingenuity. Some masks are made out of
"found" materials such as bark... while others are fashioned
from wood or gourd...and others from baling wire and paper
mache..or cloth or clay. Some paint their masks very
"realistically" while others superimpose images onto the face
of the mask of things that remind one of the creature.. .for
example, the trout mask may have a rushing stream pass
across its face. Also, costumes may be made ...and the same
motif may be used ... with clouds painted on the back of the
eagle.
Each person is given the opportunity to become
Winter 1986-87
�familiar with the sounds, movements and feelings of the
lifeform they are to represenL They are encouraged to caw as
a crow or sway as a willow or chauer as a jay. It is suggested
that their dreams at night may be helpful in getting them more
in rune with their choice.
In terms of originally selecting which animal or plant
they want to be, it is always helpful to first go on a field
trip... to a wild place... .leuing everyone "slow down" and
take a deep breath...and listen to the sounds around them.
Lemng them close their eyes and relax ...and settle in to the
place where you are helps to encourage a time for
daydreaming or reverie. It is in this kind of 'slowed down '
time that a choosing of "who to represent/ who to be" can
best happen. After each person selects their totem animal or
plant or lifeform, it is helpful, then, to consider the species'
relationship with the place where you are...the water, the air,
the wind, the sun, the night, the other plants and animals. If
it seems appropriate, everyone may be ready to "practice"
becoming/being their lifeform....through sounds, movement,
and imagination.
Afler masks and costumes are made and time is spent
getting prepared, it is then time for the celebration. It can be a
one-classroom event, a whole school event or an entire city
pageant. It can be splashy with full media coverage...or it
can be more intimate and less fuss.
All Species Day celebrations began in the early l 970's
and are now beginning to crop up in communities around
Turtle Island (Nonh America). The All Species Project,
located in Santa Fe, NM, assists groups and communities in
setting up an AU Species Day in their locale. This non-profit,
educational corporation offers several packets of materials
and information: Packet #I (sample press release, sample
poster, calendar listing, public service announcement, and
mayor's proclamation) cost: $7 ; Packet #2 (suggested
songs, some bibliography, short theater pieces, and
information on sets, materials.and costume making) cost:
$10 ; Packet #3 ( Newsletter/poster of recent events) cost:
$5. The address /telephone:
The AU Species Project
1349 Cerro Gordo
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 982-2768
About All Species Day
"We have to bring back the animals and plants, and we have to do it
through the children. I've been looking for this for a while."
- Roberta Blackgoat
Big Mountain Navajo Elder
• cononucd on next page
KATUAH - page 7
�~LL Sf£C~tS D~Y in Greenville NC
" Self-unfolding, self-educating
for the sheer joy of it ...The
students were inspiring the
teachers with enthusiasm. 'This
is what teaching is au about', a
teacher told me."
-Amy Hannon
All Species Day Coordinator
for Greenville, NC
All Species Day 1985
Greenville, NC
Site: Sadie Sa ulter Elementa ry School,
Green ville,NC
Scale: School-wide
Inspired by the Santa Fe, NM All
Species Project , Amy Hannon, a parent of
three, initiated this effort at her children's
school in Greenville, NC. The event was
endorsed by the school principal, the
Enrichment Program director and the school
librarian as well as others.
It was a day-long, school-wide
celebration. Each student chose 10 be a plant
or animal and studied itS habitat, behavior
and ecological relationships. Several classes
focused on the sea and others on lhe coastal
plain as a habitat. In the hallways and
classrooms, there were 16 "centers" set up
for students to visit
School projects included murals,
models, poems, displays, dioramas, and
puppet show s. There were games,
including tbe Food Web game, as well as
storytelling. Students dressed in their plant
and animal masks and costumes paraded
around the school, singing.
ALL
All Species Day 1986
Greenville, NC
Site: River Park North, G reem ille, NC
Scale: Are:a-wide
Enthused by the wonderful reception
of "All Species" at Sadie Saulter Elcmenmry
School, Amy Hannon felt that it would be
good 10 expand All Sp ecies Day imo a
communiiy-wide event. She contacted the
director of Greenville Parks & Recreation
who liked the idea very much and offered
River Parle North. In addition, she gained
the support of the Pamlico-Tar River
Foundation, and the local chapters of the
Sierra Club and The League of Women
Voters. By applying to the NC Humanities
Commiuee, Amy was able to procure a
SP£Ct£S
D..ty
In a ll the world or living creatures (birds a nd fish,
mammals and insects, algae and fungi, trees & flowers, etc.)
AC'J'LV'L'TY
grant to fund storytelling, mask-making and
drama activities for the Day. She also
contacted a number of school and
community organizations working with
youth groups who might like 10 set up
displays. etc.
The result: A tremendous success! All
S pecies Day 1986 took place on Saturday,
May 3rd. Many species themselves
attended the festival: Carolina Raptor Center
brough t a Golden Eagle, Barn Owl, Great
Homed Owl, Red-tailed Hawk and Kestrel;
the River Park's nature center had a
community of tunics living in the touch tank
including Spotted Turtle, Painted Turtle,
Musk Tunle and Yellowbelly Slider; the NC
Museum of Na tural History's outreach
program brought a variety of snakes; a
display prepared by a representative of the
US Soil Conservation Service included a
dozen perennial grasses. The trees and
wildlife of the Park were also present .
The day was filled with narure walks,
storytelling, displays, and games as well as
the celebration itself. There was a parade
with the sound of drum beat and flute ...and
then an improvisational drama, "The
Parliament of Critters". Amy describes the
day: " Animals and their powers came to
light in stories told to small groups all day
long under the shade of a large Loblolly
Pine. Tunic. Whale, Rabbit, Fox, Crow
and Mouse spoke through the mouths of
s1orytellers ...Each story invited the humans
present to entertain the world from a bird's
eye view, as it were, or perhaps a whale's.
"The next step in the magic of A ll
S p ecies Day was to move from the
enchantment of hearing stories to actively
assuming the perspective of a non-human
species by wearing masks or face and body
paint, representing the creatures. In
preliterate societies it is serious busrncss to
discover the animals in one's soul.
Elaborate ceremonies and endurance-testing
vision quests prepare the way before one
can wear the symbol of Eagle or Bear,
Salmon or Wolf. At All Species Day it was
largely a children's game save for some
mature humans who would not have all
playfulness relegated only to children."
- continued on page 22
1J01UGSK££'J
3) How long has your species lived on Ea rth?
choose one you would like to represent for AU Species Day.
My choice is:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
(common name)
(scientific name)
4) Describe your acti vities as the seasons cha nge from
spring to s ummer, fa ll and winter. (If your life s pan is
shorter than a year, describe your life cycle.)
belonging to the _ ..pl...,.a... l.........
nt.., a n jm,....a!...__ kingdom.
(circlt ont)
For the rest of this worksheet play the game: " If I were
a
" using the plant or anima l you have chosen,
and tell about yourself.
5) What is your place in the food web? (What food do you
eat? Who eats you?)
6)
Is your species in danger of ex tinction? If so, tell why:
1) Describe yourself. (Your colors, your size, your s pecial
features, your voice, etc.)
2) Where do you live? (Continent, geographical region,
habitat.)
4
KATUAH ·page 8
-
7) When all the other plants a nd anima ls, including the
humans, gather at the Parliament of Critters on All Species
Day to talk to one another, what would you like to say or do?
-
-
; " ' '
..
Winter 1986-87
�catkin, hair, scarab, pear, redwood, ragweed, lousewort, bear,
willow, leek, ear and cheek, euglena, spirolina, talon and beak,
raven, hemlocks, ginseng, volvox, stinkbug, rosebud, black widow,
hollyhocks, bluegill and kiwi vine, chestnut and pinion pine,
dolphin, sunflower, chinquapin and human kind, sagebrush,
endosperm, nectarine, arctic tern, onions, grunions, date palm,
bracken fern, orchid, grouse, sumac, mouse, rhubarb, baobab, lotus,
louse, lupine, lizard, fin and gizzard, phylum, xylem , trout and
wizard, wolf and whale, nettle, quail, earthworm, sycamore,
nutmeg, nightingale, elephant's eye, comfrey, rye, hawk's wing,
trillium, thistle, thigh, gland, goose, bark, spruce, panther, anther,
apple, moose, buzzard, knee, navel, pea, goat's horn, amaranth,
beaver, bumblebee, mushroom, fig, termite, pig, oyster, violet,
pigeon, maple twig, joe pye weed, alder seed, coyote, bluejay,
parsley and river reed, cannabis, petiole, oak tree, blue cheese
mold, salamander, rattlesnake, blackgum and oriole, large-mouth
bass and lemongrass, coral, laurel, sorrel, and sassafrass
Everyone who lives and breathes
With hide or feathers, scales or leaves
We invoke ourcellves in total range
To bring about the needed change
Poem by Will Ashe Bason
KATUAH - page 9
Winter 1986-87
�A Katuah Conversation with a Cherokee
native. Here a re his words about getting in touch
with each other, our world, and our own selves:
It seems to me that human beings probably do the
worst job of communicating of all other species on the
planet. We can't even communicate with one another. We
still have wars and such..... People who are sensitive and
conscious of the environment want to develop some kind of
communication with plants and animals. Since they're so
stuck in the mode of~. they try to communicate with
plants and talk with plants on that level. Our relationship with
the rest of the planet, though, is~ in most cases, and
so the communication has to come through .thnl level, not a
verbal sort of thing.
The human inability to communicate well with other
plants and animals comes from the fact that many of us have
separated ourselves from the very environment that provides
for us, living instead in an artificial, controlled environment.
We ~ in houses instead of using housing just as shelter.
When people are so completely self-oriented and out of touch
with themselves, it's hard to communicate with plants and
animals.
I had an experience when l was about founccn. There
weren't very many roads around where I lived. I was visiting
a friend who lived two mountains over. There was a
well-used trail going over there. Everybody had traveled it
for years and years; it was like a super-highway of trails. I'd
crossed this trail a hundred times - it was real familiar to me.
One time, it was dusk, "long shadow time", and coming
down the trail, all of a sudden I started to feel cold chills. I
was feeling something. The farther l went down the trail, the
more scared I got. All my instincts said to me: "Don't go any
farther, there's something down there that's going to hurt
you, don't go any farther." I ttied to push it a little bit more,
but then I just turned before I panicked. I walked away very
quickly, and it seemed that the farther I got away from that
place, the better I got. By the time I had come down the trail
a couple of hundred yards, I felt just fine. Then my rational
mind came over and said: "You're just imagining all this."
And I turned around and started back. The same thing
happened to me again. So this time I went back and took
another trail and everything was just fine.
Later on that night I came back through the traiL It
was dark, but nothing happened. I never again had that
experience, that fceling ...and I was looking for it when I
came back through. Well, when I got back home. I sat down
and talked to my grandfather about il, and he said that the
plants had been ta!Jdng to me. They had been communicating
with me in a spiritual sort of sense. He said that when we're
KATUAH- page 10
in harmony with things and meeting our responsibiltties as
human beings towards the other things, that the other forms
of life would be in communication with us all the time.
Things are coming to us all the time, but if we are so
self-indulgent within ourselves, focussing only on our own
ideas and thoughts, we block out everything else. He said it
all goes back to the separation ...our original sin is
separation ....and that the more people can hook into the
Great Life, the more control they will have over their lives,
and the more ability they will have, not only to communicate,
but also to listen. That was one of my first experiences
communicating with green things.
Since then, throughout my life, things like that have
happened to me. I have walked in the woods at night and
have stopped and had something reach out and touch me and
I'd look behind me and there would be nothing there. Then
something would touch me again, and I would look around
and sec that it was a limb from a tree. Now, my
rationalization would say that the wind had blown it and
knocked it down .....
Leaming to Communicate
My grandfather said every child should have a dog,
and I said, "Why, just because they're neat? " And he said,
"No, it's a way for a young child to learn to communicate
without talking." Even though dogs can't talk, they'll let
their needs be known, and so children can learn how to
communicate with them without talking.
Winter 1986-87
�When we communicare, it's imponant to pay attention,
to listen and to be conscious of aJl the communicating that is
going on. It takes practice. In this culture, communication
isn't valid unless it's words. Someone may be
communicating a message with all their being, but when
somebody else begins to act upon that communication, the
first person starts dropping back and denying that they said
that. It creates mixed messages. It happens all the time,
because we don't see that wider kind of communication as
reliable, trustworthy, and valid.
Animals like the dog species all communicate with
their noses. Everything's coming in that way. I was
watching a herd of deer the other day. They use their noses
and their eyes...and they use signals. The female of the
species flags, throws her tail up and waves it up and down,
and no one even considers discussing it, you know, like
"what'd you see?". They all leap and are gone, right now.
Signals..... As a boy I used to huni squirrels with a
blow gun. The nice thing about the blow gun is you could
miss a squirrel two or three times and it would not even
know you were shooting at i1. My hair was always long
then, and when they'd catch me or see me, I would make a
chattering noise with my lips and grab my pony tail and
shake it up and down, flipping it. Their response might have
been fear at first when they saw me, but I did the right
signals, and they stopped and we just went back and forth at
one another. hollering and waving our tails. It would get to
the point where I couldn't even shoot the animal because
we'd developed this communication, this relationship--even
if it was a little hostile on his pan because he wanted me to
get the heck out of his territory.
All of our hunting skills are from observation and
imitation of animals who are good hunters. That's where it
all starts. We've probably learned more from animals than
we have from each other. Imitation, though, is not a very
well-accepted thing in the dominanc culture. Everybody
wants to be original, and they won't admit that they admire
or wish to take on certain traits.
The Plant Spirits
It's our custom when we collect plants 10 give thanks
and 10 wait 'til the fourth one before we pick the species
we're looking for. And if it's a medicine plant, we circle it.
Someone can have lived in the mountains all bis life and
never found ginseng, although he has looked for it lots of
times. Then, finally, one day he may find it. My people say
it was hiding from him.
One time I went into the mountains with some people
that I was to show herbs to, and I wasn't doing it in the right
way. I should have stopped and explained how to collect
them. They were interested in ginseng, so I took them to this
particular place, because I had found ginseng there lots of
times - an incredible amount of times. It was like my "sure"
place to find it. r went there, and we walked up and down
that whole mountainside and never found ~plant. Well,
three days later my daughter came to me and said, "I wane to
find some ginseng, I've never found any". So we did all the
right things that we should do, and then we went out to the
same place, and ginseng was everywhere. It was a sunny,
fall day, warm and beautiful, but suddenly there was a wild
crack of thunder. I was still overwhelmed by that when my
daughter said, "Dad, here's a ginseng plan1." And that was
her first one.
I think attitude is important. If you go into the
mountains or the woods or the forest and you have a
"grabs-all" type attitude, where you're there to exploit and
there's no feeling, you may find some stuff, but you ~
will be successful. And if you're using it for medicine, it
may not work for you. You know what I mean.
The problem sometimes is tha1 people close themselves
off. They have c lear, defined lines of what reality is within
!hemselves. Some people are so strong about that, they inflict
u on other people as rules and such. So when 1hey hear
soo:icthing that is outside of their ordinary "reality", ii doesn't
register.
The western philosophy is almost desi~ned to separate
a p~rson from their environment. II is a war against the
environment. Look at what's happened since
industrialization. Western culture has changed the whole face
of the Earth, and it is destroying many of the plants and
animals. With that atcitude, it's hard to communicate with
plants .and animal~. The crux of the whole thing is
separauon. And until someone can come back and get in
couch with what's around them, it will be difficult to have a
right attitude.
The whole thing all comes down to the fact that
there's only one equation and that's ONE. There's only
ONE. And we're all pan of that ONE. We're not separated
from it. People suffer from intellectual separation - they're
not Wl1J.x separated, but they have a strong~ that they're
separated. The artitude of 'individualism' puts one at war
against their environment. So, it starts again. Everything
starts from where you're at. And so to get in touch with the
environment, you've got to get 2lll there, first of all. You've
got to start wilh yourself. And you've got to start serving,
being a servant You've got to help your own species in what
ways you can. All these things will chip away that
'individualism'. Trust, absolute trust, is what's needed.
Y'know, I've extended myself a lot in my life and
been whupped down, crushed, and badly hun. Well, there
was a point when I said, "I'm not going to do that anymore."
~n~ ~o I t?~ that tactic a while. I started becoming more
10d1v1dualisnc, and then I sraned to get more self-oriented. I
just didn't like the way all those things felt; I felt an
emptiness and a loneliness that I had never felt before. Then I
sat down and thought, "Well, it's better to extend myself and
be hurt than to feel this emptiness." So what I'm saying in a
simple way is: first of all, stan extending yourself...not in a
suicidal son of way, though. When your flags go up, when
lhe bushes say "Get the heck out of here" - listen. Or pull
back to a point where you can see that you're safe. and then
act. But it all starts with "self" and trust - and getting out
there and looking at plants and bushes and animals and
seeing how they live their lives. Start looking at your fellow
humans. Stan listening to what they say. And then stan
ruyfilg.
And then, all of a sudden, a plant is going to reach out
and snatch you, stretch out it's limbs and wrap them around
you or something. Or you may go for walk in the woods and
~et lost, and confounded •. when all of a sudden something
Jerks you and drags you nghc ou1. Then you will know that
the Earth has spoken to you. Because the Earth is not dead·
it's alive. Everything is alive.
/
KATUAH - page 11
vi
Winter 1986-87
1lAv 11\A
=>(!i>q •
�(.1l131N
What do horse logging, learning
disabilities, and the Sweetie Pie Bake-off all
have in common?
Answer: They are all classes and
evencs offered as part of Cabin Fever
University. Cabin Fever You is dedicated to
the proposition "that all seasons were not
created equal and that wQJ1llth and light gin
be found in mid-winter". If you are looking
to find that warmth and light....read on!
The idea for Cabin Fever University
came from Dick Kennedy, a resident of the
Cclo Community near Burnsville, NC. Dick
had participated in a similar project in
Detroit, Ml called "Open City". The basic
principle in both organizations is to facilitate
neighbors coming together to share skills,
ideas, laughs, philosophies, food, and
music. All the courses at Cabin Fever U.
are free unless someone's professional
skills and/or materials are needed. One of
the many positive benefits of the program is
that it promotes a feeling of unity within the
community during the winter months when
it is needed most
Seven years ago when Dick Kennedy
staned CFU, he bad to work hard to get 20
or 30 listings for that year. Now that most
people in the Celo area and others
throughout Yancey and Mitchell counties
know about the program, the work is much
easier, and the catalog has 80-90 listings
each year.
To organize the Cabin Fever
curriculum now, volunteers begin in
November to gather the listings from their
KATIJAH- page 12
DNIV€~SICY
neighbors and to print the catalog. Peggy
Tibbits, John Pence, Miki Rolett, Douie
Morgan, and Joanne Hodshon call all the
people who held classes last year and ask
them what they would like to offer this year.
Any new families who have moved into the
area are asked to panicipate also. Each
person making calls is responsible for
scheduling a two week period of time. Once
all the calling has been completed, the
schedule is checked for conflicts. The
catalog is then copied on Dick Kennedy's
copying machine. The entire job of
producing the catalog - including calling,
typing, layout, copying, and collating - can
be completed within a total time of 25
hours. They are sold for $0.75 each. Jn
1985 150 catalogs were distributed.
The classrooms for Cabin Fever You
are the homes of the people who offer each
course. All arrangements are made direclly
with the "faculty person" leading the course.
There are usually limits placed on the
number of panicipants allowed in each
class. Everyone in the Cclo area knows who
are the best cooks in the community, so
places at cooking classes are filled quickly!
The kitchen and dining room at the
Arthur Morgan School are used to host the
Dreams Die Hard Diner every New Year's
Day. Robin Dreyer opens for business at 9
a.m. as a New York City diner complete
with hot coffee, bagels, eggs, and an
occasional bag lady.
Sometimes the classroom is under the
wide-open sky as in the moonlight walk 10
Crabtree Falls offered by Sue and Lyle
Snider. Other events include printing on
clay with Catherine Brown, Contra and
Square Dancing (with live music and
callers), and Bad Food Night with Jan and
Beth Plummer - a potluck gathering
featuring the likes of macaroni and cheese,
frozen pizzas, and Boone's Farm wine.
The course offerings for CFU are a
blend of serious studies and frivolous fun.
If someone cannot find something in the
catalogue that sparks their interest, they
must be seriously devoted to staring at the
fire in the wood stove during the winter.
lf you do not live in Yancey or
Mitchell counties, you can stan a Cabin
Fever University in your own community.
Basically, all it requires is one person to
generate some interest in the project and a
small investment of money 10 produce the
catalog. Almost everyone knows a dozen
people. Call them and find out what their
interests are and what classes or events they
would be willing to offer. Usually people
are more than willing to get involved, and
oftentimes they have been waiting for the
opponunity 10 arrive. You would be
surprised what your friends, people you
have known - or thought you have known for a long time, are into.
If you have any questions about CFU
or are interested in staning a similar project.
call Dick Kennedy at (704) 675-5286.
- by Martha Overloc~
Winter 1986-87
�sequence: fire
sequence: dream
and winging the wind against the fog
sailing across the silence below; into the vision
and the atoms shirt
and the stars re-align
and the fog forms fractions
I the tea still gets cold before I've drunk it.
the heart's song resounds across the winds of time
there is no broken heart
there is love that is given through the shell that refuses
the circle of love is bigger than any wall of hate.
love is the loudest song of all
the path of love is like the mountain trail; stony, steep,
with many ups and downs
and getting from one place to the other that are only
a few steps across the gulf, but are many miles through reality.
and after the traveler has walked his last few steps
and has one last prayer to whisper
one prays that the path has led a full circle
to return from whence he came
to end as he began
a child created through love
"the path of love
is like the mountain trail.. ... "
Poems by Oliver Loveday
•
and should we have a moment to turn and reflect
no thought would be given to the trail blister
or the skinned knee, nor the moments of doubt and confusion.
time spent in the valley would leave memories of the tall trees,
the bright flowers, the laughter of children, and the cool,
clear stream.
and the high points would be moments of solitude and freedom
of far ranging vision and thoughts.
of seeing the eagle in flight
catching the first rays of the morning sun
and feeling the wind from far above.
sure the weary traveler would have a limp
with slumped shoulders
and a wind much too short to let his laughter run its full course
but there would be a twinkle in his eye
and a marked space in between his words that only the fire
of love could possess.
and there would be a strength in his manner of one who has run
his course, remained firm to his choice even when lhe path ran
the razor-sharp ridge top, when it would have been easier to
tum back to the lush son forest floor below.
the traveler has his moment of rest at the end of a race well run.
but when asked to run the next; a longer, harder trail.
the choicer stands to say yes and then is on his way
not even a glance backward. sequence: love. yes.
tonight, the path is well-lit
by a moon so bright it dims the stars
and reflects the clouds of steam
billowing from my nostrils.
As I drop into the cove the air
becomes colder, crisp, clear,
snapping with the intensity of ice;
but the only sound I hear is my own motion.
the cabin fire warms me as I recall
the walk down. Its hissing name breaks
the silence as smells of roast apple enters
my senses like the incense of a meditating Buddha.
I relax and listen to the clock reminding me
of my humanity while my time is measured by the
sound of boiling water for tea.
I breathe and feel my blood rushing through
my body like a million dreams cutting through
the silence. I smile as I lay down my pen
to listen closer. Outside a rabbit pauses
in the frost to curse the dogs and the Full Moon.
KATUAH-page 13
Winler 1986-87
�Keeping Warm in Winter:
Homeless in Katuah
All creatures need shelter ... a
home...a nest. As human creatures become
more and more dependent on the urban
economy, they become removed or
abstracted from the means to preserve their
own survival. No longer is it easy for a
human creature to be "native" with the
earth... to find shelter and gather food to
keep alive. One usually has 10 rent or own
"propeny" which may include a house or
apartment. No longer are community wells
or water sources available... usually one
must "pay" for the use of that very basic
many plant closings around here; others
never had a job to lose, nor the training to
get one. This brief look at this issue is
presented in hopes that a more humane,
viable, life-centered economy can be
developed in this locale and in this region.
The human "systems" here are not working
as well as they could ...families should nor
be financially forced off their
farms ... productive industries need to be
regionally owned so there is less chance of
multination,al-type plant closings... more
cooperative small businesses need 10 be
encouraged to start up in order 10 provide
steady employment. .. and on and on. Our
human "systems" need to be re-designed to
ensure right livelihood for .i!.11 inhabitants of
this area.
People who are homeless do not so
much need our sympathy but more our
empathetic push towards looking at
new/old ways in which our human
community can live comfonably and gently
within this land called Katuah.
At present, the three people
interviewed here are using the facilities of
the Laurentine Shelter in Asheville, NC run
by volunteers and the Asheville-Buncombe
Community Christian Ministries. Other
shelters in this locale include the Western
Carolina Mission, the Salvation Army
Emergency Lodge and a newly forming
independent shelter, the Hospitality House
which hopes to be able to accommodate
people during the day as well as evenings.
At present, uhere are not enough facilities to
meet the needs of the homeless people in
Asheville.
Here is the transcript of the interview:
element One may be fonunate enough to
grow a garden but often it only supplements
one's or one's family's diet. The truth is...
much of survival in the city requires
money-quite a lot of it.
The following is an interview with
three men in their 40's and 50's who grew
up here in the KatU'ah region who have no
shelter of their own to call home--no nest,
nor economic niche. Two of them grew up
in the country. For one of them, the city
expanded into the 'country' thus he became
urbanized by just staying put Another could
not make it by living in the country, so
moved into town. This interview is a
glimpse into their stories and their lives.
There are many more people like
them, men and women, who too are
homeless in this region. Some have lost
their means of livelihood because of the
KATUAH - page 14
K: Are you from around here?
AM: I grew up here in Asheville near Oteen.
K:What about your family; are they around
here?
AM: I have a mother living here now but I
can't live with her because she lives in one
of those low-income housing, so I'm out.
[Katiiah checked with the Housing
Authority and found that only families, the
elderly and the handicapped are eligible to
apply for housing assistance. Single
adults-male or female-are not eligible to
apply for any housing. A family can be any
two or more blood relatives living together,
so under that category AM. could apply for
him and his elderly mother to live together
as a "family"; however, there is a waiting
list. -Ed.J
K: When you were growing up, did you
live in town or out in the country?
JG:
Where we lived was out in the
country, still in Buncombe County, though.
K: Did y'all do any farming?
JG: Oh Lord, yes. All the time. Me and my
grandmother and granddaddy.
K: Was it tobacco fanning?
JG: No, just com and other food.
K: Did you sell any of it or just grow it for
your own use?
JG: Mainly, for our own use. We canned it
and used it ourselves. 'Had to back in them
days.
K: Can you share with us why you feel that
you need to use the Shelter.
JG: I was born and raised here in this
coun~ and you can't find a job nowhere.
K: Have you tried to find if there is any kind
of govemment way for you to get housing?
JG: Well, I don't have no income and you
have to have an income before you can do
anything like tha1. [Recently, the Housing
Authority has begun to accept applications
for people who have no income. However,
unfortunately, JG is not eligible to apply
because he is a single individual. -Edi
K: So, there's no way that the government
will help you to get housing?
JG: No. I know it doesn't sound right.
Winter 1986-87
�K: Have you been offered any possibility
for a work training program?
JG: No. I do know how to do bnckwork,
but I haven't been able to get work doing
that. [There is a training progmm available
in the area under the federal Job Training
Partnership Act, administered by the
county. -Ed.]
K: Did you grow up in this area?
DJ: Yes. In Asheville, right in town.
K: What has been your experience with
getting work-with getting by?
DJ: I haven't done much work at all in my
life, not at all. I've sold clothes. worked in
bars and banks. That's about it. A liule bit
of construction. I'm a diabetic and an
epileptic. I'm trying to get the disability.
That's why I cannot work at all.
K: Do you apply for disability through
Social Services?
DJ: Yes. For what good it does, I really
couldn't tell you.
K: How is it going?
DJ: Well, I was just turned down for the
second time. The first time it took me
basically about six months to even hear
from anybody. And I had at that time, the
first time, only one doctor who said I
should not work. And now this time, I had
three different doctors that told me I should
not work. And it took them about three
months to say 'no', again. So, now I am
going to appeal it, this time. Without the
shelter, really and truly I have no idea of
what I could have done. My parents are
divorced. My dad remarried and he just
recently rnoved back to the area. But he
doesn't even like to say hello. My mother,
she's basically in the same situation as JG's
mother. She's lives in low income
housing ... in Atlanta. My mom, she and I
get along very, very well but I only get to
sec her about once every two months
because of the regulations there about family
visitntion.
DJ: This area is a terrific place in the
summer but it sure gets cold in the winter.
K: What are the hours that you can be at U1e
Sheller?
DJ: Pretty much 6:30 in the evening til 6:30
in the morning.
K: Well, in winter, what do you do?
DJ: Just try basically to know somebody,
where you could go. What I've been doing I
go down to [a fast-food restaurant] and I am
lucky enough that they don't ask me to
leave.
K: It seems your choices are very limited.
DJ: I'm afraid a lot of days are like that.
K: Did you grow up in this area?
JM: Up in Madison County, out in the
country.
K: That's beautiful land up that way.
JM: Yeah, it's nice if you can make it. Some
folks go up as far as Tennessee for work.
K: All the way to Tennessee?
JM: Yeah, most of them do. You know, the
ones who've got steady jobs. Most of them
just farm down there.
K: Are there people who just stay and try to
hang on by the skin of their teeth?
JM: Yeah, a lot of lhem.
K: Do you think they're getting enough
food and keeping warm enoogh?
JM: Well, some of 'em is and some of 'em
ain't I guess. A lot of 'em sleep in old junk
cars.
K: Do any of them h:l\e land themselves?
JM: No, they're just out on the street.
K: Is there any place up that way where
people can spend the night?
JM: No, they don't have a shelter up that
way.
K: Are there any ch urches that informally
offer people an option?
JM: I don't think there are.
K: Are there any seasonal jobs available to
these folks?
JM: Yeah, chere're some jobs lhere in the
summenime. But it's like around here in
the wintertime, there just ain't nothing.
K: Well, what do people do in \~inter?
JM: They just do the best they can. There'rc
not lhat many really there, you know, most
of them are here in Asheville.
K: How many folks do you know that came
from Madison who need a place to live?
JM: Well, there's quite a few. There's a lot
of them around here and there's a lot of
them down in Greenville, SC. They just
stay around that mission down there as long
as they can.
"You set there, you stay
warm. If you've got money
to buy a cup of coffee or
something, why it's alright.
If you don't, they'll run you
off."
K: What's your story? Did you used to do
fanning?
JM: Yeah, we raised tobacco and stuff like
that. My daddy worked for the Southern
Railroad and we done farming and raised
tobacco, com and stuff like that. We sold
the tobacco and the other was garden
vegetables that we used.
K: Did your family stay up in Madison?
JM: No, my brother and sister both moved
to South Carolina.
K: What do you think needs to happen here
in the Asheville area in te rms of this need
for housing?
JM: I'd like to see them open up another
shelter so we can get some more people off
lhe street 'cause if it wasn't for the Shelter
I'd be out on the street myself. The Shelter
is one of the best things that happened here
in Asheville.
K: What do you do in winter? Do you have
to figure out how to keep warm from 6:30
in the morning til the evening, too?
JM: I sure do. Well, through the week it's
not too bad 'cause , you know, things open
up pretty early. Now, on the weekends,
there ain't a thing to do.
K:Hmrnmm.
JM: You know, you can't go in no cafe if
you ain't got no money to buy nothing. If
they don't sell you nothing, they're going to
run you out.
DJ: They don't appreciate that. Even at the
fast food resrourant I was talking about.
JM: Yeah, they don't appreciate it if you go
in there and just set. You set there, you siay
warm. If you've got money to buy a cup of
coffee or something, why it's alright If you
don't, they'll run you off.
K: What do you think wo uld be good,
particularly through the wintertime... would
you appreciate if there was a place, sav, a
church social hall, wher e you could. be
during the day...even have projects to work
on there?
JM: Yeah, that would be a good thing. For
people who ain't got no place to go during
the day.
K: If there were projects the.re, what would
you like to see there?
JM: Mainly, woodworking.
JG: Yeah, that'd be a good lhing.
DJ: Sure would.
K: When you moved to town from
Madison, did you have work for a while?
JM: Yeah, I worked last summer.
K: What were you doing?
JM: I stayed at lhe Mission down there [in
Asheville) last summer and people called in
there and wanted you to come out and
work. I worked just about every day.
K: Now this was at the Mission and people
would call up there?
JM: They'll let you work, you know, about
three days a week. They split it up between
everybody, so everybody gets a little bit of
it. Mainly, that comes through the
employment security office.
K: How long have you been in the county
here?
JM: Well, off and on for the last 15 years.
K: Before the mission was around, where
did you go?
JM: Well, mostly, 'fore they built that
mission I was working down in Greenville,
SC. You know, I had a preuy good job
down there and I could afford an apanment
and everything. But now, l ain't got
nothing.
K: What work were you doing down there?
JM: Construction work. And I've worked in
a lot of mills, too, you know, cotton mills.
K: And then, what happened to the work,
did it dry up?
JM: Yeah, they just started laying people
off, you know. They just kept the ones
who'd been there the longest.
- continued on page 23
photos by Mamie Muller
KATUAH - page 15
\\linter 1986-87
�the w
Lloyd C
Survfrol ofthe Clans
'This speaks of relationships, who our kinfolk are. The
names of the seven clans translate into the seven parts of the
world."
Tsali's Wife
'That woman is the center of the piece. All
to do with the matriarchal society.
'The strength of the woman: how strong she
can endure. She knows the dongers. She kno1
than tlie male's. You ca11't break her down."
Tsali's Wijj
The Family
'The mother, the father, the child. The mother's hand of
control, of survival, is close to the child. They learn from
her. The moving lines tie it all together, but the same themes
move through all my carvings. It's hard to speak of one
carving separate from the rest, because the ideas appear in
one fonn or another in all the different carvings."
�rR of ·
rl Owle
Releasing the Spirit of tlze Stone
'There's something in chat rock, and once I carve it, and you
can see it, the spirit is released."
life is going on around her. It must have something
How she can take care of the children, and how she
1ow to go on. Her system in a lot of ways is stronger
I
Tribute to Those Who Have Died
'The person is just barely there. Just a whisper, or a touch,
or a mention that she is there in the scone."
�-
--
Each line from the solar panel must have a gate valve
installed as close to the tank as possible. A boiler drain valve
must be installed at the bottom of the solar panel. Finally, a
vacuum breaker must be installed at the top of the panel.
by Avrarn Friedman
Did you know lhat more than half lhe electricity
consumed by the average American household is used to heat
water? If people employed alternative methods of heating
wacer, such as solar energy or wood heat, there would be no
rationale for the continued use of nuclear energy which
supplies only about 12% of the nation's elecnicity.
Unfortunately, many solar hot water systems on the
market today are "active" systems which depend on some
external source of energy to operate and which use
electronically operated pumps, sensors, valves, controllers
and elaborate networks of piping which leave homeowners in
awe and bewilderment. It is not uncommon for such
systems to remain inoperative for weeks, months, or forever,
because repair work requires so much technical expertise.
But solar energy systems do not have to be expensive
and complex. If the user is willing to play a small active
role, the system can be totally passive and all the fancy
gadgets can be eliminated. This article will outline how a
virtually maintenance-free system can be constructed
inexpensively.
Basic Principles
This type of system is called a "thermosiphon". It
requires that the bottom of the water storage tank be located
at least 18" above the beat source. In this case there will be
two sources of heat: a wood stove and a solar collector.
This system can provide 100% of a household's hot water
needs.
Since cold water is more dense, it falls to the bottom of
the system, displacing the less dense hot water to the top of
the tank. The cold water continually returns to the bottom
where it gains heat and rises to lhe top, etc. As more heat is
added, the tank "builds down" with hot water.
Components
The major components of the system arc a wood
stove, a hot water collector, a 40 gallon hot water tank. and
copper tubing.
Before any construction begins, a diagram of the
system should be shown ro the local plumbing inspector.
S/he can give you valuable pointers and steer you away from
possible dangers. Most inspectors are glad to help.
The Tank
Any available hor water tank can be adapted to use in
this system. It is best to use a new tank to be assured that it
will last for a good while.
Look for a tank that has at least two outlets on top.
The side outlets are for the thennosiphon loop pipes. The
top outlets will be used for the cold water supply and the pipe
carrying hot water from the tank to the house fixtures (sinks,
showers, etc.). The cold warer supply will enter the top and
travel down a "dip tube" to the bottom of the tank. Most
tanks already have dip tubes installed. Whenever hot water
is demanded in rhe house it will come from t.he top of the
tank where the water is honest, and is replaced by cold water
entering through the dip rube to the bottom of the tank.
Be sure to install a temperauue and pressure relief
valve at the tOp ofthe rank!
"Dielectric unions" at au outlets where copper pipe
meets the galvanized steel tank will protect both tank and
pipes from galvanic corrosion and extend the life of your
system.
Pipe Work
The next step is to insulate all the pipes and the tank.
ll is very important to maximize heat retention. Pipe
insulation and hot water "blankets" arc commercially
available and relatively cheap. The pipes should be secured
with pipe supports, clamps, or fasteners. Make sure there is
no stress on any soldered or threaded joints.
Maintenana!
If all work has been done carefully, the system should
be virtually maintenance-free. When the sun is shining or
when a fire is burning in the stove, hot water will be
produced and available on tap.
The only active role the user must play is 10 drain the
solar collector in the fall, before freezing weather sets in, and
to refill it in the spring, when all danger of freezing has
passed. This can be done by the operation of the two "loop"
valves and the boiler drain at the bottom of the solar
collector.
For more information, write: Friedman & Sun Design, Inc/
PO Box 657
Dillsboro, N.C. 28725
A PASSIVE SOLAB .\NO
~
Wood.stove Hot Water Loop
Virtually any woodstove can be easily adapted into a
thcrmosiphon system. There are several ways to do this, but
probably the easiest way is to coil ten feet of 1/2" copper
tubing and place it inside the firebox near the exhaust of the
stove. This requires that a hole be drilled in the side of the
srovc where the "intake" of the coil wilt enter from the
bottom of the tank. In addition a hole must be drilled in the
stovepipe, about 6" above the stove, where the coil exit.s and
runs up to the top of the tank- This creates a "closed loop"
between stove and tank. Whenever the stove is used. hot
water will be produced. One thing to remember is that the
pipe carrying hot water should run continuously in an
upward direction and about 3" from the rop. Never loop the
hot pipe above the tank and then down through the top of the
HEAT HOT \o/ATEP.
SV5TEM
tank.
Solar Loop
The solar panel is connected to the tank in the identical
fashion as the woodstovc. In this case the panel is the "coil"
and forms a closed loop with the tank.
If you are building your own solar panel, have the
intake at the bottom diagonally positioned from the exit at the
top.
The solar panel pipes may "T' into the corresponding
woodstove pipes instead of attaching directly into the tank.
KATUAH - page 18
~
.
l£='=
_..,..J'''~I " )
/
\
\
I \
I \
Winter 1986-87
I
�Homage to Prometheus:
A Stovebuilder's Narrative
I grew up with fireplaces and Warm
Morning heaters that burned both wood and
coal as a heat source during winter. As
ecological concerns became popular in the
late sixties, I became aware of several
air-tight, fuel-efficient wood stoves that
were available on the market. While they
offered a solution to one problem, they were
often beyond the budget of most of the
community in the area where I grew up.
There was also a cenain romance involved
in the "back to the land" folks who wanted
to be self-sufficient as much as possible,
which included building their own stove or
fireplace. The fireplace is considered the
most inefficient means of heat, but it is
unbeatable in conveying a sense of home to
a space in the winter.
During my college days I picked up
some welding skills in sculpture class while
at the same time learning a good deal about
fire and heating processes in pottery classes.
With lhis background, I was taking a
welding course at the local vocational school
when the need for a woodstove arose. This
offered us the opportunity to make a stove
as a class project By using as a model a
wood stove made domestically based on a
Finnish stove design, I developed a design
for a srove that utilized one-quarcer inch
steel plate, with three of the sides and the
bottom lined with regular fire brick. With a
baffle chamber and an air-tight door, this
stove offered many advantages that appealed
to my ecological attitude. While the welding
process is not the most balanced of
processes in the ecological spectrum, the
use of salvaged steel from scrap yards and
the ability to build a fuel-efficient stove that
could fit into the budget of most folks more
than balances this drawback. As more
people in my community became aware of
my stoves, there was a good deal of interest
in how to improve on the design. I received
a lot of practical advice and was given recent
articles and books about wood stoves.
The design I have developed offers a
versatile stove that can be customized to fit
individual needs while increasing the price
of the stove by little or nothing. By using
the size of a regular fire brick as the basic
unit of size for the box, I am able to offer
two sizes of stoves as a general idea of what
I can do. Recently I was commissioned to
build a large furnace using the same design
with simple modifications.
After building the furnace and several
examples of variations on the basic design, I
became interested in two new designs; one
being a wood cookstove that used the
firebox design and the second being a
modification of the barrel stove using large
pipe instead of an oil drum with its thin
walls. I began the wood cookstove three
years ago as a side project using whatever
steel was available at the end of other
projects. I spent as much time working out
the design on paper as I did actually
building the stove. This stove was recently
completed, but I have not used it enough to
be sure that a person can cook on it, bake in
the oven, and still not be run out of an
overly heated room. There are advantages
and disadvanrages in the design, but the
disadvantages should become minimal with
minor alLerations.
The second project proved much
easier to apply. After locating a section of
pipe two feet in diameter with half-inch wall
thickness, I designed a stove for a friend
who did truck farming for a living. He
needed a stove for his greenhouse that
would hold a fire all night and not bum out
after one season's use. The stove more than
satisfied that need. I used half-inch plate to
weld a "V" to the top of the horizantally laid
pipe to make a baffle chamber. With an
air-tight door, the stove was fuel-efficient
and easily adaptable to the space needing
heat
A current project is to modify my
original stove design to fit in the stone work
Weld a " V" of 112" plate in 2' pipe of
3/8' wall for a r ugged but effective stove
of the house a friend has built. The stone
was laid with vents for forced draft to
generate uniform heat. We are considering
separating the baffle chamber from the
firebox so that the forced draft can go
between them to increase the amount of
BTU's available. Being an anist, I am
interested in building stoves that are
customized to project an individual
statement for the home-owner, while
remaining cost-effective and fuel-efficient
I plan to explore the use of other fuels
and other building materials in the future.
Natural gas, while it is a non-renewable heat
source, is the most practical fuel for urban
residents. It would be easy to design
unique, efficient stoves of salvaged pipe
(cast iron sewer pipe, etc.) for this fuel.
Cast earthenware clay is another material
that has been largely ignored in this country
in recent years. While clay would not
withstand the shock of loading wood into it,
it could offer a lot of versatility in design as
a material for a gas stove.
l have fantasies of someday starting a
non-profit co-operative of stove builders to
meet the needs of the community and the
Earth Mother. While I would be glad to
share my ideas with others, I am also aware
of the need to get patents on som.e of my
original designs so I could continue to use
them without someone else gaining legal
control over them.
With all the advancement of the
innovative ideas, my favorite source of heat
remains the open-pit fire. I have done little
to improve on this design.
-Oliver Loveday
KATUAH - page 19
Winter 1986-87
I ,..1; I ,;'
�NATURAL
WORLD
NEWS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACITVE
WASTE UPDATE
Natural World News SCNicc
In the present winter session, the srate
legislature will decide whether or not Nonh
Carolina will remain in the Southeast
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact. If
North Carolina chooses to remain in the
compact, it wilJ receive all the low-level
waste from eight states in the southeast for
the next 20 years. If the legislature chooses
to withdraw from the compact, the state will
still need a smaller facility to accomodate its
own low-level waste.
State legislators and the governor arc
presently saying that the pros and cons of
both courses of action are being studied.
An underlying assumption of the
radioactive waste debate is that the nuclear
induscry will continue to operate its waste
generating power plants and perhaps even
add new nuclear plants to the grid in the
future. The debate, then, is presented 10 the
public as merely one in which we decide
where and how we bury the waste. The
idea of limiting our waste output is not even
discussed.
In this case, however, the waste
dump issue docs affect the source of a large
pan of the waste, the nuclear power
induscry. If North Carolina and other states
choose to handle only their own low-level
wastes, it creates a powerful incentive to
minimize the waste produced. It would then
become a problem each state must deal with.
It could not be passed on to "the other guy".
Electorates and governments would resist
the construction of new nuclear power
plants, and they might even press to shut
down existing plants.
This prospect terrifies the nuclear
induscry. This is the real issue at stake. in
the Compact debate. Nuclear industry
lobbyists are right now twisting arms in
~eigh, causing legislators to give indirect,
wIShy-washy answers to public inquiries
concerning their positions on Compact
m~mbership: "Right now I tend to favor
withdrawal, but I'm going to wait until all
the facts are in before I commit myself." lf
!cgislat~rs ~ait until the legislative session
is over, 1t will be too late to withdraw from
the Compact.
False issues are being raised to dilute
the public sentiment to withdraw from the
Compact. For instance, the fear is raised
that "if we go it alone we'll have to accept
waste from all other states", because we
won't have the exclusionary clause which
protects Compact members. But in reality,
KATIJAH - page 20
the Low-Level RadioacLive Waste Policy
Act of 1980 directs all states Lo either deal
with their own waste or to join a Regional
Compact. If every state complies with this
federal law by 1993, there will be no one
left to send waste to Nonh Carolina.
It is particularly disturbing that in this
process the will of the people of North
Carolina is being basically ignored. The
public is being "informed" of the situation
and "prepared" for what is to come in the
future. This is an arrogant posture for
public officials to assume on an issue that
the electorate is relatively well-informed
about.
Democratic government is only
democratic if the people realize their power
and exercise it. Legislators will operate
under the illusion that they can ignore the
p~blic until they arc proven wrong. The
V 1etnam War and Watergate are examples of
arrogant lawmakers learning about the
power of the people in this country.
le is obvious that the people of Nonh
~li~a don't want a regi~nal waste dump
rn tbetr state. But to influence their
legislat~rs l? act accordingly, the public will
have to msntuie a popular movement which
will r~nder the nuclear industry's massive
lobbying effon useless. We can not just
assume that the legislature will do what is
best for the public. Legislators must be
made to realize that their political lives
depend on voting to withdraw from the
Compact.
Citizens for a Choice on Nuclear
Waste (CCNW) has been circulating a
p~tition statewide demanding either
withdrawal from the Compact or a binding
referendum on the issue. To dare over 5000
signatures have been collected on the
petition, and it has been supponed by 20
legislative candidates. This is a good start
but it is not nearly enough.
'
All concerned people need to get into
action again, quickly. Circulating this
petition is just one of the iasks that needs to
be done. Legislators need to be called
written, and confronted directly. Publi~
demonscrations need to be organized and
well-attended.
In general, it's rime for us all to wake
up. If you live in Nonh Carolina and have
an opinion about low-level radioactive waste
being shipped into the state, call Governor
Martin at his toll-free number:
1-800-662-7952 and telJ him how you feel.
For copies of the petition, write to:
CCNW
P.O. Box 653
Dillsboro, NC 28725
MRS: BEHJND CLOSED DOORS
from Natural RigltlS Ncwslc11cr
The United States Coun of Appeals is
deliberating on the case of Tennessee v
Herrington. The lawsuit, initiated by th~
State of Tennessee to prevent conscruction
of the "temporary" storage and processing
facility for High Level Nuclear Wastes
known as the MRS (Monitored Retreivablc
Storage) which the Dept. of Energy (DOE)
wants to site in Oak Ridge. Meanwhile,
DOE operatives are quietly at work behind
the scenes to bring the nation's waste to Oak
Ridge irrespective of how the coun rules.
. Last F~bi:unry. District Judge Thomas
Wiseman enJorned DOE from submitting
any Monitored Retreivable Storage proposal
to Congress that was based on the "fatalJy
flawed" Oak Ridge siting study. DOE
appeale~ that injunctio~. arguing among
other things, that the Judicial branch has no
constitutional power to enjoin the Executive
bra~ch . from commu~icaring with the
Lcg1slauve .branch. As 1f to prove the point,
DOE conunues 10 engage in extensive
communications with senators and
con.gressmen in an effon 10 win suppon for
!h~1r ~RS plan, despite the court's
lnJUnCUOn.
Now it appears 1ha1 a bill to create an
MRS is being drafted by Senators Johnson
(D-LA) and McClure (R-ID) for
introduction as soon as the court
proceedings are concluded. Such a bill
wouJd shortcut the Nuclear Waste Policy
Act process and simply authorize DOE 10
construct and operate an MRS at the site of
the abandoned Clinch River Breeder
Reactor. 30,000 spent nuclear fuel
assemblies wouJd be rrucked to that site.
Suppon for the Johnson-McClure bill
is the trade DOE is offering the 34 senators
and 164 representatives in the 17 Second
Round Nuclear Waste Repository States and
the 12 senators and 53 representatives in the
6 states studied for the First Round
Repository. In exchange for help with
MRS, DOE is offering 10 slow First Round
studies and drop the Second Round
selection process entirely. By agreeing to
put an MRS in eastern Tennessee, these
senators and representatives could t:ruLhfully
bra~ about having kept nuclear waste out of
their home state in future re-election
campaigns.
It is not responsible waste
~anagement to put all the nation's
high-level nuclear waste in an open field
beside a waterway that flows through 8
states before washing into the Gulf of
Mexico. It is stupid and dangerous to truck
it~ over interstate highways; once to
Winter 1986-87
�Tennessee, t~e.n later to a final repos11ory.
But the. $4 b1lhon that the plan will cost is
~01 s~bJCCl 10 qramm-Rudman cuts because
It will be paid by electric ratepayers.
Hopefully. _those who worry about the
hazar~s o_f nvers and highways - and their
elc~~nc bills - will be powerful allies in the
pohucal battle ahead.
NUCLEAR FUEL SERVICES
AGAIN
'
from N1lu1"11l Righis Ncwslcucr
In the l 970's, Nuclear Fuel Services
Inc. (NFS) simply walked away from it~
reprocessing plant in West Valley. NY, and
left 10 state and federal agencies the
$400,000,000 task of cleaning up 560,000
gallons of _highly radioactive wastes leaking
from the sue. NFS moved its operations to
Tennessee, where it went into the business
of supplying nuclear fuel for submarines
and selling uranium bullets to the
international anns trade.
Congre.ssperson Edward Markey
(0-MA) studied the NFS plant in Erwin,
TN as part of a survey of nuclear waste
handling in this country. On September 18
1986 Re~. Markey !CP,?"ed to congress 1ha;
the. Erw1~ pla~t 1s a toxic nightmare,
ooi.mg rad1oacuve contamination into work
areas, into lunchrooms and other
non-working areas, and into the soil outside
work buildings. The plant has coniamina1ed
groundwater and off-site railroad land.
Even parts of vending machines had 10 be
disposed as radioactive waste.
In
addition. rndioactive waste buried on the
plant site linancially endangers state and
federal ta_xpaycrs". Markey is conducting a
congressional inquiry into union charges
1ha_t .NFS an~ NRC conspire to keep the
facility operanng despite safety violations.
/
. The Namral Ri2f1ts Newslecrer is
ava1/ablefrom tl~e ~atural Rights Center, a
non-pro/11 public 111terest law project of
USA; P.0.Box; Summertown, TN
';/MBJ·
EPA PIGEON HOLES CIIAMPION
by
Mi!Uc Buch•mlll
Environmentalists and friends of the
Pigeon River won a major legal battle this
month in the continuing srruggle to clean up
the long-polluted river.
U.S. District Judge David Sentelle on
Dec. I. dismissed a lawsuit brought by
Champion International Corporation against
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Sentelle ruled that EPA did not overstep its
autho_ritr _when it. took away North
Caroltn~ s i;ght. to write a _Pem1it governing
C~amp1on s discharge 111to the Pigeon
River. Champion was joined by North
Carolin.a in its .l egal challenge to the EPA
move; rntervemng on behalf of EPA were
the State of Tennessee, the Pigeon River
Acti~n Group (PRAG), and the Legal
Environmental Assistance Foundation
(LEAF)._ ~hampion has 30 days to appeal
the d~1s1on. If the appeal fails, both
Champion and North Carolina will have to
accept the terms of the permit currently
being drafted by the EPA.
. N_orth C~rolina's long history of
penmssive penruts has left the Pigeon River
below Champion's Canton plant
coffee-colored and nearly devoid of life, in
sharp contrast to the pure crout scream !bat
emerges from the mountains of Haywood
County above the plant. Efforts by PRAG
and the State of Tennessee led to the
unprecedented EPA decision to take back
pennitting authority from a state.
Key issues in the struggle are the
color of the river, which is still brown when
it crosses into Tennessee; and the elevated
temperature, which has consistently violated
Nonh Carolina water quality standards.
For more information, contact:
Millie Buchanan
Qean Water Fund
102 Tacoma Circle
Asheville, NC 28801
Pigeon River Action Group
P.O. Box 105
Waynesville, NC 28786
(704) 627-9774
BILLBOARD BLIGHT:
EYE POLLUTION SOLUTION
Natural World News Servu:c
. Recently, the meager efforts made by
legislators to deal with the advancing
onslaught of billboards grai.ing the
mount_ains have been compromised by hard
!obbymg on the part of the billboard
tndustry. To combat this unyielding
invading unsightliness, cicizens groups have
sprung up and are confronting the billboard
industry and its legislators. Carolina
Coalition for Scenic Beauty, with its 350
members in Hendersonville and chapters in
Buncombe County and Charlotte, has a
two-fold plan modeled after the new
Waynesville, NC sign ordinance: I) halt
ereccion of new billboards (there are now
over 17,000 billboards gracing the land in
Western Nonh Carolina and the NC coastal
tourist areas); 2) repeal laws which allow
cutting of crees to put up billboards.
f" ~inc m~mber governmental study
commission which held hearings for eight
months on possible sii.e reduction made no
recomendations to reduce the number
p_rotect i:ees, or meaningfully reduce th~
sii.e of billboards. Co-chairperson Senator
Bo Thomas was the only commission
member who recommended any meaningful
refo~ and he couldn't even get a second
for h1s_p~posals from the nine person study
commission.
One observer wryly commented that
she thought the commission was accing out
of self-interest when it was revealed that 2
members owned billboards, another rents
land for billboards and yet another member
uses billboards for his personal use.
Now is the time to get active! Write
your legislators, call them on the phone,
meet them face to face. Plant trees not
•
billboards!
For more info on ordinance guidelines &
legal advice, call:
Kay McNett
Southern Environmental Law Center
Charlottesville, VA (804) 977-4090.
I
Carolina Coalition for Scenic Beauty
POB 1433. Hendersonville, NC 28793
(704) 693-6776.
KATUAH- page 21
Winter 1986-87
�NATURAL WORLD NEWS - continued
BEARLY MAKING IT
Natural World News Service
Black bears in Katiiah are facing lean
times. In addition to the lack of hard mast
(nuts, acorns) resulting from the drought
this summer, Roger Powell (Dept. of
Zoology, NCSU, Raleigh) of the Pisgah
Bear Project reports that because of
increased hunting pressure bear "mortality is
outstripping reproductivity". Poaching
accounts for 50% of all kills, while legal
kills account for 30-40% of all bear
mortality. In addition, of the 15 bears
studied at the Pisgah Bear Sanctuary (one of
28 bear sanctuaries in NC) only one bear is
a breeding age female!
Previous studies reveal a history of
poor "population management".
Warburton's 1981-82 study of the Pisgah
Bear Sanctuary showed that, of the bears
being monitored, 60% were killed, 75% of
which were females.
~LL SftC~tS
D~~
22
• continued from page
In the drama perfonned at the end of
the day, Mother Nature expresses
"especially dear to me is Earth, the
blue-green gem io space, the watery Living
planet where I take delight in all of you and
in your spectacular diversity." Amy shares
with us, in her own words, the progress of
the play: "Then, one by one the critters
stood and named themselves. They told
each other about troubled times, poisoned
waters, disappearing forests, mass
slaughters. They confessed fear for the
future. They wondered aloud whether their
na.~Ln9
Pa.per n a.chi
rta.s~s
Making a head mask of paper mache
is simple in description, but often hard and
tedious in practice until, through much
repetition, some degree of skill is gained.
The fust step is to make a rough
frame of wire mesh to stiffen and hold the
paper mache as it dries. The frame will be
incorporated into the mask.
The best material for the frame is
regular chicken wire, which is both strong
and flexible. If the holes are too big to
adequately support the paper mache, two
layers may be used.
KATUAH - page 22
The N.C. Wild life Resources
Commission (N CWR C), whose stated
goals are to 1) maintain a stable viable bear
population, and 2) maimain an abundant
surplus for hunters is "not living up to their
mandate as wildlife managers" according to
Paul Gal limore, coordinator of the Bear
Action Network. T he NCWRC has
disregarded Powell's and Warburton's data
and maintains that although the bears are
facing hardships this year , the "natural
mechanics" are such that the bear population
normally fluctuates with mast production.
Fortunately female bears are denning-up
early, and the impact of hunting (legal and
illegal) may be lessened this year.
Recently, Tennessee shortened their
bear season to the last week in December
after research from black bear expert Dr.
Mike Pelton of the University of Tennessee
and the Tennessee Wildlife Commission
revealed that populations could be sustained
if hunting was restricted until after the
denning of females and cubs.
Clearly it is time to bring pressure to
bear on the NCWRC. The data is in and the
bears aren't going co be with us unless WE
take action.
young cousin s, the humans, understood
how all the world was alive, balanced and
beautiful, and how they were devastating
the entire planet.
"Meanwhile people playing 'humans'
sauntered in their midst, oblivious to the
creatures' plaints. Earphones covered their
human ears. The gaze of their human eyes
was fixed on television or computer screens
or o n literal mirrors. Mother Nature
assessed that they were hypnotized and so
wrapped up in thoughts of themselves that
they had forgotten their place in the magic
web of life.
"'But if we call Lhem, all of us in our
different voices, perhaps we can waken
them before it's too late,' suggested Mother
Nature. Three times a cry went up from the
The frame must be big enough to sit
over a person's head; sometimes it helps to
begin to form the wire frame over a log or
ball of adequate size. The frame must also
be formed so that the eye holes and perhaps
the mouth and nose holes will line up in
advantageous places that fit in with the
design of the mask, particularly if it is larger
than lifesize.
The frame needs only to give a rough
outline of the head shape, because the actual
contours can be filled in with layers of paper
mache. Bur the closer the frame is to a true
outline, the better, because building layers
of paper mache is slow work. Bend all wire
ends into the frame so that they do not catch
or poke.
Once the frame is constructed, strips
of newspaper I 1/2 to 2 inches wide need to
be cut. A lot of them! Paper mache work
demands a lot of newspaper, and the more
that is used, the sturdier the mask. The
major limitation is usually time and patience.
Call or write the NCWRC now. Ask
them to reopen Powell's data and restudy
his research. Ask for a moratorium on
killing bears. Ask for a shoner season (NC
has the longes t bear hunting season in the
Southeast). so the females and their cubs
have a chance.
Executive Director
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
.
512 N.SalisburySt. ~
IWdgh, NC 27611
.Br"'
To repon poaching or other violations, call:
NC.......... 1-800-662-7137
1-800-922-5431
TN.......... 1-800-262-6704
GA .......... 1-800-241-4113
VA .......... 1-804-257-1000
sc..........
For more infonnation, contact:
Paul Gallimore
Bear Action Network
Route 2, Box 132
Leicester, NC 28748
(704) 683-3662
throat of Lion, Owl and Hawk. Three times
a call from Gull and Frog and Dolphin.
Three times a call from Heron, Snake and
Oak Tree, un til finally the humans
responded. Then all joined ha nds and
danced to the closing music of flute and
drum."
All Species Day-Greenville Coordinalor
Amy Hannon is a pioneer in the creation of
ceremonies and community riwals with an
ecological focus. She holds a PhD in
Philosophy from Boston College where she
taught for seven years. A Winter Solstice
earth ceremony based 011 Amy's a1mual
solstice ceremony for Greenville was
adaptedfor our Kat'iiah region and appeared
inKmfla.b..lssue VI, Wimer84-85. , ,
Then a large bowl of flour-and-water
paste needs to be mixed. This is a legitimate
use for the cheap, white, bleached flour.
Fill the bowl about 1/3 full with flour, and
then dip some of the flour into a cup or
smaller bowl. Add water (enough to make a
thin soupy mixture) and stir until the flour is
thoroughly dissolved. The resulting
mixture may be added to the larger bowl.
Mixing it gradually in this way (always
adding the water to the flour) insures a
smooth mixture with no lumps. Add water
to the mixture unril it is slick and wet and
slides off a strip of the newspaper when you
run your fingers down it leaving only a thin
film adhe.ring.
Construct the mask, first defining the
general shape and then building up around
the ridges and hollows to emphasize the
finer features.
Paper mache should
optimally be added only one layer at a time
- continued on next page
Winter 1986-87
-
•y
.
�W~11rm
KeeJl))fting
Wimiteir:
nmi
ftmi
IHiommeiless
OC11h1illbl
- continued from page 15
K : Do you talk to m any other people who
have the problem of no wor k, too?
JM: Yeah, 1here's a !or of 'em righ1 here in
Asheville. I know a bunch of 'em sleeping
down here in these old junk cars. r don'!
know how they can stand ir, it's cold.
K: Did they try to get in the Shelter?
JM: Well, some of them do. And, you
know, they come in, slay awhile. Then,
1hey migh1 ger drunk and miss a night or
two and somebody else gets their place.
And there they are again.
"Most of the time, I'm not
even hungry. Two meals a
day, I can make it on that."
K: What about food? Do you get supper at
the shelter, then an early breakfast?
JM: Yes.
K: What about a midday meal?
JM: Well, mos1 of the time, I can go down
to the Christian Ministry down there to eat,
if I'm hungry. Most of the time, I'm not
even hungry. Two meals a day, I can make
it on that.
K: Is that midday meal available aU the time?
JM: Just during the week, five days a week.
K: So on Saturday and Sunday what can
you do?
11.a.'-t.n9
Pa.pet" 11.a.ch.e 11.a.s'-s
- continued &om page 22
to allow thorough drying. In any case, do
not build up more than 1/8 inch wi1hout
allowing a drying time, so that no wet spots
(which may rot) are left between the layers.
Usually the inside of the mask. or at least
the top, is lined so that the wearer is not in
direct contact with 1he wire frame of the
mask which will poke or catch the hair.
Lining can be made with layers of paper
KATUAH - page 23
JM: Well, on Sa1urday and Sunday, you can
go down 10 the Mjssion and they'll give you
a sandwich or 1wo.
K: Let's see t here's t he Mission a nd the
Shelter, is there any other place in town?
JG: The Salvation Am1y, bu1 all you can
s1ay is three nights a month.
K : Three night.s a month ?? Have you stayed
over at the Salvation Army?
JM: Oh, yeah.
JG: I can'1 stay a1 1he Salvation Army,
'cause I'm a local and they wilJ no1 keep a
local there, so they 1old me. They won't
even~ a local.
K: Is that true?! [Katuah called the Salvation
Army and was 1old 1ha1 Lhe Lodge was for
"ttansienLs" and LhaL "locals" were
discouraged from using it]
DJ: The only way [ got in was someone
from the Sheller called down there and sfild
to let me stay !here.
JM: If he hadn't called, you wouldn't have
got in.
DJ: That's exactly righ1. fm aware of it.
They Lold me LO get lost the next morning,
LOO.
K : Wha t a r e the requiremen ts for the
Mission?
JM: Their reqllliremems are an ID.
K: What does that mean?
JM: A driver's license or something to
prove where you're from.
K: Can a local person go to the mission?
JG: Oh yeah.
K: Is there a restriction on how many nights
you can stay there?
JM: Well, they go1 a program down there. If
you get on tha1 program, if they let you get
on tha1 program, you can stay 45 days.
JG: But you got to be alcoholic [or have
drug-rela1ed problems -Ed.] to gel on 1ha1
program.
JM: Yeah, you have 10 be alcoholic to get in
the program. If you stay there long enough,
it'll drive you 10 drink.[Jaugh1er] Even if
you never touched a drop of ii in your life.
K: So, really the Shelter is providing a real
service in ter ms of offe ring you an option.
Is th er e a ny r est r iction on the length of
days? I n other words, if you don 't get
'bumped', you can keep coming back?
JM: Yes.
K : Do you have to p resent an y ID at the
Shelter?
JG: They ask who you are and where
you're from, then they sign you in. And
you get a ticket the next morrung to get back
in the next night.
K: And bow many beds are there?
JG: Twenty.
K: I asked about food, what about clothing?
Are ther e clot hes ava ilable to you if you
need them? Coats, etc?
mache laid on the inside of the invened
mask or by glueing in pieces of lhin foam or
fabric. (Too much foam, however, makes a
mask stifling and stuffy.) Sometimes
padding is needed for extra protection for
Lhe nose or chfo or where the mask rests on
the shoulders.
When the shape of the mask looks
right, it can be painted, or colored paper,
fabric, or ornaments may be glued on.
Oil-based enamel paints adhere best to paper
mache and leave the best finish, but la1ex
paints will work also. Water-color pamts
DJ: Basically, clothes are available through
the Christian Ministry.
K: What about basic spending money? You
know, you need som e mon ey to get
by...JM, have you applied for a ny monies
or any kjn d of thing?
JM: No, I haven't. Now and then, I get a
day's work so I've made it so far.
K: So, you 've at least had some pocket
money, ever y once in a while. J G, what' s
your situation, a re you able off and on to get
a day's job?
JG: Well, just now and then.
"I know a bunch of 'em
sleeping down here in these
old junk cars. I don't know
how they can stand it, it's
cold."
K: Is the Shelter able to help you find work?
Does the E mployment Commission call over
to the Shelter a t aU?
JG: I don'1 1hink. I never heard tell of them
calling over there on account of you can't
call over there during the day. It's after 6:30
in the evening and til 6:30 in the morning
that the Shelter is open.[The Shelter does
encourage people to go over to the
employment office, though. -Ed.)
K: Would that be good, t hen, for a shelter to
stay open longer and connect in wit h the
E mpl oyme n t Commisssion a nd other
sources so you'd know about possible jobs?
JG: Why, sure that would be about the best
thing that ever happened. lf we had a "day"
sheller here to do 1hat.
K : Let me ask you a nother q uestion about
t he possibility of a " day" shelter... what if
no salaried jobs came up, but say "volunteer
jobs" came up, for exam ple, to work on a
project or to hel p out in some way.... would
that be something you'd like to know about?
Particularly, during t he winter so you could
keep occupied, indoors.
JG: Well, tha1'd be helping somebody that
needed it. Cause I know a wealthy person
ain't going to ask you to do some1hing like
that.
DJ: Why, it would be great! I sure 1hink it
would. It would be something to do, just
ge1 away from the boredom.
JM: It would keep your mind occupied.
--interviewed by Marnie Muller
will not work.
Now the mask is finished. Put it on.
Identify with it Practice the animal's (or
element's) sounds and motions in front of a
mirror. Forge1 what is inside the mask and
be the creature that is visible in the mirror.
To aid in the 1ransference of identity,
practice doing things and makfog noises
(privately at first) that you would not do in
your own body. Gradually an empathy
between you and the crea1ure of the mask
_,
will arise.
Winter 1986-87
�DRUMMING
LETTERS TO KATUAH
Hello Karuah,
Herc is a poem that I think you might find interesting.
Dark Ridge Creek is in Jackson County and I have walked
quite a bit of ii.
We are not down to the last trout yet. There are lois of
native speckles swimming around; a lot of rainbows, coo. If
you want to use the poem, feel free. Keep up the good
work.
11iE LAST TROUT IN DARK RIDGE CREEK
The only mate I have ever known
the only one of my kind to ever
swim beside me
lies on his side in still water
color fading like an autumn leaf
sinking to the stream's bonom
If I had voice
Dear Friends:
Your Fall, 1986 issue, centering on the subject of
death, is great! I especially appreciate the attention given to
DealinK Creatively with Death,
I would have liked to see more attention given to
memorial societies. There are nearly 200 of these societies
and they are the major consumer advocates in the funeral
industry. You might like to publish the name and address of
the Continental Association of funeral and Memorial
Societies and perhaps the names and addresses of societies in
the Appalachian area and nearby.
I was delighted to see you publish a detailed
description and instructions for building burial boxes. Along
this same line, a few paragraphs on dealing with the legal
details of non-professional bunal might be helpful.
Cordially,
Ernest Morgan
like the bird in the laurel
that can sing her young
from a tangle of twigs
and slow the sun's flight across the sky
I would not be alone
Our spawn
our children
once growing
breathing
wombed in a bed of gravel
lie smothered under a blankec of silc
as if dark grains of nighc
fell from the sky
and buried a thousand sunrises
Truly,
Thad Beach
Waynesville, NC
Many thanks 10 Ernest Morgan/or his contributions tQ
KarUah#J3.
The addresses of the memorial societies serving the
KatUah province are asfo/kJws:
ConJinelllal A.ssodalion cf FUMral aNl Memorial Societies
2()()1 s strtl!l NW (Suitt 530)
Washi11g1011, DC 20009
Dear Katiiah,
I so enjoy reading the Kllllahl I would like to lcnow
more about it, and if there is a group meeting, etc.
I have enclosed a poem about "A Place of Warmth for
Me".
Mtm0rial Society ofGeorgia
191 I Cliff Vality Way NE
A1/an1a. GA 30329
Blw Ridge Memorial Society
Bo;c2601
ArMvillt, NC 2/WJJ
East Tt1111essu Memorial Society
Bo;c 1057
KnoJC11illt, TN 37919
Memorial Society ofROQ/IOke Valley
Bo;clJIX)l
ROQ/IOke, VA 24014
As to the legal details of Mn-professional burial, all
sources say, "Consult Tlie Manual' (Ernest Morgan's book
Dealing C&tivefy wjth [)emh>."
-The Edif()rs
Keep up the journal; the reading is great!
A PLACE OF WARM1H FOR ME
rve searched for my own special place,
Where nature's views reflect in my space.
My very own plot of ground,
Where I could live year 'round.
A cabin, small, I'd build,
With flowers on the window sills,
A happy place, where I could dream,
As I listened quietly to a stream.
Then, when winter's full of cold and snow,
A log fire burning all aglow.
The smoke rising ever so high,
Like an Eagle in the sky.
I've wandered far and near,
My place must be full of cheer,
Where peace and Jove abide,
With God close by my side.
I'd dream, I'd sing, I'd write, I'd paint,
You'd never hear me say "I can't."
l'd look from my mountain top, oh, the beauty I'd see,
I'd be just as warm, happy. and content as I could be.
Sincerely,
Barbara Ann Satterfield
Sylva, NC
KATUAH - page 24
Wimer 1986-87
�INITIATION
Wrapped in buckskin
Anllercrown
the wind was her king
down in the grove
where the trees whisper.....
Shandoah ..... Shandoah
she runs with the deer
to her place of power
she sleeps on the Earth
Her Mother's heartbeat
in her ear
She receives her Mother's smile
knows what to do
She walks with the deer spirit
to the river of life
falling starS in her eyes
Moon bath
Swimming
She is born
She is rising
The river is sweet
She drinks from iis blood
She anoints herself
and lays in the thicket
full and ripe she falls
into the world of 1he undreaming
She forgets 1he meaning
of her Mother's tongue
of her Grandmother's sorrow
She wears the robe of shadow
She mee1s her test
with the promise
that she will live
in all that is
that she will awake from the dream
to be reclaimed
that lhe river flows on through
her body
and will always empty
into her heart
-Colleen Rcdman·Copus
More Thoughts On Death
ToKat6ah:
Dear Friends,
I enjoyed the issue on death, that
cheerful topic. h is something I have been
thinking about a lot recently, in connection
with my praccice of the "Tac Kwon Do"
karate technique.
The ancient warrior codes all pivo1ed
on !hat stark moment when the warrior was
face-to-face with his own death. that was
the focus of all their rules of conduct and
practice. Whether it was among the
Japanese samurai, the Celtic chieftains or
the American Indian braves, the key
principle was to meet death wherever it
came. or, even, 1n the words of Mushashi,
the 15th century Japanese swordsman and
philosopher, " If you have a choice, seek
your death."
The concept of facing one's death
was also central to lhe "spiritual warrior"
practices of, say, Tibetan Buddhism and the
classic case of Carlos Castenada's Don
Juan, the Mexican b.IJUQ.
The practice of the warrior was of
course concerned with facing death for
pragmatic reasons, but to a large extent it
was also because of the depth and meaning
it brought into their lives. Sometimes it
takes an encounter with death to wake a
person up to the richness of life. The
warriors saw themselves as examples to the
people, as well, teaching them to regard
death fearlessly. In those times, war was a
personal thing a point of honor. It was
fought as much for the glory as for the
conquest. The battlefield was a
testing-place, an initiation. Compare that to
the craven coward with his finger over the
nuclear button, who would sacrifice an
incalculable number of lives to achieve his
own ends. For these men, death is no
longer real. Their lives, and all of our lives,
arc diminished as a result.
For the warrior, living in close
proximity to death was the only way to live.
The teaching there is that this is the human
condition. It is the same for all of us, all the
time. Even if we do not make it so
graphically clear by seeking our own death,
"Death is always over your shoulder"( in the
words of Castaneda's Don Juan). We
would benefit greatly from having teachers
brave enough co tell us that 1he way to die is
the way to live.
Thank you for bringing the notion of
"death" into the Katuah Journal. This is a
much-needed discussion, as our culture
purposely avoids the idea of death.
Death is something to be swept under
the rug ...flushed down the toilet ... carried
out like the trash. Out of sight, out of mind.
The main reason for this, I think, is
fear. Our culture is scared to "death" of
death and tries to protect its people from
having to face the experience of death
during the course of their lives. And so we
as individuals are left to meet our own
demise unprepared and unfamiliar with
death. This only promotes confusion and
deepens the fear. and so the spiral of
alienation continues.
The results of this have been
disastrous, both for us as people and for the
planet as a whole. A tremendous amount of
energy and resources go into insulating
ourselves from lhe world and propping up
the fallacy of the individual ego. We would
rather sacrifice whole species of other
creatures than allow and accept our
individual death.
Our neurotic fear of dying has
contributed in a large pan to the
overpopulation of humans, the
degeneration of the planetary environmoot,
and our own alienated lifestyles. Of course,
the fear of death is not totally responsible
for this, but coming to terms with our own
monality and realizing the importance of
death in our lives would go a long way to
helping us change our attitudes and
accepting our place in the world.
Thank you for helping to lead us a
few steps in this direction.
Sincerely,
Ava Livingston
Roanoke, VA
My best,
E. Thornton
Charlotte, NC
>'I'
KATUAH - page 25
Winter 1986-87
U \IU\.., •••,.It
AC'.,.,..,, -
~ATITA ;f
�- continued from page 1
different, bm we need to take counsel
together. This was desirable before, but
since the splitting of the atom, this has
become a necessity.
I carve a lot of pieces with figures that
have what I call "visionary eyes". There is
fear in those eyes. Those eyes have seen
the bomb, and they're afraid. I guess I'm
afraid too. I ge1 the feeling I had as a kid
when I read in the Bible of how "They shall
have sores and splotches, and so many
wounded, and so many of the people will be
killed".
At the time of the Chernobyl accident
they said 1he Chernobyl plant was
unprotected and without containment, but
later it turned out that the reactor rug have all
of that.
There are lots of those
graphite-cooled nuclear plants within range
of us. If four or five of those were to have
a meltdown, it would change the nature of
life on this planet.
When I was in the siitth grade, I was
pro-nuclear. I was really for it. "What a
wondeiful ideal All that energy!" But we
didn't know about nuclear waste.
We're primitive when it comes to
dealing with our nuclear waste. We think
we can bury it in holes in the ground, and
that it won't go into the water, and
everything will be alright. Bm how delicate
the world isl
I guess everything is beautiful to me.
Everything has its own way. When I see
people out there, all together, by the
millions, it's beautiful the way that they
move. But again, speaking face to face is
beautiful because o( the way people are and
the ways they are different.
I try to communicate through my art.
I think of people touching my carvings
when I make them, because I know that the
love and affection I feel are not for me to
keep to myself. Any artist knows his or her
work is for all people. An is to help bring
out a lot of things about the Creator and
how we have come to be humans living as
we do. An is also about how to improve
ourselves to be better people. Through time
artists have helped us more than almost
anyone else to figure out who we are and
what we're doing.
h's a healing feeling to know that
God does give us the power to do all these
things to feel better or 10 appreciate life
more. I ask God to make or to bless each
carving that 1 do and ask that people can
appreciate and take care of ii. Bui it's just
art It should just be appreciated as art, but
I guess every artist does feel some
attachment to their work. I would like
people to understand the thoughts and
feelings I put into my carvings. Otherwise
they might use a carving for a doorstop. Of
course, that's o.k. too, I suppose. It's a
rock-it'll hold a door open.
But a rock is not "jus1 a rock". The
rock I carve is the old pipestone: s1eati1e or
chloride schist. It gets a nice finish when I
sand it, and it turns darker as people handle
it
Rock seems primitive, but one
wonders whether it's back in time or
whether it's in the future. Rock itself is
alive. Rock has been ~where and seen
~thing. Rock has traveled the tracks of
the stars. It has traveled through all of time.
Each time the Earth has gone 1hrough
another cycle, the rock has become more
condensed. There is an incredible amount
of history and eitperience condensed in each
chunk of rock.
I search out my own pipestone to
carve. I see things in the rocks: arms, legs,
faces, animals, spirits - all the things of the
universe. Sometimes where granite and
quartz come together r see designs.
When I carve, often I will leave some
of the rock in its natural state. Then, along
with all the other creatures I represent, the
spirit of the stone is in the carving, too.
PASSING IT ON
people and had no way to eitpress that. So
they got upset about it and went to war with
the world.
Maybe we could have at least a small
effect on the problems of the future--the
neglect and the abuse.
Maybe by
communicating or working with some an,
people could be more happy, more creative,
and perhaps they would be less abusive.
It's o.k. to use something, whether
it's land or a creative gift, as long as you
give something back. That's why l like to
show carving to a lot of kids: to give
something back.
Sometimes on Saturday morning I
like to have kids and their parents who are
really intcreSted come over here, and I show
them how to do some of the carving. Kids
are smart, y'know. Often I.bey know more
than adults, because their view of the world
has not been broken and fragmented. There
is as much or more in their minds than in an
adult's, bul they don't have the mentnl tools
to explain it. There are adults like that, too.
A lot of people in prison have seen the
world in a different way from the rest of the
Interview by Martha Tree, David Wheeler,
and Michael Red Fox
Joe Roberts
258· 1038
734 Town Mountain Rd
FRIEDMAN &
8
Asheville, NC 28805
~
DESIGN, INC.
-
ENERGY SYSTEMS
THAT PAY FOR THEMSELVF.S
AVRAM FRIEDMAN
OESlGH~TECHNICIAN
KATUAH - page 26
garmiN Water System
.........
Ul. IRAVIOl.U PURIFICAllOtl AHO FILIERIHG SYSIEMS
SOlAA PAOOUCIS • WAIER ANALYSIS
HWY. 107
PO BOX657
DIUS80RO. NC 28125
RANDALL C LANIER
704 293 51112
AT. 68 BOX 125
CULLOWHEE, NC 28723
Winter 1986-87
�A CHILDREN'S PAGE
WHAT Wll..D ANIMAL
WOULD YOU LIKE
MOST TOBE?
Darby,8
Miles, 5
A mountain Jion...because I've
A rattJesnake...because I
like their colors.
always liked them...and
because I could run fast.
Jason,5
Tshu-Tshu, 5
A rattlesnake...because I like
how their tail is rattly.
A bluejay"'because I like
how they ny and how they drop
their feathers.
Karl, 7
Tyler, 8
A squirrel ....because they're
kind if you don't pick them up.
Being a squirrel, I can climb up
trees and I can run fasLand
I can live in a 'treehouse'.
An eagle. ...because I Jike to be
high....when you're an eagle it's
easier to hunt for food ....... .
ah, lunch!
Lars,8
A robin...because you're able
to fly ....you'd be free...you'd be
able to see everything•...
no limitations...
Amanda,7
A wild bird...a cardinal
I think it would be neat
to see how they live......
and because I could fly
above the sky•..
Sara, 7
Ariel, 7
A deer...they seem so quiet...
they look so nice...they look
gentle,too...
Jay, 8
A mountain lion...because
they like to roam in the
mountains...and so do I.
A squirrel....because they'd
be protected, not too many
creatures could get at them.
I would like to be a squirrel
because people can't climb trees
as well as they can.
We welcome original drawings, stories, poems, ideas, or
Thanks lo Rainbow Mountain School, Asheville, NC
KATUAH - page 27
comments by individua1 children or groups for this page. Let
us know what the children of KatUah are doing!
Wiruer 19116-87
�J.........
.,..~ -
'"'"'"'• A.Aov: .·
fO~ ·n•e.
atUGN0 ntE RULf.S:
' A NOTE ON NEW GRAMMAR .
\.
We all learned in school dw •a
pronoun must agree widl the object oi the
JP. RfN~ 3
G~T'N6RCNG
The Spring Gathering will be happening 7) Katuah ecology in the 80's
again in April. We would like some input 8) Drumming
from our readers on activities they would 9) Living outside & inside (dealing with)
like to have available. Here are some to
the 80's economy
choose from. Let us know if these 10) Dowsing
suggested topics or others would make 11) Sweat Lodge
interesting workshops for the gathering:
12) Community planning, etc.
13) Spirituality (individual and as a whole)
l) Herb identification and usage
Anyone interested in being on a
2) Tree identification
steering committee to bring this gathering
3) Primitive strucrure construelion
together please write to us at Katiiah; Box
4) Wilderness survival techniques
873; CuUowhcc, NC 28723.
5) Crystals
6) Wild food foraging and preparation
Thi powerful GOl..OEN EAGLE
nlH abon lh11iu.
tlus tull
•Mic••
co!0< dllllJ' , .._...,.11114
°" T·
~~RTS Of 100'<. NUHRUNk COT·
C4I011.S11Ytr.[cru, wi.tc
SinJ•Ad11111S.XL
$hor1SIHnT: AduK·$10.00ppd.
l ontSlunT: Adolt·S14.00ppd.
1\!age>
1
J
~
unnCJe
'Na
&~r~~l ~
~
All designs, except Golden Eagle. also available
in sweatshirts. Feather or tracks imprinted on
sleeve.
r ~1IOnl1t;:;:;~~;.;;;;.,N1;.1ls.,.....
w
:
103311, l1l11mRd..
I
0 Chtd
i
- ··-----
111. NC 281M(104)456-3003
M
ame
M11terCa~ NO---------t
: O M•••10nl••
O Vl$A
Eip. 0•1•1-- - - -- --1
I
Lens $1HW toc:l•dH dtlall• d pnlll of lta!Mr
°" 110 ... Sallllactioa 1 1 0< 1111JmWlull . - _
Addru•------ -------- --t
!,
~• When looking over the Kl1Uh
Journal. English teachers and sharp-eyed
proofreaders cringe and soflly curse the
KaWAh staff for the recurrence of sentences
such as: "The attitude of individualism puts
one at war against their environment."
The pronoun in that sentence is used
in a way that violates the precepts of
orthodox grammar. But the orthodox
grammar assumes that the basic unit of the
human race is the archetypal "he", an
assumption that we can no longer subscribe
to because it leaves the feminine half of the
population as non-entities - just one of the
subtle ways we are all taught 10 disregard
women and their role.
Trying to overcome this has led to
various complexities in the alternative
printed media. If we were to write out the
above sentence, for instance, it would
read, "The attitude of individualism puts one
at war with his or her environmenL"
Rather than encumbering our
sentences by writing out "his or her", "he
and she" each time, we have often chosen to
refer to them collectively as "their" and
"they", so that in fact that "someone"
potentially has become two, and the
pronoun agrees with this possibility. That's
not any harder to under~tand than it was in
sixth grade, is ii? (Or is it still just as hard?)
Some may be pleased at this change,
others may consider it th e rankest of
heresies, most probably could care less. But
language is a process and subject 10 change,
and there probably will be other changes as
we continue to modify our language to
conform to the conditions of our lives.
We welcome comments and
suggestions on this, as we do on all aspeclS
of the KluYah journal.
Changing our speech is another way
we can participate in creating ourselves a life
suitable to face the rimes we live in and the
times that are to come.
"'""'- ------------- - -t
i
i
'- CMck ......... FR(( COlOll CATAUKO ol all eur W1tdltt. Gl•pll••'OU.LU INQUllll[$ UMTlO
CIBII!NlE§IE
NAWRAL FOOD STORE
&DELI
~C1Un»1UNC'll'1UlilE
AM»
IHl~llllOLOGV
cn...nmc
107 Merrimon Avenue
Asheville. rt.c.
(704) 258·90 J6
KATUAH - page 28
MALAPROP'S
BOOKSTORFJCAFE
160 Broadway
Asheville, NC 28801
(704) 253-7656
BOOKS - CARDS - RECORDS
Where Broadway
61 HAYWOOD ST., ASHEVll..LE, NC 28801
(704) 2S4-6734
Meets Menimon
Andl-240
Open 7 Days A Week
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sunday
1:00 p.m. - 5 :00 p.m.
Winter 1986-87
�a
•
~
S
· 4.!'J!sv:t./J•.:.l
'Jf1-.Jh ,, 'J.i ~,1 ~~o
:rro ~,.,
DECEMBER
21
ASHEVILLE, NC
"A Festival of Lights: A Winter
Solstice Celebration" with Unity of the
Mountains. 6:30 pm. 70 Lexington Ave.
Donation. Call 669-9276.
MARCH
JANUARY
10 & AS HE VILLE,NC
17
Literacy Workshop to train
volunteers to teach people how to read.
10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Pack Library. More
info: (704) 254-3442.
"Parenting for Peace and Justice"
conference with Jim and Kathy McGinnis at
University Hills Baptist Church. Contacc
Joanne Frazier (704)372-9140.
16-17
tANCEL THE COUNTDOWN
17
27-1/4 HOT SPRINGS, NC
New Year's Meditation Retreat with
John Orr. Southern Dhanna Retreat Center;
Rt. 1, Box 34-H; Hot Springs, NC 28743
COOKEVILLE, TN
Tennessee Alternative Growers'
Association Annual Conference at
Tennessee Tech Aqua Facility. For more
information, contact TAGA; Rt. 6, Box
526; Crossville, TN 38555
Major national action to protest
Trident missiles and "Star Wars" testing,
Cape Canaveral, FL. For more information,
contact Rural Southern Voice for Peace;
1901 Hannah Branch Rd.; Burnsville, NC
28714
30-1/4 W AYNESVILLE, NC
New Year's Retreat at Stil-light
Center. $5.00/day. Pre-register: Rt. 1, Box
326; Waynesville, NC 28786
CHARLOTTE, NC
6·9
17
20-22
ASH EVILLE, NC
Martin Luther King Prayer Breakfast. 8:30 am. Asheville Civic Cenrer.
WAYNESVILLE, NC
"Numerology" workshop with
Karol Kettering. $20. Stil-light Center.
Pre-register. see 12/30-1/4.
ABINGDON, VA
Teach Our Children Well Festival in
honor of Martin Luther King. 3:30 pm.
Washington County Library.
18
The Cente r for New Prioriti es is now
open, in Asheville, NC, for all groups
dedicated to working towards genuine,
life-oriented, change for the community.
Office space, small meeting space, and
kitchen facilities are available. The Center
plans to sponsor workshops as welJ as
provide a place for groups to network. In
January, there will be a meeting of all
groups-environmental, peace, social action,
spiritual, cultural, etc-who are interested in
participating in the formulation of the
"scope" of the Center's goals and activities.
For more infonnation, call (704) 254-4714
or write the Center, 54 Starnes Avenue,
Asheville, NC 28801. The Center
appreciates donations, large or small, to
help wilh its upkeep and activities.
GERTON, NC
24
Drumming Workshop/ African &
Haitian, featuirin~ Darrel Rose. Potluck
lunch & potluck dinner. $ 25. (partial work
scholarships available). Call (704)
625-9722 (ask for Martha) or wrire P.O.
Box 65, Genon, NC 28735
FEBRUARY
13-15
W AYNESVILLE,NC
Group study weekend: "The Yoga
Sutras of Patanjali". $20. Pre-register:
Slil-lighr Center. See 12/30-1/4.
Rainbow Family Tribal Gathering '87
By a council decision at the 1986
Rainbow Family Tribal Gathering in
Pennsylvania, the 1987 gathering of the
continental Rainbow people will be held in
the Appalachian Mountain Bioregion from
July 1 - 7.
The Rainbow Gathering currently
brings together 10-15,000 people during the
week of the event, although people arrive
long before and stay long after at the site.
They gather in remote natural settings to
promote and practice an alternative lifestyle
free from the constraints of the dominant
culture. Everything is free and shared
communally at the gatherings. The
temporary village takes care of its own
food, medical, sanitary, and security needs,
and prides itself on leaving behind a site that
is clean and green. The stated goals of the
gathering are peace, unity, love, and respect
for the Mother Earth. All are welcome.
Scouts are moving into the National
Forest lands in Appalachia to search for a
suitable site on which the Rainbow family
can gather in July. They arc looking for
1987 NEW IJOJlLt>
eyer,£ Of' e£L£BRAT'LON8
eAI..£N1>...t1t JOURNAL
about a 50-acre area of flat or rolling
meadows and open woods with a good
water supply. The site must be remote from
towns and paved roads, yet must have
adequate parking for 1,000 or more vehicles
somewhere nearby. T o discourage
unwanted interference, the site should be
accessible only by several miles of trail or
road that is closed to vehicles.
If there is anyone in the bioregion
who knows of a suitable site with a stable
ecosystem and soils that would not be
dislocated by a great amount of human
activity, please contact the Rainbow scouts
at the Rainbow regional center:
~ !ftl' ~
~
Rainbow Family of Living Light
Box 1097
Newport, TN 37821
8 1/2" x 1", 160 p ci9es, over 100 cfi.cin s
cind tUus trcitlons. r\vcilLci&te f or Sl l.80
ppcL. from:
For more information on the
continental Rainbow Gathering. contact
their publication:
All Ways Free
Box664
Bearsville, NY 12409
Cross-Cu t turat CaLe nr:!ar
Journat of Celebrations
New 1Jortc£ Ce!e&r citt.ons
L
P .O. Box. 6054
CfmrCotte , NC 28207
......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~__.
KATUAH - page 29
Winter 1986-87
�Ridge mountains with facilities available to rent for
groups or individual retreats, either guided or
unstructured. Send for information and seasonal
calendar of healing, iransformativc events to: Indian
Valley Holistic Center: RL 2, Box 58; Willis, VA
SCIENCE CENTER dedicated to the understanding and appreciation of the
natural world. For membership or visiting info,
write P.O. Box 2771; Gainesville, GA 30503.
24380.
AMRITA HERBAL PRODUCTS - Comfrey,
Eucalyptus, or Golden Seal Salve, Lemon or
Lavender Face Cream. Made with natural and
essential oils and love. Send for brochure: RL I,
Box 737; Floyd, VA 24001.
HEROES CONCERT - Music and stories about
Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and other
champions of peace and courage. For mformauon and
bookings, contact: Meg Macleod, 160 Flint SL.
AsheviUe, NC 28801 (704) 254-6484.
APPALACHIAN PATCHWORK - Mountain talcs
and songs by the Appalachian Puppet Theatre.
Cassette tape S7.00 from: Appalachian Puppet
Theatre, 355 Cedar Creclt Road, Black Mountain,
NC 28711 (704) 669-6821.
HEALTH and FITNESS SELF.CARE CENTER: A
private centet offering comprehensive programs or
scientifiealJy and medically docwnented approaches
to opumum health and fitness. Seminars,
worlcshops.and private consult.a.lions for individuals,
famili~ and businesses. Contact: Jeffrey Brown;
HFSC; POB 278; Lexington, NC 27293 (704)
2464919.
ASHEVILLE I BUNCOMBE COUNTY SOLID
WASTE ALTERNATIVES PLANNING
WORKSHOP: A design for handling solid wasics
in any urban contexL SIS from Long Branch
Environmental Education Center. RL 2, Box 132:
Leicester, NC 28748.
TWO PAPERS - "How to Stan a Co-op" and
"Steps Toward Forming an Auto Repair
Cooperative" by Dr. Rodney S. Wead, PhD.
Available from Appalachian People's Service
Organization; P.O. Box 1007: Blacksburg, VA
THE LONE RECYCLER - Comic book adventures
of humankfod's early struggle to combat
wastefulness. $4.00 pp. from Long Branch
Environmental Education Center. Rt. 2, Box 132;
Leicester, NC 28748.
HOLOGRAPH1C ASTROLOGY - Every pan of a
hologram contains all the info about the entire
hologram, and each cell in your body contains all
the genetic data about your whole body. Similarly,
every body contains all the information about the
entire solar system - you are the solar system and
each of your planets is one of your potentials. Chnrt
&. Consultation, SS0.00 Harriet Witt Miller (704)
684-0810.
MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS - hctbaJ salves,
tincnues, &: Olis for birthing & family health. For
brochure, please wriic: Moon Dance Fann; RL I,
Box 726; Hampwn, TN 37658
DRUM WORKSHOPS - for children of all ages.
therapeutic massage - Relaxes the body &:
mind ...Call Martha for more info 11 (704)
258-6016
FAIRGLEN FARMS offers organic, biological
fCltil.i7.ers for fann and garden. Send SASE for price
list Biologically-grown produce to sell? We arc
interested in acting as cooperative marlccting agenis
with other growers. Write: Route I, Box 319;
Clyde, NC 28721.
DRUMS - Custom handcrafted ceramic dumbecks &:
wooden medicine drums. CalJ Joe at (704)
258-1038 or write to:
Joe Roberts, 738 Town
Mountain Rd.; Asheville, NC 28804.
24060.Frce.
CUSTOM CELTIC HARPS • A'Court Bason;
Travianna Fann; Rt. I: Check, VA 24072.
•AS WE ARE" - Women's music by Pomegranate
Rose, a four-woman group playing lively original
music. Cassette tape available for S9.00 ppd. from
Rt. 2, Box 435; Pi1tsboro, NC 27312.
CRAFTS FROM SALVADORAN AND
GUATEMALAN REFUGEES lN NICARAGUA:
cards, plaques, boxes, puzzles, paiches; This trade
benditS refugees dittctly. Brochure from:
Dry Creek Coopemive Trading
918 Jennings Ct.
Woodbury, TN 37190
I CAME TO A MOUNTAIN - by William Walters.
A book about the Light Ccntet (in Black Mountain,
NC) and the power of prayer for peace in the world.
Includes a look at the Center's activities for peace
and their prayer tours around the world. Avai lable
for $9.00 pp. from New World Bookstore, WNC
Shopping Center, Hwy 70, Black Mountain, NC
a non-profit organization.
FOUR WINDS VILLAGE • health and spiritual
retreat; home for children in need. For visiting info,
write: Box 112: Tiger, GA 30576.
28711.
FLOWER ESSENCES - Harmony with Nature&:
SpiriL Gentle emotional support during transitions,
specific issues, relationships. Opens
communications. Self-adjusting, non-toxic,
awareness "tools" for improving the inner quality.
Correspondence to: Elaine Gcouge, c/o Patchwork
Castle, Celo, 3931 HWY 80 So.. Burnsville, NC
28714.
"PEACE THROUGH MUSIC" - Ethereal &:
Tranquilizing Celestial Music tapes by Medicine
Wind/George Tortorelli. Plus exotic Bamboo
FluteS, rate scales. Send for free brochure: Medicine
Wind Music, 86 NW SSth St., Gainesville, FL
32601.
ACCESS is a fiee telephone information service on
peace issues including military spending,
environmental impacts of military activity, connict
resolution, etc. Your only charge is your
long-distance phone call. ACCESS # Is (202)
328-2323.
KATUAH • page 30
APPALACHIA 1987: THE SIMPLE LIFESTYLE
CALENDAR - Distributed by Appalachia Science
in the Public Interest to fund their work of
developing, an appropriate technology for
Appalachia Photos of the "Children of Appalachia"
by Warren Brunner. $6.00 pp. from ASP!; Rt. 5,
Box 423; Livingston, KY 40445.
"CELEBRATION SPACE: Songs to Celebrate
Life" - A cassette tape completely produced,
performed. and recorded by mem bets and friends of
the Floyd County community to raise money for
the Floyd County Community Hall. This audio
songbook contains IS original songs and chants and
3 traditional songs to learn and sing in your own
community. The sound quality is uneven, but the
energy, spirit, and joy shine through.
For the cassette tape with lyric sheet (ppd.), send
SI0.00 to the Floyd County Community Hall
Project; Rt. l, Box 735; Floyd, Va 24091.
At ARTHUR MORGAN SCHOOL 24 students and
14 staff learn together by living in community.
Curriculum includes creative academics, group
decision-making, a work program, service prop:ts,
extensive field trips, challenging outdoor
experiences. Write: 1901 Hannah Branch Rd.;
Burnsville, NC 28714.
WEB WORKING is free.
Send submissions to:
KA1GAh
P.O. Box 873
Cullowhcc, NC 28723
Winter 1986-87
�MediciHt'-' Allies
K.IJJiilJ.Jl wants ta communicate your rl@ughts and
feelings I() the other people in the bi.oregi.onal province. Send
them to us as letters, poems, stories, drawings, or
plio~ographs. Please send your contributions to us at:
Kmfmh; Box 873; Cullowhee, NC 28723.
The Spring Klu.U.ah. Issue XV, will focus on Women's
Issues. The deadline for all submissions for that issue is
January 31.
Please send your ideas for future themes for Kaiiia.b.
ISSUE EIGHT · S UMMER 1985
Celebration' A Way of Life . Katuah
18,000 Years Ago • Sacred Sites • Folk
Aru in lhe Schools • Sun Cycle/Moon
Cycle Poems: Hilda Downer • Cherokee
Herit age Center • Who Owns
Appalachia?
BACK ISSUES
full color
T-.s6irt.s
ISSUE TWO · WINTER 1983.84
Vona - Bear Hunten • Pigeon River •
Another Way With Animals • Alma •
Bceoming Politically Effective .
Mountain Woodlands • Katuah Under the
Drill - Spirilual Warriors
In the traditional Cherokee Indian
belief, the creatures in the world today are
only diminutive forms of the mythic beings
who once inhabited the world, but who now
reside in Galuna'ti, the spirit world, the
highest heaven. But a few of the original
powers broke through the spiritual barrier
and exist yet in the world as we know it
These beings are called with reverence
"grandfathers". And of them, the strongest
are K.ma.1i. the lightning, the power of the
sky; Utsa'natL the rattlesnake, who
personifies the power of the earth plane; and
Yynwj Usdj, "the little man", as ginseng is
called in the sacred ceremonies, who draws
up power from the underworld.
Each is the strongest power in its own
domain. Together they are allies: their
energies complement each other to form an
even greater power. As medicine allies,
they represent the healing power of the
Appalachian Mountains.
The medicine powers of Katuah have
been depicted in a striking T-shirt design by
Ibby Kenna. Printed in 5-color silkscreen
by Ridgerunner Naturals on top-quality,
all-cotton shirts, they are available now in
all adult sizes from tbe~joumal.
"To show respect for this
supernatural trinity of the natural world is to
in tum become an ally in the continuing
process of maintaining harmony and balance
here in the mountains of Karuah."
To order, use the form below.
ISSUE NINE · FALL 1985
Tho Waldcc Forest · The Trees Speak •
M ia:rating Foresu · Horse Logging •
Star1ing a Tree Crop • Urban Trees •
Acom Bread · Myth Time
ISSUE THREE • SPRINO I984
Sustainable Agriculture • Sunflowers •
Humm Impact on the Forest • Childrcns'
Education • Veronica Nichotas:Wcmm
in Politics • Little People • Mcdicme
Allies
ISSUE TEN · WINTER 19&5-86
Kate Rogers • Circles of Stone • Internal
Mytlunatting • Holistic Healing on Trial
• Poems: Steve Knauth • Mythic Places •
The Uktcna's Talc • Crystal Magic •
"Drcamspcalcing •
ISSUE FOUR · SUMMER 1984
Water Orum • Water Quality • Kudm •
Solar Ecbpsc • Clearcunin& • Trout •
Going to W ater • Ram Pumps •
Microhydro • Poems: Bennie Lee
Sinclair, Jim Wayne Miller
ISSUE ELEVEN· SPRING 1986
Communily Planning • Cities and tho
Bioregional Vision • Recycling •
Community Gardening- Floyd County,
VA • Gasohol · Two Biorcgional Views •
Nuclear Supplement • Foxfire Oomes
Good Medicine: Visions
ISSUE FIVE - FALL 1984
Harvest - Old Ways in Cherokee
Ginseng - Nuclear Wute • Our Celtic
Heritage • Bioreg1onalism: Past, Present,
md Future - John Wilnoty • Healing
Darkness • Polities of Panic1pation
ISSUETWELVE - SUMMER 1986
Livmg in the Garden • Sbiitakc • The
SICRCI Scuab • NC Nuclear Rcfctcndum •
Sun Root.s • Aquaculture • "HILAHl'YU":
The Form ation of lhe Appalachian
Mountains • WISC Woman Herbal • Good
Medicine: Tobacco
ISSUE SIX · WINTER 1984-85
WinLCt Sobticc Earth Ceremony
Horscpasturc River • Coming of lhc
Light • Log Cabin Roota • Mountain
Agriculwrc: The Right Crop • William
Taylor· The Future of the Forest
ISSUE THIRTEEN· Fall 1986
Center For Awakening • Eliubelh
Callari • A Oenllc Death • Hospice •
Emel! Morgm • Dealing Creatively with
Death • Home Burial Box • The Wake •
The Raven Mocker · Woodslore and
Wildwoods Wisdom • Good Medicine:
The Sweat Lodge
ISSUE SEVEN - SPRJNO 1985
S11Stainablc Economics • Hot Springs •
Worlccr Ownership • The Orea! Economy
• Self Help Credit Union Wild Turkey •
Responsible Investing • Working in the
Web of Life
J<AIUAH: Bjoregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians
Box 873; Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723
Back Issues
Issue# __@ $2.00 = $_ _
Issue# __@ $2.00 = $_ _
Issue# __@ $2.00 = $_ _
Issue# __@ $2.00 = $_ _
Issue# __@ $2.00 = $_ _
Complete Set (2· J3)
@ $18.00 = $ _ _
For more info: call Mamie Muller (704) 252-9167
Regular Membership........$10/yr.
Sponsor.......................$20/yr.
Contributor...................$50/yr.
Name
Address
Enclosed is$
I() give
this ejf an exrra boost
on
City
State
Zip
I can be a local contact
person for my area
Area Code
Phone Number
...
T-Shirts: specify quantity
color: tan
S_ _ M_ _
L_ _ XL_ _
@ $9.50 each............$_ _
TOTAL PRICE=
postage paid
KAWAH - page 31
$_ _
Winter 1986-87
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, Issue 14, Winter 1986-1987
Description
An account of the resource
The fourteenth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on varied topics such as the work of stone carver Lloyd Carl Owle, a comparison between the Cherokee Booger dance and the Irish Mummers dance, human beings' place in nature, and an interview with people who are homeless. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Marnie Muller, Tom Underwood, Will Ashe Bason, Martha Overlock, Oliver Loveday, Avram Friedman, Millie Buchanan, Colleen Redman-Copus, Martha Tree, David Wheeler, and Michael Red Fox.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1986-1987
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Lloyd Carl Owle.......1<br /><br />Boogers and Mummers........3<br /><br />All Species Day........6<br /><br />Poem by Will Ashe Bason.......9<br /><br />Good Medicine.......10<br /><br />Cabin Fever University.......12<br /><br />Poems by Oliver Loveday.......13<br /><br />Keeping Warm: Homeless in Katúah.......14<br /><br />Homemade Hot Water.......18<br /><br />A Stovemaker's Narrative.......19<br /><br />Natural World News.......20<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachians (People)--Social life and customs
Human ecology
Native American--History
Cherokee Art
Homeless persons--North Carolina, Western
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Alternative Energy
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Black Bears
Cherokees
Children's Page
Community
European Immigration
Folklore and Ceremony
Good Medicine
Habitat
Katúah
Katúah Organization
Pigeon River
Poems
Politics
Radioactive Waste
Turtle Island
Water Quality
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/3567a630be59b5496463f585671f2635.pdf
61f182d69dcedf09a39a622f12601af3
PDF Text
Text
f
~
.
CK._ATUAH >
....
$1.50
ISSUE 18
WINTER 1987-88
BIOREGIONAL JOURNAL OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
._,,
•
�Photo by Paul Gallimore
(j~~-~-T-~H)
P.O. Box 873 Cullowhee, NC Katuah Province
Postage Paid
Non-profit Org.
28723
Note new address, inside/
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Permit #12
Cullowhee, NC
28723
�•
SHELTER IN KATUAH
Resource List....
.. ... .. .• •
On Bui.Jdlng andDulgn
Solar Compo ting ToileL.......... IS
October Qysk ............................. 16
P<>tms by Rlla Silns Qull,.n
Review by Ju/Ja N11111f411y Duncan
Good Medicine: 'On Sbelter"....... 18
The Future of the Black Bcar........19
COf(cnia Rqon
Natural World News.. .. ............20
CaldwdJ CtJlllfly I~
SlflOkia Wlldentas Bill
Poachers C.,lrt
MRS in CDngras
Forat Snvla Pba Al1Mll
Duh'1 Col~ Cred p;o}«t
AslwvUle R«,clJni CenlU
A Children's Page......................23
Drummang ......
Utltn to Kalllah
• ... 24
·A Bourn of Buds".. . .. .. .. .28
f'\ l'otm by Miclrod ffodtatlat
The presence of shelter
embodies much more than
just a building. It is a home,
a center around which
members of a family or
community emerge, travel
from, return to, and are
visited. Many of the most
important events in human
life find a place, time, and
meaning within the
structures we build. It is
here that we house or
integrate the activities of
our lives (birthing, growing,
eating, sleeping, playing,
working, dying...)
In many ways, "we are
what we build". Through this
kind of architectural mirror
is reflected the expression
of a cultural and personal
world view. We now greatly
attect the ecology of the
Earth by the impact of our
collective human existence.
The niches we carve out for
ourselves very often
intrude into the habitat of
other animals and
plants. Is it possible for us
to build our communities in
accord with the recycling
nature of the systems that
surround us?
Buildings are inherently
open systems that interact
with the forces of wind,
water, land, temperature,
season. and other living
things. Our relatedness to
the natural world can be
acknowledged through
designing shelter that is
actively aware of the flow of
energies coming into,
working within, moving out
of, and mingling among other
systems of the Earth, and,
particularly, of a bioregion.
By affirming patterns of
sustainability in the design
of our shelters and
communities. we foster
their existence and come
closer to being in harmony
with all that is.
-The Editors/
�......---..;~
(i.ATUAH)
EDITORIAL STAfF DDS J.s.s!LE;
Scott Bird
Sam Gray
Rob Messick
~1amie
Michael Red Foit
Manha Tree
David Wheeler
Muller
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Christina Morrison
Bob WiesellTl311
Sarah Jane Thomas
Hot Sauce
Cover: "Howie's Dome" ne:ir Bethel, NC.
Photo by Rob Messick.
Thanks lO Eart.hdanccr for the Invocation for this issue. which was
reprinted from lhe Educational Resource Ccmcr Newslcucr, P.O. Box
The Southern Appalachian Bioreglon and Ma1or Eastern River Systems
460; Floyd, VA 24091
EDITORIAL OFFICE THJS ISSUE:
Worley Cove. Sandymush Creek
PRINTED BY: Sylva Herald Publishing Co., Sylva, NC
WRITE US
AT:
TELEPHONE:
(704) 683-1414
KaWh...
Boit 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
01vcrsuy 1$ an imponant clement of bioregional ecology. both
ll.llural and soci.11. In lme with this principle, Katllah tries to serve as a
forum for the discUSSion of regional iSSlle$. Siincd articles express mly
lhc op1n10n ol the authors and arc not ncccuanly the opiruons of lhc
Kati.ah edit.ors or Slaff.
The lni.cmal Rc•'CllUC Servltc lw declared Kazuah a non-profit
organ11.ation under MlCtion SO I(cX3) of the ln=I Revenue Code. All
conuibutions io Katuali arc doducuble from personal income rax.
'LNVOCA.TWN
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Here in rhe sou1hern-mos1 heartland of the
Appalachian moU11Jains, the oldest moUnJain range on our
continent, Turrie Island; a small buz growing group has
begun to IOU on a sense of responsibility for the implications
of tltat geographical and cultural heritage. This sense of
responsibility centers on ti~ concept of living within ti~
narwal scale and balance ofumversal syswnr and principles.
Within this circle we begin by invoking the Cherolcee
name " Katuah" as the old/new name for this area of the
mountains and for its journal as well. The province is
indicared by its natural boundaries: the Roanoke Rfrer Valley
to the nonh; the foothills of the piedmont area to the east;
Yona Mountain and the Georgia hills to the somh; and the
Tennent/! Rfrer i'nlley to the west.
The editorial priorities for us are to collect and
disseminate information and energy which pertains
specifically to this regwn. and to foster the awareness t/IDJ the
land is a living being deserving of our love and respect.
LJ1•ing in tltis manner is a way to insure the sustaillllbilicy of
tlte biosphere and a lasting place for ourselves in irs
continuing evolutionary process.
We seem to have reached the fulcrum point of a "do or
die "siruarion in terms of a quality standard of life for all
living befogs on 1/iis planet. As a voice for rite caretakers of
this sacred land, Kawah, we advocate a ceruered approach to
tlte concept of decentralization. It is our hope to become a
support system for those accepting the challenge of
s1istainabi/iry and ti~ crea1io11 af harmony and balance in a
total sense, here in tliis place.
We welcome all co"espondence, criticism, pertinent
information, anicles, arrwork. etc. witlt hopes that Katuah
will grow to serve the best interests of tltis region and all its
living, breathing members.
- The Editors
KATUMI - page 2
WINTER 1987·88
�PROTECTING THE DREAMER:
Vernacular Values in H.cgional Architecture
by Sam Gray
ln his classic work, Poetics of
the French philosopher
Gaston Bachelard focused on various
levels of architectural meaning. He
suggested Lhat a basic feature of those
meanings we associate with the idea
of Lhe house is that the home protects.
It not only protects physically against
climate and weather, it protects
psychically as well. IL protects
thought, reverie, and dreaming.
That, perhaps, is its most important
function.
"The purpose of the house is to
protect the dreamer within," wrote
Bachelard. Evoked is the architecture
of dwelling - protective, sensual.
natural - grounded in a locale and a
time. In a word, vernacular, ar
adjective which connotes in buildint
economics, politics. cooking, or a
what it once described exclusive!
about language or poetry.
"Vernacular" is Lhe indigenou
the traditional, the homemad1
spontaneous, colloquial expression<
anything.
If a house of some order (tip
cabin. frame house, stone hous1
yurt) is important for huma
reflection and dreaming, it is littl
wonder that our psyches become s1
entwined with their architecture.
The house of our childhood i:
an architectural emity, a psychic
landscape and a context for memories
and understanding. So. too, is the
house of our plans, the house we
would build - the dream house of the
mind that we continuously construct,
revise, and renovate.
The dreamer. protected by the
house, dreams a house and fills n
with plans, voices, and ghosts that are
themselves protected by the house.
In our time, the architectural
space that shelters thought and
dreams has begun to fill with the
electronic dreams, projections. and
hallucinations of the national media
and markets. It is possible that the
traditional purpose of the house has
undergone an evolution. The
dreaming space, filled from within
~.
• continued on page 4
WINTER 1987·88
SM/ton I/oust. llaywood Coun1y. 1876-188(). Two-story frame howt
wl1h tngaged /WO-lier /'()rch bu1/1 by ConftlkraJt \'ttcran S~p,..tn J.
Shelton. 1he building now hawsts 1he Mumm1 of Nor1h Carolina
llaNficr<(rs.
Ap1'><11arl11a11 log cabin i11 uniikntifitd locale, circa 1900. Roofln~ is
chcstnUI or oaJc slt.:iks.
Jesst Cmp I/oust. Graham Counry. tarly 20th cen1ury. Two-s1ary
framt hou.~t of a "Y-p/an• foU!ld with some frequtncy in Graham
County bw rurt tl_.htWrt
KATUAH - page 3
�PR01 EC'Tll\\G THE ORl-:AMER
connnucd from J13gC 3
Gallaway llou.u l tanrylv'11lla CoUJtty, clrrn 1878 T'r<o•Jtaq
tOC!/
di
/armlil>~ '6ilh iabk
aJtd ~;iltrlDt r!ld bticl tldM11r11fr0111 '4 •
a 114 titr ~roe/p<nlt atTO.U UllW bay
Jlar
w lla1m. CllLrctLt Co1U1tv, IBSO 1882 f'Wo.srory britl /ttJllU
of lftDd 1td •t.i.p/an• ..~111 iltltTID! t1ii,,.J1tp Tl:e "'""'~' porr:h a TOIJ
tltLfa t ..idth t:ftM/.itilM ha.I s:mn ..wl lnacltts and balas:radt 71'~
brl
"' tbr bltJldint "~" mt:M on ilu
Cl111r ~11'1:1 loust lla¥>4'00d COIUIJJ lA:L I II UfllJl.1'1 r ...
•r plt111 brW: ho1<u •iJ/I
t l
l"lpcrtA aucw/att:tk/ta:J:nfll
tlt:fldr
un.n ..w1 balllft~
KATUAH p:igc 4
tic stCOnd Jnri.
\\uh the \\lute noise of the mas
dream. loses its cnp!lcit) to protect
nnd nunurc ubJCclt\C drenming
1 he contemporar1 mas
nrclutccturc of dv.elhng reflects th1
ero 10!1 Demographics, technology.
nd the market &re estabh hing n
stnndardized hou ing thai fills an
urb!lil or suburb:m topogrnph) \\hi ch
ha been stripped of all indigenous
populnuon!; and fe:iturcs.
1bc re uhing arrangement of
nrchitccturnl values lea,es the
dreamer (the subjecti\'e self)
unprotected, unjustified, and
nccidentnl.
What has been deleted from
contemporury mass architectural
expression of the house i the sense
nnd presence of the \'Cmaculnr, nn
element essential to the protection of
the dreamer.
There nre two architectural
clements of the vemnculnr house thnt
ore particularly impon:mt to the
protection of rc\erie and drcnming.
lbese arc the heanh nnd the porch.
Hoth v.crc corn istent features of the
vemacular houses of the Kn1unh
re ion an former times. ·1bc psychic
mean mg of the hearth go fnr b:tck m
time nnd the relationship of
henrthfirc and drcnm consciousness
have been discussed frequently in the
poetry nnd literature of architectural
meaning.
The porch or verandah is n
more regional nrchitectur:il feature.
Jn its grander, two-storied,
b:tlustraded fonns, it is derived from
the semi-tropicnl, colonial,
Canbbean nrchilecture or the 18th
Century. Yet it wns always n feature
of 1hc Southern Appalachian log
cabin. It is n medinting space situated
between the outside, the domain of
energies expended in agricultural
labor. and the cabm intenor, the
domnm of energies regenerated in
enung nnd sleepmg. h is n place of
repose, n place for dreaming.
The photograph oc:ompany mg
th1 text offer a sampling of the nch
leg C) of vemncul r hou es of the
Kntu h region. 1t 1s a lcgnc) that •"'
fnst d1sappeanng. These hou es that
have protected generations of
dreamer hn..·e themselves little
protection from the descendants of
the dreamers.
,
Wl~'TER
1987 8
�by Adam Cohen
pbns nuke 11 casa to csnmac materials and
to by out consttucuon sequence cffiaenlly.
My uplllTmion nf building 1n Ka1Wih
has been on a personal Incl as ...~11 as on a
professiolllll lr:vel. My aperienu rangt.s
from building for ma.timum economy to
building for maximum luiury BUI 1hLre u a
COmmJJn ft•cl111g I get from people n•eryonc
de.sires a spucc 111 KIUc:h ro l1vt./111ly.
To tmly e.rperitncc life means to live
on orhtr lt\•cls bcs1dct the phylical. A
/Mng Jpace llumlJ bt. bmh organic and
J1exihlc ·it mmt l>e oble w grow and chan~
ro mur all of our nuds. Ir IS rhur fuUng of
organic:, tccmorrucal arclurcc:turc rhar I strl~
f<1r 111 m)' wark, /n thu article I will 0U1l1M
tlui lxmc.r of bmldmg as rcmpcrtd by my
personal architectural phUosophy and
practical, professional ~rkncu.
But even 1hc best·latd plans run tnto
wiforcsccn diffaculncs. 1bc bes& ~-ay 10 deal
w11h this 1s 10 be flexible and to devise
cn::ulvc soluuons..
If you choose to have a house dra't•lll
for you, Rmcmbcr that 1he design proocss 1s
yours. One can move walls on papcreauly,
so 1akc dmc and uplore many options
bcfon: dccidin~ on I rmaJ plan.
To begin designing 1 dwelling,
oullinc the needs the suuaure should fulfill,
lis1 1he areas and livin& spaces desired.
1ncrc arc many ways to pu1 these spaces
1ogclhcr. Whal approximate square foocagc
is desired'? Is a linglc·unit or multi·unu
dwelling the best for the sile and the
inhabitants? Would you late IO hve in a
roundish, squarish, turtlc·baclccd, or
free-form dwelling? How tall should the
space be? Any lofts or second 5'0rics? Are
~J~n spaces « disunct rooms
A house rctain5 the energy put into
the builJ1ng. tnrusc the bullchn4 process
w11h good energy rrum 1hc be4mning to
stlllt the new dwelling off In the nght way.
smNG
Solar houses arc desirable in cvuy
biorcgion in the temperate zone. The sun as
hfc. Where I bvc in northern K.atiiah. I find
lhat we need house£ 1ha1 are flexible. Our
weather is iuch 1hat 1hc 1empcra1ure can
swing .SO degrees Fin a 12 hour period. We
can have snow on 1hc ground and 70 degree
F 1empcra1ures outdoors an r:ebruary.
1'hercforc. my emphasis h:is been on houses
1h:11 cnn be easily hCllted as well as cooled.
"Inc conditions in Ka1ii:ih indicate 1lu1 we
need house.~ 1ha1 heat up quickly :tnd 1hcn
rntha1c 1h:11 hc:i1 rapidly.
As u rule of 1humb, site n dwelling 10
fnce wuhin 10· 12 degrees or solar sou1h to
mnx1mi1.c solar uposurc. When choosmi; a
sue, consider 1hc direction of the prcvnahng
cold winter wands u well ns 1hc cooling
!iummcr winds. but keep 50lai orientat1on 11S
a domlnnn1 fnc1or because pl:tnungs and
olhcr buildings can serve as 1o1.1ndbrcaks as
the homcslead grows.
Water supply must also be considered
when choosing a she. A rchablc source of
clean 1.1.1ucr is csscn1ial for 1 homestead.
Gravity flow from a spring above the
building site is the ideal shu11ion and lhc
C3.Siest to develop.
W11cr from a well or another source
below lhc house can be pumped to a large
reservoir above lhc dwelling to crate a
gravity flow. Electric pumps nm bf AC
po"'cr from the &rid arc the least dcsuablc
way 10 accomplish 1his. Elccmc pumps
powered by solar cdls are better, but !hey
still arc high-1ech solutions. and they
depend on a high-1cch future. Some
appropriate pumping systems arc ram
pumps. micro-hydroelectric (stt KJllli.aJ1
#4 ), wind·powcrcd DC systems,
wind-driven compressed air sysacms, and
my personal favorite, the bicyclc·powcred
water system.
WINTER 1987-88
A chcmical analystS IS worth the pnce
dclcrminc the presence: or polluting
chemicals or organic m:ucnali in the waicr
supply.
IO
DESIGNING nm SITE
Having found a site with solar
exposure, wn1cr, and hopefully, 1
windbreak from the winier winds. m4kc a
rough site plan to help decide where to
locate the building. D111grnm 1hc she,
pencilling in essenu:lls like fruu 1rccs,
gardens. shop, sheds, animal houses, and
p:isturc. I like 10 1h1nk of hvmg structures as
p:in or cite landscape. connecting indoor and
outdoor space. A wcll·planncd,
m1CtCOnncctcd, outdoor IJllCC adds acsthetic:
qualuy 10 a homcsle.ad.
Our home is a central CCR lb1ICtUre
dlll we coaanually arc . ddiftl small aaians
a
onto. J b1ghly recommcncl dus way of
approaching design and buUdin1 lor the
owner-builder. Tbc inhial suuc:ture can be
C<Jm\'lcted durina the building 1C&10D to
provide shelter for the wima. Additions can
continue throughout the years following.
This also allows rime 10 change design. Jn
this
n:sidcntS can occupy lhcir home as
lhcy build It.
Once a general idea of the nccdcd
laving areas is clear, draw a "blob dll&rll1l"
{sec diagram I) to show 1he
1ntcr-rcla11onsh1p of the d1ffcren1 spaces.
The walls, floor, and roof mc~ly hold 1he
no1hangness 1ha1 is the living space.The
IClUal envelope which contains lhesc spaces
can be any shape or fonn. The following hst
of arc:tS, Starung from the loundatJon Ind
wortcin,1 up, gives some ideas which can be
used in design and bu1ld1ng These
simplified d1sc:un1ons an: meant only to
snmul11e and IO guide the reader's creative
war.
unagmanon.
DESIGNING A DWEU.JNG
Designing your own home is a
delight. As a general rule, lhc less
cxpcricnccd the builder and the mon: OUl5idc
help lha1 is going co be ailed on. the more
complete and thorough the building plans
should be.
A complcle sci of plans Includes
dimensioned fJoor plans, clcvanons, and
sectional drawings, IS well IS dc11ils ror
tricky areas and elccuical, plumbing. and
hcatin plans.
~o build a umber or ocher pre-cut
house. a farm plan is necessary. If much of
lhc consttuctlon is to be contnetcd out,
complete plans will make lhe work much
smoolhcr and much less expensive. Good
• Clllldmued oa ma1 pop.
KAn.JAH • PIF S
�FOUNDATIONS
In Katiiah the best foundation is
mnsonry. For lo ngevity, bug-proofing, and
structural 1megri1y, ~11he house on a stone,
0
block, or concrete foundation 16 1 24
inches deep. Unless the slopes arc very
siecp or the ground is very \Oft, this is
suflicient for this region.
Having said this, I will add 1h:11 a
time-honored Katuah foundation is
debarked, v. inter-cut, black locust posts set
about 30 inches into the earth with a n.11
stone m the bottom of the hole. This can be
a very effective method for n quick
beginning 10 a structure built to last 30 ye:in.
or less. (Of course. posts can be replaced 10
extend 1h1s lifespan.) llus would still outlast
most suburban hou~e~ constructed today.
for these arc built to a 25 year life
expectancy.
My favorite foundauon is stone.
Begin the wall 16 to 30 inches below the
surface and build to whatever height is
needed. Another easy foundation is the
"grade beam" as used by Frank Lloyd
Wright.
If the site is sloped, instead of making
one large cut, you might consider stepping
the foundation in small cut-and-fill
operations to save time and money (see
diagram 2).
Foundation insulation is optional, but
if it is used, it must extend at least two feet
below grade (ground level).
Proper drainage is imponant 10 a
lasting foundation. A foundation drain is
standard. The site must be graded, so that
water runs away from the house. If
necessary, French drains can be located a
few feet from the drip line in cases with
Clltrcmc runoff problems.
Photo by Adam Cohen
Wood floors arc quite cozy and
warm. Finished flooring can be laid on
rough-cut joists and subflooring material.
Planed tongue-and-groove finished floor is
the most desirable, but an inexpensive and
serviceable floor can be made by gluing and
nailing well-dried boards 10 the sublloor.
Should cracks appear between the boards,
they can be pointed with grouL
R..OORS
There arc many types of flooring
materials. If someone really wants 10 be
"grounded," the easiest floor is din. Din
and cement can be mixed for a durable
floor. A plain concrete slab can be used or
stone, brick, or tile may be laid on. Smooth
creek rock makes a pleasing floor surface. If
one spent one hour a day collecting small
creek rocks, in two weeks one would have
enough creek rock 10 do a large floor. If
desired, the perimeter of such a floor can be
insulated.
Soapstone is the best flooring material
for solar storage and radiance, in my
opinion, and is readily available in Katuah.
KATUAH - page 6
WAU..S
Sundard "balloon" framing is simple,
lightweight, and easy to cover. Use
rough-cut or recycled framing rru1tcrials for
the best price.
My favorite wood technique for
building wood-supponed walls is 10 use
large, upright members and fill in with
stucco, bricks, glass, bottles, stone, glazed
block, bone, or anything else you can set in
monar. Windows arc framed in with
rough-cut wood when using this method.
Masonry walls arc relatively
inexpensive, if stone can be gathered for
free. To speed up construction, a back-form
can be used to give a wall that has one side
stone and one side stucco (see diagram 3).
To construct frce-fonn structures, use rcbar
and plaster lath 10 create free-shaped forms
on which to lay cement I believe this offers
some of the freest expression available in
architecture.
It is important when designing walls
to think about windows. l cannot stress
enough how imponant it is 10 have as much
glazing as possible on the south side of a
home. The sun is vital, and the more of itS
radiance we can bring into our houses, the
healthier we and they arc. The north side of
the building is the darker side and takes the
STO!llE.--....
M~AP,
fcD~ fL'('tl<X(?
Z"4'
~- UP
fO~M
WINTER 1987-88
�The walls,floor, and roof merely hold the nothingness
that is the living space. The actual envelope which
contains these spaces can be any shape or form.
brunt of the cold winter winds, so
nonh-facing windows should be small and
well scaled. East and west walls also should
have windows, and these should be able to
open to welcome in the cooling summer
breezes from wherever they may blow.
Window quilts are easy to make.
They conserve wannth in the winter, if they
are put up when the sun sets to keep the
day's wanntb in and the night's cold out.
It is also important to know that
wiring, plumbing, and heating features may
be put in the walls. These must be
considered when naming. It is too late
afterwards.
1HEROOF
"Putting a roof over our heads" is not
just a figure of speech. The house roof not
only keeps rain off, but it can let light in,
hold solar equipment, and shape the interior
space. ln designing the roof, consider: Docs
the house want skylights? How will water
flow off the roof? Where should extra
bracing be put for solar panels? What shape
and how high should the ceiling be? There
nrc many possible combinations of answers.
I strongly believe roofs should not be
flat in Katuah. Even a sod roof should have
a slope for drainage. Flat roofs eventually
leak. Wood frame roofs can be built on a
flat or a curved plane. It is possible to frame
a curved shape out of suaight lumber.
Galvanized steel or shingles arc the
most common roofing materials. Both are
readily available and relatively inexpensive.
I have buih some roofs with rcbar and lath
using insulating cement covered with either
concrete or a strong cement scaler.
For a good discussion of roof shapes.
I suggest reading The Owner-Built Home
by Ken Kern and A Timeless Way of
Bu1ldjng by Christopher Alexander (sec
resource list, page 15).
Windows may be obtained from old
houses, a window factory may sell seconds,
or a neighbor might have a few old
windows stacked up in the back of the
garage.
Material hunting takes time, but it
does not cost a lot, it is fun, and it results in
a more individualized slructurc.
Heating with water in a wood-fired boiler is
the most healthy and practical system to
warm a house during Katiiah's cold
winters.
Catalytic converters arc a cheap way
to help the environ men" and I advocate their
use on all woodbuming stoves.
INSIDE OUT
SANITATION
I recommend the use of the passive
solar composting toilet (sec p. 15) in
combination with a grey water irrigation
system to process human wastes. I strongly
believe that the passive solar composler is
the most efficient way to take care of human
waste, cspccially in Katiiah, where the land
is generally mountainous, and septic fields
do not function well.
The time is coming when many
families in Katuah will handle human
wastes in a methane digester. It might take
the impetus of economic collapse to make it
common, but the digester can compost
waste and produce fuel as well. Septic fields
and waste treatment centers are barbaric
technologies and should be phased out in
favor of cleaner, better integrated systems.
The indoor/outdoor connection is
imponant. I suggest the use of decks,
covered areas, walkways, porches, living
trellises, and other connecting spaces to
draw inhabitants out into the fresh air and
sunshine. An outdoor kitchen, sleeping
areas, and living areas can be used most of
the year. The more exposure to air and
weather a person has, the more vibrant and
healthy that person's life will be.
All these aspects should be taken inlo
consideration in the design and conslJ'\Jction
process. What I have listed here is an
outline of ideas and techniques. tf the reader
is interested in further details and
correspondence on any of these or other
building ideas, please write me: Adam
Cohen; RL I, Box 217; Oteck. VA 24072
HEATING
How we get our heat is important to
our health. Wood or coal stoves arc drying,
dangerous, diny, and generally unhealthy.
MATERIALS
An important aspect of economical
building is materials. The way to build 11
house for $3.00 per square foot is to choose
a design that utilizes simple materials.
Check what is locally available for free or
for cheap. For example, in nonhc:m K:nuah
the population is one-third of what it was in
the 1930's. There remains a lot of empt}'
structures which contain materials that can
be recycled. Stone piles, brick, and glass
can also be found for free or for minimal
expense Local lumber mills have rough-cut
lumber and seconds at low prices. Local
building material factories may have
inexpensive seconds as well. Auctions
provide another source for che11p materials.
WINTER 1987-88
Photo t:sy Adam COhen
KATUAll ·page 7
�and interpersonal relationships develop. By reviewing a few
design patterns one quickly understands how shelter shapes
our daily life both practically and spiritually.
Consider the one room poplar log cabin built on a
stone foundation. When approaching this cabin one
immediately feels a cenain rustic blend of the canh with the
stone and log much as the mountain landscape itself. Take
this log cabin and set it into the side of a mountain so that the
earth covers the back wall, wraps the comers of the building,
and gradually slopes to floor level on the sides. The front of
the building is poplar logs on o stone foundatioon. From the
top of the hill one looks down and secs the cedar shingle roof
of the house and eanh. Walking around the front and sides of
the building one feels a sense of wannth. The cabin appears
to nestle into the mountainside. Windows on the front and
side walls let daylight and moonlight into the cabin.
We walk up the front steps 10 an open porch. It is
winter. PostS and beams cover the deck, but the roof panels
have been removed. The front wall faces due south, so that
winter sun passes into the cabin. The prevailing nonhwest
winter winds are blocked by a shelterbeh of white pines that
were left when the forest was selectively thinned before the
cabin was built.
poplar I"~ walls moder.Ile lhc comfon in the cabin as "ell.
Sp1mual nrchitccturc creates intu11ive space; ~pace
\lthere interaction between structural and human clements
takes place. Where the wall provokes new ideas, oot beC3use
the wall speaks to us, but because the wall speaks with
everything in the environment The ~r in the space is infused
whh hght, heat, :ind moisture as byprodu1."1S of the physical
surroundings. intensity of color, temperature, and humidity
all in1CI11C1 to create a unique ambience of space. I breathe this
ambience and it enters my bloodstream through my lungs. I
view this body as my cabin. A certain quality lives in this
cabin and the quality is a result of everything in it and around
it
A cool shadow wakes me.The late afternoon sun line
angles off of my body, as I sit up on the slate floor. I get up
and go wash my face in the kitchen sink in the southwest
comer of the room. I am splashing sunlight onto my face,
sunlight absorbed into tanks of water located off the
southeast comer of the front porch. Water enters the tanks
from a reservoir located about 100 vertical feet above the
cabin. Gravity pressure gives the cabin plumbing a sLrong
flow of water. An indoor shower is heated with solar energy
when available, and a large outdoor tub is heated by a wood
tire directly underneath. The overflow from the reservoir
empties into a small creek that maintains a steady flow of
water twelve months a year. Toward the bottom of the valley
a rom pump pushes water back up to a second reservoir near
cabin elevation. This second reservoir provides water for
irrigation of a fruit orchard, a terraced vegetable garden,
larger crop fields, 11 solar greenhouse, and assoned animals
and poultry.
Entering the cabin, one
feels a warmth shining from the
sunlight scattering across the slate
floor and glowing from the coals
of a masonry heater built into a
central chimney that passes up
through a cathedral ceiling.
The stonework on the
chimney is primitive and
beautiful, and as l walk over to
lean against it, l feel heat
radiating from the stone. I tum
and rest my back against the
stone and press my palms against
the warmth. The slate floor
attracts me and my hand reaches
for the sun-drenched gray. lt, too,
is warm to the touch. Walkin2
across the cabin, I find the nonh wall refreshingly cool, as
though the earth on the other side is touching me. I circle the
fireplace a few times and strangely miss the feeling of
comers in the cabin. An indoor-outdoor thermometer hangs
on the wall - indoor temperature, 72 degrees; outdoor
temperature, 15 degrees. The sun is high on this winter
noon.
Shelter can become more th:in just a place to stay warm
or dry It also can be :in experience of emotion stimulated by
our sensory responses.
When we speak of "appropriate" housing or
"appropriate" technology. the word "appropriate" has many
levels of meaning. I may feel lazy, like taking a nap in this
solar heat. That's appropriate for me. On a cold, winter day,
I set a one hour morning fire in the masonry heater 10 heat up
the chimney. That's it.
Let the contoul'l> of the land. the movement of the sun
and canh, and the shell of this mountain home follow their
natural course. That is appropriate, 100.
In my afternoon slumber on the wann slate floor, I
think of summer. The sun will not touch the slate floor then.
The roof panels will be in place so the south porch will be in
shade. The dense floor will remain cool just as the nonh wall
docs. Off the southeast and southwest comers of the cabin
the hickory trees are in full leaf and they block out the hot
morning and afternoon sun Windows on the cast. west, and
south walls allow breezes 10 blow through the cabin. Ilidden
an the ceiling framing is insulauon, the guardian of comfon.
Heat from the sun passes slowly through the exposed roof
and is vented through openings around the chimney. The
Waste products arc
disposed of in specific ways.
Human waste is taken care of in
an aesthetic, two stall outhouse.
Grey water from dish, clothes,
and people washing is drained
from the cabin into a gravel-filled
dry welJ just below the house.
Burnable trash is used in wood
burning, or incinerated. Plastic~
glass, aluminum, and other
recyclables arc collected and
delivered to tbe local recycling
center.
All of the energy systems
reviewed in this cabin so far
required no electricity for
operation. Electricity is a precious
energy form and should only be used where there is no other
practical substitute. Refrigerarion and cooking are the major
electricity consuming appliances, so in this house there is an
energy-efficient LP gas refrigerator and a gas stove. Beller to
use gns on site and utilize approximately 80 percent' of its
available heat thnn electricity, which, by the time it gcrs 10
your house. only provides about 30 percent of its available
heat.
The solar clothes dryer is a fifty foot rope suspended
between two poles. So the only major appliance needing
electricity is the washing machine. Other than the washing
machine, the house if outfiued 10 provide electricity for
lights, stereo, computer, blender, and other small
miscellaneous ncms.
The creek docs not have enough flow of water to
generate adequate electricity for a small hydroelectric system.
and wind pauems are too irregular around the house site for a
"'ind generator. The final choice for electricity generation is a
photovoltaic system that generates electricity. The solar
electric panels are mounted on the south facing roof pitch of
the cabin and feed into deep cycle batteries, where electricity
•~ stored and sent 10 the appliances ns direct current.
So we have a simple plan for a mountain homestead.
The basic energy needs have been met with appropriate
technology, but the technology is incomplete without the
human behavior to complement it. We live in an age of
plastic and steel. Many of our daily needs are dependent on
oil drilled on the other side of the world and automobiles
built and assembled on two or more continents. One way to
control the use of energy on the planet is to seek out ways to
A MOUNTAIN HOME
Wnucn lltld 11lustnlltd by
Greg Olson
Shelter is our tilter from the clements of wind, water.
and sun. It lS also a ~work that shapes our environment
The home is an enclosure of space where sensory experience
conunual on 1'"£C 211
KATUAH - page 8
WINTER 1987-88
�A LOOK AT SOME HOMEMADE HOUSES IN KATUAH ...
Madison County, NC
Pho10 by Paul Galllmore
Floyd County, VA
A$he County, NC
Watauga County, NC
WINTER 1987-88
Photo by Rob Messick
Photo by Rob Messick
Floyd Coun1y, VA
Joci<son County, NC
Photo by Adam Cohen
Photo by Adam Cohen
Photo by Rob Messick
KATUAH ·page~
�by Marnie Muller
In considering your bomeplace, it is
important to understand the earth energies of
the place you arc choosing. Cultivating this
sense of listening lO the primal energies of a
place h;u been practiced by many culture~
over thousands of years. Aboriginal peoples
still pay anenuon to these forces. There arc
people in China who still consult with their
culnue's t:raditionalftng-shui masters.
Here in these mountains ofKatiiah, some
oldrlmers and "newtimers" listen lo earth
energies by means of dowsing n0t just for
water but also for the more subtle earth
energies.
Presently, there is a call for a "new"
geomancy in order to design human systems
in alignment with earth systems. The ancient
I Ching ( The Chinese Book of Changes)
speaks of The Great Ham:>0ny. By
perceiving the wider rhythms and energy
nows of the living earth system in which we
participate, we can team to harmonize our
individual energy with the wider
'symphony' of place. In particular, in the
specific place where we choose t.o live, we
can find out about itS special
energies-wind, water, light as well as the
more subtle realms--and become pan of the
process rather than a blockage to it
"The id. a or movement of energies in
e
the earth, of the chl or the earth, and of the
possibility of harmonizing with such
energies is very old. Associated ideas of
blood, water, breath, chi, spirit, circulation,
machine, and organism figure here. A 4th
century tcXt speaks of the earth, 'flowing
and communicating within itS body as if io
sinews and veins' (Needham, Scitnct and
Civilization in China]. A 14th century text,
of interest for current thinking about
"universal planetary grid" or "earth
acupuncture", refers to a "mysterious
network" thus: (it) spreads OUJ and joins
iogtther evtry pan ofthe roors of dll!
tarth. ..Thousands and ttn thousands of
horiU>fllal and VtrticaJ lltins liJce warp and
wtft weavt lbgtther in muJual
tmbraet ...Taking all (including land and
sta) as earth, the stcrtt and mystery is thot
the roots communicare with tach other "
(Steven Post. Ralst the Stakes)
Perceiving the Earth as a living,
functioning being, our species can begin to
redevelop a symbiotic rel.arionship with the
specific eanhplace where we dwell
Reacquainting ourselves with the ancient
slcills of listening to the vibrant, subtle earth
energies is a significant step in lhis process.
Then as we live our lives, each aspect from
homebuilding to right livelihood to
ceremony... will more deeply reflect the
undercurrent Life patterns.
;
,,#
"In China, the dragon is a symbol of the electrically charged,
dynamic, arousing force that manifests itself in the thunderstorm. In
winter this energy withdraws into the earth. In early summer it becomes
actjve again appearing in the sky as thunder and lightning."
From I Ching, Tht Chintse Book of Changes
Description of terms:
Earth Htru: Energy emanatlng from Ille e:inh,
dcieclible by b1otogical means (cg. dowsing) and
physical means (with sensitive detection
ins1111mcnis (cg. geiger countcrS)) though not
normally obvious to the casual observer unless in
an especially sensitive state.
F1ng Shu/: A Chinese system which recognizes
energy Oows and forms in the landscape. It 1J1Cludes
mclhods of modjfying these forms 10 amclionue the
"eneray climate" of a site. Ljterally. means
'wind/Wald.
Grom1ncy: 1lie science of putting human habitalS
and activities into harmony with the visible and
invisible world around us. "Themes and concepts
from architecture, gcomcuy, geography, cosmology,
art, archaeology. mctrology, numerology,
astronomy, astrology. surveying, religion, and
mythology. all complex subjccis in !heir own right,
t<1J1 be seen to have a common root in cenaio
ancient pnictices which related them to a special
place, lime, cosmic position and purposc •. .EV1dcnce
from a great number of sources indicat.es that thclC
is certainly aomcthing linking all these enigmatic
fac.ts and universal practices, an age·old and
venerable science which may be called geom1111Cy."
~!ck)
Dowsiac: A means of delecting seemingly
imperceptible obJCClS or subtle encrcies by the
feeJjng of a rod Olf pendulum held m the hand.
Traditional wattt divining using a farted haul rod is
a form of dowsing which has provided evidence of
sublle energies present at sacred sites.
Gala: To the ancient Oreets, Oa.ia was lhe Eal\h
Goddess. In more recent times the name has been
utilised by James Lovelock to describe the entire
bimyslem or our pbnet - all !ho pbnis ..... imab and
fungi. plus the atmosphere. the oceans and the soil.
The Gaia hypothesis suggests that the Eanh's
biosySlem as ~-regulating; that. for example, 11 is
able to conllOI ilS aunosphcric tcmperawre as well
as the composiuon or the air, sea and soil so es to
maintain the optimum conditions for the survival of
life on the planet.
Chi: 'brealh of nature' : basic energy
~ Sacnd Sites: Special eanh pbcea ""h1ch have the
'-- ~
'- quality of bnnging an individual tO •more auuncd
state with Nature. Often associated wilh having an
abundance of "minus" (or negative) ions in the
elccuanagnctic field.
Eartb Acupuncture: A way of regarding earth
energies whereby the living Earth is seen es an
equivnlent of the human body m acupuncture terms,
with the flows of energy along the meridians and
with special energy centers or "ac:upuncture points".
(Most of tltac tuwu Jul•c M•1t d~fuud ilt £.,11t;
MJSUrlu: Alt l!J1plorator1 l11tro4Mttl.,. l1y BriDn
lorkmms illtd Plul'P lfLUluHt.. P"'14'Md by IM Nortlt
Eortlt/.fµ:.eriaCl'Ollp.)
Suggested Reading:
The Earth Spirit: Its Ways, Shrines and
Mysteries. John Michell, Crossrond Publishing
Co., NY, NY. 197S.
The Ancient Scltnce or Geomancy. Nigel
Pennick, Thames llld Hudson. Ud., London. 1979.
Earth Wisdom. Dolores LaChapclle, Finn Hill
Arts, P.O. Box S42, Silverton, CO 81433. 1978.
Shu/: The Sci,nce or Sacred
Landcape In Old China. Ernest J. Eitel with
oommenwy by John Michell. Syoergctic Press, 24
Old GIOOCCSICr Sttt.ei. London WC I Engl:ind.1984.
Feng
"Geomancy: A Tawny Grammar", Steven
Post in Raise tlr.e Stakes, Sprint. 1984 . Plllnet
Drum FoundalJOll, P.O. Box 3t2SI, Snn Francisco,
CA 94131.
Gain: A New Look at Life on Earth. J.E.
Lovelock, Oxford University Press, Oxford. 1979.
Tbe LMn1 Earth Manual of F•n1 Sh11I.
Su:phc:n Skinner OUt or print.
Nttdtcs or Stone. Tom Graves, Granado
Publishing Ltd., NY, NY.1978.
Tbe Divining !land: Tbe 500 Year Old
Mystery or Oowslnc. Cllristophcr Bird, New
Age Press. P.O. Box 1216. Blaet Mountain, NC
28711. 1979, 1985.
The Ley Hunttrs Manual: A Guide to
Early Tracks. Alfred Watkins, Turnstone Press,
Ltd., Wellingborough, Nonh Hampton~ire. 1927, /
1983
/
~----
"
•
14
~~----~;;.uonbyM~M~l~-~
KATUAH - page JO
)
I
~,~,
\\\
WlNTER 1987-88
�Earth-Sheltered Living
by Scott Bird
From prehistoric Limes to present, human beings have
lived sheltered by/within the Earth... in caves, within rock
wwls and cliffs. and in earth-covered lodges and houses. In
some pans of the world, members of tribes have gathered
toge1her to build their homes in common, underground.
Ciries housing thousands have been builL
Stone age cave dwellers who used nruural cave
forma1ions for shelter, pro1ec1ion, and temperature
moderation, benefiued from 1he even tempero1ures of living
within the Eruth. For example, the year round 1empera1ure in
the Mammoth Cave in Kemucky is 54 degrees F.
In many pans of 1he world today earth-sheltered
homes are a common way to build and live, especially in
China where over 10,000,000 people live in earth-sheltered
spaces in the provinces of Shensi, Shansu, Kansu and
Henan. Their earth-sheltered population has numbered in 1he
millions for generations, where schools, workplaces,
temples and shrines have been part of the underground
landscape since the 5th century BC, complete with gardens
on the roofs.
The mountain village of Matmara in Tunisia is home to
between 5·6,000 people where most shehers are
underground. An open counyard connects the individual
homes. Pedestrian tunnels connect different families of the
tribe to the main social group. Rooms are built with curved
walls and ceilings. In the center of each courtyard is a cistern
which is used to collect and store water with a system of
water pus.
In Cappadocia, a mountainous, barren region in
Turkey with severely exLreme temperatures, villagers have
lived continuously in 41 under~round cities since the 3rd
century. Some cities are built on as many as 10 levels and
house 30.000 people.
On this continent, the Pueblo Indian ruins at Mesa
Verde in southwestern Colorado were hollowed-out cliffs
built around 300 AD with rooms up to 80 feet in diameter.
Other native peoples of the southwest built earth-covered
winter homes and kivas.
Here within the Katuah province, the Cherokee
lndinns constructed earth-covered winter homes and lodges
(see "Good Medicine," page 18 of this issue).
Pioneer dugouls were built in the Great Plains in the
late 19th century as white people pushed wesrward. Building
materials were scarce, so grass and s:>il becl:me the simple
materials with which the pioneer families made their homes.
Though most of the structures were free-standing sod
houses, which were vulnerable and shon-lived, some
families actually excavated dugout shelters in the earth.
Today within the area of the United States. it is
estimated that there a.re between 4-5,000 earth-covered
homes and an undetermined number of earth-benned or
eanh-sheltered homes, that far outnumber those totally
eanh·covered. Once again, it seems that eanh-covered and
earth-sheltered houses are being accepted by the mainstream
population.
Eanh-sheltered homes today qualify for immediate
financing and immediate insurance, and they have gain~ a
high level of consumer acceptance. Earyh shelters ai:e ~mg
built by many .ltl"OUPS of people: the punsts, the surv1vaJ1sts,
the environmentalists, and ordinary citizens, who might
live, for example, on the Great Plains, which are subject to
tornadoes and proirie fl.res. And th~n there. are !hose who
simply want to tower their home heanng/cooling bills.
Earth·benning or eanh·sheltering means simply
bringing the earth as high as possible around a structure on
the nonh east, and west sides, leaving the south completely
open to 'accept the w~th of the sun. i:tie Tf'Of is of
conventional construeuon, though heavily insWa1ed.
Earth-covued homes, however, entail significantly more
expense to provide for extra load-bearing capaciry for the
roof, complete waterproofing, and the expense of
eanh-moving.
People who choose to live sheltered by/within the
Earth, do so for many iusons. In a house protec~ed by
Earth, both winter winds and summer heat have less impact
on the interior. The house takes advantage of the more even,
moderate temperature changes of the Earth. Earth-sheltered
buildings require less heating fuel and, therefore, relieve
pressure on our over-extended biosphere and pocketbook. If
planned carcfutJy, eanh·sheltered homes provide all the light
and ventilation of an above-ground home. Eanh·protected
homes are quieter, require less upkeep. are safer from natural
and human-made disasters. They arc also less of an
imposition on the life around them.
EARTH SHELTER UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEAR
BLOWING ROCK, NC. Dalaaed and built bJ Scott Bird.
- continued on next page
photos by Rob Musick
WINTER 1987·88
KATIJAH - page 1 l
�...................·.....·.................... ········· .... .
·continued from page 11
As you begin on the canh shelter path, the best place
to start is your library. Begin reading about earth-sheltering,
subscribe to a journal or two. Talk to others who have buil1
earth-sheltered homes in your area. Look for the pros and
cons of each design.
When you finally choose a home site, spend as much
time there as possible. Get 10 know 1hc sun's path there, 1hc
drainage patterns, c1c. Also spend time observing what
wildlife lives there in order to determine how you will share
the habitlt. Observe the wind pauems for your locale.
Also begin an inventory of your land. Arc there natural
wind fences on your land that will help to protect your
homesite? What is your soil composition? The soil rypc will
significantly effect the buildi~ process. What water is in the
immediate area? Engaging a local dowser may prevent a lot
of trouble and heanache down the road. Besides locating a
drinking water source, a dowser can also detect shallow
water veins as well as other complications that may be
present to your possible homcsite.
Resource List
for Earth Shelter Construction and Design:
Tiie llandbook of Earth Sl1elter Design. Make
Edelhart. A Dolphin Book, Doubleday & Company, Inc.,
Garden City, NY 1982.
This book is highly recommetUledfor purring you in touch
with the Earth Shelter movement. Very clear and inclusive,
lists earth shelter organizations, earrh shelter periodicals,
articles on earth sheltering. books, films, as well as earth
shelter designers, solar infonnarion by state, etc.
Ear th Shelttred Housing Design : Guidelin es,
Examples, and References. Underground Space Center,
University of Minnesota. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.• Inc.,
During the energy cns1s of the I970's, people were
drawn cowards 1he lower fuel costs of solar, superinsulated
and earth-shehered homes. As the fossil fuel economy
rebounded, in1erest in earth·sheltering slackened as was
evidenced in a major earth shelter journal falling from over
18,000 subscribers to a present 2.000 subscriber b:ise.
People once again misiakenly believed thal the fossil fuel
supply was endless. Now as our economy faces 1hc
possibilily of a major collapse, reliable, energy-efficienl
earth-sheltered housing will once again offer an attractive
op1ion.
At the turn of chis century, Baldasarc Fores1iere spenl
38 years constructing/sculp1ing 65 rooms, courtyards,
grouos. 11nd gardens beneath 7 acres 10 Fn;sno, California.
The work was complete with atnums and rooms designed to
catch 1hc sun. The rooms contained many forms of plant life
including one tree 20 feel underground that was grafted with
7 differen1 kinds of citrus fruil. As Baldasare Foresticre's
cffons within the Eanh were aesthetic as well as func1ional,
we 100 can develop 1hc sensitivity to create a form of Eanh
sculpture with our earth-sheltered home designs. h is also
time in our hist0ry for us to re-establish a spiritual
communion with the planet, and living in an earth-sheltered
home is literally "close to the Earth."
As a professional homebuilder, the best advice I can
give prospective owners of earth shelter homes is to stay
closely involved throughout the entire home construction
project. Paradoxical as it may seem, special sensitivity is
most needed during the initial excavation of the home site.
This can make the difference between a site that looks as if it
has been cleared for a shopping mall and a homcsite that has
been carefully carved out of the Earth with respect and care.
You, the owner/dweller, will be the one to know how the
Earth looks and feels after the whole building process is
completed.
The solar warmth pcnncating a structure sitting in the
protective lap of Mother Earth can make each day a joy whe~~
one chooses to live with/within the Earth.
P"
Scott Bird is a professio11al residential designer
atUI builder of conven1ional atUI earth-sheltered homes in
the Katiial1 region. He works with Appalachian Building
& Design.
I
Earth -Sheltered H abitat: llistory, Architecture and
Urban Design . Gideon S. Golany. Van Nostrand
Reinhold Co., Inc., 1983.
Notes and bibliography in back of boolc are rich in research.
The $50 and Up Underground House Book. Mike
Ohler. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., Inc., 1981.
Ear th Shelte red Homes: Plans and Designs.
Underground Space Center, University of Minnesota. Van
Nostrand Reinhold Co., Inc., 1981.
Construction information, plans and energy data for 23
successful earth-sheltered I~
A real bible/or ti~ Eanh Shelter fTl()vement, will help quiet
fears and insecurities concerning earth shelter planning,
design, building and living.
Untluground S poc•
Dept. of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University of
Minncsoia, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Bi-fTl()nthly journal of the American Underground-Space
Assoc.
Natural Solar A rchitecture: A Passive Primtr.
David Wnght. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., Inc.. 1978.
Wonderful. sensitive design with Earth, sun. and
environmenl working rogerher
Underline
Underground Space Center, 790 CME, 500 Pillsbury Dr.
SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Qiurerly
Underground House Book. Stu Campbell. Garden Way
Publishing Co., Charlotte, VT, 1980.
The favorite of many.
E n ergy Inform
3528 Dodge, Omaha, NE 68131
Complete bibliography of earth-sheltered writings. $5.00
1978.
KATUAH - page 12
WIN'ffiR 1987-88
�..............·•• ••••·• .·~11 •• ••••••••••••••••.• •·•·• .......... •·•·•••••• •••••••••·••·• •·•·••• ..... ........................................... •·•·• ........ •·•·••••·•·•·•••·• •·••• •••••••••••••• -•••
•
..::··
Through the whole spectrum of
living systems, from planet Eanh to a living
cell, the natural world is abundnnt in
rounded fonns. Within this synergetic order
the organizing principle of a covering, or
membrane, that meets 11self around a
nucleus is the basis of any regenerative
structure. Found in anim31 bodies and the
homes they build, as well as in the shnpe of
plants, their seeds and the housing for their
seed$, is this dynamic pnuern of a
membrane with inward and outward curves
being strong, insulative, protcctive, and
interactive with environments.
With this example human beings can
build sheller that is in tune with these
patterns and can rejoice in this resonance.
Ovoid, spiral, polyhedral, and branching
designs are a practical and pleasing
alternative to many of the dull rectangular
schemes we now employ. These ovolo lend
themselves 10 many styles and uses as a
way of dwelling wirhin surroundings.
.
'.
·:
::
..
.•
·:
..
.·
(conUll!JCld on s-sc 18)
..
:·
..
·.
.
'
'
'~
..
.:
'
':...
© Drawings and Text by Rob Messick~
•/
wn-(rnR.. i'9s7:sil .... ········· ···· ·.. ··· ··· ··· ...... ,... ,. · ···· ····· ... ···.··· .. ······ ·......... ·· ····.... ··· ····· ··· ·.... ·.......··· ·· ··· ··· ···KA.ru.;.:1:i :·p~.&~ 13
�BRUSH SHELTER
by Snow Bear
As I.he autumn chill deepened into the sharp cold of winter,
it was important for native peoples to have a place to keep
wann when they were out hunting, away from their villages.
By watching how squirrels kept themselves andtheir young
warm and dry, native peoples learned the lesson of how to
build a stick and leaf nest It was a good way to keep warm
and dry without a fire. Here is a description of how to make
a temporary, primitive brush hut similar to those of the native
peoples here.
The brush hut provides warmth and shelter from rain and
snow, requiring no cordage or canvas in its construction. I
have spent a comfonable 15 degree night in such a hut with
no sleeping bag. When well made, it will shed heavy rain;
snow laying upon it becomes additional insulation. It takes
about I 1/2 -2 hours for a single person to make a shelter.
Unden;iand, however, it is not a home or a workplace when
made 10 cap1u~ body heat. An additional lean-co srrucrurc
can fill the need for workspace; it can be made using the
same method.
The idea is simple: to construct a low shelter framework
with dead and down branches and cover it thickly with leaf
liner from the forest noor. Essential to the Structure is a
strong ridge pole, at least nine feet long, placed wilhin the
fork of a living tree, three feet off the ground. In the absence
of a forked tree the proper height, I have used a strong, three
foot forked branch leaned against a tree trunk and secured
wuh long stakes pounded into I.he ground with a rock.
Staning at the end of the ridge pole that lies upon the
ground, stack branches up against the ridge pole. As you
place branches, alternate from side to side of the ridge pole;
the tops of the branches will interlock to keep the branches
from sliding off the ridge and serving to anchor the leaves at
the ridge. Remember to make the shelter at least twice as
SfAKE
'flALL
wide as your body: this will make a low, wide framework
that will keep its leaves in heavy wind. Less heat will escape
if your door opening is narrow and low. You can make a low
door after leaves have been put inside by using two forked
sticks to support a stout branch for a door lintel (see
dingrJm).
KATUAll ·page 14
Begin covering by using dry leaves. Always put leaves on
the top of the side you are working on; they will settle in to
the pince they are most needed. O>ver in dry leaves so thnt
when you push your hand in to touch the stick framework,
the leaves come up past your elbow. This is essential for n
brush hut that will shed rain. Then, if available, use leaves
(from beneath the dry, crackJy leaves of the forest floor) that
are maned and compressed. These can be lifted off the
ground like shingles. Start at the bonom and lay them in
rows, overlapping each row. If any funher anchoring is
needed, you can use branches. laying them upright as you
did to make the frame.
To stay wann in winter weather, further insulation is
needed. Fill the inside with dry leaves, then wriggle in and
roll side to side until the leaves are compressed into a
"mattress". Do this at least four times to get a mattreSs that
will stay 8"-10" thick when you lay upon it. Then fill it once
more with leaves (pack them in!) and crawl in. To funher
retain heat, you can weave a door plug with thin green tree
branches. After you crawl in, pull the door plug closed from
inside and pile leaves against it You may need to leave a vent
:11 thc top or the door plug.
Spend many hours in practice before you rely upon your
skill for your well-being. This is true of any primitive
camping skill It would be good to make at least six shelters
before testing your skill on a subfreezing winter's night. The
consequences of a mistake in building your brush hut could
be hypothermia and death.
Building a brush hut is bu1 one of many vnluable
skills the old time Cherokee practiced; they were a people
who could stay warm, dry, well fed, clothed, nnd
comfonable with nothing but a knife as their basic tool. May
we keep these skills alive, that our people may live in,,.; #
strength nnd well being.
,P'
Wll\.'TFR 19R7-811
�Resources on Build ing & Design:
Books:
I.ow-Cost, EntrtY Cfllcltnt SMltu for
tht Owner and JJulldtr, Edited by Eugene
Ecch. RO<ble Press lnc , Emm3us, PA 1~9.
1976.
Furoctmtnt: Bulldlnt with Ctmtnt,
Sand. and \Virt .Hnh, Sunlcy Aben:romb1c.
Sc hockcn Books. NY. 1977
Tht /Jousts of Mankind, Cohn Dul y.
Thom:is and Hudson, NY, 1979
Arrosanti, An Urban Laboratory, Paolo
Solen. Avant Books. 191!4.
Natural Solar Auhltuturr: A Passil'r
Primtr, 03vid Wright , Environmcnul Architect.
Van :>;osunnd Reinhold Co.• 1978.
Tht Tao Of Archllutuu, Amos th T1ao
Chang Princc10n Univ Prc.~s. 1956.
Tht Tfmlftu \Vay of Building
A Patttrn longuagt
Tht Oregon Expufment
ChrislOphcr Alexander, Cl al. Oxford Unrver.ity
Prc..<;,<;, NY.
From Tht Ground Up, John N. Cole and
ChNI~ Wing. L1Ulc, Brown and Co.. 1976.
Tht Stcond Old llou1t Catalogue, compiled
by Lawrence Grow. Universe Books. NY, NY,
1978.
&mh Shtlttr, David Martindale. E.P. Duuon,
NY. 1981.
Passive Solar ArC'hlttcturt- Loglc a nd
Btauty, David Wright and Dennis A.Andrejko.
Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
An Agt of Barns. Enc Sloane Ballantine
Books, NY. 1967.
l.og Bultdtrs l/andbuok, Drew Lang~ncr.
Rod31e Press, Emmau~. PA 18049
Shelttr, Shelter Publications. Mounuun Boot..s.
P.O. Box 4811. Santo Barbara, CA 93103, 1973.
Tht
Vittait
as
Solar
Ero loty,
Procttdings of Tht Ntw
Alrht1t11
Thrtshold Gtntrir Dtsign Conftrtnrt,
E.Wlc.d by John Todd and 1':inc)· Jack Todd, The :'\cw
Alchemy lns111u1c. 237 Hatchvillc Road. East
Falmouth. MA 02536, 1980.
llandmadt 1/ouscs, A Guidt to /ht
Woodbutchu's 1t r1, An Bocricke and Barry
Shapiro. Scnm~haw Press, San Franci"Co, CA.
1973
Tht Compltte LOI I/oust Boole,
Do le
M;inn and R1ch:ird Slmuhs. McGraw-Hall, 1979.
Building tht lltwn I.of lloust, Charle~
McRoven Thoma~ Y. Crowell Publishers, NY.
1978.
llandcrafted Doors and Windows, Amy
ZolTarano Rowland. Rocblc, 1982.
Mud, Spac1 and Spirit: 1/andmadt Adobe,
Virginia Gray, Alan Macrae, & Wayne McCall
Capra Press, Sllllta B:irb:lra. CA. 1976.
A Goldtn Thrtad: 2500 Ytars of Solar
Archittcturt and Tuhnoto11. Ken Buui and
John Perlin. Cheshire Books, 19n.
Fantastic A rchlttcture: Personal and
Ecctntric Visions, Michael Scboyt and loost
Elfers. Harry N. Adams, Inc. NY, 1980.
Tht Owntr Built llomt; Tht Owner Built
Homestead ; Th t OM
•ntr Built Homtsttad
Rtvisittd, Ken Kem. Scnbners, NY.
How lo Malet Eltctrlcily from Wlnd,\Vattr
and Sunshlnt, John A. Kucd:en. Tab Boob,
Inc., Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214, 1979
Rtin habltl ng
CitltS
a nd
Towns :
Dtslg nin1 for S us1ainability, John Todd
w1lb George Tul.cl Planet Drum Foundation,
P.O.Boit 3 I2S I, San Francisco. CA 94 131
Ptrmaculturt Ont. Bill Mollison and Da-.d
Holmgren , 1978. Pumaculturt Two. Bill
Molljson . 1979. Tagan Books, P.O. Boll 96,
Sunlcy, Ta~mania. 7331 Austmlia.
Dwtlting, by River, FrceslODC Publishing Co..
1974.
Pe r iodicals:
Adbbt Ntv. s, P.O. Boll 702. Los Lunas. N\1 87031
Ntw Shtlttr Magaunt, 33 Ea~t Minor Street
Emmaus, PA 1!!049
Altunatiw Sourcn of Energy. 107 S. Ccntml Ave ..
Milaca, MN S6JS3
New England Builder. The Journal of Light
Construction , P.O. Boll 278. Montpelier, VT
0.5(,02
FiM llomtbu1ldin1. Thc Tauton Press, Inc., 63
South M3in StrccL Newtown, CT 06470
Fine Wood Workin1. lllc Tauton Press. Inc ..
63 South Milin Street Newtown, CT 06470
Thi! Solar Collector (Soon to be The South/ace
Journal of Energy and Building Technology).
Published by the Southfnce Energy Institute. P.O.
Box S506, Atlanta, GA 30307
PASSIVE SOLAR COMPOSTING
TOILET
The typical live gallon flush IOilet consumes
approitim3tcly half of a household's conswnpl.ion of
water. This is about 12,000 gallons of waier / pu
person I pu yea to carTY 165 gllllons or body waste
co the place or disposal . What rcsulis is:
• Large amounis of valuable and sc:arcc pure
drinking Wlller is used
• Ground water and surface water is polluicd
• A useful, natural fertilizer is lost
• Energy-inicnsive nnd costly waste
ucatmcnt plnnis must be constructed
• The disposal of sewage sludge cau~
further pollution problems
We assume th:lt by nushmg and forgetting
we have solved the problem, yet in l'C3lity we have
only created several new ones. The watcrlcu
composting toilet is 11n alternative to these
problems. ll uses no water. thus chmmatlng
massive consumption used with Oush L01lcts The
<;i-lf.eonUlincd sy51Cm protects ground Md ~urface
wai.ers from conLDmmat1on. and valuable nu111ents
arc coo,·cncd into a s:in1tary nch humus lhal can be
applied directly to the orch:ud. MUmCnl3ls. and the
garden. With solar fC3llltCS, 11 needs no additional or
outside source of enctgy to complete the
decomposition, nnd there arc no mechanical or
moving parts. Because of thi~. 11 needs very hule
ml\inlCD311CC nnd l'CqWICS no additional Cllpcn5CS after
the original mst11llauon .. Watct conservation equals
energy conscrvalJOn m that no energy is nocdcd to
pump. store, or purify waste.
Compo5ting toilets arc a part of an
appropriate technology m that they renect a
low-cost soluuon to local problems. They are
simple co build and mam1:11n: nnd can be constructed
from locally available materials.
WINTER 1987-88
Scx,.b.\>I
:5 .·.
·
C.IW11'E:Y ·: " .:
lllc toilet conslSls of a c:oocreie block vauh
with a sloping "air s11u-case• system (sec diagram).
The org:lllic was1A:S move down the St:lll'CISC at a rate
that will insure aerobic dccomposlllon by the time
they reach the final storage chamber. Aerobic
decomposition means th:lt the ocg:inic materials a.re
breaking down in the presence or oxygen. The
compost pile is aerated in three ways: Fir;t, the
incoming air stream 1s prchC3lcd by the flat plate
sol.3r hot air collcc10r (eliminating the noed for an
adcbtio1131 power $0UtCC). and brought undeme:llh the
"steps" of the air ~talrcasc so th31 the au can
Cll'Culate from the bouom and on up through the
center or the pile. Second. the air is conducted
through the slotted and perforated four inch PVC
pipe ducts that run through the center of the pile.
Third, air nows over and across the pile, ovnpor:ating
citccss moisture and pulling olT the carbon d1oudc.
The solar chimney drives off the air c1rculat1on
system for the compostct by allowing the sun to
heat the air in the black vent si.ack. thus causing a
n3tural draft . The warm air rises by natural
convection and in tum pulls more air through the
colleci.or and through the compost pilc... the cycle
goes on.
Also. u's 1
mponant to lldd af1tt C3Ch U5C a
scoop or "dry Oush" materi31 nch in
carbon, ~ch as &Tl.~' cilppmgs. sawdu~1. leaves.
peat. and 111ood ch1J>l' You're building a working
compost pile here so you need enough fibrous
mlllCriJIJ to miit with the wastes to keep the pile
loose so n1r cnn circulate through. All odors arc
released through the solar chimney which ensures
the bathroom is free from odors at all tim~. The
humw; which is remo"cd 1s ooly live to ten percent
of the original volume as 9Q.9S percent will be
transformed 11110 carbon dioxide and water ,.apor and
rcle:iscd through the 'cnt. It will l3kc 3J'Pr0llma1Cly
two ycatli for the f~t decomposition pcnod, then
with the continuous proce.~s. three to icn gal Ions or
humus will be produc.xl per pcrsonfpcr year.
generou~
Dct:uled blueprints an: available for
SIS.OOfrom
Long Branch Environmental
l:ducanon Center
Route 2. Boit 132
Leicester, NC 28748
(704) 683 3662
KATUAH ·page 15
�Review of Rua Sims Quillen's
October Dusk
JULIEANNA
Bi' Timber, Mon1:1113; Sc•cn BuIT:lloc:; Press; 1987. 26 p:igcs
This collection of twenry-thrcc poems is as invumg a.s
a cool front porch in summcnimc Md opens to the l"C3dcr a
~orld of Appalachian place, culture, and ritual.
In Quillen's poems we arc rooted in a place of apple
buucr IT\:lking and calf binhing; a place where people look to
the seasons to tell them what work needs to be done. Herc
arc hard laboring people who draw such conclusions as 'The
potatoes from the garden/ lie scattered in the grass./
Tomorrow we will son them I and store them for winter."
This dedication is an intimate and loving gesture which leads
the reader to assume the couple in the poem, who sit on their
front steps after a hard day's wcrk and whose "eyes meet in
the fading light," arc lhc poet and her husband on their own
fann. Such intimacy is typical of Quillen's poems and is
neither offensively confessional nor self-indulgent, but rather
comfonablc and interesting-a glimpse into a panicular
Appalachian family's world.
ln these p<>cms rich in Appalachian culture, we notice
the effects of ume. Sometimes we sense the new imposing
itself on the old, as in "Time To Go". Here an old woman
sees a countryside overtaken by "multi-level
houses"-symbols of the new "American dream". But she
also observes young people taking over an "aged" farmhouse
and "trying to live in another time": ... solemn young
women in earth-colored clothing I chop wood and raise
chickens." She realizes that people !Oday arc facing a "hard
time," perhaps too hard, and she knows she has lived long
enough.
We often see old generations passing, as in
"Julicanna", in which "Mamaw" sits by the window and
recalls her past, not sadly, but acutely: "She can still smell I a
hot kitchen full of men I after a hard day ...." She sits with
her granddaughter, sometimes thinking she hears her late
husband "Paw I saying 'Julie' I and she almost answers."
Such moments in QuiJJen's poems are poignant, tender, but
rarely, if ever, repetful.
They are ultimately not regretful because Quillen sees
renewal in the passing of time and people. The poem
"Sunday School Lesson" (dedicated to the poet's son)
investigates the notion of new generations replacing the old,
as the mothet' ponders "how each of my children I resembles
someone long dead .•.. /The boy is my father I reborn I
with red hair." I find this poem comforting and a beautiful
and quite appropriate conclusion'° the collection.
My favcrite poems, however, are those that deal with
Appalachian ritual, as in "Revival", a poem which depicts a
child's perception of an old-time church revival, an event
filled with ta1Jc of fire and brimstone and infused with the
Holy Spirit ("Many moaned, cried I said Yes Lord"). The
child is confused and " [runs] out of the shadow into the
clean nl&ht air". The poem doesn't pass judgement on the
revival, but certain! y captures the mystery of the ritual as
seen through a child's eyes.
A second of Quillen's poems set in the church,
"Meeting House," offcis a touching glimpse of another
country ritual: counship. In this poem we find z.ekc Bays
riding his "spooked" mule into a church service. It's not the
event itself, despite its quirkiness, that gives this .J>OC:m its
reason for being. Instead, the hean of the poem lies in its
theme: the discovery of love. While Zeke apologizes fcr his
actions, he keeps his eyes on Anna Compton, a young
woman in the congregation, and this gesture signals to
everyone, including Anna. what Zeke feels for her. They all
know that "Zc.ke [will) be the one I to teach her about loving,
I sing little songs to her in the dark." These "little songs" arc
the essence of romantic love and will be as sweet, no doubt,
as that dark countty night when Zeke will sing them.
What I ultimately find most appealing about QuiJJen's
poems is her use of the concrete, her interweaving of crisp
illlllges that l can visualize and metaphors I can savor. In her
poems is a mngible world where one sees a "spring burst of
white blossoms", and smells "A musry sweat smell" of a
crowded country church, and hears "little chimney sweeps I
(that! cry in the blackness". This is a living world, the poet's
own, J suspect, that she has opened to her readers. We are
invited in for a while, and here we can discover, ponder,
and, I think, enjoy ourselves immensely.
Mamawfin1Jlly swps 11Jlking
She siis birdlike by the window
on a green vinyl chair.
Her toothless mourh opens, closes
collapses right inlo the face.
Her hands circle slowly around and around
as she talks,
every ~·ein dark bltl.t and swollen.
I warch and wait
can'r take my eyes off her.
Siu: keeps glancing ar the clock on the mlllllel
then back at me.
Eyes dull like old window fXJlll!S
stare oUJ the window 01 yestudays
w/u:n she worked wirh Ju:r /'1llJll
in steamy fields.
She remembers her babies,
rwo alive and grown,
rwo dead at birth
blood coming out their ears.
She can stifl smell
a hot ldtchenfull ofmen
after a hard day,
feel her own light, quick srep
move sure through ti~ gardi!n.
Someti~ she thinks she hears Paw
saying "Julie'
and she almost answers.
We sit together while
the old 1111J11Je/ clock ticks loud,
louder.
Ouiside the quaner moon,
the least lighl ofall,
hangs in the air
resting lighlly then
like that last spoken word.
OCTOBER DUSK
The evening dark
falls all around me,
iJs warm bl'eaJh
casts a shadow on my face.
Sitting 011 my front steps,
I am a candle flame
drawing moths and moS41'iu>es,
holding the mo~nts in my cupped hands.
He sils quietly /:Ty~.
memories ofthe day's work
swift moving cowr shared
lilcefall leaves in the yard.
The pol/JJQes from the garden
lie scanued in the grass.
Tomo"ow we will sort them
and store thunfor winter.
His hand rests on my neck
as he slowly stands.
He off the other dirty hand
us
to help me up.
Our eyes meet in the fading lighl.
We go inside,
surrendtring to nighl,
d1t: sm411 ofeanh still strong.
- Julia Nunnally Duncan
KATuAH ·page 16
-------------------.,WINT;-;-;::;:-=E=:R:--:1~9-:::87::-·:-:88
�October Dusk
by Rita Sims Quillen
MEETING HOUSE
When Zeke Bays rode his mule in10 church
the sweating preacher froze
open-mol.UMd
in the middle of a Bible vuse
and the sranled men rtoched in rheir coaJS
fo r tlu! guns they left at home.
Aunt Becky Summey fainted 011 tlu! women's side,
a crowd rushed around her
as Zeke struggled wilh the mule,
its flat hooves senin~ up a deafening echo
on the rough plank floor.
H
What in tlu! \'.'Orldr S1Jmeone said.
Zeke meanJ co answer
bw the mule walked sideways
and jarred a pewfull of deacon's wives.
Anna Compron hid a s17Ule
untkr a~ whit.e hat
when ZekefiniUly managed
to steer the mule toward the door.
She watclied his hard, dark anns
pull aJ the rope.
noticed that full and STllOOth mouth,
tlu! long eyelashes
that made people say he was too pretty
fora man.
Pausing at the door,
Zeke apologized/or himself
and his wild, spooked anUnal.
said lu!'dfu the door.
Everyone tw7red to sr.are QI Anna
becm.ue he looked QI her as he talked.
She ~d red as her 111/)tWs tinnias.
She knew;
he did, too.
Now everyone probably saw ii:
Zeke would be the one
to reach her aboUI loving,
sing liltJe songs to her in the dart.
COLLAGE
TIME TOGO
Tire old woman
spits amber StilT$ in the dust
standing on a long road leading nowhere
except Elmwood Hills Subdivision
where ""'1ti-level houses stand mtJSt/y empty
save for the Nnuican dream
<fwe.r bars, color1V, and pool tables.
And on down the road a piece
a lane mOlk l1y VW buses pressing down tlu! grass
leads wan agedfarmhouse
where rusty bu.eke.rs carch waur from the roof
and solemn young women in earth-colored clothing
chop wood and raise cAfcAzns:
living, walking memories
trying w live in another time
while the old woman
keeps si/en1 waJch
She holds lu!r breath, st.anding and ware/ling
between the IWO
there in the stardusr rood,
pocks her jaw with more tobacco.
She's thin/clng what a hard time
they will all have
and congratu/ares herselffor living just long eno11gh.
WINTER 1987·88
I hold the dl.m picture close to the light.
The background ls faded:
an old man's silhouette on a barnwall.
black On 8rtl)'·
a shaft of white sun slashing his face.
He holds a bale of hay on his left shoulder,
expruslon dirta
dueEast-
overlapping with the tiny grantlson
in the foreground
lying Ill the crib,
seemingly soulless
in that sl«p beyond remembrance
known only to the M\'.born and rhe dead.
Yet surely there nwsr /lave been
ho~d puffs ofair
passing through rhose he.an-shaped lips,
the soft body rising with eoch breath..
The missing lin/c
is the old man's son the baby'sfarher out ofthe picture somewhere
where f Qlhers always are,
leaving me to wonder about JUm,
impatient wilh my owA curiosity.
Ile is1ust another man,
seed bearing seed.
Why do I go begging for meaning
in rhe accidenUJI double - expos11re?
KATUAH - pa!!,e 17
�In the old days "shelter" meant just
that: a place to sleep and to get out of the
weather. A building or a structure was
not a place where people spent their
·whole lives, as it is today.
Jn a modem city, people go from one building - where
they live, eat, and sleep - by car to another building where
they work, and then go back again. They even exercise in a
building! Only incidentally do they get out into the open air.
These people live in a completely anificial environment. They
regard the natural elements as inconveniences to be avoided.
When I was a boy living with my grandfather and
grandmother, we would take all the doors and windows off
the house in April. By the end of May we had moved the
wood cookstove outside under a liule shelter, and my
grandmother would cook out there. We also slept outside.
We did not have tents or sleeping bags, so we slept under a
liule brush arbor we built to keep the dew off us. We slept
there until thunderstorms or a wet spell of several days
would make us go back inside for awhile.
We lived oucside and did everything under the brush
arbor and under the O'CCS until the last pan of October. Then,
when the leaves fell, and it swted to get cool, we would put
the windows and doors back onto the house, move the
cookstove back inside, and Stan 11 up again.
But even in the wintertime we would use the dogtrot,
which was a wide, covered passageway between the two
pans of the house, as a place 10 shell beans. whittle or carve,
make baskets, or work on other projects. We would eat there
in summer when the weather was rainy and we had
company. Folks would always visit and socialize there. Out
there it was alright 10 smoke or chew tobacco and spit.
When my grandfather was a boy, his grandfather
was living with his family. The old man was a strong
influence on the boy, telling him many siorics about how the
Indian people used to do things. That is why my grandfather
always liked the idea of houses with cane mat walls, the way
they were built before the white settlers came. He used to say
that building a structure that lasted beyond one's lifetime was
a burden on the Earth.
Back before they were all cleared, the river bottoms
were full of thick-growing river cane. The cane was an
incredible material that was used for many purposes. One of
the main use:. was to m:ike $iding for the houses in the
villages along the river bouoms. The women wove the split
cane into mats that '"'ere ~even feet tall and six to ten feet
long. These were hung on a framework of poles stuck into
the ground in a circular pauem. Other poles were lashed
across for bracing and 10 suppon roof rafter;. The roof was
made of bundles of broormcdge grass. which is waxy and
oily and repch water. These were bound in place to make a
thatched roof. In this way the people could build a dry
structure 1n a very, very shon time. If the mats were still
good in the fall, they might roll them up and use them again.
In some of the larger, more permanent villages like
Peachtree or Old Echorn, they would daub the cane mats with
clay. In the smaller villages they would replace the mats
every year and never daub them. One time when we walked
across the field where Old Echota was formerly located, we
found chunks of hard clay that bore the imprints of whole
cane leaves and stalks that had been pan of the old houses.
They also would build small towers in the fields
among the com and squash plants. Kids would take rums
standing watch in the small buildings 10 head off marauding
animals and 10 throw stones at the crows.
The old com-cribs were also built off the ground.
They were made of thin poles and were well-daubed with
mud. Every crack, even around the doorway, was tightly
sealed to keep rats and mice out of the gnin. They put up
com, beans, and dried pumpkin in pots and checked their
stores frequently.
The only permnnent structures were the town house,
which was built on a mound at the center of the village, and
the asi 's, or hothouses. An asi was a family storehouse,
guest house, sweat lodge, and winter shelter. They were
eanh-covered structures that were built on the surrounding
hills above the fertile bouomlands.
The asi was low and na1, usually constructed on a
slight rise to help the water run off. They were made of
wood, usually locust trees. Medicine people often made their
asi's with seven sides. the sacred number, but families
usually nude them square, 12 by 12 feet or JS by IS feet.
according to the size of the family. The: basic log structure
was covered with mats, then broomsedgc would be placed
on top of that, and then soil would cover that. Some of the
older asi's had grass growing on top of them, but the locust
never roued, and very rarely would they ever leak.
In the summenime the asi would be used for storage
or to house guests if the family had clan \isitors. although
the town house was also used for overnight lodging.
The asi would also be used for sweat lodge
ceremonies. A family would move its thi~gs out, and they
would heat up a pile of big rocks in a large fire outside and
carry them into the asi. A lot of people could crowd in 10 sit
around the steaming rocks. The sweat lodge was one of the
- continued on page 28
KATIJAH - page 18
WINTER 1987-88
�'The Grear Spirit did not give man
the right to destroy this great life."
(ucuptsfrom a ra/A: ta the bled btar conftrtnct by
Kay Littfr)Ohn. a Chcr'1Ut Indian}
My fotlu!r 011d grandfather and their
grandfathers before were asked to speak on
behalfof our animal relatives, which were
rapidly disappearing in their times: the snail
darter, the ivory-billed woodpecker, the
passenger pigeon, ti~ CoroliNJ parrot, and
1.lte list goes on and on and on.
Each one of my ancestors wlro spoke
om against the destruction of our relatives.
saw that tire native people of this country
were placed here by the Great Spirit as
caretakers. We see this great gift of mind
011d creativity as something we use 10 share
witlt all those two-legged, four-legged,
winged, water, and root creotiues.
We see ourselves as something not
set apart from our environment, but as a
pan of the whole .....
There is hope in me tltat thest people
who hove removed us as caretakers will see
the responsibility that we all share. I om
responsible/or pollwion, the disappearance
of the animals and plants, for hate, and
prejudice, as eoclt and every one ofyou are.
Our people were swept aside with tire
j11stijicotion of "manifest destinyH. This
archaic expression was used in tlte post to
ju.rtify cruel and unjust acts. This some
plulosoplty exists today, when it comes to
the nvo-legged, four-legged, roots, and
insea creanues
Let's not let "manifest destinyH be the
ckstruction of al/ life. The Great Spirit did
not give man the right to destroy this great
life
Great Spirit, my prayer is for Yonoh,
01u brother, ti~ black bear.
Concern for the black bear (Ursus
omericonus) in the Southern Appalachians
drew over 200 people to the Owen
Conference Center at the University of
Nonh Carolina al Asheville on September
29 10 hear a schedule of speakers presenting
different perspectives on the present and
future condition of the black bear and its
mountain habitat. The conference was
sponsored by the Environmental Studies
Program at UNCA, the Southern
Appalachian Black Bear Federation, Long
Branch Environmental Education Cenrer,
and Klu.UBh.
The presenting speakers agreed that
the black bears had survived intense
pressures, but that the species faced even
more difficult times in the near future.
caused primarily by the ever-expanding
human population. Opinions differed widely
as to the nature and the projected impact of
these pressures, but the mood of the
conference was one of guarded optimism
that if people of different points or view
could work together, the problems facing
the black bear could possibly be averted.
As Dr. Michael Pelton, professor in
the Depanment of Wildlife, Fisheries, and
forestry :11 thc Univer.;ity ofTenncssec said
in his keynote address. "We are sitting on
the last major long· term population of the
WINTER 1987-1-iR
THE FUTURE OF YONAH,
THE BLACK BEAR
black bear in the Southeast."
He said that the indigenous black bear
population had by its remarkable
adaptability overcome the threats posed by
the massive deforestation of the
Appalachians by the timber industry in the
early years of this century and the chestnut
blight, which wiped out the American
chestnut tree, the bears' most stable and
abundant food source.
"Diminishing habitat has without a
doubt been the single most imponant factor
that has impacted these animals," said Dr
Pelton.
"It is unlikely that any new habitat
will be created," he said, and called for
policies to proteet and maintain large blocks
of forested lands in the Appalachians for the
far-ranging black bear species.
"More miles of open roads and forest
management policies that decrease hard mast
(acorn and nut) production will lower the
carrying capacity of the forest for black
bear," said the biologist. "Roads affect
bears either through direct monality or by
bears having to shift their habitat to more
marginal areas, making them more
vulnerable to monality. A road policy must
be clearly defined and strictly enforced. That
is very important to the long-term stability
of the situation.
"We also need a management strategy
to perpetuate and stabilize hard mast
production in the Appalachians. This means
long tree harvest rotations to allow oalc trees
long-term mast production when they reach
maturity."
Roben Zahner, professor of Forestry
at Clemson University, underscored the
need to encourage the different oak species
in the mountains.
"At this point," he said, "When we're
talking about bear habitat, we're talking
about acorns.
"Oak trees are showing signs of
decline in different areas, and there is some
reason to believe that atmospheric pollution
is an influence."
Zahner also warned of the approach
of the gypsy moth, whic.:h has the capacity
to defoliate whole forests and is moving
toward the Southern Appalachians. There is
no way to predict what the elfcc.:h of the
moth infes1ation will be on the black bear,
but the larvae or the insect prefer green oak
leaves, and it will have a strong negative
effect on the mast-bearing trees, he said.
In light of these pressures to come,
Zahner advocated extending the roration age
of trees; implementing a strong oak
regeneration program; and keeping large
blocks of forest land intact to cushion the
effects of future pressures on black bear
habitaL
Lauren Hillm3n, wildlife biologist for
the US Forest Service, said that "population
management is a second critical factor for
the future of the black bear."
Citing population studies in the
Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest, she said
that "monality is at or approaching its
maximum sustainable limit..... Population in
the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest is
probably not declining, but the population
appears to be characterized by a
preponderance of animals in very young age
classes."
This affects the availability of
breeding females necessary to keep the
reproduction rates up to the level of
occurring mortality. Shortening the bear
hunting season or pushing it back later in
the year tends to protect females, who go to
den earlier than the males.
A bright spot in the conference was a
report by Kei1h Langdon, resource
management specialist for the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, who spoke of
promising results in the the breeding of
blight-resistant American chesmut trees that
one day might be able to reinhabit the
species' former range. New genetic
techniques developed by researchers
affiliated with the American Chestnut
Foundation have produced encouraging
results in eitperiments in Minnesota, said
Langdon.
John Stokes, storyteller and
musician, and the dancer Zuleika presented
on Iroquois Indian story about the bear. In
closing, Stokes said, "We have only one
statistic to offer you. That is that we arc
100% sure that the sumval of the black bear
is not a question of number-s, but a spiritual
question."
pfll'
KATUAH- page 19
�NATURAL
WORLD
NEWS
FIGHTING THE BIG BURN
IN CALDWELL COUNTY
by Barbara Kirby
(from a talk before t~ WNC A//iQJICe)
For nearly 1wo ye:irs the people of the
Mt. Hennon Community near Hudson in
Caldwell County, NC have been involved 1n
an intense fight to get rid of a hazardous
waste incinerator on nearby Lick Mountain.
The history of the incinerator goes
back 13 years to 1974 when the county
decided it would purchase the equipment
to burn hazardous wastes trom t.:aJClwell
and surrounding counties. Caldwell is a
m.'.ljor furniture producing area, with a lot of
noxious wastes as by-products.
In 1975 a fire in the incinerator plant
forced its closure, and the county officials
decided that they were not qualified to
operate the facility. It was leased it to a man
named Charles Foushee, who began
Caldwell Systems, Inc. (CSI). Charles
Foushee is the man who operated the
Mitchell Systems incinerator and was
unceremoniously thrown out of Mitchell
County a year and a hnl r ago.
In 19&3 the county commissioners
agreed to renew the CSI lease for 25 years.
There had been complaints of odors,
smoke, and pollution, but they were
low-key, and few people had been
involved.
In 1985 a man named L. C. Coonse
began serious opposition to the waste
incinerator. Following his lead, a group of
people organized as Caldwell Concerned
Citizens for a Clean Environment. Their
first act as a group was to ask the county
commissioners to form a study committee to
investigate the incinerator and determine if
any health hazards did in fact exist
Since that time we have met with
continuous obstruction. The study
committee was started eventually, and they
have done an excellent job with the aid of
hired legal and environmental expcns.
The study committee found several
instances of unsafe operation of the
incinerator planL As one example, the
manufacturer of the incinerator reoommends
that it bum no more than 1,882 pounds of
hazardous waste per hour. But the operators
go by the state regulations, which allow
them to bum 4,018 pounds per hour. The
incinerator bums 22 million pounds of
waste per year.
Halogenated hydrocarbons, a very
serious health hazard, are burned at the
plan1. On August 22, 1987 phosgene gas
(also known as mustard gas) was released
into the air. Several Mt. Hermon residents
were stricken by the vapors.
KATIJAH - page 20
Numerous employees have been sick,
and one person is probably going to die
from injuries sustained there.
Caldwell Concerned Citizens has
continuously pressed the county
commissioners to do something. We have
pressed the state. The state has been very
reluctant to work with us. They have started
studies and refused us access to the data
generated. Our group has raised $5000.00
to do our own soil and water studies, all of
which have shown contamination.
The county commissioners have been
under tremendous pressure from the state
Natural Resources and Community
Development (NRCD) and others to lceep
the incinerator open, because since the
closing of the Mitchell Systems plant, it is
the only commmercial hazardous waste
incinerator in the state.
We have found that part of the
problem in regulating a hazardous wa~te
incinerator is that there are very few
regulations. So tho incinerator operators can
truthfully say, "We meet all regulations,"
but that does not mean that they are not
hurting anythUig.
In October, 1987 the srudy comminee
finally recommended that the Caldwell
Systems incinerator be closed. At a meecing
on November 2, the county commissioners
said that they would ask CSI to leave. The
announcement was met with cheers from the
more than 400 people in the audience. The
commissioners continued by saying that
they would allow CSI to sell its business
and equipment to another company. They
did not set a deadline for when CSI had to
be ouL They did not tell us who would be
the new buyer. They did not say anything
about cleaning up the area, which in
Mitchell County was a job of several
months duration.
A near-riot ensued after that
announcement. and the commissioners left
under the protection of lhe sheriffs
departmenL
The outcome of all this is still not
clear, but there is cause for hope. At a
special meeting on November 9 the county
commissioners voted to temporarily close
the CSI plant. The final result still remains
to be seen.
Citizens is an orRanization of mountain
people just like all of us Their experience
shows us that we can learn what we need to
learn w deal with these issues. Ir's as simple
as chal.")
SMOKIES WILDERNESS BILL
PASSES THE US HOUSE
N.wnl World News Service
A bill co-sponsored by Rep. James
McClure Clarke of NC that would officially
declare 90% of the Great Smoky Mountain
National Parle a wilderness area has won
unanimous approval in the US House of
Representatives. Wilderness status would
protect the greater part of the Park from
road-building or any olher development.
This bill formally ratifies the past
management policy of the National Park
Service and gives it the force of law.
The House bill authorizes a payment
of $9.5 million to Swain County, NC and
forgives a $1.6 million loan to the county by
the Farmers' Home Administration to
redeem a promise made at the Park's
inception for a road to a family cemetary
located at Deals Gap within the Parle limits
A similar bill, S. 963, has been
proposed in the Senate, sponsored by NC
Sen. Terry Sanford and Sens. Sasser and
Gore of TN.
Sen. Jesse Helms has proposed
countering legislation in the Senate that
would cut the amount of land to be put into
wilderness and authorize the road to the
cemewy to be built through the Park.
Congressman Clarice expressed
optimism about the Sanford bill's chances in
the Senate, saying, "I think this is the best
chance we have to get this controversy
behind us. Everybody, even Senator
Helms, feels that the 23 mile. $400 million
road to the cemetary will never pass the
Congress."
(Taylor Barnhill ofthe Western Nonh
Caroli/Ill Alliance says, "Barbara Kirby is
not an environmental ex:perr. She is a school
librarian ar Maiden Elementary School in
Catawba Coulll)', NC. Caldwell Concerned
WINTER 1987-88
�CONGRESSIONAL ACTION
ON THE MRS
Nlllllnll Wmld News S.S-.a
POACHERS CAUGHT;
POACHERS CONVICTED
Acting on an anonymous tip, NC
wildlife officers caught and charged seven
men with bear baiting on Mackey Mountain
near Manon, NC.
The seven appeared in McDowell
County Oistnct Coun on Nov. 9. Four of
the men pleaded guilty to bear baiting,
which is illegal in NC, and were given a
minimum fine of $250, a suspended jail
sentence, and lost all hunting privileges for
two years.
Two others contested the case, but
were also found of guilty of the same
charge. They stated their intent to appeal the
decision.
The remaining case had not come to
!rial by the end of the day.
The poaching !rial was monitored by
the Southern Appalachian Black Bear
Federation, which is initiating an active
program to discourage poaching in Katiiah.
'This is the most flagrant case I've
ever seen. They've been doing it all
summer." Frank Pennell, enforcement
officer for the NC Wildlife Resources
Commission (WRC) in McDowell County
told the Charlotte Observer.
Responding to the tip, wildlife
officers investigated the baiting site, which
was just outside the boundary of the
Mackey Creek Bear Sanctuary. The officers
found enough snack cakes at the site to fill
two bushel baskets. Cellophane wrappers
from hundreds of other snack products
littered the ground around the area. The bait
was placed by the poachers to lure the bears
off the protected sanctuary lands, so they
could set dogs on their trail and run them in
unprotected parts of the Pisgah National
Forest. When the bears would finally be
shot, they would miles from the
incriminating bait site.
The actions of poachers threaten the
stability of the black bear population in the
Southern Appalachians. Poached kills go
uncounted in bear population management
statistics, and poaching from the state bear
sanctuaries violates areas that are set aside to
provide females a safe breeding ground for
a core population to maintain the numbers of
black bears in the mountains.
Defend the bean! Write to:
Ass'L District Attorney Sandra Pugh
P.O. Box 2143
Marion, NC 28752
Tell her that you arc watehing the bear
poachers' appeal case and that you care
about the outcome.
If any signs of other poaching activity
are seen, one may call the WRC "Wildlife
Watch" number, 1·800-662-7137, to repon
known or suspected violations.
Confidentiality is assured.
It is dangerous to personally intervene
with poachers and far safer to call wildlife
enforcement officers.
Compiled 111 patt from o uport ur tlw CharlOlu
Qbrmz,
The US House of Representatives
and the US Senate are on a collision course
on crucial high-level radioactive waste
legislation.
ln the House. a move toward a
momrorium and independent review of the
nuclear waste management program is being
led by Rep. Morris Udall (D-Utah) and
Rep. Jamie Clark of the NC Ninth District.
The vehicle is HB 2967 which would
institute a study commission to review the
actions of the US Department of Energy
(DOE) and halt any funher site selection
work for the two planned high-level nuclear
waste dumps and the MRS (Monitored
Retrievable Storage). which the DOE would
like to site in Oak Ridge, TN.
Senator Bennett Johnston (D-LA) is
pushing Senate Bill 1668 (the
Johnston-McOure bill) that would authorize
an MRS. The MRS would store 80-90% of
the nation's high-level nuclear waste.
If Johnston were to succeed in his
efforts, Karuah would not only be
threatened by the MRS, but would be one
giant step closer to receiving the second
high-level nuclear waste dump in the Ellc
River geological formation, just outside of
Asheville, NC.
Congressman Jamie Clar.Ice; US
House of Representatives; Washington, DC
20515 deserves thanks for sponsoring HB
2967, and NC Senat0rs Sanford and Helms;
US Senate Office Building; Washington,
DC 20510 need to hear from people in the
region who do not want the MRS and 1hc
high-level waste dump.
fA
PAC AGAINST THE
COMPACT
••
Nlllnl World News Service
The NC Political Action Committee to
Dump the Compact has been formed to elect
legislators to the NC Senate and General
Assembly that will withdraw the state from
the Southeast Low-Level Radioactive Waste
Compact, which plans to dump 32 million
cubic feet of radioactive waste in the state
over a 20 year period begiMing in 1992.
The group is planning to mount a strong
campaign around the state's May 3 primary
and November 8 election in 1988.
Contact the organization at:
P.O. Box 26071
Raleigh, NC 27611
FOREST SERVICE PLAN
UNDER APPEAL - AGAIN!
NllUnl World News Service
The Western North Carolina Alliance
(WNCA) and the NC Chapter of the Sierra
Oub have both entered fonnaJ legal appeals
of the Pisgah-Nantabala 15-Ycar
Management Plan to the Chief of the US
Forest Servicein Washington.
The WNCA is filing on the basis of
several violations of the Forest Management
Act of 1976. The act requires that forest
management be done on a site-specific
basis, that management promote biological
diversity in the National Forests, and that
multiple-use management (which includes
water, wildlife, and recreational needs as
well as timber harvesting) be practiced.
The WNCA in its suit says that the
Forest Service is not considering
management practices based on conditions
at individual sites, but rather is making
blanlcct prescriptions for clearcuning in all
pans of the forest. They cite the Forest
Service for managing the forest to promote a
few selected varieties of trees, rather than
promoting the wide diversity of trees found
naturally in the Appalachian hardwood
forest.
The suit goes on to say that the
widespread practice of clearcutting destroys
protective cover, old denning trees needed
by many mammal species, and
mast-producing trees necessary for many
species' survival.
The WNCA favors uneven-aged
timber management by means of selective
cutting.
The WNCA suit also protested the
extensive use of prescribed burning by the
Forest Service, calling the practice
"excessive and environmentally damaging."
The suit mentioned in particular the
controlled bum that was triggered by
dropping napalm in the Mica City Creek
watershed.
Both the Sierra Club and WNCA
suits called the Forest Service to task for
making many below-<:<>st timber sales.
saying that the agency did not, in the words
of the USDA, "accept a considerably greater
burden of proving that a below-cost timber
program is necessary."
The Sierra Oub lawsuit also charged
the ForcSt Service with projecting excessive
road building into the 15 year plan.
• continued on next page
WINTER 1987-88
KATUAH-page 21
�- continued from page 21
RECYCLING CENTER OPENS
AT ASHEVILLE LANDFILL
Nannl World News Scrviee
DUKE POWER MOVING IN
ON THE MOUNTAI~S
N-1 World News Scsv..,..
Duke Power Company is planning to
scour and nood 1,200 acres on Coley Creek
in 1hc heart of the Jocasscc wa1ershed 10
build a reservoir for a pumped s1oragc
hydroelectric project
The watershed is in the sou1hcrn
reaches of Transylvania Coun1y, NC, jus1
above the South Carolina st111c line. The
Horscpas1urc River, which was rccen1ly
inducted in10 1he National Wild and Scenic
River System, and the Whuewater,
1 hompson, and Toxaway rivers now
through the area.
The Jocassce Watershed is currently
undeveloped and unspoiled. The
well-known Foothills Trail crosses I.he area,
and it is home to the endangered Oconee
Bells flower and several types of rare fems
that grow on I.he north-facing sides of some
of I.he many waterfalls in lhe drainage. Two
colonies of lhe green salamander, rare in
this re~ion, live on Coley Creek. But the
high nunfall and abrupt chan~cs in elevation
that malcc this a unique area m the East also
make ii a prime area for hydroclectrical
development
Duke Power has submit1ed a draf1
application 10 I.he Federal Energy Regulation
Commission fora 2,100 mcgawan pumped
s1orage facility that will cost $3.3 billion to
construct. Plans call for a dam to flood the
main valley and two or three side valleys
and coal-fired electric plan1s that will
produce energy 10 pump water back uphill
during slack pcnods. A new road is
proposed from NC Route 281 10 the cast
side of Thompson Ridge - a 1,000 foot drop
over nine miles - to transpon heavy
equipment to the Coley Creek sile and to
maintain the project.
The Jocassec Wa1ershed Coalition
(JWC) has been formed to oppose the
flooding of Coley Creek and to press for
inclusion of the Whitewater, Thompson,
and Toxaway rivers in the federal Wild and
Scenic Rivers System. The JWC is
comprised of citizens' groups,
cnvironmcn1al groups. and individual
landowners and hunters tha1 use the
watershed. They arc being aided by the
Sou1h Carolina Wa1er Resources
Commission, which, fearing damage to
tr0u1 fishing waters, is urging protection of
I.he rivers in I.hat state.
'lhis is going 10 be a mon:: difficult
taSlc than saving the llorscpastun::," said Bill
Thomas, co-chair of the JWC, "because
Duke Power has owned the land since the
1960's."
The JWC is suggesting to Duke
Power I.hat providing incentives for energy
conscrvarion 10 reduce overall electrical
consumption would be a cheaper alternative
that would possibly obviate the need for I.he
Coley Creek dam.
Utility companies, par1icularly in
New England and the Pacific Northwest
have been using this option to avoid
installing nuclear power plants or other
unsightly and polluting electrical generating
facilities. Research has shown I.hat it is twO
to four times cheaper to invest in energy
conservation in preference to energy
generation.
At a meeting with Duke Power, JWC
representatives proposed tha1 1he company
hire a consullant 10 do preliminary research
into the possibility of invesung in energy
efficiency as a possible option. The
company refused.
"It seemed like a prcuy good idea to
us," said Thomas. "parucutarly since a
consultant would only cost $30,000 as
compared to the $3.3 billion budget for I.he
Coley Creek project."
The JWC 1s requesting that Katiiah
residents wrire to:
Tommy Rhodes
NC Depanment of Natural Resources
and Community Development
P.O. Box 27687
Raleigh, NC 2761 I
to ask that I.he 1hree rivers of 1he Jocassce
Wa1crshed be placed immediately under
state prorection.
To contact the Jocassec Watershed
Coalition, wricc:
Gil Leebrick
c/o Highlands Biological S1ation
P.O. Drawer 580
Highlands, NC 28741
Duke Power is also deepening its
involvement in the mountain region be
buying out the Nan1ahata Power and Ligh1
Co., which provides electricity 10 1he five
wcstcm-mos1 coun1ics of NC.
Veronica Nicholas, a county
commissioner of Jackson Coun1y. NC and
tong-time activist in citizen struggles with
Nantahala, calls this process "changing
masterS."
She observes, "By adding
Nantahala's area and resources and
developing the pump storage facility in
Transylvania County, Duke Power is a-ying
to create an in1cgrated generating system. I
think they're loolcing to a time when they
won't be able to rely on nuclur power."
The Buncombe County Board of
Commissioners, with the support of Quali1y
Forward, has opened a recycling cen1er at
the Asheville landfill, located seven miles
north of Asheville on Highway 251. Clear
glass, colored glass (brown and green
separated), newspaper. corruga1ed
cardboard, and aluminum cans may be
recycled. The cenlcr is open during regular
landfill hours: 8:00 am-4:30 pm,
Monday-Friday and 8:00 am- I :00 pm on
Saturdays.
The usual landfill tipping fee of Sl.25
is waived ror up 10 10 bags of garbage for
!hose who bring four bags of recyclables.
II has been estima1 that up 10
ed
one-lhird of all solid waste can be recycled.
Recycling to this cxtcn1 in Buncombe
Coun1y would depend on other recycling
1echniqucs as well as 1hc recycling area at
the landfill. Curbside pick-up, on-si1c
separation, and small, local commercial
recycling businesses would all make
recycling more convenient and profitable.
The remaining two-thirds of the
genera1ed waste could be composted, 1umcd
into fuel pellets, or compacted and
landfilled. All lhesc methods arc currently in
use elsewhere.
The Asheville landfill recycling center
is a response on the pan of citizens to the
idea of mass-bum incineration, which is one
waste-disposal technology under
consideration by the Buncombe County
Commissioners.
The major advocates of incinera1ion
arc mega-industries trying 10 comer 1he
SIOO billion spem annually in I.his country
on waste disposal.
Incinerators arc the most expensive
solid was1e management technology a
community can choose. They arc expensive
to opera1c, involving massive inputs of
non-renewable fuels, and repairs have
proven 10 be devastatingly expensive.
There are also major heahh and
environmental problems involved in
incineration. Fine particles of lead,
cadmium, mercury, manganese, antimony,
tin, and other heavy mc1als arc released in
the incinerator smoke. Dioxin, the mos1
highly carcinogenic of the synthc1ic
hydrocarbons. has been identified in
significan1 amounlS in incinera1or gases and
ash. The ash i1sclf is slated to soon be
designated a hazardous waste by the US
Envtr0nmcntal Protection Agency.
Although a small s1cp, the recycling
center at the Asheville landfill is a start
toward bet1er waste managcmen1 practices
and deserves resident use and support./
WINTER 1987-88
�A
CHILDREN'S
PAGE
Underground House - Abigail Bird, Madison County, NC
Under Water House
Sarah Reany
Floyd County, VA
I would have a big house under the
ocean and you got there by going through a
door in a house on an island. My house
would be shaped like a big mushroom. I'd
have a big window on lhe top or lhe ocean
to get sun power. And I'd have a fire at the
bottom or my house and a boot and I'd have
a bumblebee for flying away. I'd have a big
flower so the bumblebee can drink.
j
J
(
11..i
Mn
1 .:
.....
h" (; .m ifJ
v
f 11t 1.1t1 ~
,t
u1~t -t11e
9n"vtn../.
ti! ..>.
t.l.."l'OU..9"'
Ofltr( 5LiJQ
-
....
flJ1Jl. lC
j()(:;.o h 1..s B
td
__ _
Underground House - Michael Flowers, Madison County, N /
WI NTER 1987.:88
KATIJAH ·page 23
�Dear Friends •
DRUMMING
LETIERS TO KATUAH
Ko.lWth 1s still a\ good as alway\, but I do agree it
Y.ould be a i;ood idea to keep the old format. I'd hate for
~omc folk~ to i;et left out becau~e the price Y.Cnt up. Ju\t
some or the feedback I've also heard from some people who
enjoy looking forward to the ne:itt issue. Keep up the good!
Tara Cla)1on
Rougcmc:nt. :\C
.....Thanks for a great fall issue. In response to your
question: I'd rnthcr sec )oU mainl3in the ine:\pcnsive,
rccycleablc newl>print. Keep up the good Y.Ork.
Jeanene (Cabanis}
Cashiers. t\C
Dear Friends •
Let me tcU you what I feel is important in my life:
I stan a fire by spinning a wooden spindle. In doing
this, r re-enact a ritual that transcends the bounds of time.
Smoke curls from powdery, hot, black dust, and I am
re-establishing my link with nature through an act of
primitive humanity.
I skin the gift deer with a stone knife I made, and
butcher this friend who has given life for continuation of life.
Eating this sacred food cooked on my fire, I realize that the
deer is inside me and becomes pan of me, and I become pan
of 11. I wear clothes made from this deer's skin, and. as I
move, the deer moves with me. We arc one.
1 bathe in the stream, and the life blood of the Mother
Eanh cleanses me, and again I sec the connecting link
between my being and all of the universe.
By panicipating in a primitive life, in immediate
contact with the natural (real) world, I find comfoning,
meaningful relationships with all of my relatives in this
universe. I have lived outside for over eight years, nunurcd
by this primitive exi~tencc. During thi!> apprenticeship with
nature, a chief activity has been the use of natural materials
for appropriate "Earth Skills" technologies to make a lhing,
following techniques that natives have used in this area for
over 12,000 years.
I feel I have learned something valuable. and I want to
share it. I have found how useful "Eanh Skills" arc in
connecting humans and nature and stimulating spiritual
insight, :ind I te.ich these methods to others.
"Earth Skills" are life suppon activiucs through which
people involve themselves in nature, primiuvc technologies,
and primitive thinking processes.
In the barren realities of modem American life and
thought, "Eanh Skills" arc an avenue to understanding
another way of perceiving the world and developing a
foundation for spuituality based upon interaction with the
natural world.
On the surface, making a bucket of tree bark seems
practical only because it provides a wild woods container.
But in our day and culture, the experiment has a much more
valuable benefit: we gain a very strong perception and
understanding of a connecting linlc with the foreSt and with
the primitive skills that our ancestors depended upon. By
experiencing the physical connection, we arc opened to
appreciate the spiritual value of the event.
Leaming "Eanh Skills" relates an individual with the
na11ual world to produce a craft or ~riml!nr that brings a
person to the awareness of the connectedness of all things,
humans included.
•Earth Skills" lessons arc inherently spiritual. I never
need to mcnuon the word "spirituality" or to scare
conscrv:mves with phrases like "change m world view." The
latent revelations, connections. and meaningful guides need
never be anicul:ued. They just happen.
"Ennh Skills" give a strong, practical foundation for
under.;tanding spiritual realities by sharing Y.ilh the spirits of
the wild places.
Eustace Conway
602 Deerwood Drive
Gastonia, NC 28084
KATUAU ·page 24
Durable magazine format vs less durable newspaper
format · I'll opt for qunlity in either presentation. One awaits
Katuah eagerly each season because of hannonious weavings
of philosophy, issues facing our Mother Eanh, teachings to
share, verse to stimulate ponderance, etc. For me the present
format works!... ..
Bern Grey Owl
Raleigh, NC
I'm making a prayer
I'm gathering the kindling
I'm making a prayer
I'm clearing the way
I'm making a prayer
I'm striking the flint
I'm making a prayer
Lhat will illuminate
that will warm
or cedar and oak
Of maple and pine
Of coming Logether
I'm making a prayer
because iL is time
• Colleen Redman
Dear Editors:
We have high praise for the Fall 1987 K1IiiA!L and its
excellent anicles on the black bears of Southern Appalachia.
No bear species anywhere on Eanh can survive without local
and regional suppon, and that suppon depends primarily on
what people know about bears and their needs. Your issue
on the bears of the Kau.iah Province is a landmark step
toward meaningful protection of bears and their habitat in
your region. As planet Earth becomes less inhabitable as a
result of traRically misplaced national and international
priorities, the b:mle to keep p3tlS of Earth, habitable for wild
bears will help prcscIVC the health · and life - of the planet as
a whole. Keep up the fine work, because we arc all in this
together.
Sincerely,
Lance Olsen
President, The Great Bear Foundation
Missoula, MT
W1NTER 1987-88
\!
�Dear Editor -
While on a hurried
VJSll
Alar. your l.J.NJfturtd !M.
At tlir" bthtst )IOll btc~ my ad\/Usary
BtctJJ<U )'Oii .,.f:rt blood brotJo.u IO myfo~r llibc
I Ww -,Ollr tlto1111w GS )'Oii p11rswd IM,
I could 110t li111u to std 110rvislrmt111.
011 ONl on. yo11 pllTswd IM.
Soon I 1rtw wtak, nut to tartlt.
Ytt wht11 -,011 slew this body. I did llOI dit.
My soul tlldiutrlt.
to the new
library at Appalachian Suue this past week, I
chanced to see the notice of the upcoming
symposium on the black bear in Nonh
Carolina. It occurred to me that you might
find the enclosed poem, "Nemesis,"
appropriate at this time.
You will recall that Wilburn Waters
was noted as the famous hunter and hermit
in the White Top section of Nonh Carolina.
He was credited (?) with killing 108 bears
as well as many wolves and other animals. J
became interested in his story when I
learned he was my great-grent-grc:11-uncle.
Rev. M.D. Han raised the funds and built
the monument with the imposing black benr
on top. I visited the graveyard where it
srnnds this past summer, and it is still
standing in good condition and has numbers
of visitors each year. It is located near
Lansing, near Tuckerdale.
The symbol at the bottom right of the
poem is the Cheroke word for Yo-nu, the
bear.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ruth Trimble
'----------------~-~"""' E11t11tually )'Oii too. my bro/her. wtrtftlltd
by rht inaor~ 1umd of mortality.
NEMESIS
Once./ was as you wert. A m1Jn tal/ and proud.
Ordained by the GreaJ Spirit 10 toll OJld :t'*'l!al
so 1ha1 I mightfted upon 1/itfruits of my labor.
In thtfv.l/nessoftlme I beCDml! ll'l!Oritd
by tht constant struggle 10 sustain lift.
Encwnbtrtd by fau.• I langtd 10 be
lilt:t tht Btar • frtt to roam DI will.
gathtring the berrits and mast.
I grnv faint with my disconttnl .
Tht GrtaJ SpiriI ltntw my OJlguish.
Maniftstiltg I /is arcant power I It
gra111td my heart's dt.wc
OJld cJiangtd mt into Btar,
c/ollting me in long si/Jcen hair.
I was Yonu, mighliesl of tht crcaturts.
None challengtd my right 10 bt
Yo11 lit tnto!nMd high on this /ouly kMll.
Mtnftlt ltd to trtet an effigy of me· froztn
ill rime • ovtr your grave 10 show rtsptct for
your prowess. They tOd /IOI perceive thtir efforts
wert dirtcrtd by tht Great Spirit and nor of
thtm.ttlvts.
I. too. ha11t rtsptctfor -you, mybrothtr. but
I SIOJld htrt not to honor you.
Rathtr. I stOJld guard 10 OJlChor your spirit
firmly ill rhe tarth until Yonu rerurns
unw his own 111 rht secret dtpdis and NXlows.
Ohly thtn w1/l I relinquish my vigil so thal
your spirit may ristfrom its fc11us and
soar .,.;,h """'
111 the etastlw harmony of rhe Uniwrse.
Ulllil )'OIL
We reprint two ofthe pomufrom the Drumming section of last Issue. A typographical error
changed the meaning ofone, and two verses ~e inadven0t1ly lef1 ow ofthe other. Our apologies
to the poers and to our readers. Ajirs1 rule of survival in any region is to stay on 1he good side of
your IDcal poetS!
The Lessons of the Hunt
Persimmon seed, I am•...
let me glisten in the sunlight
to paint you colours,
gold, bronze, amber forever.
let me be free 10 grow
to bear....
to w3tch my young sway,
to grow, to bear.
let me not lay
on the cold, damp ground
trample me not
for the Earth is my food
and the sunlight my wonderment
Persimmon seed, I am ....
betraying no man.
- Bun Grey 01111
Wouldst learn the lessons of the Hunt
From those who know them best?
Then one must go to marsh or wood
Where hunters seek their prey.
"Patience" says the stately Heron
As it stands in the shallows,
Waiting for a fish or a frog
To obligingly swim by.
"Concentration" says the Heron
As, one slowly moving foot at a time,
It stalks
A shining minnow.
"Patience" says the tiny Jumping Spider
As it dans along a vine,
Its huge front eyes alert
For an insect's telltale twitch.
"Concentration" says the Jumping Spider
As, forelegs el(tendcd,
It takes aim
At a foolish fly.
''Patience" says the coiled Rattlesnake
As it lies beside a log,
Waiting for an unsuspecting mouse
To follow its accustomed path.
"Concentration" says the Rattlesnake
As the mouse scampers closer,
For there can be
But a single strike.
"I see and understand," say I
"And thank you for your gifts.
Now I can tre3d the inner paths
To seek my own prey, Truth."
© Douglas A. Rossman
WINTER 1987-81!
KATUAH · page 25
�An Appeal
At the turning of this new year, we
would like to express to you some thoughts
and feelings about the Katuah journal at this
point in its existence.
We have been gratified at the
expressions of love and support that have
come in from readers and friends from all
over. Our primary goal is to have KatUah be
read and used. We see the journal as a way
for each of us in the region to share our
learning experiences, as we all try to find a
balanced, harmonious way of living in these
mountains. This element of sharing is very
important in the ongoing process of us
growing together and growing into the land.
Katuah is produced as a collective effort
of folks from around the region. ( Most of us
live several hours apart from each other.)
While some of the original members have been
continuously involved, the editorial circle
still opens and reforms after each issue of
the journal. Doing Katuah is a demanding task
that requires a lot of time and offers little
material recompense (but, oh, such rewards to
the spirit!).
Most Katuah jobs are volunteer (though a
few arduous tasks like bookkeeping are
compensated). Katuah does offer expense
money like gas and telephone calls, but simply
getting to the various meetings and to layout
is a big demand on people who are working for
a living. This is taking its toll on the editorial
collective.
We would like to be able to maintain the
journal at the standard it has come to reflect
in the course of the last few years. By
breaking the job list up into smaller pieces,
we could make it easier for everybody, while
bringing more variety and excitement to the
pages of the journal.
Opportunities are available to
participate in the Katuah adventure. With
added input, the journal could not only
continue to exist in its present form, it could
expand its functions in any direction the
participants wish to take it.
Besides help with actual production and
lay-out, Katuah also needs writers and
artists (and, of course, cartoonists!) to
work with the journal or to submit material
relevant to the region. The more submissions
there are, the more variety and interest in the
pages of Katuah. Even if submissions are not
about the selected theme for an issue, they
could fonn the nucleus for a future issue of
the journal.
Also needed are:
- An advertising manager. who could bring in
needed revenues for the journal, but also help Katuah
consciously encourage a regional marketplace by
spotlighting biorcgionally beneficial business
enterprises.
- A "Webworking" editor, who could work to
encouraie trade and barter between people, help oottage
industries to develop, as well as ftnd interesting and
creative additions to mnlce a Lively individuals' ad
section.
- A distribution manager, who could help get
Ka11iah out onto new store shelves and magazine racks
and help keep up the network of community contact
people.
- Additions to the poetry committee that evaluates
submissions and guides them into the pages of the
joumiJ.
- There is also a niche for a person or a committee to
keep track of the Katfiah T-shirt sales and offer
books, tools, stickers and other bioregional
pamphemalia through the mail order system.
- A calendar editor, who could compile a definitive
events Iii.ting and perhaps transfo"" the "Calendar"
section into a sun-moon-forest-garden-people almanac,
creatively showing the upcoming cycles for each season.
- Someone to be Natural World News editor, one
of the vital sections of the JOumal. At present it is a
patchwork of material picked up as we go along. This
section needs an on-going editor to stabilize news
presemations. keep in touch with contacts, add depth and
continuity to our coverage, and become kno""n as a
regional news conduit.
This is a position that could become an important one
for shaping news coverage 1hroughout the region. We
have ulkcd often about expanding NU/Ural World News
beyond the p3ges of the journal, but it would lllkc a
person or a group with vision and commitment to
actually make ~mething happen in this area.
�1"tNttR. TRAVEL tNG
"R.OUNDAJJOUT ~'JUA1l "
It has also been a fond hope that Katuah
could develop interest groups 1n areas of
importance for b1oreg1onal life. People
sharing a common interest 1n certain broad
areas could meet independently, at first to
see that their area of interest gets adequate
and incisive coverage m the Journal, but
developing into regional "think tanks" to
develop and deepen bioregional thought on
their chosen topics and perhaps to publish
independently of the journal. Forestry and
Wildlife, Water, Energy, Agriculture and
Regional Diet, Healing, Education and
Personal Growth, Sustainable
Economics, Shelter, Bioregional Theory,
and Spirituality are topics that have
already been suggested, but any aspect of the
new Appalachian culture could be treated in
this way.
Thinking bioregionally opens up new worlds
to our mind's eye and our heart's touch. It's a
participatory experience. If you think KatUah
as a journal or as an idea is a useful form
that helps you relate to life in the the Blue
Ridge Province, help us help it to grow. If you
can see your way to doing it, jump in. Share
the excitement of a group venture, and join us
as we seek to better understand the
mysteries of this place.
Blessings upon you at the turning of the
year's wheel.
- The Kstush sta"/
11as wt.nter t wifl he traveling tlirou9l1
Xatunli to botli broarfen anc! aeepen tf1e
biore9ionnf network tl1ougliout the province. t
wi([ travel as extensi.vely as time and
rcsotuces permt.t. 1he purpose of the trip is to
hudd up tfie Xatuah
cli.stributwn/local
contact people network. and to strengthen tire
two - way communication between the
journal cma the communities of the reljion.
tf you woul'cl like me as a representative
of Xatuali to visit your area, q you woul'cl
like to arrange a m eeting (!ar9e or small,
pubUc or private) to talk about our region, if
you can offer a floor to s~p on as t 'm
passing through, please write and let me
know, so we can taa. specifically about the
trip 's timing and schduling.
We can tf,o mutings or discussion 9roups
about b!acft, bears, nukes, !and use plans, or
any of the sugtjeSud "special interest areas ".
We could hole! beljinnf.ng semf.nars on the
meantn9 of the wore£ "biorel]f.on " and our
own unique area. IVe could tell stories about
clra9ons and the Uttk people. IVe could p!alJ
drums. IVe coulc! tf,o sweat Coclljes. IVe could
mut wi.th school 9roups or 9arc!en. clubs. IVe
can tf,o whatever is rUj/Jt for SJOUr weak.
Tfsi.nlt- about bei.ng a Xatuab contact
person for your area. 1he contact system is
tlie basic frameworF., of the XotUoh networft-.
IVe would Uke to 9et more local news, local
i.nterviews, local pi.ctures, stories, and
opi.nLons from around the regf.on. Let me
know, and we'{! get totjether to talk about U.
Hope to hear from you.
1hese are excULng times to Uve in. Let's
maft-e the most of them/
.Jlfl"'
c Io
-Davie! Whakr
X.aUiah BLorUJional Journal
Box ~8
Lei.cester, NC 28748
KATIJAH • page 27
�9004 nuttc£ne
continutd from pace 18
A Mountain Home
conunucd from page 8
As well as being above 1hc valleys,
the asi's were always si1ua1cd on 1he
wanner south- or west-facing slopes of the
nearby hills. When the weather got cold,
wc1, and nasty, the villagers would retreat
up the hillsid~ 10 spend the winter snug and
dry in their asi 's.
The opening into the asi was so low
that one had 10 crawl on hands and knees 10
enter. There was a wooden wall inside the
doorway Lo cul off Lhc wind. so one entered
by crawling in and turning to the right. The
wooden partition cut off most of the light,
too, so a bright fire of pine knots was kept
burning inside to provide light while the asi
was inhabited. Sometimes there would be a
smokehole, sometimes the smoke would
drift out the door. From time to time the
people of the family would smoke their asi
thoroughly with fragrant cedar or hemlock
to ex1ermina1c insects and vermin.
It must be remembered that the asi
was intended only for a sheller and not as a
living space. On nice, sunny days, even in
winter, the family would work in the
sunlight out of the wind in the warm,
protceted area in from of the asi. The men
might be carving or making arrowheads,
and the women would weave mats for the
walls of the summer houses.
Weaving the walls for your house
each year would seem like a long, tedious
job to people today, but the lndians would
sit together and talk while they worked,
sharing ideas and gossip. It was
communication; it was a social event, and if
one was raised knowing that the mats for
the walls of the summer house had to be
made each year, then it was just one of the
realities of living and was not seen as a
burden.
The asi also offered a place safe from
the spnng floods that came down the river
each year. The people could s11 on the
hillsides and watch the river sweep away
everything on the old village site except the
townhouse, which remained safe above the
waters on its raised mound.
When the weather warmed and 1he
waters subsided, the people returned to the
bottoms and built their summer dwellings
oriented around the townhouse.
The floods also deposited 11 layer of
fertile silt over the planting fields, so when
the houses were reconstructed, the people
set out seed for new gardens for the new
growing season. It seems like an easy and
practical way to live.
bencr utilize local resources for energy
production for our shelter. As we implement
appropri3te ways of living, we become
continually more aware of the spiri tual
nature of shelter.
The soil is the flesh, the water is the
blood, the rock is the bone, and the wood
is the sinew. For a person to experience the
energy of his/her daily lire within and
without IS II gifL
Greg Olson tksigns passive solar and
energy-efficient homes and teaches courses
in the E11viro11mental Swdies Program at rile
U11iversity of North Carolina at Aslrevi/le
His course "Environment, Design , and
Solar E11ergy" is offered every fall semester
and focuses on tlie use of alternate energy
systt!TTIS i11 building design. Write Greg at
211 Stoney Knob Rd.; Weaverville, NC
28787 or call (704) 658.()834.
MEMBRANE HOUSES
continued from page 13
Here are some specific LCChniqucs for creating
thcJc: pod-Idec houses 111 KatU3h:
•Build ribs or metal or plastic 1ub1ng on a
saonc or c:cment foundnlion. Sttttch wire mesh over
I.his frame and, by band, fcrroccmcnt lhe shell in a
numbet or I.ayers leaving openings and shuL-offs.
Pigments can be added 10 cement mix1urcs along
wilh ol.hcr mnrkings put on the membrane for a
mote involved blending with the land. It can take
around 28 days for a sl3lldatd cunng or cement in
Lhis process yCI there is a method of 7 d3y mois1urc
0
cur111g.
A Bourn of Buds
With an eye to woe and one to wonder,
I regard late January daffodils just
budding from the bare warm ground beside
my tilting woodshed, a way too early
to convey the full flame to the greentime.
Near them I stand, a little tilted myself,
feeling in the dawn sun some lightened sadness.
- Michael Hockaday
•con)truc1 fiberglass (or even cardbo3td)
molds, with horiwnaal scnms for casting purposes,
1111d blow a dry miiuurc or sprayed cement cnllcd
gunnne at high prCiSUrc onto the mold and
connccuvc mesh. The mixture as dry enough IO
suck 10 ceilings and can be shaped soon aftcr
spraying. Adv111113gc) to this method arc lh31 a mold
can be reused, and the curing umc for gunnue i•
only about 3 dnys.
•Malec a frame in which to inOa1e a I.hick
l»lloon lh3I can then be covered with wire mesh and
fcnoccmcntcd on the out:;adc. Also. in a m11Ch more
m1t1caie process. steel fibers can be added 10 the
concl"CIC mix - as a strenglhcncr • and sprayed al
high PfC.\'iUl'C ona.o a I.ayer of 11\lulation from the
inside of a I.hick balloon. The 51CCI fibers being put
in the mix itself arc a replacement for the ribbing
and meshmg of fcnoccmenL Air pressure can be
wed as a 1113in suppon during lhe spraying process.
•A grcnL mnny combinations of lhC$e
LCChniqucs can be used. along with canh henning
and adding on IO exilUng suucaurcs.
Rob Messick is a graplric artist and an
avid student of synergetics and whole
systems. flis work with mandalas,
m£mbranes and other organic forms portray
a wide spectrum of enviro~nts from tire
macrocosm 10 tire microCQsm.
sraphic by ChriotJna Mormon
KATUAH- page 28
wrNTER 1987-88
�Green
B..gcr Kin&)
Boont,,C
(704) l64·5866
• • • • • • • • • • • •
K"'-"r'UAfi
l\oa-\E
[) £.SIGl"I
~,p;::
-c t.•J ;::,,;\•'t'R.M~~.i,,·_
1~£!..:...~rJ ·4-)E..? ~, ,\t_·, 11..f: h
.. ;..:...- l:.
->
\
,- ..,. '~ .. , •"v:--~.
( 1:.l~ 1
:~ :-. .
~a .. _,
·=----
Green Line, lhe newsletter of the
Western North Carolina Greens, has just
published its second issue! Conceived as a
project in solurion-~riented, ecology·~as~
journalism. Green Line began pubhcauon 1n
Occober, with a well-received four-page
issue.
"Respect for diversity" is one of the
ten key values of the US Greens, and the
current issue, now eight pages, has further
expanded its already . diverse mix~ure of
local, regional, and n:monal news to include
political cartoons and essays that aucmpt to
penemue beneath the surface of the issues to
the core beliefs, values, and elhics of Green
philosophy.
"Decentralization" is another key
Green value, so the content of future issues
of Green line is very open to our readers'
contributions. Karzlali's readers are
welcome to submit reports, essays, poems,
graphics, or anything else that fires the
imagination.
Charter subscriptions are available
for $5.
The Gretn Une
WNC Greens
P.O. Box 144
Asheville, NC 28802
noon• llrli:his
Shopplna C•nl<r
(h.:hind
. "
. e Now " On Lme
L10
... ....) ... ' t.ii•\J
...4:;.. • ~ ~ (iL
7 ..:: .....-...., ",.. t"~4 o 1L
(70~)
Chinese
Acupuncture
and
Herbology
Clinic
Natural Food Store
& Deli
160 BroadWay
Ashevllle, NC 28801
253-5383
Where Bro.c!wri meets
Merrlmon Ave & 1-2.0
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Monday·Saturday· 9am·8pm
Sunday 1pm·Spm
<1>$5'.ffl~~cn WJ~
ll'JlD'.K§@
©~~
!l
The Elk River Coalition asks people
throughout the mountains to tum off all
electric lights in their homes and place a
candle in the front window from 7:30-8:00
pm on Sunday, December 6 as part of the
Sunday Nuclear Boycott (SNuB).
.
Boycotting nucle3;1"·ge~erated elec~
city for that shon penod 1s a symboltc
protest of the federal government's nuclear
waste policy and its implications for the
mountain region and all of the natural
world.
For further information, contact:
The Elk River Coalition
c/o Madison County
En vironmental Defense League
Mars Hill, NC 28754
J im Wayne Miller
LITERARY FESTIVAL
Emory & Henry College
February 4-5, 1988
More info: John Lang, English Dept, Emory &.
Henry College, Emory. VA 24327
Rt One With lbe Earth is a 1ounng
collection of Native American art on cxhib11 al Ille
Museum of lhc Cherokee Indian now through Dec.
14, 1987. Located Highway 441 N al Drama Rood.
Cherokee. NC. Open daily 9am-Spm. (704)
497-3481.
(704) 683-1414
68:M795
342 Merrimon Avenue Asheville, NC
{704) 258-9016
(704) 253-7656
'J\i(lee, 'lt~f 'Na~r~
BOBCAT
T-SHIRT
SHORT SLEEVE T: $10.00 ppd
Colors: Ecru, White, Sliver.
Sufoam (II. grHn) THI
LONG SLEEVE T: $14.00 ppd.
(lnclut»1 P•w Print on SIHv•)
ColOl'I: Ecru, Sliver, Te•I, White
S•tlsf11etlon •~red or ,.tum for full ,.fund.
Ple•u Indicate size, color,
sleeve length, qu•ntity.
........,.
r'I ~
Introducing the BOBCAT
This full color design Is hand-screened on
T-SHIRTS OF 100% PRESHRUNK COTTON
We •l•o
IN AOUL T SIZES S,M,L,XL
h•v• • tine or 1weetshlrt1 •nd
WINTER 1987·88
kids T-Shirts
I -...
=.::::.~.,........
~-
......c... ..
I:."""
.•
,.l.110414t6 a.l
"'-
ccaoca_,,,,.,_u1o111111•---·
'--==~=---1
.
IUUl_.-111
Village Hands
or
llandm:ide Objects Beaut)
rrom :ill O\er the world!
•ptciatWoi: in ile.m~ rrom llotp:il
&Tibtl
Open Dail,> 11:00am-6pm
43 Broadway
Ashcvllle, NC
(704) 252-4336
Located across from Stone Soup
KATUAH - page 29
�vf€BW0Rl51t§
APPROPRIATE PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN,
blucprinLS and foll working drawings for homes,
shop$, and sheds. Creauvc dnlftina - your idc:is or
ours. Harmony Sunbuildcrs; P.O. Box 194; Sugar
Grove. NC 28697
NC FARMERS can gel 75~ reimbursement for
conservation m11113gement practices from NC Soil
and Water Conservation Comm. Cropland
conversion, tcmices, gm.•>s«I waterways, and other
erosion prevention measures. ConUICt locnl Soil and
Water Conservation District officci..
STARSPAN ASTROLOGICAL PROFILES:
Relationships, lire chart, forccasL~. Charts and
profc«101Ul taped readings also available. P.O. Box
10413; Raleigh, NC 2760S
GUATEMALAN REFUGEE SEED FUND: help
refugees in southern Mexico maintain lhcir culture
and d1i;nity by shirring a variety of •-egct:1blc o;eeds
directly to farmers. Write to: 2292 Grant Si..
Vancou,cr, BC, Can.:id.1 VSL2Z7
EUSTACE CONWAY· Guule and Teacher of
pnmitive Emh Sl1lls with cmphasi~ on fire
building, hide tanning, shelter, and foraging. He
ieachcs at public school~. parks, cnvll'Onmcma.I
centers, and classes of all lands. For mocc
information CODl.1Cl him at: 602 Deerwood Drive,
<i~ 1'Ci280S4 u call Allcm Stanley al (704)
1918 SIMPLE LIFESTYLES CALENDAR •
Photos of "Cnf1SpCOplc or Appabchia" by Wam:n
Brunner and suggcs11ons for simple h"mg for each
day. S6.00 from App:ilachia-Scicncc m lhc Public
lnlCrcSl; RL S, Box 423: LivingslOll, KY 4044S.
All prOCCCds bcnc!il lhc WOf'k or ASPI, a llOll·(llO!il
corpomuon.
ROSE AROMATICS - csscntilll oils have been
healing body, mind, spirit, since ancient Egypl. A
most pleasant therapy! Dabney Rose; Rt. 3. Bo~
286-A; Candler, NC 2871 S
CHEROKEE INDIAN LANGUAGE clnsscs. For
info, write Robcn Bushyhcad; P.O. Bo~ 70S:
Cherokee, NC 2871
ROCKTN' WITH BILLY B • Do lhc DO!lct of I~
Dragonfly or the Roel 'n Roll of PhotoS>nlMsis in
lhe "Music and lhc Natural World" work•hop.
Avnilablc for bookings for schools or local groups,
fan. 29-Feb. 4, 19gg, Great mouvalicin for kids!
Call Ken Voorhis (615) 448-6709.
FUTOl'S by Simple Pleasures • afford:ihly priced.
Send SASE for info ID: Simple Pica.sum;; Rt. I ,
Al TERNATIVE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL· At
Arthur Morg:in School 24 students and 14 staff lcnm
1ogether by living in community. Curriculum
includes crcnl.ivc ocndcmic:s, group dccision-maling,
a work program, scrncc projccis. extensive neld
uips, challenging outdoor experiences. Wri1e: 1901
Hannah Branch Rd.; Burnsville. NC 28714 (704)
675-4262
CUSTOM CELTIC HARPS • A'Colltl Bason:
Tra"ianna Farm: RL 1: Cbcck, VA 240n.
DRUMS • CllSIOID bandaafi.ed ceramic dumbc:cks &.
wooden medicine drums. Call Joe Robcns at (704)
258-1038 or write to: 738 Town Mountain Rd.:
Asheville, NC 28804.
Box 1426; CbylOll, GA 30S2S (~) 782-3920
A\tERICAN l!'.'DIANS of 1/16 blood. any tnbc,
accepted as mcmbcn of the Soulhc:lstcrn Cherokee
Confcdcro<:y. For application, wore: Chief Wilham
"Ratll<:.'>nakC" facl:son: RL I, BOJt 111: Leesburg,
QA 31763
sn-79n
graphic lilt to express and enhance our hvcs. l..ogos,
brochures, boou, porua1ture, window and wall
hangings. ConLict Manlui Tree (704) 7S4-<i097.
ASHEVILLE I BUNCOMBE COUJl<'TY SOLID
WASTE ALTERNATIVES PLANNING
WORKBOOK: A design for handling sohd w:ll>lCS
tn nny urban context. SIS from Long Branch
Env1ronmcn111I Education Center. Rt. 2. Box 132;
Leicester, NC 28748.
BARTERING NETWORK forming. Call Peter al
(704) 926-6250 for 1nformooon.
Am&.· stone.~ from folk uuditions till around the
M. TREE DESIGNS· lllustrauons and Design •
Beyond the p:igcs or lhi~ JQum:il, I work. in pencil,
colored pencil, inl, cul paper, :ind b31.ik. Fine and
AND THE EARTH UVED HAPPILY EVER
world chosen lo help protccl all living beings by
bringing the world society a few steps clo,cr to
pc:icc and respect for all life. Edited by Floating
Eagle Fca1her. S7.00 ppd. (All profiis go to
Greenpeace and the Peace Museum). Order from :
Wages of Peace: 309 Trudeau Dr.; Mellirc, LA
70003
DA YSTAR ASTROLOGICAL SERVICE· natal,
transit, companson chans. Very accurate. Only
S3.00 each. Chris and Will B11.wn: R1. 2, Box 217;
Qie(:k, VA 24072 (703) 6Sl-3492
STIL-LIGHT THEOSOPHICAL RETREAT
CENTER - • qu1c1 space for personal mcd1uuon,
group interaction through study and communuy
work. 8lld spirit.u.11 semi run. Conlatl Leon Fr.llllr.cl;
RL I, Box 326: Wayncsv1Uc, 1':C 28786
CRAFTSPEOPl.l'i • send pncc l1rungs 10 Ci/t~d
/lands of NC, 331 Bl.lie S1; Raleigh, l"C 27601
(Att'n: Bern Orey Owl) • unique shop prucnling
35-40 crahcrs' works in R.ilc1gh"s C11y M.utcL All
a:lfl~ coosidcrcd.
FLOWER ESSENCES • H.vmony v.alh Na1ure &.
Sp1ri1. Ocnllc cmOOC>llal ~ppon during lrnll~itions,
specific: hsucs, rcla11onship~. Opens
communication~
Sclr·OdJUSling, non · lox1c,
awareness "U>Oh" for 1mprovmg lhc inner quality.
Correspondence 10: F.b1nc Geougc, c/o PDtchwork
Castle, Cclo, 3931 llWY 80 So.• Bum!IY1llc, NC
28714
MASSAGE/BODYWORK THERAPIST 1mcrcsicd
m c~changmg trcatmcnL• for other 1CtYICCS/produc1S.
Call Peter 11 (704) 926-6250.
KATUAll - page 30
MEDITATION CUSHIONS from Carolina
Morning Designs. Traditional and inflatable .c.afus.
For free brochure, write: RL I, Box 31-B: Hot
Spnni;s. NC 28743
(I? GRAFICKS • I u~ lhe media of rcncols,
colored pencils, gouachc, pen and mk, aaJ
pltolognlphy in creating unique !inc and gralicl art.
I can make diagrams, logos, finished pnnLS, and
dc$igns for brochures, calendarJ, Cllrds, books. cte..
Mandalas and symbol> arc my tendency among
other styles. Concact Rob Messick (704) 754-6097.
THE APPALACHIAN HERB NEWSLEIJ'ER:
exploring lhc potcniial for herbs as ca'h crops 1n
Appalachfo. Subscriptions S 12/yr.. Wruc:
Appal3cbjnn Herb Ncwslcucr - ASPI; Rt . S, Box
423; Livingston, KY 4044S
MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS herbal salves,
tinctures, & oils for b1nh1ng &. family hc3llh. For
brochure. please wri1e: Moon Dance Fnrm; Rt I,
Box 726; Hampton, TN 37658
SAMADHJ FLOAT TANK for sale. Spcalcers and
pump. Foe back pain, medaation, relaxation.. Sl2.SO
(nc:goci:lble). Call (704) 68'.l-1103.
CAROLINA MTN. MACROBIOTIC CENTER
ortcn natural foods cooking classes, diewy
counselling, cducauonal lccUJn:~ ror a healthier life.
Torn or Debbie Alhos. Call (704) 254-%06.
WEB WORKING l~ free.
Send submissions to:
KaJ.ua.h
P.O. Box 63g
LciCCSICr, NC
Kaliiab Province 28748
WINTER 1987 -88
�Mtdfcfn,.. Alllts
Kil.IiJJJh wants to communlcace your tho11ghcs and feelings to the other people in the
bioregional province. Send chem to us as letters, poems. stories. drawings, or
photographs. Please send your conrribiuions to us at: K1lnJIJ.h,· Box 638; uicester, NC;
Karuah Province 28748.
There has betn a profusion of topics proposed for articles for the spring issue. Send
in ':iJ1W ideas! January 16 is tire submissions deadline/or Issue 19.
BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH AVAILABLE
ISSUE TWO · WINTER t983-84
Yon.ah. Be.- Hunlal Pigeon River . AnOlher
Way Wilh Animals • Alma • Bccomln1
ful I rolor
T-s61rts
ISSUE TEN· WINTER 198.S-86
Kile Rosen • C1tclcs or Stone • lruc.mal
Mylhmakin1 • Holistic He&lm1 on Trial •
Poans: SICYe Knal>lll • M y1hic Pbces • The
Uktena'• Tale • Crysral Maalc •
"Dlelnwpealana"
Politie&lly Effective - Mounlaln Woodllllds
K&lah l.1nder lhc Drill Spiritual Wrnwm
ISSUE THREE· SPRINO 1984
SUJl.wble Asnculnn. sunnowen • Human.
lmpacl on lhe Forui • Childrau' Ed11ea1ion
Veronica Nlo:holu:Woman in Politic. • Ullle
People· Medicine Alliea
ISSUE ELEVEN· SPRINO 1986
Community Planrun1 • Citiu and Iha
BicnaionaJ Vision • Recyelill& • Community
Glldcn&na· Floyd Col.ay. VA · Ouobol •
Two BiorePonaJ VMwl • Nudec Supplemau
Fo11"1tt Oamu. Oood Medicine; Visions
ln the traditional Cherokee Indian
belief, the creatures in the world today arc
only diminuitive fonns of the mythic beings
who once inhabited the world. but who now
reside in Galuna'ti, the spirit world, the
highest heaven. But a few of the original
powers broke through the spiritual barrier
and exist yet in the world as we know it.
These beings are called with reverence
"grandfathers". And of them, the strongest
are Kanati, the lightning, the power of the
sky; Utsa'nati, the raulcsnakc, who
personifies the power of the earth plane; and
Yunwi Usdi, "the littJc man", as ginseng is
called in the sacred ceremonies, who draws
up power from the underworld.
Each is the strongest power in irs own
domain. Together they are allies: their
energies compliment each other to form an
even greater power. As medicine allies, they
represent the healing powers of the
Appalachian Mountains.
The medicine powers of Karuah have
been depicted in a srriking T-shin design by
Ibby Kenna. Printed in 5-color silkscreen
by Ridgerunncr Naturals on top quality,
all-cotton shirts, they arc available now in
nil adult sii.cs from the Kan!:ID journal.
"To show respect for this supernatural
trinity of the natural world is to in turn
become an ally in the continuing process of
maintaining harmony and txililnce here in the
mountains of Karuah."
To order, use the form below.
ISSUE FOUR ·SUMMER 1984
Wauz Orum • WIU# ~ • Kudzu • Solw
Eclipse • Cturcuuma • TJ'OUI • Ooin& ., Wala
R11n Pimps • Micl'oll)'dro • Poems: Bennie
Lee Sinclair. Jlm Woync Miller
ISSUE EJGKT - SUMMER 1985
Cclebn11on: A Way or Life· Ka1u.ih 18.000
Yeat11 Ago Sacred S11es • Folk Atu in lhc
Schools • Sun Cycle/Moon C)lolo • Poems:
Hilda Downer Chtrok.ec Hcnlige C.-nu:r •
Who Owns Appalshui?
ISSUE NINE· FALL 1985
The Waldce Foru1 • The Trees Speak •
Migra11.n& Fore.ts • Horse Louin& • Startma a
Tree Crop • Urbln Trea • Acom Bread - Mylh
lune
Address
Enclosed is $
to give
this ejfort 011 extra boost
WINTER 1987-88
Phone Number
ISSUE FIFTEEN • Spring 1987
Coverlets . Woman Forester • Susie McMahan
Midwife
Ah.emaltvo Contraception •
81osuuali1y · Biorcaionalism and Women •
Good Medicine: M.in.tcharial Culan ·fad
...,.......
ISSUE SIXTEEN· Summer 1987
Helen Waite · Poem: Visiona in a Garden •
Vision Qucsl • Fant Plow
lnitiaLion •
Leamin& in lhe Wildcrneu · Cherokee
Ollllcnge • ·va1uin1 Tn:cs·
,~----
ISSUE SEVENTEEN - Fall 19117
Glady • Bear Su.y • M1chad PellOn • Boan
Good Medic-inc: •findina Albcs• • Bcai
Hun1.1n1 • Champion • "8C&I"." Poem • Grecns
"Old Oaluics:" Poem. ·uuering"
Back Issues
Issue #
.@ $2.00 = S_ _
Issue #
@ $2.00 =
Issue#_@ $2.00 = S_ _
Issue#
.@ $2.00 = S_ _
Issue # _ _@ $2.00 = S_ _
Complete Set (2-11, 13-17)
@ s20.oo =s__
T-Shins: specify quantity
color tan
s__
S_ _ M_ _
L_ _ XL_ _
Zip
I can be a local contact
person for my area
Arca Code
Siovcmake(s NanaU..e • Good Med1"1ne:
lnlalpecies Commurucauon
Regular Membership........ SlO/yr.
Sponsor.........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
State
ISSUE FOURTEEN· Winsa 1986.87
Uoyd Carl Owle · Booaen and Mummas - AU
Spcciu Day • Cabin Fever Univeniry •
Hamel- in Kan.ah • Homemad& Hot Wall:l
ISSUE SEVEN · SPRING 1985
Sustainable Economics • Hot Spnnp • Worker
Ownership • The Creal Economy · Self tlolp
Credit Union . Wild Turkey • Re1ponsible
lnvcstul& • Wcn1Un1 m the Web or Ufe
For more info: call Mamie Muller (704) 683-1414
City
s,.._
ISSUE SIX • WINTl!R 1984-85
Winsa Sohlicc l!&ttl> Caemony • Hancpun.n
River • Comins or lhe UgJu • Loa c.btn
Rooca • Mounwn Ap;culnne: The Rill>' Crop
• W-llliam TayI«· The FD!ln or lhe l'oml
J(AilJAH: Bjoregional Journal oflhc Southern Appalachians
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kauiah Province 28748
Name
ISSUE THIRTEEN · Pall 1986
Cenler FOT Awahnin& ·Elizabeth Callari· A
Gentle Dealll • Hospice • Eme.1 Morgan •
Dcalin& Crarively wilh Death • Home Bmial:
801 • The Wake • The Raven Mocker •
Woodllorc ud Wild"'OOC!a Wisdom • Good
MDC!iciroo: The
Lod&e
ISSUE FIVE· FAU. 1984
HltVest • Old Waya in Cherokee • Oinscn1 •
Nuclear Wuie • Our Cd11c Hcritaae •
Biore&ianahsm; Pu1, Present. md Fulllre •
John WilllOIY • Hui.in& ~ • Pohta or
Participalion
@ $9.50 each........... .$_ _
TOTAL PRICE=
postage paid
$_ _
KATUAH-page 31
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, Issue 18, Winter 1987-1988
Description
An account of the resource
The eighteenth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on vernacular shelter: log, frame, stone, yurts, earth-shelters, and membrane houses. Authors and artists in this issue include: Sam Gray, Adam Cohen, Greg Olson, Marnie Muller, Scott Bird, Rob Messick, Snow Bear, Rita Sims Quillen, Julia Nunnally Duncan, Michael Hockaday, Rob Messick, Martha Tree, Barbara Kirby, Colleen Redman, Bern Grey Owl, Douglas A. Rossman, David Wheeler, and Christina Morrison. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1987-1988
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Protecting the Dreamer: Vernacular Values in Architecture by Sam Gray.......3<br /><br />Dreams in Wood and Stone: Building Your Own Home by Adam Cohen.......5<br /><br />A Mountain Home by Greg Olson.......8<br /><br />Homemade Houses in Katúah: A Photo Feature.......9<br /><br />Listening to Earth Energies by Marni Muller.......10<br /><br />Earth-Sheltered Living by Scott Bird.......11<br /><br />Membrane Houses by Rob Messick.......13<br /><br />The Brush Shelter by Snow Bear.......14<br /><br />Resource List: On Building and Design.......15<br /><br />Solar Composting Toilet.......15<br /><br />October Dusk: Poems by Rita Sims Quillen | Review by Julia Nunnally Duncan.......16<br /><br />Good Medicine: "On Shelter".......7<br /><br />The Future of the Black Bear: Conference Report.......19<br /><br />Natural World News: Caldwell County Incinerator | Smokies Wilderness Bill | Poachers Caught | MRS in Congress | Forest Service Plan Appeal | Duke's Coley Creek Project | Asheville Recycling Center.......20<br /><br />A Children's Page.......23<br /><br />Drumming: Letters to Katúah.......24<br /><br />"A Bourn of Buds": A Poem by Michael Hockaday.......7<br /><br />Webworking.......30<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Owner-built houses--Appalachian Region, Southern
Dwellings--Energy conservation
Vernacular architecture--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cherokee Indians--Dwellings
High-efficiency toilets
Geomancy
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Black Bears
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Children's Page
Earth Energies
Electric Power Companies
Forest Issues
Good Medicine
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Katúah
Katúah Organization
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Recycling
Shelter
Turtle Island
Western North Carolina Alliance
Wilderness
Women's Issues
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/2f5c7a65526cf67e7320e0c5525d2492.pdf
a25df4140491bff73a4b9d4c92436ab2
PDF Text
Text
ISSUE 23 SPRING 1989
$1.50
BIOREGIONAL JOURNAL OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
�~LJAHjOURNAL
Postage Paid
Bulk Mail
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
�THE PISGAH VILLAGE:
A Window into Ancient Ways
..~..-··-·-···-"·-·- ··..·-----··-··-..··-......~..
......
·'
- .......
-
-......· -..
Pisgah Village:
A Window into Ancient Ways ..............!
by Kim Sandland
Planet Art in Katuah............................. 5
by Denise Newbourne
The Green City as Thriving City.........8
by David Morris
Poplar AppeaJ .................................... l 0
lJy Doug Elliott
Written and Illustrated by Kim Sandland
Clear Sky: A Composite Portrait... .... 13
by James Rhea
"A New Earth" ................................... 14
by Jerry Trivette
College as Community Resource .......16
by C.B. Squire
Wild l ovely Days ............................... 18
Poems by Elizabeth Griffin
Photographs by Gil Leebrick
Natural World News..........................20
Reviews:
Sacred Latu/ Sacred Se.x
Rapuue of the Deep .....................23
Stopping the Coming Ice Age ............25
Drumming: Leuers to Kafllah ...........26
''Sudden Tendrils" .............................28
a poem by Michael Hockaday
Events Calendar................................32
Webworking .....................................34
On a low rise above the Catawba River there
was a village .....Once, long ago, the village
flourished ..... Flanked by magnificent forests,
with mountains rising abruptly on the western
side, it stood on floodplain soils, with fields and
gardens enriched by seasonal deposits of sih..... lt
has long since been abandoned. and now it lies
underground, a ghost town enslirouded in the
mystery of its demise.....Remains of posts in 1he
ground delineate where homes once stood. cold
heanhs contain fragments of roasted nuts and
seeds and the bones of deer and small game
animals.....Picces of hand-formed and decorated
clay ea.nhenware. tempered with the sands of
village paths, litter old floors .....When one stands
in what was probably once the cemcr of the
village, there is a pervasive aura of kindred
association and the lingering question of why was
this village abandoned by its rcsidcnls 600 years
ago.....
The old town has been named the Pisgah
Village by mhaeologists presently excavating the
Cn1awbn River site. Ken Robinson of Warren
Wilson College and his field workers are only
now uncovering the village, and it will be some
time before a thorough picture of its rcs1den1s'
wiy of life is pieced together. Excavation hns
already taken months of work, and the project will
continue through October of 1989. Laboratory
study of the artifacts recovered from the site,
photography. drawing, mapwork, and
comparisons with other sites will take much
longer.
NOTE. The exact locOUO!t of the "Pisgah VI/Inge"
article 10 protect tlit #le fro111 po.r3iblt
di!.turlJanus before ucawJlion rs c:ompltttd.
is 1101 11l•tlf 111 thU
Archaeology allows us to reconstruct the
lifeways of chose who lived here before us. II
allows us to determine the distribution,
availability, and use of natural resources by
peoples of 1he past; climatic conditions; cultural,
behavioral, and spiritual traditions and their
material representations. Archaeological fieldwork
can also tell us when - and possibly even why •
such cultures dlsappeared.
The Pisgah Village is one of thirty
promising sites that were identified in McDowell
County. North Carolina. Three of the sites were
tested for future study, but this is the only one
currently under inrcnsive study.
The site is interesting. says Robinson,
because of its location at the edge of the mountains
on the boundary between 1 very differe nt
wo
geographical situations. This was not typical of
late prehistoric settlements. The Pisgah village
presents lhe first opportunity for study of what is
possibly a definitive boundary between the
ancestors of the Cherokee and the ances1ors of the
Catawba peoples. whose culrurcs were evidently
very differenL
Anifac1s so far recovered indicate two
occupations of I.he village sire - the first from about
500-1000 AD, the second from about 900·1500
AD. The focus of the current research is on the
later occupation, says Robinson. He hopes to shed
some light on why the Pisgah Village site was
ab3ndoned.
Widespread disruption of narive settlements
throughout the Southeast occurred around
1450· l 550, and the dissipation of such
(oonunucd on p:ige 3
�~LJAHjOURNAL
·-
EDITORl AL STAFF THIS ISSUE:
Will Ashe Bason
Michael Red Fox
Richard Lowenthal
Rob Messick
Christina Morrison
Marnie Muller
Kim Sandland
David Wheeler
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Scou Bird Manha Tree Jack Otaney John Creech Jay Joyce
Marsha Ring Patrick Clark Chip Smith
COVER by Rob Messick
INVOCATION - a poem, •world.~ by Elizabeth Griffin
PUBLISHED BY: Kauiah Journal
PRINTED BY: The Waynesville Mow11ainecr Press
WRITE US AT:
Kail1ah Journal
Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
!ELF.PHONE:
(704)683-1414
D1vcrsi1y is an 1mport:tn1 elemcm of bioregional ecology, both
nawrol and social. Tn line wath Iha~ principle, lhe KaJ1'ah Journal uics 10
~e as a forum for the discussion ot regional Issues. Signed arucles e~rcss
only lhe op111ion of the aulbors and arc not necesSill'il)' Ille opanions of the
Karliah Jounw/ tduors or stnff.
The lmcmal Revenue Servtce bas declared Kat11ah a non·pront
organiza1ion under seer.ion SQl(cXJ) or Ille ln1cmnl Revenue Code. All
conuibwions lO Katiiah are deductible from person.al income tl.it.
tNVOC.ATWN
the vJorld is as W9- are
TH£ SOtll'HERN APPALACHtAN BJORECJON
AND MAJOR EASTERN RJVER SYSTEMS
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Herc m lhe souLhcm-most hcattlund of Lhc App:ilnchian mounuins, 1he oldest
mounlllan range on our continetll, Turtle lslnnd; a small bu1 growing group h:is begun
IO mke on a sense of responsibilhy for Ille implicau(ln.~ of lhl11 gcogr.tphicnl nnd
culturol heritngc. This sense of responsib1li1y c:cnu:rs on lhe conccp1 of hvmg w11hin
the ruuural ~ and bal3nce of universal sysiems Md pnllClJllcs.
Wilhan dus circle we began by invoking Lhc Cherokee mime • K;u.Ualt' a.~ lhe
old/new name for this nrca of the mouniains and for ii.s joU!Tllll as well The province is
indicated by •L~ naUDUI boundarie$! the Ro:inokc Ri~cr Valley 10 the nonh; the foollulls
of the piedmont area IO the cast: Yona Mount.am nnd lhc Georgia halls lO lhc :>0u1h: and
the Tennessee Raver Valley to the west.
TI1~ editorial pnootieli ror u:; arc t0 c:o!Ject and disseminate mfonnar.ion Md
energy which pcrL'llllS specifically LO lllls region, nnd IO ro.u:r IJ1e awareness 1h:u 1hc
land i~ a hvmg be.mg de$CMng of our love and rcspeeL Livmg in this manner is a way
IO ansuro the su.~n:ibility of the bao.~phcrc and a la.rung placc for ourselves m 11.S
continuing cvolutlonary process.
We seem IO h3ve readied Ille fulcrum Point of a• do or die • si111t1tion m t.cnrn;
of a quality standard of life for all living beings on !his planeL A~ a voice for lhc
can:lakcrs or llus saarcd land. Kaniah. we advoc:uie a c:enlefed approach 10 Ilic cooccp1 of
dccenlnlli1..otion. II is our hope 1 become a support sysicm for those acocpong lhe
.0
challenge of SUStninabilhy and lhe creation of harmony and balance an a total sense,
here an this place.
We welcome all correspondence, critlcism, perunen1 infonnation, articles,
an work, etc. with hopes th31 K.a.tWib will grow ID serve lhe best in1eres1S of lhis region
and all us li11'11lg, breathing members.
-The EdilOrS
let us desire only
that consciousness
,r
Of life
in which the cosmic will
and the will to be
are.,one
Some of lhe K01iiah JourfllJ] Staff: (le1i IO right)
Foreeround: Andy Ha!I-Bak.cr Middlr: David Wheeler, Mamie Muller, Rob
Messick Standing: Will A.She Bason. Christina Morrison. Chip Smith,
Rithiud Lowenlh3l. Lisa Franklin
Sprt"'J, 1989
�(continued from page J)
well-developed, thriving cultures has never been
fully understood. Robinson feels lhat CJCcavauon
of the Pisgah Village may lend some support 10 the
theory that early Spanish explorers had a
devastating effect on native aboriginal peoples.
lt has long been surmised that Spa.nish
explorers, led by Hernando De Soto and Juan
Pardo among others, came up from the east and
Gulf coasts through South Carolina and then
inlMd to the Little Tennessee River. The routes of
these explorers have lately been re-evaluated,
however, and much evidence now indicates that
they came along the eastern edge of the mountains
~ perhaps even as far east as the Catawba River.
Some of the ac!ual records from the DeSoto and
l>ardo expcdhions contain references to what are
now believed to be villages in McDowell County.
a hand in decimating these large animal
populations.
The burgeoning human population.
unchecked by disease and nunurcd by abundance,
reached a saturation point. The time from about
8,000 BC to I AD is called the Archaic Period.
when human living took on a very different
approach. In the woodlands the Archaic peoples
hunted small game - primarily deer - fished. and
collected plant foods. They were only seasonally
nomadic, capitalizing on the migrations of
animals, the spawning of fish, the maturing of
nuts, and the flush of ripening benics.
The people of the Archaic Period were
efficient enough in their hunting and gathering that
the search for food did not take up all of their time;
they also pursued other endeavors. They made
basketS and mats which have been found
preserved in sites in the dry Southwest desen.
They made hand-polished stone articles - some
done very anistically, others left undecorated fo~
utilitarian use. Graves from the Archaic Period
contain tools, weapons, red ochre (a pigment
associated with ceremonies), beads, pendants, and
dogs - all mcticulo_usly placed to accompany the
dead into an aflcrhfe. Their stone hunting points
were made with stems to be attached to sbaftS, an
innovation from the time of lhc Palco-Indians.
The earliest evidences of human occupation
in the Southern Appalachian Mountains date from
the Archaic Period. They consist of isolated find.~
of a distinct type of projectile point used for
hunting - the Morrow Mountain type - dated to
4500 BC.
The Woodland Period
The Woodland Period of human habirotion
The Spanish brought conflict and murder
along wi1h their pack trains. They also brought
Q.iseases - smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, and
influenza - the likes of which the native population
had not experienced on this continent. The
Spanish, according to their own writings, burned
villages, kidnapped and enslaved natives, abused
the native cullure, and spread their imponed
diseases. They formed trade alliances with some
of the native tribes and introduced European
materials. The full extent of the cultural and social
disruption caused by the introduction of these
trade goods is only now being realized. Robinson
hopes that study of the Pisgah Village site will
provide new links in the chain of undenaanding.
extended from about I AD to 1600 AD. Three
primary developmentS marked the transition from
the Archaic to the Woodland cuhural iypes:
· the development of pottery for cooking,
storing, and transporting food and other items:
- the cultivation of vegetable crops to
supplement hunting and gathering:
- and the first pcnnanent settlements.
People of the Woodland phase settled in
river valleys, where seed-bearing plants thrive.
and became almost sedentary. cultivating native
grains and then com. gourds, and squash as these
crops were passed nonh from Mexico. Projectile
poinis became smaller and more finely crafted.
The bow and arrow replaced the spear and the
dan.
Woodland peoples traded across long
distances. Mica from the Southern Appalachians
and shells and fossilized shark's teeth from the
coastal areas appear in archaeological sites
throughout the southeast
Burial practices continued the tradition of
placing grave goods to accompany the dead. Some
individuals were bwied in elaborate earth mounds,
indicating some status or rank among their feUow
villagers.
Some of the Woodland Period peoples built
tremendous carthworlcs for purposes that are still
unclear to archeo-historians. They show a
remarkable diversity, some being mathematically
executed, others shaped like serpents. birds, and
other figures. The full extent of some of these
landscape sculptures was fully realiz.cd only after
observers could fly above them.
In some pans of the Southeast during the
Woodland Period, clements of what is called
"Mississippian culture" appeared. Mississippian
culture was characterized by temple mounds
(eanhworks which were the foundation for
ceremonial centers). village) fortifLed with
encircling palisades of stakes. copper tools and
jewelry, and inrncruely designed ceremonial an.
The v.intings of early European explorers of
the 15th century describe palisaded towns with an
ehtborate soctal development and material culture.
(continued on JXl8C 4)
The First People
During the last lee Age a land bridge JOined
Asia and Nonh America acrosi. chc Berin~ Strait.
Many scientist:. believe that prehistoric people
followed the large game animals into the new
continent by this rou!e, and by the year 10,000 BC
the first humans were well-established in both
Nonh and South America. These Palco-Indian
people. as they arc called. were nomadic hunters.
They had no settlements, and the only evidences
of their culture that have been round arc hunting
weapons (stone spear points and darts), chipped
stone knives, choppers and scrapers used for
processing game meat and cutting wood, and
animal bones thnt are evidence of their big game
kills.
By 8,000 BC the glaciers had retreated, and
the climate became wanner. Many of the big game
animals - species of horse. camel. rhinoceros, and
bison not seen today. the great ground sloths and
the woolly mammoth - became extinct on this
continent Some scientists believe that humans had
Spr~"'J. 1989
Ken Rotmisnn and
visiring school class
t!t.Omi1U! parrially
ew1WJ1ed grid
.fllUl1re OJ PiSgaJ1
Vi/Inge.
Pho•o by Morme1 Mulltf
�(col\Ullucd from p:ige 3)
In the Southern Appalachians, lhis Mississippian
tradition, borrowed from cuhural influences 10 the
west is called "the Pisgah tradition" by
arch~eologists. Peoples of the Pisgah tradition
were the direct ancestors of the Cherokee.
The Pisgah tradition of lhe late Woodland
Period with its Mississippian influences, marks
the pi~nacle of the cultural evolution of native
peoples in the Southern Appalachians. Although
some cultural traditions persisted until the rime of
the Cherokee Removal, the native way of life was
altered forever with the arrival or white explorers
and seulers.
Pottery fragments, called sherds, cons~ilute
the majority of anifacts from the Warren Wilso11
excavations. Pottery vessels were fashioned from
coils of clay, shaped and rounded. Some of the
containers hnd handles or thickened runs and were
tempered with sand before firing for extra
s1rCng1h. Some were plain and undecorated, while
others bore complica1cd panerns created by
stamping the unfired vessels with carved wooden
paddles. Cords or nets were also used lO l~ve
fiber impressions in the wet clay, and des1~ns
were also incised with small, sharp. marking
tools.
Plnin and decorated clay tobacco pipes have
also been recovered, as well as small s1one and
clay discs. believed to be counters or gamepieces.
Also found were clay and soapstone beads and
polished stone gorgeis. A hole was drilled into
each of the ornaments so that it might be worn
around the neck.
The Pisgah rradition was a way of life
which allowed individualized expression of talent
and beliefs. During this phase livelihood was
secure enough to allow time for artistic
embellishment of functional tools. Carved
soapstone bowls were made in sizes to hold from
Relics AJong the Swannanoa
The Pisgah tradition is best represented by
archaeological discoveries made on the campus of
Warren Wilson C-0llegc in Swannanoa in Kan'.iah.
Artifacts found there preview what might be
uncovered at the Pisgah Village site along the
Catawba.
The Warren Wilson site snw four penods of
habitat ion by native peoples. The earliest
occupation daies back nearly to the beginning of
!he Archaic Period, The snc has been disturbed by
erosion, dig~ing. and more recently by plowing.
Disturbed sues are more dlfficull to interpret,
because artifacts are misplaced, and feature.~ such
as building foundations, heanhs and r::rosh pits are
scauered. Despilc such disturbances,
archaeologists have learned a great deal from the
Warren Wilson site. No anifacts later than the
Pisgah phase have been. recovered ~1 Warren
Wilson. Its residents vanished someume 1n the
mid- l600's and never returned.
two quaris to 1wo gallons of liquid. Polished stone
axes were found, some grooved to be anached to
shafts, others designed to be hand-held. The
excavation yielded monars and pestles of stone for
grinding seeds, nuts, and drie(benies. and caches
of red and yellow ochre and graphite used for
paint pigments.
The villagers who occupied the Warren
Wilson site lived in rectangular dwellings. Over
the years. the sunken posts rotted and left dark
circular Stains in lhe earth, like perfect shadows.
ghoslly visions of the past. The walls were Likely
made of waule-and-daub, a mixture of clay and
grasses. Mose of the dwellings were not within the
village itself, but in outlying farmsteads.
In lhe center of each house was a raised clay
fire basin for warmth and cooking. The heanhs
and the storage vessels buried nearby contained
evidence of the foods these early people utilii.ed,
among them hickory nuts, waJnucs, buuemuts,
acorns, persimmons, maypops, grapes, bl~ck
cherries. and chesmuts. There were also remains
of com, squash, beans, and sumpweed, all of
which were cultivated. Trash pits contained the
bones of 30 species of animals, including bear,
deer, bobcat, weasel, mountain lion, squirrels.
turtles, snakes, frogs, and turkeys. From the
distribution of foods, it is sunnised that the Pisgah
(conbJlued oo page 24)
EXCAVATION
OF A PREHISTORIC SITE
An archneological cxcavarion site is chosen
because of the discovery of surface artifacts.
because of a promising location that looks likely to
yield evidence of occupation, or because th.e area
is threatened by development or by destruction by
vandals.
Fieldwork begins with a surface collection
of artifacts. Surface finds are ploued on a detailed
map of the site, because their distribution may in
itself reveal important information.
The plow zone is scraped away and sifted
through mesh screen 10 separate out any artifacts.
Below the plow zone may lie a surface
undisturbed by the activities of lauer-day humans.
A grid of stakes and Jines is then laid out
over the site, usually in a true nonh-south
alignment, to correspond with grid l~nes mark~d
on a site map. The area of each gnd square 1s
usually one square meter.
Soil samples may be taken with augers to
determine distinct strata and/or the presence of
hidden constructions or features (visible item
which cannot be removed from the site and taken
to the laboratory, such as house floors. burials,
cooking fire pits, etc.).
Selected grid squares may be excavated at
random if the site is large. Small sites may be
excavated entirely. Test excavations help 10
determine where to concentrate digging e!Tons.
As the squares are excavated, the wall of
each square 1s left intaCt m display lhe stratigraphy
(visible layering) of the soil.
Small layers, and sometimes whole strata,
of soiJ are removed using shovels or trowels, and
the exposed surface is levelled. M~terial from each
level is sifted and soned. The an1facts recovered
are bagged, labelled with their exact location in the
soil stratigraphy. Soil samples are taken from each
stratum 10 be examined in the laboratory. for even
mJcroscop1c elements in the soil {such as pollen
grains) may reveal information about the nora of
the area and the climate (such 11s periods of
drought and rainfall).
Each exposed surface level is mapped and
photographed, and details arc recorded in field
notebooks.
Features arc very carefully u~covcred ~s
they appear in the strata. To d1~turb lh_e1r
placement would be 10 destroy the rnformauon
they contain. Small dental picks, 1ooth~:ushes,
and even fine paintbrushes may be uuhzed to
remove the soil from artifacL~ and features.
Laboratory analysis of the artifacts. notes,
maps, drawings. and photographs may take
months, possibly years, of additional work once
the fieldwork is completed.
.
Artifacts and features from each gnd and
srratum and their relationships to the other finds
through~ut the site, will reveal the lifeways of the
people who once lived there - their t<?Ols,_ trades,
rituals, subsjstence. An archaeologist literally
delves into the relationship that ancient peoples
maintained with the world around them.
Archaeological fieldwork reveals details .of th~t
relationship. It may te~ how lo~g lhat ~elauonship
was sustained, and Dllgh1 possibly potnl to clues
as to why it came to an end
;st:t'
Sprtng, J!189 •
�Art
by Denise Newboume
Dream f rQl}ment . ••
Slt.e fell oslup that mghl and as she dre<uttM her spirit was
luult'd through the long spiral tunnel and inII) till! scars.
M1uri-dimtJtSional ribbons with Jhimmering citcu.ils drifted past
aJ incompreJumsiblt spuds Slie realized she was in 1/ie center of
the 1rwi.rplanetary in~rface, a place similar to a radio sroJibn
w/ll!re lJfU! can nW'. into past <JNlfimue choices and possibilities
for any piaMt, and/inc tune w tlic path ofgre01esr harmony.
"Hmmm," she wondered, .,what can that p01h possibly be
for the eartlrr Finding ow ~·as as simple as speaking the roMS
that most corresponded with Earth's vihrationaljreqrumcy ar tlie
prese111 tu~. No soonu had llll! said "John Wayne" than she
fo1uld lu:rself in a lwlogram oftill! Earth.
Her SU&Sitivc a.11ral rectpum M-Ve overw/11:/med a1fv.~t
with an almost 1111/Jearablt colkaion of hurrlingferocities,
terrified srreaming, and lrnpelt!Ss fwiliry. She re111(Ji/led calm,
knowing from experience tll/Jl often tire jint reception ofsuch
planets was the hardest lmagu of marching soldiers appeared
before her, rows ofmen 1n unifonns, who turned on their heels
and became long rows of ballerinas, all dressed in the same rum
dolng rl~ uact SOllW hops and twirls while myriads of musicians
all played variatwns of the SattU'! song. A smal I number of
"others" hod them wrapped in strings, wl11ch the>• kept rig/rt, and
twisted tfl/!nt this Wtl)' and tllDt, like puppets. Then she noticed
thOl'-fand:. of beings sitting i11 tlie darkness.paralyzed The
dancers and musicians wen' used to dii-en rheir anention from
tll/!ir dl!.rperarely repres.ud condition.
Then di/! Sct!nario began to change
the people in
darkness bt:gan to wake 11p and cw the strings. They swpped
allowing tl.e cloned do.nurs and arrisrs to llypnoti:e them and
started dancing tlll!mSelvts. Nor imuating any form, they simply
followed wh1tre their own bodies led tht!ITI. The "official" artisu
also stopptd their/~en.sh reprodJJJ:twnr ofprescribedforms
long en1mgh w listen to the songs and dances from wid1itt They
all begD11 listen.ing to and performing thdr own unique songs and
danus. and helping otlll!rs learn
tlll! s~. More and 1111>re
strings were cw. and tlle ligliJ gr~ brigluer wilh t!llch ""e's gift
of color. until of/ the beings became a mandala ofilrlerw<J\'tn
harmony and beawy.
Her anelllion tllrMd to a man in a belly dancers silks and
veils, doing rhl sinuous, anciefll dance of binh She looked
closer and saw it war .. John Wayfll!! "What a nice resolurilln,"
slie mused to herself. "It doesn't seem so hard looking at ft from
oUlhere.··
"'do
We are now witnesses to the ultimate dead-end created
when reason attempt~ to dominate spirit, men to dominate
women, science to dominate an. and "civilized" peoples ro
dominate "'n:uive" ones. The5e are all external eumples of a
fundamental split and sttuggle within e:ich of us. We have come
so far from our primordial heritage of wholeness. that many of us
arc at a los:. as to how to regain it We are still StrUggling to learn
lhnt our fundamental problem is not any category of people. but
the \'Cry existence of ~~teg~es.. 9ur problem ~s nOt science.~
power. not an, not ~pintuahty; n 1s the pcrcepuon of these tlnngs
as sepanuc rather than facc1~ of a unified whole.
,\ key clemenr of the 1houglit sys1cm in which we perceive
each Other ns lw lhan whole 1s the notion lhat some people arc
creative and Olhm arc no1. Thi:. is extremely discmpowcring
becllusc the power to cn.:.ltC is a cenrral attribute of divinity in all
n:ligions. Thi~ c~tivc now from within provides us with 1he
knowledge of our own power. b:iJance, and self-wonh. lf we
believe that we do not have this rcgcnenitive power, then we
promote scarcity for ourselves and others. So here we all nre
amidst terrifying psychological scarcity collectively creaccd by the
majority of the population who for one rcawn or another do no:i
belie~ they arc creo.rivi- nnd powerful The planet cnn only a1wn
the pence thut com~ from wholenes.~ when the beings who
comprise it acknowledge •heir own and each others' wonh
An. ai. we know 11 today. b a mirror for our plnnewy
condiuon. There arc some people who do it. and they are n:vercd
:is if they have something others do not. There is a funher
dhtinction between "fine" an and "folk" an, with the unplicarion
that fine an is somehow nobl~-r and better than folk., because it is
non-funclionnl. TIUs 1s the alienating idea that an is only real if it
is removed from the daily now oflifc.
When a peoplCli: he.1.rlfclt. arti~ cxprcs.sion is_ lo;-t or
s~tenurically extingu15.hcd, they begin to feel empty inside and
often beccmc caught up in a funle effon to saiisfy themselves
with utemal g~. 11us exu:mal grasping often IC3ds lO the
phenomenon o! ~ictiveness The fact &tlat ~e !'ow ha~oe whole
societie~ c:."pcncnang desperate levels of addlCtlOn :uid_
1is
a11endan1 destruction is a signal that it is ume forchoosmg to heal
ourselves. One way we can do this is by tapping our unique
expression~ and bl~ing ourselves llild the planet ~;th the
creative energy that Oows from our spinL
Our culrural definition of an needs to expand from the
activiucs or an elite few to that or all people. Jose ArgueUes, in
his latest book Surfers ofthe luvuya, provides such a definition:
"You've all gott.t undcrsuind th:tt you're artists. Nothing fancy,
but anists of life. anists of reality....Anything that's harmoniwl.
that's an. This is an imponnn1 point ... since the planet's got to
(conunllCld on PQ&ll 6)
SJJrin9' 1989
~ ~~~ - 1'.!'9'1 ~ y
�be cleaned up and rehnm1omzed, there isn't any1hmg that isn't
Planet An." With this kind of definition. an becomes intrinsic to
the flow of life. \Ve are now beginning to realize that a11y
expression that comes from our own spirits i'> valid, even if it
docs not confom110 formerly prescribed ideas of'' an".
To see an as a force for hnrmonizing our world is also to
odd a higher di~s1on '?f social respon~i~ility to it. 111~.
question "Will this conmbute to harmomzing our plam:t?
becomes a standll!"d pan of the creative process, and an irnpon:mt
criteria for whether or not 10 mar.ifest nn idea. Also integral 10 a
holistic perspective is the understanding that an and science are
not separate but are indivisible facets of a life-oriented culture.
This understanding would ~1e a much-needed ~1al . .
responsibility for everyone m all areas of human producuvny
What exactly is Planet An? It is about reclaiming our
concept of an to encompass all forms of exchange with our
world. An is the language our species has used to communicate
with the universe for thousands of years. Primitive an focussed
on the intimate relationship of a tribe to it~ particular homeplace
and all of its inhabitants. Now our homeplace has become the
entire planet and beyond...aod our an has begun to rcllect this
reality.
Planetary an is a conscious awareness of the whole Life
community in which we participate and a strong intent to
.
hannonize with it. lt is vital to our species' survival that we shift
to this more active engagement and interplay with the universe. Jn
this way. the many facets of our reality become intimately woven
toget.hcr...our own interior world, our human cultural
communiry, our planetary life community and the rest of the
universe.
How does the Harmonic Convergencu fit in with all this?
Broadly speaking. the purpose of the Converge.nee wa.s 10
reactivate our ay, an:ness of the earth as a consc1ou~ b<:ang and to
pro-.idc a time to rcatlirm our choice to co-create with her. Those
who consciously made that cho1ce at that umc are the people
Arguelles is now calling the "Eanh Force".
By next year, Arguelles feels that this Earth Force will
begin to manifest itself as a global and cultural phenomenon. He
also feels that all need 10 move in a much more direct, mobilized
way. By the second anniversary of Hannonic Convergence, he
sees the opponunity for a Rainbow Peace Event. That would
signal that the Campaign for the Earth has coalesced and bonded
enough in the underground to begin 10 manifest as an alternative
force of allied, planetary, non-government organizations moving
in concen to take measures int0 our own hands.
When I think of "art camps" and the "alternative force of
allied, planetary, non-government organizations", the bioregional
movement comes to my mind. We are a ready-made resource of
diverse people who are awan: of the Earth's aliveness and are
choosing to assist with her healing process. Karuah is a very
supportive communuy for Planet An, and a strong network is
already fom1ing. Here are some examples of Planet An going on
inKatuah...
Heart Dance
Pat Sharkey, who lives in Floyd, Virginia, makes beauoful
jewelry from crystals and stones. One lhing she has learned from
working with crystals is that our own bodies operate in a similar
way ... that is, they can be programmed, and they amplify
energy. These conceptS have inspired her to create ways for an
and science to become pans of a whole... through sacred dance.
"Dance is like a gridwork, a system of conduction," she
iold me. "By encompassing tones, using our bodies as
conductors by arranging them in specific geometric
configurations, employing corresponding herbs and stones, and
consciously utilizing the energy gridwork of Icy lines on the
planet, we can attune oarselves to move any specific energy
through, and use it for healing."
This kind of work could be done at key sites alJ over the
eanh ...those places that amplify energy as well as those in need
of healing. She Stressed the impon.nncc of a disciplined
preparation of daily meditation for at least a month before coming
together to do sacred dance.
"The more preparation, the clearer the channel, the more
juice we all reccive...the more we personally understand
-something, the more authentically we can put it out to others."
One way that planetary art is manifesting is through
networking. Jose Arguelles, one of the key figures in the 1987
Harmonic Convergence, helped to found The Planet An Network
in 1983. According to Arguelles. it is far too late for anything
else save for artists, from all medias, 10 converge and produce
inter-media performance rituals and other forms of planet art.
He feels that these performance rituals should be simulcast
via satellite to as many cities as possible to raise the
consciousness of humanity. He sees this as a higher purpose of
our extensive system of mass communication. When we are able
10 liberate this media system from the forces of fear and
domiruuion we will have an incredible tool for dispersing
immediate visions of peace.
Astrologer Amero Alli envisions "the emergence of
multiple 'art camps' ...clusters of resonant core groups dedicated
to varied forms of planet an." Again.. the indicauon is that this
an js a grassroots, collective phenomenon.
Some of the elements for such activities could be music,
dnnce, comedy, drama and sign language, combined with visual
an. lighting, costumes. holograms. crystals and audience
participation. There is no limit lO the possibilities!
Drawing by Sbe.IJ Lodge
The example she gave is for a Hean Dance, in which men
and women would come together nnd fonn into a Star of David
...men forming one triangle, women the other. Rose quru:ii;
would be in the center. Pora month beforehand each pamcipant
would have spent time meditating daily on healing between men
and women. They would then come together in meditation and
symbolic movemenrs. and allow their energies to interact for the
purpose of healing. The same concept can be used with any
symbol, for any healing purpose, anywhere on the planet.
Groups could begin travelling 10 other countries f~ the expres.s
purpose of performing sacred dance there to amplify the energies
of hannony and healing.
"This is a way we can utilize all the systems we've learned
- astrology, numerology, the tarot...and combine them in
perfonnance through our bodies. High technology has become
so overspecialized that no one can see the whole anymo.rc. By
using our bodies as holographic componenis we are going back
to lhe source of all recbnology...our inner beings."
Pat is interested in organizing an Earth Dance gathering,
and in exchanging inspiration and info with others interesled in
this idea. Her address is P.O. Box 606, Aoyd, Virginia, Kaulah
Province 2409 l.
SprLf19, 1989
�Orandmottu
A planetary art exhibit ...
The popular Gmndmothc:r band in Asheville, North
Carolina is a group tha1 is already doing visionary planet an. The
group is composed of four women who each play several
different insD"Uments and sing h:innonics 1ogelhl'r. They arc a
visual, muhi-me<lia band. incorporating inro !heir performances
creative movement, sign language. masks, costumes. acting and
comedy. Their inclusive approach 10 music provides an
enthusiastic vision of peace. leaving nudiences with a tremendous
feeling of satisfaction. l talked with Deb Criss. one of 1he
founding members of Grandmother, on her thoughts about Pl:lnet
The People of Lhc One Song
UV!NG ART F!Xll/B!T
An.
Her inspiration for Grund mother crunc to her when she
was visiting lhe pyramid sites at Palenque. Mellico. She sa1 for
long periods of time in the part of the complex that had been the
Mayan's theatre. There :;he had visions of "blending ri1ual art
into a music concert with respect to 1he four elemems and a ~ensc
of oneness with 1he eanh, using costumes and masks. and
finding ways io reach ou1 and dec~se 1he distance be1wecn
audience and performers.''
''The original vision l had was for an intentional way of
doing a show, beginning by smudging the area, a group prayer
and quie1 rime of positive thought We could then play with
1oncs, color, and lights, blended with modem-day music 10
induce frequencies tha1 unify heart, will, and higher mind.
People of1en become uncomfonable when things are quiet,
sacred, and serious for 100 long, so comedy is also an important
part of our shows."
Grandmother is very community orienled ... at one of their
shows !his past fall four women joined 1he show for theatre and
signing. One of them was an 89-year·old woman from
Waynesville, the "honored Grandmother" of the evening. "I feel
1hat i1's important 10 in1cgra1e all ages, so that we all have a fuller
understanding of the circle of life," said Criss.
Their group is a dynamic process of consensus, and
chooses to be open to additional aclS (with prior pl!lnning) being
part of the show. "Grandmother is the ancient spiri1 of the winds
Lhrough lime that speak through the earth to all people ... if
s..meone feels that inner voice speaking through them. it is good
10 claim it and find a way to express ii. We hope 1hat
Grandmother is a catalystic agent to inspire others 10 do this."
For more information about Grandmother, call Deb Criss
at (704) 253-4831.
Contact Improvisation
Also going on in Asheville is the quie1 revolution of
Contact Improvisation, a newly arising dance form. Its emphasis
is on releasing individual and group creativity through
spontaneous movement rather than following a specific 1echnique
or choreography.
More than traditional dance forms, Contact relies heavily
on suppon and cooperation among the dancers. II strengthens
both the "I" and the "we" because the movements come from
one's own center as well as being shaped by one's interactions
with the other dancers. It's a way for 1 physical body to learn
he
trust. •. in a literal fashion, through physical imerac1ion. rn
Contact, there are no wrong steps or movemcn1s---1here is only
more or less fiowing, depending on how relaxed, trusting, and
sensitive the dancers allow themselves 10 be.
Contact is also p:utidpatory rather th:m perfoml!lnccorlented. fl is primarily an expenence for the d:lncel'li instead of
for an audience. The movemenlS spring from deep v. ithin and nre
a continual source of surprise, even 10 1he dancers This makes 11
nlJ the more dynamic to Y.itness. Audience and dancers are
brought together llS both expcnence in different ways the
everchanging now of movement coming from spiri1 into form.
Leigh Hollowell and Christina Morrison are co-1e.'lching
the first Conmct Dance class in Asheville. Chrisuna had auendcd
a Dance New E11gland Conmc1 ln1ensivc la.~1 summer and
rerurned home excited 10 share this fonn with others. She
immediately began teaching friends in Celo and talking with
Marnie Muller abou1 the possibility of a regional Dance Kn11"1Ji.
Spring, 1989
(continued on pago 29)
Who are the People of the One Song?
They are ILf a1ul nwre ...They are inspiratian ...
/>a.rt 14ah.ng into furure ..Funue leaking into
past. We invite rlrem into prese111 being ro help
us remember rite word.f to The One Song Singing
in rite liearrs and mitids ofall Earth's People.
Tile People of rlie One Song is an art exhibit centering
on the clay pottery faces and masks by artisl/poner Jane
Avery-Grubel. The faces, strikingly adorned with
beadwork, .shells, and feathers by artiM Jeri Dewey,
represent a culture of people dr:Jwn from archetypal memory
of natural tribal living. and from the vision of a futuri.~1ic
tribe we may become.
Out of lhe faces have come stories, written by local
poet Colleen Redv.onun, tha1 1ell of the uibe's dreams,
ri1uals. roles. and relationships. The exhibit will also fua1ure
many local crafts people's works such as baskets, jewelry.
clothing, musical insuurnents, pottery and herbs that v.ill
repre~ent the tribe's anifacts of everyday living and
celebration.
The People ofThe One &mg is a \ision of a tribe
leading resourceful, crea1ive, peaceful lives in relationship
with the Earth and each other. The concept is an expression
of 1ime transcending--a merging of pa~r. pn:o;en1, and future
10 cn:ati: a cuhure of our wildcs1 d~a~...one that may have
been...could be.
The artists involved sec Thr People nf'The o~ Snr.g
as a modcl....''Through art we can nffirm a fuum: that i~ noc
so dependent on modem 1echnology. Most c~cry1h1og
cxhib11ed can be made, grown, or found m na1ure 111e
show is a ·work in progress that we are continually crra1ing
and recreaung, jus1 as we create our every day rc;tli1y. It's
like opening our minds and doing an archeolog1cal dig into
1hc: future."
Open through April 1989 at Old Church Glllery. M:un
Street. Floyd, Virginia, Katuah Province 24091. For more
infonnation or to schedule additional gallery engngcments: _-~
(703) 7-i5-4849 or 745·3316
~
e
•
"-I
...
>Can.ah Jourrnal pCMJe 1
�THE GREEN CITY AS THRIVING CITY
Implications For local Economic Development
by David Morris
This April, David Morris ofthe I nstiture for Local Self-Reliance will
be the key1Wte speaker for the WNC Environmental Summit '89.
Here is an article from the conriner110/ bioregionat publication Raise
the Stakes that highlighis some ofhis thoughrs.
In discussing the greening of ciLies. one is reminded of Lhe
slogan Lhat the French s1udents used in 1968. On their posters they
said "all that we want to change is every1hing," which comes from
that famous ecological dictum, "everything is connected to everything
else." When we pull a thread, we may in fact unwind a sweater.
The 1wo fundamental assumptions underlying the way we've
designed our communities nre the assumptions of cheap energy and
cheap disposal cosis. Jn constant dollars, a barrel of oil that cost five
dollars in 1910 cost a little over a dollar in 1965. The cost of
lhrowing away a ton of garbage remained preuy much the same from
1900 to 1960. We could lherefore ignore lite operating inefficiencies
and wastes of the systems that we developed.
Cities reflect that inefficiency and waste. Our cities are
dependent creatures. A city of 100,000 people impons 200 tons of
food, I 000 tons of fuel and 62,000 ions of water a day, and dumps
100,000 tons of garbage and 40,000 tons of human waste a ye:ir.
We've accepLed long disaibution systems as the price we pay for
progress and development. Jndeed, we've elevated separation to
Lhe status of vinue and internalized those principles into our way of
thinking about our local economies.
J was recently reminded of how much we take 1ha1 state of
affairs for granted when Twas in a SL Paul, Minnesota res1auran1.
After finishing lunch. 1 got a toothpick, and of course all toothpicks
now have an obligatory plastic wrapper. The word Japan was primed
on the wrapper. Now, I thought to myself, Japan has no wood, bur
it has been considered economical 10 take pieces of wood and send
them LO Japan, wrap them in plastic and send lhe whole thing back: 10
Minnesota. Thal toothpick embodied 50,000 miles within it. Well,
not to be outdone, Minnesota just set up a fac1ory. Ir's producing
chopsticks and it's sending them to Tokyo.
This brings to mind an image of two sh1ps passing each other
in lhc Pacific, one carrying lildc pieces of wood from Japan to the
United States, and the other carrying linle pieces of wood from the
United Slates to Japan. That is economical only if one acceplS the
twin assump1ions noted at the outset - those pillars upon which our
economic system has been established.
This impon-expon paradigm is the way our economy runs. It
is also the way our waste economy runs. Washington, D.C., for
instance, was becoming overwhelmed by its. hum:in wastes, and paid
a consulWlt $150,000 to come up with a solution. He suggested they
barge them to Haiti. That recommendation was approved by D.C.,
but Haiti vetoed lhe idea. Haiti decided though they'd been offered
the wastes of the c:apiLal of the Frtt World, they preferred nOL to be
shat upon.
The integrated planetary economy was supposed to make us
more secure, but has it? Global trade expands and so do planetary
tensions. For example, developing counaies arc now exporting more
and more food to the developed counaics to eam the hard currency
necessary to repay debts that they incurred primarily to build up their
expon indusaies. lndusaial development and utilizacion both have
increased. The developed counaies are in an inlCTesting protecrionis1
free trade dance, a pas de deux of late planelruy economics. in which
each country tries desperately to preserve ac lease some amount of ils
sovereignty and its productive assets. at the same rime trying not to
interfere with free trade and the mobility of resources.
Capilal has become the lubricant for the planetary economy, the
grease that lets the planetary machine functioo. We fervently believe
lhat capital should flow at least as freely as raw maLerinls and
products. Last year 20 times more currency was iraded than was
needed to underwrite world trade.
We are more reluctant to embrace the unimpeded rnobili1y of
the third factor of production: labor. But we're inching up to it Six
months ago the Council of Economic Advisors recommended
abolishing all barriers LO migration in order t0 improve the economy.
JC.cu .(ui.h ) o"rnal. p~ 8
We've lost sight of the underpinning of a society - lhe sense of
community. Mobility is not synonymous with progress. Weve
ignored Benjamin Franklin's advice: those who would trade
independence for security usually wind up with neither. We have
made tha1 crade and in the process have become an increasingly
dependent and insecure people.
But now the rules have changed. Cheap energy and cheap
disposal are no longer available. Despite the recent drop in oil prices,
lhe cos1 of energy has risen more than 1000 percent in the last 15
years. Disposal costs have risen even more dramatically. In 1975 it
typically cost about three to five dollars to dispose of a ton of
garbage. Today in the U.S. it costs between $30 and $50 to dispose
of that ton of garbage. In 1970, to dispose of a barrel of hazardous
waste cost berween $5 and $10 a barrel •• although most companies
just spilled ii on the side of the road. Today, to dispose of hazardous
waste costs abou1 $300 a barrel, and for many companies the
disposed hazardous wasce now has a legal liability attached to it that is
po~ntiallyenormous.
What's imponant to note about these price changes is that they
have changed not because or the real world exhaustion of supply, but
because of a change in political a1tirude. The rising price of oil did
not occur because oil began running out, but because OPEC
artificially limired the supply. The cost of W3SlC disposal did not rise
because we suddenly ran out of dump space but because
communities, by establishing new disposal rules, anificially limited
the supply. We consciously and willfully changed the cost of doing
things the traditional way.
One of lhe enduring legacies of the environmental movement is
that it bas managed to begin to move the price of doing things to the
cost of doing things. The price is what an individual pays; the cost is
what the community pays.
Let me give you a specific example of price versus cost Rock
salt is used 10 de-ice roadways. lls price is very cheap: one to rwo
centS a pound. There is at least one alternative to rock salt, made out
of plant mau~: calcium-magnesium acetate. It can be produced a1
present for abou1 20 cents a pound · 10 to 20 times more than rock
salt. That's ilS price. However, rock salt has some problems. It
corrodes the undcrbody of cars, it corrodes bridges, and ill New
York City, Coosolidnted Edison has found that it causes a great many
problems in the electrical supply system which runs through the
sewers.
Sprlf\9. 1989
�Sewer water, c1111yi11g dhsulved rock sah. can corrode
insulation and lay bare wires. A neoprene gas can be genmued and if
a spark occurs. an explosion can send manhole CO\et'S flying. By
one estimate Consolidated Edison spends S75 million to n:pa.ir
damage caused by rock sah. Thu's part of the cost of roclc salt.
Another cost is polluted groundwater and the devastation of
vcgetntion. New York S!Atc has made an informal esumate that the
acruaJ, internalized cost of rocl salt is 80 ccnlS a pound. Which
de-icer should you buy?
The individual is unt1warc: of this cost. It is the n:sponsibility
of the community 10 make price and cost similar.
Even though the rules have changed, we haven't yet adopl.Cd a
new paradigm, a new way of organiting our knowledge and our
information. One of the principles of that new paradigm should be to
extract the mnximum amounl of useful work ecologically possible
from the local resource base. Thar sounds like a very modest
proposal, but it has profound repercussions. As we begin to obtain
more and more u~ful work, we (ind thnt we've begun to be more
and more self-reliant and self-conlll.incd.
ls self-reliance economical? Whnt do we mean by eoooornics?
Whnt do we value in our economic system? Those who praise the
global economy and trade as the underpinnings of our economic
henlth invariably point to the benefits of comparnrive advantage and
just 11s invariably point to the example of bananas. Surely local
self-reliance docs not mean raising our own bananas in the United
States when the clirruue 1s so much more favorable in Guatemala.
Il may be cheaper to impon those bananas. once again,
depending on what the price is versus the cost. Bananas that come
from Central America cooie from countries that do not pennit unions.
arc produced by companies that do not pay any iaxcs, and are grown
by production methods that have no environmenta: regulations. I
submit that if you ca.lcuhued the number of dollars that have been
spent by the Unil.Cd Sratcs in military intervention in Central America,
and dh'ided by the number of bananas that 11.rC imponed into the
United States, you would find that it's very costly co tmpon bananas
rather 1h:ln 10 grow them you~lr.
When we look at c<:onornic signals, we need ro look at them in
a holistic sense. first, we arc leamio&, as our s)",\tems get ever
larger, tlw the downi.hle rhks get com:spondingly gru.icr. Twenty
years ago when we wked about a cau1strophe, it meant a flood or an
earthquake. Today when we talk about a catastrophe we mean the
end of the ozone layer. the end of the human species. Local
self-reliance also has a downside risk: you could try '>Omething and it
might not work. but the risk Is modest.
Second, locnl self-reliance leads to a diversity of
cxpcnmenmion. As communities experiment with differcn1
technologies, we advance on the learning curve. Third, local
sclf-reliBnCe by definition reduces pollution by improving efficiency.
Fourth, local sclr-rcllancc Is economical because It recycles money
internally for more productive purposes that would otherwise have to
be spent on maintaining the system. A crude estimate that r made
recently :;uggcstcd that 15 years ago the United States was spending
between one and three percent of its overall income for system
maintenance and cleanup. Today we're spending almost 15 percent
of our income fOI' that purpo~.
And finally. an advan1.1gc of local self-rcli.tncc is that we begin
10 channel our ingenuity into developing new bodies of knowledge
that may be appropriate 10 a world that is in a vef} dlITcn:nt cond1tioo.
The technologies that we're developing 1n North America, for
example, art technologies appropnatc to ruuions that arc resource· rich
and pcople·poof. But ISO percent of the world's popufauon li\lcs in
countries that 31C rc~·poor nnd peoplc·nch.
ff you try 10 make the United State~ !>Clf-~ufficicnt or
sdf·reli:mt, the technologies you develop tO do so will be neither
appropnaic nor comp:inble wnh the needs of dc\•eloping nat.tons.. Bui
if you move towazd m:tking our tknsely populated and rcsou~-short
cities sclf·rcliant the i«hnologicsdcvc:lopcd \I.Ill be appropnate to a
resource-poor 1.1.orld. The kno1.1. lcdge generated can become a fll!ljor
export commodity.
But the pnmary benefit or local sclf·rcliancc J~ not economic;
it's psychological and ~oc1nl. II improves decision nuldng because
the costs or the decision fall on the smne community. We do not
separate the productive process over long.dhtllllC~ Psycho.logicall)'.
we improve the setf-<XX1fidencc 11nd socunty of our commuruues. We
begin to miniaturize the economy. h means achieving v.hat Fritz
Schumacher, one of the great cconomim of our time, dreamt of:
local productton tor local markets from local rcsourct$.
SprU\9• 1989
ls that theory or is that pr3Cticc? ..yeu: it rums out that in ~c
scrap metaJ industry, the scale of producuon IS much smal~ than 111
the raw matcrittls industry. The best ex.ample J know of is 1he steel
industry, where the newest technology is called the mini-mill. They
used to be called neighborhood mills. but the industry decided t.h:u
that would rais.c the image or Mao 1.e-<long's backyard fumaus. aod
they didn't feel this was good advertising.
Miru-mills use 100 percen1 scrap, and arc very sm:all- 200.000
tons a year average produc1ioo. A raw ore-based, vcnically
integrated steel mill produces between two and three million ions a
year. The healthiest. fastest-growing pan of the steel indu~try is
based on scnp that comes from regional matb:ts and products often
sold regionally.
Another example 1~ the chemurgy movement, created SO yean
ago by scienlisti-. from around the world concerned with using the
then-large agriculrural surpluses lb mdustrial products. In 1932. the
ltalian ambass3dor 10 Oreat Bnlllin arrived at the coun of St James
dressed in a sun made or milk. That is, Italian scientists had
discovered how to weave the casein in milk into clolhes.
Tn 1941, Henry Ford, a devotee of the chemurgy movement,
unveiled his biological car. The car body was made or soybeans. lhe
fuel came from com, and the wheels were made of goldenrod. The
soybean plastic body weighed hlllf as much as a steel-bodied car, so
the car was more fuel·eflic1cnt. lf you dented it modestly, the dentS
could be knocked back out. The C11r was wanner in the winter and
(COISinuoj ... pq• lO)
Green C ily
11
How-To 11 Mnnual---Just Published!
"Cities need to be<ome more 'green'. They must be
transformed illtu places that are life-enhancing an<l
regenerarfre." • PelCr Berg
<:rr~a Ci11 as a "how-to• m~nual (Of mdlv1<tUllts and O(JJ.n11AllOns
antcmo1ed an a :iuswnablc future. tis intnl3C i.s &hat urban att.aS Cllll Cl.isl
lunnonlou\I)" with na111nll 1ysu:im • :md 111nctudca bolb practical mid visL;xury
:aw1tcut1on1 lh11I •re uppllc•btt 1;; ny ci17 or 1ino11. lbcte ts also 1
~ 1ts11ng of volllllUlet o.:uv11a with i:lc:a. llbout gctllftS: wried and womns
0
IO'll<-.ds D £n'C1)" fuwrc.
• URBA."' Pl.Af.ilNG
• SMARTTRASSPORTATIO'
• SUSTAIN"BLEPLA,~'t'l!O
• RF.l'>'E\\'ARl.ll E.''ERGY
• l'."EIOHBORHOOD CHARAC'rnR AND li."IPOWERM£.'lol
• RECYCUNG Al'tl> REUSE
• CE.l..EllRATtNG l.IF'E·l'L-\C'F. VITA.Un'
• IJRBA.'J WILD HABITAT
• SOC'tAU.Y RF.SPONSIBLE SMALL BUSINESSES ANO COOP'ERATIVE.S
'Tbe CrttD C117 Proi:nam 11 1V111bblc d1tcc1ty from Pbru:l Drum
Foundation for S7 f'CISIP.1ld Mcmben ol lbc Foundation =eh-cu free aloag
with lbc hl·annu.:11 ne11;1p;pcr lfluu tM Suills llld Olhcr public:atiol\1 for ~i:
yearly membership rec Sl5. Thta llddtc.ss Is PIAnet Drum FoundaUon, Boit
31251, Son 1'111nt11COCA 9413t
�POPLAR APPEAL
written and illustrated by Doug Elliott
W hen I tell northerners Lhat 1 built my house almost
entirely of poplar, including the framing, rafters, interior
panelling, and exterior siding, they seem confused. When I go on
to say that there arc a 101 of old log cabins in 1hc Carolina
mountains built from large poplar logs. they look a1 me like I'm
crazy.
I'm finally learning that to a nonhcmer, the word "poplar"
refers to the aspens and other related trees whose wood is light,
soft. and vinually useless for house construction. After a bit
more discussion, we finally ge1 our terminology straightened out,
and I get the response, " Oh, you mean 'tulip tree'".
Yes, this magnificent tree has many names and even more
uses. It is not a crue poplar, but was so named because iis leaves
are attatched to its branches by long petioles (or leaf stems) that
allow the leaves to move m the breeze in a manner not unlike that
of a quaking aspen.
The tulip poplar is actually in the Magnolia family . ' l ts
scientific name, Liriodendron tulipifera, translates roughly to
m~ "tulip-bearing lily tree". This is a fitting name for the ttee
because itS flowers look like a combination of a tulip and a lily.
They are a light greenish yellow and each of the six petals has a
blaze of orange at its base.
OUJ ofa giant tulip tree
A grem gay blossumfalls on me;
Old gold andfire iu petals are.
Ir flashes like a/al/Ing swr.
- Maurice Thomas
A large tulip poplar lit up wilh hundreds of these large,
cup-like blooms in spring is a magnificent sight indeed.
The tulip poplar is the king of the magnolia family. 11 is
considered to be the tallest hardwood tree in North America. In
the old forests of the southern Appalachians il has been known to
attain a height of 200 feet with a straight ttUok 1en feet in diameter
and clear of branches for eighty to one hundred feet .
The largest tulip poplar on record is the "Reems Creek
Poplar" in Buncombe County. It was I98 feet 1all with a ttunk IO
fcec I I inches in diameter four feet above the ground. When it
was burned in April.1935, it was believed to be the largest tulip
poplar in the world, possibly over a thousand years old.
"But despite the splendor of its dimensions. there is
oothing overwhelming about the Tuliptree, bm rather
something joyous in ilS springing straightness, in the
candle-liU blaze of its sunlit flowers, in the fresh green ofus
leaves, which being more or less pendulous 011 long slender
sralks, are forever IW'ning and rusrling in the slighres1 breeze;
this gives the tree an air ofliveliness, lightening iJS grandeur.
So even a very ancieltl tUlip tree has no look of tld abou1 It,
for not only does it make a swift growth in youth, but in
maturity it maintains itself marvelously free of<kcay.
This look of vitality comes partly from the vivid paleue
from which tire Tullptree is colored. The flowers which give
it 1/Us name are yellow or orange a t base, a liglu greenish
shade above. Almost as brilliant are the leaves when they
first appear, a glossy, sunshiny pale green: they deepen in
tint in summer, and in awwnn tum a rich, re1oicing gold.
Even in winter the tree is still flOt UJllldorned.for the .•.cone
remal'ns, candel/Jbrum f as/Uon, erect on r/le bare twig
...(1111Iil) all the seeds have.fallei1."
- DoNJld Culross P~
Each of the seed cones 10 which Pcauic refers can produce
l 00 or more seeds. Each seed is located a1 the end of a
blade-shaped wing, called a samara, which keeps it airborne. On
windy days 1hcse seeds whirl like tiny helicopters and are
dispersed over great distances. Because they are released
gradually all through the winter, the seeds arc important to
wildlife. They are ca1cn by many kinds of birds as well as by
squirrels, chipmunks. and other small rodenlS.
On a bright snowy day rwo friends cross-countty skiing in
the Pisgah National Forest were surprised to see a white-footed
mouse scampering all over I.he snow, so busy collecting and
devouring freshly shed tulip poplar seeds that ir seeme~
eomple1cl y unaware of their presence.
Old Uses
Indians had many uses for the rulip poplar. Us.ing fire and
stone tools, they carved dugout canoes out of large straight
sections of the ttunks and taught pioneer se1tlers the an. One of
the first accountS of this was in 1590 in Thomas Harriot's brief
and true report of the new-found land of Virginia:
" ... rite irrhabitams that were neere 10 us doe comrtlQnly
make tlleir boars or Canoes of the fomi oftrowes (troughs), only
with the helpe of fire , ltarcl~IS of stoMS and shels; we have
known soml! being so great ...tluu they have carried well XX men
at once besides much baggage· 1/ie timber being greor, ta/,
streight, soft, lig/11, & yes tough ...".
Captain John Smith in 1612 reported canoes large enough
to hold 40 men.
Daniel Boone made such a canoe 60 feet long, capable of
carrying five tons. Into it he loaded his family and all their
possessions and in 1799 they floated from Kentucky down the
Ohio River and on into what was then Spanish territory. The tree
is still known as "canoewood" in some areas.
Poplar blossom time is very important to beekeepers. The
poplar is one of the most dependable sources of nectar in the
Southeast The yield of nectar per bloom is possibly the highest
of any plant on the continent and has been calculated at an
average of 1.64 grams - or about one third of a teaspoon - per
flower.
During a favorable season, poplar nectar is secreted so
abundantly that honey bees and other insects cannot carry i1 away
as faSt as it appears. Sometimes one can feel the nectar dripping
down like a gentle sticky rain when sranding under a blooming
wlip tree in a light breeze. (People who park their shiny new cars
under tulip trees often complain about this.)
Because the poplar blooms early in the season, many
honeybee colonies are not strong enough 10 fully utilize the
abundance. For StrOng hives, however, harvesLS of 100 pounds
of hooey per hive have been recorded during just the three week
poplar bloom. The honey is dark in color and is sometimes called
Spf'tn9. 1989
�"black poplar honey". When held up to the light, however, it can
be seen tha1 it is actually a deep amber-red in color. Though it is
not as light as locust honey nor as sought-after as sourwood
honey, it has a rlch full-bodied flavor that can sweeten fruit
salads, yogurt, tea, and other beverages. Poplar honey goes well
on pancakes, waffles, cereal, biscuits, cornbread, and other
baked goods. Rarely a day goes by that I don'1 eat some.
If you want the ultimate tulip-poplar-tasting experience, sip
the nectar straight from the flower like the bees do. You need to
find a freshly opened blossom within reach. Pick or lower the
blossom carefully without josrling it. Then lick. the drople1s on
the inside of the petals, and taSte tha1 ambrosial Sometimes the
nectar collects in a puddle on one of the lower sepals. If the air
has been warm and dry, the nectar will often be thick like syrup.
After one taste, you will know you have imbibed the nectar of the
gods!
In European gardens the tulip poplar is one of the favorite
"exotic" American ornamental shade trees, and it has been so for
mOTC than 300 years. In fact, the tulip poplar was first described
botanically in 1687 from a specimen that had been brought from
the New World and was growing in an English garden.
In the early part of the 18th century John Lawson,
Surveyor-General of North Ol.rolina, reponcd a hollow tulip
poplar "wherein a lusty Man had his Bed and Household
Furniture, and lived in it till his labor got him a more fashionable
MMsion." Of course the senler's "more fashionable mansion"
would probably have been no more than a log cabin made of tulip
poplar logs. There is many an old tulip poplar log cabin still
standing today and new ones arc still being built
Using Poplar Lumber
The first significant cutting of poplars in the new world
was by settlers who were clearing ground for farming. They
knew that where the tulip poplars grew, the soil was the richest.
Today this still tends to be true. Ginseng hunters look for stands
of tulip poplars when SC'Jnning distant mountainsides in search of
the moist soil that characterizes good ginseng habitat
lt was not until two decades after the Civil War, when the
r:>ilroads began 10 penetrate the rugged mountainous areas of the
Southern Appalachians, that the huge poplars and other southern
hardwoods were harvested. In those days only trees over 30
inches in diameter, each yielding more than 400 board feet in
lumber, were accepl.ed at the mills.
In some areas tulip poplar grows in almost pure stands. In
1912, a tract of land near Looking Glass Rock in Transylvania
County yielded 40,000 board feet of tulip poplar lumber per acre.
Nowadays loggers are pleased IO get 10,000 board feet per acre.
Foresters call tulip poplar a hardwood because it is a
broad-leafed tree, like oaks and maples. Pinc, fir and other
conifers arc called softwoods. The wood of tulip poplar
however, is as soft and workable as white pine. Because the
extensive heanwood is a yellowish tan in color, it is known as
"yellow poplar" in the lumber business. The sapwood is creamy
white and has been used as interior panelling. When used in this
capacity, i1 has been called "whirewood". Because of its lighmess
and strength. ii is used for boxes and crates. Yokes for oxen
were often made from tulip poplar, because it was so easily
carved. lt was one of the favorite materials for building aircraft in
the days when airplane bodies were built of wood. Poplar wood
has the ability to return to its normal shape after being
compressed under great pressure. This property accounts for the
wood's popularity for building barrel bungs.
Poplar lumber is used extensively in the furniture-making
industry. Its porosity and ability to take glue makes it an ideal
core upon which to glue fine wood veneers, and, because it
talces a polish beuer than any orher native wood. poplar wood is
itself often used as a veneer.
Kiln-dried yellow poplar wood makes a good framing
lumber for house construction. It is moderately lightweight, yet
stronger than spruce, fit; or white pine. Unlike the whole poplar
logs used in cabin construction. milled, dry poplar lumber has
little tendency to split when nailed. The Nonh Carolina Building
Code accepts graded poplar lumber as a framing material.
However, it has been infrequently used in recent years because of
the.abundance of low cost softwood timber, such as Douglas fir
and spruce, shipped in from the western Sl4tes. As the supply of
western softwoods decreases. tulip poplar may come back into
more common use.
Dead and Rotting Wood
Tulip poplar is also valuable when dead and rotting. The
stumps decay quickly and provide an ideal habitat for various
wood boring beetles. These beetles and their larva are one of the
favorite foods of the majestic pilca1ed woodpecker (often called
"wood hen" by mounroin folks). The pileated woodpecker is so
named because of its brilliant red crest. It 1s our largest
woodpecker. almost as big as a crow. These and other
woodpeckers regularly visit decaying tulip poplar. and some
people purposely cut poplar slumps high or use the Jogs in
gn:rden beds near the house in order to artmct them.
Dead tulip poplar is also the favorite growing medium for
cenain fungi. most notably the delec1nble oyster mushroom
(Pleurorus osrrearus). Oys1er mushrooms arc one of my favorite
'Aild mushrooms. l learned to identify them by Clll'Cfully studying
them in mushroom field guides. They arc f.urly easy 10
recognilC, hence they are one of the safest of the edible wild
mushrooms. They grow in cluster:., usually out of the sides of
logs or stumps. They vary from a creamy. "oyster" whi1e to 1.1n
or gray in color and arc distincbve because the gills run down the
entire length of the stem. They arc delicious in soups. on p;ista.
and can be saut6ed and gently stewed lO make an elegant side
dish. Once l had oyster mushrooms fried in fritter batter, and
(conunucc1cmJllil&e30)
they actually tasted like oyster mttcn..
~'°"""
J--'
9"'JS t t
�The bark of the poplar tree can be remo1Jed in the spring
and early swnmer and has been used in many ways. Large sheers
of Ir were used by the Indians as CO\'trings for wigwams,
wickiups, lodges, and orher living quarrers. In the Nonfl
Carolina mountain.s, poplar bark has bun used as siding on
frame houses. When I first disco11ered it on some homes near
Burns11ilfe in Yancey County, I was suuclc by ir.s rustic, }'et
eleganJ beaury.
As I was building my own house at the time, I wonted to
/ind ow how poplar bark siding wa.f made and how long it wollld
last. Wizen l asked around, however, it seemed tlw.t most of the
builders of these hauses Jw.d long since passed on, but t~y had
left a legacy ofpoplar bark. siding thol was sdll holding up well
qfter 70 or more years.
1 finally found one older man who was a poplar bark
crafts11w..n, and he tk.scribed tlie process UJ me. In early swnrner
when the "sap's running", large sheers of the bark are removed
from mediwn-sized trees. The bark is carefully pried off tlie trunk
with a to0I know11 as a "tan bark spud". This tool hark.ens back to
the days w}ien the collecting ofoak, chestnut and hemlock bark
was o pan ofevery timber cutting operation. The bark was sold
to tanneries as a source of tannic acid. A spud could be
Improvised mu of a stout curved stick with a chisel-like edge
carved on one end. Those made by blacksmiths look somewhat
like a small-lieaded spade.
After 1/ie bark is remo11ed, it is cut illro large rectangular
sheets, taken ro a barn or other dry p/act and "stacked and
stickered" like green lumber with na"ow strips ofwood between
each sheet of bark to allow air to circulate. Rocks or other
weights pilled on rop of the stock ofbark en.sure that the sheets
stay flat and do not curl up as they dry After a month or two of
drying, rhey can be cut 10 length and nailed like slung/es onro the
building.
Armed with th8se minimal instructions. and a lift·long love
of tulip poplar, I knew I had to onempt co/leering bark 10 cover at
lea.rt part ofmy house. A friend who was building ms own lwuse
was about to CUI some poplars on his land 10 use as suppon
beams. He told me that if I'd help him cut them and haul them
down to the building site, he'd help me get the bark.
The first tree we/tiled was aboUI afoot in dianieter, and it
fell uphill. We trimmed off the upper br01iches, until we had a
length ofclear trunk abou1 30 feet long. With 1he chainsaw, we
mode one long CUI throught the bark down the entire length ofth4
l.og. Then, staningfrom the bonom, with one of us on eilkr side
of the log, wt wenr at it with the bark spuds, ourf111gers, hate/let
blades and whatever else we collld improvise to genJly pry the
bark from the log.
. .. -
TIU! nt•wly formed cambium layer benn•e11 the bark and the
sapw(l(Jd was sofr, slippery and Yer)' juics. As the: bark gave way
10 our efforts arul .tepararedjrom ti~ rrunk, it made a slurpy
hissing noise. !Ve gradll(l//')! worked our Wll) up the log . The
bark was coming ojf bc:outifully. When wc:j1r1ally reached the
11pper end oftlu: log, tire remaining section f1f the bark StpcJrated
wirh a rtsowuling hollow "pop"
We stood up and ~ere congrarularing ourselves on a job
well dmu:, when we heard a noise. lt>okinR down we sow our
newly-skinned log heading off down the hi/IT ltsfreshl)• removea
bark had created a trough t/IQJ was slick.er tlllJll any bobsled run,
and b>· rhe time that log left that piece of bark, it had picW up a
terrific amo1u11 of speed and momenlltm.
It we111 careenin,g down the mountainside, and all we co11Jd
do was watch in astonisl11T1enl as thoJ log leapt over rock ledges
and crashed through thic~ts. It fi111Jlly .rropped uh0111 fl!ry yards
down the hill when i1 collided with a srump jusr above rhe house
.tire.
We breathed a huge sigh of relief. If it had nor been
sropped by the s111mp, that .flippery bauering ram would hove
done considerable damage to rhe ho11se founda1io11. Afrer rhar, we
senved a rope to each log before we removed ilS bark.
I found ow larer rluJt mountain loggers hove a word/or a
log sliding down a nwu111ainside. TluJt log is nball·hootin'," and
it is recognued as a serious danger in logging steep f1W11n1al11
,f/opes during spring and s1unmer. As one old logger told me,
'Them poplar logs is bad/or that. Wilen the sap's up, that bark
can slip off a log you're dragging and if tha1 log gets loose and
goes a balf-Jwotin' down the mou111ain, buddy, 'hit can kill a
ma11l"
The bark of small poplar trees can be scored and folded
into carrying 11essels ofall sizes from berry baskets to backpacks.
/11dia11s daubed the seams with pine pitch and used them as W(ller
buckets.
I was first introduced to bark basketry by my mountain
neighbor and friend Paul Geouge, wlio has been mak.i11g baskets
for years. I was enchanted by the way he explained their simple
practicalily;
"So you've been out fishing all morning .following the
creek up in.lb the nwuntain.t. You're cau:hlnJl some of 1/iem nmive
speckled trour, bUJ afrer a while the srream gets too small. So you
call it quir.s and head up onto the ridge/or rhe long walk home,
There you TUii into the biggest patch of ripe huckleberries you
halle ever seen.
~You'd 1011e to take some of them berries lwme, hut you
ai11'1 go11101hing to carry 'em in. Whor collld you do?" Paul asks
wirh a twinkle in his eye. "Well, if you knew how 10 make a
berry basker, you'd just find you a young poplar rree, make you
a poplar bark basket, and tote tllUn berries home. Now they'd
taste mighry g()()d after a fish dinner! ...
Between the ower layer of the bark and the sapwood is a
layer rich in fibro11s vascular material known as bast. When
rorred under controlled condirfons it can be used to mah ropes.
twine and other cordage. Ir was high/}' valued by Native
~ricansfor rhese tiles
Poplar bark has also been 11sed medicinally as a tonic and a
remedy/or fevers, stomach ailments, dysentary, rhe1unari.sm and
gour. It is a source oftulipiferine, an allt:aloid that acrs as a heart
stimulanr.
/
2
! ff.'"
• Doug Elliou's most recent book, (that includes step-by-s1ep
instruetions on how to make a rulip poplar bark basket) is entitled
Woods/ore and Wildwood Wisdom. It can be ordered from him
at Possum Productions; R1 1, Box 388; Union Mills. NC 28167
for $10.00 post paid.
Sprl·"'J· 1989
""''
.... -
�CLEAR SKY
a drawing by James Rhea
The concept for the drawing derives from my years
growing up in the southern foothills and hearing Cherokee
follclore, and being fascinated by their lifestyle and contributions.
I have always been inspired by other culrun:s, especially so called
primitives. This picture is pan of a series of portraits of healers or
philosophical leaders, who arc inspirational to their people,
representing cultures throughout the world.
From that I envisioned a change of bean from a life of war
and bloodshed to one of service and ~ce. This choice was
indicauve of several individuals who laid the foundation for the
later culturnl flowering of the Cherokees.
Clear Sky is more of a composite of an ideal figure lhan a
definite ponrait. The Cherokee people in the late l700's were in a
state of despair and desperation because of the encroachment
upon their lands and military defeat by European scnlcis. SC\'Cral
individu:tls came to the forefront to encourage and inspire their
people. To the Cherokee. they were lcnown as beloved persons.
both men and women. They felt a need for a transition or
integration into white society, but at the same time they hoped to
retain the best of their past for cultural survival.
Clear Sky's dress is typical for the time. He wears a blue
EngltSh bro3dcloth shin and has a Spanish trade blanket around
his waisr. The necklace is wampum with a silver gorget. The
eamngs are archaic beaten copper with slit earlobes. The hair is
trimmed with a dyed egret feather ornament In his band he holds
a turkey feather (an with natural bead work. a sign of respect and
dignity.
lsk.agua CJtr Clear Sky was listed in Duane K. King's book
CMrolcee Indian Na1ion as being present and signing a document
protesting the tt'Catment of Chickamauga Cherokees by the
Americans. The petition was sent to King George m of England
aslcing his government to intervene. At the time of the signing, or
thereabouts 1789-1791, he changed his name from NeMnoataah,
or "Bloody Fellow" to lsk.agua. "Clear Sky."
Spr~nAJ.
I used several sources Ill compiling his dress, ornaments
and general demcaner. but the most informative was the JnditlJIS
of the Southeastern Un11ed States by John R. Swanton,
Smithsonian Anthropology.
James Rhta lives in an old farmhou.st in a rural pan of
Cabarras CoUllt)'. Ht is illlertsttd in organic gardening and
environmental issul!S and spends time canoeing and hiking for
inspiration and peace of mind. His artwork includes tM subfecrs
of wildlife as well as portraits. "In gentral" he says •1 favor
world peace and holistic liftstyks".
,/
1989
Xat-~ )o\UnoL ~ 15
�II
a
Early, al tine o'clodt IWO sbocb ol-an
anbqaUe Wlft felt. Tbc boule D
cuM:d mid
ew:rytbing WU ID mowmelll.
The bcns fell to the paid fJOm lheir room
ud set up a pi.tifol cry.
You cm see chat the white people mR
diffaalt bc:ings from us, we are made
or.red clay. they of white sand.
About lbe J'Cll' 1811 IOIDC of the
Cleroba cbamed ud Olha'S
RCtiwd. in various ways.
cQ11111mictricw from lhe Oral
Spirit. all lr:Dding IO discredit die
ICbane ol c:ivilization.
See 10 ll dw you get back your old
Beloved Towns.
Yoor mother is not pleased you punish
each other so ha1d.
I have told you what the Gn:ac Spirit's
will is, and you are 10 pass on iL
la on:tcr that you might know bow things
want to tell you
what happened bcrc in the Nation ju,st the other
day.
~Pl in die Wkl IDday, I
Jusr dne rughis ago I was at a Wk in
C>o&1mally. To tha1 place came~ man and two
women who to1d that while they were on 11
journey, Ibey came eo an unoccupied house near a
hill called Rocky Mountain and enlCttd it in order
to spend the night thcte.
Just as it had become dark, they heard a
violenl noise in che air.•.As !hey went outside to
sec abou1 ii they saw a whole crowd of Indians
~g on I.be hill from the sky•...
nding on small black horses...their leader
beating a drum. .•came very close.• .They were
much frightened .•.•.
"Don'1 be afraid. we arc your brothers
and have been sent by the Great Spirit
10 spcalc co you.
The Great Spirit is dissatisfied that you
arc n:ceiving the white people into your
lnnd•.•..
You sec that the hunting is gone, you
are planting lhe corn of the white
people. go and sell ii back to them and
plant Indian com and pound it in the
manner of your forefathers. do away
with the mills.
The Mother of the Nation h~ fOtY.lccn
you. •. her bones are being broken
through the grinding. She will return co
you if you put the white people out of
lhe land and return to your fonncr
manner of life.
If you don't believe my words then
look up at the sky."
They did and saw the sky open...an
indescribably beautiful light and in it four white
houses.
"Such houses you are to build in your
Beloved Towns...
for white men who can be useful to
the Nation.. . ."
I mn not Ible IO delcribe lhe creat
perplexity into which we C11D11 Jasa ...L
Our dwelling bowie was in die most violent
mDVellXIH IO lhu it seemed IO be Deir II> be
falling in.
.. .a strongviolent noise beard
from the W.N.W. _ .and stteaks of
l.ighlning.....
This morning between 7 and 81>'c1ock we
felt tw0 more shocks without the sli1thtcst noise.
...our house was r:rembling..•the roof moved.
The m:es were in movemen1 wilhout !he
slightest wind.
It is true, the white people must all go from
lhe Nation; boWevcr, 4 smiths, S()tne school
ceachers a.rid those who arc building mills
for us a.re to be toleralbd. but later. they too
must return to their own country..•..
Some of them anribuce the occurrence
co the sorcerers; some, to a large snake
which must have crawled under their house;
some to the weakness and old age of the
eanh which will soon cave in.
. •.they held a grand feast and celebrated a
great medicine dance. .• ..
. . .if they believed and obeyed, then game
would abound, the white ll1!ll1 would
disappear. . • .•
.• .instead of beef and bacon they would
have venison, and instead of chicken they
would have turkeys.
. . •we heani today from a traveler
tb:u in Taloni. •. thiny miles from here
along the road to Georgia. in a field 13 sink
holes appeared as a result of the earthquake.
the largest of \\<hich is 20fcet deep and 120
feet in circumference and is. • .full of
gn:enish water.
. . .he would like
to know whether
lhe end of 1hc world
were not near. .•• •
sprin9. 1989
�J
...many lndians believe that the white
people were responsible because they had already
taken possession of so much of the Indian land
and wruned still more.
The Great Spirit is angry...and be wanted
to put an end to it through eanhquakes.
, Soon after the eanh had tremble4 an Indian
was silting in his house in deep thought, his
children were lying sick in front of the fire.
...a tall man appe~ clothed entirely in
the foliage of ihe trees, with a wrca1b on his head.
..carrying a small child in his ami.~ and had a
larger child by the hand.
"The small child on my arm is the
s
ClJC:it Spirit.
l am not able to tell you whether the
Great Spirit will soon destroy the
earth or not.
1be Great Spirit is not pleased that
tbc lndillll$. have sold so 111uch land
to the white man.
:rugalo, wl!K:I\ is now possessed by
white people, u; the r~t place the
Great Spirit created.
There in a hill he placed the firs& fire.
for all fin: comes from the Great
Spirit.
. . .the white people have built a
house on th3t hill. They should
ab:lndon th~ place; on thru hill there
~hould be grass growing. only then
will there be ptaee.
...the Indians no longer thank the
Great Spirit before they enjoy the
fust fruits of the land. They no
longer have dances in his honor
before they eat the first fruit~.
You arc sad because you thin.le your
childn:n m ill, they are not renlly ill.
but have only taken in a. little dust.~
•.. he gave him two small piece5 of bark from a
certain tree ••• and told him to cook them and to
give the drink to his children. and from that they
became weU right then.
7
...the residents of one wwn fled into the hills and
tried to crawl into hiding in the ho!~ of lhe rocks
in order to escape the danger of I.he hail stones, the
size of half bushels. which were to full .••..
...numbers of the aibe.. .abandoned their bees.
their orchards, their slaves, and everything else
that might have come to them through the white
man, and...took up their toilsome march for the
mounwns of Carolina.
..•mills. clothes, feather beds and iables
- worse still •.. books, and domestic cats!
This was not good· theieforc the buffaloes and
other game were disappearing. The Great Spirit
was angry. and had withdrawn his protection.
The Cherokees must return to the customs
of their fathers. They must kill their cats, cut
shon their frocks, and dress as became Indians
and warriors. They must discard all the
fashions of the whites, abandon the use of any
communication with each other except by word
of mouth, and give up their mills. their houses,
and all the ans learned from the white people.
~ Oicrokecs arc at this time in a
rcmarlc.able manner - occasioned by the late
shocks of the eanh ·endeavoring to appease
the Anger of the Ore3t Spirit
They have revived thcnr religious
dances of ancient origin to appease the
Anger of the Great Spirit....with 115 much
solemnicy as ever was seen in worship In
our churches. They then repair to the water,
go in and wash. These ablutions arc
intended 10 show that their sins are washed
away and that they are cleansed from all
defilements.
These fanatics or prophelS tell them
that the Great Spirit is :ingry with them for
adopting the manners, customs, and habfo;
of the white people who, they think. are
very wicked.
Some of the females an: mutililting
fine muslin drcsses and arc told that they
must discontinue dancing n:cls and country
dances whieh have become very common
ampn~l the young people.
. . .!here is llllk
...in the space of 3 months the moon
would again become black. and thereafter
hail stones as large as hominy blocks would
fall, all cattle would die Md soon the earth
would come to an end.
A sorcerer said uncil then there would
be peace; how things would be after thnt he
did not know.
that a new earth
will come into being
in the Spring.••..
•• ,it has bc!en revealed by the Great Spirit
th:u there would be an intense darkm~ss and that it
would last three day~ - during which :lll white
people would be snatched away as well as 1111
Indians who had any clothing or household
articles of the white man's kind.•••
•.• they should put aside everything that i:.
similar to the white people and that which they had
learned from them, so that in the darkness the
Great Spirit might not mistake them and snatch
them a~ay.
... many llre doing away with
their household articles and
clothing.•.•
The above ma1trial if parr fJf a /011ger work in
progress. Jr is drawn entirelyfrom actual occounLS
uf the events ~ntitmed, a.s recorded in ltrrers and
diaries from the period, many of wlrich were
locared in rhe Mortn•ian lfrchh'es In
Winsron·Salem, North Carolina.
5
�Imagine what could happen over, say, the next five
years, if similar projects were begun in cities and
communities all around the region and beyond....
A Look at the Black Swan Center
By C.8. Squire
College students encouraging community economic
development in the community that surrounds their campus? Thai
is exactly what's happening in the Swannanoa River Valley. The
effon is being carried out by student-faculty teams from Warren
Wilson College working ou1 of the BlacJc Swan Center.
The Black Swan Center. named for Black. Mountain and
Swnnnanoa, !he two towns in !he Valley it embraces. is currently
located on the Wnrrcn Wilson campus and serves as a community
resouN:e organization for the entire area. A key ob)ective is to
explore how small colleges can "serve as catalysts in their own
backyards for community and ce-0nomic development projec ts,"
according to Black Swan directors Laura Temple Haney and Louise
Solomon.
Initially funded by grants from the Z. Smith Reynolds
Foundation and the Broyhill Family Foundation, the Center
operates with a work/study crew made up of students and faculty
advisers responsible for various individual projects of the Center.
This "work crew". made up of fifteen students majoring in
Sociology, Environmental Studies, Social Work, Political Science,
and English, meets regularly to review their various projects
centered around !he "community economic developmem" concept.
The Black Swan Center grew out of lhe Swannanoa Valley
Projcc1 (SVP), a land-use planning and economic development
study carried out in 1985 by Swannanoa Valley residents and
Warren Wilson College Staff, faculty, and students. Funded by the
Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation and TV A, the SVP found that
most project participants wanted the Valley to reverse its downward
economic trend "while remaining an essentially rural area wilh a
viable economic base." It became apparent thm what wa!"> needed
was an ongoing community resource center to serve these needs.
Thus, the Black Swan Center was born.
The vital importance of a community planning and resource
center such as this cannot be overestimated. Tf we wish to
preserve and enhance the quality of life here in Kaniah, in ways thar
nre ecologically and economically sound, we can no longer allow
the haphazard and Shon-sighted type of growth and development
that has predominated for decades. The key factor in reversing this
trend and in finding truly workable solutions is to encourage local
initiative, self-reliance, infonnalion exchange, and cooperative
effort. This can be a very powerful grassroots movement, with
far-reaching effects, but it demands susmined local commitment and
involvement. This k:ind of sustained effon can best be supported
JCQti&Qh
Journot pc:M)e
by citizens and businesspeople acting in concen with local academic
institutions. After all, should we not make the mo.st of all of our
available local resources, in order to assure the contin ued
well-being of our communities? Only in this way can we
intelligently deal with the tremendous forces of change that are
confronting us. It is now critical !hat we re-learn and re-create the
an of community - and projects such as the Black Swan Center arc
beginning 10 lay the groundwork for !his crucial renaissance. In
fact, this dynamic pilot project has already achieved tangible
results. Imagine what could happen over, say, the next five years,
if similar projects were begun in cities and communities all around
lhe region and beyond. ...
A key objective is to explore
how small colleges can "serve as
catalysts in their own backyards
for community and economic
development projects" ...
In its first year, the Black Swan Center has been focusing on
three essential components: (I ) A community economic
development class for Warren Wilson students to prepare them to
work in the Center; (2) development of a college work crew made
up of faculty and students which operates and coordin:ncs Black
Swan ruitivitics; and (3) a community-based education course for
Valley residents designed to promote new business ventures,
develop rural leadership Skills and teach community economic
development concepts. AU three components are in place, with the
community-based education course starting in March.
Organalcd by Lisa Waners, a Sociology mnJOr, the course,
"Community Development and the Economy in the Swannanoa
Valley,''. is ~imed at .~elpmg Valley residents (l) "gain the
leadership skills and ab1hoes that can make positive changes in the
lives of the people that live in the Valley; (2) explore the
Swunnanoa Valley community and its resources; (3) understand the
problems facing the local economy; (4) seek: solutions. and; (5)
determine what small businesses might succeed in the Valley."
16
Sprl.n.g, 1989
12
�As Lisa points out. this type of course was designed by the
Highlander Center in Tennessee and has been used in such
co~uniri~s. as Jellico,_Tennessee, and Dungannon, Virginia.
Unlike tradiuonaJ educauon, the course doesn't separate learning
from doing, theory from practice and education from work. "When
Y?U put 'community' in front of 'economic development'," says
Lisa, "it means ordinary citizens revitalizing their communities and
stimulating quality economic development from within rather than
waiting for the 'expens' to do it, or for outside industries 10 come
in and provide jobs." In the long run, "community economic
development doesn't only mean jobs. because ic can aJso make the
difference in peoples' environments and quality of life."
exploring options for municipal structures for the community of
Swannanoa. He is also helping to draft a legal document that can
be used as pan of an offical petition to the state to incorporate
as a township.
Christy Allred, an Environmental Studies major, and
Katherine Crum, a Social Work major, are working with TV A 10
identify fanners in the Valley who are interested in growing
specialty crops such as shiitake mushrooms and baby
watennelons. Two workshops are planned, one in May, the other
in the fall of 1989, that wiU bring Canners from Buncombe and
Madison County together 10 discuss agricultural problems and
trends facing the area and how to effectively market specialry crops.
The 10.week course will be fnciJiiated by Louise Solomon
and Laura Temple Haney, both faculty members at Warren Wilson,
and Marilyn Bass, of the YMJ Cultural Center in Asheville. In the
second part of this course, they will be joined by Tim Richnrds, of
the Small Business Technology Development Center, and Dana
Smith, of the Self-Help Credit Union, who will specifically instruct
participants on how to work with a business idea.
One of the more impn:ssive activities growing out of the
Black Swan Center is a waste management center, directed by
Melissa Gildersleeve, an lntercultural Studies major. Alrendy in
operation on the College campus, the Center includes a processing
pavilion for rccycleable items, including a baler for cardboard and
specially designed "drop-off' bins for recycling glass, cans and
newspapers. The waste management center grew out of a class
exercise in an Environmental Policy cl:iss artd has resulted m the
recycling of much of the 25,000 lbs/yr. of ttash generated by the
collegc--trllSh that had been caned to the county landfill at a cost of
up to Sl2,000/yr. Melissa bcheves that within a couple of years the
college's waste management costs will be entirely covered by
n:venucs from recycling. Her bu.~iness plan includes e~panding the
College's program by establishing five more "drop·off' collection
sues in the Swannaoa Valley, possibly as early as this spring.
While important to carrying out the aims of the Center, the
course in communicy economic development th.is spring is by no
me~ns ~h~ center's sole: agenda_. A small ~usincss development
project is in progress with the rum of "keeping more money in the
Valley" by encouraging businesses in the area to buy from each
other whenever possible, explained Brad Brock. another Sociology
major and one of the Business Development coordinators for the
Center. He added that the Black Swan Center and the Swannanoa
Valley Ch:tmbcr of Commerce have almost completed a business
directory of the Valley with one section made up of chamber
members and the other. "the green pages". listing all valley-owned
businesses.
Brad and his partner. Rebel Bailey, an Environmental
Studies 1113jor and owner of a flourishing backpack business. have
a!so been working with Nonh Carolina REAL Enterprise (Rural
&onomic Alternative Leaming, localed in Raleigh, North Carolina)
10 design a curriculum on developing student-owned enterprises for
Wam:n Wilson College. Fffty people attended a five-pan series of
workshops called "Business Basics''. Post-workshop follow-up
has resulted in consulting sessions with four entrepreneurs with a
"good strong prospect" for getting a business up and running in the
Valley. Still another project for Brad and Rebel is the Stan-up of a
breakfast club, modeled after the Briarpatch program on the west
coast, that will provide networking opponunities for local
entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses in the Valley.
Another Black Swan project, headed by Heidi Erick.son. :in
Environmental Studies and Education major, is a literacy program
with a new twist-worlting directly with the business community to
improve literacy. Heidi explains that those unable to read and write
are often reluctant to tell their employers or their lack of reading
skills. But one area employer, Charles D. Owen m, has agreed to
have a literacy project operating at his plant site, with employees
receiving half-pay for the time they spend on learning to read.
Heidi's project has already trained 12 people at Warren Wilson
College to teach such courses.
Still another project of the Center involves working with the
Alternative Energy Corporation. based 1n the Research Triangle
area, in developing a "Community Energy Campaign~ for the
Valley. This project plans to help weatherize non-profit buildings
anc,1 to audit heat loss in college and community
buildings-including the former Carver Alternative School property
in Black Mountain which the county has just acquired from the
town's Parks & Recreation DepanmenL Eventually, with this
campaign, the Center hopes to help the community save much of
the 40 miJlion dollars a year or so lhat leaks out in energy cosrs in
the Swannanoa Valley.
Dan Scbeuch, a Political Science major, has been working
with Swannanoa Valley residents and the Nonh Carolina
Department of Natural Resources and Co1TUI1un1ty Development in
Sprt.nq. t989
Although all the ~tudents working at the Black Swan Center
have different 'main' projects they are working on. they all have
one thing in common. Each panicipates in one another's
programs... wch as lending the experti~e the1y have gained in
desktop publishing, to knocking on doors of local businesses. to
picking up the College'!\ waste and recycleablcs from around
campus once a week.
For the future, chc Black Swan Ccnu;r hopes 10: organize n
Swannanoa Valley community work day: perhaps relocate the
Center more into the heart of the community: encourage other small
colleges in Appalachia to explore setting up a similnr program. and,
in general. coordinate the community development projects and
courSCS and the starrup of at least one student-run entesprise.
One of the most promising aspects of this entire project is for
the Black Swan Center to serve as a working model for other
insututions in the region. They. too. may want to embark on a
similar cooperative program of community development that., in the
words of the Center's grant application, "will overcome the
'LOwn-gown' barriers that separate so many colleges from their
neighbors."
To quote Gnscom Morgan, son of Arthur Morgan who
founded the Cclo community in Yancey County. and who bjmself
for the last four decades has inspired and assisted the cause of
community through his association with Community Service. Inc.;
"We need fol,k colleges-people's colleges...not jus1 for intellect.uals
or whites, b11t to do what Highlander College (now Clllled
Highlander Center) has done for Appalachia and the South. lf we
had folk colleges 10 which the working class and rural people from
across a region could come and htive association with the
intellecruaJs--then rerum to their local communities with the strength
and conviction of their own culture--tbese different groups of the
common people could reinforce each other.•
Morgan's dream is being rcallz.ed by a group of pioneers:
so~ fifcecn students with very diverse background.<>, two faculty
advisors, and an involved community•..... You are welcome 10 visit
this dynamic center or call for more infonnation.
The Black Swan Ctn1er, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swanrwnoa,
North Carolina 28778. (704) 299-9306
�wlld lovely days
the wild lovely days
come
with a wind tossed violence
they awaken
a tantalizing bitterness
of memory
the spring morning of lilacs
the wilting high noon
of orange poppies
the late afternoon sun
of autumn marigolds
and now
the great wheel of night
spins with dazzling circles
of blue and gold light
�dancer
the tender talents
of earth swelling
with rapture
birdsong and blue sky
fluttering encore
a thousand thousand
leaves turning
rich dark colors
awaiting
opulent carnage
exalted limbs rising
against dark skies
crucible
answer
I who hurried thru lhe years
running this way and that
sometimes strangely knowing
sometimes weeping beside the road
spent at last, alone
bereft of all I sought
you came to me
slowly without my knowing
you touched me
the stream carries me
my face is wet
I am submerged
I will not let
fear of drowning
darken the bright water
all that rs bright and clear
filters thru the translucent waves
of faith, the ineffable substance
that fills the
yearning crucible
with timeless light
endless peace
Selections from the book Wifd Lovely Days. portraits of moments In time and nature expressed in complementary words and images.
THE POET·
THE PHOTOGRAPH:R;
Ellmboth Griffin Is an artist, poet, and former lawyer residing in
Highlands. Katuah Province.
Gii Leebrick is an environmentally concerned falher, husband, mediator,
photographer, and director of the Appalachian Environmental Arts Center in
Highlands.
�.:•····;••·....................................
.,....
..
....
....
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~
i{ NATURAL \~.
: wORLD :
~
~
~
~
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i:
\. ..
:I
..
NEWS
..
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~~~~~.·~··· · · ~·.·.·.•.•.•.·.·· · · ....~::::::!:
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PANTHERTOWN RESTORED!
Nllllnl World NCWJ Str-i=
In one Inst expression of disdain for
Congress and the Appalachian b1orcgion, the
Reagan administration m the la.~L days of its reign
took away money slated for the pun:hase of the
Pa.nthenown tract high in the headwaters of the
Tuckasegee River.
Through an arrangement with Duke Power
Company, which wants to run a high-voltage
power line across pan of the Panthenown area,
Congress hod appropriated $8 million to buy the
remainder of the propeny for inclusion in National
Forest Jnnds. Under a rechnicaliry the our-going
administration stole away that money. plus $47
million for other land appropriations. to pay the
costS of fighting the famous Yellowstone fire and
other fires that occurred in the summer of 1988 in
drought-soicken western states.
On March 13. 1989, however, the Office of
Management and Budget reversed the order, and
put the money back into the special Land and
Water Conservation Fund, where it is once
available for land acquisition purposes.
It is expected that the Panthcnown purchase
will be able to be completed this summer.
COLEY CREEK IS SAFE!
Systems Research Group, to review the Coley
Creelc plan. The study group pointed out that fuel
prices would have to escalate considerably lO make
the Coley Creek project economically viable.
However, cbe consultants' review found
that the most economical approach would be to
emphasize "demand-side programs." These
programs hcreate" extra energy by promoting
conservation on the pan of utility customers
through steps such as rewarding customers for
efficient energy use pancrns and helping to cut
down on energy consumption by wealherization
programs, promoting energy-efficient appliances,
etc. A more careful and judicious use of energy
reduces the need for increased energy production.
The report showed that through energy
conservation Duke could make avnilable the same
amount of energy that the Coley Creek pumped
storage project would have provided. but at
one-third the cost. The repon outlined five
different demand-side programs and gave
srep-by-srep directions for their implement.arlon.
Bill Thomas, co-chair of rhe Jocassee
Wate~hed Coalition, said, "h could be very
imponant for a company like Duke to stan a series
of pilot programs in energy conservation. Even if
they weren't completely convinced that this was
the best way to go, they should :u least experiment
and find out for themselves what programs wo11ld
work and what wouldn't."
"In September the Nonh Carolina Utilities
Commission will hold a series of six hearings at
locations across the stare to gather public comment
on a proposed least-cost planning rule that will
include demand-side management items. A good
tum-out by people s~ak.ing on behalf of these
measures wouJCI show the COinmission where the
public suppon lies."
The Jocnssee Watershed has obtained a
reprieve from funher depredations by Duke
Power, but efforts continue to gain binding
legislauve protection for the basin through
designation of the Thompson and the \v'hitewater
as Wild and Scenic Rivers. (The Horsepasturc
River already has protected stntus.) Preliminnry
studies have already been completed, and show
very definttely that further srudy is justified.
"We need to g~t legislacors to press the
North Carolina Natural Resoun:es and Community
Development Department to complete their sruclies
so that the lcgislat.ion can proceed," said Thomas.
"We arc asking people interested in the future of
the Jocnssee Watershed to contact their state
n:presentatives and ask them to get involved with
this.''
...AND NOW CHAITOOGA
Duke Power Company has announced that it
is postp<>ning indefinitely the Coley Creek Pump
Storage Project, which would have done
devastating environmental damage in the beautiful
Jocassee Watershed area in the foothills of the
Blue Ridge.
Officially, the company said that a review of
fuel prices and the economics of the pumped
storage alternative convinced them that providing
power by coal plants or combustion turbines was
economically more advantageous. What the
company did not mention was that they had met
stiff resistance to the project every step of the way
from the Jocassee Watershed Coalition, a
broad-based organization of hikers, hunters.
fishermen, and environmental groups. which may
also have influenced their decision. With a grant
from the Babcock Foundation. the coalition had
hired an independent consulting firm, the Energy
~
)o"'nat P • 20
Officials of Rabun County, Georgia and the
Associated Consulting Group are conspiring to
build a jetpon on a mountaintop in the upper
reaches of the Chattooga River, which is
designated as a Wild and Scenic River.
Preliminary design studies of the site
illegally conducted by Associated Cousulting at the
request of the Rabun County government have
detennined that they would need t.o level the entire
mountaintop to make room for the jet planes to
land. The jets would take off and land directly
over the river and roar over remote wild areas in
their flighL
The potential impacts on the Chattooga
watershed would be devastating. They include
massive sedimentation, wildlife habitat
destruction, and noise pollution, as well as the
fouling of the water and air. The remote and wild
character of the Chattooga whitewater run would
be severely degraded by the low-altitude
overflighcs.
The US Forest Service has refused ro talce a
position to protect the "wild and scenic" status of
the Chattooga despite their legislative mandate
under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to do so.
The agency has even backed down from an earlier
comrninment to require an Environmental Impact
Statement for actions affecting any Forest Service
site. The American Rivers organization and a
coalition of local citizens is working on behalf of
the river. They say, ''Since t.be Forest Service has
refused to direct the county away from the
Chanooga site, citizen voices are essential to
prevent the Chattooga site from bemg selected.
The county and Associated Consulting are known
to have a bias in favor of the Chattooga site, and
only overwhelming public sentiment against lhe
site can change their minds."
Make yourfeelings known! Write:
Associated Consulting Group
3 I5 W. Po111::e de Leon Ave. (Suite 125)
Decatur, OA 30084
Kenneth Henderson, Forest Supen·i,s()r
Cl111ual100d~e National Forest
508 Oak St. NW
Gainesville. GA 30501
American Rivers
801 Pennsylvania Ave. SE (Suire 303)
Washington. DC 20003
WHAT'S AN EIS?
(or JUDGE HALTS VULCAN)
There will be no rock quarry in Flat Creek nt least not anytime soon.
Vulcan Matenals Company had planned to
dig a 58-acre, open-pit quarry near Weaverville
despite protests from local residents until
Buncombe County Superior Coun Judge Roben
D. Lewis voided Vulcan's state permit early this
'd
year. Some 450 North Buncom be rest ents
snowed up at the last public hearing in October of
1987. Most were against the quarry projecL The
group fonned the North Buncombe Association of
Concerned Citizens, which filed suit against
VuJcan, a Fortune 500 company, and several state
officials. Residents claimed in their suitS tha1 the
mining permit was issued 10 the company despite
evidence from expens that the quarry, which
would have been sited about two miles nonh of
the town of Weaverville, would deplete and
pollute area groundwater.
Spri-n9, 1989
�INCINERATORS THREATEN
AIR QUALITY
Jllmnl World News Service
"Cloudy skies" would be the long-term
weather forecast for meb'OpoliUUl Knoxville and all
points downwind if four new waste incinerators
were to come into operation in the area.
Three proposed incinerators in the
Knoxville area and one that is already constructed
1hrea1en 1he Great Smoky Mounrains National
Park, only 40 miles downwind, and the already
beleaguered mounrains of the Kan1ah province.
Cum:n!ly, air in the Smokies ranks it among the
ten most polluted of all the National Parks. It used
to be that the Park was only "smokey" during the
summer months when natural chemicals from the
forest vegetation combined with panicles in the
air. Now, even on a clear winter day, the view is
noticeably hazy. An estimated 70% of the pall is
due to air pollution.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has built
an incinerator at the K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant
in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. According to engineer
John Patton of the Division of Air Pollution
Conttol for the State of Tennessee, it is licensed
under the Toxic Substances Control Act to burn
radioactively contaminated polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCB's) and other wastes which are
generated at the DOE facilities at Oak Ridge,
Paducah, and the Ponsmouth Gaseous Diffusion
Plants. The incinerator bums only propane gas
now, but when it goes on line in the summer of
1989, it will burn 3000 pounds of r.idioactive
waste every hour. A similar incinerator was
defeated in Rocky Flats, Colorado through public
opposition.
A private company mis-named the Safe
Ecology Group is proposing to build another
incinerator on Bear Creek Road in Oak Ridge that
will bum low-level radioactive waste for volume
reduction. According to Lisa Finaldi of the Nonh
Carolina Clean Water Fund, this incinerator will
take low-level radioactive waste from states that
are members of radioactive waste compact
agreements, such as North Carolina and New
York, reduce the volume of the waste, and then
send it back to the states for disposal. The
capacity of this incinerator will be 10,000 pounds
of radioactive waste per hour.
Also in the site selection stage is the East
Knoxville mass burn incinerator that will be
operated by Foster-Wheeler Power Systems of
New Jersey. The proposed incinerator will bum
900 tons of municipal garbage a day.
According to a Solid Waste Authority
spokesperson in Knoxville, "The incinerator and
recycling will be used to decrease landfill
dependency.''
Opponents of the incinerator,
however, declare that incineration will decrease the
recycling incentive, since the operating company
has a flat guarantee from the city and the county
that it will receive a certain amount of waste to
bum 10 produce electricity. Recyclers fear that
quota will be filled by waste that would otherwise
be potentially recoverable.
. Electricity sales will not cover operation and
maintenance costs for rhe incineraror facility. A
group called CARE in Knoxville claims that the
Solid Waste Authority did not compare the cost of
incineration, which will come to $370 million over
a 20-year period, with the coStS of alternative
methods of reducing solid waste, i.e. commercial
Sprl.ncj, l989
and household recycling, baling (compressing
THE FATE OF THE ROSE
garbage), and composting (brush, leaves, etc.).
Even with an incinerator, about 40% of
from• n;iort by N~ Blmhlrdl
solid waste must be landfilled. A new landfill will
Years ago the Agriculture Depanment
be needed in Knox County whether there is an
incincr.1tor or noL Incinerators actually raise the brought the multiflora rose into Virginia for soil
cost of disposal, because incinerator a.sh is a conservation and to attTact wildlife. Now the state
hazardous waste and must be sto1ed using encourages the eradication of this plant and may be
expensive protective techniques in special making a mistake that will tum out to be far more
serious than the spread of the shrubby muhiflora
landfills.
The CARE group also points out that, even bush. Montgomery and Grayson counties have
with air pollution conttols, incinerators pose a passed, and Floyd county is considering,
risk to public health that carries an incalculable legislation to force landowners to keep the plant
cosL The most dangerous chemicals cannot be from scrting seed on their propeny.
Farmers say that the roots of this plant arc
seen or smelled.
hard to lc:ill. Pulling multiflora roots out of the
Finally, next door to the proposed site for ground usually causes tbero to start new plants.
the Knoxville mass bum incinerator, the Dixie The multiflora grows in too many out-of-the-way
Cement Company may bum bai.ardous waste in a places to keep it all cut. Therefore, the st.ate
convened cement kiln.
recommends herbicides to lcilltbe plant - herbicides
that are particularly apt to contaminate
groundwater. Dicamba and 2,4-D arc both on the
list of pesticides which the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) considers most lillely to
leach into groundwater. Piclorfam, which is also
on the EPA leaching list, is conrained in the pellets
ofTordon, a restricted-use herbicide.
SLUDGE ISSUE STILL STEAMING
Though 2,4-D is not restricted and is
classed only as a "possible carcinogen," it may
soon be reclassified, because recent studies by the
National Institute of Cancer have shown a link
There is a new development in the bat!le between 2,4-D and cenain types of cancer. As
over the fate of Buncombe County's sewage 2,4-D breaks down, it can form products of
decomposition rhat are more toxic than the original
sludge: Advanced Alkaline Stabilization.
With encouragment from the Buncombe formulation. Like Tordon and Dicamba, 2,4-0 can
County Commissioners, the Buncombe also be contaminated with nitrosamines, which are
Metroplltan Sewerage District (MSD) has agreed cancer-causing. or more immediate concern is the
stress which pesticides put on rhe kidneys and
10 hold a hearing on this waste treatment process,
which mixes sludge with kilned lime dusr other pans of the human body.
William
(quicklime). ~ng pathogens and raising the pH agronomy at Wes1 Bryon, associate professor of
Virginiu University Wiil> quolcd
of the mixture, thus binding heavy metals and
making the resulting material suitable for in the Roanoke TimtS of January 29, 1988 that
herbicides cannot eradicate the multiflora rose and
spreading on farm pastures. The hearing is are not wonh using. He also mentions a natural
scheduled to be held in Asheville on March 21.
rosette disease
Foes of che sludge incinerator say that che control called Missouri. Thiswhich is spreading
this way from
disease, spread by
outcome of that hearing will detennine their future a mite, can accomplish what the herbicides can't
strategy. "If the MSD continues to favor the and kills the multiflora in a few years.
incineration process," said Paul Gallimore of the
(conlinucd on next .-ae}
Long Branch Environmenral Education Center,
"we will push for a review of the Environmental
Protection Agency's health risk assessment that
OK'd the incinerator proposal.
"The EPA assessment is flawed. They
looked at only one possible pathway for airbome
pollution from the incineraror to enter the body by air inhalation - when actually there are four
other possible parhways - through direct
contamination of food, food grown in
contaminated soils, dermal exposure, and
inhalation of contaminared soil or dust.
"After some method - any method - of
sludge treatment is chosen, the next step is to put
pressure on the MSD to righten up industrial
pre-ueatrnent standards for wastes. Carcinogens
and heavy metals should not be allowed to leave
the point of origin regardless of the waste
treatment technology selected."
The MSD has agreed to institure a pilot
operation to tesc the feasibility of composting
sewage sludge no mauer what treatment process is
used for the bulk of the county's wasre.
"This is very positive," said GaJJimore.
"Where an incinerator will give out in 20 or 30
years and have to be completely replaced at great
expense, a composting operation just keeps
turning out the humus. Biological microorganisms
just don't quit."
�(CQn.tinucd from pag$ 21)
MOUNTAIN PEOPLE SAY
"CUT THE CLEARCUITING"
Nanni Wcxld News Savice
The Western Nonh Carolina Alliance
(WNCA) bas launched a public campaign to
Fuade the US Forest Service (USFS) to change
us primary timber management technique,
even-aged management. Under that scheme
patches of the National Forests up to 40 acres in
size an: cut to the ground so that the resulting
regrowth is of uniform size and easier 10 harvest.
Alliance members held an anti-clearcuuing
protest demonstration in front of the Forest
Service headquarters in downtown Asheville.
Banners and signs proclaiming "Cut the
Clearcutting" were hoisted by the protesters who
want the Forest Service to adopt a timber
management strategy that relics heavily on
uneven-aged management, which is based on
careful examination of individual siteS and logging
prescriptions that call for the thinning of
undesirable trees as welJ as the removal of good
sawtimbcr. so that future growcb is improved.
Uneven-aged management requires greater
expertise and auention to detail on the part of
foresters, and the Forest Service claims it docs not
have the budget to suppon these extra demands on
its staff.
Demonsttators lined the sidewalks in front
of the USPS offices with tree stumps to ~give the
flavor of what a forest of stumps looks like," said
WNCA member Monroe Gilmour. Also displayed
was a 90-foot long petition containing over 1,700
.names of Katuah residents opposed to
clearcuning.
The campaign was also carried into local
ranger districts at several meetings held to give
local community members a chance to speak about
proposed clearcurs in their immediate areas.
Over 100 Clay County residents auended a
community meeting in Hayesville to protest
planned clearcutting in their county. Retired
fores1cr Walton Smith, chair of the WNCA Timber
Management Taste Force, told the gathering that
since the clcarcuuing method was iniri:ued the
qualit) of the timber production had substanrially
declined. Smith noted that the growth of sprouted
limber, as found in clcarcuis. was substantially
faster, but produced trees of poorer quality than
trees grown from seed. Sprouts produced a
cross-grain growth that created a weakness in the
lumber, he said.
Smith recently walked scveml clearcuts with
USFS Regional Supervisor Bjorn Dahl. Smith
said Dahl was "quite surprised'' to see a tract under
uncven-:iged management thnt W3S full of young
seedling trees. whereas the clearcut areas were full
of sprouts.
In another meeting with Forest Service
personnel and a.ides to legis!Ative representatives,
150 Madison County residents met to protest
proposed road construction and clcarcuning at the
top of Bearpcn Ridge. The residenis complained
that the road and the clearcutting operation would
cause sedimentation in Hickey Fork Creek and
would destr0y the trout hatchery there. The cold
creek waters offer challenging fishing for rainbow
and native brook trout
The steep. remote forests in the Hickey
Fork Creek watershed ~ovide excellent habiiat for
bears and other wildlife, and the area is popular
with bunters. Many in the assemblage were bear
hunters who were concerned that the new roads
and the clearcutting would cause bears to shy
away &om the area. They were especially alarmed
JGcitilah 'o~Ml P • 22
to learn that a stand of large white oalcs on top of
Bearpen Ridge were t0 be included in the clearcut
The hunters. who were all familiar with the woods
and wildlife in the area. agreed that this .stand was
one of the most imponant mast-eroducing areas in
the region and that it was heavily used by bears.
After hearing their concerns, Frank Roth of the
USFS indicated that he would set aside an acre of
so of the largest trees so that they could continue
10 provide wildlife food.
The WNCA is plannning a "Cut the
Clearcuuing" rally on April 15 at 11 :00 in the
City-County Plaza with music, talks, and
presenta1ion of a protest pe1itioo to USFS
officials.
For copies of the petirion in favor of uneven
-aged forest management, or more informt111on
on the "CUI the Clearct1tting" campaign, write or
aJil:
The Wesrern Nonlr Caro/iM Alliance P.O. Box
18087 Asheville, NC 28814 (704) 258- 8737
To win $50 in the "Ugliest Clearcut Photo
Contest," send entries 10 tlU! Alliance by April I.
Bjorn Dahl, Regional Forester US Porest
Service Box 2750 Asheville, NC 28802
(704) 2574200
.
.............
PEREGRINE FALCONS FLEDGE
While the Natural World News often seems
gloomy. here is a linle light:
Scott Ball. a temporary eml'loyec of the NC
Wildlife Resources Commission's Nongame
Program, perched high up on Whiteside
Mountain, observed lhe first confinned
naturally-bred peregrine falcon to fledge in the
Kal\fah province since 1957.
With the help of volunteer falcon wa1chers,
wildlife biologists found five pairs of peregrine
falcons defending territories at mountain cliffs last
ycor Three of these pairs made nesting attempts.
Two pairs each raised a single chick to fledging
age.
Wildlife biologists seem cau11ously
optimistic. While this level of reproduction will
nol sustain 1he newly-established peregrine
population, these successful auempts may augur
well for the fuwre of this magnificent predator in
Karuah.
Biologisis will continue releases of young
captive-bred peregrines for several more years. but
will release a smaller number each year. ln 1988
18 young falcons were released along the Blue
Ridge near Mt. Mitchell and on Grandfather
Mountain. Biologists have released 63 young
peregrine falcons in the mountains since the
restoration effort began in 1984.
If five breeding pairs can be csmblished in
the Southern Appalachians, the program's
emphasis will then switch to protection and
management of the nesting peregrines.
Excerptedfrom a report by John_ Alderman
\..:
CHEMTRONICS SPEWS POISONS
Toe infamous Chemtronics plant in
Swannahoa. North Carolina has dumped hundreds
of thousands of potinds of a highly toxic industrial
solvent into the air over the past several months,
despite pleas of a company chemist to install
equipment that would h.ave caught 90 percent of
the chemical.
.
The plant has released 256 596 pounds of
tetrachloroclhylcne, which is acutely or chronically
toxic. according to \he US, Environmental
Protection Agency '<EPA). The .solvent i~ also
believed to destroy ozone in Jiu; high atmosphere,
allowing increased pen~~at1on 9[, l;larmful
ultra-viol~t radi;nio.o from ~he sun.
Terrachloroethylene is also a suspected carcinogen
and contribwes 10 s111o,g and air poJtutfon close to
the Eanh's.$urface.
.J
•
,
Cbemtronics senior sc1entiSt, John Tylldall.
who charted the releases. said a11
9ne.poln1t 'The
cnvfronmental . impac~ (<~f the (eleases) is
enormous. and wt:. need \o act on this situation
immediately." He has since beep laid off by
Chemtronics.
Plans were approved for the installation of a
recovery system to capture the escaping solvent,
but Chemtronics' parent company, Halibunon
Corporation. never advanced the money to pay for
the lnstaUa1ion, according to a ~ll_en;llronics
official.
rn other recent and' rel~ued news,
negotiauons between the companies responsible
for dumping toxic industrial wastes at the
Chemtronics Supcrfund site in Swnnnanoa have
broken down, delaying clean-up of the former
military munitions plant there. according to the
EPA. Chemtronics, along with former owners
Northrop Corporation and Ce~nese Corporaiion
cannot agree on who should pay how much.
The breakdown in ncgotialions means a
delay of months and possibly years in the clean-up
operation if the disagreement 1s submiued to
litigation. according to EPA official John
Bomholm.
Celanese Corp. bought the now-polluted
propcny in 1959 and made explosive!\, solid
propellants, shells, rocket motors, and chemical
agents the.re. Northrop Corp. bought 1he facility in
1965 and continued the military contracts. Jn 1971
Ainronics. Inc. leased the site and continued the
work through its Cbemtronics division.
Chemtronics bought the plant from Northrop in
1978, about the same time the EPA discovered the
presence of more than 50 organic chemicals which
had leaked into the surrounding soil and
groundwater.
In another recent corporate shuffle, the
Halibl.lrlon Co. has dissolved its Chemtronics
branch. and has turned the Swannanoa plant over
co its Je1 Research subsidiary
"We'rl! going LO be a lot more responsible
company environmentally," said Bob King, Jet
Research vice-president. "Jct Research makes
warheads and other explosives for the military, but
the processes will not involve the release of
dangerous substances into the air and
groundwater, as was the practice at the plant for so
long."
-SprLnq, 19U
�REVIEW:
Sacred Land Sacred Sex RapIUTe ofthe Deep:
Concerning Deep Ecology and Celebrating Life
by Dolores LaOuipelle
(Pinn Hill AIU; Silvcncn, CO; 1988)
'7n this kind of learni11g, there is no knowledge, in the usual
stnse, to process and convey; thert is instead a deepening of
anenlion to the pattern ofall lift around you, so tltat you ~gin to
/Jw 'JOllT life accordUtg to thal pattern.• - DoWu LaC•Ue
"Biorcgion" is a word of power. It encompasses what
scientists call an "ecosystem," but goes beyond the mechanistic
limitations of scientific nomenclature. A bioregion is clearly a
community, a land alive - plants, animals. soil, water, sunlight, all
the elements of life womng tOJCther. each sustaining the others.
"Bioregion" is a word with the nng of rightness to it.
The word "biorcgional" follows. It is descriptive, "panalcing
of the qualities of the lioregion," but it is a little longer and the truth
that resonates in the original noun is just ever so slightly
diminished.
But "bioregionalism" is a word that cmies no force
whatsoever. Whenever the odious "-ism" is added to an otherwise
usefuJ root idea, it completely drains whatever value for powerful
communication that original word may previously have possessed.
That simple suffix, just three letters, hardens a worthwhile
approach to life into a dogmatic school of institutionalized thought,
limits flexibility, and rums a life-giving relationship with the natural
world into a set of precepts to be debated pro and con in sterile
classrooms.
"Deep ecology" is an alternative phrase inspired by
Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess to define the auth of our
individual and collective relationship to the natural world.
The phrase has drawbacks. It is based in part on the Greek
word meaning ''study," because ecology was developed as an
interdisciplinary course of i:nstroction to explain the relationships
between the different elements of a place and how they work
together to sustain life. Now, however, the word "ecology" has
grown beyond the idea of "a course of study" to mean an acrual life
community and the web of relationships on which i1 depends.
"Deep ecology" lacks the evocative sense of a phrase like
"furure primitive," which describes people living in the world.
"Future primitive" predicts a technology thar is sophisticated to the
point of simplicity. It refers to a people whose culture is beautifully
complex rather than needlessly complicated, because it is based on
primal values as well as biologically accurate observation.
Yet, while the actual choice of words may be somewhat stiff,
the definition of "deep ecology" is eloquent. lt is ecology with a
difference. The essential tenet of deep ecology is that there is
intrinsic value to life in all its fonns. To fully understand deep
ecology one must identify one's "self" as "all that lives." This in
tum demands perceiving the world with more of our brain than the
neo-conex, the seat of the intellect. Sensual and instinctual
responses are as valuable for survival as intellectual analysis. It is
also assumed that a full realization of the principles of deep ecology
requires that one acts on them - it is necessary to defend the Earth
and to work at changing our culture.
This is what living is all about. This is "bioregionalism" as it
should be.
"Deep ecology" is useful as a t:ranSitional concept to describe
our odysse.Y back into the world. It is not the perfect turn of phrase,
but usage ts what lends definition, and those who are maJctng the
strongest stance for the Eanh are doing so in the name of deep
ecology. It is deep enough to suffice until we simply can say
~being," and other people undersmnd.
~ing,
Because that is what it is all about, isn't i1? Being, simply
here. Yet in these times that is such a complicated mauer.
And it is the hardest of all things to express. The sages have always
said, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.•
And that is where Dolores LaChapelle steps in. She has
attempted the impossible - and done it valiantly. Her book Sacred
Land Sacred Sex Raprure of ti~ Deep oies to communicate in
words what can only be known through experience: the essence of
deep ecology.
Dolores LaChapelle herself is well aware of this paradox,
which is faced by anyone who writes. And, like all writers, sbe
feels compelled 10 wrestle with iL
So in writing about deep ecology she takes another approach.
Like a hawk, Dolores circles, circles. She first describes the
essential mystery by describing the conditions of itS absence, and
tells us the story of how we Lost touch with it. She then directs us
10 teachers who can demonstrate ic our animal relations in their
rituals; authentic members of primitive cultures; scientists and
psychologists who explore our deeper self And she introduces us
to guides who can help us to find our own way: sage, the drum, the
gourd rattle, Tai Chi, ritual, and, of course, the mounulins.
Sacred land Sacred Sa Raprun of the Deep is a beautiful
book - as deep in the telling as in the subject maner - created
through a blend of hard scholarship, an unswerving dedication to
the sacred, fierce passion, and the life experience of one of the true
elders of our clan.
(continued on next page)
�(continued rrom page 4)
(cantinuad fJom ~ 23)
It is a difficult book, because I.he closer one approaches lO the
essenr:ial truth, the more do ideas become unbound. ~e more do
words betray their meanin&. But Doto~ La Chapelle is a_
woman
of great intellectual stamma. Th~ stones and observatt.o ns we
encounter along this convoluted JOume.Y arc ~th ~mg and
wonderful. and each episode of the book is absorbing m itself. But,
tnken together, the insights delineate an infonnational fiel~ that
conveys a full sense (not mctely a pinned-to-the-board analysis) of
what deep ecology is all about
Impossible as it is to transmit an experiential stnte through
linear type, the book Sacred land. Sacred ~G ROf~"e of tlu! Deep
expertly i.rtfoans inclividuaJ cxpenence. It 1s a trauung manual that
reaches the reader how to open up to the deepest elements of his or
her own life joumey.
After reading Dolores LaChapelle's book, we know the
danger signals to watch for in our culture and in our own psyche.
We know where io look and how to call for instruction. And we
know what it feels like when we reach hannony, the center of the
world We arc prepared to experience the sacred.
Hopefully, the day will come when the concept "deep
ecology" is obsolete, books will no longer be needed, and our
minds won't be enmeshed in ideas. Then we won't have 10
sacrifice U'CCS to our earnest attempts IO explain the Mystery. Then a
story, a night of love, a smile, or the wind moving a leafy branch
will be communication enough. But until then we should be glad
we have teachers such as Dolores LaChapelle.
• reviewtd by David Whultr
#'
"AFFORDANCES"
From
Sacred land Sacred Sex Rapture of the Deep
phase peoples cultivated most of their food, and supplemented their
crops with native foods hunted and gathered from the forest.
There was a ceremonial center with room coougb for large
gatherings, built on raised earthen mounds. Ther~ wer~ semisubterranean eanh lodges. progenitors or those bwlt dunng the
historic Qualia phase by the Cherokee.
.
.
Pisgah phase peoples ma.de cane mats, the 1~prcssions of
which were found in graves, even though the actual amcles no longer
remained. Graves were dug in the floors or dwellings, and the dead
were usually buried in a flexed posicion (lying on their sides in foetal
position). They were accompanied by turtle shell rattles, bone
neck.laces, tools of srone and bone, and pottery.
Support Your Local Ar<:haeologist
The Pisgah Village sue in McDowell County has been
excavated primarily with volunteer labor, much of on the pan of local
residents. Robinson is grateful for such suppon; in fact, it was local
interest that made excavation possible in the first place.
Archaeologists usually receive funding to conduct retrieval of
information only when n site is threatened by development The rather
comical image of the archaeologist busily sifting through the din in
front of a moving bulldoi.eris all too real
Robinson urges everyone who discovers artifacts or a possible
archaeological site to contact him at Wam:n Wilson College, or get in
touch with any archaeology laboratory. such as those located at
Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, the University of
Tennessee at Knoxville, or Appalachian State University io Boone.
Archaeological sites are resources to be preserved, protected,
and revered. It is only by careful recovery of the infonnatioo they
contain, which often takes many years of study, that we will benefit
from these historic resources. At a time when population saturation,
disease, and decimation of our narura.I resources threatens our very
survival, we cannot afford to desrroy the evidences of our region's
past, which might perhaps offer answers for our fu1ure.
Persons i111erested in leaniing f11()re abow archaeology can
contact the Archaeological Society of Norrh Carolina; Research
Laboratories of Archaeology; Universiry of Non/1 Carolina, and the
Friends of North Carolina Archaeology, NC Depanmenc of Cu/rural
Resources; 109 E. Jones St.; Raleigh, NC 27611.
Archaeologist Ken Robinson may~ co111acted by writing him
a1 Warren Wilson College, SwannallOQ, NC 28778 or calling (704)
298-3325.
~
"The affordances of the environment are what it offers
the animal, what it provides or furnishes, either for good or ill."
"Afford." as a verb, is found in the dictionary, but (James J.)
Gibson (of c.ome11 University) made up I.he word ''ajforda.nce." He
explains that this word refers to both the environment and the
animal (including the human) "in a way that no existing tenn does.
It implies the complementarity of the animal and the environment."
This is precisely why I think this word is so important In
our culture, we tend lO think that humans have discovered all these
amazing things; in some ways we believe that these things didn't
even exist until humans found them. I've been trying 10 break
down this laner presupposition throughout this work; first, by
showing how the affordancc we call the gourd gave us agri.culture
and later with other examples. Once you begin using this word,
you will find that every day you will realize how nature provides
affordances for us to use. It's all there before us - it's not
dependent on humans to figure it out This is a giant step forward
in overcoming our culturallr,-induced split from nature.
These affordanccs 'arc the way specific regions of the
environment directly address themselves to particular species or
individuals. Thus, to a human, a maple tree may afford 'looking at'
or 'sitting under,' while 10 a sparrow it affords 'perching,' and '? a
squincl it affords 'climbing.' But these values are not found inside
the minds of the animals. Rather I.hey are...a reciprocal interchan~e
between the living intentions of any animal and the dynamic
affordances of its world ...The psyche .. .is a property of the
ccosysLCm as a whole."
_,
- Dolores LoChopelle
'
FOR FURTI!ER READING:
Dickens, Roy S .. and J(JJ'MS l. McKinley. Frontiers in the
Soil: The Archaeology of Georgia (Chapel Hill; Fronriers Pub. Co.;
1979)
Hudson, Charles. The Southeastern Indians (Kn<>xville;
University o/Tennessu Press: 1978)
Keel, Bennie C .. Cherokee Archaeology: A Study of the
Appalachian Summit (Knoxville; University of Tennessee Press;
1976)
Mathis, Mark A. and Jeffrey J . Crow. The Prehistory of
Nonh Carolina: An Archaeological Symposium (Raleigh, NC Div. of
ArclUvesandHistory: 1983)
McHargue, Georgena and Michael Ro~rrs. A Field Guide to
Conservation Archaeology in North America (PhUadelphla: J.B .
Uppincorr Co.; 1977)
Wetmore. Rwh. First on the Land: The North Carolina Indians
(Winston-Sa/em; l<>hn F. Blair, PublishQ; 1977)
Wa.m:n Wilsoo College will offer an archaeologic:al f"icld 1thool 1his
summer lhnt wdl focus on the Pisgah Village site. SllldclllS will lc4m survey
and excavation leehniqucs mid will also be involved in lhe aruilysls of altifact
and site da.13.
Contact: Kt11 Robinson. Proj«t Dim<:t.or; Box 5277; Warren Wiison
College; Swanannanoa. NC 28778 (704) 298-3325.
s
�Video Review:
"Stopping the Coming Ice Age"
Dirccled by l.JuTy Ephron
Produced by the Institute for a Future (57 minules)
Looking back, it ~eems tha1 1988 was ~ ye:ir for
important, "new" environmental issues and concerns to surface.
ln particular, ibis was the year in which the idc.i or lhe so-called
"greenhouse effect" finally gained public acceptance. if not
notoriety- a year lhat saw record-breaking drought. hurricanes,
and forest fires. Suddenly, the idea of global warming was
appearing everywhere in che media, and it seemed that concerned
scienliSlS and poliricians were unanimous in their suppon for the
global warming scenario.
However, this unanimity is an illusion, media coverage to
the contrary. ln fact, there is much contr0versy within the scientific
community ns to the chmatic effects and socio-polilicctl
nunificalions of the greenhouse effect. It is far from cenain that the
climate changes we're seeing arc leading to/caused by global
warming. In fact, there is ac1ually considerable evidence that points
to a very different conclusion: lhn1 1he planet may be teetering on
the brink of another Ice Age.
One of the foremost proponents of this laner view is John
Hamaker, a mechanical engineer who has cx1ensively analyzed
clima1e and ecological paucms, and hn.<; developed a comprehensive
and holistic approach to understanding global climate change. His
lheories, expressed in h.is book The Survival of Civiliza1io11, arc
now being supported and dissemina1ed by a foundation called
"Institute For A Fu1urc", which re<.-ently created a remarkable video
pr~ntation: "Stopping the Coming Jee Age".
This video is inspiring, frightening, challenging, and very
infonnative, as it takes us around the world in search of answers.
While Hamaker agrees that the greenhouse effect is a very real
Lhrea1, he believes - and backs this up with hard data and expert
opinion - that it will [ll2l.warm ihe Eanh unifonnly, but instead will
increase the temperarure differential between the equator and the
poles, causing increased thermal convection, atmospheric
turbulence, and rapidly shifting and biz:zare weather patterns.Jn
this scenario, high winds moving from the equator tow111ds the
poles will drop their abundan1 moisture in the h.ighcr latitudes in the
form of snow and ice, often creating drought condicions in the
temperate regions. He believes that lhe tropical and sub-tropical
zones will indeed get hotter, but the tempenue zones arc likely to
get cooler and drier.
Hamakcr"s understanding of the greenhouse effect talces us
far beyond the popularized, watered-down information available
Lhrough the mass media because he explores deeper levels of cause
and effec1, process and purpose. The mos1 profound information
presented in this video concerns the connections beiween lhe
greenhouse effect and the development of an ice age, and the
importance of understanding long-tmn cycles (100,000 years!) of
clima1e change. The video demonstrates the causal connections
linking together all the different environmenuil/atmospheric
phenomena that combine to bring on an ice age:
1) soil erosion and demineralizntion
2) the subscquem weakening and dying of the forestS
3) the resulting increase in insect inrestations, forest decay,
and massive fortst fires
4) I.be dramatic increase in C02 released into the atmosphere
by these na1ural causes, which induces the greenhouse effecL
5) and m the 20lh century - as opposed to 100,000 years ago
man-made pollution and our destrUCtive tampering with the natural
balance of life are intensifying and hastening the process.
According 10 Hamaker. an ice age performs a vitally
necessary natural function. As tbe glaciers advance and then
retreat, they move and grind up immense quantities of roclc,thus
spreading gravel and rock dust over much of lhe Lcmperate zones.
This process, along with the winds that help distribute lhis rock
dust even further, gradually l'Cllllneralizes the soil· which feeds the
planis and forests, promoting rapid and healthy growth • during
which lime the plants breathe in much of the excess C02 in the
atmosphere • wh.ich gradually stops the greenhouse effect! The
plants of the world breathe in C0 2, use the carbon, and release the
o>cygen back into the air whlch we, and all other animals, breathe!
SprLnq, 1989
Thus, n primary function of glaciation i~ to ttminerali1.e and
help reforest the Eanh. The reason this video is called "S1oppfng
the Coming Ice Age" is that Hamaker thinks we humans can indeed must. if we wanr our cwilization to survive • reminemlizc
the Earth oursefres. We ourselves can fulfill the vital rolt pluyed
by an ice age, rendering ~uch a geological event obsolete.
This means, however. that the government~ and peoples of
nil countric:; and regions would need to make it a top priority to
remineralize our depleted ~ils, and also to engage in massive
reforcs1ation projec1s, planting billions of trees worldwide.
Without hc:aJthy forests, we have no chance at all of slowing the
ttemendous C02 buildup which fuels the greenhouse effect. As the
video pu1s it." The trees of the world are our best friends now. and
only they can save us". Obviously, then, we also need 10 i;iop
clear-cutting our foresis. both here and in the tropics, and to limit
our fossil fuel burning, wh.ich has been accelerating the greenhouse
process. Only by doing all these things, says Hamaker, can "e
avoid horrific consequences for humani1y in the very near foture.
The audacity of this theory and lhis proposal lies in its utter
simplicity and common-sense quality. Yet many people may not
heed H.ama.ker's message and information because we have become
so enamored of "high- tech" solutions and shon-tenn planning,
gratification, and profit. Hamaker's plan demands a clear
understanding of our planetary dilemma. and a deep comminnent t0
creating a viable future, as well as some sacrifice or comfon and
convenience. The video concludes with these questions: "Have we
got the guts to do it? How much do we really want to be here?"
Whether or not Hamaker's proposal is ever implemented on
a large scale, we can all do things individually and collectively to
help educate people and help heal the planet. The video pointS out
1hat even if these theories aren't totally "provable", or even
completdy accurate, we should X1ill do the things Lhat Hamaker
suggests, for 1he sake of ecological balance, conservation, and
planetary sanity.
rn addition to the ideas discussed in this review, this video
explores JDl!.W! other aspects of our ecological and social dilemmas •
many more than can be dealt with here. There is so much vital
information presented, within such a comprehensive framework,
that this video ranks as a definite "must see'· for anyone at all
concerned about environmental issues and social change.
• "Stopping The Coming Ice Age" is available for $20 from:
lnstitue for a Future, 2000 Cenfer St. Berkeley, CA 94704. For
info on other offerings of the lnstirutc call 1·800-441-77Cll
• To arrange a showing or this video in the Asheville area, or for
more information, call Richard Lowenthal ar(704) 251-2526. ~
LOCAL RESOURCE I ACTION INFORMATION
• The December t988 issue or "American ForeSIS" m;igirant (published by
the American Forcsuy Association) 11 cle110~ almo~1 ent.Ucl)' IO tropical
defore.suuion, lhc gJCCnhou.sc effll(:I, and lhc prc.~ng n~ to ref~ the e:inb.
II highlights the AlSOCiotion's nx:ently-formcd Olobal Ro-Leaf prognun, which
aims to cducaLC Americans aboul Ille vil,DJ 1mpc:111.a11CO of rcfottsuulon. lllld to
"cl'Cl!IC a new ruulon31 nctwort. (If c1ti~n aetiv1su· whU:h will, 11 i• hoped,
plant at l~t 100,000.000 ll'Ce.$ nntiOCl·wiclc over the ne~1 sc~eral ycatt. For
more informalion, wriie to: Amcriciln Forestry Association, PO Box 2000,
Washinguin, DC 20013
(202) 667-3300
· WNC Alliance "Cut l.M ~Jng" c.imJiaign (st.o pege22 ! :
P.O. Box 18087, A&be\'IUC. NC 28814
(704)2$8-8737
• Forest Voices - •an /;jormatlon netW'Ofk lhat assi.sls citiz.cm m pal'_llcipating
in
1hc planning and managcmcmt or the Pisg:ih and Nant.ahala .h'!uional
(919j.182-36'33
Fol'CSIS"· P.0 Box 1275. West. lcffttiOn. NC 28694
• Adopl a Tree· a muhi-faceted ~on which "works 10 make the vital
connection between (IC(ll>lc 111d ttee•' and wcrts &c!;tly will\ rtfon:St3tion:
P.O. Box 144, Supr Gnwc. NC 28679
• The Fctwwy 1989 publ~ "Mounuun ~Al Risk! the FulllTC of
the Southern Appalachlari National ~13" )160+ pages, intludina 1ru1ny
cxccllentchart$ and appendices). Available on rcqucst from:
The Wilderness Society. 1819 Peaclusee Rood N.E. (Suite 714) Atlanlll , OA
30309
Drawing by rob mcJSlc:k
(404) 3SS-178l.
�What a wondetful journal! - a beanening combination of slwp-eycd
icalism and full hearted poetry. I feel rve encountered a true compt111ion.
Thanks IO D3ve Albert who passed iL on with your review of my book.
J0311na Macy
Bctb:ley, CA
DRUMMING
LETIERS TO KATUAH
Friends in Kallia.h -
"In the field or opponuni1y, it's plowing lime again.·
Those or you working in the cnwonmenllll. public henlth, resource
ma.nagcment fields may be questioning (tllllhority?). 1f your profe.~slOllal
orienllllion is on the same path as your human development and land~lhie
perogntivc.
My Friends at Katliah Journal·
Your publication is beautiful and 111Spirlng. I n:c:eived a
complimentary copy {Auwmn, 1988) conceming the great chcsmul n:vival.
and enjoyed lhe entire journal.
I visil I.be Kaul.ah bioregion each year (feeling very Sll'Ongly lhat I
was and am "born" lheic.) I am so cooccmcd about lhe negative human
impact on this n:gion, and would be in~ed in anylh1ng I could do for
l'CSIOnllion. rd<Xallll.ion. pl'CllCCUon, eu:..
Blessings.
Nancy Llgnitt
Olalhe, KS
P. S. • Forgive my ignorance-.could you please lei me lmow the
correct pronunciation of "Kanlah1"
(Sure! Probably o lot of otltu ~pie have b4ie11 woNlerilog, IOO. bul
Soy, "lea - TOO • ah.•
jiut did11'1 d/Jre IO osk. Reody, fl/JW?
Guruu!Mil!
• eds.)
Dear Kat.Udl •
Many friends or mine propose pcrfeclioo (In lhe ronn or intcrpCtS0031
peace) as a .solution 10 Ille llul:aL or wincllOCl. I tell them, "Hey, I don't
think we've got Ume.• l think I saw the snmc thing happening In Katli.ah
JourMl 22 bul in an opposilC way. Thete the dhugence of individual,
corpome. and govtmmcntal behavior from the ideal was plCSClllCd so
forcdully as tO make any suggesuon of solutions ou1 or place. i wnnl tO
argue lh41 in both lhcsc in.~ ideals malfunction when they an: mnde
JWOX}mn1e goals rather !ban guiding beacons.
One p;ndox of idealism is lhlli lhe greai.cr the con1ras1 bdWllCll lhc
IC.Ill and ldCal behavior of people, the more wfficuh it Is to argue lhal Ille
JdcaJ is naturul (to them). the mon: claboralC mast be the explanation as to
how they got so aberrant. and lhe tw rusonablc it IS to hope Ibey will Ulkc
the 1113Jly.111lUly steps from one to lhe other. Usually the conimst is sortened
:wt hope ~by thc stnuch or cenlUries, millenia or aeons presumed 10
inluvcne between ~ and ideal But in the presclll crises the conuast and
~are ui=ased. Wh'fl
Wlw I see happcnmg 11 thal lhe apocolyplic p0!>'iibili1y of our
cnviroomcn141 and mililllrist trues is malung people shnnk the middle
ground bctwcoo rc:il and ideal, mlllung them tlunk the ldeol m1m be nuained
right away, u we are to survive. The resuh Is that the I~ ome lhctl) is left
for clunge. the mocc of 11 is demanded. We use ideals to get at wlufs trul)'
wrong bul then in a cnsis rrusiake lhcm Lo be a pracllcal progTI1111 for se1ung
thmgsright.
In conuas1. thc closer we appro:ich disaster 1he mote focused should
be our analysis, the less suidcnt OU/ Judgcmcnl.s, the more specafte and
llmillld our prcscripuons. Out ideals C:tll still gwdc 11$ bu! from a dl$UIJIOC.
subonlloate to a goal of swvival as a ~ics w11l1 a 5uswnable OIOde or
exislcnc:c. Once that is a,s_'>ll'Cd weC1111 resume lhc ncYCJ endulg wOlt or
moving oursclvt$ and the world IOW8td the 1dc;al
Respectfully yours.
JlcltOwley
M:idison County, NC
I would like to begin gcncmting plans fora small compt111y of
icsponsiblc people co promote land S?ewardsbip lllld conscrvlltion of natural
resources. We11 provide professi01131 and 1.CChnico.I consulUttion and CSU!blish
bioregi.oJllll criteria for environmerually sensitive site devclopmcnl
silviculturc, archiiecturc. fanning. wau:r use. nnd small Cl\C.f&Y production.
rm intcreSICd in communicating with others who an: ready with ide:is
for lll!lking ~ TRANSmON to perpetual livelihood in a Clll'CCr lh;t1 will
reward our f11111ilies as well as our PLANET.
Sincetely.
Steve Ovcndcn
Box;JS
Pntmcuo. Ft. 34220
Dear Katllah Friends ·
I saw the "Sheller" issue of your journal and especially love and use
the Invocation (to WlnlU) - k's so beautiful to say. l was CMCCived and born
8lld also love those moun1auJS and tree$ tllld fresh air and flowing creeks.
1banlc you so much- .. the issue I saw wns bcauuful. iruly.
Blessings,
JUlllUI Forest
Octr0it. Ml
Docs my dog bite1
Lady. Lhat dog's so old
lllat he'd only gum you
If he caught you
if he even hnd the gumption
toehaseyou
which he don'L
Why do I keep him?
Hah!
Lady, that'~ the best watehdog
ICYCJhad
bar none.
How do yau mean?
Why, he don't chnsc chldtcn•
or run hvestoek
or keep me awake
barking all night.
Burgl:!n7
Lady, 1fyou see
anylhing around here worlh r.i.cahng
point ltOUI
and l'll nulc:e )'OU
a 11!31 good price on 1L
'Ccpl mlybe my dog.
• RonJohnson
Spn."9, 11109
�:
..
equal "p:lttllCrSlup" with all Olher living entities. I dream of a world whcie
long-sllllldmg cu1Lu!'111 tr3d11ions are honored and s upponcd, bolh in
hCICIOgcncous groupings of oil kinds of people living 1.ogcthcr and in more
isolntcd, sell-conlllined indigenous communities.
h 1s being said · and even channeled · lhal we are entering o pcnod
of 30 to 50 years of ca1BClysmic changes on the eanh. Some beings will
pass on in this ume of purging, while othetS will come in to !like iheir
place. Some or us wiU sUllld in the forefront of change and IJUllsmut.ation
while others of us wiU follow close behind. Let us begin then LO create the
v1s1ons that will ullimaiely provide the blueprints for our future on !his
planci., and begin to eultiva1e the liUlc poclu:IS oC mmly and wholeness Lhal
will evemually be the models from wrueh the rest of humanity cnn draw
msp1r.11ion and duectioo. The time has come_ dear comrades, lei us dream
...
together·
Jay Joyce
Asheville. NC
·.
Dear Friends·
c.ome. dream 11 liuJe dream with me.
As we all sil~ inexornbly tnLO thc not-so-nif1y nmcties. its becoming
clearer nnd c:ltlim dial life as we trow it mLISI be draWcally altered if we ait
to reverse the lides or ecologic:il desuuction gaihcring fon:e nround the globe.
h is clearly ume for us iocn:aie new visions for the rurure. lO look iownrd
the 2 lst centW')' with a sense of hope and purpOSe and direction, and OOl just
foreboding. And it i.~ in this spirit that I'd like to offer a few personal images
far a new bcguming, an altcmru.ive futun: - and LO invite compatriots
everywhere to color in these prclimm111Y skcu:hes fwther.
Farst of all, I sec a plllce where boclc:ynrd fences have been lOOI down,
and neighborhood gmdens, quiet ~cs, play SUUCUUCS. and gathering pl:ices
sprawl acro&s the land insicad. Theo l see community ocntcJS blossoming
:i.mong the dctri~ of ab:lndoncd school buildmgs nnd agmg warchow.es,
where recycling proJCCU, compost dumps, and communru gardens repklce
blllciclOp parking lots; and where weekend Ilea mnrkel.nnd bloclt panics.
moon celebrotions, and ecology fairs fill those huge l<>nely spaces. where
computer nctwolks and refemil scrvtCCS and gallery car~ keep people in touch
Greetings Brochers and Sisu:ss of Ka111ah •
r love you all and pray with you always, and alwoys my heart is so
full wbeo I receive my copy of Ka1Uah JourMl. ll takes me back to the
Appalachians and the memories flood m.
r thought tha1 if your magazine came OUI be fan: Lbc equinox, you
could pnn1 something from • Aoccwoo,• the Maori name f<W" New Zealo.nd.
since ii seems 1hc chcslnut arucles (KOJiiah Journol #21 · ed.) cre:it.ed some
communicauon.
We rue organizing o gaihering on a friend's propeny 111 lhe end of o
rood in a Nal.iOlllll Par1t, one or the mos1 beautiful places m lhe world. This
is the only gruhcring this year as our annual "Towards 2000"
workshop-oriented gathcrin~ wcrcn'1 held this yu.T. The annual nonh island
"Tc WaiOU3" glllhcring hosn't happened foe lhc l3Sl two yClll'S or our "Hui
Waiata." which is a musical glllhcring.
Although there arc loL\ of open-minded folk and mony good things
bnppcning here. we are going through a phase of fcwct gnthcrings ond feel the
need for folk t0 gel tQgct.hcr to share their ideas and views and feel strong in
their commitment to healing lhe Earth along with other brother! and !isters.
Hopefully, our pthcring will provide llus opponuru ty, as it's mo
progre$$ive area wilh communities. ocgaruc forms. and iCs a long way rrom
any ctties or polllllion. so a lOt of naturul beauty along wilh a good growing
climiue which has aurnc1ed 1'11311Y ovcneas follt. so we have an opponuouy to
share Lbcir visions, as ITIOSl of them come from a vccy comamintued Northern
Ht.maspbcrc.
As USUllJ, alu:malive folk find 1t hard to deal with local authorities,
but this is one of the few areas where people can make the effort ID be pin of
local dc:cislon·makmg and help make folk fll01C aware of what is hnppcrung
to our Mother and the roles W$ can play IO bcal Her and OUl1iClves.
with each other.
t look forward also LO a time when we all learn LO lhink about each
thing we "tlvow away" long enough to decule how u can be recycled or
properly disposed of. I imagine a place· ll Smithsonian of the mind. if you
will • whc:re a few old TV's, microwaves, electric am-openers. wa1apiks,
air-purifiers, etc. are kept in a museum lO remind us of whal we almost
buried ourselves in . .• while the rest oC them ~ no longer nccdcd or
wanted. I dlcll!n or a time when we no longer use tars, and freeways a.re no
longer necessary eitcept roe skalcboordulg, sledding, skhng, bicycling, and
wllldsurfing. I envision a scienlifx: communny thal seeks ou1 ways to gel
rid or the nukes, cleanly, lO biodegradc the phlsuc. 10 trunsfOJ111 ihe 10X1e
chemicals, IO clean up thc :ur and w.ucr, to cure the diseases, and IO develop
stmplincd, life-nunuring ways Cot all ihe criUCIS still 3.m0f18 us LO reinhabil
the pbneL
I look forwllr<l to a lime when children learn IO love leaming, when
they arc iniegmtcd into ihe life of their communities and when !hey Ill'!:
openly adcoowlcdged and supponcd ror the grC&l comnbutions they mlllcc to
our lives. 1 imagine a ume when people enj()y learning a> much ttbout lheir
loctll ccosySlCITI as they now blow about the plol developments of the lalCSI
soap opelilS and lhe lifcstyles or lhc rich and famous. I envision a time: when
bUIDQll betn.gs 1cam LO QCCepl I.be Cllc:1 lha1 !hey tnhab11 one small niche m the
pta& an:le of the eanh's ccosysicm end therefore leam IO uucmct m loving,
Drllwmp by Sheli Lodge
Love,
Pc1ctOay
16 Jarrow Plac;c
Christchurch 3 New 7.ea1ruld
�Earliest February I begin
searching along a neighbor's hedgerow
for just a tendril of the coming miracle.
Or gatlog as one stricken upon the si Us of morning
when the fir'lt dreamy memories of daffodils return.
l breathe a wisp of a vast movement stirring and alluring me.
Deep in e veins of southern sloping woods.
I know beside the coldest laughing waters
bubbling and glittering in the soft. buucry sun
some rich, mysterious. fragile awakenings unfold.
Long before the geese come winding surely homeward,
I discover and behold an anicle of r.ransfonnation
that by narure disregards mere joy or faith or sorrow,
to which uncr defeat or sheer victory remain the same.
So even in this old hean of winter full of woes.
the barrer1 season ofdui.t and frost is washed clean away.
And this, I suppose. is why l wander seeking ccnitudc.
ruming a 11one over by the path, or gazing above treetops.
or gliding clflike lhfouJh the forest's solemn ~lonnadtli.
for in this ~un-goW rime as the eaith starts siirring,
c:ven the ~' n dcith of my brother is cased and gree
the
ve, delicaie, relentless mari:h of Spring.
Alt. 1i\U..
~ '""
1'4Wah )ournal p«UJe 28
- Mitliattl Hockaday.
Sp rlfMJ, l 989
�Planet Art
conunucd rrom page 1
Christina then found Leigh Hollowell who had srudied Contact
extensively on the West Coast and who was also very interested
in seeing Contact happen in this area. Leigh enthusinstically
agreed to co-teach a ContAct class with Christina. They knew
that if they wanted to have people to do Contact with, they would
have to help create a Contact community first.
Leigh love:; Contact because "it's natural - it'~ not based on
socialized preceptS but on an open exchange with other people in
the reality of the present moment." She is aware that for many
people dance classes and physical education have been
emotionally painful and repressive, because they were not
encouraged to learn their own natural movement but to imitate
others. Her main goal is "to provide a positive movement
experience for people so they can become friends with their
bodies and learn to perceive it as a resource of creativity."
I asked her how she felt that Contact would affect the
larger community, and she said. "Because it is not based on any
one culture's movement and is a form naruraJ to all human
bodies, it is an effective way to trunscend barriers between
people..• it would simply create a more trusting, and therefore
more peaceful, community."
l have been panicipating in this dance class since
November and have been able to experience it "first hand". ln
Contact dance, we maintain a ''point of contact" with another
person, and it constantly shifts as both move. When we try to
control where the movement goes with our minds, it becomes
stiff and awkward. When we stop trying to control and simply
focus on the point of contact, that point guides us in a flowing
way towards movements that are easy and spontaneous. Our
minds are shocked at how well we can do without their control.
Imagine a society in which we allowed our interactions to come
from our point of connection instead of our differences!
For more information about Contact Improvisation, call
Leigh Hollowell at (704) 252-4475.
Art here in Karuah has begun to reflect the reality of our
connection wilh the planet.... making art-all fonns of creative
expression and ritual-a pan of our daily lives. By
acknowledging the sacredness of our co-existence with the rest of
~Water Systems
WATER PURIFICATION EQUIPMENT
SOLAR PRODUCTS
Membar NC Water O~lty AasoclaOon
RANDALL C. LANIER
704-293-5912
HWY 107
RT 68 BOX 125
CULLOWHEE, NC 28723
che universe, we are beginning 10 harmonize with it
Many of us, though, have closed off our energies to the
vision of a hnrmonit.ed planet because it seems so elusive and far
away, and we don't like feeling disappointed. Others have
refused to sec and accept the truth of the planet as it is because il
is painful .. and think that if they "shut their eyes it will go away.•
The tnJth 1s that the sooner we open our eyes and accept what is
there, the more effectively we will be able to deal with iL
In a book called The Path of Ltas1 Resistance, a simple
and effective method for manifesting a choice is given. This
method can apply lO planetary as well 3S personal mmsfonnation.
lt is lO constantly hold in our minds two things ... exactly what
our vision is and the full truth of our current reality. It is based
on the idea that "in order 10 ge1 where you want to go, you need
to know where you are."
Since we are all planet anisrs, this technique needs to be
widely understood. As we hold our vision firmly in mind and
continue to acknowledge what's happening now, new nod
unexpected ways of achieving our goals will come to us. Jn order
10 do this, we need co be aware of the deep, undercurrent
regenerative processes that exist around and within us that we can
tap into. As more and more of us choose to love and accept our
planet and all her inhabitanlS no matter what is happening, the
easier it will be.
A lot is happening in our region, and J'm sure there are
many more people here with ideas and enthusiasm to contribute
towards a biorcgional program of Planet An. Some suggestions
arc... a traveling multi-media show that would tour the region to
network and share bioregional idens...communicy rituals for
healing the la.ad... restoring our environment with "Clean-Up
An" events... synchronizing with planetary peace and art events
... All Species Day with parades and festivals ...Joining in the
preparations for Earth Day '90. There is no linu1 to what we can
dol...there is no shonage of things to rcharmonizel
It's time to find out who we all are as anists and get our
networks in place. At the next K.atuah Gathering we can come
together and bntinstonn. t can be contacted by wrirtng P.O. Boll:
278, Asheville, North Carolina, KatUah Province 28802 or _,,
~
calling (704) 253-4831.
~
DE.S IGNS
by Rob Messick
Illustration & Design
In Pen & Ink and COiored Pencil
Po eox 2eoi • Boone Nt. 28W7 • 171l41r...i 1>0117
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THE ALTERNATIVE HEALING HOT-LINE
l -800-544-4980
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"ATIONAL DIRECTORY OF HOLISTIC
PRACTmOSERS. HEALt::RS, SCHOOL<;,
CENTERS & RETREATS
l'bollt' I~ HOT-UN£ fo Rr>d Cltli how yo1it pr•cti«,
s.chool, ~&Jina anter or tt1"'111 nn be Usitd in the
N•tloMI Oirttto •
Sprl.fMJ, 1989
.u
Jler/Jg11J111 eti1tit
'lljaee, 'Ry~r 'Na@r~
FREE COLOR CATALOG
e1ti1te1t At11p1Utct11re
Drt~PillOW'I
Appliqu&I &: Painted Deslgns
Fur R/J1111I, ThtalT~, & S11f-&mpow1rmtt11
Send S 2 ror fuU-<:olor caulog/ Custom onlcrs llYlilablc
t>en l.se New&oTJI.
P.O. Box 178, Asheville, NC 28801
(70-4) 25).431
�POPLAR APPEAL
Green City
conunucd rrom p.9
cooler in the summer. and it wai. quieter - if you knock on steel and
then knock on a soybean, you unders1and the sort of deadening
chMIClerislics on the inside of lhat car.
The dreams of Henry Ford and the rest of the chemurgy
movement were postponed. but they seem to be resurfacing again.
Russell Buchanan. a scientist in Maryland, envisions the rise of
botano-chemical complexes, as he calls them, rather than
pcrro-chemical complcitcs, as we learn to eittract from cellulose the
same things that we extract from pcuoch~micals. One ts a
hydrocarbon; the other is a carbohydrate. Compare these words and
they're basically the same. One of the differences. however, between
a botano·chcmical complex and a pcrro-<:hemical complex is that it's
easy 10 transport oil over long distances, whereas it's not easy to
transport plant mauer over long distances. So botnno·chemical
complexes will tend to be locally based and rurally based near their
sources of raw material~ and supplies.
Local self-reliance can become an economic developmem
strntegy, and cities ate the best place to try it out, for several J'C3.'\0llS.
Mose of us live in cities. Cities tend to be large enough 10 have an
internal market, and can in fact become laboratories. Cities are
concentrations of science and technology. They have the ingeouil\',
the expertise and the machine toolshops to build prototypes and try
them out. Bur what is your nearest city's research and development
budget? h's probably zero.
The local self-reliance scenario is not inevil3ble nor is it even
probable. It depends on political decisions. Economic development
must be seen as a means to an end and not an end in itself. Alben
Einstein once said that perfection of means and confusion or cods
characterize our age. We're so mesmerized by technology and
development that we forget to ask, "Technology for what?" and
"Development for whom?" We have become consumers of change,
bul we don't know the difference between change and ,erogress. To
Bertrand Russell progiess is ethical and change ls scientific; change is
inevitable, while progress is problematic. In other words. progress is
valw:·laden and as we change, we need to ask ourselves, "Will we
progress?" We can have a green city within a brown world by
moving all or our production and disposal systems for away from our
city. But 10 truly embrace the ecological motivation behind a green
city, we must ~ome responsible for the wastes that are generated
for our convemence. And the only way to do that is 10 begin 10 return
that loop of production, use and disposal, b.'ICk to the community.
Marcel Proust once said that the voyage of discovery consists
nm In seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes. It is in seeing
O!Jf communities and our citi~s with new eyes, in pursuing a globe of
Vlllag~s and not a global village, that we begin to create a new
paradigm.
@ lnsli1utc for Local Sclf·Rcli:incc. 2425 Ulm Sucet, t<W WllSbinguin. DC
2000!>. Also w1lh pcnnission fl'Ofll Raise IM Stt1lls. Planet Drum Foun<bLinn,
P.O. Box 31251, San fran(isco, CA 94131. This anlclc appc:arcd 1n Winter 19118
issue.
M.El>1.CtNE ALLtES
'J-SK1.1t'J
tQllUnued from page 11
h wru; always a rare
oy~rer mushrooms - that is.
und special occasion when I found
until I su1J1cd roaming the hills with
my older mounuineer buddy Theron. Theron was rai~ed
gathering roots and herbs at his grandmother's knee, and he
knows the woods well, but he had ulw11ys been wisely hesitant
about sampling unidentified wild mushrooms •tllc first few times
in our wanderings when we found some oyster mushrooms.
Theron would help me gather them and he would carefully
examine them, but be always declined to share the harvest nnd
rnke some home to em. However. after heming me talk so much
about how good they were (and seeing that I was still thriving),
he finally tried some. He and his wife enjoyed them immensely,
and from then on it seemed that. with Theron's help, I was
hardly ever without oyster mushrooms.
From Theron I learned 10 visit areas 1ha1 had been logged a
few years previosly and look on tulip poplar stumps after a spell
of rainy weather. In the$C Meas we could find man)' pounds of
the savory mushrooms in any season of the year. We often found
enough to dry and store for times when the fresh ones were
scarce.
When Theron and I sn down together and share a meal of
oyster mushrooms and other wild edibles, I think about what a
strongc pair we make: me, a naturalist from the Oat land with a
university education, and him, a tradjtional mountain wood~man
and fanncr who barely finished eighth grade. Yet we both realize
that if we hadn't met and been open and receptive 10 each other's
knowledge. neither of us would be earing this delicious wild
mushroom supper. Traditional knowledge and book learning can
go well together.
©1989 by the tlJ.Uhor.
Reprl111edfrom Wildlife in North Carolina Magazine.
"Ranger Doug" EUiolt, as he is known to rite cltildren i11 the
group, is an excellent naJuralist, but is also known as a lively~
storyteller and ''a real nice feller."
p
A Directory to
North Carolina's Natural Areas
(published by 1.he NC Natural Heritage Foundation)
As pan of its important work in rare and endangered
species identification and habitat preservation, the North Carolina
Natural Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization, has
compiled the guidebook, A Directory to North Caroli11a's Namral
Areas. The compact guidebook features dC!ieripcions of more than
100 natural areas open to the public in the state. The descriptions
of each aro:i include infonnntion about natural history, geology.
1111d uuvcl information.
To obtain copies of the book, send S5.00 10 the NC
Natural Heritage Foundation; Box I I 105; Raleigh, NC 27604
Each is tl1c suongcst power 1n iis own domain.
Together !hey lll'C allies: !heir C1111tgics complement each
01hcr m rorm an e\'et1 greater power. As medicine ollics,
they rcpre«ent 1he hc;Uing powers of lbC Appalnahian
In lhe tr.1d1uonal Cherokee Indian belief, lhe Moun1:11ns.
TI111 medicine powers of Kl!uiah Juve been depicted
crca!Ure\ in the world lOclay arc only d1minu11.ive forms or
the mythic beings who once mlUlbucd the world, but who in o ~1r1l.;ing T-shin design by Ibby Kcn11:t. Printed in
now fC$idc in Oal11na'IJ, lite 5pmt world. the highest 5-coloc silksi;irccn by Ridgerunncr Nnwr.ils on top qu:ility,
he;ivcn. BuL • few of the ongmal powcr~ broke lhrough !he all-couoo shin.~. 1hcy arc avallnble now in all adul1 shes
!!p1riLUAI barrier and exist yet m the world a~ we know il. from KALANU; Boit 282; SylYll, NC 28779.
These beings arc called with rcv.:rcncc "grandfalhas" And
or tl1cm. the suonges1 arc K.allilti, lhc ligh1mng. thc power
Pl~ specify ~ir.t: Sm .• Med., Lg.. X·Lg.
or the sky; utsa·nau, 1he r:mlcsn:tke, who pcrsoniries the
Prke: S9.SO pOStf131d
power of lhc cnnh pL'lllc: lllld Yunwi U!ldi, "I.he li1Llc !Mn".
W.98 pns1pa1d for NC re.-i!knts
as ginseng is called in I.he S!Crcd ceremonies. who draws up
JlOYo er from lhc underwocld.
"To .f/ww TU~l"lftx lhlS lll{lctflOllll'DI /Tinily of thl:
Miura/ world iJ 10 111 111111 bcc0t1v t111 ally tn thl: con1i11w11g
fll'OUS!. of niai111<Un111g harmony and bal1111Ct htrt 111 thl:
moll/IJJJJJU of Ka1Uah"
Spri.f19. 1969
�Emironmcntol Politics:
11Vlou.nttiln Ug'hl H!!:twork
Lessons from the Gras.'>routs.
Bob Hall. Editor
Mountam Light Network is an eclec1ic, 1n1entionally
group of people living in the Kaulah srea. Th<:
tntercsts of the group include 3 deep commilnlCnl to 1nd1vidu:il
llnd planct:u) peace. and to ecological hannony, with emphasis
on coopera1ion between human, animal, plant and mineral
kingdom~ . Other areas of interest include subtle energies,
h~::iling, and techniques for utilizing new forms of power. Many
w11hin t~c: g_oup n:lion::ite wi1h N?tive Indian philosophies and
r
;;eek to h~c in ~~c1ous balanl'c ~nh the land. The mu;ority are
involved in hohsuc heallh, explonng new paths now developing.
Some _ re invot:--ed in the Anciem Wisdom and spiritual
a
<li-•c1phnes. Survival and food 11toragc are also of interest to
many individuals
We meet 4 times a year at the Franklin Communitv Center
on Sundays. at 2:00 PM near the Sol"iccs and Equino11tes. There
iU'C tables for those who wish to 5ell products or promote ideas;
many books arc available a!; welt. We feature a speaker at each
meeting. We have a directory of names. skiUs and intrn-~1~ Our
aim is to provide a time and place for communication and
exchange of ideas to become neighbors in a loose-I.nit network
of people in our area.
Part1c1pauon in meetings is free and open to all people of
Like mind. This year our meetings an: on March 19, June 18.
September 17. and Dcccmbct 17, 1989. For more anform:uion,
call (404} 746-2454.
~structured
ln.'itltule for Soul hem Studies, P. 0. Bo>< SJl,
Durham. f\C 17702. 1988. ~7.00. 12? pgs.
Whal can you do when an our·of·slalc corporation
an_nounc~
plans for a hazardouli was1c rrearment facility a few
nulc:s from your home. or when stare officials ~ay 1hey wan1 to
pave 11 highway through your neighborhood? Where can you
mm for help if real esta1e developers wuh close ties 10 local
politicians decide to build a condominium or shopping center in a
sensitive water;hed are;i?
_
How much energy should you devote 10 door-to-door
organizing, or seeking auention from the media, or gelling
involved in elecrorul pohtics?
For rhe past three yc:.m;, lhe lns111u1e for Southern Studies
has conducted an investigation of environmental and land·u>e
controversies in one state, Nonh Carohna. rn a remarkable
number of cases. locnl citizens groups · even lhosc in relatively
!solatcd. rural areas • have won s1gnifican1 victories ag:unst
1mpress1ve odds. They h:ive beaten well-endowed corporations
and forced state policym:ikcu to change regulations, enforce
ex1snng standards, and enact new laws.
_Th~y have built ad hoc coalitions and enduring
orgamzauons, occas1onally across rucc lines, more often across
class and cultural divisions within the white community. And
they have moved from crisis-oriented, hit-and-miss organization
to sophisticated political lobbying and effective electoral activi~m.
The key ingredients of these successful citizen-led
camprugns are described in dwlll in the first chapter. The next 10
chapters chronicle the episodic. fragmented, yet growing
cnv1rorunental movcmenr in consc.rvwve North Carolirui. The
focus h less on the grim threats to life as we know it than on why
pe~p~e respond, whar they do to win, and how grassroots
acuv1s_m and electoral politics (including lobbying and voter
educanon) imersec.1 to produce i.nstitutionru change.
The result 1s a storybook of grassroots experiences. a
handbook that lets our own past teach us bow to wodc. for a bener
future. And while the location may be Nonh Carolina, the
common lessons running through these stOrics are plainly uc;cful
to people throughout the Soulh Md beyond.
- excerpted from tlie preface
,..0 &..ot4(;t" WA.) I " '
..nw i-c.t
t,_f
------
TPC.. two ~Kt H~O M&.L.01.0
AMO I loll', 1' C.111''1 HO!ISf..l
SprL119. t 989
JUST RECEIVED'
Mountain Treasures at Risk:
The Future of lhe
Soulh~rn
Appala&llian Nalional Fonsts
by Laura E. Jackson
The N:uional Forests of the Southern App11lachian
Mountains are the last remaining habitar area available for many
species of pl3Ilts and wildlife. The book Mountain Treasuru ot
Risk says that these valuable habitat areas should be managed
from a regional viewpoint and offers valuable infonnation tQward
rcaliting n new vision for forest management which emphasizes
the values of life suppon and ~gional biodiversity.
Handsomely bound, profusely documented with photos,
tables, and charts.
Copies free on requ~t from The Wilderness Society; 1819
Peachm:c Rd NE (Suite 714); Atlanta, GA 30309.
... Katuah Journal is not just lull of Information. It is
also full of images, and we appeal to all visual artists
interested in ennching lhe pages of this journal, plus some
exposure for you, to send us copies of your work Many
times we need graphic images that are specific 10 a given
article, yet there Is often space to put Images that are not
specific You would be surprised the kinds of
synchronicities that can happen when you send wori< in•
Drawings in Ink. prints, photographs, borders, symbols.
and cartoons that you think have some relevance to the
journal are all welcome Don't be shy. we need your talent
and image·ination to help visual-eyes a clearer relation
with Katuah ...
�evencs
2-8
BRASSTOWN, NC
Spring Music and Dance Week. Music.
StOries, dance, nature. John C. Campbell Folk School
28906.
8
BLOWING ROCK, NC
Ocan-up of the Glen Burnie Falls Trail .
Blue Ridge Group. Sletra Club. Call (704) 264-3931.
MARCH
8·9
HIGHLANDS, NC
Chiefs from the Native American
Elders Circle meet at the Mountain to discuss
Ecology and An. ''TIJU care how you place your
17-19
moccasins upon tM Eanh,step with care,for the
faces oftM I unve generarions are looking up from
Earth waiting their turn for life." $137. The
FARNER, TN
Leam "Wild Foods and Earth Medicines" with
Snow Bear at Pcppcrland Farm Camp: Sw Route: Farner,
37333. (70<!) 494-2353.
™
IJ.16
GATUNBURG, TN
Womyn·s Weekend Rctn:at: Spccilll Gu=
Grey Cal, Lucinda F1odin. Write 10 P.O. Box 936:
Gatlinburg. TN 37738 for more info.
Mountain; 841 Highway 106: Highlands, NC
28741 (704) 526- 5838.
NEW MARKET, TN
sn> (Stop the Poisoning!) School a1 the
Hishlander CcnlCf. Learn bow to figllt 1nduslrinl pollution
For more info, call (615) 933-3443.
30
UNICOI, GA
"Spring Earth Skills Workshop''
with Snow Bear, Darry Wood, Doug Elliott, and
Yanna. Leaming the ways of the woods. $65.
Comact Bob Slack at (404) 878-2201.
31·1
HENDEltSONVILLF., NC
Workshop on Local and Regional Land
Trusis. Kanug.a Episcopal Center. For more info call
(704) 692-9136.
WAYNESVILLE, NC
Kanna m Daily Life-A Spiritual Rctrcal,
with John Algeo. Stil·Light Tbcosopbieal RCllC41 Cent.er,
Rt I, BOA 326: Wayncsy1lle, NC 28786 (70<!) 452-4569.
Neighborh ood" confcronce sponsored by Asheville
League of Women Votcts. Time and place TBA. Call (704)
258-8223.
ASHEVILLE. NC
A six-we.:k course. "Finding Your Path
with HC3rt", begins a.t the Spiritual Growth Foundation.
(sce4/l). The focus will be on finding our "lruC vmce• and
expressing Lhc lifc-affinmng energy of l1W" Heart's desire.
17·18
ASHEV l LLE, NC
Red Foll/Second ll.311gin', play prcscnltd by
I.be Roadside ThcatTC. S)l3rU'lnburg. SC. For ume and
location. call (606} 633-0108.
nLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
Robm Williamson. •a wl1.lltd of words and
music:.· "'I h~ hunter ond the hu11ted howl 011e howl.•
McDibbs'; S6 tdYanc~ door. 8pm, 119 Cherry Si.,
Black Mtn., NC 28711: (704)669-2456.
ASREVlLLE, NC
" Betw"n a Rock and a Hard Place:
Westtrn
No r th
Carolina's
Noclur
17
14-16
21-23
IS
ASHEVCLLE, NC
"Cut lhe Clearcutting!" says
WNCA. From 1t am. Music, dancing, speakers.
City/County Plaza, Asheville. Write Western
North Carolina Alli:lncc; Box 18087; Asheville,
NC 28814, orcall 258-8737
15
ASHEVILLE, NC
The Enrth First! Road Show wilh
Roger Featherstone and Susan Grace Stoltz,
audio·visuals, news on EF! issues and actions.
Lipinsky Auditorium, UNCA. 7:30 p.m.
Students $1. General admission $3. For more
info, call (704) 251-6144.
18
31·2
APRD..
1·30
CHEROKEE, NC
William Holland Thomas.
"little
ASlll-:VlLLE, NC
Hum.an Potential Education Foundation
Spring 1989 Conference, "Healers and the Healing
Proces:~." For regiwation and brochure conw:c Human
Poumlial Educlllion Foundation, Inc.: R1. s. 89 Tt1nyrud
Rd.: Greenville. SC 29609.
white
chicr or lhe ChclOkec. cxhibiL OicroJcoe H~14Sc MUNCwn
and GaJlcsy.
I&8
28-30
ASHEVILLE, NC
'Commumcation and Healing." a lWO·Jllll
28-30
NEW MARKF.1', TN
STP (Stop I.he Poisoning!) School Bl the
Highlander Ccntcr. Learn how to fight tndu.suial pollution.
~3/21-23.
wotlcshop focusing on inner commumon and outer
communicauon as Yilal tools for bcaling ourselves Md our
rclalionsh1ps.
10-Spm each day.
Led by Richard
l.owenlhBI. M. A. Spiritual Growth Foundation: 891
Haywood .Rd. (704) 252-3508.
2-5
PISGAH FOREST, NC
Rockclimbing clinic for beginners
Tedmiques, safely, gear. S28S. Eagle's Nest Camp; 43 Hart
Road: Pisgah °Fon:.'ll: NC 28768. (704) 877-4349.
X.~.Jo~
pgqe 52 ·
29-31
FARNER, TN
KATUAH SPRING GATHERTNO.
Come celebrate. dance, play, meet. and talk with
the family from all over the region (see
announcement next page).
mustratlons by Jackie Taylor-
�JUNE
29
MOUNT AIRY, NC
18th
Annual Ml. Airy Fiddler~
Convention. A weekend of lrod1tion:il Appal3chian Music.
Bring instruments. tenlS, food. Regiwruion SlO.
2-3
SWANNANOA, NC
Environmental Summit '89: Ethics,
Economics and the Environment. This 5th annual
summit will focus on environmental problems of
immediate interest in WNC. and on how
environmental and economic realities affect each
other. Keynote speaker: David Morris of the Inst.
for Local Self-Reliance. Warren Wilson College.
9am-4 pm. $5. For more info or to preregister call
(704) 298-3325, ext. 250.
9· 11
CLOUDLAND CANYON
Caving weekend w11h Snow Bear as
instruc1or and guide. Equipment provided. Call (704)
494-2353 for more info.
9-11
WAYNESVILLE, NC
"Mythology - The Modem Search for the
Holy Grail" with Joy Mills. Stil-L1ghL See 3/31-4/2.
MAY
llRASSTOWN, NC
June Homecoming Music/Dance Weck.
English counuy dancing wi1h Jim Morison. John C.
Campbell Folk School, 28906.
11·17
5-7
WAYNESVILLE, NC
"Music as Meditation" with Diana
Dunningh:un. S20/day. Sul-Light Center: See 3{31-4/2.
21-25
HIGHLANDS, NC
Nature Photography Workshop.
Prc.rcgisicr. Appalachian Environmental Ans Center. Sec
5/12-14.
6
LINVILLE, NC.
Grandfather Mountain Prorilc Trait
wildflower hilce. Blue Ridge Group, Sierra Club. Call (704)
2974098.
6-10
PISGAH FOREST, NC
Whi1ewa1cr Canoe Clinic for novices and
m1crmedia1es. $455. Sec 4/2-5.
12-14
lllGllLANDS, NC
Spring Landscape Retreat Photography
Workshop. Pre-regisicr: Appalachian Environmental Arts
Ccnicr; Drawer S1l0: Highlands. NC 2874 I (704) 526-4303.
19-21
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
The Black Mouniain Spring Festival.
Three days of traditional music and dnnce at Black
Mountain College/Camp Rockmont. Brave
Combo, The Horsenies, Grandmother, David
Wilcox, Phil and Gaye Johnson. For advance
tickets call Grey Eagle and friends, (704)
, 669-4546 from 2pm- IOpm.
o~ ~3. &q o.ncL 3o
o± -p e.p~et' la.rd.. ~ t()J\ft'l
7f.n
~
u.a -to
~~N.b..ooY
19·21
flfGllLANDS, NC
Wildflower Pho1ogruphy Workshop.
Pre-rcg1s1er. Appalachi$ Env1Tonmcnt.al Arts C..:nicr. Sec
qy'~
5/12-14.
u.ou.aL I~~
~ o..cliN~ a.r0.wo¥k shO(:.>s ~ o...d.uJtto
19-21
MILLBORO, VA
EARTH FlRST! Appabchian Rendezvous.
Talk, drum. s.we au things wild. For more info, write: Box
2(>6; Millboro. VA 2.4460 or call (703) 997-9448.
BRASSTOWN, NC
May Crafl/l)ance week. John C. Campbell
Folk School 28906.
27-29
WHITTIER, NC
Cclebralion on lhe land al Union Acres
Communuy. All friends of Kauiah welcome. For more
Info., ca11: Cynthia and Roy Gallinger, (704) 293-9230.
spil.NJ,
1989
µ~~.
~ u.;tl.L ~ -t:hL-
NEW MARKET, TN
STP (Siop the Poisoning!) School a1 lhe
Highlander Ccnier. Leum how IO figh1 indu.~trial poll111Jon.
Soc3nl-23.
19-21
21-27
().rd_
a.rd. ch.U.dA.t.n '
Pre-registration, by April 15: $15.00 adult
$10.00 child under 12
After April 15:
$17.00 adult
$12.00 child under 12
.For mon: infonnalion,
write: Snow Bear and Khallsa; Pepperland Farm Camp; Siar Route: Farner. TN 37333
or call: (704) 494-2353 or (704) 586-3146
�vfEBWO~
SEEKING TO JOIN OTHERS m a mlllllally -.upponivc
comml.INly. Singl.c mamn: womon. ll'lis1-1eac.htt can offer
skills: early childhood education. llU, earth llb111:, wri!Jnl
Wn1c Alwyn MosJ., 1007 Turner SL, Blacksburg, V/>
24060: ("10'3) SS2·6331
VAGABOND GUJBETR01TTNG Stale of tlw Art.
Revised Edition., by M.L. Endicoll. One of lhc moll
compRhensivc insuucticm manua!J ror <yro uavelcrt
SUS; Enchlridlon lntemational, Cullowhcc, NC 28723
ASCENSION Beg1111ttr's Mon.uJJ. a self-help boo1t for
auaining lhc touchable ruii1y of lhc ASCENDEO <taic.
usually lhou&ht to be bt!yood Raeh. By Theodore A
lluoody, Ir~ $13.SO pp; &lcctic: Pren, 205 Pigeon SI.
Waynesville. NC 28786.
WlNCS WAY bttbal products. For pnce list. wme: Box
1477; Old Fon. NC 2.876Z
EUSTACE CONWAY- Ou.ide and !Udler of (ll1lnit1ve
£arlh Skills wilh cmphasi.t on rue blll1dln,. hide tanning
she.Iler. and fongilla. He ILachti at public schools, parks
cnvimnmencal oont.en, .and cJuscs ol .all tinds. For tllOl'C
informllion coniact lum II' 602 Deerwood Drive,
Oastonii. NC 28084 or oall Allcln Sianlcy al (704)
872-7972
FUTONS by Simple Pte.uuru affordably priced. Send
SASE for Info io: Sunplc PICU\lrtJ: RL I. Box 1426
Clayton. GA 30S2.S (404) 782·3920.
APPAJ..ACHIAN GINSENG CO.• sua.tified seeds.
PEPPERLAND ofrcn a variety of ouldoor cdu.eation
po,grams for chl.Wdl, school. or cMc gn>Up& ycu· round.
Wo will help you ~pl a pogrom for your group. Send
for infonnwon J*1c.ct to: Pcppcrland Fum Camp; Sw
RoUlA!; Farner, TN 37333.
R£AllERS' REACTIONS AND INSIGHTS wanic.d
i.ganling lhc "consum«" culun we five in, and lhc idea of
"consumaism" u a lifestyle.. Plcue write to Richard
Lowenthal, 53 Greely St.. Asheville, NC 28806 (or call
seedlings. roots. Send for price li51 io: P.O. Box S47
Dillsboro, NC 28725.
M. TR& DESIGNS: UlllSIJlliom and Der;gn • Beyond lhc
p!l&CS of lhis journal, I work DI penal. colored ponril. ink. QI\
paper. md t.lik. F'mc and graphk an to cxircu and cnh...,.,
our livea. Logos, btochuru, boob. ponnl1ure, window and
wall h&ng~. Concct Manha Tree (704) 7S-4-«l97.
STit.·UGHTTHEOSOPHICAl..RETREATCENTER -a
qu1c1 spaeo for JlC'nOnal medilali<m, aniup inc.cractioo
lhrough study, and community .-011<. and spintual
smiinU$, Contact Leon Frankel; Rt. I. Box 326;
Wayncs•ilk. NC 28786
WANTED: LAND 111 WQt.cm NC. Famlly f«b Sor mon:
ICtCS. prd"crobly near Cullowhee. IO pr<S<TVC and evcnlll.ally
inhllbil. U}'OU have or kno..•of afford.&blc l111d, oonlll:t Bob
llld Miry Davis; 213 Wcrunorcland Cc., Ccorgetown. KY
40324 (502) 8634167.
MOON DANCE FARM HERBAl..S · herbal salvC$,
tinc1111cs. & oil• for b1nh111g a: family health. For
bcochure, pt.,,.e wrii.:: Moon Dance Farm; Re. I. Box
726; Harnpcon. TN 37658
FREE t..ABOR • I would like ID learn about beekeeping and
building New Ag< Housing Willing to wo1'k for free during
summer. All I ask b a pl- for my tcnl and .., occasional
muL Con11e1 ClvU Irwin; 1712 Whhc /we.; Knoxville:. TN
37916 (6lS) 673-0653.
BUCITT RESISTANT CHESUIUT ·hybrid
AmcricanlCluncS 0wman c:hcstnut treea • blight rcsisW\I
timl>C!r pc>wth form. productive orchard crop wilh luge.
sweet CQily·pcc\ed nuu. Cbutnut Hill l'luncry; RL I, Bo>.
34 l·K: Aadiua, FL 3261.S (904) 462·2820
ORGANTC FERTIUZERS. belts, and arganically-groMI.
local produce 11 the> WNC Pannen' Marked Look for the
FaiJglcn Fanns slllll. units F and 0 in lhc wholesale 1tU of'
lhc F.umcn' Matkrl; 570 BteVud Rd.; Asheville, NC ("104
252-4414
Trudeau Dr.; Mc.Wrc, LA 70003.
CENTEJl FOR AWA.KENlNC scck:ing 2 full-time, live.in
volunlccn w/ main1cnance and/or n11ural food prep
eitpericnce. RmManl. Wri1e; Human Services Allianoc
Bo• IS42; WinSIOn.Salcm. NC 27102 (919) 761-874S.
APPROPRIATE PASSIVE SOLAR des1111. blueprints
and full wor.king dnwings for homes, shopt. and sheds
Cr.,•llve dr1fling .....yow- ideas or ours. Harmony
Sunbuildets; P.O. Bo• 194; Suiv Grove. NC 28697
SONGS OF LOVE ANO NATURE by Ron Lambe
fcawring the voice of Hearuingcr wilh Slcphen Klein,
Pi&no. Lavaul<r Lieder Records; R1 I, Box I JS;
Bakcnvillc, NC 28705. (704) 6884791.
B~c I01J.r111!1 inlo o f«alm of Evolution.ary lodvt:llllD'e
by Pauick Clerk. A inu: -=ounl of a bicycle tnp from
NATURAL FOOD SlORF. for ulc in Brevard, NC.
E•ccllcnt IOCllion. $80,000 CJOS1 sales. Growlh poienti&I
Owncn n10ving. mus1 p•U ii on. Call IDiubcth (704)
293·9534 evcnin&J.
ORCANlC FOOD PRODUCING CO-OP
land.
aqwprncnl, apcrienced fannen provided for members The
Bioclomc Pannet~lup; Rt. 2. Sox 184; Waynesville.. NC
28786. (704) 926-935$.
ECO HELP NEEDED Long 8r111Ch Envlfonmcn1al
Education Ccrue:r D«dJ volwileetlN!ICnlS 10 help "'•lh
orchards, gardens, farmworl. rainbow 1tou1.
cmrgy-efficimc bllild1ng. cnvimnmmtal/wildlifc/pmn1·
cul11m issues and organizing. Room and boatd negntiable.
Paul Calllmoce; l.BF.EC; RL 2. Box 132; ~icc.icr, NC
28748
YOU CAN CO HOME AGAIN· A Down To &rth
JOURNEY INTO THE SLICK.ROCK Wildcmcu Atca
Boys. falhu-son. falher-daughter cxpcdttJoN. Learn
ob<•rvttion and woodcraft in lhe deep woods. Bun
~gay, upericnced guide Slicktock ElpeditionJ; Box
1214; Cullowhec. NC .28723.
AMRITA HERBAL PRODUCTS · Comfrey. EucalyplUS
Oii C.olclcn Seal salve. ~mon ar LA•cncler (ICIC ctam. Medo:
wilh natural and c=nlial oih and love. Send for brochure
Rt I. Box 737; Floyd, VA 24091.
HAND.CARVED WOODSPIRITS. ln)"ucal hiking ital~
FINDING OUR "PATH WITH HEART" c.QI be v11al t0
O\lt health Ind ~•lfoxprasion. I offer guidcl<:e lhrou&h
courueling, spimual 111uncmm1. ..1rolog1cal rcadings
WOJbhops, common·llCJUC ftedbt.ell. For more info or an
appoin1mcnl, call Richard Lowenthal , M.A . (704)
2Sl·2526. Sliding scale fcea.
ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY on bcauuful land~
Cbualccc, NC sr<king r1milirs domring gi:c11tt
c:oopenlicm and self·sufficlen<:y. Based on Jpiricual Ind
ocological valuea. Pcoperty now av11f1ble. Call (404)
77S.S7S4 for info.
Wuhinglon, D.C 10 Ille au1boc's native home of
Cullowbcc, NC. following muah of lhc Bluc Ridge
Parkway. Avai1oblc for $7.95 pose paid from Dandylion
Publicatio111. 47 Pmola. Sc., Ashcvillc NC 28801.
COMMUNION WITH NATifRA • Long proclauncd to be
cclcsual •tan &fOllllding their radiance on Mot.bcr !!viii
flowers ""' the rcvcl11ion of lhc plan!. Come •hllfe in
NATURA'$ sacred play. moyonunUJe facililJtin&. 3931
Hwy 80 S. Toe River, Bunuvillc. NC 28714 ("104}
6~-4806
CARDE.NERS arc ..-UJated t0 v11u our Parad~ Gardens
for insirucuon and inspirauon (!'reel and/or peicmial plan11
sale (cheap). Artisu .re 1nvncd IO c:omtt and c:ru1c 1n tile
gllda> • painUng. drawing. and phDioanplty arc cnMunged
We oho ba,·• • cabin avtJ.IAblc mcxcrumgc for warlcin& in
lhc ganlcn. Mount.m Gardens; 3020 White Oak Creek;
Bunuvillc, NC 28714 (704) 67S·S664.
and wall hAAgmp by SICVc Dunc111 For broch1... plcuc
write Whippoorwill Swctio; llt 4, ~ 981; Manon. NC
28752.
MEDITATION CUSHIONS Crom Carolina M<>mUll
Do.signs. Troditionll ancl mllwblo 1.afus For free bnx:hurc
wrii.e; RL I. Boa 31·8: Hot Spnng1, NC 237<13.
HANDMADE RATTI..ES fot the 'JMlual warrnor or hcal~r
made wilh maic.rial• provadcd by !he animal ltin1dom.
<;:oncact: Jc._ HltnS Bathrict.-; SW Cm.notill AttifilC~
1307 lvcnon St.: Allmta. GA (404) 588-0296
•
INDIAN VAUEY RETREAT· 140 acrci in Blue Ridge
mountains wilh faeilitiea available to rent far group1 or
individual ll!lra!S. dlha 3J.1ided or unstn1C;1Ul1>d. Send for
infom111ion and seasonal c1lo.ndar of h.e aling,
transfl>ITil&live evcnlJ lo: lndu111 Vllllcy Holislic Center
RL 2. Box S8; Willis, VA 24:180
h.Alld TN! Earth Li•ci /lappity Ever After - .caries from
folk lrlditioni all ltOWld the wtidd chosen to help prolt:Ct
all living beings by bringing 111'1 world soc1ecy a few steps
do5Ct to peace and ~l for 1111 fife. Edited by Floar.ing
Eagle Femhcr. $7 .00 ppd. (All profits go IO Clrempacc IJ1A!
!he Pcau Museum.) Order &om: Wages of Peace; 309
704.251 ·2526).
•
MOTHER'S BREATit HERBAL PRODUCTS high
quali1y b"fbal c•"'""· oin1ments, and 011J, lov1n1ly
aa1cd. Send for free brochure 10 Re . 2. Ro• 251. Vllas.
NC2K692
EARTH REACH EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 1cae1Un1
pnmitivc skills 10 children md adulu.. Roben Manin. Jr
and JC&1111C Moo!\!'. RL I, Box 178-A. Fcnum, VA 24088.
BEAUTIFUL EUCIUOE MOCCASINS Custom aitcd to
your f~• AO narural ma1erials. Sof!SOle $2.5/lw<holt
SSO. Send tncm& of your fool to Na1ivc American
FoQ1wcar, 47 Panola St., Alhevillc NC 2.8801; 7~
2:Sl·22.SO
WEBWORK!NO is &cc 5""J •ubmis.1u1cu to:
K01"4Jt J<><1rnal
P.O. Bo• 638
ui=ler.NC
Kall!ah Pro"incc 28743
SprinlJ, 1999
•
�The Kaulah Journal wants to communicate your
thoughts and feelings to the other people in the
bioregional province. Send them to us as leners. poems,
stories. articles. drawings, or photographs, etc. Please
send your comnbutions to us at: Katuah Journal; P. 0.
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Karuah Province 28748.
•
The summer issue of lhc Ka11iah Jo11.rlllll will deal with the
meaning of the word "Pence" as a dynamic process lhal can
replace cxisung SU"Uctures of donunation with vibrant new
relarionships.
Please send us descriptions and contact infonnarion for
individuals and groups in your pan of the province that are doing
lhings that are helping co create peace Ill the world.
We would also Hke to know what is your definition of
pence. We would like to get a collection of the mo.~t interesting and
accurate definitions of that elusive idea.
BACK ISSUES
OF KATUAH AV All.ABLE
$1.50
-··
ISSUE FIFTEEN Sprin& 1987
Coverlets - Woman Porcsler - Susie McMdwl
Midwife . Alternative Conlncqmon •
Bio>CJtualily - 81orcgionalism ~ Women Good Mtdic:inc: MmWdlal Clll~ ,_,
WWJ[fl~-
ISSUE THREE SPRJN(l 1984
Sustain.thlc Agriculture . SunOowas Human
lmpac1 on lhc: Forut - Childrcns' Ed11c111ion
Vct0nlca Nicholu·Woman in Politics Llitlc
tsSUESIXTE:EN-Summerl987
Helen Wauc: Poem: Visions 111 • O~ .
Vision Que,r1 - Fim Flow - ln11ia1ion •
1.umina in lhc Wildemeu • Cherokee
Cllallcngc "Valuing T,_.
People. Mcdlrinc Allies
•
ISSUE FOUR - SUMMER 198'1
W11c1 !>nun Water Quably Kudtu Solar
Ecli~c Ctc:arcuttin& T1out • C.omg IO W111r1
Ram PllmP" • Mic:rohydro - Pocnu: Bennie
l...ec Sinclair, Jim Wrync Mnlcr
ISSUE EIGITTE.EN WUUO' 1987 88
VcmacuIIT Atchiittl\ITC - Dl'c;ams an Wood Q!
Sione - Mount&Jll Home - E.Ulh l!ncrJi.. •
Eanh-S!u:hcrcd Livmg • Mcmbr- Houses
Brush Shchci - Poems· Ot:to«r Du.d • C'oOOd
ModX:.nc: "Sheller"
ISSLF. FIVE - FALL 191!4
llarv1:11 • Old Ways in Chc1ok"" GinKng
Nuclear Waste: • Our Cchic Hcri1•ge
Biorcgionalism: Put. Ptuc:nt. and Fu1ure Jahn Wilnol)' • Healing Dlltkness Politics or
ISSUE NINETEe.N -Sll'Ulg. 19811
Pcrloandra Cltdtn Spring Tonics · Blueberries
WUdOo11>cr O•rdcns Granny Hcrbalis1 •
Flll"'l:r Es.cncea • lho Origin of lhe Animal :
Stoty -Good Malicmo: "Po.. cr" • Be ATroe
Paructp:iliDn
ISSLIE SIX. WTNTER 1984-85
Wini.:r Soi.ti« Eanh Ceremony· H0<scpiu1u;i,
ISSUE TWENTY · S11m1na. 19811
l'reM!rve App.alathilll WildcnlU.J • Hi,ghbnll
of ltoan - Cel<1 Community - L.nd Trun •
Arthur Miqan School • Zoning 'Wuc • ·'"The
Ridgo" - Fanncrs Ind lhe Fann Bill • Cood
Mcdir.:lnc! ''Lind" · Acid Rain · Duke"• Po..,cr
Play Chaoic< Microhydro ProJCCI
Rt\CT Com1111 ol lhc Llshl • Log Clbm
Roo1a- MoUlll&in Apicullurc: Tho Righi Crop
- W11l1am Tayl11< The Fuiun: of lhc: Forc.t
ISSUE SEVEN SPRING 1985
Su.'ll&JA•blc Ec:onomic:J Hot Srrinp - Worlte;
Ownership - The Great &onomy - Self Help
Crccjj1 Union Wiid Turlt.cy - Rcsponslbl•
lnvuting Workitlg in Ilic Web of Lite
JSSUE EIGtrr - SUMMER 1985
Celebra11on: A Way of Life - Kat\Wl 18.000
Ye&l'J Ago • Sacred Sil.Cl - Follc Ans in lhc
School& - Sun Cyc:l~oon Cycle • Powu:
Hilda Downer Chcsolcu Heritage Caw:r •
Who Owns Appaladlhl?
ISSUENTNE- FALL 1985
The
Wal~
Forest - Thi> Tfl'cS Spc:alt •
Milf&llng Foruts • llcme Logging - Stanmg a
Treci Crop Urb&n Trees · l\oom Btc«I - Mylh
Tane
~-
ISSUE Et.EVEN SPRINO 1986
Community Planning - Cities and the:
Biotcgional Vision - Roc:yclmg Community
Gardening- Floyd County, VA - Ouoliol Two Biottgional Views • Nuclear Suj)plema11
FoiU= Oarne.s. Good MtdldM: Visions
Box - The Wake - TI1c Raven Moclcor
Woodslorc and WildwoodJ Wildom Oood
tsSUETWEHTY-ONE · Fall, 1988
Chc:stnu~ A 1~i.1ura.1 Hl11ory • Rostoring w
Cheiulut. ·p~ orl'rcs<!rvation Uld Praise"
Canunuing the Quesl Farella and Wildlife
Chos1ru111 in Regional 011~1
Chcsuuu
Ruoun:u - Hctb Noic - Good Mcdn:mc:
"Changes 10 C<!me" • Rev~ Wkr# le&~Nls
Medicine: The Sweat lodge
ISSUETBN ·WINTER 19l!S-86
Ka1c Rogas • Circles of Slone • lnicmal
Mylhmalcing - Holl•lic: Healing on Trial
Poem$: Sieve Knaulh • My1Juc Pbc:c:s The
Uklona's Talc:
Cry11al Magic -
Li~
ISSUE FOURTEEN - W-mi« 1986.t7
Uoyd Cul Owlc. Boogers and Mwnmcn - All
!SSUETWENTY TWOWin1ct", l9S8-89
Cilobal Wmnaig and Kat4ah .irire This T~ •
Thom.u Deny on "Biorcgsons" - Eanh E.xcrase Ko~ Loy McWluru:r • All Abundance oI
l'..mplincSJ - LETS • Chninicl.. or Flo)'d - o.ry
Wood lnlcrf!ICW The 9.,.., Clan
ISSUE THIRTEEN · Fall 1986
Ccnlcr For Awakening - Elinbc:th Callari A
Clc:n1lc Dca1h • Hosp>CA! Eincsl Morgan
Dealing Crcalivcly with Dcalh Home Bunal
Species Day - Cabin Fcve1 Uni•aaity •
Homelcu !JI Kaiuah • Homcinadc Hos Wiler
S1ovanJtkCf'5 Narrauvc • Good Meche.inc::
lntmpcci.. Conununication
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - ,,
~UA~
QURNAL
0
-- - - - -
~
--------
For more info: call Mamie Muller (704) 683-1414
Boie 638; Leicester, NC; KatUah Province 28748
Regular Membership........ $10/yr.
Sponsor........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
Name
Enc/Med is$
Address
City
Area COde
Sprl.nq, 1989
ro give
this ejforr an extra boost
State
Phone Number
Zip
l can be a local contact
person for my area
Back [ssues
Issue#-_@$2.50= $_ _
Issue#_@ $2.50 = $_ _
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Choose any 5 issues:
SIO.OO=S_ _
Complete Set (3-11, 13-16,
18-22)
@ $35.00 = $_ _
XAwaf1 Jou~ncit Pt«J~ ~s
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
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The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
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journals (periodicals)
Language
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English
Type
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Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 23, Spring 1989
Description
An account of the resource
The twenty-third issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on varied topics such as the ancient ways of the first people groups in Appalachia; "Planet Art;" tulip poplar trees; the Black Swan Center; and environmentally-friendly economics. Authors and artists in this issue include: Kim Sandland, Denise Newbourne, David Morris, Doug Elliott, James Rhea, Jerry Trivette, C.B. Squire, Elizabeth Griffin, Gil Leebrick, Michael Hockaday, Sheli Lodge, Rob Messick, David Wheeler, Dolores LaChapelle, Martha Tree, Laura E. Jackson, and Jackie Taylor. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1989
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Pisgah Village: A Window into Ancient Ways by Kim Sandland.......1<br /><br />Planet Art in Katúah by Denise Newbourne.......5<br /><br />The Green City as Thriving City by David Morris.......8<br /><br />Poplar Appeal by Doug Elliott.......10<br /><br />Clear Sky: A Composite Portrait by James Rhea.......13<br /><br />"A New Earth" by Jerry Trivette.......14<br /><br />College as Community Resource by C. B. Squire.......16<br /><br />Wild Lovely Days: Poems by Elizabeth Griffin | Photographs by Gil Leebrick.......18<br /><br />Natural World News.......20<br /><br />Reviews: Sacred Land Sacred Sex Rapture of the Deep.......23 Stopping the Coming Ice Age.......25<br /><br />Drumming: Letters to Katúah.......26<br /><br />"Sudden Tendrils" a poem by Michael Hockaday.......28<br /><br />Events Calendar.......32<br /><br />Webworking.......34<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
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<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
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Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cherokee Indians--History
Excavations (Archaeology)--North Carolina, Western
Mixed economy--Appalachian Region, Southern
Poplar--North Carolina, Western
Community development--North Carolina--Swannanoa River Valley
Human ecology in art
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
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English
Type
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Text
Source
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<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
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<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
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Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
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<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
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PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Community
Earth Energies
Ecological Peril
Economic Alternatives
Education
Electric Power Companies
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest History
Forest Issues
Geography
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Katúah
Poems
Politics
Reading Resources
Recycling
Shelter
Turtle Island
Villages
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/cbf32695fba405c0cff45e3e9c54db62.pdf
616631b2f61e4f3060a633a13326ea4d
PDF Text
Text
$1.50
ISSUE 25 FALL 1989
.
for all things wild
I
,..
�October 27, 1989
"Restoring Biodiversity in the Southern Appalachians:
A Strategy for Survival"
Owen Conference Center, University of ~orth Carolina Asheville
A major conference bringing together scientists, educators, government land managers,
and conservationists to speak about the condition of the Southern Appalachian habitat and
the necessity to
initiate new programs for habitat
preservation
and restoration to
maintain the
the southern
diversity of life in
mountains.
For more
information
call (704)
251-6441
Registration: $20.00.
October 28
October 28
"Wild
in the Streets:
The Feral Ball "
"For All
Things Wild"
Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, NC
Issues and strategy
discussion among activists
directed to arrive at means of restoring
biological diversity in the Southern
Appalachian region.
Speakers: Reed Noss, Laura
Jackson, Robert Zahner, Peter Kirby,
Jamie Sayen, David Wheeler. Open
discussion period.
Registration: $5.00. For more info:,
call (704) 298-3325 (Ext. 250).
rock to the music of
Grandmother
and
One Straw
We call upon the spirits of the wild!
Come costumed as one of our native
mountain species - or to express your
own wildest self!
8:00 pm. Location to be announced.
Postage Paid
Bulk Mail
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
�The Great Forcst ........................... 3
by Sam Gray
Restoring the Old-Growth Forest........5
by Robert 'Zahner
Regional Planning
for Habitat Intcgrity................... 8
by Laura Jackson
A Question o f Value ...................... 10
hy Dm·id Wheeler
Closing the Gate
on Forest Devastation ................ 12
by Anna Muir
Poem: "Sparrow Hawk" ................. 13
by Julia NUlllllJJ/y Duncan
A Place for Bears ......................... 15
An Interview with Dr. Michael Pelton
Poem: "There Fell the Rain Healing" .. 16
by Annelinde Metzner
Eastern Panther, Where Are You?...... 17
by Patrick Clarlr.
Oak Decline ................................ 19
by Hetllher Blair
People and Habitat ........................ 2 1
by Chip Smith and Lee Kinnaird Fawart
Perpetual Wild Sanctuaries ..............23
Natural World News..................... 24
Drumming ................................. 26
Living Green .............................. 29
Baner Fair................................. 30
(Natural) Resources ...................... 31
Events Calendar........................... 32
Webworking ............................... 34
1'"iirt. t 989
To sense what ls happening In the
mountains, we begin by perceiving
the Southern Appalachian region as
an ongoing. functioning. organic
euent. ..within the greater biosphere.
We can then tdenUfy ourselves and
our species In relation to It and sense
our place within Its evolutionary
history and cycles of renewal.
From the perspective of the whole
we are one species among many each \vith its own contribullon to
make. each wilh its own demands for
habitat. When there is a disturbance
in the pattern of the whole. the
effects even tu ally reach every
inhabitant.
Human beings have been here for
very few of the millions of years the
forest has been patiently growing
within a dynamic balance. In recent
times. our perception of these forests
has often lacked wisdom and
humility. resulting In actions
destructive to our home.
We can sense our relationship to
the whole, but we will never be able
to encompass It with our Intellect
alone. We are in it and of it. This Is
the Great Mystery of existence.
Intuitively we can perceive this
Mystery.
We can revere It and
celebrate lt. And by acting tn concert
with the Life cycles, we can come to
know It more fully. This knowing
then leads us to respond.
In thls issue of Katuah. we look at
biodiversity and habitat ln the
Southern Appalachian region and
how they are being disrupted.
Finding out about the current
situation In Katuah prompts us to
acuon--to speak out. protect. restore.
Throughout the articles. it becomes
apparent that to truly understand this
region. we need to experience.
acknowledge, and serve the region as
a whole.
-The Editors
Biodiversity is defined by ecologist Recd Noss llS "a
full complement of the native plant and animal species in
their natural or normal patterns of abundance."
Biodiversity is the foundation of evolution in any
biorcgion.
Habi tat is defined as an interdependent community of
life that supports the various species that live within iL
Habitat is the foundation of biodiversity.
�STAFF THIS ISSUE:
R.ichacd Lowenthal
Christina Morrison
James Rhea
Manha Tree
Rob Messick
Mamie Muller
Chip Smith
David Wheeler
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Scott Bird
Jack Chaney
David Red
Kim Sandland
Heather Blair
Sam Gray
Marsha Ring
Morgan Swann
Thanks as well to Joe and Rhea and the Mountain Garden.
We offer special thanks for the influence of
Grandfather Mountain.
COVER by James Rhea
PUBLISHED BY; Ka11"1h Journal
PRINTED BY; The Waynesville Mountaineer Press
EDITORIAL OFFICE IBJS ISSUE: Globe Valley
W&ITEUS AT:
TELEPHONE;
(704) 683-1414
Katt1ah Journal
Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
Diversity is an imponant clement of bioregional ecology, both
nmwaJ and social. In line with this principle. the KatU/Jh Journal lrics
to serve as a forum for the discussion of regional issues. Signed articles
express only the opinion of the authors and are not necessarily the
opinions of lhe Ka1Uah Journal editors or staff.
The Internal Revenue Service has declared KatU/Jh a non-profit
organization under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All
contributions to KatU/Jh arc deductible from personal income tax.
'LNVOCA.TWN
Do you think you can take over the universe
and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done.
The universe is sacred. You cannot improve it.
If you try to change it, you will ruin it.
If you try to hold it, you will lose it.
-from imsage 29. Tao Te Ching
attributed to Lao Tzu
™E SOUTHERN APPALACillAN BIOREGION
AND MAJOR EASTERN RIVER SYSTEMS
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Here in the southern-most heartland of the
Appalachian mountains, the oldest mountain range on
our continent, Turrie Island; a small bur growing
group has begun to take on a sense of responsibility
for the implications of rhar geographical and cultural
heritage. This sense of responsibility centers on the
concept of living within the natural scale and balance
of 1miversal systems and principles.
Within this circle we begin by invoking the
Cherokee name "Kaufoh" as the old/new name for
this area of the mountains and for its journal as well.
The province is indicated by its natural boundaries: the
Roanoke River Valley to the nonh; thefoorhills of the
piedmont area to the east; Yona Mountain and the
Georgia hills to the south; and the Tennessee River
Valley ro the west.
The editorial priorities for us are to co/leer and
disseminate information and energy which pertains
specifically to this region, and to foster the awareness
rhar the land is a living being deserving of our love
and respect. Living in this manner is a way ro insure
the sustainability of the biosphere and a lasting place
for ourselves in its continuing evolutionary process.
We seem to have reached the fulcrum point of a
" do or die " situation in terms ofa quality standard of
life/or all living beings on this planet. As a voice/or
the caretakers ofthis sacred land, Kac-Uah, we advocate
a centered approach to rhe concept ofdecentralization.
It is our hope to become a support system/or those
accepting the challenge of sustainability and the
creation ofharmony and balance in a total sense, here
in this place.
We welcome all correspondence, criticism,
pertinent information, articles, artwork, etc. with
hopes that Kac-Uah will grow to serve the best interests
of this region and all its living, breathing members.
-The Editors
f"~U..
1989
�It may be that
s.ome little rcx:::>t
of the sacred tree still
lives.
"-lou-ish it then,
that it may leof and
bloom and fill
with singing birds.
- Q,lock Elk
Until recent time a great inland forest overlay the eastern
ponion of Nonh America-a continuous biologic fabric extending
from Nova Scotia to Alabama, west along the tributaries of the
Mississippi, and boundaried in the east by the pine barrens and
lowland marshes of the coastal plain.
This forest had its origins in an ancient circumpolar forest
system that dominated the temperate zones of Asia, Europe and
Nonh America in the Eocene epoch of the Teniary Period (50
million years B.P. [Before Present]) when the continents were
closer together. In spite of the intervening continental drift,
successive ice ages and vast chasms of time, there remain, to this
day, striking botanical linkages in the existing forest remnants of
these continents. This is panicularly evident in genera such as Acer
(maples), Panax (ginseng), Cory/us (hazels}, Populus (poplars),
Cornus (dogwoods), and Rhododendron.
(continued on ncxl page)
f'ca!t. t 989
Ji:.ati&ah Jo\lrnQL p1i9e 3
�(continued &om page 3)
The vast inland forest of Eastern America was geophysically
dominated by the long spine of the Appalachian Mountains which
determined the Forest's biological stTucture and diversity.
Contemporary references to what remains of this forest employ
terms such as "mixed mesophytic", "eastern hardwood" or
"temperate deciduous" to describe it. For purposes of this essay,
acknowledging its extent, its ancient origins, its astounding
diversity and resilience, its immense productive capacity, and its
profound effect on various human populations over the past 10,000
years, it will be telllled "The Great Forest".
When ecologists first began attempting to describe temperate
forest ecosystems, they developed the model of succession and
climax growth. This model, describes a developing forest that is
undergoing a series of stages in which pioneer plant communities
and their associated fauna colonize the area and are then replaced by
successor communities of larger trees until a forest of dominant
trees, known as the "climax forest" establishes a stable equilibrium.
This climax old gTOwth would cominue until some "disturbance"
such as fire, disease, climate change or human impact takes out the
climax community and the succession cycle begins again.
The succession-climax model is a useful one for
understanding the ecology of the Great Forest. It helps us to
recognize the importance and relative stability of old growth forests
and it describes how biotic communities in a forest maintain and
transform themselves over time as they respond to discontinuities
and disturbances, panicularly those caused by humans.
The first humans in the Great Forest were nomadic
gatherer/hunter groups who arrived after the last glaciation some
10,000 years B.P. These groups ranged over many thousands of
acres of oak-chestnut climax growth as well as other forest biomes
and while their impact on the forest was small by contemporary
standards, it was nonetheless important. Fire was the principal
instrument of ecologic change and was to remain so even into
recent rimes.
By 1900, the only remaining large boundary
of the original Great Forest lay in Katuah - the
Southern Appalachian highlands. Within two
decades that too was gone.
Seventeenth century Europeans observed and commented on
the burnings. "The savages," wrote Thomas Morton, "are
accustomed to set fire of the country in all places where they come
and to burne it twize a year, viz: at the spring and the fall of the
leafe." The purpose of the burnings was no less than ecosystem
management: facilitation of travel, augmentation of browse area for
game, encouragement of desirable herbage such as blackberry.
raspberry, and cenain grasses. the increase of mast-producing trees
Uke oak and chesmut on the drier, warmer soils of a burn area, and
the destruction of vermin and pests such as fleas. Selective burning
by the lndfans promoted a mosaic quality in the forest ecosystem
and created areas in many different stages of succession wilh
extensive boundary areas and a greater variety of game and plant
habitats - a phenornonen ecologists refer to as the "edge effect".
Thus the Indians practiced their own subtle kind of forest
management and husbandry. So subtle in fact, as to be undetected
in early European descriptions of the Great Forest. When 17th and
l 8rh century promoters of North American real estate extolled the
"natural" abundance of the land, they were unaware that they were
describing an ecosystem that the natives had been shaping for
thousands of years.
Other imponant aspects of the complex relationship between
the Great Forest and its native inhabitants escaped the notice of the
Europeans. As William Cronon points out in his masterful
ecological history of New England, Changes in the Land, a central
fact of temperate forest ecosystems is their periodicity. The
overlapping cycles of light, dark, long days, short days,
waxing/waning of the moon, the flow of sap, the rurting of deer,
spawning of fish, the matings of turkey, bear and frog, the fruiting
of plants and the migration of birds... these and myriad other
contrapuntal rhythms of the Great Forest's energy cycles were
understood and celebrated by the natives. Their own life rhythms of
seasonal nomadism, work, ritual and play were evolved from the
greater cycles of the forest . The European immigrants' experience
of natural cycles, on the other hand, had been filtered for over a
millenium through a culture offixed abodes and a social hierarchy
that discouraged nomadism as well as wilderness.
It is in the context of the periodic cycles of the forest that
Native American spirituality can best be understood. The Indians
did not attempt to manipulate, through magic and ritual, these
cycles to their own ends and were often confounded or amused by
the imprecatory prayers of the whites seeking the blessings of good
harvest and fortune from an awesome and distant god. Rather, their
own spiritual practices were designed to attune and inform
themselves to the subtleties of the forest's cycles. The
anthropologist Bronislow Malinowski recognized this when he
wrote in Myth and Primitive Psychology, "Magic never originated;
it never was created or invented. All magic simply was from the
beginning, as an essential adjunct to all those things and processes
which virally interested man (sic)." The natives inhabited an
animated forest world that was alive unto its fanhest recesses with
seen and unseen powers. Their task - the task of mind - was to so
organize themselves as to develop understanding of and
consonance with these powers.
When Europeans began to arrive at the Great Forest of North
America in sufficient numbers by the mid-17th century, they were
not disposed to recognize the animated universe that sustained the
natives. They could not or would not see the forest that the natives
knew, nor could they recognize the subtlety and intelligence behind
the Indians usage of the forest as habitat, susraining process, and
sacred ground. The European immigrants faced the Great Forest
with a conflicting array of perceptions and attitudes. The forest was
at once a threat and an opportunity.
The dominant sentiment in regard to the forest was that it was
an enormous commodity. Coming from lands long divested of
forests held in common, the right to extract and expon timber
almost at will was an overwhelming prospect 10 early
entrepreneurs. Wood was the main raw material for residential and
commercial building on both sides of the Atlantic, but it was even
more in demand as an energy source. Seventeenth and eighteenth
century industries in metallurgy, glass making and ceramics
required enormous amounts of wood for firing furnaces and for
charcoal. Individual household consumption was also extraordinary
by european standards. Peter Kalm, a Swedish naturalist visiting
colonial eastern America in 1749 wrote," an incredible amount of
wood is really squandered in this country for fuel..." As early as
1640, Boston was experiencing wood fuel shortages and most
major New England and mid-Atlantic settlements were soon to
follow.
foll, 1989
�The principal commodity that the Great Forest represented to
the E.uropeans was the land itself. Their original concepts of real
propeny were derived from the manorial system of feudal Europe
and can be ascenained by reviewing the terms or the Royal Charter
to the Massachusetts Bay Company:
"To have to houlde possess and enjoy the aforesaid
continent, lands, territories, islands, hereditaments and
precincts, seas, waters, fishings, with all and all manner their
commodities, royalties, libenies, prehemynences, and
profitts that should thenceforth arise from chcncc, with all
and singular their appunances and every pane and parccll
thereof unto the said councell and their successors and
assigns for ever."
The comprehensive, medieval, abstract quality of these early claims
underwent an evolution as they passed through the lexicon of 17th
and 18th century New World institutions, but the focus on
"commodities, royalties, liberues and profitts" never changed.
What also wen1 unchanged, leading to countless
misunderstandings and much bloodshed, was the European
assumption of the sovereignty of propeny rights granted through
'legal' title 10 Land. To the natives, the notion that parcels of land
could be considered commodities, bought and sold like cattle,
boundaried, possessed, 'improved', divided and sold again or
transferred to heirs was absurd. For them, land tenure was a
function of usage and usage was linked 10 the mobility that was a
central part of the strategy of resource management based on
periodicity. The Indian villages moved from habitat to habitat to
find maximum abundance with minimal work and reduced impact
on the land while the Europeans, in fixed abodes on their titled
propeny, worked long hard days 10 intensively farm or 'improve'
land with the eventual result being ecological degradation. It was
the concept of 'improvements' - replacing forest with fields and
pasture and the building of sheds, barns and homes - that soon
became the colonial justification for dispossessing the natives. A
people who moved around on the land and worked it so lillle could
have no justifiable claim to possess it. There were plenty of
references in the bible and in Calvinist theology to back up such a
sentimenL The unimproved forest with its native inhabitants was
eventually seen as an affront to progress, and Christian community.
r"u, t 989
With God's backing the righteous began to exterminate or conven
the savages and 'improve' the Great Forest out of existence.
The decimation of the Great Forest proceeded in two fairly
distinct historical phases - the first, occurring in the colonial period
and lasting until about 1850, can be termed pre-capitalist. It was
characterized by the deforestation patterns of an agricultural
economy. The best land was cleared for field crops and pasture.
Commercial extrnction of timber for energy or wood products was
confined to terrain accessible by human/animaJ power. The second
phase was indusoial/capitalist and it continues to the present day.
Utilizing machinery, organized capital, and cheap local labor, the
forest was harvested to satisfy national and international timber
demands. As habitat for the incredible diversity of wild plants and
creawres was impoverished, fonunes were amassed by men far
away who were never required to look upon the devastation. By
1900, the only remaining large boundary of the original Great
Forest lay in Katuah - 1he Southern Appalachian highlands. Within
two decades 1ha1 too was gone.
As humans, we have known the forest in many ways - as
home, as sustenance, as sacred ground, as repose, as commodity,
as teacher, as refuge. Our species is only now realizing the extent
of its power 10 diminish the radiance of the Great Forest. We are
beginning to understand a glimmer of what was... for we were once
forest-dwellers. Today there is an archetype becoming known in
the human spirit ...of regeneration. There is an embryonic
recognition of what we have lost and of what we must restore. We
cannot continue as we have done. The forest calls 10 us to come
back, for our own sake and for the sake of all our relations
dwelling therein.
The quotation from Black Elk that begins this essay captures
this hope for us when he speaks of the roots of the Sacred Tree the Tree of Life. The Sacred Tree, a universal symbol of
regeneration of both the human spirit and of the Earth, nourishes
our memory to recall that though the Great Forest has been felled, it
cannot and will not ever leave us.
wriuen by Sam Gray
plU>co ofJoyce Kilmer Memorial Forest on page 3 by
larry Tucker
x.at.Uah JounuiL p!UJ•
s
�Restoring the Old-Growth Forest
by Robert Zahner
A thing is right when it rends to preserve
the inregriry, stabi/iry, and beauty of rlze biotic
community. Ir is wrong when it tends
otherwise.
- AldD Leopold (I 949)
We stand at the threshold of a great
decision. We are on the verge of re-defining the
importance of our mountain landscape, its
natural habitats, and the Life forms they support.
Science has shown tha1 such habitats are vi1al to
planetary life support systems where natural
communities of interdependent plants and
animals can maintain reservoirs of biological
diversity.
When extensive logging destroyed the
primeval fores1s of the Southern Appalachian
Mountains, a critical factor for biodiversity,
habitat continuity over large areas, was
eradicated. During the century between 1830
and 1930 forest clearing and burning ravaged
native bio1ic communities and terminated
unknown numbers of plant and animal species.
Habitats were fragmented, and many surviving
endemic species were left in smaU, isolated
communities.
ln the first quaner of the twentieth century
the Southern Appalachian National Forests were
established as watershed preserves. Federal
conservation policies permined many forest
habitats to begin the natural process of restoring
themselves. This regrowth ecosystem, or
second generation forest, was similar to the
original primeval forest only in that it still
contained most of the original plant and animal
species. Today, after 60 to 80 years of recovery,
the new forest is still maturing, still unfolding its
species composition as new niches are created in
the complex progression toward what modem
ecologists term an "old-growth forest." But it
still has a long way to go to reach biological
maturity.
There is now the potential to restore a
diversity of species that would resemble the old
primeval forest. There is also the danger,
because of present National Forest management
plans, of losing much of the restoration already
gained. The United States Forest Service
(USFS), administered by foresters who are
highly competent timber managers, interprets the
Congressional Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act
of 1960 with a strong bias toward harvesting
commercially mature timber. The Act states
implicitly, however, that al/ resources of the
Notional Forests ore to be managed for sustained
yield. Other acts of Congress go on to define
natural diversity as a vital resource of 1he public
lands, and mandate that this resource shall be
maintained through habitat preservation. This
paper is written with the intent of furthering
public knowledge of this important
environmental issue.
Three Levels of Diversity
lo the despoilment and fragmentation of
the original forest, three levels of diversity were
either destroyed or placed in jeopardy: ( l)
genetic diversity within species, (2) species
diversity within habitats, and (3) habitat
Xatium Jo~rrmt P"9e 6
diversity within landscapes. We have no record
of how many species were irretrievably lost, but
1oday we are beginning co count the numbers
that are presently endangered and threatened
with extinction. Let us consider how lhese three
types of diversity are essential for a healthy
bioregion, and how all three can be restored as
the new forest grows toward biological
maturity.
Genetic Diversity: A great many
species counted as rare today could again
become more abundant if we allow natural biotic
processes to evolve unmolested.
For example, in the forest of today the
mountain gentian plant (Gentiana decora
Pollard)_grows singly or in small colonies in
damp, rich wooded habitats, generally isolated
from other members of the species by unsuitable
habitats. Gentians are pollinated by several rypes
of inseclS who are able to cross-fertilize separate
colonies of the plant. Thus, if undisturbed by
human activity, pollen exchange will increase
genetic diversity within the gentian species over
an ever-increasing area of 1he mountain
landscape. This renewed generic vitality is
critical to the future well-being of the species, as
human-caused environmental changes continue
to force all forms of life to adapt to such stresses
as aunospheric pollution and accelerated climatic
warming.
The same situation is true for literally
thousands of species of plants and animals
throughout the mountains. Each example
f"~U.. t989
�requires its own special sening, but the common
theme is natural balance. An endemic terresual
mole salamander, Ple1ho<k>n1ordani, is a highly
significant insectivore in the world beneath the
leaf litter of a mature hardwood forest. This
salamander requires large areas of ~ontinuous
forest cover to afford geneuc n11gra11on among
populations. Thus. when the cwopy overhead is
fragmented or removed. breeding populat!ons of
this animal disappear to reco.,,er only w11h the
re-establishment or the mature hardwood fores t.
Many species of reptiles. amphibians, and
anhropods w11h limited mobi:ity have similar
requirements for genetic exchange.
Conditions that promote generic diversity
arc essential so each species can adapt and
evolve, panicularly in light of the accelerating
environmental changes expected in the next
century.
Species Diversity: The next scale of
diversity is that of species within habitats. This
is often misinterpreted by federal land managers
to mean "the greatest number of differe nt
species for each given unit of land."
It is well kno wn that the na tural
succe ssio n of weed y species occupying
disturbed sites provides a wealth of diversity in
te rms of to tal numbe rs. The Southern
Appalachian Mountains today abound w ith
disturbed sites, the result of Jar.d clearings, road
bui lding, comme rc ial and reside ntial
development, forest c learcuuing, agricultural
activity, and wildfires. Therefore. the weedy
plants and small animal species that characterize
early succession habitats are most commo n
throughout lhe region.
But what about species diversity in other
habitats once prevalent in the primeval forest?
Two hundred years ago a north-facing site at
3,SOO feet elevation in the Blue Ridge
Mountains would likely have supported a mature
oversrory of 20 or more tree species, with many
large trees over 200 years old. The midstory
would have been composed of perhaps 20 or
more species of smaller trees of all ages, from
reproduction saplings fillin1 canopy pps to
very old species adapted to live out their lives in
the shade.
Many tree species, such as basswood
(TUia ~rerophylla VcnL), yellow birch (Betula
alleghaniensis Britt.), buncmut (J1111lans cinera
L.), mountain maple (Acer spicatum Lam.),
mountain winterbcny (Ila mofllana T . and G.),
ycllowwood (Cladrastis kentulcea Rudd), and,
of course, American chestnut (Castanea delllQta
Borich.). were more common in this ancient
foresr lhan they are today.
Shrub spec ies were numerous, and
carpeting !he ground in many places were large
colonies of painted trillium (Trillum undulatum
Willd.), baneberry (Actaea pachypoda Ell.),
do g-tooth violet (Eryrhronium americum Ker.),
um brella-leaf (Diphylleia cymosa Michaux).
jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisema triphyllum Schott.),
and many fem species.
Rotting logs provided substrate and
micro-habitats for many S1>ecies of fungi.
mosses. splecnwons. and all the attendant
invertebrate and small vertebrate animals that
were essential to the health of the entire larger
community. The large trees. living and dead.
provided food, shelter, and breeding situations
for many birds and other venebrate animals that
require a biologically mature. undisturbed.
mixed hardwood forest habitat. The mature
forest was a dynamic biotic community that
f'Q{L, t989
supported a large array of
interdependent species.
!'\one of the plants or
animals mentioned above is
exceptionally rare today. although
a number of today's threatened or
endangered species. such as the
small whorled pogonia (lsotria
medeoloides Rafinesque), could
well have been present in such a
habitat. The particular
corn/Jination of these species.
however, taken together as a
functionmg ecosystem. is today a
rare occurrence.
What species m ight be
present on such a site today'!
Following the indiscriminate
logging and burning at the the
tum of the century, conditions
were so severely altered that the
second-grow t h forest now
consists typically of a mixture of
60 to 80 year o ld oaks and
hickones, with perhaps fewer than 10 other tree
species. More prominent today are the
m1d-successional species: yellow poplar
(liriendendron tulip/era L.), eastern white pine
(Pinus strobw L .), black locust (Robinia
pseudoacacia L .). sourwood (Oxydendron
a rboreum L.), sassafras (Sassafras albidum
Nee s.), and stump sprouts o f Americ an
chestnut. Scauercd individuals of most of the
original species are also present, but the species
composition is so drastically altered that the
highland forest is typically c lassified as
~oalc-hiclcory" ralher than "mixed hardwoods."
Large cavity trees arc rare. The large
decomposing logs that typify biologically mature
habitat are largely absent from today's regrowth
forests.The number of undcrstory and ground
cover species are now reduced, retaining those
that thrive on disturbance, such as species of
berries (Vaccinium and Gaylussacia) and
rhododendron.
Early succession habitat caused by human
disturbance is the only habitat type that is
well-represented on the second level of
biodiversity, the diversity of species within
habitats. But the forest communities are slowly
maturing, and species enric hment is occurring
gradually in those habitat s that arc left
undisturbed. Biologically mature habitats, or
old-growth mixed hardwood forests, are again a
possibility within the next century.
Just as genetic diversity within a species
is e ssential for adaptation for survival in a
changing enviro nme nt, so spec ies d iversity
with in a habitat is essent ial for the whole
community of interdependent plants and animals
to meet the demands of evolution. The future of
those species combinations best adapted to old,
mature hardwood forest communities depends
on the integrity of the entire habitat.
Habitat Divers ity: Differentiation on
the third level of biological d iversity, that of
habitat diversity in the regional landscape, has
also been gradually emerging in the Southern
Appalachian Mountains throughout the second
half of this century. The national forest-; provide
large, contiguous blocks of forest area. which,
if they continue to be left und1stur_bed. ha~e the
potential to mature into a mosaic of diverse
forest habitats, each accommodating its own
composition of species, and all together making
provision for the genetic diversity essential for
species evolution. The key requirement for this
regional diversity lies in maintaining a continuity
of undisturbed habitats across the landscape.
Disconnected habitats that are left to
mature as isolated fragments cannot serve as
more than small rcfugia for generic material.
Such limitation confines ecnetic variation within
the boundaries of each of these tiny habi1a1 areas
and restricts the potential for evolution to
respond to future changes in the cnvironmenL
The current policy of national forest
management is to accommodate landscape
diversity by pwcscrving fragments of old growth
stands dispersed throughout a landscape that is
predominantly even-aged
st~nds .of
commercially valuable tree species wnh
provisions for a few important species of game
animals. This concept of diversity is analogous
to the preservation of species in arboretu ms.
bota nical gardens, and zoos. Cen ainl y a
bead-lily (Clinronia borealis Raf.) in a cultivated
garden has lost most of its wild "lily-ness,"
because a wildflower removed from its natural
habitat is no longer serving its role as a strand in
the web of life. In like manner, a fragment of
old-growth forest preserved in a landscape of
managed young forests has lost its essential
nature, as it is no longer a pan of the web of
biological e volution in the region its generic
material serves.
At the level of habitat diversity. just as at
the two lower levels. the ability or an entire
bioregion to adapt and survive environmental
change depends on the diversity of its natural
habitats. The greater the number of mature
�REGIONAL PLANNING FOR HABITAT
INTEGRITY
by Laura E. Jackson
Laura Jackson is the author of the study
Mountain Treasures at Risk: The Future of the
Southern Appalachian National Forests, a
comprehensive overview and critique of the US
Forest Service's Land and Resource Managemem
Plans for the six national forest areas of the
Southern Appalachians.
Laura is completing graduate work at the
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at
Duke University. She wrote the sllldy in
cooperation with Peter Kirby, regional director,
and other staff members of the Southeast
Regional Office of the Wilderness Society under a
Stanley Fellowship grant The book is published
and made available by the Wilderness Society.
Mountain Treasures at Risk is an excellent
resource for anyone who is concerned about
habitat i11 the Sowhem Appalachians. The text is
clear a11d to the point. The graphs and tables are
pleasing to the eye and revealing in their content.
Forest issues are de-mystified in a way that only
someone with a clear comprehension of the
dynamics involved could articula1e. 8111, most of
all, Laura Jackso11's suuiy is invaluable because it
is wriuen by someone with no ves1ed economic or
poli1ical in1eres1 in 1he Appalachian public lands b111 rather by someone with 011ly the interests of
1hefores1 01 liean.
The book talks in a straigluforward way
about tlie effects 011 the forest of below-cost timber
sales, over-roading, and the i11equities i11 budget
and emphasis show11 i11 Forest Service
management programs. The swdy co11clt1des with
guidelines/or managing the Sowhern Appalachian
11a1ional fores ts 10 protect wild la11ds a11d the
biological diversity they harbor, meet recreatio11al
and aesthetic demands, and restore the forest
1wilo1.
011 page one of Mountain Treasures at Risk
the report states that the two major flaws i11 the
Forest Service ma11ageme111 approach is the
agency's emphasis 011 commodity ex1ractio11from
the mow11ai11forests Olld their failure to recog11ize
the Somhern Appalachia11s as a regional habitat
system (in other words, a bioregio11).
/1 says, 'This report is the only ctunulative
analysis to dote to examine the Forest Service's
plaru for thil unique nwumuin environment." This
is true. Many t/1a11ks.
In the following article Laura Jackso11
explains further the differences in understanding
that result from viewing the Ka11'iah provi11ce a11d
its disti11ctive habitats as a whole, rather than
breaking it into administrative pieces....
·DW
Mountain Treasures at Risk is available at M
charge by writing to tht Wilderness Society Southeast
Regional Office at 1819 Peachtru St. NE; Atlanta, GA
30309. (Jlowevtr, consider making a volU11tary donation.
Tht reference is wt// worth It.)
>C.at i'.&ah Journat paqe 8
T he fragmentation of Souther n
Appalachian habitat is the familiar result of a
utilitarian value system that prizes goods
production and consumption over a healthy
relationship with our land. Forest managers ask
how their stands can fulfill national timber
quotas. State governments ask if thei r
wilderness fragments arc sufficient to satisfy
recreational demand. But their questions are
framed within self-imposed limits of vision that
reach only to the orderly edges of administrative
boundaries. Consequently, they are too narrow
in scope to address what arc now the most
critical issues. In this age of dwindling native
populations, dying mountaintops, and other
large-scale ecological catastrophes, we must
adopt a broad regional perspective in order to
evaluate and implement essential environmental
solutions.
The regional framework provides a logical
context by which to approach land management
decisions. The natural expanse of an ecosystem
(like a prairie, desert, or mountain range) with
its local resources, indigenous populations. and
traditional activities, can suggest
environmentally appropriate patterns of growth
and development. Requiring collaboration
among public agencies and private owners, the
regional perspective is gaining support around
the world as the solution to maintain ecological
systems and the integrity of the
human/environment relationship.
As the dominant land manager in the
Southern Appalachians, the US Forest Service
is in a position to best exemplify the philosophy
of regional stewardship. Currently, however,
the agency is under extensive criticism for its
unimaginative, homocentric planning and
management techniques. The Forest Service
conuols approx:imatcly three million acres in six
Southern Appalachian national forests. Despite
the contiguity of these lands, each national forest
is administered as a separate unit. Staff vision
and authority stop at the legal boundaries. As a
result, individual forest planners have set
inconsistent standards for managing shared
animal populations, lost opportunities to protect
roadlcss areas that straddle state lines, and
purposefully altered rare habitat in order to
incroduce elements already common on adjacent
private lands.
In the Katuah province, towns and private
inholdings comprise about half of the acreage
within official national forest boundaries. These
lands support agriculture, industrial forests,
developed and roaded recreation, and other
human-altered environments. Consequently they
have attracted hardy, invasive wildlife that
thrives in modified senings and displaces native
mountain species. A crucial role of federal
stewardship, therefore, is to promote natural
habitat continuity as a public investment in
biological diversity, clean air and water, and the
Southern Appalachian wild native heritage.
A satellite's-eye view of the Southern
Appalachian Mountains shows the Appalachian
public lands as a green island standing alone
above lowlands crowded with human beings
and the products of their ac1ivi1ies. This
mountainous ecosystem of tremendous natural
beauty and scientific importance is also in
increasing demand as a source for consumptive
supplies. A closer look would show public
forests fragmented by private inholdings,
development spreading across newly-cleared
hillsides, and wildlands straining under
increased resource use. Yet, to date, the core of
the Southern Appalachian habitat survives
relatively intact.
Invisible from overhead, yet just as real in
its effects on the highland forests, is the
administrative fragmentation that further stresses
the region's habitats. Southern Appalachian
forests fall under the jurisdictions of five state
governments, as many federal agencies, and
dozens of counties with differing objectives for
the use of their mountain commodities.
Countless private corporations also make
decisions based on their own perceived interests
in the resources of the Ka1uah province. The
accumulated effects of numerous land-use
decisions made in the isolation of corporate
boardrooms, federal office buildings, and the
offices of county or state agencies threaten 10
mortally fragment Katuah's natural systems and
desuoy their ecologi.cal functions.
If the administering agencies could view
the mountain region from the viewpoint of our
imaginary satellite hovering above, their
perspective and consequently their management
priorities might be changed:
• From overhead, it is clear that the
Southern Appalachians are a biological island,
the last remaining large block of forest habitat in
the southeast. Many areas can contribute to the
regional and national timber supply, most of
them better than these steep mountain forests.
But where better can we look for wilderness,
and the shady, moist storehouses of
undiscovered ecological value?
• The region's remote ridgelines and
pristine streams constitute rare wildland linkage
opponunities for migration, genetic exchange,
and the daily roamiogs of wide-ranging
mammals. These travelways could also extend
to wildlands in the Central Appalachians to the
north, and perhaps south into the Florida
peninsula as well, to ensure strong, adaptable
populations of black bear, mountain lion, and
other large predators. Broad corridors
connecting natural habitat areas along the length
of 1hc Appalachian range would serve as
ecological escape routes in cases of severe
environmental stress, whether of human or
natural origin.
rau.
19e9
�•The Appalachians are the headwaters of
all the great rivers east of the Mississippi. If
streams and rivers are not pure at their origins,
they can never be clean anywhere along their
length.
The expanses of forest that cover the
green mountains are also a fountainhead of
valuable oxygen in an increasingly polluted
armospherc.
• A regional perspective would correct the
misconception that each national forest should
provide the public with equivalent proportions
of all resources. The southeast supports an
abundance of cleared fields, thickets or young
"pioneer" trees, and the understory plants and
animals associated with early successional
habitats. However, areas of contiguous, remote
forest and old-growth comrrunities are precious
and rare. Species plentiful in one nationaJ forest
might be uncommon everywhere else; therefore
these should be preserved at the expense of
more ordinary forest uses.
• Research priorities and resource
inventories also attain broader significance when
framed in a regional perspective. State wildlife
officials and federal land managers currently
repon environmental characteristics in terms of
acres, head counts, and dollars. Such data arc
easily tabulated and readily available by state and
ownership category. Yet these quantitative
measures fail to capture the more comprehensive
information that is critical 10 effective habitat
management
Ta!L, 1989
• To ensure that resource u1ili7.ation docs
not deplete an ecosystem's natural variety,
managers must monitor across the landscape.
They must mitigate the encroachment or
common edge habitat into the diminishing forest
interior. They must delineate and protect
multi-state blocks of continuous forest and
migration pathways. Responsible stewardship
also requires improved biodiversity
measurements, the promotion of ecologically
rich old-growth stands, and the restoration of
degraded lands. These and other research
objectives necessitate inter-agency cooperation.
working relationships with private landowners,
and a more holistic view of the natural
environment and our relationship to it.
The responsibility for regional planning
docs not lie solely with public agencies.
Farmers, industrial foresters. university
administrators, even individual homeowners
must ask how their lands contribute to the
environmental landscape. Particularly those who
profit financially from Katuah's natural features
- the outfitters, resort managers. and members
of the entertainment and service sectors that
surround public lands - should suive to maintain
the integrity of the regional environment both as
a business investment and as a means to
compensate the land for its free use. Private
landowners can do a great deal to strengthen the
vitality of the region by managing their land to
help reconnect the broken pieces.
The time has come for landowners and
managers to acknowledge their shared
responsibility for environmental stewardship.
We can no longer afford to view properties as
discrete units unto themselves. to be modified,
unadvised, by their current legal authorities.
Businesses, families, and public agencies arc
but temporary guardians of many tiny pieces of
the Eanh. Yet the natural processes that permit
our physical survival, as well as foster creative
imagery and inspiration, besr operate
unconstrained by anificaJ divisions. In order to
maintain for the future the fundamental
life-support systems of humans and other
species, we must begin to counter the legacy of
fragmentation with a commitment to
environmental unity.
We must explore land uses that do not
deplete the Eanh's suitability for the other life
forms with whom we exist. We must instill a
deep appreciation for nature and natural
processes in our schoolchildren. We must not
insist on using. viewing, or populating every
available surface, so that truly wild expanses
may sustain the large animals who suffer in our
presence. Much to their credit, federal agencies
in the Southern Appalachians arc now
experimenting with cooperative management
programs. These require our encouragment and
participation. Ccnainly sacrifices of power,
pride, and privacy will be necessary to restore
our suffering environment Yet their significance
wanes beside the tangible and spiritual rewards
of a cooperative survival mission never before
attempted and never more important.
x.atfulh Journm pCUJe 9
�A Question of Value
by David Wheeler
The decades between 1880 and 1920
were the years of the timber barons in the
Southern Appalachian Mountains. This was the
great "logging boom," in which virtually all the
first-growth, "virgin" forest was cut off the
Appalachian slopes.
Fortunes were made during those years,
but the money did not stay in the mountains.
The wealth went to the corporate magnates and
investors in the eastern cities and in Europe.
When the ravishing of the Appalachian forests
was completed, the big companies headed for
greener forests to the west, and the local people
were left with a strong dependency on the
wage-earning system and without the means to
support it.
Today the old-growth forest, the first
forest, is gone, but the view that the forest is a
collection of resources, there for the use and
benefit of human beings still underpins our basic
attitudes and policies toward the Appalachian
woodlands.
The US Forest Service exemplifies that
attitude. Their policies and priorities suue plainly
that they consider the growing of hardwood
timber to be the fir.a purpose of the Southern
Appalachian national forest land.
In the Jefferson National Forest in
Virginia, two-thirds of the Forest Service budget
goes into timber-cutting and road-building,
which is directly tied to logging operations. In
the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest, 40% of
the budget is allocated to timber and roads.
Beyond that, a good portion of the
adminis1rative budget (which comprises 25% of
the overall budget and is tallied separately) also
goes to overseeing timbering and road-building
operations. Only 3.4% of the NantahalaPisgah's annual budget goes to monitoring and
providing for the needs of wildlife.
The road-building that logging operations
demand is the most expensive and damaging of
all the activities carried on by the Forest Service.
This is particularly true in the southern
mountains where the slopes are steep and highly
erosive (see page 12).
The justification for this continued
environmental destruction and human intrusion
into remote habitat areas is the familiar "jobs and
money" refrain. Much ado is made of the timber
shortage that would result if unconstrained
logging in the national forests were to be
stopped. Timber industry lobbyists declare 1ha1
old-growth forest is wasteful, that there is
already more than enough land set aside for
habitat, and argue against evidence that shows a
forest diminishing in native diversity and
threatened in its ability to provide the clean water
and air that help to nourish life on the planet.
Unhappy over the timber quotas set in the
Forest Service's Land and Resource
Management Plans for the National Forests in
the Southern Appalachians, the timber interests
demanded, and won, an agreement from the
Forest Service to sponsor a timber demand
study, thinking that would give them leverage to
XQt\mh Journc:i! pa9e 10
Phoro by Roo Musick/Profea Ligltthawt
further increase the Forest Service's emphasis
on timber cutting.
The result was the "Southern Appalachian
Timber St udy" prepared by a team of
researchers headed by J. Edward de Steiguer of
the Forest Service's Southeastern Experiment
Station. The repon exploded like a bombshell
onto the environmental scene.
First, rather than verifying a strong
demand for hardwood lumber from the National
Forests, che repon found that the prices offered
had actually been decreasing over the last
decade!
. And, rather 1han showing that the
Nauonal Forests were making an important
contributi?n co the region's timber output, che
report pointed out that che National Forests
contribute only 10 percem of the regional timber
supply. And this 10 percent is largely wood of
poor quality, used mostly for making pallets and
boxes, but also for railroad ties, mine props
plywood, chipboard, and finally paper pulp. A
portion of the better-quality hardwoods are used
as veneer woods and in the manufacturing of
furniture, decorative trim, and hardwood
floorin~, but the study mentioned in passing that
a growing percentage of best hardwoods were
being exported out of che country 10 buyers
overseas!
The Forest Supervisor's office in
Asheville, NC stated that only 700 jobs
throughout the North Carolina mountains were
directly relating to timber harvesting in the
national forests. In rhe Ka111ah province only
rwo counties, Graham and Swain, are dependent
on logging in the national forest as an important
pan of their overal I economies.
But the forest, like anything that lives, is
much greater than the sum of its parts. The cash
price of the standing timber is a paltry amount
compared to the true worth of the forest. How
could one appraise the rich diversity of life in
Karuah, unequalled in the temperate zones of the
world? We can on.ly be grateful for the priceless
blessings of dark soil, pure water, and clean air.
We cannot calculate the inestimable value of the
fragile quality of wholeness.
There has been much controversy lately
about clearcutting and the methods by which
timber is cut in the National Forests. However,
as biologist Glenda Zahner has said, in the face
of the perceived dangers to the survival of the
whole Appalachian habitat it appears that the
question is not how timber is taken, but whether
timber should be cut at all in the Southern
Appalachian narional forests.
Well-known are the infamous national
forest "below-cost timber sales" that have come
to light in the past few years. These are sales in
which the expense of the wood, site access and
preparation, and the administrative management
of rhe sale are not covered by the price received
in the sale con1rac1. Thus, the Forest Service has
actually lost money selling timber in many pans
of the country, including the Southern
Appalachians.
Figures collected for 1987 from the six
National Forests in the Southern Appalachians
(including the Pickens Ranger District of the
Sumter National Forest in South Carolina) show
that the Forest Service lost $5.5 million dollars
in that one year alone from their disastrous
timber policies.
Below-cost timber sales constitute an
unauthorized hand-out 10 the lumber interests
from the agency • and thus from the US
taxpayers. The $5.5 million deficit from one
year of clearcutting the forest could pay 275 of
those 800 working timber-related jobs in the
North Carolina national forests one year's salary
of $20,000 to leave the forests uncut and to
protect them as viable and living habicats.
The succeeding generation of trees that
replaced those carried away during the great
Appalachian lumber rush are now reaching 60 to
80 years of age. The trees are approaching
sawlog girth and soon their growth rate will
begin to slow. This is the age of economic
maturity (not to be confused with biological
YaU.1989
�•
maturity, which is anywhere between 200 and
500 years of age). This is a critical decision
point in our policy-making: is the forest to be set
back to the staning point again, or is it to be
allowed to continue on toward the old-~wth
stage to provide optimal habitat for the native
foresr species?
The Forest Service has made its position
clear. On page 33, de Steiguer's "Southern
Appalachian Timber Study" said, "From 1977 to
1986, the National Forests progressively
increased the harvest volume of all stumpage
products except softwood pulpwood. Real
prices fell during the same period. In fact, the
price lines are pracrically a mirror image of the
volw11e lines." The report showed that the rate
of timber cutting in the Southern Appalachian
National Forests doubled from 63 million board
feet in 1977 to 126 million board feet in 1986,
even as prices were declining.
Wise business practice would suggest
witholding supplies when t.he price is low. The
Forest Service has done e1tactly the opposite
during the last decade, selling more and more
timber for less and less money. Because timber
quotas have been determined on the basis of
political considerations rather than a response to
the real market, taxpayers have been paying for
the privilege of having the National Forests
clearcut by the timber industry.
At the time of this writing, the Forest
Service is planning to again double timber
cutting levels in the Southern Appalachians
between 1986 and 1996. If timber sales continue
10 lose money at the same rate that they are now,
then the money lost on below-cost timber sales
wiU also double during that time.
Under the current versions of the Forest
Service's Land and Resource Management
Plans for the Southern Appalachian national
forests, almost 2/3 of the national forests are
deemed suitable for logging, and all of that area
is scheduled 10 be cut within the next 50 years.
The narural cycle of succession leading to an
old-growth, climax forest habitat will be cut
short throughout two million acres of the
national forest lands. Oak trees, many of which
will be just beginning to produce the acorn mast
so important to black bears and many other
forest inhabitants, will be toppled in clearcuts,
and a portion of the cut-over areas will be
burned or sprayed with poisonous herbicides
and planted in straight lines of white pine trees,
which create inferior habitat for most forest
species. The large, open clearcut areas left to
regenerate naturaUy wiU invite yellow poplar
trees to invade and take over land that may have
been dominated by oaks and other tree species
that prefer some degree of shade. Clearcuts do
encourage diversity - a diversity of weedy plant
and animal species at the expense of increasingly
rare old-growth habitats.
Today the old pattern of lumber
extraction is being renewed as "the international
timber commodities market." Once again,
Appalachia is being relegated to the position of a
t:olonized economy from which raw materials
leave the region for processing elsewhere, along
with the power and the profits.
The United States is vinually the only
country in the world with the capability to
produce temperate hardwoods for expon. Most
of the American hardwoods, particularly the oak
lumber that is most in demand, come from the
ratt.
1989
Appalachian Range. Canada is supplied almost
enurely from the nearby Nonhem Appalachians.
Because they are of higher quality, the northern
hardwoods are also preferred in the
discriminating European market. Buyers in the
Far East, however, are more price-conscious,
and increasing amounts of Southern
Appalachian wood has been sold in Asia.
It is difficult to determine how dependent
on foreign sales the mountain timber industry
has become, because lumber to be shipped
overseas is shunted from logger to wholesaler
and perhaps to several brokers before it finally
reaches its port of embarkation. The US
Depanmenr of Commerce conveniently requires
no records of the point of origin of exported
lumber.
Industry representatives and Forest
Service analysts say that of the total amount of
hardwood cut each year, only 40-50% is large
enough and of a quality that could be considered
for export. They estimate that approximately
20-25% of that export-grade wood is sent
overseas. However, because this is the
highest-quality material of the wood species that
are most in demand, the economic value of the
exponed hardwoods is much greater than their
percentage in volume and is very important to
the hardwood market as a whole.
Distribution of Annual Timber Removals
in the Southern Appalachians. 1980-1986
Fnrms
25.5%
Miscclb ncous
Owner.>
l1riV"J tC
52.8%
Nauona I Forests
10.0%
Oz hcr l'uhlic Aboencics
1.9%
S~ Moun1ain Treasun.sOI Rislc
Much of the expon trade in hardwood is
in kiln-dried, rough-sawn lumber. which is
processed in foreign plants and used for
cabinetry and furniture manufacturing. The
country of Taiwan is among the largest buyers
today. UnHke Japan and West Germany, which
produce furniture largely for their own internal
consumer markets, Taiwan manufactures
furniture for export, mostly to the United States.
The Taiwanese furniture industry is modern and
efficient, and labor in that coumry is so cheap
that they can pay to import lumber from the
United States and then ship finished products
back 10 sell at competitive prices in this country.
John Syme, forest economist at Clemson
University says, "Quite a lot of the furniture
manufacmrers, panicularly in North Carolina,
Tennessee, and Virginia, are buying fumimre or
components produced in Taiwan and other
Pacific Rim countries and then selling them
along with what they manufacture domestically.
This is typical of chairs in particular, and other
items that have a high labor content."
It is possible that consumers in the town
of Sylva, Nonh Carolina could buy furniture
that was made in Taiwan of wood that was cut
within 25 miles of their own home. While they
might notice that a piece is stamped "Made in
Taiwan," they probably would not notice that
the price tag includes fees for shipping the
materials halfway around the world and then
shipping the finished product aU the way back
again.
To stimulate a market that is not
fast-paced enough for their liking, timber
industry profiteers are supplying materials to
keep alive wood-based industries in countries
that, due to misuse and overpopulation, have
already displaced their native forests. On paper,
the hardwood timber industry generates great
profits at the export game, but little of the money
made ever returns to the region where the wood
was originally grown. The materials are sold
from the mountains with a minimum of
processing - jobs are being shipped away along
with the wood. II is the brokers and traders in
the large eastern cities who benefit from timber
exporting. They are few, bur they benefit
greatly.
Sending raw materials to have value
added elsewhere is not advantageous for the
regional economy, but ultimately it is the forest
that pays the greatest price. Ir is the Southern
Appalachian lwbicat that is being cut and shipped
away overseas. It is the black bear's food
supply, the shady canopy protecting the ginseng
plant and the delicate ladyslipper. It is the cover
that hides the thrush, rhe tall guardians who
draw down and measure out the pure running
water. It is the integrity of the biological system,
that subtle sense of balance that is intangible, yet
so important.
Here again is that persistent question of
value: for what we are losing, what do we gain?
The approach that sees the forest trees as
materials for human use requires chat the trees be
cut down and carried away - extracted - before
they are of value.
But the other approach that sees value in
the wholeness of living communities requires
that humans keep their hands (feet, and wheels)
off large areas of the foresL The Southern
Appalachian national forests are a significant
land area in the Southeast. They could be a
magnificent habitat area. Timber cutting, which
supposedly is providing the greatest economic
benefits, is proving to be a public liability
instead. The national forests in the Kan1ah
province are providing very litcle timber, very
few jobs, and very litlle money to the local
people. Yet for those scanty benefits the
mountain forestlands are suffering inestimable
damage to the natural habitat chat will take
centuries to repair where it is reparable at all.
It is time 10 bring our forest policies back
into balance with the forest.
The "Southern Appalachian Timber Study" by de
Steiguer. ct al., is available from tlze USDA Forest
Service; Box 2750: Asheville, NC: Katuah Province
28802. This anicle also drew heavily on the excellent
resource Moumain Treasures at Risk by Laura E.
Jackson (see page 8).
�Let's Close The Gate To Forest Devastation
by Anna Muir
"Our forests are national rreasures nor national rreefanns."
- St1u11or Wye/le Fowler, Jr. (D-GA)
As far as land use is concerned, the key to
protecting the Southern Appalachian forest
habitat is to deny human access. Access means
roads.
"In 1985, narionalforesrs in the sowliern
Appalachians contained 4 ,95 J miles of
permanent Forest Service roads. The agency
plans ro add 3,263 miles of new road ro this
transportation sysrem by the year 2030 in order
to meet increased timber sale levels. The
resulting 8,2 14 miles will surpass rlie distance
from Denver, Colorado, to New Zealand. In
less than 50 years, these national forests will
support alrrwsr two miles of road per square
mile of land, nor including state, county, or
private roads."
budgeted $13,600 per mile c road gentle slopes
o
and $22,700 per mile/or sreep slopes."
- Laura E. Jackson, Mountain Treasures at Risk
Timber sales add up to a net liability for
the Forest Service and thus for the US
taxpayers. In the Southern Appalachians alone
logging cost taxpayers $5.5 million in 1987. It
is a vicious paradox, because preliminary road
building doom;; any chance that a timber sale
might clear a profit before cu1ting even starts.
Present policy states that the only viable
method of timber cutting is clearcutting. Under
repeated clcarcuning the original forest is never
given a chance to grow back, thus clearcuuing
represents forest fragmentation and species
discontinuity on the grossest scale. But loggmg
depends on the expensive permanent roads
installed at the taXpaycr's expense. No roads, no
clearcuts.
- Laura£. Jackson. Moumain T~ at Risk
R oad const ruc ti on c reates severe
disruption throughou t many square miles of
national forest habitat. The soil erosion and
stream siltation associated with logging
operattons arc predominately the result of the
roading necessary to remove the timber. Great
amounts of topsoil, D"CCS, and native herbaceous
plants arc displaced all along the many miles of
roads pushed into the forest habitat. Roading in
steep areas undercuts soil and rock structures,
maximizing erosion, often res ultin g in
rockslides and soil slumping.
"Access is rhe demise of bear habirar, and
anybody with comrrwn sense will tell you that.
The bear in the Piedmont has been wiped out
and replaced wirh people. For every mile of
road you punch imo these rrwuntains and leave
open, you're jusr pulling anorher nail in the
bear's coffin." - John Collins, wildlife blologw and
big gamt program coordinawr, NC Wildlife Resources
Commission. quoted 111 Wildlife in Nonh Carolina
rrrJg<UIJIL
In an inter-depanmental memo released to
the public, US ForeSt Service Regional Forester
Jnck Alcock stated that, "Approximately 98
percent of all recreation (in the national forests)
takes place within three-fourths mile of a road."
Oisregardfog the obvious question of where is
one to find a patch of national forest that 1s nor
three-fourths mile from a road, the regional
forester's statement gives some idea of the
tremendous negative impact of forest roads on
the natural habitat and how tremendously helpful
closing roads would be to the rejuvenation of
that habitat.
'This is a wasteful program that continues
a Jcind offar red calf existence even in these days
of tremendous budget dejicirs ....ln the last si.:c
[!Seal years alone the Forest Service constructed
3,725 more miles of road than needed, by its
own projec1ions, for rimber harves1ing. Such
unnecessary roadbuilding was1es the taxpayers'
money, while valuable fish and wildlife habirar
is destroyed."
- Sen. Wyche Fowler. Jr (D-CA) on the floor of
the US Stnate. July 29. 1989
The primary purpose of the forest roads
in the Southern Appalachian national forests is
to bring in logging trucks. The Forest Service
has claimed that the mosaic of roads interlacing
the national forests is necessary to support the
jobs and money generated by timber cutting.
However, this claim has been proven false.
Timber sales on the national forests have
actually been losing money in recent years (sec
p. 10 ), and a primary reason is the cost of road
building in the steep mountain terrain.
"Across rhe nation, approximately
one-half of all Forest service rimber expenses
are artribwable to road costs. Road construction
is expensive, particularly in mountainous
regions where many national fores rs are located.
Planners for 1Jie Jefferson (Na1ional Foresr)
Jc:.citUah Journm
p ~ 12
197S
11l6S
19115
2030
T OTAL REGION.
• Past, Current, and Projected Forest Service
Permanent Road Milage on the Southern
Appalachian National Forests, 1974-2030.
Soun:..
flfowitam Trtasuru ill Risk
"The excessive logging scheduled for
remore and sreep terrain requires a degree of
roading that will severely degrade rhe moumain
environment. Within 50 years. 3,263 miles of
new, permanent roads are pro;ecred for rhe
Sowhern Appalachian national foreslS. Road
consrrucrion is rhe most damaging activity
conducted in norional fores1 management. Even
miligalion ml!asures cannor prevent erosion, soil
compaction, and habiratfragmentarion - ongoing
results of road consrruction and subsequent
use." - Laura E. Jackson. Mounu11n Treasures at Risk
The greatest damage by forest roads 1s to
habitat values as they occur in remote areas of
the national forests. And the most damaging
aspects of the forest roads are those caused by
"cumulative cffectS" - those incremental changes
that considered together add up to debilitating
qualitative changes in the overall environment.
Here is an example of "cumulat ive
effects:' A road was bulldozed to a clearcut site.
The logging trucks and heavy equipment went
in, did their job and, after some months, came
out, leaving a treeless forest area compacted and
criss-crossed by caterpillar tracks.
Some of the loggers were bear hu nters,
and they noticed bear sign while they were
doing their work. So, that fall, trucks with
kennel boxes mounted on the back raised dust
up and dow n the road, until the bear s were
hunted out, and the hunters moved elsewhere to
finish off the season.
Now familiar with the area, some of the
hunters brought a picnicking party to a pleasant
pool they found in the creek flowing beyond the
logged-over area. The following year some of
the families rerurned to the clearcut to pick
blackberries. And o ne of the teenagers
remembered the picnicking party when he and
his friends needed an isolated place to park and
drink beer, so four-wheel-drive vehicles
careened up into the forest several weekends in
succession.
The Forest Service, noticing all the use
their small, rough forest road was attracting,
upgraded the road to "meet the traffic demand"
with the result that tourists in their large cars
could ride all the way to the top of the ridge to
enjoy the view .... And so it goes.
Each of these uses is not significant in
itself. Each is legitimate in its own way. But.
compounded together, the overall effect is
devastating to the natural habitat that once
existed on that ridgetop, protected by several
square miles of impenetrable forest. Cumulative
effects all too often add up to a habitat
destroyed.
f"l:ltt, t 989
�"Anyone who can't see that open roads
hurt bear habitat has got to be blind."- John
Collins, wildlife biologist and big game program
coordilliltor, NC Wildlife ReS(Jurces Commission
Besides the direct monality due to road
kills and increased hunter ingress, roads are a
primary cause of the forest fragmentation that is
one of the greatest threats to habitat in the
Karuah Province. Roads mean people, and black
bears and other large forest-dwelling animals
shy away from traffic-bearing roads, so that
large areas of previously umouched habitat, far
wider than the actual area of the roadbed itself,
are eliminated with the construction and
subsequent use of new roads. Thus, the
creatures native to the old forest are pushed into
smaller and smaller range areas that are less and
less desirable as living spaces as roads are
constructed in areas that were once prime
habitat.
New roads also mean wide strips of
cleared land and carry "edge effects,'' one of
which is rapid invasion by early-succession
("weed") species of plants and animals, deep
into the once-unbroken foresL
Multiple Use M o dule
(MUM)
Rud NDM ill NaJural Areas JoMrnol
"Mr. President, we already have an
excess of Forest Service roads through our
national forests ...."
- Sen. Wyche Fowler. Jr.
(D-GA) on the floor of the US Senate.July 29, 1989
In the interest of habitat preservation, not
only should the US Forest Service halt its
road-building program in Katuah completely,
but in key habitat areas existing roads should be
closed, erased, and planted with fast-growing,
hardwood, pioneer tree species to restore the
natural character of the once-roaded areas as
quickly as possible.
Closing forest roads completely and
permanently would open large expanses of
forest in which the black bear and other
old-growth dependent species could roam
freely, strengthening the gene pool, and
rejuvenating and expanding the present
populations. Closing roads is a necessary
prerequisite for any programs to reintroduce
large carnivorous animals, such as the mountain
lion, to restore proper predator/prey balances in
the forest. Closing roads is a key pan of any
program to restore old-growth habitat in the
,
Southern Appalachian Mountains.
SparrowHawk
The sparrow hawk became his friend,
though distrusting him at first,
not seeing that when the man found it
entangled in fishing line at the junkyard,
he meant anything but harm.
But it softened as he sat in the
dark room beside it
silent, his eyes averted,
letting it discover that he held it captive
only because he cared
and would offer freedom when the May hills were green
and the air sweetened and warm.
Trust came when he fed it chicken
and trained it to fly from his fist
at field mice and grasshoppers,
nurturing its strength and confidence
to face the world again.
Yet he was reluctant to give it back
to the endless sky and distant Blue Ridge,
saddened not to hear its chirp
or feel the light talons as it lit on his head
or see the solemn brown gaze;
but his time with the hawk was borrowed,
and as it flew beyond the pines vanished with the stirring breeze he was glad to have known 1t at all.
- Julia Nunnally Duncan
T11Ct, 1989
D1awU1g by RobM~sick.
�TA
by Heather Blair
fg[(,
1989
�A PLACE FOR BEARS
An Interview with Dr. Michael Pelton
(This 1nttr11itw 1s a continuation of a
conlll!rsation btg"" ill issut 17 of the Ka!Uah Journal.)
Katuah Journal: What are the basic
clements for good bear habitat?
Pt/ton: In 1970 we questioned
southeastern state fish and wildlife agencies
about bear habitat Respondents indicated across
the board that black bears need good food
sources (acorns and berries) and thick
understory cover of some type There seemed to
be common agrccmcnt that these were necessary
clements for good bear habitat.
1bc third element is privacy - some degree
of seclusion and remoteness. Of these three
clements there is no doubt that the
privacy/protection element is the most irnponant.
Black bears are omnivores and have a broad
food habit. Throughout their range in North
America nuts and berries are always present.
Where these arc present the species will survive,
but only if there is some degree of privacy.
Kattlah Journal: Then how about the
effect of roads?
Ptll()n: Road density and rramc volume
arc the two factors that interact to determine the
degree to which a bear will avoid crossing or
even coming close to a road.
The animals can be affected in two major
ways. First, the road may make the habitat less
desirable. Therefore they shift their home range,
usually to a less desirable habitation. Thus they
would be more vulnerable to monality, as they
would have to move around more to find
adequate food, denning sites, or cover.
Secondly, a road may result in direct
monality. Besides obvious factors like road
kills, the mere presence of a rood invites people
to use ii. The more it is used, the greater the
possibility that hunting will be one of those
uses.
Katuah Journal:
Are there other
cumulative effects of roads?
Pelton: Certainly. Once a road is in place
and opened, it attracts all kinds of human
intrusion, whether it's logging or hunting.
The Twelve Mile Strip (an area between
the east border of the Great Smoky Mountains
National Parle and the Pisgah 1"ational Forest) is
an imponant dispersal area from the Park. It is
also a major hunting area. However, the Twelve
Mile Strip is essentially devoid of a resident bear
population. There is a high degree of road
access, which means heavy hunting pressure,
and the 1-40 freeway separates the Twelve Mile
Strip from the national forest, which is ccnainly
a barrier to bear migration.
A recent ttaffic surve)' we did on l-40
found that during the daytime a vehicle passed
the counting point every three seconds. At night
the traffic slowed to one vehicle every seven
seconds. The only real land bridge is the steep
ridge that runs over one tunnel. We also know
that there arc 13 or 14 culvcrtS in that area which
could be used to cross under 1-40, but we don't
f'11U, t 989
~ "11-Rltea
know if they arc being used. From road kills
we've found, we do know that bears do
occasionally tty to cross the highway.
When traveling the coastal area of Europe
last year, l found it very interesting to see their
road construction techniques. At locations where
we would "cut and fill" in this mountainous
countty, they "bridge and tunnel." It struck me
immediately that the "bridge and tunnel"
concept, for whatever reason they used it, is
ideal for animals in that it leaves large corridors
for dispersal movements, in contrast to the "cut
and fill" method that we use at present
The availability of acorns
drives the dynamics of the black
bear population in the Southern
Appalachians.
Katuah Journal: That's interesting,
especially since another major freeway is being
proposed up the 1-26 corridor into Tennessee. It
seems like it would be time to bring up
something like that.
You have also talked about acorns and
their imponance to the black bear population.
Pelton: The availability of acorns drives
the dynamics of the black bear population in the
Southern Appalachians.
Black bears react to this concentrated
energy source in amazing ways. Ecologically,
physiologically, and behaviorally they go
through a ttemendous change each fall.
Bears tty to incorporate prime acorn sites
into their home ranges. But acorns produce
sporadically, and in any given year black bears
will leave their traditional home range areas and
travel for miles to congregate at oak stands that
have abundant acorns.
During this "feeding frenzy," as we call it,
they sometimes seem to ignore a human
presence in situations in which at any other time
they would have jumped into the bushes and run
away. They also show much more tolerance for
one another at these focal eating areas. There
seems to be larger numbers of animals in smaller
areas than at any other rime of the year.
It also appears that bears can shift their
ability to digest various foods, particularly to
assimilate the fall mast more efficiently. Acorns
account for their ttemcndous fall weight gains,
which arc all put on as fat
Considered together, all these changes
point to the importance of acorns as a source of
food for the black bear. During the fall months
they put on their most significant weight gains.
This fat accumulation must carry them through
the winter denning and into the cub-bearing
season. We have been able to correlate the
availability of white oak mast and the percentage
of females lactating, and we found a direct and
significant relation to acorn production. More
dramatically, in the event of a failure of the
acorn crop, there is an almost complete faillll'C of
black bear reproduction. If alternative mast
c rops fail as well, it could mean w inter
starvation for the animal
The size of the acorn crop also directly
affects black bear mortality. A scarcity of mast
necessitates greater movements on the part of the
bear population. This makes them much more
vulnerable to all the factors of monality. It
affects them coming and going: natality
(reproduction) and mortality.
For example, in Tennessee this year the
state fish and wildlife agency is having to deal
with a lot of three year old male bears moving
out of the Great Smoky Mountains Narional
Park and ending up in Gatlinburg and
Sevierville. There is a dominance hierarchy
among black bears, and the subadult males of
two or three years of age tend to be the ones
who get kicked out and have to disperse to new
ranges.
This example fits in with events that
happened in 1984 when there was a tremendous
mast faillll'C. No cubs were born that year in the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That
meant that all the females were available to be
bred in 1985. Therefore, they all had cubs in
1986. These are the young bears that are now
(conlinuod on peg~ 16)
XAtUAh Journot Pll98 t 5
�bein& forced to look for new homes. It's
interesting how this situation today was
precipitated by the events of five years ago.
Katllah Journal: How docs clcarcuuing
affect black bears?
Pelton: My main concern is that
clearcutting may be subtracting from the
"principal," 10 put it in economic terms, of mast
producuon. There is a trade-off between the
summer mast that is produced for a few years
and the years of hard mast production that are
lost when oaks arc cut down. But my main
concern is that it appears that foresters still don't
have a full understanding of how 10 carry out a
clearcut and have predictable results in terms of
good, strong oak regeneration. We have made
numerous observations on the Pisgah National
Forest. In those instances it seemed that they
were not getting the regeneration they should
have. Thus this becomes a major concern. Once
a srand is cut, it may be lost to acorn production
for many, many years.
Another concern is denning. Bears do
sometimes den in the areas of thick undergrowth
created by a clearcut, and that's fine, but where
dogs are used for hunting, there is greatly
increased hunting pressure. The bears seem to
sense their vulnerability. The more exposed they
are, the more apt they arc 10 leave and abandon
their cubs. Female bears in particular need
secwe sites, such as large cavities in old, hollow
trees or rock crevices, in which to den. The
more secure the denning site, the more likely
they are to stay put.
Twenty-five or 30 years ago clearcuts
were hundreds of acres in size. Over the years
they have been shrunken in size until now they
are down to less than 40 acres in the Southern
Appalachians. These are beuer for most forest
species. It means more unbroken. contiguous
areas. Smaller cuts spaced apart seem 10 be a
more logical cuuing regime. Adjacent stands
should be allowed 10 mature to mast-producing
age.
Katllah Journal· What specifically could
we do to help improve habi1a1 for 1he black
bears?
Pelton: I think we need longer timber
rotations. I still contend that we need 10 examine
rotation times in light of the importance of
acorns 10 bears and other species. I have a
feeling that the rotation times need 10 be
lengthened to give the forest as a whole a chance
to be as it productive as it can be 10 produce the
food that is necessary. That production time
varies a lot from one variety of oak 10 another,
but I think that the rotations are probably still too
short
The other need is, as I mentioned before,
that foresters pay a 101 more attention to oak
regeneration when they cut. They need 10 make
ha1
sure that regeneration is advanced enough, 1
there are enough young oak seedlings and
saplings on the ground, so that maple or tulip
poplar or any other species don't overwhelm the
oaks and take over the site. Clcarcuts should
also be spaced so that acorn-producing stands
are adjacent.
roads. We have had a history of roads being
opened and closed, opened and closed,
re-opened and closed again in response 10
various political pressures.There needs 10 be a
consistent and Slandard policy throughout lhe
region regarding roads. Without it, there's no
doubt that roads are going to be quite detrimental
to black bears. Even gated roads arc being used
for illegal hunting. Total closwe may have to be
undenakcn.
The state agencies in North Carolina and
Tennessee are bolh putting a lot of thought into
their bear sanctuaries. It migh1 be timely 10
examine the sanctuary boundaries in relation to
where timber management activities and roads
will or won't be, so that lhe efficiency of the
system can be enhanced. They could make sure
I.hat the boundaries of a sanctuary take advantage
of a cenain prime white oak stand, for instance.
I think we need to learn more about designing
sanctuaries, but with a liule bit of thought and
planning, perhaps the system could be improved
considerably.
Dr. Michael Pelton has studied the
black bears in the Sowhern Appalachians/or the
last twenty years. He is recognized world-wide
for his knowledge and experience with bears
and has advised bear research and restoration
projectS in Norrh America and Europe.
Rtcortkd by David Whukr
Transcribtd by Marsha R111g
Edictd by Kim Sandland and Dovid \Vhttltr
About roads .. .ln a report I presented in
1985, I said that under present conditions black
bears needed 10 have wilderness or
quasi-wilderness, because of the indeterminate
policies of the Forest Service about closing
'Jfu:rc fell tl1e min liealin9
forty rlays
am! w e were fwatl ng, we w ere spfushi"'J
am! Caugfi£119
boos wUh our rwses in f wwers
aml throu9h tlui trus, nug9ets of s unlU)ht
and •v•rywhcr• 9run reachL"'] to fwld us
bark to touch am! 9run sprou ts, forgotten
in corners wfu:r• 9run had com. rw more.
C£u
7Mr• /eJ1. tlu& rain fu:ali"'],
mil£"'] am! f a!l£119,
remLmli"'J us of paths. rivulet.s /or9otten,
paths unilwtujit of, ways too new to Lrn<UJi.ne,
the joy of clesctmt unforesun, abandoned
to tlu& twists of mud am! stone, un.ltwwn,
new, quid.Ly. abrupt, steep.
rai,n remlndL"'J to fall w'tlwui ceasi"'],
fall 9Uully, /all gratefully,
fafl, lo119Cr and try f or tlu& bottom,
Ln mud, Ln stornJ, Ln green, Ln greetJ$St
magnif£ceru;e of rain,
the rain that falls ~lL119.
f"aCL, 1989
�ArlWOl'.I: l¥y JamM Rhea
If you ever talk to an old-timer, and you mention the word
"panther," be prepared for some emotion-laden and perhaps
superstitious stories. Human fear of the unknown has influenced
and shaped the Eastern panther's destiny. Because of this fear the
Eastern panther has been almost completely wiped out in eastern
Nonh America.
This article is an.anempt to decipher myth from reality and
to present evidence for or against the existence of the Eastern
panther today.
TI1e following is an example of the typical panther story
told to an old-timer of today by his or her parents:
'The night was dark and still. Daddy put a log in the
fireplace and then tricked us liule'uns in bed. The only sounds
were the hoot of a screech owl and inseccs serenading. And then,
all of a sudden - a clt1unp, on the roof!
Wha1's that, daddy?'we asked in fright.
They got us children down and we gathered around the
fire. We could hear the creature pacing back andforch above our
heads. It was rryinR ro claw up some shinRles!
'Don't be afraid,' Mommy cold us, 'it'll be alright.'
Daddy grabbed his gun from the wall. We knew it wasn't
a/rig Ju. Then there was a loud, piercing scream! We knew it was
the call of the painter."
Is this scenario accurate - or is it just exaggerated mountain
folklore? Was the Eastern cougar, or "painter," as it was called
by the mountaineers, so bold as to come up to a human home and
threaten to attack and kill humans? Do panthers still exist in the
Southern Appalachians? What were, or are, they really like?
Cougars were almost completely eliminated in eastern
Nonh America soon after it was seuled by European immigrants.
The attitude toward the great cat was the same auitude which
caused the "taming" and destrucrion of the wilderness. The
settlers anacked the animal, fearing it would prey on livestock
and humans. Also, the destruction of the deer population through
over-hunting and land-clearing, and direct hunting of the Eastern
cougar saw this subspecies to its demise.
1"aCC.. l989
According to Robert Downing, former Forest Service
officer in Clemson, South Carolina, the Eastern cougar (a
subspecies which differs from the Florida panther, western
panther, and twenty-seven other subspecies of Nonh American
panthers), is as elusive as the answer to the questions asked
about it. Many factors complicate the picture. First we must
understand the habits and peculiarities of the panther.
A cougar (Fe/is concolor) will live almost anywhere there
are deer, or enough of the other animals of its prey base, such as
racoon, opossum, rabbit, skunk, and fox. Deer, however, are by
far the preferred prey of the cougar. All predators are best
adapted for a specific prey animal. The deer is the right size and
speed for the cougar and has come to be almost the cougar's only
food source. ln Mexico where deer are few or non-existent,
panthers prey on smaller rodents solely. This means that the
panthers must spend more time and energy to kill more animals,
but also shows their exrreme adapuibility. Unlike bears. panthers
will not eat the meat of an animal they have not killed themselves.
Occasionally an individual panther will acquire the habit of
preying on livestock, although that occurrence is rare. Cougar
are not and have never been a real threat to livestock. Wild boar,
however, are definitely a possible prey animal for the cougar
(which has implications for restoring balanced ecosystems in the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park). Panthers feed only once
every week or two. They kill only when hungry, usually eating
pan of the deer and caching or hiding the rest to finish later.
Robert Downing is called at least once, and sometimes
several times, a month to investigate reponed sightings of the
Eastern panther. He is presently rraining other Fish and Wildlife
officials how to identify and verify rracks and scats. Only a
rrained expen can tell the difference between a panther track and
that of a large dog. Cats walk with their nails retracted (to keep
them sharp). except on rare occasions when they are in a hurry.
Panther scats average one and onequaner inches in diameter, and
are smooth like those of a bobcaL Another panther habit is to kick
up a pile of din and leaves on the edge of its territory and urinate
on it. This habit is also shared by bobcats and foxes, so it takes a
trained eye to determine the difference. Tracks are difficult 10 find
in the mountains because the ground is either hard clay or the
(continued on p:ige t8)
JC.at ®h Jo1mmC. pa9e t 7
�FRONT
COUGAR
"'"~
(continued from page 17)
constant rain washes the tracks away. Snowfall helps to locate
tracks, but high mountain winds, subsequent snow storms, and
melting make tracking in winter as challenging as any of the
seasons.
With so many sightings reported, Robert Downing finds it
hard to believe they can all be wrong. But it is also hard to
understand why there has never been an Eastern panther hit on
the highways, when 5-15% of the Florida panthers (another
subspecies) arc killed each year on the road. Perhaps the Florida
panthers find roads more desirable to navigate than low, rugged
wetlands. a problem the Eastern cougar would not have.
Cougars were formerly common throughout North and
South America. where they existed mostly on deer, bison, and
elk. Today only small pocket populations survive, mostly in the
western United States. Panthers are loners, rarely traveling in
groups or packs. An individual cougar in the west occupies a
10-20 square mile territory. In Florida each panther uses 50-60
square miles because the population pressure 1s not as great
There is no regular mating season for panthers. They will
breed any time of the year once they come to maturity at three
years of age. However, breeding for any one panther occurs only
once every two tO three years. The two or three kittens in each
litter are raised by the female. After weaning at two to three
months of age, they accompany the mother on hunts.
The panther ranges in length from five to eight feet,
including the tail, and weighs from eighty to two hundred
pounds. Their call varies. It can be soft like the cooing of a dove,
a rattling growl, or an eerie shriek -- sometimes described as
resembling the scream of an old woman. The panther does not
scream when it is about to attack, as myth would lead us to
believe. The bark of the grey fox is sometimes mistaken for a
cougar call, although there is no resemblance. Some owl calls
have even been mistaken for panther howls.
In Florida, and many eastern states, panthers are protected
as an endangered species. In western states cougar are managed
by state fish and wildlife departments as a game animal. In
Texas, there i s no protective legislation for the cougar
whatsoever.
A known population of panthers exists in Manitoba which
has spread west into Ontario, and south into the Upper Peninsula
of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota Maine is an ideal habitat
for the panther, as there are large areas with no public roads and
large deer populations. But so far no panthers have been
officially sighted there.
Before there can be any action taken to protect the Eastern
cougar and its habitat, the presence of the Eastern cougar must be
confirmed. Roben Downing has written a report fol' the USDI
Fish and Wildlife Service entitled: "The Current Starus of the
Cougar in the Southern Appalachians." In it he describes recent
reports, historical aspects, searches for sign, and research needs.
The Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service pooled their
resources and sponsored Roben Downing's study when the
controversy came to a head in 1977. At that time several groups
threatened to bring suit against the Forest Service unless it hailed
timber harvests in an area where several cougars had reportedly
been seen. If you think you have seen a cougar or its sign, this
repon may help you to determine a true sighting.
The conclusion of Robert Downing's study is basically that
there is yet no conclusion as to the status of the Eastern cougar.
Although it seems fitting and right for panthers to be inhabiting
the southern mountains, not one official sighting has been made.
Until then, panther advocates have no basis for demandfog
protection for cougar habitat
The best thing one can do at this point is to get a copy of
"The Current Status of the Cougar in the Southern
Appalachians," learn all one can about tracks and panther habits,
and keep one's eyes and ears open when roaming the hills. The
true spirit of native Appalachia will shine forth when species such
as the panther (along with the American chestnut, gray wolf, and
black bear) are existing together in stable and self-sustaining
populations.
Roberr Downing's reporr, "The Current Sratus of the
Cougar in the Southern Appalachians," is available from rhe
Denver Wildlife Research Center; Department of Forestry;
Clemson Universiry; Clemson, SC 29631.
The Earth First! Biodiversity Project is collecting data for
an Eastern Cougar Study. Your help is needed to document
cougar sightings and habitat use in the eastern states.
If you see a cougar, remember as accurately as
possible the location; a description of the animal including height,
length, approximate weight, length of the tail, and distinguishing
marks; a description of the terrain; and an account of the event
Send information to: Eanh First! Biodiversity Project
2365 Willard Road
Parkersburg, WV 26101
Cougar tracks have four toe pad marks in a
semi-circle ahead of the larger metacarpal pad. There are usually
three lobes on the back of the metacarpal pad. The tracks of adult
cougars measure 2 3/4 inches or more in width. Cougars have a
central lead toe on each foot, and the two middle toes are not
symmetrical, but one is normally farther forward than the other.
Dog tracks appear similar to cougar tracks, but the toes arc
almost directly opposite each other, and claw marks arc always
visible ahead of the toe marks. Bobcat tracks are similar in
appearance to cougar tracks, but smaller. The tracks of a young
cougar will appear the same as those of a bobcat.
If you see a cougar track, make a plaster cast.
Here is how:
I) Prepare the ground surrounding the track by removing
any debris. Carefully remove any loose objects in the track itself.
2) Take a strip of light cardboard or plastic long enough to
surround the track, fold it into a circle and fasten lhe ends
togelher. Set it around lhe track.
3) Mix Plaster of Paris according to directions on package.
Once mixed, plaster sets quickly, so be prepared to pour
immediately.
4) Pour the plaster slowly over the track, taking care to fill
all the recesses, especially the toe marks, to avoid air bubbles.
Pouring too quickly will disturb the track. Pour plaster one inch
over the track.
5) Allow the plaster to harden. Then lift the cast and
carefully wipe away excess din and debris.
/
raet,1989
�Last fall, when the mornings turned c
turned to gathering firewood, we didn't hav
south-facing slope behind rhe cabin was doned
oaks. We discovered enough snags just along
the wood stove stoked all winter, and without I
summer I've found enough dead and dying oak
house next wioter, too.
Oaks are treasured trees -- valuabl~ fo~~r. !f!l~per
provide, valuable for their shady canopy and
wood and their sturdy beauty. But something is
oak forests of sourbcrn Appalachia. Since the
ll980's,
we've seen an increase in the mortality of oaks la
~land
h3nlwood fcxests throughout the eastern United ~ This
phenomenon, called• decline, has been o b s e r v e - y
since the early 1900's, bat foresucs~.ud 1
are just beginning to tmensi.v~ it! Ciiiil'di
k
is having on the forest ecosystem.
Oak decline is not caused by a single discaa odDlilllPa. bot
a series of interactions between environmenw strelles,
diseases, and insectS. A healthy oak ~ will begin to dec:Uae
when it is subjected to unusual stress, such u drought; fiosl
iniury or spring defoliation by insects. This causes physiological
changes in the tree and its root n~omes vllJn~ IO
lltlCk by the annillaria root'l'Offungus (Ari1tiJJaria metled), wllil:b
aormally lives on roOlS of dead trees. This runaus killS put oflhe
mot sySl!Cm, further weakening the tree and making it sa~
above ground auaclc by other diseases and iosects. The
two-lined chestnut borer (Argilus bilineatus) is often fond in
uees at this stage, its larvae making meandering galleries dna&b
the inner bark and eventually girdling the tree. As the aee
declines, ns growth slows down and the crown dies bact. Tbe
dead branches exposed as the leaves die are the most obvious
signs that a tree is being seriously stressed. If good condieiom
return, a young, vigorous tree may be able 10 recover, bat an
older tree will continue to decline and eveniually die, UiUll1y iwo
to five years after the stress first occured.
The U.S. Forest Service has been conducting surveys
throughout Karuah to determine how widespread oak decline ~
and which areas arc affected most severely. By combining aerial
surveys and data collec1ed on 1hc ground, resarchcn have
de1crmincd that oaks are declining in all southern upland
hardwood forests, but the damage varies greatly in different
areas. Oak species in the red oak group (including bhd. scarlet
and nonhcrn red oaks) are much more likely to decline lhan !hose
in the white oak group (white and chestnut oaks). Oak decline
1ends 10 be grca1cs1 in areas where trees naturally grow most
slowly -- on ridgc1ops, on shallow, rocky soils and on southand wes1-facing slopes.
Age is a fac1or, too. "Declines arc, by and large, diseases
of ma1ure trees." according to Sieve Oak, forest pathologist with
the Forest Service. "However, chronological age may not f>e the
best measure of tree maturity. On a high quali1y site, an
80-year-old black oak might be considered middle-aged, but on a
poor site the same ttcc would be a senior citizen, and probably
more prone to decline".
Oak seedlings arc relatively intolerant of shade so they
••id
br
'°
have a hard time establishing themselves under a forest caoopy.
Once a dominant tree dies and more fight reaches the g10lllld.
1hey tend 10 be out-competed by fas1cr growing seedling -yellow poplar, maple, sourwood, black locust In order 10 be
sure !hat oaks will be present in the next stand, it's generally
agreed tha1 there must be a substantial number of oak seedlings
and saplings already growing in tbc undcrstory before lhe
dominant trees die.
"If it doesn't maucr what kind of trees replace declined
oaks, then decline is of no consequence because some
regeneration will happen", Sieve Oak says. "But given the
problems of oak regeneration, it's not at all clear !hat oaks wilt
replace themselves after decline".
Understanding the biological causes of oak decline and
where it tends to occur gives some clues as to why we are seeing
ao increasing number of dead oaks in the green mountains of our
bioregion. Kan1ah forests were almost decimated by the "cut ou1
and get otlt" logging practices which prevailed around the tum of
!he century. As a result, the majority of these next-generation
forats are now in the 60 10 90 year range -- the age al which
oaks become more vulnerable to the stresses that cause decline.
1llc long-1erm drough1 we arc experiencing is surely a
contributing fac1or. Overall, the raie of global wanning since
1970 is higher than a1 any earlier recorded rime. If our heedless
consumption of fossil fuels continues to blanket the earth with
increasingly heavier layers of carbon dioxide, the drought stress
caused by higher tcmpcra1ures will have dire consequences for
the whole ccosys1em, and oaks may be among the firs! obvious
casualties.
Oak decline is also predicted 10 increase with the steady
advent of the leaf-hungry gypsy moth as It chews its way south
into these foresis. The gypsy moth, an insect pcs1 introduced 10
Nonh America in the ninc1eenth cen1ury, is expected 10 cause
significant amounts of defoliation in the near future.
One of the major current concerns about oak decline is the
impact it has on wildlife. As their crowns die back, declining
oaks produce less hard mast (acorns) and the nutritional value of
the mast may not be as high. In one declining stand surveyed, the
acorn yield was predicted to be 58% lower over five years than
would be cxpcacd in a hcahhy stand.
"Acorns arc very high in fa1 and carbohydrates", explains
Lauren Hi1hmn. Forest Service wildlife biologist. "They arc one
of 1he highest energy foods in !he forest".
This shortage creates a grave situation for all animals
which depend on acorns for fall and winter food -- black bear,
deer, eastern wild turkey, racoon, squirrel and other small
mammals. The populations of preda1ors such as bobca1, cougar
and raptors a.re also adversely affec1cd by decline, since much of
their prey consists of small mammals dependant on acorns.
According 10 Hillman, decline also decreases the diversity
of acorn species. Having a variety of mast in the forest, she says,
"cushions failure in one crop which may have a poor production
year. Given periodic hard mas(shonages, this could be a critical
fac1or for wildlife survival".
And !he impact of oak decline on wildJife wilJ be even
grca1er in the future because many dying oaks will be replaced by
(continued oo page 20)
foU, 1989
JC.atimn Journa! p1i9e 19
�olher species of trees which won't produce any hard mast.
"Black bear reproduction is directly dependent on. hard
mast availability", continues Hillman, and she asscns that 1f oa1c
decline continues to jcapardizc this food source, "the black bear
.
.
might not stnive".
If we consider long term trends m climate, the s1e~dy
advance of the gypsy moth and the current age of our .f?"=sts, 1.t is
reasonably safe to predict that oak decline is.a cond1uon wh~ch
will not be disappearing in the near future. Is 11 a problem which
needs to be addressed by forest management practices. or should
oa1c decline be viewed as one factor among many in the evolution
of a continuously changing ccosyst~m 7
.
The oak-dominated forests m the mountains of southern
Appalachia arc a result of land use history ov~r the last 200 years.
Past agricultural use of the land, woods _grazing, fire control and
the chestnut blight have all contributed to the present
predominance of oaks. But given ~hat we know a.bout ~ak
regeneration, it's a fair bet that there will
fewer oaks an K~u3!1
forests in the future if some oak decline management 1s!11
undenaken. If the resultant changes in wildlife habitat, species
diversity, wood supply and aesthetic valu~s are acceptable, t~en
there isn't any reason to try 10 reduce the impact of oak decline.
In areas where there is liule or no interference by humans, such
as in designated wilderness areas, oak decline and other n~tural
events are allowed 10 run their course. Then the ?Utc.ome 1s not
influenced by the imposition of management ObJecuves which
determine which resources to promote, oflen a1 the expense of
other resources.
However oak decline is increasingly being perceived as a
problem of fo~st health in forests which are being managed to
maximize one or more of these resources. The recently released
Draft Environmental Impact Statement co".ering the Grassy Gap
and Wesser timber sales in Nantahala Nauonal Forest. is one of
1he first public documents to address oak decline as a
consideration in the action alternatives.
The environmental and topographic factors which inc~
the incidence of decline cannot be altered by forestry pracuccs.
However there arc silvicultural treatments which can reduce the
effects of decline if the objective is to maintain a vigorous oalc
forest.
be
One such treatment is thinning. Reducing the density of
trees by thinning, especially when the trees arc ~l~tivcly young,
should help alleviate water stress. However, 1h1~mg can cause
an increase in armillaria root rot fungus, and u may actually
increase moisture stress if decline is already in progress by
exposing more of the soil surface to the drying effects of the sun.
Another management strategy involves encouraging oa1c
seedlings and saplings to grow in the understory of o~ stands
which arc declining, or which arc at high risk for dechne. As
noted earlier, oa1c seedlings under the shade of mature trees tend
to be out-competed by more shade tolerant species. If the growth
of these competing seedlings, saplings and shrubs is controlled,
the young oalcs will be in a position to talce advantage of
increased light when the mature trees arc gone.
The method chosen to control competing understory
vegetation is likely to cause some. controversy, si.nce .using
herbicides appears 10 be more effecuve and economical m the
shon tenn than cutting down the competing plants by hand.
Hopefully, this decision will be carefully considered in view of
its potential long term costs.. Much more needs t~ be ~nown
about the complex interacuons of these che1D1cals rn the
ecosystem before herbicides arc given a seal of appi:oval.
.
Some silviculturists advocate a second phase m the crcanon
of a vigorous stand: cuning down the declining mature trees.
From a silvicullural point of view, harvesting the big trees allows
enough strong light to reach the ground for the oak seedlings to
begin growing rapidly. Forest manag~rs "!BY .also .choose to
harvest declining trees based on economic obJCCUves, 1f the trees
can be sold as timber.
Harvest methods have been at the center of a great deal of
debate recently, with clearcutting generating most of the
opposition. And the controversy is likel>: to become eycn ~ore
intense with this issue, because clearcutung has been identified
by many silviculturalists as the most effective way to manage.oalc
decline. They affirm that if ~equate numbers of oak Sec<!lmgs
and saplings arc present rn the understory, clearcumng a
declining oalc stand is the most reliable way to ensure that ~e
following stand will be less susceptible to the stresses which
initiate decline.
The major harvest alternative to clcarcutting is managing an
uneven-aged forest by selectively cutting small groups of trees.
This harvesting is done periodically, usually every 10-20 .Y~·
and the trees arc selected in such a way that at least three d1sunc1
age classes will remain in the forest Uneven-aged stands are
valued for containing a diversity of ages and species of trees and
for their basically intact forest canopy.
However, oak decline is more likely to increase in stands
which arc managed this way than they arc in clearcut stands,
because uneven-aged harvest requires more logging road
construction, as well as more entries into the stand. This means
there is increased potcmial for soil compaction, i:oot system
damage and mechanical damage to the trees which arc not
harvested. These injuries decrease a tree 's resistance to the
stresses which cause decHne.
Skillful horse logging would subs1amially decrease lh~se
risks and would make uneven-aged management a beuer option
for declining stands. Unfonunatcly, neither the timber industry
nor the Forest Service consider logging with horses an
economically viable practice. Small woodland owners, without
the market pressures of big business, may find that using horses
to log decline-prone areas, thereby creating space_ for youn.g
vigorous trtts 10 grow, is a good way 10 m:in11ge de.chn .. on 1he1r
land and encourage biodiversity.
.
Oak decline is a biological fact in the forests of Katuah.
Watching robust, bountiful oak trees slowly lo.se th~1r stren~th
and die is an emotional experience. Oak decline is an issue which
gives us a chance 10 discuss what we value most about our
.
forests, and how we want 10 influence future forests by the
decisions we make now.
Photo abow, armillaria root rot fungus, courtrsy c{Strp~tt W. Oak
f"llU,1989
�PEOPLE & HABITAT
While many view the pastoral scenes and
remote majesty of the Southern Appalachians as
all-enduring, trends in human population
l migration and unrelenting resource extraction
have had monumental effects upon wildlife and
the diverse flora of their native habitat. Today
litlle remains unaltered by the effects of human
activity. The landscape we view today is a
threatened glimmer of what was once, but it still
exists as one of the most diverse ecosystems on
the North American continent.
A universal tenet that holds true for every
form of life is the ecological principle of
carrying capacity: a given habitat can only
suppon so many individuals of any given
species. Beyond that threshold the numbers of
the given species begin to decline or that species
begins to impinge on the ability of the habitat to
function and support other forms of life.
The principle of carrying capacity holds as
true for human beings as for any other life form.
The difference is that we are so insulated from
the greater environment by the barriers of
civilization, that we often do not realize the
impact we are having on local, to say nothing of
distant, habitats. In the case of homo sapiens the
situation is funher complicated by the effects of
a highly-developed technology, which adds an
additional element to the equation by magnifying
the impact of a given number of individual
humans.
Bioregional awareness leads us to become
as regionally self-sufficient as possible, so that
we restrict the impact of our presence to our
own bioregion. We also realize our
responsibility to accurately determine the
region's carrying capacity for human beings and
to limit our numbers accordingly.
A historical perspective of human
manipulation of the Katt.lab province will help
raise the question of the proper carrying capacity
for human beings in our bioregion - the level
that allows for the preservation of wild habitat.
land already subject to conditions of dire
overpopulation. The Old World represented a
virtually inexhaustible well of humanity that
flooded over the new frontier. After the
mountain highlands were first penetrated by
DeSoto in 1540, the question of access was of
paramoum importance in the development of the
Southern Appalachians.
The Indian culture tied to the land and her
offerings was rapidly overrun by the streams of
white-skinned settlers that moved in along the
major Indian trails 'through the Shenandoah
Valley and from the Atlantic Tidewater area,
widening the trails into roads as they went so
that others could more easily follow.
The first small communities sprang up
along the river valleys and larger coves of the
Watauga, French Broad, Little Tennessee, and
Hiwassee watersheds. Although few and far
between, their presence was marked by the
agrarian need for cleared land. The bottomlands
and wellands were cleared or drained firs1, and
!hen trees were felled on the side slopes to make
room for more fields and pastures. As the first
sertlemen1s became towns, the clearings spread
deeper into the mountains following small and
muddy roads that wound along the river and
stream tributaries.
Early In habitants and First Immigrants
The Cherokee Indians and the indigenous
people before lived in balance with their world,
utilizing the offerings of their Eden. Sources
estimate the native population co be about
22,000 individuals throughout the entire region
in the early 17th century. This number is
somewhat lower than pre-Columbian levels
because of war and disease brought by white
settlers. (Today, that number would be
considered only mediocre actendance at Fulton
County Stadium in Atlanta.)
The native people manipulated their
environment with a technology based on fire and
scone tools. Even though they had developed a
sophisticated system of agriculture before the
arrival of the first white people, it is clear they
never exceeded the ability of the region to
support them. They did not interfere with the
capability of the habitat to provide for other
forms of life; quite to the contrary, the native
people relied on that capability for their
continued existence.
The arrival of the first Europeans,
however, changed conditions drastically. The
first immigrants represented the overflow from a
1'a!L, 1989
Plwlo by Rob MusidJProject Ug/llhawlc
These first settlers lived largely off the
land, much in the manner of their native
predecessors. Like the Indians before them, the
white settlers annually burned off the forest
floor. However, because of their greater
numbers, this had a much greater effect on the
forest than it ever had before. Even so, until the
end of the 19th century most of the mountain
highlands remained an impenetrable wilderness.
Daunted by the richness of the New
by CHIP SMITH and
LEEK. FAWCETT
World, the Europeans regarded the productive
capacity of the land as limilless, leading them to
farm and hunt carelessly and without regard for
the future. Because they were completely
ignorant of ecological balances, they
exterminated game species of animals and birds
and slaughtered the native predators so that their
domestic livestock could free-range in the
woodlands. Hogs and turkeys were particularly
well-adapted to the forest environment and
thrived on 1he fall mas1 provided each year.
Once fattened, these were gathered into large
"droves" and walked along the "drovers' roads"
to markets in the piedmont
Mountaineers also traditionally foraged
for medicinal roots in the forest. As commercial
demand for these natural remedies began to
grow, medicinal roots became a prime baner
item in town and at the crossroad country stores.
As wagonloads of ginseng and other potent
roots and herbs began to roll down the twisting
mountain roads to the eastern cities, the rate of
trade began to threaten the survival of ginseng
and other herbaceous forest plants.
The Industrial Era
Grinding mills and small saw mills were
the height of industrial production in the
highlands until the mid-I 800's. The barter
system was the usual means of exchange. The
US Census estimated the population in the 18
western counties of North Carolina ac 200,000
in 1890. The lifestyle was still based primarily
o n subsistence agriculture, hunting, and
foraging.
However, in 1880. the first train into the
mountains pulled inco Asheville, and the
Southern Appalachians were changed forever.
The railroads represented a new degree of
access, and they brought exponential population
growth, absentee land ownership, and industrial
commerce.
The population of the city of Asheville
(which today is only somewhat greater than
65,000 people) mushroomed from 2,000 in
1880 to more than 10,000 by 1890. Tourism
also arrived on the rails, and sanitariums and
luxury hotels offered all the comfons a tired and
ailing flatlander could desire.
Commerce was the primary reason for
pushing through the railroads, and in the
Southern Appalachian region, commerce meant
timber. Large traces of land, often
30,000-200,000 acres in size, were opened up
to exploitation and soon surrendered their
bounty. Temporary company towns were built
at the base of major watersheds and railroad
lines extended into the highest coves.
The early timber barons were
industrialists, not foresters, and they neither
knew nor cared about the ideals of sustained
timber )'ields and forest regeneration. Their
mastery of the new steam technology gave them
access to the most remote reaches of the
mountain forest, and the destruction they
wrought there was unprecedented. The damage
to the species composition of the forest was
irrevocable, as was the damage to the soil. By
the early 1930's 80 percent of the mountain
(continued on page 22)
JC.awc:ih Jo'4rnat plMJe 21
�(continued from pqc 2 1)
landscape had been burned over. Little was left
to shield the soil from the area's high levels of
rainfall , and severe flooding occurred in 1896,
1901, and 1909, and periodically into the
1940's.
A mountain native, the Reverend A.E.
Brown provided first-hand insight in an
interview in the Manufacturer's Record ip 1910:
" ... these mountains were full of sparkling
brooks and creeks which required a two or three
week rain to make them muddy; today a few
hours of rain will muddy them .... Many of the
mountain streams are dry throughout the
summer and fall, while in winter, the waters
descend in torrents and do vast damage
rendering wonhless the bouom lands... The
sides of mountains have been denuded of their
topsoil and bouom lands have been overflowed
and swept away... "
Shortly after the end of World War I most
of the timber barons had tom up their tracks and
moved on to the Pacific Northwest. By 1930
only a few companies, such as Champion
Corporation, were left In the wake of the timber
rush, and at the onset of the nation's worst
drought and the chestnut blight, little was left for
human or beast.
The Present-day Forest
(or Wha t You See Is What Is Lefi)
Between the I 940's and the I 960's the
population of the Ka1uah province remained
static or even dropped The mountai n binhrate
remained high, as it had in the past, but many
young folks left the mountains to find wage
work in the cities of the east and the midwes1.
The bumpy roads offered a way out of the
mountains tO seek the American Dream.
During the 1960's and the I 970's,
however, a change took place. The isolation of
the "backward" Appalachians began 10 look
appealing to flatlanders sick of noise, crowds,
and pollution, and perhaps sick at heart at the
manner in which they earned their wealth. The
very isolation that had protected the mountains
from industrialization for so long now proved
their strongest attraccion. City-dwellers realized
that they could "have" that isolation - all they
lacked was a way 10 get there. Thus began the
era of the four-lane. The Appalachian Regional
Council brought in federal money 10 help state
governments upgrade old roads and build
modem expressways.
During this same period agriculture
declined sharply in the mountains - and with it
declined the traditionally high binhrate that had
always characterized Appalachia in the minds of
outsiders. With the construction of new roads,
in-migration became the driving force in the
population growth of the Ka1uah province.
Today the rate of biological growth (che ratio of
the binh rate 10 the death rate) remains at flat
zero or in fractions of a percentage point (0.07
percent in 1984), while the rate of in-migration
continues 10 rise dramatically, putting the overall
population growth of the Southern Appalachians
well above the national average. The number of
retirees translcx:ating to the mountains raises the
percentage of monality, but a look at the figures
shows the dominant influence of migration on
the regional population.
Lack of access has always been the
limiting factor on growth • the growth of human
populations, economic development, and
Xat®h Journal pa9e 22
industrialization - in Appalachia. Lack of access
protected the wild nature o f the mountain
habitat. Now the cork is out of the bottle. The
sporadic stream of in-migration has turned into a
flood. As over-populated Europe once offered
an inexhaustible supply of humanity to fill up
the New World, the large eastern cities now do
the same for the mountains, as the in1ersu1te
highway system offers an easy means of travel.
Along with the increaSe in new residents,
there has been a tremendous increase in demand
for recreational opponunities in the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park and the
national forests. Today, human management and
human use penetrates 10 the deepest reaches of
the forest on 4,900 miles of forest roads and
touches every aspect of life on virtually every
acre of the mountain forest habitat.
Meanwhile, wildlife has been pushed
back to the most remote areas of the forest in
search of food and safety due 10 the clearing
necessary for roads and development and the
associated noise.
Environment Committee assures us that al l this
developmen t can proceed with no impact
whatsoever on the "beautiful mountain scenery
that is so imponant to all of us" - in fact, it'll be
even beuer, because there will be more people
here to enjoy it wilh us.
Typical of this approach is the l-26
Corridor Association, a coalition of Western
Nonh Carolina industrialists, developers, and
their followers, who believe it is imperative 10
immediately upgrade the present Route 23 to
interstate proportions through Madison County
10 the Tennessee state line providing a d1rec1
connection between Asheville, Johnson City,
TN, and the large industrial cities of the
mid west.
Jerry Grant, the biggest developer in the
Katuah mountains, provides the following
insight via the /-26 Corridor Association
Newsletter: "We would be on the way to
somewhere - not the end of the line. We think
Asheville and this region are extremely fortunate
10 have an excellent liveability factor. We are
able to attract the right kinds of industry."
Those who still espouse this approach
have not yet realized that whenever we perceive
something as a resource, then it is automatically
for sale. And once sold, it is no longer ours. It
is gone.
In another public relations publication of
the l-26 Association, WNC at the Crossroads:
Crisis or Opportunity?, this theme of
development continues:
"Improving the US 23 gateway to
interstate standards opens the entire Ohio Valley
and Nonheastem US to the WNC mountain
expenence....Imagine how many more travelers
would discover WN~ if traffic now using I-77
and 1-75 could re-route via 1-26 through the
scenic Southern Highlands.... An interstate
would produce many business opportunities
away from its interchanges. Well-designed and
The North Carolina Highway Bill
(or Come One, Come All!)
This summer in Nonh Carolina the state
legislature passed a $9.1 billion Highway Bill.
Governor Ji m Manin's plan is 10 place "every
resident in the state within 10 miles o f a
four-lane road," build by-passes around seven
urban centers (includi ng Asheville), pave
10,000 miles of secondary gravel roads by
1999, and the remaining gravel roads in the state
by 2006 (see page 25).
To hear the road boosters talk, the new
roads are going 10 bring in all the good aspects
of industrial culture and none of the bad.
There's big bucks in it for everyone, we are
told, and, because we live in the mountains,
things will be as nice as they always were. The
;
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PR(S(NT 4 LA~ES
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f'aU:, 1989
�perpetual wild sanctuaries
It ts both a form of reverence
and a human need that we learn
at this time to intentionally leave
some wild places alone forever.
At this lime In Earth history. our
human species Is severely and Irreversibly
tmpacttng the ecosystems of the planet. As an
acknowledgement of our reverence for Life and
for the sake of our planet's biological heritage.
ll Is Important that we lntenllonally leave
perpetual wild sanctuaries where humans do
not enter....places where the non· human life
fonns tnd1genous to a pan.tcular area arc able
lo proceed lndeflnltely. undisturbed by human
presence. judgement. or Intentions.
This Idea Is not wtlhout precrdrnt. In
New Guinea there arc small areas of natural
vegetation left amid lands that have been
ovcr·grazed and ovcr·cut for cooking fuel.
These small fragments of natural diversity are
the burial grounds. rabu areas. sacred to the
spirits of the ancestors. where It Is blaspht>my
to tread.
In old English estates. amid the
Impeccably kept lawns and gardens. there Is
one comer kept wild "for the fairies • that Is
never entered These are probably areas that
would difficult lo matntaln anyway. and these
days the tradition Is most likely kept with
tongue tn cheek. but ll Is slill kept, as ll has
been for generations.
In the small country of Costa Rica the
newly-established tropical dryland forest
national park Is divided Into three pans: one
pan ts open to appropriate commercial use.
one pan Is only open to tradltlonal native use.
and the remainder Is not open to human use at
all.
Here In Katuah. there have always been
energy centers and sacred sites endowed with
spiritual power that were never entered except
by lndlvlduals or small groups of people who
felt compelled to venture there to fulfill a
specific spiritual mission.
ThJs idea could be easily translated lnlo
our own lime. lf people took ll to heart. Small
areas could be set aside on small tracts of land.
but setting aside a mountain range or large
areas of the forest to be forever undisturbed by
human presence would make a significant
difference tn the conditions of habitat and. no
less Importantly. would transform our
relationship to the land.
It Is both a form of reverence and a
human need that we learn at this lime to
Intentionally leave some wild places alone
forever. All who feel so tncllned are Invited to
set off an area of land - however large an area
for whJch the tndlvldual or group feels ll can
accept responsibility - as a perpetual wild
sanctuary. This could be done by purchase.
decree. or by personal witness. The areas could
be regarded as sacred shrines. devlc
dwclllng-places. burial grounds. or liberated
1.ones. In whatever manner It Is undertaken.
this commitment tnvolvcs a responstbtllty lo
respect the boundaries and lo urge others who
might come tn contact with the area to do the
same. It also Involves educallfllt the young
about the nature of this area and the purpose
for selllfllt ll aside. that they might be willing
to continue the practice.
ll Is time lhts Is brought forward as a
serious suggestion.
May all beings live wUd and free!
Plca.\C !lend any commcnis expressing your
rcacuons, dreams, or visions about a perpetual wild
sanctuary lO KatiUih Journal: Box 638: Leicester, NC
28748.
(conlJnUOd from Pl&C 22)
developed interchanges therefore not only
enhance the corridor's immediate environs, but
also seive as gateways which entice additional
development into surrounding counties.
"Regionally, the 1-26 gateway will
increase traffic throughout WNC. Thus,
thousands of businesses - both established and
yet-to-be stand to benefit...The US Chamber of
Commerce has determined that each additional
100 manufacturing jobs have the following
positive (sic) benefits on a given locale:
Non-manufacturing jobs .. ...............&!
Population increase...................... 202
Family units .............................. I 02
Increased school enrollments............ 61
(t ndguote)
The effects would certainly be positive for
the developers and real estate speculators who
stand to make a lot of money selling off the
mountain habitat. For current residents,
however, land booms do not necessarily mean
more jobs. They do mean higher taxes as the
local people absorb the costs of expanded water
supply and waste disposal services to provide an
infrastructure for the new industries. They do
without fail mean over-crowded schools, higher
crime rates, increased noise. congestion,
sedimentation. air and water pollution.
Richard Stiles. an economist for the
Western Nonh Carolina Tomorrow group, a
primary motivator behind the push for an 1-26
corridor, actually maintains that an
interstate- level highway would be less
ecologically damaging than expansion of the
present Rt. 23. He says that this is because an
interstate would have only limited access, rather
than being lined with development.
Such an analysis shows a complete
ignorance or disregard for the idea that there is
any limit to the regional canying capacity for
human beings.
T11U, 1989
Ptn:cmage Change in !>()pulation Size. Ra1c of Na1ural lncrcase.
and Net Mignuion Rate for lhc Average of !he Eighteen
Wt"stcm Counlle• of We.tern Nonh Carolina, 1940-1980
LEGEND:
- - Rate of PopulallOD Change
-""" ··· · Net Migrabon Rate:
· • • - - Ra1e of Natural ln~ase
25
20 -
15 10 5-
0-5 ·IO·
. :?Q -
1940-50
1950-60
1960-70
1970-80
(1971 l'"'JOC- )
Source: S«io-£c()namlc OverviLW of W~s1u11 Vorrli. Carol1NJ
fo r ti!, Vtu11aMla PusaJi VaiwNd Fou compilttl by the
.•t
Sou1hnn Appalachian Ccnlef, Man Hall College, Mars Halt,
NC
Direct displacement by the interstate
construction and resulting commercial
development will remove thousands of acres of
relatively undeveloped habitat. Migration routes
and range areas of different animals will be
disrupted by the cut-out, paved-over, and
fenced-in interstate route.
A new interstate route will greatly increase
fragmentation of habitaL The forest north of
Asheville will be severed by a route comparable
in size and volume to the 1-40 interstate. Instead
of one habitat area • however patchy and ragged
it is at present - there will be 1wo smaller areas.
The local gene pool, already in disucss, will be
divided in half once again.
However. the most damaging effect will
be the ucmcndously increased volume of traffic
that will pass over the new highway. A new
superhighway will mean more use. more
commerce, more in-migration, more human
demands on the already over-stressed
habitat. We long ago overshot the capacity of this
region to suppon the weight of our population.
As access opened the mountains to the ravages
of unrestrained technology at the turn of the
century, so now is it bringing in unrestrained
numbers of human beings. We arc the greatest
threat to habitat in the Southern Appalachians.
Rather than manage the forest to meet our
unending demands, we need to manage
ourselves. our numbers and our way of life. that
the forest may continue. In the long run, this
would be the best for all the inhabitants of the
mountain forestlands. ourselves included.
This process requires values that are at
once new and at the same time very, very old.
These values arc the substance of the biorcgional
vision. We need to learn/remember them and
pass them on. Only then will we be able to
approach a reasonable carrying capacity of
human beings in the Katuah province of the
Appalachian biorcgion.
~
Xot.Uah Journot p119e 23
�J
CAPTIVE BEARS FREED!
"ROAD MANIA" SLOWED
NabJral World News Service
Senator Wyche Fowler, Jr. (D-GA) led the US
Senate lo adopt an amendment to the interior
appropriations bill that cut the road-building budget of
the US Forest Service by $65 million.
Vowing lO curb "road-building mania" in the
Forest Service, Fowler called on his Senate colleagues to
pass the amendmenL They responded 55-44 in favor of
the measure. Twenty-rive million of the recovered money
would be returned to the federal treasury. The balance
would be used for stewardship programs, habitat
improvement, and land acquisition.
In calling for support of the amendment, Fowler
cited a Congressional Research Service study that found
that road construction was the most environmentally
damaging aspect of the Forest Service timber program.
OTTERS MAKE A COMEBACK
... AND A GETAWAY
Natunil World News Service
CARNIVOROUS PLANT LISTED
Norural Wbrld News Service
NllUnl) World News Service
Recent events in Cherokee drew attention to the
plight of caged and exploited black bears. One evening
this summer, several bears were "liberated" from
Saunooke's Bear Den show by unknown individual(s). A
large hole was cut in the outer wall of the enclosure,
through which the bears escaped along the creek into the
surrounding woods, and hopefully into the Great Smoky
Mountains National Parle.
The outcome for the escapees is unknown:
Saunooke has made no comment as to whether or not the
bears were quickly recaptured or escaped into the wild. In
any case, this evem effectively brought the bear's
situation to the attention of local media.
People for the Ethical TreaUTient of Animals
have annouoced plans to protest in Cherokee on
September 9, 1989. They have been warned off by the
Chief of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation,
Jonathan L. Taylor. A clear message appeared on August
15, 1989 in the Asheville Ci1iz11n-Times that any animal
rights protesters would be arrested and prosecuted for
"interfering• with the reservati.on practice of exploiting
bears. lo a pointed way. it is clear that on the
reservation, as in many areas or Katuab. the rights or
humans to exploit the bears supercedes any rights of the
animal species.
Loss of freshwater wetland habitat has
eliminated or threatened many plant and animal species
throughout the country. The US Fish and Wildlife
Service has recently proposed to add to the Endangered
Species List the mountain sweet pitcher plant (Sorrounio
rubro ssp. jonesii). Native only to a few motmtaln bogs
and streamsides in southwestern North Carolina and
northwestern South Csrolina along the Blue Ridge
Divide, the mounuiin sweet pitcher plant has been
reduced from 26 known historical populations to only
10. The pitcher plant has been the victim of drainage of
bogs. flooding. convctsion or the land for agriculture and
grazing, various other forms of land development, and
collection. Eight of the remaining 10 populations
survive on private land where they may be subject to
habitat alteration and collection by fanciers or
carnivorous plants; the other two are situaicd on State or
South Carolina lands. but are also vulnerable to
recreation and illegal collection.
The mountain sweet pitcher plant, like other
carnivorous plants, traps and digests insects for food. 11
grows up to 29 inches in height, producing showy.
typically maroon flowers gracefully suspended on single
tall stems, each covered with a hood. Insects. attracted to
the mouth of the pitcher by sweet secreted nectar, crawl
or fall into the pitcher. Their escape is prevented by a
smooth slippery surface just inside the mouth of the
pitcher. and by stiff hairs lining the interior or the pi!Cher
tubes, pointing downward. The insects are digested in the
enzyme.filled fluid secreted int the pitchers.
The mountain sweet pitcher plant and its related
species have long inspired curiosity and wonder. Unless
they are protected and s:ived they will soon inspire only
memories. Your comments can be addressed to the
Asheville Field Office: US Fish and Wildlife Service;
100 Otis Street (Room 224); Asheville, NC 28801.
ACID RAIN A PROVEN KILLER
NabJral World News Service
A link between acid precipitation and a wsease
which bas killed thousands of dogwood trees may have
been proven by US Forest Service plant pathologist
Robert Anderson and colleagues. Dogwood anthracnose,
or dogwood blight, caused by Disculo fungus species,
was first found to be infecting trees in the Northeast and
the Pacific Northwest about 10 years ago (see Kotuoli
Journal #21). Since then, it has spread lO many of the
Southeastern states and caused high mortality among
both woodland and ornamental dogwoods. More than one
quarter million acres in Kllttiah have been affected by the
disease.
Otters, absent from the Smoky Mountains
following excessive trapping and logging activities
during the 1930's, are making a comeback. Not only are
they successfully surviving in several reintroduction
sites, they arc claiming ierritoric:; across mountain ronges
from their points of rcintr0duction. Nine nvcr otters
were rclea.~ into thc Little River on the Tennessee side
of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and at
least two have crossed into Nonh Carolina drainages.
The ouers arc eluding the tracking efforts of
researchers. even though fitted with surgically-implanted
radio transmitters. Kim Dcl..o'1ier, wildlife biologist for
the Park. says, "Most of them have moved extensive
disuinces from the release site to other drainages. We
really don't know why they are moving so much."
Recently, biologists have been able to track the otters
only by air. A few oucrs from a 1986 release project an
the Cades Cove area of the Parle also were sighted later in
Nonh Carolina waters.
FtShermcn have expressed concern that ottcrs will
destroy game fish, but analysis or oner scat from river
banks bv University of Tennessee researchers revealed
that scat piles contain no trout bones.
"Trout are fast and much harder to catch," says
DeLozier. Instead. the otters prefer slow-moving fish like
white suckers. daces, sculpins, and hogsuckers, says
DeLo1Jer. For the ouers, •...these slow-moving fish ate
like picking sweets from a candy store."
The next proposed release of river ouers will Ulke
place as early as this winter in a watershed on the Nonh
Carolina side of the Park...but don't expect them to stay
there for long.
Xai.imh Journal pmJe 24
The disease is chanictcrized by putple-rimmcd leaf
spots. followed by twig, brunch. and stem cankers. Trees
ID the forest • parucularly trees growing ID moist
environments at high elevations - suffer more from
anthracnose than omrunental dogwoods located where the
disease can be controlled by cultural practices. Among
wild dogwoods, the disease is expected to continue 10
spread throughout the South.
In the past researchers had not been successful m
producing anthracnose symptoms on trees which had
been inoculated with lhe Disculo fungus in the
laboratory. In the recently reported experiments. one year
old dogwood seedlings were exposed to various levels of
simulated acid rain at a Forest Service lab. The seedlings
were then exposed to Disculo inoculum and the
subscquem rate of infection was noted. Exposed to the
fungus alone, the trees showed no sign or the blight. but
as the rain acidity levels were increased there appeared a
corresponding increase in infection. Research is
continuing to determine if the acid rain/anthracnose
connectio~an be observed in dogwoods growing under
field cond111ons.
Anderson's work will be helpful in effons to s:ive
the tree that bears the North Carolina state nowcr.
Perhaps more importantly. however, his experiments
have proven a link bclwecn acid rain and plant disease and
decline. It is commonly accepted that airborne pollution
is contributing 10 the deaths or red spruce and Fraser fir
treeS at high altitudes in the mountruns, but Anderson's
experiments offer the first scientifically accepted proof
that acid min is a major culprit in any instance or forcs1
degradation.
The logo above symbolizes the commitment of
the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League to protect
the integrity of the New River. The group is demanding
that the State of North Carolina carry ou1 its
rc.~nsibility to protect the river as a fcder:illy-dc.~ign:ncd
Wild and Scenic River area. The New is presently
designated a Wild and Scenic River for 26.5 miles or its
length, but this designation is threatened by an alarming
rate of de,•clopmcnt along its banks and a proposed water
treaUTient plan! upstream of the fcderally-pro1cc1cd zone
(sec Ka1t1aliJourna/ If 24).
Join the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense
League's efforts on behalf of the New River. Contact
BREDL: Box 1308; W. Jefferson, NC 28694.
raC!., 1989
�.
SAHC TO REVISE PROPOSAL
Nmural World News Strnce
The Southern Appalachian Highlands
Conservancy (SAHC) has announced !hot il will drop o
proposed National Scenic Area Proposal thllt the group
hnd drafted as potential leg1slauon 10 define m:inagemcnt
policy for the 24,000 acres of spcc18Cular landscape
known as the Highl:inds of R0311.
The ongin:ll propos:>I met w11h protest from local
l:indowncrs and building conl13Ctors who felt thllt lhcii
propcny rights would be violated by the plan.
The SAHC sud m a prepared sl3tcmcm, "Since u
has been our hope from the beginning !hot a proposal
could be drafted which met with the approval of all
part1e~ •... SAHC has withdrawn 1ts proposal for lhe
present and 1ntcods IO revise the same <;<>as IO hopefully
'™=Ct the conocms of local l'CSldcnts md landowners.•
The conservauon group pbns to hold both formal
and informal mceungs with all CO'ICcmcd to come up
wilh a new and belier proposal for keeping inl.3Cl the
beauty of the Roon Highlllnds.
NC ROAD BINGE
Nonnl World News Service
The North Carolina state legislature
overwhelmingly passed a bill o~ July 26 that will
contnbute greatly to mushrooming development in the
Klllliall province. By a House vote of 95-19 and a Senate
vote of 39-11, lhe legislature raufied a highway package
rood bill calling for S9. I billion for road construction
throughout the Slate.
In campaigning for the bill carher, Republican
GovClllOI" J1m Martin vowed IO bnng every resident of
the state within 10 miles of a fow--lanc highway. The
bill would fund major road-building and road-widening
projects and pave thousands of miles of ara,-cl roads.
Pnrndox1cally, the governor turned against his
own bill when Senate Democrats added a provision to use
incrca~ vehicle sales taxes for 11110 years to fund pay
raises for 1eaehcrs and swc employc:cs. But legislators did
not respond to the governor's last-minute call to tum
down lhe revised bill.
Among the projects IO be funded by the massive
highway constrUCtion act are widening of US 23 in
Madison County 10 cn::ue a four-lane roadway between
Asheville, NC and Johnson City. TN: widening of US
19-19E between Mars Hill and Ingalls m Avery County:
expansion of US 19 between Bryson City and Andrews:
widening of US 441 soulh of Franklin: and construction
of a loop IO circle west of Asheville between 1-26 and US
23.
1"c:i[(, I 989
FRIENDS OF GRANDFATHER
temperawrc in the river, which would cause populations
of fish and olha- life to decline.
Geologically, the Grandfather Mountain Window,
where some of the oldest rock exposed on earth juus out
of the gl'OWld, provides a unique glimpse into the past. 11
is estimated lhat Grandflllher Mountain is between 625 to
680 million years old, placing its formation during the
Precambrian era, a time when life still existed primarily
in the seti. and microorganisms were prom111CnL
Fncnd~ of Grandfather is c , rently securing
501(c)3 non-profit status with the Elisha Mitchell
Audubon Soc1c1y. It has also received suppon from the
Blue Ridge Group of the Sierra Club and is worlcing with
the Trust for Public Lands. To become involved or 10
send a donation to the Friends of Grandfather Mountain
Fund please write to them at: P.O. Box 239: Sugar
Grove, NC 28679.
Nonnl World Ne"°' Service
On !he northwest slope of Grandfather Mountain
hes 1,200 acres for sale. 900 acres of lhis is owned by
lhc Wilmore Corporation, headed by John Williams and
Hugh Monon. A master pion has been drawn up which
any developer interested in buying the property must
agn:c to. Tiie sellers see this master plan. which includes
a ski slope, shopping mall. convention center, golf
course, and 200 or more homesiteS as being earned out m
an envll"Ol\mentally conscious way.
Friends of Grandfather Mountain is a group of
concerned local citir.ens working to keep these
envuonmentally sensiuve areas mtact by initiaung a
media cnmpaign and an effort to purchase the land. By
purchasing the land and placing it in the care of a
conservation organi1.auon, perhaps future generations can
enJOY at least one moun1:1m whose i.rrcplacable beauty
lives unscathed.
In protceting the land, douns of species of plants
and animals would also be protccted. Many vnriwes of
irces, and several rare nnd threatened plants and animals
eiust on and near the 900 acre tract up for sale. Of pnme
botanical concern are the Blue Ridge goldenrod and the
Hclleri bla7jng star, both growing on the Profile Cliffs
directly above the endangered land. These species are
listed as critically globally imperiled by the Natural
Heritage Program. The Blue Ridge goldenrod is also
CODSJdered endangered by the State of North Carolina.
DU"CClly off the Shanty Springs Trail arc bent avcns and
lnuhng wolfsbane. These bcauuful plants arc also
globally imperiled. Their ap(>C3rllllce is considered rare
nnd highly localized.
The proposed development would also displace
hundreds of animal species mcludmg: deer. racoon,
opposum. red and grey fox, bobcats and an occasional
bear. Newly discovered is the presence of the northern
Oying sqwrrcl, a "Jlt'CiCS endangered in the Sl&IC of North
Carolina, just above the glade on the Shanty Springs
trail. These small, nocturnal creatures seem 10 be
declirung because of changes in vegetation and habitat
disturbance. The population of these rare squirrels at
Grandfather Mountain is the farthest north the species has
been discovered in the state. Also, disturbing the territory
below the hacking site for young endangered pe.rigrine
falcons may reduce the chance of the mature birds
renuning lO breed in lhal area.
From the westtm slope of Calloway Peak, the
highest peak in the Blue Ridge Range, spring three
pristme streams which form the headwaters of the
Linville and Watauga Rivers. Both rivers are currently
being proposed for designation as Outstanding Resource
Waters. The Watauga River may be unable to support
additional treated wastewat.Ct, awaillng further LCSts by the
NC Division of Environmental Management. Wastewater
treallllent standards for the nver have already been made
motC Stringent, and in some 111.S1allCC$ new pcnmts have
been denied. Any silt or 1dditional emuent into lhcsc
headwaters may ruin the nver"s quality. Of critical
imponance is the potentinl increase of average water
ACID VEINS
Narunl World Ne"°' Sen-a
The final mslallment of a ten year study on acid
rain for the Kau1ah biorcgion has recently been released
by Lhe Environmental Prolec:tion Agency. The final
rcpon states th:11. 1f current sulfur emissions continue et
the present rate, 129 streams in the region will become
acidic within SO )'ClltS, and 203 additional sueams will be
occasionally acidic.
Researchers also projected the possibility of
increases in sulfur emission during the same 50 year
period. Starling with a steady inc= of 20% in the first
10 years and continuing for 15 years, then leveling offin
the next 2S years. At lhis level 159 streams would
become acidic:, and 340 would be potcntJally vulnerable
IO periodic acidification.
Presently there are no S11C811lS in KatWlh that are
considered aciC:ic, and jUSt lhree are eswnated IO have an
ac1d-ncutrali21ng capacity or lower than 50
m1cro-equ1valcnts per liter • the estimated vulnerability
threshold or streams becoming temporarily acidic during
heavy snow melts and rainstorms.
Sulfur dioxide, wh.icb is convened in the
atmosphere into acid, 1s primarily produced by
C031-buming power plants and other industries.
Oxides or n11.rogcn arc released in approxim3tely
similar amounts by automobiles and industry. Even
though the CIU"Tcm presidential admlnlscraUon has
proposed a 10 million ton reduction in sulfur diollidc
emissions and a two million ton reduction in nitrogen
oxide releases over the next decade. one of lhe best means
to reduce poisonous emissions is energy conservation,
which lessens lhc need for both existing and proposed
power plants.
Here are some organizations that offer catalogs
contammg energy-effiCIClll products: Tiie Renew America
Prop:t: 1001 Connecticut Avenue NW (Sutte 63&):
Washington, DC 20036 (&02) 862-2999 and The Rocky
Mountain Institute: 1739 Snowmass Creek Road: Old
Snowmass. CO 81654.
�Gathering
I dream the spirits gather,
Gather in a space outside my
Room. They call my name over
DRUMMING
And over, I stand
Before them and their voices are
The howling of wolves, lhe cooing of doves,
LETIERS TO KATUAH
We are in another place,
They are touching me,
I feel like a candle
With a tall flame,
They give me messages,
When I wake I can only remember
The voices of doves,
Of Wolves, and the way
We wavered over this world,
Dear KatUah.
I'm writing to thank you for sending the
Katilah Journal all the way over to Swil.l.erlandl h's
very important lhat people sian to think and care more
and more about our environmental problems ALL
OVER the world!
I'm looking forward to your next issue!
The seem of sandalwood.
- Palricia Claire Peters
YourS sincerely.
Christine Moser
~t:.~S·
p$.
o-t$S
~ ri..~ \)~ tjl{C\;1!1
~G·s~~s
.~'.tS ....o~
,.c9v~st:.•S v
J\}t>G1!i :iS ~~
Dear Friends at Katrlal1 Journ(l/:,
Dear Katilah Journal People,
Your summer '89 issue on Ptau in the
Mowttains was a moment of serendipity for me as well
as good energy and inspiration. It connected with my
moment of comple{ing a silk screened print inspired by
and incorporating the Cherokee words for Water and
S~
7~(~:t;;)are:\JA 0' (pUJL'-)
Phone~ally pronounced:
~
-
q Ma.
Justice prevails - this time - in S.E. Georgia. If
here, anywhere! Your publication is excellent, keep it
running. Can we do an exchange with you?
At this time, it's a little out of balance, but the
best we can do. h's all part of the same problem greed and power.
Pax,
Martina. John and Donna
St. Mary's, GA
~
L/A1.,;1
-tho 1t1 :JU..
Several Cherokee people (Laura King, Pheasant
Driver, Mary and G.B. (Going Back) Chiltosky) helped
me with this identification and pronunciation.
~ 1hi1 G: spoken with urgency because water is
critically essential to life.
yours, delighted and connected,
Margaret Gregg
Jonesborough. TN
love Story
! lie wirh the Eanlt
Ukea lover.
Embracing Her
Enfolded in Her fragrance
In the heat of Her body
Through langucrous swooning afternoons
And rhythmic pulsing nights.
She is
With me
Dear KatW!h folks.
A new book is out. that all serious gardeners
and fanncrs should have. h's called Secrets of the Soil
by Peter Tomkins and Christopher Bird (Harper &
Row, 1989). Please try to get a copy!
- from Knotts Island, NC
Arowuim£
Inside me.
Oneness.
Greenness.
Wilderness.
Wildness.
Swirling in the spiral
Lost in Mystery.
Knowing the Unknowable.
-Mary dt La Va/ttte
Xatiulh Jou.rnal p1i9e 26
f'aU., 1989
�Dear Friends.
Greiuly enjoyed your spring issue. ns usual.
need to call your attention, however, to what I consider
the Planet Art article's wholely uncritical appr~~al of the
current 'crystal craf.e'. So I thought I would send along
Earth F1rster. Karen DcBraaJ's brillnnt linlc piece on
crystals as an 31ltcdote. from 'Live Wild or Die', n recent
Eanh First! dcnvauve. Please consider pnnting 1L
Sincerely.
Bill McCormick
Crozet. VA
Enclosed anic:lc {b) Karen OcBf.131):
Crystals. Their shimmering beauty vibrates
deep into your being, helping your being, helping you
setf-actuahzc wuh healing powers und guided
imageries. Cool and hip, right? New age and stylin',
yes? But at what price? Well. hell, can a price be put
on spirituality? Can a price be put on how the earth
feels when her powerful energy trnnsm1uers and hc:llers
arc ripped from her bowels for a profit, be u monetary
orspmtual?
The ripping (np off) of crysuils from the earth
is causing her to ulcerate. Great eroding <;ear; rc,ult
from the hungry hordes scouring the U.S.N:uional
Forcsts (mainly in Arkansas) and areas in other
counties, such as Mexico and Brazil. Armed to the
teeth wuh screwdrivers, shovels and bulldozers,
new-age hucksters and spiritual profiteers.
well-meaning heaters and seelcers of the sacred arc
mining and tearing at the earth with no thought of the
cost to her. The environmental impact of our
spiritually starved, buclc-hungry droves is not a
consideration.
Think about it. The next time you stroll by
Toots for Fools (no kidding) or any other nashy
crystal store in Santa Crut or elsewhere, and sec those
t.v. si1~ cryslJlls glimmering in the display window,
think about the hole it left when it was wrenched out
by its roots. like a bloody wisdom t00th from a gum.
And all those smaller oncs... thcy aren't laying around
the forest noor like pine cones.
"It resembles Gold Rush Days." said
Montgomery County Sheriff James Carmack in
Spectrum (Dee. 23, 1987). when asked about crysllll
seekers in the Oucitn National Forest and surrounding
areas in Arkansas. According to Carmack, people
vandalve the area by stealing crystals from legal mines
and digging illegal muics. These all cause erosion. The
Forest Service liberally grants crystal mining permit,,
3Ccording to Spectrum. but the fees generated don't
begin to cover the cost of m:>nitoring the mines or
contr0lhng 1llcgnl hunters.
Sure. crystals are poweiful. But maybe they are
where they are for a reason. Leave them there, where
the earth c11n use them as she sees fiL It is mter.:sung
thnt newagc folks, who profess to care for the earth are
so blinded by the crystal light that they are dcstr0ymg
whnt they profess LO love. Their cryswls are bloody.
Docs our endlessly raped earth need more of this?
The NFS and the crystal-hungry massc.~ need to
hear from environmentalists: crystal mining 1s yet
another massive wounding that our earth doesn't need.
We need to heal ourselves by healing the earth.
Boycou crystals! If you own them, don't O:iunt them,
which encourages others to get them. Let the NFS
know th3t you don't want them to grant any more
crystal mining permits. Let people know that crysrols
belong to the earth!
''
• J
'·
I
.'
Draw111g by Sw Adams
Dear KatUah,
I picked up the wonderful winter issue of your excellent and much needed publication at the Tremont Center in
the Smokies. This issue has changed my perception and my life. I hope to live in the area some day. although I mny
Opl to have a cabin in the woods of Kentucky or Indiana. It has been a dream LO live m the forest for a long time • by
a stream. I wish to support and join the struggle for unity with the planet we inhabit. for stopping heedless
exploiUltion and destruction, for nurturing life. I am in the process of nunuring my own life (much damaged in
childhood). This nunurmg is most harmonious with the healing of the planet.
Thanks for your work,
Starfire
Forest Voices
I
Sleeping on the wall of the world
arching over the sun with the c11n•e
off est trees
or
wlwse tips are rwe11ry leagues high
i11 the morni11g light
casting golde11 leaf shadows
in this green place.
The high wind
orchestrates irs wisdom
with the forest:
Be at peace with the fly
and pain of bursitis
Let the heali11g ofthe pla11et
be pan ofyou.
Be one with me
2.
Hush, the gods of the forest
are speaking.
They toss the sun with their fingers.
The liale gods rising
from the growui
are staffs oftruth,
each blade ofgrass
a word of wisdom.
3.
listen,
the voice ofthe wmer sings,
the naiad ofthe stream
whispers
10 the silent one
who rests by her way.
The butterflies above
are mating
and the weefolk
are white water rafting
dow11 her tiny rapids
in small spherical crafts.
She says thar happiness
is here with the jwnpingjish
alld the drops of rain
quietly sampling
the edge of1he storm.
Here hidden and safe
I would wish to stay.
4.
W01erfa/ls
in nLrlung laugluer
as white fire ascends
in balance
ofcoll/I/er energies
providing
one another's needs
in mandala
of reality,
body alld spirit.
-S111rfire Soledad
f'p(t, 1989
�(conlinucd from page 7)
habitat types represented in the landscape, the
belier the possibilities for rhc survival of rhc
whole. Older, more mature forests musr extend
over many contiguous sites, not just on ridges
and in coves, for successful migration of
species. For life to adapt 10 changing conditions,
reproduction of all but the most highly .inobile,
weedy species must occur on adjacent sites.
Following the mosr recent ice age, forest
communities migrated at a rare of only a few
miles per century as the climate v.'nmled over rhe
course of thou,ands of years In the coming
century, species tha• cnmnnsc marurc fore t
communities musr migrate ar a rate perhaps I0
times faster, an impossible feat from isolated.
fragmented habiratS.
Optimum regional biodiversity, therefore,
requires a continuity of habitats across the
landscape in a mosaic of mature communities
that includes all topographic conditions: ridges,
nonh and south slopes, coves, streams and
gorges, balds, and bogs. FederaJ protection has
recently been extended 10 many of rhc latter
communities (at least those thar are not
commercially imponant) as Congressionally
designated Wilderness Areas. But nearly all of
the remainder - the large areas of contiguous
second-growth forests that arc now
cconomicaJly mature - is destined for violent
disturbance before the tum of rhc cenmry.
Defining Old-Growth Forests
Forests managed for commercial timber
and wild game species provide a great diver:;ity
of plant and animal species through logging and
other planned disturbances. Therefore, it is the
conclusion of Forest Service policy makers that
timber and game management activities meet the
legal requirement for biodiversity. The one
condition that managed forests do not meet is
that of providing for the types of natural
diversity in critically short supply: those
associated with mature old-growth forests. The
condition "old-growth" is defined by the
Southern Region of the US Forest Service as
any forest stand over 100 years of age. This
completely arbitrary definition fails to meet the
biological requisites for a mature forest, because
it simply means that any forest stand older than
an economic rotation for commercial timber
harvest is classed as "old-growth."
From the biological standpoint, an
old-growth forest contains trees in all age
classes, including dying, standing dead, and
fallen dead trees. Because most of the trce
species that comprise old-growth stands in the
Southern Appalachian forests do not reach
biological maturity for 200-400 years (and
pcrhnps longer 10 be wcll-rcpresenied in t11e
dying and dead tree categories), the present-day
second-growth hardwood forests must be left
free of disturbance for at least another 150
years. Even then, many micro-habitat niches
provided by old windthrown trees, standing
dead snags, and rotting logs will not become
available until yet another century has passed.
More imponantly, most of the plants and
animals of our second-growth forests represent
mid-successional species, which are not those
that will eventually be present in the climax
communities. The maturing forests of today will
undergo dynamic changes in species
composition when left undisturbed until they
reach a condition of biological old-growrh.
JCGtwm )o"rnaL paq~ 28
Artwork by Joma RN!a
Herc we should dispel several common
misconceptions regarding old-growth forests.
First, old-growth srands arc not decadent.
On the contrary, they arc dynamic and teeming
with life. As old crees fall. many new niches are
created for other plants and animals, both in the
canopy overhead and in the rotting wood on the
forest floor. Many microhabitats undergo
constant micro-successions of plants and
animals, as new niches arc created and old ones
disappear.
A second myth is that "old-growth" is
synonymous with "wilderness." This is
cenainly not true in eastern Nonh America,
where we have very liulc true old-growth in
areas that have been Congressionally designated
as "Wilderness." There is one important
difference between the two. Legal Wilderness is
by definition for hwnon beings. a commodity
for people to enjoy as a recreational experience,
and it is managed as such by the public
agencies. Old-growth forest is for bioro,
preserved for the intrinsic value of all the
various forms of biological diversity therein.
Managing for old-growth, however, does not
exclude use by people. rn fact, old-growth
forests enhance benefits such as recreation,
wildlife habitat, visual quality, and stream
quality, as well as providing for essential
biological diversity.
Restoring Old-Growth Diversity
We return full circle to the opening
paragraph of this paper. "Today we stand at the
threshold of a great decision" - one of the most
imponant for public land use since the creation
of the national forests.
Current management plans for the
Southern Appalachian national forests call for
widespread timber harvest, largely by
clearcurting, for most of the 60 to 80 year old
second-growth stands that have reached
economic maturity. There arc provisions in
some forest management plans to temporarily
preserve five percent of each harvested
component (approximately 50 acres for each
1000 acres harvested) for old-growth .
However, these temporary reserves are only
fragments surrounded by young managed
stands, and even these may also be harvested in
the future. Tree species in the young stands
created by harvesting will be heavily biased
toward those with known commercial value,
such as eastern white pine, yellow poplar, and
the red and white oaks. This would reduce
natural diversity ai.d would also reduce the
potential for genetically stable communities in
the future. An orientation toward timber
management is not going to maintain regional
biological diversity in its broadest sense.
The United States IOOth Congress stated,
"The Eanh's biological diversiry is being rapidly
depleted at a rate without precedent in human
history....Mosr losses of biological diversity are
largely avoidable consequences of human
activity ....Mointoining biological diversity
through habitat preserv01ion is often less costly
and more effective than ejforrs ro save species
once tltey become endangered." (Quoted from
H.R. 4335. 1988, emphasis added).
We frequently hear reports of
distinguished biological scientists warning that
human-caused destruction of naturaJ habnats is
the single most serious threat to survival of life
as we know it on our planet. The loss of genetic
diversity and the loss of entire ecosystems arc
occurring at an accelerating pace around the
world. The Southern Appalachian Mountains arc
a pan of this grim picture. But the existing
public lands have the potential to restore the
natural diversity provided by the old-growth
forests currently missing from the Appalachian
biorcgion. Unbroken, naturally-functioning
habitats must be restored here to provide the
basic life suppon systems necessary to carry all
forms of life through rhe unfolding ecological
catastrophe of our times.
We can overcome rhc mental blindness
that would have us believe that providing
commodities for people is the uhimote use for
the Appalachian national forests. We can expand
our vision to keep in mind the value of habitat,
the foundation for all life. Whole and healthy
habitats provide the necessary elements for the
continued survival of the entire global
ecosystem.
Robert Zollner was a professor of
forestry at Clemson Universiry specializing in
the ecology of Sowhern Appalachian hardwoods
until lus retirement in 1988.
f'~U.. 1989
�LIVING GREEN
<O Christoph and Mary-Clayton Endcrlein
The Oreen Movement is more than 1 political ideology because Green vallltS also involv~ how we live every
day. This list is for thl>se who have lhe "Green Spirit" and would like IO i~rponlle II further tnlO _daily
living...Only by activating the ilel1IS on lhis list, can our grea1-grea1-grea1 gra~c~1ldren have an opponunuy.
interacl directly wilh lhe grea1 whales, lhe elephanlS. the ravens, lhe wolves. This hs1 was created by Interspecies
Communication board member ChrisU>ph Enderlein and his wife Mary-ClaylOll. Feel free IO copy. bul do llOl change
i1 wilhoul permission.
'°
Recycle paper, glass, and metals
.
Recycle motor oil, dispose of hazardous waste responsibly
Use cloth diapers
Reuse egg cartons and paper bags
Avoid using styrofoam
.
Avoid disposable plates, cups, utensils
Use rags instead of paper towels
.
Use paper bags, not pa~r towels to drain ~se
Give away rather than dispose of unneeded nems
IO. Use the back of discardable paper for scratch paper
11. Be responsible and creative with leftover food
12. Use the water from cooking vegetables to make soup
13. Mend and repair rather than discard !llld replace
14. Invest in well-made functional clothing
15. Buy bulk and unpackaged rather than packaged ~oods
16. Purchase goods in reusable and recyclable containers
17. Buy organic, pesticide-free foods
18. Avoid highly processed foods
19. Eat foods from low on the food chain
20. Compost your food scraps
21. Grow your own food (even small kitchen gardens)
22. Volunteer to start or help with a community garden
23. Suppon your local food co-ops
24. Discover where the foods and goods you buy come from
25. Buy locally grown produce and other foods .
26. Use glass and steel cookware rather~ alu1TU11um
27. Volunteer to maintain local parlts and wilderness
28. Buy living Christmas trees
29. Plant trees in your community
30. Learn about the plants and animals in your re~on
31. Discover your watershed and work to protect II
32. Oppose the use of roadside defoliants in your area
33. Use non-toxic, biodegradable soaps and cleansers
34. Use non-toxic pest control
35. Don't buy products tested on animals
36. Keep hazardous chemicals in spillproof containers
37. Put m a water conserving shower head
38. Take shoner showers
39. Tum off the water while you brush your te~th
40. Put a water conservation device on your toilet
41. Learn where your waste and sewage goes
42. Learn where the energy for your home comes from
43. Suppon your local utility's conservation programs
44. Hang your clothes out to dry
45. Be sure your home is appropriately insulated
46. Weather-seal your home thoroughly
47. Heat your home responsibly, with renewable energy
48. Don't bum green wood
49. Choose the longterm investment of solar energy
50. Tum off lights when not in use
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Ta!!.1989
Drawing by Rob Messi<:lr.
51. Tum down your hot water heater
52. Lower your thcnnostat and wear warmer clothes
53. Buy energy efficient elccuical appliances
54. Keep your car engine well tuned
55. Drive a fuel-efficient car that uses unleaded gas
56. Walk, bicycle, carpool, and use public transponation
57. Shop by phone first, then pick up your purchases
58. Use rechargable batteries
59. Research socially-responsible investments
60. Suppon local credit unions
.
61. Suppon local shops and restaurants. not chruns
62. "Adopt a grandparent" from the local senior center
63. Volunteer to cook for senior citizens
64. Provide for children in need
65. Hold a community potluck to meet your neighbors
66. Pick up liner along highways and near your home
67. Sponsor a clothes swap
68. Become involved with community projects and events
69. Organize or panicipate in community spons
70. Be responsible for the values you express
71. Educate yourself on global and "Third World" issues
72. Participate in sister city and cultural exchanges
73. Learn about the cultural diversity in your region
74. Work for global peace
75. Learn how your legislators vote, let them know your views
76. Be an active voter and anend town meetings
77. Vote for candidates who support green values
78. Become involved with your child's school
79. Encourage your child's natural talents and interests
80. Organize or join a toy co-op
81. Put toxic substances out of reach of children
82. Teach your children ecological wisdom
83. Listen to your children's needs and suppon their dreams
84. Discourage the use of violent toys in your household
85. Communicate openly with your co-workers and friends
86. Acknowledge someone who provides quality service
87. Work to understand people with different values
88. Be conscious of the struggles of oppressed people
89. Unlearn cultural sexism and racism
90. Acknowledge individual spirituality in yourself and others
91. Donate blood if your health permits
92. Explore ways to reduce the stress in your life
93. Practice preventive health care
94. Exercise regularly and eat wisely
95. Bring music and laughterinto your life
96. Learn about the medications you put in your body
97. Practice responsible family planning
98. Learn First Aid and emergency procedures
99. Take time to play, relax and go into nature
JOO.Decrease TV watching and increase creative learning
IOI.Have fun and be joyful!
JC.atiuah JournGt p!MJB 29
�Whether you are a New Age prosperity
afti m1a11onist or an idealistic pauper avoiding
guilt by association with money, either way you
look at it, inflation has deemed our dollars paper
symobls of wealth that does not exist. A
practical person cannot help but wonder how
long before the big balloon pops and blows all
our preny greenbacks away.
There is a low-level anxiety present
concerning our inflated economy which has
prompted many people 10 s1ockpile food. move
back to the land, and in many other ways be as
self-sufficient as possible.
This awareness is helpful in keepi ng us
on our 1oes and ready for change, which is
inevitable, even if it is unpredictable. However,
survivalist consciousness can be devastating if
you spend all your energy preparing for the fall
of the existing order and deny yourself the
bounty of the present, which is all we have
really got.
It seems important to balance respect for
the preseni solu1ion of problems within 1
he
world in which we live, however imperfect,
with a vision and steps LOward an economics
rooted in life.
Barter Fairs offer a deeply satisfyin g
eicperience for those who long to participate in a
tangible, life-oriented exchange system, where
true value is considered.
As an example, here is a trade I witnessed
at a Saner Fair in Idaho a few years ago:
George had an anvil that Dennis wanted,
but all Dennis had brought to trade were
moccasins, which George did not need. Dennis
kept coming back to George longing for that
anvil, which George could not find anybody
else to take. Meanwhile, George had found
some gorgeous jewelry he could not live
without, and in talking to the crafter he
discovered that she was looking for some
footwear. George told her about Dennis. They
did a threesome, and the goods shifted hands.
All three lightened !heir loads and left richer.
Ideally the three people involved in the
trade did not translate their goods into money
value and compare their worth that way. They
each il~d a.a abundance of something of which
they no longer had a need and convened it into
something they preferred to carry around with
them. The anvil may have been worth $150
new, but to George it was just unused heavy
baggage. Those jewels might have carried a
hefty price tag at a craft fair. but since George
had such a yearning gaze and such an open
smile, the artist easily chose to exchange them
for Dennis' moccasins, which could never have
been sold for so much money, but fit her feet
like her own skin, to her infinite comfort and
delight.
BARTER
FAIR
All judgement on money ethics aside,
bartering goods and services without the value
translation of money is a stimulating,
heart-warming, and enlightening activity. The
true value of things is discovered to be
subjective. The shifting of a fair full of items to
their most valuing recipients is wondrous in its
unfoldment; the grounds for transfer are
infinitely variable.
The phenomenon of the modem American
Bane. Fair originated in the Pacific Northwest, a
r
region with a well-developed bioregional
awareness and a strong emphasis on
self-sufficiency . The fairs are held
semi-annually. The autumn fairs, coinciding
with harvest season, are heavier on agricultural
produce. In the spring, people bring more
handmade items produced during the long
winter. Both fairs are rich in reunions of
friends, music-malting. sitting around campfires
late into the night, and all the peripheral activitiCl>
of the time and place.
Barter Fairs are different than flea
markets, although many people do bring used
clothes, tools, and other goods to trade. They
are more akin to the county fairs in the country.
There is a spirit of festivity and pride in personal
accomplishment and a sense of the bounty that
comes of humanity working with nature. They
are a celebration of the fruits of this union within
a region of Earth.
There is no reason I can see that Saner
Fairs need to remain unique to the Northwest.
Our southern highlands, historically short on
money and high on resourcefulness, seem
naturally suited to generate and support this kjnd
of community celebration and self-sufficiency.
Barter Fairs carry on a spirit with ancient
roots in prehistoric times, when wandering
tribes periodically gathered together in great
council circles to define and experience their
cultural autonomy. During later agric ultural
periods fairs continued to stir human souls.
Now in the age of K-Mart when you can hardly
find a service station for your car, and pliers fall
apart after one use, it is especially good to come
together to celebrate our connectedness and
support each other in our skills. Barter Fairs in
Katuah will breed a healthy blend of personal
pride and community empowennent.
(Anyone with ideas on a good location to
hold a Baner Fair in Kat1'ui11, please contact me.
The main considerations are a flat place large
enough to accommodate camping, parking, and
trading for l ()() or so barterers and some daytime
visitors; a good water source; and reasonable
access by larger vehicles.)
- Morgan Swann
wrire clo KatUahJournal,
orcaU (704)298-1770
'1\iaee, '1Wll~l 'Nat\Jri\ls
KRLRNU
T-SHIRTS. S WEATSHIRTS
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AND TO OLS FOR LIUI NG
IN APPALACHIA
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The besl text on Deep Ecology,
Sacred Land Sacred Sex
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160 Broadway
Ashevllle, NC 28801
Where Broactw.y ~
Merrlmon Ave 6
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by Dolores LaChapclle
"...we should be glad 1/ia1 we have teaclws such as
Dolores LaC/iapelle." - Katu:ih Joumnl 1123
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Monday-Satu rday: 9am·8pm
Sunday: lpm·Spm
$23.00 (Price Ulcludes postage)
NC resikrus plt!4Se add S'k sales tax.
Orderfrom: KALRNU
(704) 253-7656
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f'at!, !989
�The dates are set. The location is chosen.
The Fourth Norch American Bioregional
Congress (NABC IV) will be held August
19-26, 1990 in the Gulf of Maine Bioregion on
the shores of Lake Cobboosseecontee ("where
the sturgeon leap" in the Penobscot language)
just west of Augusta, Maine and the Kennebec
River.
This Congress finds the bioregional
movement at a critical juncture. The burgeoning
ecological crisis is going to test the depth of the
movement's commilment. The stakes are high,
and while Third World countries are currently
taking the brunt of the ecologicar impact, we 100
feel the
pressur~
here in North America
a.~
the
fortes maintaining industrial society struggle 10
keep their power.
But times of crisis are also times of
change. What we are witnessing could possibly
be the last days of induscriaJ civilization. A great
deal depends on what we do in the decade
ahead. The bioregional movement could be at
the pivot point of a great change, or it could end
up as just another bit of flotsam sucked down
the tubes. The values we hold to and the actions
we take are what will decide. At NABC IV we
will have an opportunity to clearly state those
values and decide how we will put those values
into action.
Excerpt from World Charter for Nature
NABC IV
The Eanh is calling to us. Are we ready to
listen?
A delegation of bioregional folks from ·the
Kaulah province will crave! to the Gulf of Maine
for the NABC IV. We would like to see the
Southern Appalachians well-represented at the
Congress. Make plans now if you are interested
in attending.
For information on the forming Katuah
delegation, contact:
K011"1h Journlll
Box 638
Leicester, NC
Kanlah Province 28748
(704) 683-1414
For information on the Congress, contact:
Gulf of Maine Biorcgional Network
61 Maine St.
Brunswick, ME
Gulf of Maine Bioregion 04011
• Leopold, Aldo; A Sund Country Almanac; Oxford;
Oxford University Press, 1949
• Lovelock, J.E.; Goio: A New look at Life on
Earth; Oxford; Oxford University Press, 1979
A Shon List of Sources and References on
Biodiversity and Habirat Relevant to the
Southern Appalachian Forest
• Margolin, Malcolm; The Earth Manual: I/ow to
Work on Wild Land Wi1hou1 Taming /1, Berkeley:
Heyday Books, 1985
• Berger, John J.: Restoring the Earth: /low
Americans An Working to Renew our Damaged
Environment; New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986
• Maser, Chris; Tht Redesigned Forest: San
Pedro, CA; R. & E. Miles, 1988
• Berry, Thomas. Tile Dream of 1h11 Ear1h; San
Francisco; Sierra Club Books, 1988
• lfuxton, Barry and Melinda Crutchfield, eds.:
Tiie Great Fores/: An Appalachian Story: Boone, NC;
Appalachian Consortium Press, 1985
• Cooley, James L, and Jane H. Cooley, eds.;
Natural Divtrsi1y in Fores/ Ecosystems: Proceedings of
tht Workshop: Alhens; Institute of Ecology, University
of GA. 1984
• Frome, Michael: Strangers in lligh Places;
Knoxville, TN: University or Tennessee Press, 1966
• Gordon. Lorimer C.: S1and flis1ory and
Dynamics of a Southern Appalachian Virgin Forts/; Ph.
D. dissenation, Duke University DepL of Forestry and
Environmental Studies, 1977
• Harris, Larry D.; Tht Frogmenltd Forest: Island
Biogeogrophy Theory and 1he Prtstrvo1ion of Bio1ic
Diversi1y; Chicago, IL: University or Chicago Press,
1984
• Jackson, Laura; Moun1oin Treasures al Risk;
Washingion, DC; The Wilderness Society, 1989
• Kulhavy, D. L., and R. N. Conner,
eds.;Wi/derntss and Natural Artas in Eas1ern United
States: A Monogtmenl Chai/tinge; Nacogdoches, TX;
Stephen F. Austin State University, 1986
1"titL, I 989
• Ma.stran, Shelley Smith and Nan Lowerre;
Mountaineers and Rangers: A flis1ory of Federal Fores1
Monagemenl in 1he Sowhern Appalachians. 1900-1981:
Washingion, DC; US Dcpan.mcnt of Agriculture, 1983
• Michaux, F.A.; Travels 10 tht Westward of 1he
Alleghany Moun1oins in the States of Oliio. Kentucky,
and Tennessee in 1he Year 1802; London; Barnard and
Sulizer, 1805
• Myers, Normnn Or., gen. ed.; Goia: An Atlas of
PIOlll!tory Monagtmem: New York; Anchor Books, 1984
• Nash, Roderick F.; The Righ1s of Nature: A
History of Environmental E11iics: Madison; University of
Wisconsin Press, 1989
• Norse, Elliot A.; Conserving Biological
Diversiry in Our National Fortsis; Washington. DC; The
Wilderness Society, 1986
• Norton, Bryon G., ed.; Tht Preservation of
Species: Tht Value of Biological Diversity; Princeton,
NJ; Princeion University Press. 1986
• Pringle, Laurence and Jan Adkins; Chains,
Webs, & Pyramids: Tht Flow of Energy in Na1ure; New
York; Thomas Y. Crowell, 1975
• Raven, Pete.r H.; The Global Ecosys1em in
Crisis; Olicago:The MacAnhur Foundation, 1987
Adopted by the United Nations
General Assembly
(9 Nov 1982)
".... I. Nature shaU be respected and iis essential processes
shall not be impaired.
2. The genetic vinbility on the earth shnll not be
compromised; lhe population levels or all life forms, wild
and domesticated, must be at least sufficient for their
survival, and to this end necessary habitaL~ shall be
safcguan:lcd.
3. All areas or the canh. both land and sen, shall be
subject to these principles of conservation; special protection
shall be given to unique areaS, to representative samples of
nil the different types or ecosystems and to lhe habitats or
rare or endangered species.
4. Ecosystems and organisms, as well as the land,
marine and atmospheric resources that are utilized by
humans. shall be managed to achieve and maintain optimum
sustainable productivity, but not in such a way as to
endanger the integrity of those other ecosystems or species
wilh which they coexist.
5. Nature shall be secure.<! against degradation caused by
warfare or other hostile activities.
6. In lhe decision-making process it shall be recognized
lhat humans' needs can be met only by ensuring the proper
functioning or natural systems and by respecting the
principles set forth in the present Chnner...."
This UN Charter can serve as a starting point for
local areas and regions to draft their own Charter for
Nature. Legally recognizing the rights of other
species is a critical step in bringing our species' syslem
more in balance with the Life systems in which we
pa rt id pate.
If you would like a copy of the entire UN
Charter, send a SASE to: Mamie Muller, Katuah
Journal, P.O. Box 638, Leicester, NC 28748 Katuah
Province.
Please keep us in touch with your efforts. Ho!
• Seed. John, Joanna Macy, et al.; Thinking Wee
A Moun1oin: Towards A Council Of All Beings:
Philadelphia; New Society Publishers, 1988.
• Shands. William E. and Robert G. Healy; Thti
Lands Nobody Won1ed: Washington, DC; The
Conservation Foundation, 1977
• Shands, William E., and John S. Hoffmnn, eds.:
The Greenhouse Ef!u1. Climate Change, and U.S.
Fores1s; Washington, DC; The Conservation
Foundation, 1987
• Spurr, Stephen H., and Bunon V. Barnes; Forts/
Ecology {3rd edition); New York; Wiley and Sons,
1980
• United States Congress: Technologies to
Main1ain Biological Diversity; Washingum, DC; Office
ofTechnology Assessment, 1988
• United States Department of Agricult.ure, Forest
Service, Southern Region; Atlanta, GA; Land and
Resource Monagtmenl Plans and Final Environmenlal
Impact S101emen1s:
C!Jauaboochee-Oconec National Forests
(Georgia), 1985
Cherokee National Forests (Tennessee), 1986
Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests (North .
Carolina), 1987
• Wharton, Charles H., and Harvey L. Ragsdale;
The Values of Unmanaged Notional Fores1s in 1he
Sou1hern Appalachians; Atlanta, GA; The Georgia
Conservancy. 1983
�evenrs
SEPTEMBER
19-22
ASHEVILLE, NC
"Parkways, Greenways, Riverways: The Way
More Beautiful" linear parks conference. lnt.crdisciplinary
discussion of al1ematives to preserve the scenic landscape
againsl development, pollution, billboards, and
commercialism. Sponsored by the Appalachian
Consonium. Great Smokies Hilton. Regis1rotion: $~25.
For more info., call (704) 262-2064.
,,
22-2'
. rt'
~J/\(
~-
/
,,r /
"\' ~ . .
)
-J V\J
<:--.._//
Ii= ::J ~ r
HOT SPRINGS, NC
"Walking Gently on the EartW' ~
with John and Penelope Youngb L
J
ynam1cs o evo UJ1on a t. e I ig so~ 't,.;p "
psych_ology ...a new evolutionary mysn.~sm.
Reading: The Dream of the Ewth b~ Tf":mas
Berry. SI 10. Sou~ern Dharma RylrQal C\\J'te~ RL ).
°·
/
(
OCTOBER ,
~
·
C,f{EROKEE, NC
Cherpkee Indian Fall Festival. Crafts, dance,_
stickball, archery, blowguns. exhibi~. midway. o..ilyadm~n: $3. A,! lhe Indian Ccremon,il\l Grounps.
3_7
Box 34-H; Hol Spnngs, NC 28743
t~
¥"' \ ) ,/
V--V \~
ASHEVILE NC
P
Child ~musical fantaS al>oul children
.
•
. .
eace th •
\, Y1
bnngmg peace to c world. Thomas ,vohe Audiionum.
Advance: S6 aaulls, $4 children and sr. citizens. Door: $7
d SS ~ . (704)
_
684 5530
an
·1
n
"I~ ~his r_etreat we will explore togetJ1er n
spmtual1ty of the Earth 1n harmony_w1
· if
J ·
nd h ·nS· hff ,, ~th
d
22-24
r
~
)
MORGANTON, WV
"
John Henry Blues feStiv#. ~usic,
workshops, theaLCr, more. Greer P•vill~. W~ver (
Park. Contact: Ed Cabbell; John HeorWl
SQl\iety;
Box 1172; Morgantown, WV 26507. 0fl4)~9 60?.
ASHEVILLE, NC
'11ie 'Dream of the 'Eartli.
'I1iomas 'Berry, autlwr of '11U '1>rtam
'Eart/i, 'flli{! sfum with us his concerns a6out mu
pfanet anti What fu means 6y "reinventin9 tk
fuiman at tk species kveC. 9:00 AM Iii Noon. Al
the Jubilee! Community Ccmer, 46 Wall StrccL For
more info, caJJ Mamie Muller (704) 683-1414.
23
ASHEVILLE, NC
African Drumming Workshop with Darrell
Rose. Noon 'ti! 3 pm. S20. At Troy Set7.ler's For
directions and info.: (704) 683·3405.
Evening African Drum performance with
Darrell Rose and Michael Saleen. Al Stone Soup, 9 pm.
FINCASTLE, VA
Firsl Annual Southeastern Men's Conference,
"Male Initiation and Isolation· wilh poet Rohen Bly,
James Hillman, Michale Meade (storyteller and musician
in the Ccllic tradition). and John Stokes, tracker.
Jn the post the "emotional bodies" of men were directly
ae1iva1ed by the interaction with elders, grand/others, and
mentors...What happens when the grandfathers are
aistant? ...How to hold to the duryofa father and not lose
the passion of a son? ...How to explore the rage, grief.
s'lro.me, anger, and joy inherent in the male psyche?
Registration: $450. For more info, wriie Fred Stephens;
'Box ~2; Raleigh, NC. or call Doug Lcaster(919)
782-2900.
·FILLED·
Write to bll put on mailing Ii.st for next year.
1
5-JS
MADISON, VA
"Wilddmcss Leaming Quest" - exploring lhe
viild, exploring ~e self. Sl60. Sevenoaks Pathwork
Center; Rt. I, BOX'~; Madison, VA 22n1.
17-20
'°6-8
JONESJWROUGl:f, TN
NAP~S Na~al Sl~rytelling Pe$,tival
fcaturirig mllJly famous nam~ in story·tellirjg. S5°'adull
»<>j·membets, S2S chi\dtt.n, $125 f~milie$. For ~re
inp>.• write f4ation3J AssQciailon for th~ Pn:se._rvalion &l\d
pcrpc1uati6o of Storytelll{lg: Box.__309; Joni;s,boroug~ .
37659foc call
~l~ 75~·2171.
- )
™
23
14-19
!p'tOXVl,LLE, TN
~nnual mecling of the Natural Areas
Assoc!lidon, \lllldentlal land conservation and restoration
organization. The fust day of the meeting will be devOLCd
1o th~lJibila.t of'lhe Soulhem Appalachian Mountains.
PulilcffiiViteb.. Hrau Regency Hotel. Contact J. Ralph
JordaJ;\TV ~; Norris, TN 37S2S (615) 494-9800.
.,_)
I
20.22
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
The Black Mountain Fall Festival wilh
,.s
lRASSTow ll, NC
~
/ ,.....
Vassar Clements, Allen Fontenot and the Country
Fall Festival al the JobD C. Campbj)ll Folk
dljuns. Roy Bookbinder, Rhythm in Shoes (step dance),
SchooL-'Mus)c. craftS, country danci1,1g. · )ohn._C.
• and more. Grey Eagle and Friends; Box 216; Black
Campbell Follc Sch09l; Brasstown, ~c· 28906,
Mountafo, NC 28711.
11·15
H.IGHLANDS, NC
20-22
HOT SPRINGS, NC
"Visual EnvironmentaHsm· photography
"The Song of Creation al Harvest Time•
workshop in the field and in lhe dnrkroom wilh Robert
harvest celebration in the Jewish tradition with Lynn
Glenn Kelchum and Michael Wilder. $250 includes
Goulieb, storyteller and rabbi of the Nahalat Shalom
lodging. Appalachian Environmental Ans Center: Box
Community, Albuquerque, NM. SI LS. Sou.them Dharmn
5SO; Highlands, NC 28741. (704) 526-4303.
Relreal Center. See 9/22·24.
12
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
WomnnSong at McDibbs. "Socilll concern
through harmony." S3. 119 Cherry St. (704) 669-24S6.
27
ASHEVILLE, NC
Thomas Berry will give the sermon at the
Equinox service of the Jubilee! Community. Service
begins at llAM 46 Wall S1rcc1. {704) 252-5335
ASHEVILLE, NC
"Mountain Sweet Talk" - a lwo-acl play with
the Folktellcrs, Barbara Freeman and Connie
Rcgan-B lake. The Folk Art Center Theater. Thursdays
lhru Saturdays - S pm: Sundays - 3 pm. TickctS: SS
advance from Malaprop's; SIO dooc. Reservations, cnll
(704) 25S-l l 13.
29- LO/I
ASHEVILLE, NC
"Restoring Biodiversity in the
Southern Appalachians: A Strategy for
Survival" conference on mountain habitat
13-19
24
NEW MARKET, TN
STP (Slop the Poisoning) School al the
Highlander Center. Tactics, strategy, and networking for
those working to stop industrial pollulion. Pre-register.
Call Highlander at (615) 933-3443.
30
CULLOWREE, NC
Moumain Heritage Day at WCU campus.
Clogging, shape-note singing, exhibils, crafts, food,
musical events, kids' shows. For more info, call (704)
227-72ll.
30-10/l
SWANNANOA, NC
Women's class on Jamaican culwral ceremony
with Rev. Queen Mother Azula. For more info, call:
(704) 29S-3935. The Eanh Center; 302 Old Fellowship
Rd.; Swannanoa, NC 28776
12-29
HI GHLANDS, NC
"Praying Feel and Dirty Hands"
Intergenerational Peace Conference led by Stepanie
Nichols. Carol Powers (The Peace Network) and Bob
Alpern. Programs on US/USSR cooperation, connict
resolution and non-violence, overcoming slrCeotypcs,
more - "leading people into action." SSS includes meals
and lodging. The Mountain Camp and Conference
CenLCr; 841 Highway 106; Highlands. NC 2S741. (704)
526-5S3S.
14
AS HEVILLE, NC
"Danger Down Under" groundwnter pro1CCli011
workshop. Health risks, citizen action, simulations.
Keynote: Larry and Sheila Wilson of Highlander Center.
S:30-4:00. Owen Conference Center, UNCA.
Pre-register: S15 to Clean Water Fund of North Carolina:
l lS Person St.; Raleigh, NC 27602. For more info, call:
(704)251-0518.
(Sec ad on back cover.) Pre-registration: S20 to
"Resloring Biodiversity..." c/o Box 233; Hot Springs,
NC 28743. For more info, call: (704) 251-6441.
27
ASHEVILLE, NC
Earth First! Road Show with Dakou Sid nnd
Roger Featherstone. Music and rabble-rousing. Stone
Soup, Broadway and Walnut. al S:OO pm. $4.
28
ASHEVILLE, NC
"For All Things Wild" Forest
Rescue Action Workshop. Strategy meeting
for activists wishing to help defend and restore
Appalachian habitat. (See ad on back cover.)
Pre-regiStration: SS to "For All Things Wild" c/o Elmer
Hall; Box 233: Hot Springs, NC 28743. For more info..
call: (704) 29S-3325 (ExL 250).
Drawing by Rob Messick
f"aCC., l 989
�10-12
28
4
ASHEVILLE, NC
·wt1d In the Str••h: The Feral
Q.all· Do.-..:• with Grondmother o"d
Strow
Com•
c::o&-tutT\ed
o.s
your
Q,...
BLACK MOUNTAIN , NC
David Wilcox, vinuoso local songwriter, at
McDibbs. S4. See 10/12.
fovortt•
~"·"'• onlmal or bird ... or .som•tN""S
10-12
MADISON, VA
"Living the Sacred Round: Lessons from the
Medicine Wheel.• Sevenoaks Pa!hwork Center, see
1W15-18.
wlldl
B 00 """" Loccrtlon to be c:>l'V'C>unc:.ed
10-12
CAMP NEW HOPE, NC
Celebrating the Dream ofthe Eanh
Earth, isn't this whaJ you want
28-29
WA YNESVlLLE, NC
"Chi Kung: An Ancient Taoist Mysiery" with
Ellen Hines of the Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology
Clinic, Asheville, NC. S50 includes room and board.
Contact S1il-Light Retreat Center; Rt. I, Box 326;
Waynesville, NC 28786 (704) 452-4569
NOVEMBER
4
FLETCHER, NC
"Improving and Maintaining Soil Fertility," a
conference sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship
Assocuiuon. $15 includes lunch. For more info., call
Fairglen Farms (704)252-4414.
invisibly to arise in us?
11
(Rilke)
Reflecting the key Lhemes of Thomas
Berry. the conference will focus on the cerebral
as well as ki11esthetic interpretations of the
Dream of the Earth. With Miriam Therese
MacGillis, Amy Hannon, Marnie Muller, and
others. Workshops include: "Evolutionary
Remembering," "Exploring the Dream through
Movement and Sound." Annual Conference of
the Center for Reflection on the Second Law.
Info: CFRSL; 8420 Camellia Dr.; Raleigh, NC
27612
Cost: $9.50, includes postage
(NC residents please add S~ sales tax.)
raU,1989
CELlNA, TN
TN Alternative Growers Assoc. Fall
Conference. Includes soil improvement and backyard fruit
production. At Sta.nding Stone State Park. info: (615)
232-7777.
DECEMBER
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
Mike Cross at McDibbs. Shows at 8 and 10
pm Tickets SIO in advance. See 10/12.
..
...
Please specify size: Sm.. Med., Lg., X-Lg.
11·19
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
Livingston Taylor at McDibbs. Shows at 8
an 10 pm. Tickets SS in advance. Sec 10/12.
15-17
Beer & Wine Making
Supplies
•: Bulk Herbs, Spices, & Grains :.
In the traditional Cherokee Indian belier. the
creatures in the world LOday are only diminuitive forms of
the mythic beings who once inhabited lhe world, but
who now reside in Galuna'li, the spirit world, lhe highest
heaven. But a few of the original powers broke through
the spiritual barrier and exist yet in the world as we know
it These beings arc called with reverence "grandfathers".
And of !hem, the sirongest are Kanali, the lightning, lhe
power or the sky; Utsa'nati, the rattlesnake, who
personifies the power of the eanh plane; and Yunwi Usdi,
"lhe little man•, as ginseng is called in the sacred
ceremonies, who draws up power from lhe underworld.
Each is lhe sirongest power in its own domain.
Together !hey arc aJJies: tJ1cir energies complement each
other 10 form an even grcatct power. As medicine allies,
they represent the healing powers of the Appalachian
Mountains.
The medicine powers of Katuah have been
depicted in a striking T-shin design by Ibby Kenna.
Printed in 4-color silkscreen by Ridgerunncr Naturals on
top quality, aU-couon shins, they are available now in
all adult sizes tllrough the Kal:mu bioregional mail-order
supplier.
Order shirts from: KRLANU
Box 282; Sylva, NC
KatW!h Province 28779
SWANNANOA, NC
Marketing Alternative Crops seminar at
Warren Wilson College. Call Fairglen Farms (704)
252-44 14 for more info.
2
Natural Foods
rt'.ED'LC'LN'.E A.LL'L'.ES
WAYNESVILLE, NC
Weekend Meditation Retreat with Dorothy
Abbenhouse, president of the Theosophical Society in
America. $60. Stil-Light Retreat Center. See 10/28-29.
Vitamins & Supplements
Wheat, Salt,
& Yeast-Free Foods
Dairy Substitutes
•: Hair & Skin Care Products
111
200 West Kina Street. Boone NC 28607
\.•
'\..,_
704-264-5220
~~':"'
WAYNESVILLE, NC
Discussion and practice of "The Yoga Sutras
of Patanjali" wilh Leon Frankel. $60. Stil-Light Retreat
Center. See 10/28-29.
224'. broadway
ashcvi.lle. n.c
288o1
704-252-8404
=•
Ill
..
carolina costume
compaey
_J~ .._________________,
1
=-~
MOON
Gilts of Celebration
(EARTHWAY BOOKSTORE)
Books • New Age Music
Wildcrafted Herbal Producu
Gemstones • Unique Cards
Magazines • & More
WATER PURIFICATION EQUIPMENT
SOLAR PRODUCTS
Member NC Water Ouallly Assoeiallon
RANDALL C. LANIER
704-293-5912
HWY. 107
RT . 68 BOX 125
CULLOWHEE, NC 28723
(704) 264-7242
315 E. King Street, Boone NC 28607
e1ti11ese .,4(11p1111(/11re
DESIGNS
111tli
Jler/Jp/gl/I e/iHi(
by Rob Messick
lllustralion & Design
in Pen & Ink and Colored Pencil
P O Box 2601 • soone. NC 28607 • 1704)754-0097
78 EMT CMESTNUT STREET
AS>il:VIU.E. NC 28801
704 2S8-llOl6
M.C. M.VEBE. M.S., Ao.0.
UC. ACUPl.INCT\JRIST
EU.£H Hll<ES M.Ac.. ¥ M.
UC. ACUPUNCTIJRIST
�LEAD TESTS • Is your plumbing leaching
poi.~onous lead into your drinkingwatcr? Find out
for sure • lead-testing kit from the non-profit Clean
Water Fund of NC. All you need for Sl2. Send a
check w/ name and address to CWF: 138 E.
Chestnut St.; Asheville, NC 28801
MOCCASINS, handcrafted of elkhide in the
traditional Plains Indian style. Water-resistant,
rcsolable, and rugged - great for hiking! Children's
and infant sizes available. Write: Blue Feather
Moccasins; Box 931; Asheville. NC 28802. or caU
Patrick Clark at (704) 253-5047.
BLIGHT RESISTANT CHESTNUT - hybrid
American/Chinese Dunstan chestnut lJ'CCS - blight
resistant, limber growth form, productive orchard
crop with large, sweet easily-peeled nuts. Chestnut
Hill Nursery: Rt. I, Box 341-K; Alachua, FL
32615 (904) 462-2820
APPLE TREES - old-timey and popular
contemporary varieties on standard, semi-, or dwarf
stock. Send SASE for prices: Jeff Poppen: Long
Hungry Creek Nursery; Red Boiling Springs. TN
37150.
UNION ACRES, an alternative community for 20
families based on principles of stewardship,
equality, consensus, and simplicity. Spaces
available. Apply to Caroline Grant: Rt. I, Box
61-J; Whittier, NC 28789 or call (704) 497-4964.
ADOPT-A-TREE. Trees are the great conservators
of the planeL The Adopt-A-'Ire.e program will help
malce the vital connection between individual people
and individual trees. Donations accepted. For more
info. write to Box 144, Sugnr Grove, NC 28679
CHRISTIAN MA TCH-A-FRlEND seeks to bring
together Christian men & women. Interested
persons, advenisc free. We arc non-profit. For
information please send a self-addressed envelope io:
Gospel Ministry. P.O. Box 654, Clinton, TN
37717.
RENEWAL PROGRAMS- I provide individual and
corporate renewal programs for businesses &
organizations interested in healing themselves and
providing empowerment 10 others. Write: Kathie
Pieper c/o Pieper Associates, Rt. I, Box 238
Waynesville, NC 28786.
NEEDED: CHJLD-LOVING PERSON who loves
Lo be a nanny and housekeeper for my four
children. Hours, wages negotiable. Rm. and bd.
available. Asheville area. Call Morgan (704)
689-5382.
NEW AGE - group forming. All interested in
shnring about spirit to spirit communication,
channeling, visualization, healing, chakras, tarot,
etc. Emphasis on spiril and our connecLion lo
Mother Earth, visualizing positive growth and
nunuring. ConUICt Theresa C&rlson, 7501 Ruic Rd.,
Knoxville, TN 37920.
PEPPERLAND offers a variety of outdoor education
programs for church, school, or civic groups
year-round. We will help you design a program for
your group. Send for information packet to:
Pepperland Farm camp: Star Route; Farner, TN
37333.
"THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT' - a complete
rcpon on our changing environment for the next 60
years. $17.00 poslpaid, or write for more
information. Lorien House, POB 1112, Black
Mountain, NC 28711-1112.
APPALACHJAN GINSENG CO. ·stratified seeds,
seedlings, roots. Send for price list to: P.O. Box
547; Dillsboro, NC 28725.
DRUMS ·Custom handcrafted ceramic dumbecks &
wooden medicine drums. Call Joe Roberts at (704)
258-1038 or write 10: 738 Town Mountain Rd.:
Asheville, NC 28804.
THE PEOPLE OF THE ONE SONG - booklet of
stories and poems that tell of the people's dreams,
rituals, roles, and relationships from the arthetypal
memory of the past, present, and future. S3 to
Colleen Redman: One Song Scribe; Box 634;
Floyd. VA 24091.
MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS - herbal salves,
tinctures, & oils for birthing & family health. For
brochure, please write: Moon Dance Farm; RL I,
Box 726: Hampton, TN 37658
WOMANSONG - ongoing choral group forming.
Songs of beauty, meaning spirit, fun, peace,
cooperation, sisterhood. Come and sing! Mon.
evenings, 7:30-9, Asheville, NC. (704) 254-7068.
X-citUah Jo1mmL pci9e 34
SEA KAY AKlNG - Come enjoy peace and
solitude traveling with the rhythms of the sea.
Classes. day trips, overnight tours, custom charters.
Kayak/Sail boat tours to the Bahamas. Kayak tours
to Costa Rica. For more information contact:
Chnrlie Reeves, Sea Level Inc. POB 478 Tybee
Island, GA 31328 (912)786-5853
ORGANIC HONEY - Tulip Poplnr, Sourwood
and WildOowcr. From Patrick County, Virginia. No
chemicals. no white sugar, no heat, ever Strained
through cheesecloth and packed in heavy glass
canning jars. For a 4-oz. sample of our premium
sourwood and our catalog, send $4 to: Wade
Buckholts & Megan Phillips; Route 2. Box 248:
Stuart, VA 24171. (703) 694-4571
LO cook
NAMASTE FAMILY needs brothers and sisters to
join us in Lovi~g. Giving, Growing. Send Sl2
donation for writings and videotape to Namast~
Family; RR2, Box 578: Barnstead, NH 03225.
THE WATAUGA LAND AND WATER
CONSERVANCY • is a not-for-profit charitable
trust set up to protect the values and ecological
settings which sustain us both spiritually and
economically. If you are concerned about the purity
of the headwaters and watercourses, and the
preservation of wild and agricultural lands GET
INVOLVED. Write to Quality Living Publications,
POB I, Valle Crucis, NC 28691
"MAGIC AFTERNOONS" - for children at the
Unitarian Church of Asheville. An an program with
Linda Metzner in music, Norma Bradly in visual
arts, and Barrie Barton in creative movemenL It
begins Sept.ember 18th. Call 254-7068 for details.
NATURE LOVERS' COMMUNITY· Christians
only. SIOOO gives you life time ownership rights
on .5 acres. Whole prope.n y consists of 45 acres of
wooded calm and privacy. Write: Gospel Ministry,
P.O. Box 654, Clinton, TN 37717.
ITS THE ACHOO! SERVICE - Patch the clown
brings laughter and fun to the hospital. Join him
and the Gesundheit Institute at 2630 Roben Walwer
Place, Arlington, VA 22207 or (703) 525-8169.
PURE SORGHUM - and sorghum based desserts
toppings and chocolates. Handmade in the
Appalachian foothills. Free sorghum recipe brochure
send SASE. Candy sampler (2-KY Buckeyes &
2-Bourbon Balls) $2.00 postpaid. Golden Kentucky
Products, POB 246, Livingston, KY. 40445. (606)
453-9800.
MOUNTAIN DULCIMERS • made of black
walnut, red cherry, or maple. Tops available in
wormy chestnut, butlernut, sweetgum, sassafras,
western cedar and other woods. Contact: Mize
Dulcimer Company Rt. 2, Box 288, Bloumville,
TN. 37617 (615) 323-8489.
WEBWORKING is free. Send submissions to:
RHYTHM ALIVE • Handcrafted African- Style
Drums, workshops, learning tapes. drumbags. and
accessories. Please send SASE to Rhythm Alive! 85
Phenix Cove Rd. Weaverville, NC 28787 (704)
645-3911.
Drawing by Rob Messick
Kat1'ah Journal
P.O. Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
:r~u;.1999
�The Karuah Journal wants to communicate your thoughts and
feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send them
to us as letters, poems, stories, anicles, drawings, or photographs,
etc. Please send your contributions to us at: Kattiah Journal; P. 0.
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kan1ah Province 28748.
The Winter 1989-90 issue of the Katuall Journal will be
concerned with the challenges and opponunities involved in
"Raising Children into a New Consciousness." We are interested in
hearing first-person stories, alternative schooling information,
children's resources (books, places to go. etc.), and any other
creative or pertinant ideas. Don't forget the canoons (kids love
canoons!).
BACK ISSUES OF KATUA H JOURNAL AVAILABLE
' ,!,!';;..,
~
~-
-
The Spring 1990 issue of the K atuah Journal will be
focusing o n "Wellness in the Mountains." We are looking for
information and articles on those who contribute to the healthful
quality of life in our southern mountains; especially through
accivities which promote self-responsibilicy and a high level of
wellness as the nonnal living state. A broad look at wellness might
include topics like stress management, spirirualfry, retreats and
adventures, service to others, Earth stewardship, having fun,
education, family and other relationships, fitness and nutrition, or
other areas of a satisfying lifestyle.
lncluded in the "Wellness" issue will be a directory of goods
and services related to wellness. There is no cost for a listing in this
directory. Please send in your name, practice, and a shon
explanation of your work or product, if you wish to be listed.
ISSUE EIGHT · SUMMER 198S
Celebration: A Way of Life · K.uuah 18,000
Ycan Ago • Sacred Sites - Folk Ans in lhe
Schools Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle - Poems:
Hilda Downer - Cherokee Heritage Cenaer Who Owns Appalachia?
.
ISSUETHREE SPRING 1984
SUSllllJUlble Agricuhure - Sunflowcn - Human
lmpac1 on lhe ForcSI - Childtcns' Education
Veronica Nicholu:Woman in Polilics - Uule
People - Medicine Allies
ISSUE FOUR ·SUMMER 1984
Water Drum Water Quality • Kudzu • Solu
"i Eclipse · Clurcu1ung · Trout • Ooing IO Weier
~I Ram Pllmps . Microhydto - Poems: Bennie
Lee Sincl&ir, J1m Wayne Miller
ISSUE FIVE · FALL 1984
Harves1 • Old Ways m Chcrolt~ • Ginseng •
Nuclear Waste - Our Cehic Heritage Bioregionahsm: Put, Prucnt. and Future John Wilnoty Healing Oatkness • Politics of
Partlcipation
ISSUESIX - Wl.NTER 1984.SS
Winter SolsticG EAl'lh Ceremony - Horsepasturr
River - Coming of lhe Ligh1 - Log Cabin
Root• • Mountain Agriculture: The Right Crop
- Williun Taylor . The Future of lhe Forw
ISSUE SEVEN • SPRING 1985
Sust1111able &:onomM:s • Hot Springs • Wortcr
Owncnhip - The Gru1 Economy • Seit Help
Credit Union • Wild Turltcy - Responsible
lnvCS1m1 • Working in lhc Web of Life
ISSUE NINE - FALL 1985
The Waldce Fo re11 - The Trees Speak Migrating Forats - Horse Logging - S1ar11ng a
Tree Crop · Urban Trees • Acom Bread • Mylh
ISSUE FIFTEEN - Spring 1987
Coverlets • Woman Forester • Susie McMahan
Midwife - Ahcmativc Contraception •
Bioscxuolity - Biorcgionalism and Women Oood Medicine: Mairi.=hal Culture . P1t1Jrl
LSSUE SIXTEEN - Summer 1987
Helen Waiae • Poem: Visions m a Garden Vi11on Ques1 • First Flow • ln1llllllon
Learning in lhc Wilderness • Cherokee
Olallcngc - "Valuing Trees"
Time
ISSUE TEN · WINTER 1985-86
Kate Rogers • Circles of Stone - lntemal
Mylhmalting • Holistic Healing on Trial •
Poems: Steve Knaulh - Mythic Places - The
Ulttcna's Tale - Crystal Magic •
ISSUE EIGHTEEN · Winier 1987-88
Vernacular Archiaecrure . Drcanu in Wood and
Stone • Mountain Home • Earth Energies •
Earth-Shchcied Living - Membrane Houses •
Brush Sheller • Poems: October DMsk. • Oood
Mcdic111C: "Shclaer"
~g·
ISSUE ELEVEN SPRING 1986
Community Planning • Cities and the
Bioregional Vision • Recycling · Community
GIJdenin&. Floyd CoWll}', VA - Guohol Two Bt0rcgional Views - Nuclear Supplement
Foxfire Gatnes • Oood Medicine: Visions
ISSUE THlRTEEN · Fall 1986
Cenaer For Awakening · Eliu.bclh Callari · A
Gentle Death • Hospice - Ernest Morgan Dealing Creatively wilh Oealh • Home Burial
Box • The Wake • The Raven Mocker •
Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom · Oood
Medicine: The Sweat Lodge
LSSUE FOURTEEN . Winier 1986-87
Uoyd Carl Owle • Boogcn and Mummers - All
Species Day • Cabin Fever University •
Homclca in Katuah - Homemade Hot Watu
Saovernalter's Narrative • Good Medicine:
lnaerspccics Communication
~UAt;)OURNAL
ISSUE NINETEEN - Spring, 1988
Perlcandra Gorden - Spring Tonics • Bluebarics
Wildnower Gardens - Granny Herbalist •
Flower Essences • '"The Origin of lhe Arumals ·
Saory • Oood Medicine: "Power" • Be A Tree
ISSUE TWEJIITY - Summer, 1988
Preserve Appalachian Wilderness - Hig)ilands
of Roan - Celo Community - Land Trust •
Arlhur Morgan School - Zoning hsuc • "The
Ridge" • Farmers l1ld lhe Farm Bill - Oood
Medicine: "Land" - Acid Rain - Duke's PowcT
Play • Cherok~ Microhydro Project
uve
Regular Membership........ $10/yr.
Sponsor.........................$20/yr.
Contributor .....................$50/yr.
Address
Enclosed is $
10 give
this ejforr an extra bOost
Zip
I can be a local contact
person for my area
Area Code
"'"'· 1989
Phone Number
ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR · Summer, '89
Deep Listening • Life in Atomic City - Di.reel
Action! · Tree of Peace - Community Building
Peacemakers • Ethnic Survival • Pairing
Projcc1 - "Baulesong· • Growing Peace in
Cultures - Review: The Chalice and the B/Dde
P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748
Name
State
ISSUE TWENTY-THREE - Spring, t 989
Pisgah Village - Planet An • Green City •
Poplar Appeal - "Cl- Sky" • "A New Eanh"
Black Swan - Wild Lovely Days • Reviews:
Sacr('Jf land Sacred Sa, / cc A1e • Poem:
"Sudden TaOils"
lSSUETWENTY-ONE - FaU, 1988
Chestnuts: A Natunl History - Restoring lhc
Chestnut - "Poem of Preservation and PnUc"
Continuing lhe Quest - Forests and Wildlife
Chestnuts in Regional Diet • Chestnut
Resources • Herb Noie • Oood Medicine:
"Changes to Came" - Review: Wliue u1ends
For more info: call Mamie Muller (704) 683-1414
City
-·-
ISSUE TWENTY-TWO - Wintu, •gg.g9
Global Wanning - Fire This Time • Thomu
Berry on "Biorcgions" • Eanh Exercise • Kor~
Loy McWhirtcr - An Abundance of Emp1iness
LETS - Chronicles of Floyd • Derry Wood
The Bear Clan
Back Issues
Issue#_@ $2.50 $_ _
Issue# _ _ @ $2.50 = $_ _
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _
Issue#_@ $2.50 $_ _
Complete Set (3-11, 13-16,
18-23)
@ $35.00 = $_ _
=
=
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 25, Fall 1989
Description
An account of the resource
The twenty-fifth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on biodiversity and habitat: forest ecosystem, old-growth forest, regional planning, forest devastation, black bears and Eastern panthers, and living green. Authors and artists in this issue include: Sam Gray, Robert Zahner, Laura E. Jackson, David Wheeler, Anna Muir, Julia Nunnally Duncan, Annelinde Metzner, Patrick Clark, Heather Blair, Chip Smith, Lee Kinnaird Fawcett, James Rhea, Rob Messick, Marnie Mikell, Patricia Claire Peters, Mary de La Valette, Sue Adams, Starfire Soledad, Christoph and Mary-Clayton Enderlein, and Morgan Swann, <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1989
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
The Great Forest by Sam Gray.......3<br /><br />Restoring the Old-Growth Forest by Robert Zahner.......5<br /><br />Regional Planning for Habitat Integrity by Laura Jackson.......8<br /><br />A Question of Value by David Wheeler.......10<br /><br />Closing the Gate on Forest Devastation by Ann Muir.......12<br /><br />Poem: "Sparrow Hawk" by Julia Nunnally Duncan.......13<br /><br />A Place for Bears: An Interview with Dr. Michael Pelton.......15<br /><br />Poem: "There Fell the Rain Healing" by Annelinde Metzner.......16<br /><br />Eastern Panther, Where Are You? by Patrick Clark.......17<br /><br />Oak Decline by Heather Blair.......19<br /><br />People and Habitat by Chip Smith and Lee Kinnaird Fawcett.......21<br /><br />Perpetual Wild Sanctuaries.......23<br /><br />Natural World News.......24<br /><br />Drumming.......26<br /><br />Living Green.......29<br /><br />Barter Fair.......30<br /><br />(Natural) Resources.......31<br /><br />Events Calendar.......32<br /><br />Webworking.......34<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Forest management--Appalachian Region, Southern
Human ecology
Black bear--Appalachian Region, Southern
Regional planning--Appalachian Region
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Acid Deposition
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Black Bears
Community
Ecological Peril
Economic Alternatives
European Immigration
Forest History
Forest Issues
Forest Practice
Geography
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Katúah
Poems
Politics
Reading Resources
Transportation Issues
Turtle Island
Wilderness
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ISSUE 27 SPRING 1990
$1.50
BIOREGIONAL JOURNAL OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
�Postage Paid
Bulk Mail
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
�Personal and Planetary
Transformation:
A Holistic Model of Healing.......... !
by Richard Lowenthal
The Healing Power...................... 4
by David Wheeler
Peace to Their Ashes .................... 6
by Sam Gray
Healing in Katuah........................9
by Doug Aldridge
"When Left to Grow" ................. 10
a poem by Rob Messick
"Calling to the Ancestors,
Calling Our Relations" .......... 11
poems by Stephen Wing
PERSONAL AND PLANETARY
TRANSFORMATION:
A HOLISTIC MODEL OF HEALING
The l3elly .................................. 12
by Lisa Sarasohn
by Richard Lowenthal
EARTH DAY 1990 !!. ................ 15
a special pull-ow supplement
Food From the Ancient Porest.. .. .19
by Snow Bear
Natural World News ..................20
Good Medicine .......................... 24
Drumming ................................ 26
Leners to Katuah Journal
Events ...................................... 29
Webworking ............................. 30
It is abundantly clear that the Earth is in
the midst of a tremendous ecological crisis.
Human societies the world over are also
experiencing phenomenal changes and crises as are the individuals who live in them. Our
collective destiny seems to be shifting rapidly,
and may well be careening out of control. A
very good question, at this point in our
evolution, is "What is happening to us and to
the planet - and where are we heading?"
Our planetary crisis, like all crises,
combines great danger and great opportunity.
If we are to meet the challenge successfully,
we need to understand both the dangers and
the opportunities - and learn how to deal with
them.
The best model I have found, to help us
approach comprehension of this planetary
crisis, is derived from the holistic
understanding of health, illness, and the
healing process. In order to better understand
what is happening on a global scale, we need
to consider the recently-articulated possibility
that the Earth may in fact be one huge living
being, with its own self-regulating systems.
Both the Gaia Theory of Lovelock and
Margulis, and Peter Russell's work on "The
Global Brain", point in this direction. If the
Earth is truly an individual, indivisible being,
the processes of personal and planetary
healing may mirror each other in many ways even more, they may be inseparable.
In the holistic view, physical i!Jness is
often the result of unresolved emotional and
spiritual issues, as well as the build-up of
toxic waste-products in various organs and
tissues of the body. Our increasing
understanding of the human psyche, and of
the interaction between mind and body (if
indeed they can even be separated), has
shown that suppressed emotional traumas and
long-buried negative self-concepts have a
constricting, deadening effect upon the
body/mind. They, too, may thus be
considered powerful toxins which 'poison'
our entire body/mind system. Their effect is
reflected in, and amplified by, the
accumulation of chemical toxins in the body an excellent example of the mirroring effect
implicit in the holistic model of healing. That
is, our body/mind system is an integrated
whole, in which toxins on one level indicate
(continued on page 3)
�STAFFTinS ISSUE:
Susan Adam
Heather Blair
Rob Messick
Mamie Muller
Lisa Sarasohn
Scott Bini
Jim Houser
Richard Lowenthal
James Rhea
Chip Smith
Rodney Webb
Manha Tree
David Wheeler
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Will Ashe Bason
Trip Halbkat
Michael Red Fox
Phil Ross
Jack Chaney
Michael Havelin
Marsha Ring
Kim Sandland
COVER by Martha Tree
Special thanks Kitty Boniske for providing a home for this
issue, and to Phil and Allen for their hospitality and
forbearance.
PUBLISHED BY: Kat"'1h Journal
PRINTED BY: The Waynesville Mounraineer Press
EDITORIAL OFACE JHIS ISSUE:
The Cenier for New Priorities, Asheville
WRITE US AT:
Kar"'1h Journal
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province 28748
TELEPHONE: (704) 754-60')7
KalUah Journal is on Skyland BBS, Asheville, NC.
For information, call (704) 254-6700.
Diversity is an important clement of bioregional eoology, bolh
natural and social. In line with !his principle, lhe KatUalt Journal 1rics
IO serve as a forum for !he discussion of regional issues. Signed anicles
express only lhe opinion of lhc aulhors and are not necessarily lhe
opinions of lhe Ka1Ualt Journal edilOrs or slaff.
The lnlCmal Revenue Service has declared KatUalt a non·profit
organization under section 50l(cX3) of lhc lnlCmal Revenue Code. AU
conlributions IO Ka1ao1t aic deductible from personal income tax.
'LNVOC:ATWN
From the dark below
The young stem curves upright
Green into light
Leaves open their cluster
In the sun they sing
Wisdom of the stars
And blossom in the life of all creation
1l!E SOUTHERN APPALACFDAN BIOREGION
ANO MAJOR EASTERN RJVER SYSTEMS
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Here in the southern-most heartland of the
Appalachian mountains, the oldest mountain range on
our continent, Turtle Island; a small but growing
group has begun to take on a sense of responsibility
for the implications of that geographical and cultural
heritage. This sense of responsibility centers on the
concept of living within the natzual scale and balance
of universal systems and principles.
Within this circle we begin by invoking the
Cherokee name " Kat1'ah 1' as the old/new name for
this area of the mountains and for its journal as well.
The province is indicated by its natural boundaries:
the Roanoke River Valley to the north; the foothills
of the piedmont area to the east; Yona Mountain and
the Georgia hills to the south; and the Tennessee
River Valley to the west.
The editorial priorilies for us are to collect
and disseminate information and energy which
pertains specifically to this region, and to foster the
awareness that the land is a living being deserving of
our love and respect. Living in this manner is a way
to insure the sustainability of the biosphere and a
lasting place for ourselves in its continuing
evolutionary process.
We seem to have reached the fulcrum point of
a " do or die " situation in terms ofa quality standard
of life for all living beings on this planet. As a voice
for the caretakers of this sacred land, Katuah, we
advocate a centered approach to the concept of
decentralization. It is our hope to become a support
system for those accepting the challenge of
sustainability and the creation of harmony and
balance in a total sense, here in this place.
We welcome all correspondence, criticism,
pertinent information, articles, artwork, etc. with
hopes that Kat1'ah will grow to serve the best interests
of this region and all its living, breathing members.
-The Editors
"'-t\&nh )ournaL Pci<Je 2
/
SprLnlJ, 199 0
�(conlinued Cmm peac 1)
toxic build-up on other levels as well. Spiritual, emotional,
mental, and physical problems :ire completely intertwined and
interdependent. There 1s no separation between them, yet there is
a twist to this scenario - there is usually a "time lag" involved in
physical manifestation.
This idea of "time lag" is imporunt, because it indicates
that we may not sec visible, outer effects or iMer trauma or
constriction for a long time. Conversely, when we do see outer
effects, or when we consciously "feel bad," we can be pretty sure
that toxic ideas or feelings have been poisoning us inwardly and
subconsciously for some time, and/or our bodies are
overwhelmed by toxins and stress.
Since all the various "levels" of our being are interacting to
produce "disease" (dis-ease). the most effective healing method
addresses what is happening on each level simultaneously. In
particular, it deals quickly and directly with any physical
"presenting problems", especially those that are imminently
life-threatening. (This is the fort.e of modem medicine.) It would
also - and even more importantly - prescribe a process of gradual
detoxification, "remedial learning", and therapy to help the
person heal on the deeper, more intangible levels as well
These deeper levels of healing present some problems,
usually of a psychological nature. What happens is this: as the
body/mind starts releasing toxins - physical or emotional - we
enter a "healing crisis" which can take many forms. Often there
be brief l'CCUJ!Cnccs <?fold illnes~s which were suppressed
with drugs; chemical toxms st.an coming out through the skin,
which can brcalc out in pimples, boils, or rashes; and we may
experience nausea, weakness, and dizziness. These physical
symptoms are not "problems" in themselves • in fact, they arc
pan of the solution. Problems arise when we give in to fear and
believe we arc "getting sick", instead of understanding that we
are releasing toxins as we heal.
But here's the rub: since repressed emotions arc
themselves mental and emotional toxins, it is likely that we will
experience a lot of fear - or anger, or sadness - as buried
emotions are surfacing to be released. We wiU also be releasing
and experiencing our cultural fear of emotion, and our training to
be afraid of our fears! For this reason, we need extensive
preparation and prior education about the nature of a healing
crisis: what it means, what to expect, and how to deal with the
emotional discharge. The crucial clement is that we learn to look
beyond OUlU appearances or the temporary ill feeling, and ro trust
that the body/mind krwws very well how ro heal itself when it is
w!"
properly supported in doing so. Withour this krwwing, this faith,
healing is much more difficult.
4) Simultaneously, humanity as a whole is starting to
awaken to the mind-boggling depth of the issues involved.
Tremendous social problems such as drug and alcohol addiction,
di~i~tegration of the familr, distrust of government, teenage
suicide and pregnancy, SOCJal apathy, and overall deterioration
of education and our quality of life arc spurring people to seek
new ways, new answers. The success and rapid spread of the
Alcoholics Anonymous movement, its many off-shoots, and
therapy and support groups is one facet of this process.
The primary toxin being released is
our toxic belief in separation - our
misunderstanding of our relation to the
universe, nature, and other people.
5) The entire planet and all of humanity is going through a
healing crisis involving the generation and release of toxins on
every level. The crucial issue seems to be this: whatever we
refuse to deal with inwardly MUST eventually appear outwardly,
and KEEP appearing outwardly until we 'get the message'. This
means that our 'inner' psychological reality and the 'outer'
ecological reality are in fact ONE reality. Because we have
allowed such a toxic build-up within ourselves and our societies,
and have NOT dealt with our inner and interpersonal realities
effectively, our world is mirroring our internal denial--by
manifesting externally the pain we believe we've 'avoided'. Thus
unbelievable amountS of deadly toxins arc being produced either
intentionally - i.e. plutonium and chemical/biological weapons or as industrial wastes. And these toxins arc either stored away
for 'safe' keeping or dumped directly into the planetary
ecosystem, with disastrous results.
This process is the 'outpicturing'- the outer result - of
psychological toxins that have been accumulating for several
thousand years. The primary toxin being released is our toxic
belief in separation - our misunderstanding of our relation to the
universe, nature, and other people - and with it the overwhelming
fear and defensiveness this disempowering belief generates.
6) As humanity's emotional negativity and toxic belief
systems rise up from the depths of the collective unconscious and
come to the surface (become conscious). they at first cause an
increase in violence, immorality, greed, exploitation, and
narcissistic behavior. Initially, people identify with these
surfacing negative patterns and act accordingly; they may
temporarily become even more fearful, self-centered, and
exploitive (as we've seen during the 80's). This 'regression' is
Now, if we apply chis practical, yet visionary, model of
healing to our planetary crisis, we might arrive at the following
"diagnosis":
part of the healing, difficult as it is to accept; it is making our
inner reality outwardly visible and tangible - and inescapable.
1) We arc now experiencing on a planetary scale the
destructive outer effects of long-standing, toxic beliefs and
feelings operating within us, and within our social structures.
The intensifying pollution and degradation of the Eanh is a
reflection of humanity's inner pain, denial of interdependence,
and emotional and spiritual degradation. The outer problems we
arc generating arc mirroring back to us, in no unccnain terms,
the concrete, tangible, and inevitable results of our arrogant and
divisive belief systems. This outer reality is making our
intangible INNER reality visible. Though we have prided
ourselves on our 'enlightened self-interest'. we arc now being
forced to see that our modern way of life is neither enlightened
nor in our best interests - or the best interests of the planet.
2) Some of these outer effects are threatening our survival
and the life of the planet - effects such as tropical deforestation,
over-population, the "consumer mentality", acid rain, the world
arms trade, erosion of topsoil, production of huge amounts of
nuclear and chemical hazardous wastes, etc.
3) These life-threatening problems should be dealt with
immediately, to at least reduce their impact and buy time so the
body (of humanity and of the planet) has the time and strength to
recuperate somewhat. This would require ecological, political,
and social activism on a very broad-based, grass-roots level. It
would also require that we institute educational processes that
help people oo COMMUNICATE and COOPERATE more easily.
~~S!J'UCtivc tendencies we have set in motion may really be the
We thus need to recogniz.c that all the "terrible" events and
SprLnq, 1990
1moal messengers of a far deeper, positive change; we need to
remember that appearances are not always what they seem. And
we especially need an educationaJ approach that can help us get
through the darkest moments - or years - of this planetary
"healing crisis." A vision of the positive end result - the
proverbial "light at the end of the tuMel" - will be absolutely
necessary, if we arc not to lapse into judgementalism, impotent
rage, or despair.
Fonunatcly, we already have such visions available to us.
Many writers and 'futurists' are exploring and communicating
a~ut the incredible transformations already occurring in such
diverse fields of human endeavor as physics, biology, the
psy~hology and treatment of addiction, 'citizen diplomacy',
sohd-waste management', economics, and world politics.
All these developments have one thing in common: the
gradu~I shift from a mechanistic, separative, controlling mode of
consciousness to an ecological, holistic, relationship-oriented
mode. This shift aligns us with the Earth; it is the fundameotal
inner shift which will allow us, as it progresses, 10 adapt to the
immense changes we arc experiencing. The old order based on
separation, exploitation, and fear is dying. Let us assist in this
tremendous transformation process, and panicipatc in the birthing
of the new, with courage, determination. and love.
,,
JGQt®h Jo1Mnat
PQl}e
s
�THE HEALING POWER
by David Wheeler
The Appalachian Mountains are old, and their power is
subtle. But their power is yet strong. Standing over the eastern
seaboard of the Turtle Island continent, the intangible influence of
~e Appalachians racli~1es out over all the lowlands so thickly
mhab11ed by human bemgs. As surely as that power is invisible
and inexplicable, its subtle influence is also vital 10 maintaining
the balance of life of the eastern half of Tunle Island.
To the original inhabitants of the Southern Appalachians
"medicine" meant power, and the mountains were always know~
to.~ sacr~ and powerful. Traditionally, Cherokee Indians of a
spmtual mind would plunge every morning into the river that
flowed by each village. Thus they partook of the medicine of
water and mountains. They ate wild foods and healed bodily
ailments with roots dug from the ground, roots lhat were full of
the medicine of the mountains.
C:Cnain peaks or waterfalls or other special spots in the
mountams were known as sacred sites where the spiritual energy
of the mountains was concentrated. The native people went to
these places for fasting and prayer, to find who they were when
they came of age, and, if they could, to die when their time was
at an end. They knew that these were sacred places, for they
could sense the energy directly. And did not Grandfather Eagle,
the most sacred of creatures, choose to live on the mountain
heights?
The ftrst white people who came to the mountains were in
awe of the imposing presence of the Appalachians. On the
~urface, the fi~t immigrants who followed 1he early explorers
mto the mountain coves and "hollers" seemed to be too engrossed
!n sim~ly making a livelihood .fo~ themselves, and too caught up
m praying to an abstracted Chnsuan God, to recognize the power
of mountains - but inside, deep down, they knew.
Others, coming 100 years later, recognized the power of
mountains and came for healing. First by carriage, then by
~I, they came to escape the flatland heat and to cure a variety of
ailments - most often tuberculosis, for which the only cure
known in both Europe and North America was to retreat to the
mountains. Well-known resort centers, spas, and sanitariums
were .built, an~ their prospe~ous ~de became an important early
cash mdustry m the mountains. This type of commerce was at its
peak when the lumber barons were just beginning their
exploitation of the region's timber trees.
Only the rich could afford the healing offered in the
mountains, so the patrons of the fashionable resort/healing
centers were largely southern aris1ocra1s with a sprinkling of
northern industrialists. The Line between "healing" and "vacation"
often became quite blurred. It was sometimes hard 10 tell a
popular spa from a resort hotel, as the same building often served
both purposes.
The warm springs of the town now called Hot Springs in
Madison County, and other mineral springs along the French
Broad, became known as healing places, and several spas were
constructed during the middle 1800's for people to "take the
waters."
Wilma Dykeman tells of the great resort/healing centers in
her regional history, The French Broad. She wrote:
"Health and pleasure were the attractions of the watering
places: the first providing a worthy excuse for the indulgence of
the second. Advertisements of the period mentioned immediate
cures, upon use of the mineral waters, for 'Diseases of the Liver,
Dyspepsis, Vertigo, Neuralgia, Opthalmia or Sore Eyes,
Paralysis, Spinal Affections, Rheumatism, Scrofula, Gravel,
Diabetes, Consumption and Chronic Cough, Diseases of the
Skin, Tetter, Indolent Ulcers, General Debility, Sleeplessness,
and Nervous Prostration.' The waters of many places were
reputed good for barre nness in wives and impotence in
husbands.
th~
Drawing by Rob Messick
Spri:rMJ1 ! 999.•
�''The Wann Springs, most famous of all the French Broad
watering places, mentioned in one of their brochures that
partaking of their minerals would 'bring the bloom back to the
chec_k, the lustre to the eye, tone to the languid pulse, sr:rcngth to
the Jaded nerves, and vigor to the wasted frame.' From all
co~tcmpo_rary accounts of t~e social life of the place, its patrons
amved with cheeks already in full bloom, eyes overflowing with
lustre,_ and pulses. in no need of stimulation beyond that of
moonlight on the nver or the shady tum in a lover's walk."
The city of Asheville became the hub of both the health and
society circles. In 1888 a German doctor named Carl van Ruck
established the first large tuberculosis sanitarium, arid, as word
got out about the beneficial mountain climate, others soon sprung
up around the area.
. . . To ~he wealthy visitors, who knew only the highly
c1v1hzed life of the lowlands, the mountain landscapes were
exotic and wild. The fine "foreign folk" thrilled at the rugged
scenery, the waterfalls and swift-running creeks, and the
mountain air, so cool and crisp even in the summertime.
T?<1ay, muc~ the same attractions bring people to the
mount~1ns. Ostensibly, they say they come for tourism and
rccrea~on, but the deepest _need is for healing: the healing of
relax~on from ov~·paced lifestyles; healing from crowdedness,
poll~uon, and existen?Cs overfull of people and machines;
healing from banal rouones, fast food, and TV-screen lives· but
most of all, healing from an inner emptiness of which they~ no;
know the source.
Easy accessibility has brought the culture of civilization
~eep into the m.ountains. They are no longer strange, exotic,
isolated, and wild, as they were to the early socialites who
thronged the fashionable watering spots during the late I800's.
But there are what seem to modem urbanites to be great expanses
of unbroken forest. There is water that is actually drinkable as it
~m~s out from a spring! This is a functioning native habitat this 1s wholeness, the world as it could be.
There are so few examples of natural native environments
in the eastern pan of the continent that the forests and mountains
of ~ppalachia serve ~ ~ important grounding point for urban
v1s1tors. From a hfe in which the human influence is
omnip~nt, from an environment that is largely manufactured or
synthesized by human hands, the Appalachian hardwood forest is
a d.ose of reality. The ~~man spirit needs places like this by
which to refresh our sp1ms and to judge our actions - a mark
from which we can see if our culture is straying.
This sense of wholeness could be the cornerstone for a
whole new relationship between the human species and the
mountains. As it becomes increasingly rare, that sense of
wholeness becomes increasingly precious. Restoring the heaJth
of the. Appalachian forest by ending commercial exploitation and
allowing the forest to grow towards its natural climax state would
be the key to this new relationship. It would transform the
physical landscape of the mountains and would perhaps also
work to change the inner landscape of human society as well.
This new balance would require a greatly reduced human
prc~nce in the n:iountain habitat area. The primary use of the
region at present is as a resource base to support a large number
of human beings - but this is obviously not the purpose of
existence for the mountains. This has to change.
The "resources" of the area, the continuing life cycles arc
needed instead to support large numbers of trees, herbac~us
plants, and native wildlife. There must be a core habitat area that
is no.t violatc;ct by human beings, but used only in ways that are
consistent with the demands of the natural habitat - a biosphere
preserve. With conditions throughout the world already under so
much pressure from the human presence, the mountains should
be primarily a place for restrained visits.
But there is a possibility that a greatly limited number of
humans could create a right livelihood in a buffer zone that
surrounded the central preserve by leading others to the
wholeness .~f the land - relating specifically through healing.
learning, spintual exploration, art, recreation, and initiation.
SprlrMJ, I 990
. These kinds of activities need, of course, to be approached
with great care. When the value of an experience is in the
wholeness of it, then practitioners must be careful that the sense
of wlwle'!es~ is not ruined by the number of people arriving to
take part in 1t. Access would need to be carefully rationed. This
level of experience is obviously not to be degraded with crowded
parking lots, souvenir snips, or giant ridgctop condos. People
come to the mountains to treasure what is rare and special - and
strong - about them. It destroys their special ambience to make
them over to appear just like every other place frequented by
humans.
At the Cumberland Island National Seashore off the coast
of south Georgia, ~mping is by permit only and reservations
must be.made well 10 advanc~. This policy is intended to protect
the fragile nature of the seaside habitat. A similar policy would
serve well in the Appalachian biosphere preserve to protect the
fragile sense of wholeness.
This sense of wholeness could be the cornerstone
for a whole new relationship between the human
species and the mountains. As it becomes increasingly
rare •. that sense of wholeness becomes increasingly
precious.
Thinking .in t!tis vein leads to visions of the possibilities of
a new way of life 10 the buffer zone - a way of life that could
partake of the power of the mountains without diminishing it
The beginnings arc already in place. Carefully and respectfully,
the rest can grow.
Th~re are .~dy many summer camps and several outdoor
leadership tra1mng programs that draw on the natural
surroundings and provide challenging expeditions, environmental
education, and initiation experiences for young people (sec
KatUahJournal #16).
There are already several major colleges and universities in
the Ka!Uah province. They need to re-orient their direction of
study to focus on the ~l~gical context of their region, but they
represent excellent fac1h11es that arc already available. Like the
University of Tennessee in Knoxville and North Carolina State
University do at present, the learning institutions of the region
could provide headquarters and support for extended field
expeditions and field schools in the wild. Like the Great Smoky
Mountain Institution at Tremont they could teach the knowledge
and the values of the wild.
Other courses of study could be les$ fonnal such as
tracking sch~ls that taught skills and deepened awarcn~ss of our
plant and animal relations, and nomadic primitive Eanh skills
schools that created their own camps wherever they were.
A new vision for the mountains would also include more
~calin~ centers scauered among the hills, where people could
retreat to convalesce, or choose among a variety of healing
programs. These centers could also be used for educational
seminars and conference/retreats.
.
Spirit~al centers, like the existing Southern Dharma Center
m Hot Spnngs, NC, could also hold seminars and spirituaJ
retreats, as well as guide long prayer fasts and vision quests deep
in the uninhabited biosphere preserve area.
In this way the mountains could contribute to the
r7juvenation and ~nrichment o.f the human spirit. At the same
ume. by approaching the land m a manner that was once again
respectful and reverential, the humans could continue the work of
transforming our relarionship with the land.
The mountains will heal themselves, if we allow it. If we
can bring ourselves to allow it, then the mountains will be here
with all their power to heal us when we need their healing.
It. all could come around. The ghosts of the grand old
mountain health resorts could return once again to inspire a new
transfonnation in mountain life.
�Peace To Their Ashes
by Sam Gray
The earliest myths of the Katuah bioregion
available to us are those from the Cherokee people
collected by James Mooney a century ago (1887-1890)
on the Qualia Boundary in interviews with tribal
elders who were among the last surviving links
with the most ancient oral traditions of the tribe. It
~011/,' be fitting to observe the centenary of this
important cultural transmission with an invocation
of gratitude to these elders: John Ax, Swimmer,
Taywadihi, Suyeta, Ayasta, and to the spirits,
creatures, all our relations about whom tl1ey so
eloquently spoke. In Mooney's words, "peace to
their ashes and sorrow for their passing", for wit/I
them pa~sed away a universe of animated grace,
subtle wit, profound teachings, and recitative power
that will not come tllis way again.
James Mooney was an ethnologist, a skilled
tta.nsmittcr of oral traditions, who included ethnographic and
historical data in his book Myths of the Cherokee. He
refrained from interpretive comment about the meaning of
various themes within the narratives.
Int~rprecive th~o~cs about mytholo~ical discourse arc
very ancient. Hellerusuc and Roman wnters as diverse as
E~emerus, Ovid, and Pausa_nius made interesting, though
bnef, comments on the funcoon and nature of myth. Within
the last century a great many, more complex ideas about
myths have been developed by anthropologists,
psyc~ologis~s. and culrura_l hi~torians. An unbiased survey
o_f this vast liter.uurc leads inevuably to the conclusion that no
single theory, idea, or typology can satisfactorily account for
all the myths of a given culture. This literature. as a whole,
does estab~ish that ~yths have imponant links to various
psycholog1ca1, social, and cultural themes within and
beyond th~ society of o~gin and that the centrality of
mytbopocs1s to the evoluuon of human consciousness is
indisputable.
For the anentive there is, somewhere within the
mythological narrative, an opening - a door through which
the things spoken of in the narrative connect with things
unspoken inside ourselves. The legacy of the Cherokee
elders, transmitted by Mooney, and the accumulated
awareness of the function of myth in consciousness permit
us to respectfully approach the ancient myths of KatUah.
JUDACULLA
.
On Caney Fork Creek in Jackson County, NC. there
is a large stone about the size of a recumbent bison. h is of
steatite-sandstone composition and is covered with incised
graffiti, pictographs, pcuoglyphs, or "Indian writing." The
local name for this stone is Judaculla Rock. A few miles to
the east, high on the ridge above the Caney Fork watershed
at a ~lac~ _wh~re Jackson, Haywood, and Transylvania
Counties Join, 1s a cleared area known to the white sculcrs
as Judaculla Fields which was often used by them as a
summer pasture for livestock. This ridge, grassy bald, and
the vast watershed beneath was generally known as the
abode of him who some thought of as "The Indian Satan":
Judaculla.
I have known this place and the name Judaculla since
binh, having descended on the maternal side from those
earliest white settlers in the Caney Fork the Scotch-Irish
clans of Parker and Coward (cow-herd). My grandmother
grew up on the farm that included Judaculla Rock and her
brothers, father, cousins, and uncles used to drive livestock
up the long trail each spring to take advantage of the lush
grass covering Judaculla Fields. My grandmother related to
me that when she was a li!tle girl she was told to sweep and
clean the rock. Whether this was to occupy an energetic child
on a long summer day. or expressed the notion that it was
better to have the satanic writings exposed to the christian
light of day than be covered by din and undergrowth, to lie
there, eventually forgotten and unsuspected, and work some
mischief on later generations, I never learned. She also told
me that on occasion, groups of Cherokee Indians would visit
the rock, camp beside it and "sing and wail all night long".
These and other stories were told me about this place when I
was a boy, and at ftcqucnt intervals over the four decades of
my life I've visited the rock and the Caney Fork watershed,
drawn there by an energy I could neither wholly identify or
describe.
It was upon reading Mooney's Myths of the Cherokee
that I learned further truths about the place. Judaculla is an
English corruption of the Cherokee name, Tsul'ka/u
me~ing "slant-eyed," and he was a mythic hero of th~
ancient Cherokee. The Judaculla Fields arc known in
Cherokee as Tsunegun'yi, meaning 'white place', referring
doubtless to the uninterrupted whiteness of the snow-clad
bald in the winter and resonating further with the ancient
Cherokee cosmology in which the color white was associated
with peace and well-being. It was in the peaceful fields of
Tsunegun'yi that the slant-eyed giant Tsu/'kalu had his
abode.
TSUL'KALU
. A giant, a great bunter, lord of all the game, wild,
sohtary, of monstrous aspect, never seen, but heard often
enough during summer storms, rumbling around up there on
Tsunegun'yi ; this was Tsul'kalu. And like all who are
solitary and monstrous, Ts"l'kalu knows loneliness and in
time, goes looking for a mate. There is a beautiful Cherokee
girl, call her Sada'yi, who lives with her mother down
(continued on page 8)
Sprl."'J, 1990
�.,~(~)
Spc~. 1990 ~
�(continued from page 6)
along Caney Fork. Sada'yi has begun to sleep apart from
her mother in the asi, the cave-like dugout made of logs and
earth that was a common feature of Cherokee homesteads.
By sleeping in the asi, Sada'yi indicates the autonomy of her
young womanhood and her receptivity to the unknown. So
one dark night Tsul'ka/U comes to her. She tells him that
her mother has said whoever she chooses for a mate must be
a great hunter and provider.
"I am that," says Tsul'kalu and, though she has not
yet seen him, she senses his power and his truth and she lets
him enter. His huge body fills the darkened asi and there is
just room for her own small body to lie beside him. ln the
morning, he is gone and outside hangs a freshly killed deer
on the drying poles. They continue in this way for many
ni~bts.
Eventually Sada'yi's mother, ever practical, points out
that they have enough meat, could her mysterious and still
unseen lover possibly provide some wood for the winter
fires? The next morning they find whole trees, tom roots
and all from the eanh, piled in the clearing. The mother,
though puzzled, is pleased and $he presses for funher
se.rvice: could he chop the wood for \hem? Next morning all
the wood has been removed; the clearing is empty. Chopping
and stacking wood is an activity embedded in the human
order, and Tsul'kalu has emphatically pointed out that he is
not of that order.
Sada'yi's mother, an irrevocable voice of the human
order, begins to insist upon seeing her daughter's strange
lover. She wants to know more about him, take his
measure, encompass him, and harness his prodigious
powers. Sada'yi conveys her mother's request to the giant
and after some persuasion he is willing. He insisrs that she
(the mother) must prepare for a shock and above all she must
not react to the sight of him by losing control and screaming
out, "USGA'SETJ'YU!" meaning "frightful". So next
morning, he remains in the asi past daylight, and when the
mother lifts the flap to peek at him she, of course, goes away
screaming, "USGA'SETl'YU! USGA'SETl'YU!" In spite
of her intentions, the encounter with this intrinsically wild,
monstrous, disproponionate being from outside the human
order obliterates her control. Tsul'kalu vanishes and does not
return for a time.
Meanwhile Sada'yi has her menses and there is a
copious flow of blood. Her mother, disappointed there's
been no conception, and meddling now ever closer into the
affairs of the lovers, gathers the blood and throws it into the
river. When next Tsu/'ka/u visits Sada'yi, he asks,
"Where's the child?"
When told there's been none, he asks, "Where's the
blood?"
She takes him to the river bank where the blood was
thrown in. Something calls silently to him from the river
and he goes into the dark waters, dives down seven times
and emerges with a small worm, which he carries cupped in
his hands toward the asi. By the time be has reached it, the
worm has grown into a baby girl which he hands to Sada'yi
saying; "Your mother does not like me and abuses our child,
so come, let us go to my home."
She embraces the child, takes leave of her mother, and
they go together up the mountain to peaceful Tsunegun'yi ..
T he New Garments
Although the figures and events in a mythic narrative
arc usually distinct, the narrative as a whole sometimes
seems inconclusive and directionless, as if it were silently
linked to other myths or to moments outside itself. The myth
connects with ourselves and with the world but in ways that
are elusive and not always subject to articulation. In this, the
myth is like the dream. Upon waking we often feel that
remembered elements of the dream are meaningful; chey
connect with and inform consciousness. Sometimes a patient
analysis of the dream will elucidate these connections but this
process is never free of a potential collapse because we know
there is always more; that the recollected dream arose from a
region that remains disordered, directionless, and connected
to material we cannot reach. Recognizing the original unity
of myth and dream, the Australian Aborigines call the source
of their myths and scories, "The Dreaming".
The myth of Tsu/'kalu connects us with the
relationship between the human order and the wild, almost
incomprehensible order of nature itself. Tsul'kaltl is of this
latter order. He is, in a sense, lord of it by virtue of his
disproponionate, monstrous aspect, his magical energies that
supply food and create life from what the human order
discards (menstrual blood), and his refusal to be fixated by
human seeing and judgement. Tsul'kalll's huge hands can
make love to Sada'yi , silently kill the deer of the forest for
her sustenance, and fonn a womb for the gestation and birth
of their child. Like the forces of nature, be sustains the
human order and, at the same time, is irrevocably in
opposition to it. There is but one way the human order can
experience and comprehend Tsul'ka/u's order, and that way
is indicated by the monster giant himself in the final episode
of the myth:
Sada'yi's brother has come to Tsunegun'yi to see
her. He asks to see her husband also. She relays the message
to Tsu/'ka/u and he instructs: "You must put on new
garments in order to see me."
The brother indicates he is willing to do this.
"Go then," says Tsul'kalu , "and tell your people to
gather in the townhouse and fast for seven days. During that
time they cannot leave the townhouse or raise the war
whoop. At the end of seven days I will come to them with
the new gannents and then they can see me."
The brother recurns and explains all this to the people.
They very much want to see this giant lord of the game and
immediately gather into the townhouse to begin the fast.
Now there is one man among them who is not of
them. He's from another place and of another clan. This
man steals out of the townhouse at night and eats. On the
seventh day the people hear a great roaring coming down
from Tsunegun'yi. As it comes closer it becomes deafening
and they are all terrified. Suddenly, he who has broken the
fast can bear it no longer and runs from the townhouse and
the village shouting the war cry. The roaring ceases, then is
heard receding back up into the high mountains around
Tsunegun'yi where it is silent. The people never c lothe
themselves in the new garments, and they never see
Tsul'kalu.
The meaning of this episode offers profound insights
into the nature of Cherokee spirituality. The new garments the purified desire of the people - have no exact equivalents
in contemporary secular experience. They are the necessary
transformation that a people must undergo in order to face
sacred power. Sada'yi was made "new" by the purity of her
erotic surrender to the god. The people as a group were co be
transformed by their surrender to the God's discipline. It was
this discipline that would have sustained their well-being,
their courage and their silence in the face of the
mind-destroying power of the slant-eyed monster Tsu/'kalu.
WA DON'
8prLfl9, 1990
�HEALING IN KATUAH
by Doug Aldridge
Hin the search for wisdom, the soul must sojourn upon the
earth, and dJUing this stay it will be enlightened as to the purpose
and care of the earthly temple, the body oft/ie soul, or the body.
Children can be taught the uses of growing things and their
prepara1ion. Many have not the desire to learn them, and seek not
the knowledge which is all abow them. These then must rely
upon the medicine man, such as I, to help correct the results of
ignorance. Mankind must experience and grow through all
phases of wisdom before becoming evolved into the higher
realm. If the spirit is moved, then shall the knowledge be
acquired. The Grear Spirit speaks to all."
- Mauzsan
Powhatan shaman, 1603
I - A Karuah Healing
I am a relative newcomer to Katuah. In seven years here
my family and I have taken root, and with each passing year we
have found greater aliveness in our relationship with the land and
its people. This growth has emerged primarily through a
closeness to the eanh - found in gardening, foraging, wood
gathering, and living in increasing harmony with nature. Two of
our three children, Autumn-Leaf and Forest Hean, were born at
home in an old house perched at the edge of Cherokee Forest.
The attendants at their births were friends, not technicians, and
they came to suppon us in the growth of our family. The skillful
assistance of Lucinda Aodin (see "Birth Power" issue 26 Winter
1989-90) was instrumental in the success of our homebirth
experiences.
Living this close to nature - a half mile from the nearest
neighbor, a half-hour from the nearest four-lane road - cultivates
a trust in unseen powers. We sense that we are surrounded and
supponed by the same forces that suspend the stars in the clear
depths of the heavens above our house, that sustain the grasses
through the freezes and thaws, that warm the eanb from within,
while they hurl the sun in its daily changing arc above the
ridgetops.
Our home wasn't built here for convenient access to
anyplace else. It's a steep, winding mile of a dirt road down to
Highway 321 as it curves around the mountainsides that drop
down to Watauga Lake. And the TV reception is about the worst
on the East Coast. But it is well situated in other, more important
ways. Abundant springs, up behind the house, kept us in plenty
of water through the driest days of recent drought. Strong winds
rarely reach us in the shelter of the ridges. Water flows into the
house by gravity, and the kitchen stove doesn't care about power
outages, because it bums wood. In winter, a sheet of plastic
around our front porch cuts our heating needs and creates a
sunroom for the whole family.
Closeness to our environment has had a profound impact
on our faqlily's health of body, mind, and spirit. Plenty of fresh
air, pure +.tater, sunshine, and relative freedom from noise and
light pollution make this a nunuring place for a young family and
contributes to our peace of mind. Spiritually, our homeplace
draws us closer to the Oneness of All Life. It is that spirit - The
Great Spirit - that called us here six years ago. And the lessons
we've learned here prepared us to find another home, larger in
proponion to our growing needs, and well-watered, wellSprl."'J, 1990
sheltered by the lay of the land, with good southeast exposure
and plenty of garden space - another old homeplace where
generations of Kauiahans have been born, raised, and grown old.
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God," said Jesus of Nazareth,
"and all these things will be added unto you." I believe that. I
also believe that seeking the Kingdom, today, means returning to
the source, and I thank God that it is still possible in KatUah.
II - Seeking Guidance
In the winter of 1987-88, friends from Charlotte, Nonh
Carolina recommended that we get in touch with Harold Green, a
healing ans practitioner. While the family was thriving, we hoped
Harold could teach us more ways of preventing disease and
promoting our own well being. We had never had cause to turn
over our responsibility for our children's health to anyone else.
My wife Barbel and I felt we needed more guidance than we
could get from books.
When Barbel first spoke with Harold on the phone, he
looked inward for guidance, as he often does when asked
questions; he "got a yes," and agreed to come up from Charlotte,
where he was teaching healing ans and giving personal health
consultations, working - as always - for donations. I have seen
him work for no personal gain, and I have seen him accept a
feather and a stone with the same sincere thanks he gives for an
offering of money. The most imponant thing, in his view, is that
each individual take responsibility for his or her own welJ being.
Harold Green, it turned out, practiced Native American
healing ans. He is an associate of Chief Two Trees at the Native
American Studies Institute in Old Fon, North Carolina. Both
Harold and Chief Two Trees teach that each individual must
become a healer in order to be cured of "dis-ease." As the Chief
put it when I asked him recently about the philosophical basis of
this teaching:
"Everyone is a healer - everyone - but the art of healing is
studied only by a few. What we're about is to teach people to
heal themselves. The Christian Bible says 'Physician, heal
thyself.' So everyone becomes a healer. Now the art of healing
has been passed down through generations and generations."
Commenting on the surrender of personal power involved
in our transition from an agricultural to an industrial society,
Chief Two Trees said, "People got into the habit of paying
somebody else - to raise their garden for them, to manage their
health for them, to spend their money for them. They even pay
their minister to manage their spiritual being for them. They gave
away all their power, kept nothing for themselves. So what we're
about is to teach people again to go back to growing their own
garden, even in the smallest amount. Learn how to identify, to be
in harmony with nature through a garden. I don't care if it's in a
window, in an apartment Know the value of fresh food with life
force in it, freshly harvested within a few minutes of being eaten.
Second, we also teach people to think for themselves in a
spiritual way. Because no one can walk in your moccasins."
Harold Green's first visit to our home in the winter of
1987-88 was an experience that opened up for our family new
avenues of knowledge and practical, usually simple, techniques
of healing and preventive medicine. We quickly recognized in
him the teacher we bad been seeking. The home remedies he
(continued on next page)
Drawing by Rob Messick
�(continued from page 9)
taught us 10 concoct from leaves and roots, berries and bark,
herbs and flowers, brought us greater strength and vitality. And
the act of gathering and preparing natural tonics and remedies
deepened our kinship wilh the land, making real the concept of
the interconnectedness of narure, humanity, and spirit. Gathering
black walnut leaves and hulls in summer 10 dry and hang in the
pantry can be mere ritual (which has value). Drinking black
walnut tea, on the other hand, can be merely medicinal. But
when I gather them myself and prepare a tea and drink it and
serve it 10 my family, then I combine lhe healing virtues of rirual
and medicine, and the benefit is greater than the sum of the pans.
Harold's work with us has helped our whole family 10 heal
huns ranging from physical to spirirual dis-ease. Sometimes
through common sense advice, a1 other times through the
intuitive gift by which he channels divine guidance, and always
with a rich fund of practical knowledge, he has 1augh1 us to
reclaim personal power and heal ourselves.
The responsibility for ta.king or not taking his advice is
ours, and we do what we think and feel is right. Although we
were strict vegetarians, we have introduced medicinal quantities
of meat into our family fare at his recommendation. We have
been strengthened by it More slowly than he would have liked,
we have taken to sharing the knowledge of healing arts nutrition, iridology, herbology, reflexology, acupressure,
massage, crystal therapy, dream analysis, hydrotherapy - that we
have been building over 1he years.
ill - A Katuah Healing Continues
When I slatted seeing Harold Green, I thought I was in
good heallh, despite a bout of blood poisoning a year before that
could have killed me had I not gone to a hospital. By the time
Harold came there was only a scar on my right hand to remind
me that when it came to preventative medicine, I had a 101 10
learn. In fact, my immune system was still dangerously weak. I
began my own healing by taking responsibility for my condition
and accepting Harold's guidance. I attacked parasites first with
herbs and later colonies. I strengthened organs, whose weakened
condition showed in my irises, with specific foods and
supplements. l treated my ears and mouth, which had bred a
systemic yeast infection, with tea tree oil (mixed, for use in cars,
with castor oil in 1:10 proportion). All this strengthened my body
and helped eliminate toxin-producing, energy-sapping parasites.
(Chief Two Trees maintains that 85% of all diseases are caused
by parasites.) Gradually, I made gains in overall vitality.
. \'(hen I was strong enough in spirit, mind, and body
(whtch 1 really one strength), I entered a deeper level of healing.
s
My new-found strength was drawn inward, focusing on the
work of healing from the inside out. The ground I had gained
physically was apparently lost during this time. I feh weak and
listless. I developed rashes as toxins were discharged through my
skin. I had to trust my intuition that I was getting better, because
I felt sick.
At that time, in the fall of '88, I intensified my use of
therapies Harold taught me. lridology helped 10 identify organs
and systems that needed nutritional suppon. The "laying on of
hands" through massage, acupressure, and reflexology improved
energy flow through my body. Hydrotherapy sped up the
elimination of 1oxins. Through dream analysis I was able to lay
hold of the taproot of my trouble, a parasitic liver condition.
This period of intense healing lasted about cwo months and
subsided in the winter of '88-'89. The evidences of its passage
are 1he presence of healing signs in the irises of my eyes, along
with a general reduction of iris discoloration associated with
toxicity. I now have a new vitality that includes a much stronger
immune response and heightened energy and productivity.
Through this experience I have learned that medicine which is
limited to relieving symptoms maintains the underlying causes of
disease. True healing leads back through the symptoms to the
underlying cause, making the cure complete.
The ripples of my well-being have spread outward into
other areas of my life where progress was blocked. I'm writing
for a wider audience. More money is coming in. We will soon be
moving to our own home from a rented one. Barbel and I are
sharing more widely in the healing ans movement, and we have
found another teacher in Rudolph Poss, Ph.D., Director of
Boone's Life Energy Center. We are both working at the Life
Energy Cemer as therapists. Barbel recently returned from the
first of a series of trips to New York City where she shares her
knowledge of healing ans.
Yes, the ripples of my own healing carry the work of
teaching and healing far beyond my horizon. Change starts in
your head and works its way out from y.our guts. But it doesn't
stop with you. Heal yourself and you'll heal your world.
Physician, heal thyself.
Doug Aldridge is afather, a healer, and a writer. He also
teaches at The Kid's Country School (a homeschool in Doe
Valley), and is a lecturer in English at Appalachian State
University. He practices pressure point therapy at the life
Energy Center in Boone.
~
WHEN LEFT TO GROW
Surrounded by forest
That clothes the land
Wilh fallen leaves
From sleepy trees
The warming sun
An occasional breeze
The ever flowlng creek
By this peacefully calm day
Closely following this windey stream
Us cool motion over rounded stone
That makes a constant sound
Coursing the way lo an open sea
Hovering in the wind
Being like lhe white cloud
In clear blue sky
Gliding over rolling countryside
These hairs like limbers
When left to grow
Become long and full
This body like rolling hills
When lefl to grow
Becomes intrinsically well and appealing
A mind like integral relations
When left to grow
Becomes clear and tuned to pattern
JC.atUah Journal: pc:iqe 10
Poem and Drawing by Rob Messick
Sprl.nq, 1990
�Calling to the Ancestors, Calling Our Relations:
Poems by Stephen Wing
Feather and Shadow
We have come to the lime of the choosing
of ancestors.
This is the place where my ancestors came down
from thcir square hole in the sky
The world is
bigger than we can see, that
long horizon promised.
So they built ships.
My ancestors grew com here, this is the clearing
where they danced the year
Preparing to abandon
their bodies, they built cathedrals
where the ancient groves had been.
The world is bigger than we can see...
One by one the monks
fell unconscious in thcir cells.
My ancestors camped here in the Winter
of the Early Snow, they knew th<? spot by the stars
The unknown continent grew
vaster as they conquered,
the invisible cities grew richer
in their delirium: each
Crusad<?r, each Conquistador
conjuring a private mansion,
lying in his fever and his cloud of
mes.
This is wh<?re the young men came
fasting and singing, alone in the sacred land
It might have been my great-grandfather
bending, the boy at the plow
too young to remember that horizon
of unbroken acreage, hanging back
against the pull of the mule
to pluck a flint-shard from the vanished prairie grass -
Visiting the Deer
This is where my ancestors came
to honor their dead, this windy ridge in the sky
He looks up. Douds break
into feathers, streaking over
the horizon. He sees one
sweep across the sun and the bright land of his father falls
into shadow.
We have come to the time of the choosing:
This is my native place.
This mountain. This creek.
This is my native place.
•
Sp r Lr19, 1990
Going up to visit the long view
at the top of the hill
today I have
travelled the deer-trails:
bending to duck under
where the deer duck under
branches,
leaping where the deer l<?ap
dry ravines, coming at last
in to open sky:
gazing down where the deer gaze
down on human hospitalities
with wild shy suspicionWhen I caught my breath
I looked down and saw only
the houses of my
neighbors, the loop of road.
Going back I travelled
as usual down the track of tires
in the dirt.
Drawing by James Rhea
JC.atUah
Journm
pQ4Je 11
�Pabllillg ofVislutM Krisluta
Jaipur, India
The Belly
Your Belly Pulse ls The Earth Mother's Heart Beat
Your belly pulse
is the earth Mother's
heart beat.
Press into yourself:
exit the breath, expireand sink,
sink down in to
the consecrated center
intense, dense, compressed,
the consolidated possible;
life engaged unto itself,
life drawing light unto
itself, life compacted to the
one still one point.
And press yourself out again:
be filled by the breath, inspired--
to live,
to live in to
the world that's ever being born from you:
galaxies expanding, stars chasing stars,
filling, bursting the radiating joy,
life swelling beyond
itself, life exploding
light, life spiraling outward,
the turning world.
Your belly pulse
is the earth Mother's
heart beat.
The earth trembles
her rhythm
through us; our feet skip
along her surface
while beneath she beats
her molten drum.
-Lisa Sarasohn
C Lisa Samsohn 1990
by Lisa Snrasohn
Our bodies are a gift from the earth: the solid substance
of who we are comes from the soil. By the powers of sun,
water, plant and animal life, the soil's minerals undergo a
change in fonn and we incorporate them as organ and gland,
corpuscle of blood, muscle fiber and bone. Our bodies arc the
gift of a woman's belly. It is in a woman's womb that our
Lives begin to take on form. The umbilical cord links our
bodies to our mothers, bringing nutrients directly into our
bellies.
The belly is the measurable center of our bodies: it is at
the mid-point between the crown of our heads and the soles of
our feet. Healing traditions the world over -- the ancient
cultures of Egypt, India, China, Japan, Greece, and the
Americas -- know the belly to be much more: the center of our
vitality, the place from which we live. These ancient traditions
recognize the belly as the source point for our physical and
emotional well-being. for our sense of individual wholeness.
Clearing and strengthening the belly through movement and
breathing techniques leads to resrnenl health, freedom from
fear, self-mastery, and the power of personal presence.
These same traditions also recognize the belly as the
source point for our spiritual well-being. Clearing and
strengthening the belly allows us to experience our individual
Sprl.f\9, 1990
�connectedneu to the universe, to sense our intimate
participation in the Great Life. Although our original. physical
connection with our mothers' nourishment has long been
severed, there's a subtle cord mnaining between our bellies
and the mother-world. A vortex of primordial. creative energy
swirls into and out of our bellies, feeding our spirits and
sustaining our vitality - if we allow it to do so.
A clear, strong belly provides a secure feeling of being
"at home" - at home in the body, at home on this Earth,
well-rooted and generously nurtured, kin to the creatures with
whom we share this planet. In this light, attending to the
strength and health of the belly not only enhances our personal
immunity from disease, such attention also brings fonh our
personal contribution to healing the planet When we embody
the knowledge - when we feel it in our bones and know it in
our guts -- that we are one with the Earth, preserving the
integrity of our natural systems will no longer be a political
issue. It will be a mauer of self-respect.
Jn writing this anicle, my intention is to inspile you to
honor your body, and particularly your belly, as you would
have others honor the Earth. Drawing on my studies of
biology. regional planning, yoga. and lhcrapeuric massage, I'll
outline the anatomy of the belly, indicate a range of cultural
attitudes regarding lhe belly, and explore their influence on our
well-being.
What's In a Belly?
The Vital Organs
The abdomen ranges from the pubic bone of the pelvis to
the muscular diaphrngm at the base of lhe rib ca~e. It houses
the vital organs of digestion, elimination, and reproduction:
stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, spleen, small intestines,
large in1estine, ovaries, uierus. The digestive organs process
and absorb nutrients, satisfying our hungers and providing the
energy and substance we require for all our life processes. It is
here, too, that toxins and waste products arc neuttalized, soned
out, and prepared for discharge.
Without regular physical exercise, mental stress and
shallow breathing tend to increase muscle tension and reduce
circulation throughou1 the body, increasing the accumulation of
toxins and unbalancing the flow of glandular secretions. These
factors can contribute to a host of abdominal dysfunctions,
including common ones such as indigestion, intestinal gas,
constipation, and menstrual discomfort.
From the poini of view of Western anatomy and
physiology alone, exercising 1he body, wilh particular attention
10 the belly, would seem to offer substantial health benefits.
The Body-Mind Connection
Jn her books You Can Heal Your Lift and Heal Your
Body, Louise Hay suggcs1s the specific patterns of thinking
which set the stage for various physical conditions. She
indicates lhat the accumulation of fat in general represents a
person's excessive sensitivity and his or her need for
protection. The fear a person feels, lhough, may be "a cover
for hidden anger and a resistance to forgive," she writes. ln
particular, a fa1 belly may reflect "anger at being denied
nourishment." She offers a positive affirmation to replace the
negative partem of though1: "I am always safe and secure. I
nourish myself with spiritual food and I am satisfied and free."
The psycho1hcrapis1 and bodyworker Lyn Davis Genelli
considers lhat the "pot belly" or "beer gut" which some men
develop reveals their "need to protecl their vital organs from an
attack." A large belly, she suggests, offers a sense of
protection in "the 'wars' of the production plan1 and corporate
suite..... Despite 1heir protesta1ions, men unconsciously love
their fat [belly) and feel tha1 the ownership of one... is a sign of
security, prosperity, and survivorhood."
My experience working with people who come to me for
therapeutic bodywork is in accord with the ideas these writers
Sprl."'J, 1990
have proposed. The condition, shape. and inner sense of the
belly reflect a person's willingness and ability to nouriJh himor herself emotionally, to digest new expcrieoces, to release the
past, to be courageous in the presence of risk, to generate the
self-approval which helps a person feel safe and secure.
ln working particularly with women, I find that
imbalances in the belly often relate to issues regarding
creativity. A bloated belly is like a storehouse, the place where
enormous creative power has been stuffed because expressing
that power has seemed to be either impossible or unbearably
risky. A woman who has not yet found a satisfying way to
express the fertility of her imagination may well embody the
image of the "pregnan1 virgin."
A woman's belly also ponrays her feelings abou1 her
sexuality and womanhood. Conflict.s related to sex,
pregnancy, child-bearing, rape, incest, and abortion will often
influence the belly's health.
The Belly Center
Japan: Hara
ln Japanese cuhure, the point two inches below the navel is
named "tanden". To indicate the whole abdominal region, the
Japanese use the ierm "hara," which literally cranslatcs as
"belly." Hara refers to this central physical region of the body,
and 10 much more: the rich human potential for psychological
and spiriiual development. The person wi1h hara is, as
approximated by our language, "gutsy." He or she has
developed the clari1y of his or her "gut feelings" and
consistently acts on the strength of this inner knowing.
In Hara: The Vital Cenier of Man (sic), Karlfried Graf Von
Durckhcim details the role of hara in the Japanese tradition and
also characterizes the physical, psychological, and spiritual
benefits of developing hara 10 people of all cultures. According
tO Von Durckheirn, the qualities of a person with hara include:
a feeling of boundless energy; enhanced immunity from disease
and rapid recovery from illness; easy and graceful movement;
creative imagination; tranquility, pa1icnce, inner calm and
flexibility; confidence, endurance, conienonent; penetrating
insight; a capacity for quick and mature decision-making; the
experience of security and lhc ability to mee1 changes with
equanimity and poise; a sclf-<:ollected harmony.
Von Durckhcim indicates that hara is significant for us on
two levels. For the individual, possession of hara "gives one a
special strength for living in this world." And on the universal
level, through hara "one is enabled to realize consciously one's
own being in the Great Being which is the ultimate meaning of
life." As hara develops and a person senses his or her own
immersion within, and identity with, the Great Being, he or she
"joyously experiences a new closeness to the world, to people
and lhings, to nature and God..."
India: The Ch.okras
The spiritual and healing traditions of Japan have evolved
from their initial source in yoga, the science of
self-development origina1ing in India more than 6,000 years
ago. Yoga recognizes a subtle core of life energy moving
through lhc body from the base of the spine to the crown of the
head. Along this column there are seven energy centers - seven
"chalcras." Each chakra corresponds to a location in the body
as well as t0 specific issues and concerns.
The belly region includes the firs1 three chalcras. Muladhara
chalcra is at the base of the spine, and rela1cs 10 our sense of
physical security and our individual survival, issues of trust
and mistrust. When lhis chakra is weak or congested a person
may typically experience fear - including fear of death, worry,
anxiety, and a fear of !erring go: "I feel threatened by ..." On a
regional and global level, solid was1c disposal and pollution
control seem to be "firs1 chakra" issues.
When it is clear and strong. the energy of lhis first chakra
generates self-sustaining instincts, urges, and initiatives; a
respectful awareness of the body and its functions; and a
healthy concern for self-preservation. I think of wilderness
survival training as a healthy "first chakra" activity: "l can take
(continued on next page)
JCQtUah Jo1.4mat PacJ'I 13
�(continued from page 13)
care of myself; I am always safe and secure."
1be second chakra is Swadhislhana, corresponding to the
reproductive organs and relating to sensuality. When energy is
congested here, a person typically experiences boredom,
frustration, and disappointment, often as the consequence of
overindulgence: "I feel incomplete unless I have ..." On a
larger scale, the problems related to over-production and
over-consumption of material goods arc "second chalcra"
issues.
In its clear expression, the second chalcra suppons the
faculties of imagining, generating ideas, recognizing
distinctions, and making choices. Enjoying beauty - savoring
tasty foods, appreciating good music, talcing delighi in vibrant
colors and rich texrurcs -- seem to me to be a healthy "second
chakra" expression: "Everything I need is already available to
me; the Universe supports me with abundant joy."
lower body, and belly center--between Heaven, Earth, and
the condition of being human. In order to perfect any pose,
holding its alignment with minimum cffon and maximum
relaxation, a person must discover for him or herself how to
intensify and use the strength of bis or her own belly. In this
process, a person also discovers how to sustain a balanced
relationship among upper body, lower body, and belly center.
1 see the belly as the point where energy descending
from the heavens through the torso meets energy ascending
through the legs from the Eanh. Such is the condition of being
human: living between the poles of heaven and earth,
embodying spirit, enfolding energy into matter, incorporating
consciousness.
The Cultured Belly: Views From Around the World
"If we are to heal the Earth,
let us start as close to home as possible:
let us start with the portions of Earth
which are our bodies."
The Wisc Woman tradition of herbal healing seems to
take a similar view. This ttadition perceives the intention of
Life to be so nurturing that our immediate environment
provides exactly the plants we need for promoting our
well-being. And these plants arc so abundant that we tend to
regard them as common weeds.
The third chakra is Manipura, ar the navel. It relates to
issues of personal will and the sense of emotional security.
Energy congested here often reveals itself in feelings of
jealousy, anger, resentment, hostility, and greed, resulting
from comparison and competition: "I bet I can make him
do .... " In a regional and global context, a third chakra issue is
political domination of one group of people over another.
As the energy at the third chakra clears and resolves, an
individual feels a secure sense of personal identity. I think of
healthy third chakra expression as self-empowerment - taking
assertive action in one's own best interest, motivated by self
esteem, and acting upon one's values no matter how unpopular
they may be: "I am at peace with my own feelings; I approve
of myself."
The stretching and breathing exercises of yoga energize
and clear the first three chalcras by bringing awareness to the
belly and by stimulating the flow of life energy up through
the central core. Some poses, such as Standing Leg Stretching
and Shoulder Stand, invert the torso and so apply the force of
gravity to draw the flow of energy down from the base of the
spine towards the crown of the head. Other poses, such as
Bow Pulling and Balancing Stick, require standing and
balancing on one leg while raising the other; they are difficult
to do without maintaining a sense of the belly as the pivot
point around which the body turns. In order to maintain
balance for more than a few seconds, a person must compress
the belly in towards the spine, increasing the density of the
belly center.
Poses such as Cobra, Locust, and Bow clear the
abdominal energy centers and also develop the power of
muscles in the abdomen, buttocks, and lower back. While in
these postures, a person must press the belly into the floor,
grounding it securely. Given this firm central contact and
support, the upper and lower portions of the body can lift
almost effortlessly: establishing the connection of the belly
with the Eanh allows the spirit to soar.
The poses of yoga bring the body into a configuration
which demonstrates the relationship between upper body,
As already mentioned, Oriental and Asian cultures
regard the belly with greatest respect, understanding it as the
center of life itself. Other cultures have given special attention
to the significance of the belly as well: belly dancing in the
Middle East and the vigorous ttaditional dances and midsection
massage of the South Sea Islanders ensure that the abdominal
muscles remain well-toned. I understand that two Australian
aborigine women will greet each other when they meet by
touching their bellies and foreheads together.
In American and European culture, the prescription for
physical beauty has included "belly in, chest out", as if the best
belly were an invisible one. Current fashions-high heels, tight
jeans, "tummy conttol" devices in underwear and pantyhose-work to flatten the belly, increasing the relative volume of the
upper body.
Hiding the belly and bringing attention to the upper body
signify the value our culture places on mental activity, speed,
and agility. Our attempt to raise Lhe body's center from the
belly to the chest, says Von Durckheim, reveals how we reject
our relationship to the Eanh: "The urge to transcend gravity is
quite natural to man (sic) as a spiritual being, but the desire to
break loose from the vitalizing bond with the solid earth is in
conflict with the law of his (sic) terrestrial existence."
European culture did not always consider the belly with
such distaste, however. Von Durckheim writes: "In the
Romanesque and Gothic sculpture the belly is clearly stated and
expresses strength...and calm acceptance of the bond with
earth....The Gothic belly seems 10 say: 'You cannot win
Heaven if you betray Earth."'
In The Obsession: Reflections On tire Tyranny of
Slenderness, Kim Chemin links our cultural attitude about
women's bellies with attitudes about pregnancy and childbirth.
She suggests that a womanly appearance-including a naturally
round and ample belly-- is threatening. It reminds us of a time
when as tiny infants we were helpless, totally dependent for
our survival on this huge, looming, rather frightening creature
called our mother. To see a woman with a large belly is to
revisit a primal sense of woman's awesome power.
Conclusion
A friend of mine often says, "How we do anything is
how we do everything." How we relate to our bodies and to
our bellies tells the ttuth about how we tend to the Earth and its
natural resources.
If we arc to heal the Earth, let us start as close to home
as possible: let us start with the portions of Earth which are our
bodies. Going beyond conceptions of good and bad, of
opposites and adversaries, to recognize the sanctity of all that
exists--including our very selves--this is the consciousness
which heals our bodies and will be healing our planet. And
we have a practical way to develop this consciousness, by
clearing and strengthening our bellies.
~
8pf'l-n4j, 1990
�~~
~UA~Jjf>URNAL
.
SPECIAL EARTH DAY 1990 EVENTS SECTION
Earth Day Just Dawning........ .
Earth Day affords us the opportunity to
publicly recognize our home planet as our source of
sustenance and nurturancc, and to acknowledge the
need Cor it to be honored, protected, and
appreciated. It is a time to admit that it is home
and life support systell\not just ror us humans, but
for the whole ecological life community in whjch
we participate. It is a time to celebrate its beauty
and diversity and its incredible cvolvement.
It is also a time to take responsibility for
this richness which we have been given. We must
recognize tha t our Insatiable demands are
darkening the future of life on this Earth. Even as
we accept that grim reality, we can rejoice in the
fact that by realizing our responsibility, we also
realize our power-that when we begin to change
ourselves and our lifestyles, the planet can begin to
renew Itself.
Let us mark Earth Day 1990, not as a
one-day affair, but as the beginning of a decade of
change, a decade of action toward an ecologically
sound future. Earth Day has the potential to be a
significant catalyzing influence. It can help to
mobilize an ongoing, citizen effort towa rds
~luating our environmental crisis and responding
to it. Earth Day can also provide an opportunity
to engage a much broader constituency on local and
regional levels.
Environmental action, the green pledge, the
environmental audits for home, business, and
institution, the pledge of allegiance to the Earth,
the Earth flags .... All of these need not become
"have-beens" artcr April 22; ra ther, they need to
become habits. Earth Day provides practical
guidelines and tools which can be shared with the
wider community --on an ongoing basis.
Our actions on behalf of the Earth during
the decade lo come are what will make Earth Day
1990 a mearungful even t. The problems we face
are global in nature, but our actions must begin here
at home in o ur own region:
• The extinction of Sp<'Cies threatens the
future of evolu tion. We can work to slop the
extinction of species by helping the black bear
here.
•Exploitation of the Earth as "rcsoun:cs• is
eroding the basis for life. We can help to stop
exploitation by protecting the forest here.
•The life cycles of the Earth arc being
poisoned by our pollution. We can join the effort to
stop the poisoning by demanding the beginning of
the end of acid rain. We can do something to stop
the poisoning by purifying our waler here.
It is almost 400 years since European people
first stumbled upon this continent. The invading
culture has been changing the face of this land
ever since. Now it is time to change ourselves. As
we celebrate the Earth, let us also accept our
responsibility ror lt.s future.
• The Editars of the Karuah Journal
....·..·:::·.·.·.::::::·:-:.:~..----······ ········..•
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�Join in the celebration...
EARTH DAY
April 22, 1990!!
Celebrations and events will take
place "locally" all around the planet. In
our Katuah bioregion, there will be a
variety of events on Earth Day and
surrounding it. Here is a partial
listing ...Come join in the celebrations!
WATAUGA COUNTY, NC
APRIL 17 *Children's poster exhibit and Area
environmental exhibits. At Boone Mall. •concert by
Bill Oliver, well-known educator and environmental
follcsinger. At ASU Rosen Conccn Hall, BroyhHI
School of Music. Cont.act Harvard Ayers (704)
262-2295.
APRIL 18 • Environmental Exposition all day •
Earth Day storytelling with Karen Wallace. Al
Watauga Public Library. •Bill Oliver, mid-day conccn;
Judy Hunt, St.ate Represent.alive, speaking, 12:30 .
12:50 pm ; Earth Garnes, I - 2 pm. At ASU Mall.
•Speaker: Michael Robinson, Director, Na1.ional Zoo.
8:00 pm. Reception to follow. At ASU Fanhing
Auditorium. Contact Melissa Banh (704) 262-3098.
APRIL 19 •Environment.al exposition a.11 day: Janet
Hoyle, speaking 12:30 - 12:50 pm; Children's concen
with Bill Oliver, 1:30 - 2:30 pm. At ASU Ma.II.
•8:00 pm, Speaker: Thomas Berry, in1emationally
known speaker and author of TM Dream of IM Ear1h.
Reception to follow. Al ASU Farthing Auditorium.
Contact J. Linn Mackey (704) 262-2418.
APRIL 20 •s1eel drum band, 12 noon, a1 ASU Ma.IL
Tree planting on lhc ASU Mall, then moving to the
Boone Greenway. •Plant sale. a.i Rankin Gn:cnhouse.
• Awards, Children's poster exhibit, 7:00 pm. At
Boone Malt
APRIL 21 •Music on the ASU Mall. Bike-a-thon.
New River and Watauga River Clean up.• AJJ Species
Day Parade, starling 10:00 am, al the parking lot at
inlefSCCtion of King and Water Sts.. ending a1 ASU
Mall. Prizes for elerncnt.ary, middle, and high school
lellehers and studcnts...everyone invited to participate.
11:00 am, free ice cream. Cont.act Karen Lohr (704)
262-4089.
APRIL 22 EARTH DAY •Morning, Interfaith
worship.• Fun Run/Walk.• Earth Day ceremonies,
Earth games, storytelling, and music, beginning 12
noon. At ASU Mall. Cont.act Karen Lohr (704)
262-4089.
APRIL 22 EARTH DAY • Sunrise Ceremony with
stories and song. *Nature and wildlife hikes
throughout He nderson County. •Earth Day
Celebration, hands-on activities, storytelling, music,
recycling demonstration. Jackson Park,
Hendersonville, NC. Coniact Ms. Freudenberger (704)
693--0135.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC
MARCH 19 • APRIL 30 Tree Planling. ConLact
Monte Wooum, Quality Forward (704) 254- I 776.
MARCH 29 Asheville-Buncombe EARTH DAY 1990
Community Meeting, 5:30 pm at the Unitarian
Univcrsalist Church (Charlolle SL). AJJ are encouraged
IO plan events for our own neighborhood or area and IO
voluntccr to help with local projects and events. To be
included in an area-wide calendar of Banh events, call
Dory Brown (704) 622-713 1 or write:
Asheville-Buncombe EARTH DAY 1990, P.O. Box
5855, Asheville. NC 28813.
APRIL 2 • 7 River Awareness Weck sponsored by
Warren Wilson College. Culminates with Swannanoa
River Clean-Up on SalUrday. Info: (704) 298-3325.
APRIL 7 Glad-Bagalhon open 10 groups and
individuals wanling 10 participate in litter clean-up
project and weigh-in contest. Contact Jane Wilson,
Qwilily Forward, (704) 254-1776.
APRJL 9 • 13 Project Pride Weck. sponsored by
Quality Forward and Asheville-Buncombe EARTH
DAY 1990. Experiential environment.al education
through lhe ans and sciences for students of Buncombe
County Schools. Info (704) 254·1776.
APRIL 16 *Free day al lhc Nature Center, Gashes
Creek Road, Asheville. (704) 298-5600. • Artisl°s
Earth Day exhibit unveiled; artists will exhibit !heir
environmental an in the unoccupied storefronts on
Haywood St. and Pack Square, Asheville.
APRJL 16-20 • Earth Weck at Aficrschool Programs;
Monte Wooten of Quality Forward is willing to come
to Asheville afl.erschool programs to give t.alks on our
earth and its environment. Cont.act Monie Wooten
(704) 254-1776. *Landfill Tours for EducaJOrS: group
or organization opportunity to tour local landfill.
Cont.act Steve Heisclman, landfill recycle coorinator,
or Monie Wooten, Quality Forward, (704) 254-1776.
APRIL 20 Conference: Resources a1 Risk: The
Effee1s of Acid Precipilation and Ozone on 1he
SoUJMrn Appalachians. 8:30am-4:00pm UNCA Owen
Center. Sponsored by: Western North Carolina
Tomorrow, USDA Fores t Service-SE Forest
Experiment Station and UNCA Environmenlal Studies
Program. Registration $5.00....Caten:d Lunch $5.00.
Contact: Fn:d Huber (704) 251-6104.
HEN DE RSON COUNTY, NC
APRIL 21 Art Auel.ion. Work donated by notable
area artists, proceeds go to saving the wetlands in
Henderson County. Cont.act David Malpass (704)
697-9557.
APRIL 20 Ctltbra1 IM Earth Story Thomas Berry,
ing
intemalionalJy-known spealce.r and aulhor of The
Dream of IM Earth (Sierra Club Press, 1989), will
give a talk at Owen Conference Center. UNC-A as pan
of community-wide Earth Week aclivities. 7:30pm.
No charge. Reception follows.
APRIL 21 The Sixth Annual Environment.al
Summit: Al IM Crossroads: lmpacl of Devtlopmenl
on Environmenlal Qualily. Speakers include.: Thomas
Berry, Cynthia Sullivan, BilJ Holman and others.
UNC-A Owen Conference Cent.er. Cont.act: (704)
251-6104.
APRIL 21 "Earth Energies" talk by Morgan Eaglebcar,
an Apache medicine man and great grandson of
Geronimo. 10:00-12:00pm; Opponunity to partake in
a sweaL Two lodges builL Beginning 12:00 noon.
Love offering accepted. At Eanh Center, Swannanoa,
NC. Cont.act: Zoe&. Jim Martin (704) 298-3935.
APRIL 21-22 Chez Op1 ion plans to show
environmental videos and distribute pamphlets in
SLOrcfront location on Haywood SL, Asheville, NC.
APRIL 22 EARTH DAY Celebration!! EvetyOllC is
invil.ed to wear Green for show of Earth solidarity!
• Bike ride for children and adults through downtown
Asheville. 12:30 pm. Contact Steve Millar (704)
254-0414. •Earth Day parade begins a1 2pm in
Downtown Asheville and marches IO City/County
Plaza. Everyone encouraged Lo join in!! • Earth
Games, Rainbow Games, and environmenlal exhibits
geared toward children. after the parade, at Radisson
Plaza Parking LoL •RALLY, wilh music, speakers,
sLrCCt lhealcr, and booths offering food, environment.al
products and information. •Bring your recyclables;
Scot Sanderson will have a recycling booth and will be
accepting plastic milk jugs. green and clear plastic
soda boules, aluminum, and sorted glass.
Pr oj ect EARTH (Environment.aJ Arrangement
Requiring Transportation that's Homemade) will aeate
a moveable environment.al display and show it in the
parade. ConlllCt: Project Eanh, PO Box 5855,
Asheville, NC 28813.
Re-invent Fair Have fun creating inventions from
recycled malCrial. Ideas can be pratical like making
sandals from old I.ires, or imaginative, like making a
perpetual motion machine from odds and ends. For
form and details, cont.act: Quality Forward, PO Box
22, AshcviJle, NC 28802 by April 16.
KNOXVILLE, TN AREA
APRIL 16 Murray Bookchin will speak a.t University
Center, UT campus. 7:00 pm
APRJL 21 • 22 EARTH DAY ECO-FAIR. Earth
Day Office: (615) 974-0643.
APRIL 21 EARTH DAY Benefit Concert. Earth Day
Office: (615) 974-0643.
APRIL 22 EARTH DAY Events • 5-K "Run for the
Earlh", sl8rtS a1 9 am a1 UT Vet School • Dance
againSt DeslrUCLion Marathon Benefit Dance• Video
festival •Earth Day Office: (615) 974-0643 or Center
for Global Sustainabili1y: (615) 524-4771.
�JOHNSON CITY, TN
NORTH GEORGIA
OTHEll RESOURCES:
APRIL 22 EARTH DAY CELEBRATION,
Downtown Johns on City, 1:00pm -5:00pm.
T~·planting, Music, storytelling, displays, recycling
fundraising, and Adopt-a-planter program. Contact;
Beuy Anderson, Director of Downtown Association
(615) 926-8546.
APRIL 17-22 Earth Skills Gathering. Twelve
individual ~ showing a wide variety of Native
American skills. Contaet: Darry Wood (704)
389-0428.
Eco-Net, an international computer network
link, will carry a national bulletin board for the
sharing of information, graphics, and ideas for
EARTH DAY events. EcoNet, 3228 Sacramento
Street, San Francisco, CA 94114/ (415) 923-0900.
KINGSPORT, TN
Earth Day Activities and events throughout Nonh
Georgia, contaet: Jirn Sneary (404) 226-0116, Dalton,
GA; Andrea Timpone (404) 535-1976 Gainesville,
GA; Christa FrangiJunorc (404) 351-3456 Atlanta.
GA.
APRIL 19 "Young Ecologist" Action Award presented
at Watauga Audubon Society Meeting.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLI NA
APRIL 21 EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES at Bay's
Mountain State Park, near Kingsport. Info: (61 S}
229-9447. Also Glad Bagathon and Recycling evenLS
in Tri-Cities area. Then. gathering at Davy Crockeu
Stale Park.
APRIL 22 EARTH DAY CELEBRATION sponsored
by Watauga Audubon, State of Franklin Sicmi Club
and ochers. Bluegrass music wilh cnvironmenUll lyrics,
storytelling, T-shins, 1-5pm at Bruce Park in
Kingsport.
FLOYD COUNTY, VA
APRIL 2 1 EARTH DAY AcnVITIES/ FUN DAY
FOR KIDS Kite flying. rccycUng exhibits, music,
food, local speakers. Contaec Mary Day (703)
763-2000.
EnvlroNet sponsored by Greenpeace Action and
open to the public. Greenpeace Action, Bldg. E,
Fort Mason, CA 94123. (415) 47U767.
APRIL 21 Earth Day Activities at Roper Mountain
Science Center. Speakers, music, booths, distributing
ttceS, ceremonial ucc-planting, free Ben & Jerry's ice
cream, living farm demos, and organic gardening,
nature walks, 9am-3pm. • Recycling Fa ir at
Greenville Braves Stadium, 8am-3pm. Contact: Linda
Elmore (803) 281-0090 . •Parade from Ci1y Hall lO
Heritage Green, 3pm-5pm. Contaet Jay Rogers: (803)
232-3690
APRil.. 22 EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS around
the area. • Music at McPherson Park, 3pm-5pm.
Contact Mary Ellen Settlemycr (803) 240-4326
*EvcntS at Furman University, coruact: Amelia Fusaro
(803) 233-1232. Otl>cr Earth Day Activities &: related
events, contaet: Earth Day Steering Committcc for
OTHER EVENI'S
IntemaUonal ECO-City Conference will take
place in Berkeley, California, March 29- April
1, 1990. Keynote speaker. Dennis Hayes, Earth
Day Director. Info: Cerro Gordo Dorena Lake,
Box 569, Cottage, Grove, OR 97424. (503)
942-mO.
Earth Day Wall St. Action on Monday, April 23.
Contact: Brian Tokar, P.O.Box 93, Plainfield,
VT 05667.
Greenville, George Actehef (803) 288-8782;
OTHER EARTH DAY CONTACTS:
BLACKSBURG, VA
APRIL 17
Rainforest Sympos ium. Conl8ct:
Si.ephanie Trimmer (703) 951-5173.
Klds Netwotk Students all over North America
can share environmental data. National
Geographic Society, Ed. Services, Dept. 1001,
Washington, OC 20Cll7. (800) 368-2728.
Earth Day 1990 National Hdqtrs (415)321 -1990
Earth Day 1990 SE Regional HdqLrs: (404) 352-4080
Earth Day Southeastern Campus Coordinaior: ~i
Calloway (404) 876-8634
EARTHWEEK "MESSAGE OF THE DAY"
Earth Weck will nationally focus on an
"EnvironmcnUll Message of the Day": Monday (April
16} Energy; Tuesday (April 17) Recycling; Wednesday
(April 18) Waicr, Thursday (ApriJ 19) Alternative
Transportation: Friday (April 20) Toxics Information;
Saturday (April 21) Outdoor/Recreation. For more
info: Diana Aldridge (41S} 321-1990.
APRIL 18 Environmental Teach-In. CEC Auditorium.
1:30pm-9:00pm.
APRIL 20 •Earth Grove Dedication. Tree-planting.
ConL&ct: Heather McEllroy (703) 552-7897. •
Rainforest Benefit Concert. Buddy's ResL&urant
9:00pm.
APRIL 21 •Broomln' & Bloomin' Clean-Up 9:00am1:00pm •Bike Parade 2:00pm-3:00pm •Earth Festival
at Duck Pond 3:00pm-6:00pm. Contaet: Linda Binner
(703) 961-0586.
APRIL 22 PEACE-EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Noon 'ti! Dark. At Amphitheater, Virginia
Poytcehnical Institute. Contact: Elizabeth DuFrane
(703) 232-2338. Environmental Audit Information for
Arca Colleges and Businesses. Conlllct: David
Hirschman (703) 951-8949.
ROANOKE, VA AREA
(jreen P{etfge
I pfeage to /Q my sfiare in savin9 tfu plamt 6y
f.tttin9 rny conum for cfu environment sfiape fww !:
Jilct: I pf.t49e to tU1 my utmost to recycle, UJnserve
tMl'//!J• saw fl/OUr, use efficient transportation, arul try to atfopt
a Gfestyf.t as if every tfay were 'E.arlli 'Day.
Purcfuue: I pfuf9e to 6uy l11llf use only tfwse proi{uct.s
feast fuzrmful to tfu environment. ?rlorwva, I wilI tlo 6usiruss
witli corporation.s tliat promote 9{06a{ environmental
ruponsi6ili ty.
'J/ote: I pk49c to vou arul support tfwse uuufufaw
wfw tkmonstrau an a6itflne UJnurn for tfst erwirrmment.
Support: I pfufae to support tfu pass49e of louJl. stau
arul fuftrol laws ana inurnational treaties tliat prouct tfu
environment.
Earth Day Activities &t related events. Coniact: Chris
Barlow (703) 774-0581 or 989-0802.
You COii return this pledge to your local Earth Day group or
mail ii 10 Earth Day 1990, P.O. Box AA Stanford Uni..,ersity, C.4
94309
�SUGGESTIONS FOR
PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT
·ElkinglOll, John, et al. The Green Conswner. Penguin,
1990.
•Capl:in, Ruth and Staff of Environmental ActK>n. Our
Earth, 011rstlwts. Bantam, 1990.
'.You tTUtJ(u want tQ.........
~ a hih - ~ a 6~ - diiM a tru - /Jiflt. t1ie
'Lartli a !Jift - (U{qpt a struzm - plant a tru 6e a utter·critter - astfast footf places tq use fess
protfur.t padc.Jiuitlfl - fimit use of pesticitles ion't tn:at soil fi{(J 4irt - avqjtf petro·cfilmicDl
transportation - fast for t1ie tlay -wal(.. G9fitfy.
jl
Recycling
• Help start a recycling routine at your school or
workplacc...aluminum cans, office paper, glass, CIC.
•Encourage your city and county governments lO set
up a curbside recycling program • Get your local
newspaper to print on recycled paper • Help gel a
"boUle biU" law passed by your Stale legislat.ure
Alternative Transportation
• Get bike lanes adopted for your city and county
Have some streets closed periodically, open only to
bicycles. • Ask that public uunsponation be improved
in your area and that mini-vans be explofed as part or
the solution.
Pfeage of jt{{egiance
to tfie 'FArtfi
I p(eage affegiance to tft.e
'F,artft., arul to tfie /fora, fauna
arul fiuman (ije tftat it supports,
one pfanet, irulivisi6(e,
witfi safe air, water ana soil
economic justice, equal rigfits
arul peace for a«.
Education
• Encourage your school to use the Earth Day '90
Lesson Plan and Home Survey which looks at energy
conservation, home toxics, transporuilion, water
conservation, and recycling • Encourage schools and
colleges in your area to conduct the Environmcnial
Audit • Adopt-A-Stream or other environmenllll project
at a natural area near your school • Tree-planting
aroWld school, and food for wildlife landscaping
Community Awareness
• Award businesses that use environmentally sound
practices • Help convert an urbnn vacant 101 inio a parlc.
or community gardens space • Support regionally and
locally owned businesses. • Buy products grown or
produced t11 lhc region • Invest in regionn.I businesses
Flying the Earth Flag!
Now is lhe time to encourage businesses,
schools, scout troups and others in the
community to get in the habit of publicly
displaying the Eanh Flag.
Sizes available: Large 3'x5' durable
nylon for inside or outside use; Medium 2'x3'
cotton for parade or inside use; and small
6"x9", on 15" stick. Available regionally and
nationally.
One regional source is: AshevilleBuncombe EARTH DAY 1990, P.O. Box
5855, Asheville, NC 28813.
Corporate Accountability
The Valdez Principles
A coalition of leading environmental organizations and
social investment firms have drafted a set of ten
guidelines for corporalC conduct concerning the
environment. They ore referred to as the Valdez
Principles. They address the issues of pollutants,
sustainable use of natural resources, rcducuon and
disposal of waste, energy efficiency, conservation, riSk
reduction IO employees and surrounding communities,
maarketing of safe products and services, damage
compensation, disclosure of poienulll hazards, need for
environmental representatives on corporate boards of
directors, and the value of annual corporate
environmental audits.
A copy of the Valdtz Principles is available from local
Earth Day groups as wrell as the Earth Day 1990
national ojfi~.
MAGAZ I NES
•Earth Island Journal. Enrth Island lnsutuLC, 300
Broadway, Suite 28, S:in Francisco, CA 94133
•£ -The Environmental Magazine P.0.Box 6667,
Syracuse, NY 13217. (800) 825-0061
•Raise the Stakes. Planet Drum Foundation, P.O.Box
31251, San Francisco, CA 94131
•World•Watch. Worldwateh lnslltut.c, 1776 Massachu:.eus
Ave., NW, Washington, OC 20036.
THINGS TO DO...
•The Earth Works Group. 50 Simple Things You Can
Do To Save The Earth. Box 25, 1400 Shlmuck Ave.,
Bcrlceley, CA 94709.
•MacEachcm, Diane. Save 011r Planet: 750 Everyday
Ways You Can llelp Clean Up the Earth. Dell, 1990.
-Council on Economic Proiorities. Shopping for a Beller
World. 30 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003
GOO D BOOKS...
•Raven, Peier H. The Global Ecosysuim in Crisis. The
MacArthur Foundation, 140 South Dearborn St.,
Chicago, n.. 60603, 1987.
•Berry, Thomas. The Dream of the Earth. San Francisco:
Siena Club Books, 1988.
•Sahtouris, Elisabet. Gaia: The Human Journey from
Chaos 1 Cosmos. 1989.
0
•Lovelock, J. E. The Ages of Gaia: A Biography of our
Living Earth. W.W. Nonon & Co., 1988.
•Myers, Nonnan Dr., Gen. Ed. Gaia: An Atlas of
PlaMtary Manageme/I/. New York: A(IChor Books. 1984.
•World Commission on Environmentand"DevolopmenL
Our Common Fui11re. Oxford: Oxford Uni.vcrsity Press.
•Nash, Roderick. The RighJs of NaJurt, A History of
Environmental Ethics. Madison: University of
Wisconsin Press, 1989.
•Taylor, Paul W. Rts~ct for Na111re: A Theory of
Environmtntol Ethics. Princeton: Princeton U. Press,
1986
•Berger, John J. Restoring the Earth: /low Americans
Are Working to Renew our Damaged Environmtnt. New
York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986.
•Register, Richard. Ecocily Berkeley: Building Cities for
.4 lleaJtlty F"""'°~· BcrJco!Qy, Nortll Atlllntic Books,
1987.
•Berg, Pe1er, et al. A Green City Program For San
Francisco Bay Area Cities & Towns. San Francisco:
Planet Drum Books, 1989.
•Tokar, Brian. The Green Alternative: Creating on
Ecological Future. San Pedro: R. & E. Miles, 1987.
•Renner, Michael. Rethinking the Role of the
Automobile. Worldwaich Paper #84, 1988.
•Todd, Nancy Jack and John. Bios/1e/1us, Ocean Aries,
City Farming: Ecology As The Basis of Design. Son
Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1984.
•Margolin, Malcolm. The Earth Manual: /low io Work
on Wild land Without Taming It. Berkeley: Heyday
Books, 1985.
•LaChapellc, Dolores. Earth Wisdom, 1978. Also Sacred
I.And, Sacred Sez-Rap111re of the Deep, 1988. Finn Hill
Arts, P.O. Boll 542, Silverton, CO g1433.
•Henderson, Hazel.The Politics of the Solar Age.
Alternatives to Economics. Doubleday Anchor, 198 I.
· Sale, Kirkpatrick. lluman Scale . New York: G. P.
Putnam's Sons. 1980.
· Fulc:uolca, Masanobu. The Ont-Straw Revoluiion. An
ln1roduction 10 Natural Farming. Emmaus: Rodalc Press,
1978.
°:Meclter-Lowry, Susan. Econo1T11cs as If the Earth Rl'ally
Mallued. Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1988.
•Sprctnalc, Charlene. The Spiritual Dunensions ofGrun
Politics. Santa Fe: Bear & Company, 1986.
•Seed, John, Macy, Joanna, et al. Thinking like A
Mountain : Towards A Council Of All Beings.
Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1988.
This regional EARTH DAY 1990 EVENTS section
is compliments of Kaluah Journal; Bioregional
Journal of /ht Southern Appalachians , P.O. Box
638, Leicester, NC 28748. Published Quarterly.
Subscription: $10/year.
�FOOD FROM THE ANCIENT FOREST
by Snow Bear
In all the seasons, these mountains speak to us of their
beauty and sacredness. But ln the springtime rebirth of the
plant people, that beauty is projected in vibrant colors,
awe-Inspiring forms, fantastic abundance, and incredible
diversity. It is a good time for human beings to go to the coves
where ancient trees stand, to rest and watch, listen, and learn;
there Is strength, healing, and sustenance to be found there.
Some of the richest soil on Earth can be found In these
coves; In one such place I pushed my arm into deep, black loam
up to my elbow. In such soil grows Incredibly nourishing, vllal
foods. As you gather food from these coves, remember that the
old forests are disappearing beneath the chain saws and
bulldo:ters of a nation hungry for lumber and profit. I have been
told to speak prayerfully and announce my intention to the
spirit running through the life of that mountain. Pass over at
least four plants before picking one. Restore earth and leaf mold
to any holes left from digging roots - in fact, leave no visible
traces of your plant gathering. Do not gather plants in a heavily
trafficked area, such as hiking trails. I have been taught to
acknowledge the taking of any life with prayer and a gift (of
sage or t. bacco).
o
•In April and early May, the flowers known to botanists
as the spring ephemerals blanket the mountainsides. Many of
them are choice edible plants that grow abundantly to allow
gathering for food. Some of these Include:
TR0UT ULY (Erythronlum americanum) A yellow lily emerges from between two green and brown
mottled leaves. The leaves have a sweet flavor and may be added
to salads or cooked as potherb. The leaves that have no blossom
are choicest; after blooming there may be a slightly bitter
aftertaste. The bulbs are edible when cooked.
TOAOSHAOE TRILLIUM (Trillium sessile) •
The young leaves before fully unfolded have a sugary, sweet
taste. Bitterness makes the leaves unpalatable when the
blossom emerges. This trillium (and T. erectum, T.
grandiflorum) are good raw or cooked, but harvest only where
abundant.
SPRING BEAUTY (Clayton/a virgin/ca and caroliniana)
and RUE ANEMONE (Anemonella lhalictroides) - can often be
found together in immense patches on wooded mountain slopes.
The pea-sized tubers are an excellent addition to soups, stews,
and steamed greens.
•The ephemerals described above grow, blossom and die
quickly. Their growth cycle ends when the trees leaf out. Other
edible spring wildflowers have a longer growing season. These
include:
INOIAN CUCUMBER ROOT (Medeota vlrgln/ana) This wildflower occurs in so many different plant tribes such
as: mixed hardwood climax forest, hemlod< glade, dry oak soils,
or moist creekbanks. It often grows in large patches that may
be thinned. Its root ls while, crispy, and watery, similar to
cucumber or water chestnut in flavor and texture. It is best
eaten raw.
(continued on next page)
Sprl.ncJ, 1990
Drawings by K.im S111dland
�SC FOREST WATCH GROUP
WINS APPEAL
Nlllnl World News Savico
The South Carolina Forest Watch group worting
foa.<£.sfia<f:e
-Jr.ill i u,m,
(continued Crom page 19)
SOLOMON'S SEAL (Polygonatum biflorum) Until the end of August, the leaves and roots may be harvested.
In spring, harvest only lower leaves to avoid disrupting the
flowering cycle; after seeding, the top leaves are more tender.
The leaves, like the root, are sweet and slightly mucilaginous.
The roots are often three-quarters of an inch thick and ten
inches long. Try harvesting the oldest (back) end of the root,
leaving two-thirds of the root undisturbed. The root Is a good
source of complex carbohydrates when cooked In soups and
stews.
RAMPS (wild leeks - Allium ttioocum) Ramps are the only wild plant still honored with festivals by
entire towns! At these festivals, people may saturate every cell
in their bodies with the pungent, garlic-like smell of ramps
without being shunned by family, friends, or neighbors. I have
found this mountain gourmet food in huge quantities in moist,
gravelly soils (subsurface springs) and in the yellow
birch-grass meadows of the high mountain gaps. Cream of
"potato• (Solomon's seal root) leek soup with bluff mustard
greens or ramps steamed with puffball mushrooms on the side
makes a gourmet foraging meall
The raw ramp bulbs are very strong and health-giving as
a blood purifier and tonic.
BROAD LEAF TOOTHWORT (bluff mustard - Dentaria
diphylla) - The white, cross-shaped flowers are abundant in
late April. The plant grows in shallow leaf mold on creek rocks
and banks. The leaves are available throughout the winter, but
the hot mustard taste gets milder in the spring. The
Interconnected roots of the bluff mustard patch taste just like
horseradish - finely grated with mayonnalse and vinegar it
makes a good hot sauce or dip.
To eat the food of the mountains where the beings of
nature live in the undisturbed patterns of the long-ago forest
attunes our bodies with the seasons and climate of Katuah, our
minds with the beauty of Katuah, and our hearts with the nature
spirits of Kaltiah.
May we walk In beauty and balance in these ancient
mountains.
in the Andrew Pickens District of the Sumi.Ct National
Forest in South Carolina has successfully placed itself
between the chain saws and trees of Compartment 43 in
the Chauga River walelShcd. The proposed timber sale
would cut three different timber siands tomlling 90 acres
in one of the two largest unfragmented mauue hardwood
stands in the Sumter Forest. fl consists of 300
contiguous acres of mawre hardwood irees and contains
the oldest hardwood sLBnd in the forest. The cul would
divide mature stands almost in two and would border on
lhe oldest group of uees on two sides.
Late in September, 1989, Forest Wa!Ch members
heard about the sale only nine days before Lhe appeal
period was to end. A flurry of activity produced an appeal
based on four factors: fragmentation of Lhe forest
resulting in deleterious edge effects on native forest
species. lack of a site-specific analysis, overcuning of lhe
site, and Lhe impact of the clearcutting on the water
quality of Crooked Creek.
The appeal was quickly sent o(f to the regional
forester's office in Atlanta, and four months later, the
Forest Waich group received a five page reply that
seemed to be almost a complete vindication of the Forest
Service's position. The only concession to the Forest
Watch appeal was a statement saying that the .district
ranger had not documented his cumulative effects analysis
on water quality. Therefore, the group was surprised to
read at the bottom of the last page, "For these reasons,
lhe appellant's claim is upheld."
However. tile victory is only a panial one for the
Forest Watch group and the forest. The appeal was
upheld on only one of the four basic contentions set fonh
in the document: the water quality issue. The regional
forester's decision said Lhat, as there was no mention of
Lhe other issues in Lhe Sumter Forest's Land and
Resource Management Plan, they were not legitimate
bases for appeal.
The Forest Waichers fear Lhal forest supervisor
Donald Eng, a hardline timber man, will quickly return a
revised timber sale plan for Comparunent 43, so the
saws are delayed as little as possible.
Undaunted, lhe group has decided Lhat by refusing
to consider the issues or forest fragmentation and
overculting, and other possible uses for the old timber
stand and Lhe forest as a whole. the Forest Service has
escalated the action. SC Forest Watch feels that since
such imponant considerations have been neglected, Lhe
forest plan ilSClf needs to be amended.
The Sumter Forest Land and Resource
Management Plan is up for a live-year review this year,
and the Forest Watch organization is requesting
amendment or a complete revision of Lhe plan. If the
Forest Service denies Lhat request, the group will then
appeal Lhat decision. SC Forest Watch is determined to
bring about a long-term change of policy in Lhe Sumter
National Forest..
Contact
SC Forest Watch
Box657
Wesaninster, SC
KatUah Province 29693
SNOW BEAR Is a herbalist, naturalist, environmental educator,
and director of the Pepper/and Farm Camp. He can be contacted
by writing to Pepper/and Farm Camp; Rt. 4, Box 255-B;
Murphy, NC 28906 or by phone st (704) 494- 2353.
Sp r1.n9, 1990
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DIOXIN vs THE ENVIRONMENT
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(PART2)
Nani World News s.vice
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HELMS "STUMPS" NC FORESTS
As pan of an experimenlal pilot project, Ille Bush
administration recently released a list of southeasiem
national fon:slS where below-cost timber sales would be
slOppCd for two years.
North Carolina forest.s were mystenously
removed from that list. despite a Congressional study
showing that the Pisgah-Naru.ahala National ForeslS lost
$2.S million in 1988. h toter came to tight that,
although originally on th.at list. the Pisgah and Nanuthala
forests wcre om1ued aflcr sarong persuasion from Scnaior
Jcs.sc Helms.
A Nonh Carolina Forestry Associauon (NCFA)
newsletter article titled "Helms Helps National Fon:slS
in N.C. • reveals, "Helms used leuers from NCFA
members, Appalachian Multiple Use Council, and the
Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturcl'S Associauon to no1
only remove Pisgah-Nanlahala, but to force a review of
the whole below-cost initiative."
There arc 12 southeastern forests on the
below-cost liSt. including the Cherokee in Tenncsscc, the
George WashinglOll in Virginia, and Lhe Chatahoochcc in
Georgia. Bjorn Dahl, supervisor of Ille national forests
in North Carolina. was uncertain why Nonh Carolina
forests were rcrnoved Crom the program. "I know we
were on Ille original list." Dahl said. "We were advised
we were on, but when Lhe list came out we were off."
The proposal in the fiscal 1991 budget submiued
IO Congress in January would reduce the amount of
timber removed from the Wgeted foreslS by about 38
pcn:ent during a one-year test. One method of offsetting
the loss of pronts in timber sales was a pilot project that
will experimentally increase recreational use of the
forests. The prognun would mean higher fees for some
recreational uses and new fees for previously free
activities, such as picnic areas, boat ramps. and parking
lolS.
According IO the Forest Service the program will
have insignificant impacts on timber interest.s around the
12 national forests. Should the program continue for the
Delli five years an estimated S2S jobs would disappear.
Mary Kelly of the Western Nonh Carolina
Alliance poinlS out that the Pisgah-Nanuthala may have a
more sustainable future in recreation rather than timber
hqwdation. Kelly states, · we have a large number of
bade country and whitewaier outfitlCIS, and a large lOUrist
economy that 1s much more important than umber
resources IO our local economy, and it's unfortunate that
we weren't given the same chance to Lest out our ability
to manage for these resources."
Sowct: Asheville Citizen, Mat'ch 2. 1990
Spr L"'J. 1990
In the continuing saga of wa1et quality vs. dioxin,
we fmd owselves, once again, at a pulp and paper
processing plant. This time, we've moved over the
l1IOWllain from Canion and Olampioo Colporalion IO Lhe
Ecusta Corporation mill, on the Davidson River in
Transylvania County, NC.
The story is quite familiar. Chlorine is used as a
bleaching agent on wood pulp which, in tum, is used to
produce white paper products··m this case, lightweight
paper for bible pages and cigarette papers. Diollin. a
highly carcinogenic IOXin, is produced during lhis ~
and subsequently rclc.ased in the plant's discharge. In the
case of Ecusta, dioxin has been found in fish sampled
downstream from the plant in the French Broad River.
A considerable amount of wrangling has been
going on between Ille NC Department of Environmenlal
Management (DEM) and the EPA over whether or not
Ecusta's waStewater needs to be monitored. In February
1989. the DEM released a list of the state's toxic
discharge sites which would be required to clean up their
acL Ecusta was not on the lisl.
The EPA disagreed with this decision and 1n June
released ilS own clean-up list which contained Ecusta and
nine other Nonh and South Carolina mills. EPA then
informed DEM that Ecusta must also be included on the
state list, or they would overrule the state and seize
control of Ecusta's was1ewater permit, as allowed by the
Oc.an W31.Cl Act of 1979.
In July, the state capitulated and included Ecusta
on an amended but still preliminary tisL Finally, in
February 1990, the state released its final list, which
included both the EcUSta and Champion mills, and EcUSLa
was given a deadline of June, 1993 to comply with
newly developed state limits on dioxin discharge.
In a scenario familiar from Champion days,
Ecusta's parent company, the P.H. Glatfelter Company,
based in Pennsylvania, claims ii may be forced to close
the plant if required IO meet Ille st.aodards by 1993.
The EPA 's rote in pressing the state IO control
Ecusta's wastewater permit has been the focal point for
much of the prolCSl by those rallying to the side of the
county's largest employer. In a front page anicle io the
Asheville Citizen on 1/17/90, Esther Wesley, cxecutivc
director of the Transylvania County Chamber of
Commerce, was quoted as saying "Ecusta doesn't have a
problem-EPA has a problem. They rcally expect entirety
IOO much from a manuf.acturing planL •
The Glatfelter Company apparently agrees with
Ms. Wesley and filed a fcdcral lawsuit in January asking
US District Judge Richard Voorhees to prohibit the EPA
from invalidating OEM's original decision not to include
Ecusta on its cleanup lisL Much of the dissension among
Ecust.a, the state, and the EPA centers on confusion
about bow and where to measure dioxin in the river.
Fish sampled last year just below the plant had
up to eight times more dioxin than fish sampled 4.4
miles downstream. However, state and mill officials
point out th.at farmland and the town of Brevard's
wastewater treatmenl plant could pocentially contribule
diollin. To confuse mauers further. periodic samples of
Ecusia wastewater have not revealed mcasurcable levels
of diollin (although dioxin is more rctiably detected in
fish tissues than in waler samples).
In addition, there is liule agreement over how
much dioxin is IOO much. Despite insisting that Ecusta
discharge should be controlled, the agency has never
established wastewater limitations for l'lax·pulping mills,
or which Ecusta is one of two in the U S.
The DEM did not adopt a diollin standard until
October. It is not a uniform standard, but one based on
the quantity of a plant's efOuent and the receiving
waterway's ability to dilute iL
ract
Tbe one
which la 1101 coolusillg is that
dioxin is a very dangerous substance., especially when it
is on tbe loose in unknown quantities in the
envilOnmenL It is ""' acceptable to have communities
along Lhe French Broad River living in fear of dioxin
conramination.
The NC Division of Environmental Management
(DEM) is seeking comments on 1 proposal to identify
and set special proccctive standards for stmuns in the
SllllC iclcnliflCd as "High Quality Waiers." Over 900 miles
of streams in the western part of the state are up for
n:classificalion.
Write 10 the DEM in support of the High Quality
WalCtS rcclassifteation. Address comments to:
Greg Thorpe
NC Division of Environmental Management
Box 27687
Raleigh, NC 27611
THE DEFENSE OF WRIGHT
SQUARE
Nlllnl World News Service
Wright Square was a small green arc.a amid the
mini-malls in Highlands, NC. Sill 45 year old dogwood
trees and one old arbor vitae tree stood there until the
Town Board decided it needed additional padcing places for
downtown shoppers.
The November elections had brought some
changes to Lhe Lown. Voters had made their choices clear.
For the first time a woman and an
environmentally-leaning candidate were elected IO the
Town Board. The old board members saw that there was
going to be some opposition in their ranks, and decided
that before the new board was convened they would take
care or one tittle project: Wright Sqwirc.
Townspeople had thought th.at the square would
be one of Lhe fll'Sl topics IO be addressed when the new
Town Board was installed, so they were surprised one
Friday when bulldozc:n appeared in the square and started
to work demolishing the trees. Immediately women from
local garden clubs came to the defense of the bit or nature
left in the square. It was a school holiday, so they were
joined by some high school students, members of a
studen t environmental group, Youth Advocating
Planetary Improvement (YAPI).
Carrying a few Earth flags, the townspeople
stopped the demolition work for the day. Workers
lounged about their machines as the women clustered
around the trees, and a few of the students occupied the
branches of the dogwoods.
At the end of the day the workers left, and the
protc.slOrS also went home, congratulating themselves on
a job well done. However, unknown to anyone, during
the night Lhe bulldozers plus worters with chainsaws
were ordered IO return to the scene, and when morning
broke the town woke up to find Wright Square leveled to
the pavement.
The Town Board may have won a temporary
victory, but they stirred up a furor in the town of
Highlands.
As one woman put it, "Certainly we're concerned
about the trees, but it wasn't just about the uus. It wa<1
about a large number of people who cared deeply about
their environment not being liStened to by the governing
body of the town. It was also about the issue or
representative govcnwent.."
(continued on neut pigc)
Xat~
Journa£ pCMJ"- 2 1
�"~, '1051 ! P\R. ll~D. W ~"° 01111.
LUNCH "10 KEEP IT
(continued from page 21)
F~ESM
!"
Canoon by Docta 1)'
HAYWOOD COUNTY P ROPOSES
GARBAGE FEAST FOR BEARS
Na11nl World News Service
County and municipal govcmmenis lhroughou1
Ka1Uah arc wrcsl.ling with the looming specter of
mounlains of trash, and no place lO pul lhem. Haywood
Coun1y in western Nonh Carolina is no exception. The
prcsen1 IMdfill (i.e.• dump) 1s Casi approaching capacity
and will be closed wilhin lwo ycnrs.
Efforts by Lhc coun1y commissioners lO siie o
new dump in lhe CrabU'Ce community failed. Sirong
opposition, well-developed during Lhc "Siop Lhc Nuclear
Dump• efforis, derailed 1hc comm1ssionecs and lhe11
handsomely-paid "front man•. engincct Gary "Mackie"
McKay. Not lO be dclencd, McKay (who n:poncdly will
receive IO'h of the engineering COSIS LO site a dump)
proposed a new site in Lhc While Oak community on
Fines Creclc.
While Oak is lhe most isolated and leas1
populaled area in lbe county. It is adjacent 10 Lhc
once-magnificent Pigeon River. close 10 the Grea1
Smoky Mounlain National Parle, and lbe Hannon Den
Bear Sanctuary. It is here lhat McKay proposes a
IOO·acre dump. A representative of Tribble and
Riclwdson, lbe engineering company McKay h11ed lO
conduct groundwaicr lCSLS at lhe site, bas said, "We
couldn't have found a belier loc4tion for a landfill.•
The inhabitants of While Oak community
disagree. One residcnl, Bob Hessler, is worried aboul
pollution leaching from lhe proposed dump into lhe
Pigeon River. Hessler approached lhe county
commission wilh lhe idea of municipal trash composting
and was amazed lO find that no one knew what ii was.
Composting garbage reduces disposal problems
greatly. Through a biological fcnnentation process.
municipal waste producLS (liquid sewage, sludge. and
garbage) are Lransformed inlO a valuable, marketable
produce "Class r composL. Additionally, comp0s1ing
roduccs the built of garbage IO a mere 15% of ilS original
volume, which would require a much smaller landfill sile
for the remaining plastics and non-biodegradable wasteS.
As an al1cmative disposal method, composting a a
s
proven, eost-cffcctivc solution.
McKay seems oblivious to 1be fact thal
composting works. As County Commissioner Noland
put ii, "There may be a connict of interest with McKay."
There are olher problems with the location of the
proposed landfill. White Oak residents sought the
opinion of black beat researcher Mike Pelton, a professor
m lhc University Of Tennessee's Dcp:1rtmem ofForesuy,
Wildlife and Fisheries. In a prepared stalCment he swd.
"Landfills, garbage dumps, or any olber conccnLraled
source of human food or ~e serve as an awaction LO
bears. Throughoul Nonh America, wherever lhe two
occur in close proximi1y, problems have arisen. These
problems tend LO be particularly bad in or near zones of
protection for bears, such as national parks or designated
sanctuaries.
"The proposed landfill on Fines Creek in
Haywood County, NC meets all the criicria for being a
polential problem. Its proximily to lbe Great Smoley
Mounlains National Parle and the Harmon Den Bear
Sanctuary in lhe Pisgah National Foresl are of special
concern. ln addition Lo the above prollimily lO areas of
pro1ec1ed populaiions and high bear numbers, olher
factors add 10 the concern over lhe location of the
proposed landfill. One is its proximity to historic release
siu:s of problem bears by lhe National Park Service, and
the other is lhe vulncrobilily of bears attracted lO lhe site
while trying 10 cross 1-40.•
Because of lhe limited road system in the Park,
there are only lhree areas to relocate problem bears A
landfill adj3CCnt 10 lhe CaUlloochee area, where almos1 30
percent are released. could hnve sign1fican1 implications
regarding bear management. A majority of visLorlbcar
interactions occur on lhe central or wes1 end of lhe Park.
Therefore, ii is importanl lha1 a remOle rclocallon area be
available oo the easl end. Caialoochee is the only
reasonable area for consideration.
An ongoing study wilhin the Harmon Den Bear
Sanctuary suggests lhat lhe landfill as also wilhin the
reach of mosl snnclU31)' bcrus. Breeding-age fcrnales could
be drawn ou1 of lhe prolCCted confines of the sane wary,
where they would be exposed 10 much higher nsks of
mortality. Hunters frequent lhe borders of lhe sanctuary
area, and a ncarl>y landfill would encourage more bears to
aucmpl lhe dangerous crossings over lntctsta1e 40.
In response, McKay has suggested ughl.ly
bundling the garbage and wrapping ii in plastic--a la
Saran Wrap--to conlain the auractivc aromas.
Additionally, McKay proposes hiring a game
warden to patrol Lhe dump, to educate the local folks
aboul "dump bears," and 10 control poachers.
Presumnbly, this warden would also act as a traffic guard,
halting traffic on 1-40 lO allow bears to cross over from
lhe Hannon Den 8CM SanclU31)'.
Reahsucally, a composting opcrauon offers
Haywood County a much safer disposal mclhod thal
could be more centrally located on a smaller S•le tha1
would not present a danger lO the alrcady·abuscd Pigoon
River or to the local bears.
say, have been CSUlblished in geographic areas other lhan
lhe mountains and are not valid in lhe mounl3Jn locale.
Despite well-organized. suong opposition, lhe
Deep Gap generators will be buih if lhcy receive
approval in early March from the NC Utilities
Commission and lhc federal Rural Elecuification
Administtation. The "deep gap• widens ....
DON'T GO NEAR THE WATER
Nawral World News Servoc:c
Sedimenta1ion is the Kaiuah region's mos1
common form of waler pollution.
Until January I, 1990 state and private forestry
operations were exempt from any lcmd of sedimentation
cooirols • namely, the NC Sedimcniauon Pollution
Control Acl (NCSPCA) of 1973.
Now, even on privale and state con1111Cts, loggers
must adhere LO the following provisions 10 prevenl
sedimentation due to land-disturbing acuv1Lies:
I) Establish Bild mllinlain a sLrCWnsidc manage men I zone
along all bodies of waier.
2) Prevent any debris and wasies from entering bodies of
walCt.
3) Consuucl occess roads and skid trails so lhal
sedtmentation is minimized.
4) Apply pesticides and fcruliu:rs according to labeled
uses, and in such a way as 10 prevent adverse
impacis on water quality.
5) Leave shade over streams.
6) Provide erosion control for all large-scale din-moving
projcclS within 30 working days after ceasing
any phase of an operation or when bcgiMing a period
of inacuvity.
The NC Slllte Forestry Commission is
rcsponsable for reviewing loggang operations, writing
individual sedimentation conirol plans, and referring
CLOSING THE DEEP GAP
Na11nl World News Service
Moonlain People for Clean Afr (MPCA) and the
Blue RR!ge Envaronmcntal Defense League (BREOL) arc
leading the effortS lO s1 construction of diesel
op
generators in lbe Docp Gap area of Watauga Counly. The
generators are planned by lhe Nonh Carolina Electric
Membership Cooperative lO supplemen1 electrical power
supplied to lhe Deep Gap area by Dulce Power.
Opposition lO the proposal has been voiced for many
monlhs, and has included protests presented at public
meetings and picketing in fronl of the electric co-op's
Raleigh offices. The NC Division of Env1IOnmental
Management hlls altc3dy issued a pcrm11 lO the CCH>p lO
build the generatOrS.
Protesicrs state I.hat Ibey have nol received fair
representation from 1he state organi1.a1ion sci up LO
mediate between lhe people and the utili1y companies.
MPCA and BREOL have both taken the stand thal
lhcrmal inversions and fog common 10 the Occp Gap area
should prohibit the building of diesel gcncnuors and lheir
inevitable discharges of sulphur and nitrogen oxide acids.
The co-<>p has argued it will comply wilh state
emission standards, but the opposilion groups say lhat
these standards arc not sufficienL These regulations, they
non-compliant opcra1ions 10 the NC Division of
Environmental Management (DEM). Your assistance in
notifying lhe county foresicr or the OEM of violations
will malte lhis new "non-exempt" law work. Contac1:
NC Division of Environmental Man3gcmen1,
Land Quality Secuon
59 Woodfm Place
Asheville, NC 28801
(704) 251-6208
Drawing by Rob MC$$iclc
Sprl.nq, 1990
�YOU OTTER BE THERE
Nlllnl World News Savice
"They're cu1e and cuddly. bul lhey're wild
animals, and they'll bi1e," says wildlife biologis1 Mike
Carraway. River OllcrS lllC once again making a saand in
the mountains and foothills of KatLiah's eastern slope.
Ouers have been released by b1olog1S1s mos1
rcccnlly in the Ca1awba River in Burke County. Plans
include future releases below Lake James near
Morgan1on. Oucrs were once bunted for lhe1r beautiful
fur eoais, and !hey have been absenl from Kn1uah since
lhe early I 900's.
Rcmuoduccd oners seem to be strongly
eslllblishcd in lhc Great Smoley Moun1ains. where they
have migrated over high ridges and through forests IO
slake oul new ierritones far from lhe1r original release
si1cs. As lite newly-rclcnsed ot1ers make !heir way
upsueam. 1bey wi ll pencira1e in10 01her mountain
wa1ersheds. Since Ibey are now proiecied from pell
huniers, ouers should be able to conunue !heir strong
comeback in K.aUiah·s walCrS.
Drawin& by Jomes Rhea
PROTECTING BLACK BEARS
OAK RIDGE ON TRIAL
NC SOLID WASTE BILL
N.nnl World News Savice
Nlllnl WOfld News Savice
Nllll.nl World News Scrvi<ie
On May 2, 1990 lhe NC Wildlife Resources
Commission will bold special public bearings on lhe
topic ol raising the minimum hunting limll for blaclt
bears from SO pounds IO 100 pounds. Thac will be two
hearings tba1 nigh!. one scheduled for 7:00 pm at lhe
Smokey Mountain High School in Sylva, Jackson Co.,
and anolhct at lhe same time a1 KinSIOll High School in
Lenoir, Caldwell Co.
The entire Sou1hem Appalachian black bear
population is estimaled a1 2000 bears. The number of
cubs born each year varies widely depending on lhe food
supply, bu1 averages approximately 200-300 cubs per
year. Given the legal kill of 300 bears each year and a
poaching ra1e llta1 is llto ugh1 10 equal lba1, lhe bear
population appears 10 be barely holding its own or even
declining at !his time.
Yc1 habi1a1 stresses such as loss of bard mast
production due to oak decline, damage from lite
oncoming invasion o f lhe gypsy molh, increased road
construction and use, and continued clcarcuuing promise
10 pu1 additional pressure on lhe existing black bear
population in lhc near fu1ure.
Research by wildlife biologists bas shown that
lhe average age of female bears being killed in the
moun1ains is between 3.5 and 4.6 years. The average
female docs no1 bear young until age four. For a creature
wilh a poiential hfe cxpcclllncy of 20 or more years, lltis
early age mortali1y drastically reduces reproductive
capabiluy and lltrcaiens lhe species' abilily 10 rebound
from babitn1 pressures.
There is much to be done to guaranlCC lhal lhe
black bear will forever roam lhcse mounLains. Raising
lhe minimum hunting limil for black bears 10 100
pounds is one measure lhlll is now up for deb:ue. Those
who arc willing IO speak up for lite black bear should
aucnd lhe special hearings on lhe evening of May 2.
Those who canno1 auend lite hearings can cornmunicale
lhc1r opinion to the:
NC Wildlife R~ Cornm1~~ion
S 12 N. Salisbury S1.
Raleigh, NC 27611
Renders may well remember lhe announcement
for the Hiroshima Day demonstration al Oak Ridge
(Ka1iiall Jow nal #2A). Over 700 people joined in diRc1
action io procesl lbc Oalt Ridge facili1y's manufacwring
of nuclear weapon components. Of lhe more lhan 700
demonstrators, 29 were ancsted for crossing lbc line a1
lhe galCS of lhe Y-12 plan! in a ges1ure of non-violent
confron1:11ion. Two of the 29 arrested, Bonnie Kendrick
and Kathy Brown, enlCICd a plea of "llOI guil1y• and an:
preparing for lhcir trial, which is scheduled for June 7.
The women hope their uial will successfully
ques1ion lbe morali1 of the manufac1
y
unng and
deploymem of nuclear wcnpons. They plan to focus on
lhc environmental problems associated willt bringing
these implemenis of ca1astrophic destruction into
The Staie of North Carolina approved new solid
wasie managemen1 policies a1 the las1 session or lite
General Assembly.
Legislation adopted SlalCS lltat lhe preferred
melhod for handling the swe's solid waste problems is IO
reduce waste volume al the source. Following tbal. the
nex1preferable mclhod is recycling and reuse. If malUials
caMOI be reused, then composting is lhe preferred
disposal SU'al.Cgy. The least-preferred melhods of disposal
arc ancincralion and landfill dumping.
The solid W8SIC managemen1 legislat.ion also SIClS
an objective for 25~ of the slalC's wasie IO be recycled
by 1993. Local governments lhroughoul 1he SIBIC are
required 10 institulC recycling programs by July of 1991
to help achieve this goal.
The legislation also stipulates lltal large plastic
containers will have 10 bear labeli ng indicating !heir
composition, in order to help in recycling. h bans the
sale of packag ing containing halogena1ed
chloronuorocarbons (CFC's) and polys1yrene food
containers effective Oc1ober I, 1991. II also stalCS lhai.
beginning in October 1990, used oil will noc be accepted
&1 landfills; by 1991, lead-acid b:wcrics will be forbidden:
and lh:ll, beginning in 1993, yard trash will no longer be
Sprl"'J, 1990
existence.
Kendrick and Brown will base !heir plea on the
grounds of necessily. and will bring up case histories
from the Nurcrnburg Trials. The defendants arc galhcring
evidence of Ibo radioactive and toxic dangers in lhe Oak
Ridge area. They also have cxpcn willlesses who will
verify lheir plea of lite neccssi1y for civil resis1ance.
Among the witnesses appearing will be Robert Aldridge,
who designed lbc missile delivery syslCm for lhe Triden1
11-05, bu1 is now an ardcnl anti-nuclear pcaoc activist.
Francis Anlhony Boyle, a professor of inLCmational law
and author of lhe book Defefldjng Civil RtsiJtanet Under
Inttrnaticnal Law will also take lhe Sland.
The women feel lba1 we canno1 afford to carry on
"business as usual" while industrial pollution and
weapons production lhrcaien lhe life cycles of lhe planet.
Unul the threat is stopped, !hey say, lhcre will be ever
more public ou1cry, and more trials lhal raise lhe
imponan1 quesuons of cnvironmentnl safely, communi1y
heallh, and moral responsibilily.
Anyone who i~ inLCrcslcd in rinding ou1 more
aboul 1h1S trial or wishCli to make a dona1ion to the
defense fund, please coniact:
Oak Ridge Envuonmenllll Pe:ice AllUlllCC
P.O. Box 1101
Knoxville, TN 37901.
8CCCplCd.
The solid was1e management bill also aulhoriz.es
suppon and training activity 10 help s1a1e agencies and
local governments fulrill lhe objectives of lhe new slalc
policies on solid wasLC. This will be 1mplcmcnLCd by the
NC Dcpartmenl of Environmeni. Health, and Natural
Resources and lhe Commission of Hcallh Services. II
also charges the NC Department of Economic and
Communi1y Developmen1 to assist in rinding and
developing markets for composlCd products and recycled
mmcria.ls.
Source: News/ti/tr of tht IVattr Resourcts
RtSearch lnslitutt of TM Unilitrsity <!North Carolina
�HEALING THE WHOLE SELF
These are the words of a traditional Cherokee medicine person...
Sometimes to understand something, it's necessary to
dissect it, to take it apan into pieces. Western culture does that
well. But they have become so expert with the parts that they
have forgotten how the pieces fit together as a whole.
Western medicine dissects people by seeing them as
spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical. But there is a unity
between those pans. If a person gets sick spiricually, and if he or
she ignores that, the imbalance will evencually show up in his or
her emotional and psychological make-up. And if that person
keeps building walls to avoid facing their problem, eventually it
will manifest itself on the physical being, where it will put the
person into such a situation that he or she can't ignore it
My grandfather used to say that what we call the common
cold isn't a sickness or a disease at all. It's the Spirit's way of
saying, "Stop! Slow down! Here's an opportunity to see what's
going on in your life."
When you have a cold, you feel too bad to go rush and run
about But if you take the time to sit down, examine your life,
and be really honest with yourself, as you come to some kind of
conclusions, that so-called "cold" or sickness will go away.
But not all sickness comes from the inside, because one
half of the world is eating the other half right now, and there's
viruses and bacteria and accidents that can happen to the body.
A part of well-being is to be spiritually strong,
psychologically and emotionally. You do that by not avoiding
things. You make peace with your mother and father, if they've
messed you over. You forgive them, and you forgive yourself
most of all, because of the bad feelings you had, because they
didn't meet your expectations, real or not real. You come to peace
with that You can come to peace with the other expectations that
have not been met in your life, and other people who turned out
to be not what you thought.
Then, if something attacks you, it's less likely to be
severe, and your recuperative powers will be much stronger.
We have been placed in this world to strengthen our spirit.
We are here to learn, to overcome, and to take responsibility for
being here. People who totally neglect their spirit, and do nothing
to carry out the purpose for which we are here are more likely to
be susceptible to those external things that attack us. They might
stop a bullet, be attacked by viruses or diseases. Of course
anybody who makes love continuously with someone who's got
AIDS is likely to get it. We still have to learn common sense, and
take care of our own selves on that basic level.
Then there's the mental part of ourselves that comes in two
pans: there's the up-front, linear/critical, intellectual mind, and
then there's the emotional part.
The linear/critical pan of our brain is very limited in its
function. Its job description is that it deals with problems. If it
doesn't have a problem, then it makes one. And 99 times out of
100, the problems that it creates are negative, because that part of
our brain only wants to solve things. The Creator gave us this
ability so we would have a better chance of survival, so we could
figure out how to keep a lion from eating us or how we were
going to survive this freezing winter. It's a gift The lion's got
his claws and teeth; we've got this conex. Solving problems is
what it does. So to be healthy, you have to present that pan of
your brain with a problem - a positive problem.
The other part of our mental self is the emotional part. This
pan contains all our emotional feelings, positive or negative. The
catch is that the linear/critical part of the brain acts as a
doorkeeper. It locks the door to bad news. It locks the door to
things it wants to avoid. If I mistreat someone, even if I know
it's not good to mistreat people and HnowT did it .wrongly, my
mind may not want to admit to that. lncidentstike thar stagnme in
my emotional mind. All the feelings that arose when other people
injured me or hun me, all the anger and frustration from incidents
that 1 have not yet resolved with myself, all of that is hidden
away in my emotional mind.
I cannot avoid those feelings, even if my linear/critical,
problem-solving brain doesn't want to hear about them. So if I
build walls around that stuff with my conscious mind, it waits
there until night-time when my defenses arc down, and then it
comes out through the back door, through my dreams.
To maintain spiritual health, resolve as many of those
things as you possibly can up front. That's hatd, but it makes it
easier if we recogniu that we are going to make mistakes in our
lives. All life is is an education. We arc here to learn from this
experience. But sometimes we punish ourselves our whole lives
for mistakes we have made.
As much as possible, we need to deal with all those
incidents and the feelings they raise consciously at the moment,
because what happens to us in our dream state is as real as what
happens in daylight, and it's just as important Deal with those
things and go on.
That is the way to be where your power is. Personal power
is when we stop and take responsibility for our own actions. We
have a tendency to blame other people for things we do or don't
do. We blame other people or events outside ourselves for most
of the things that happen to us - particularly the bad things.
Actually, most - not all, but most - of the good or bad that
happens in our life is dependent on our own level of attention and
caring. But as long as people relinquish their responsibility by
attributing events that happen in their own life to something or
someone else, then they will never have personal power. They
are giving it away.
Along with personal power go happiness, sadness, and joy
- all those things are our responsibility. They arc created
internally, not externally. My wife is not responsible for my
happiness or my sadness. rt is me. It is happening inside here.
This is where I create these responses to the circumstances of my
life.
SprLrM), 1990
I
�Most people walking around in the world are separated
from their power. Their power is far in the future, or their power
is the past dealing with regrets and pains, unfulfilled
expectations, a lack of love, or whatever else is troubling them.
The result is that, while they are right here, they have no power.
They are always ahead or they are always behind. because they
are waiting for a future opponunity that never comes, or their
energies are behind them dealing with yest.erday.
If those people had their power right here, they could deal
with things. The only place we can deal with things is in the
present. We cannot spend our lives behind or ahead. We have no
personal power if our power is not located in the present
Otherwise, life is a question of "Eat, shit, sleep, and die."
People like that are the same as one-celled creature. That kind of a
life is a waste of soil and energy. That kind of person can do
nothing.
The way of healing used by the old Cherokee medicine
men involved conjuring. Conjuring means manipulation.
"Manipulation" is a bad word in the dominant culture. You don't
say you manipulate people even if you do.
But manipulation is alright as long as it is used for the
benefit of the patient and not for one's personal benefit A good
conjurer never conjures for himself. If a medicine man conjures
for himself, avoid him, because he will manipulate a situation for
his own personal gain. If a medicine person charges you for
anything, he's profiting from the experience of another person's
suffering. Traditional native people won't have anything to do
with that kind of person, unless it's a maintenance-and-repair
doctor practicing western medicine. That's just the way those
doctors do it.
The old Cherokees used to say that the white doctors
caused disease. They knew it, because the doctors charged for
their help, and obviously they didn't wanr their patients to get
well. That was how they made their living.
There are three levels of conjuring or manipulation. People
use the elementary fonn of manipulation every day to get their
way. A man often uses bis manliness, bis male aggressiveness.
That touches primal instincts in women or children. When the
dominant male is rowdy, they have a deep programming that
prompts them to split for cover. If a woman wants to manipulate
a situation, she uses her feminine sexuality. Those are
oversimplified examples of conjuring. In actual life we do it
mucl\ more subtly.
There is a higher fonn of conjuring, and that is by using
knowledge. Understanding how things work allows one to
manipulate a situation. A lot of things that western doctors or
scientists do seem like magic to us, because we do not
comprehend the principles involved. It isn't magic to them,
because they understand how it works.
It operates in another manner as well. Everybody has
within themselves a force that I call the Physician Within. If a
healer or a conjurer has a deep understanding of people, he or she
can contact and activate the Physician Within inside their patient.
But it talces a great degree of understanding.
For example, I knew a young fellow once who fell off a
rock cliff and was badly hurt. He was carried to a bed and Jay
there, drifting in and out of consciousness.
A medicine man came and looked at him, and then came
over to us and said, "I don't think he's going to live. He's hurt
bad inside."
They called another medicine man, a really old guy. He
came over there. He talked with the first medicine man. Then he
went over there and studied the victim, looked him over. He
knew the boy well. knew his situation.
The old man leaned over and was talking to the victim for
quite some while. The young man started moving around a little
bit He moved his body, and after a while he sat up and was
looking around. He was weak, but that old man had provoked
the instinct to survive just by saying some words to him.
Spr""'J, t 990
It took me three years to find out what words the old man
had whispered to that boy. Finally the old man told me. What he
had said was, "Your best friend, Everett, is messing around with
your girlfriend. I know it. I've seen him slip in there a couple of
times, and before you die I want you to know that he's been
putting one over on you all this time."
It seems so simple when you know the secret. But that was
a powerful statement for that boy. It made him mad. The old man
understood that. He had a practical understanding of the laws of
nature. If he did not know what was said, a western doctor
would not have understood. He would have thought that the old
man had been using some form of magic.
We all have cenain requirements as human beings. We all
want warmth, we all require nurturing. It's just as imponant to us
as supper. We want that hugging, we want that gentleness. A
good healer understands these things. The better we understand
these instinctual requirements, the better we will be able to
understand other human beings, and the better we will
understand ourselves and why we do what we do.
The spiritual form of conjuring, which is the most
powerful and the hardest to explain, is when individual healers
pull their whole being together - they are not hindered by their
limitations, their human nature is not getting in the way, their
self-interest is not getting in the way, nothing is blocking their
potential - and then they arc able to hook into the power of the
whole universe, the One.
When it all comes down to equations, the answer is One there's but One, and we're a pan of that One. There is incredible
power in being able to move that energy into the patient. This
energy provokes the Physician Within to give the energy center a
boost when nothing else will. This is a direct transmission of Life
Force.
The old Chinese conception of the Tao is much like what I
call "medicine." In this sense "medicine" is something very
different from the way the western people mean it
There's yin and yang. We might be tempted to call them
"good" and "bad," but they refer to the pairing of any and all
opposite forces, whatever they are.
The two forces come together. They come close to each
other, but they never touch. One comes moves toward the center
and becomes dominant. It stays until it's fulfilled, and then it
pulls back. As it pulls back, the other one is pulled in. It's a
dance. Everything is moving. What moves that process is call~
the Tao. And the center, or the space between the two opposite
forces, is medicine.
When traditional healers study medicine, they study
everything in between the two opposite forces. Without that
action there is no life. My grandfather said, "God is the energy
that started movement Whatever started motion is God." And the
motion God started was this.
From that space in the center, we can tap into the energy of
the Whole. When we do it ceremonially, we can concentrate the
energy of a group of people on the healing process that needs to
happen. A group of people can create a powerful phenomenon
when they can stop their own personal self-indulgence, even for
one split second, and move collectively on the same issue. It
doesn't happen often anymore, but when it does, it is uplifting.
Things happen that defy the understanding of the rational mind.
There is an old saying, "Magic comes when all doubt has
been removed from the mind."
�DRUMMING
LETTERS TO KATUAH
Dear KatUah,
I was reading in the Wildlife in North Carolina magazine
about the Chestnut trees and I hadn't thought about them much,
but I think it would be nice to have some big ones around. I
saw your address in there and they said that you had an old
issue of the Ka!Uah JourNJJ, which was about the Chesmut
tree. I would like to get one if you have any more.
I live out in the country about ten miles from Statesville,
a couple of miles from the small town of Catawba. It is across
the river though in a differen1 county. Let us hope that the tree
can make a comeback.
James Ford
Editors' note: We were pleased and surprised to receive over
75 requests for the ChestllUl Issue due to that menti()n in
Wildlife in North Carolina .
Dear KanJah,
I was recently adopted into the Seneca Nation, and I'm
seeking information on the Seneca People. Their language,
dress, spirits, and everything else I can find out. I would also
like to receive information on KatUah JourNJ/ to be sent to my
fianccC who got me very enthused in researching Native
People. She enjoys collecting artifacts or anything that
resembles Indian an woric. While I helped build her collection I
became interested in the reading of the history. She is part
Indian, but I forgot the People. I am now in prison and me and
her went our separate ways before my arrest, but I have not
stopped caring for her or sending infonnation I uncover to help
her. I get out of here in 5 months, and hope the Great Spirit
will rejoin us once again. I would very much like you to send
her a subscription of your Journal as a gift from me. Please bill
me for it and I will cover the cost as soon as I can. There is a
friend on my dorm who is starting to receive your Journal, so I
will be sharing his. Please send me any information you can on
real books on the American Indian. Than.le you for your time
and help in this matter.
Sincerely,
Robert Stigleman
Dear Kazuah Journa.J,
I am writing to lei you know about the establishmen1 of a
new organization in South Carolina, the Action Research Forum.
Our aim in founding this group is to promote peace,
justice, and environmental pro1ection through research,
education, and communi1y-based action.
We are currently compiling information about effons in
the deep south to achieve greater social and economic justice , ro
end racism, and to protect the environmen1. We hope that your
organization will send us some of your recent pubhcations and
reports, and that you will add us to your mailing list so that we
may receive regular news of your work.
Jn exchange, we will spread the word as best we can about
your organii.ation through our resource listings, and we will keep
you up to date about our effons (we plan to have a newslener).
We also plan to eventually have enough funds to make donations
to organizations such as yours.
If you have any questions, please feel free to write us or ro
get in touch by phone.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Bill Hall
Dear KanJah,
Recently, on a trip to Georgia, I came across an issue of
the KmUah Journal. I was very excited to find a publication
with such infonnation. Though I don't live in the area, rm
interested in the information you are compiling.
I eventually plan to move, and I may well move to the
Southern Appalachians. I am interested in self-sufficient living,
organic farming (which I am doing now), and similarly minded
people who don't worship the microwavable, plastic shrink
wrapped, computerized world.
I've enclosed money for a year's subscription and two
back issues. If you would kindly send me addresses about
organjc farming and small self-sufficient communities in the
bioregion I would be much obliged.
May the Great Spirit bless you for doing such work,
Daniel Shoag
Action Research Forum
P.O.Box 176
Starr, S.C. 29684
(803) 352-2757
Dear Kanlah,
Your statement of purpose tingled my bells, and
scanning the sample copy you sent clinched it. Now I'll go sit
in the garden and read every word of the issue. But first, here's
my SI0.00.1 want to see more.
Blue Sky
Sprlcn(}. 1990
�STONESCAPE
Dark morning tangled with the mind A labyrinth by wind designed.
But like a storm the window of the eye,
Shattered a depth beyond the will to cry.
Pale light littered the rooftops with our grief.
The wonder of it mirrored in each leaf.
We saw ourselves in shadows of a chill
Flickering the stonescape of our will.
- Sandra Fowler
.>ear Katuah,
We have been fortunate enough to receive your paper from
a friend who lives near Washington, D.C., where it is more
available than in our area.
I was so happy to see your issue on children and wished to
comment specifically on the article "Binh Power" by Lucinda
Flodin and Manha Perkins. The predominant misconception is,
in this piece and others like it, that midwives, free of the
sociological trappings of organized medicine will permit women a
more natural embrace of birth as a life changing force. It is true
that midwives often permit a couple to birth more in the setting of
their choice-what appears as untruth is that they give parents back
their power.
Birth is the completion of a circle, a psychobioecosystem if
you will, as fragile and complex as the Gaia. This circle, begun
in the embrace of conception, requires no orchestration or
observation by a 'professional", either in its beginning, or in its
completion in the act of binh. Do it yourself homebirth, as
presented by Marilyn Moran in her 1st book, entitled the same,
and in her collected birth accounts, entitled. Happy Birth Days, is
the tuest form of empowerment. It is no wonder, considering our
socially promoted birth norms (from hospital technology to
midwife at home) that the world is seeing more and more divorce
and breach of commitment. Instead of Poppa caressing Momma,
and assisting the life of their love into the world, the father is
assigned some minimal position behind mother while either a
doctor cuts, or a midwife massages the mother's genitalia.
Through the binh of our first child we experienced such
transcendental communion, such ecstacy, such fulfillment as one
in the universe. This would have been impossible should anyone
else have been present besides my husband and myself.
Midwives do not give back power by assisting binh - they
would empower by providing prenatal care and encouraging
fathers to fulfill their position as soulmate and companion in the
act of binh. True empowerment comes through accepting
complete responsibility.
I would love to see this view presented in your journal.
Marilyn Moran is a wonderful and eloquent woman, who I am
sure would appreciate the opportunity of presenting our
conflicting view - should it be your policy to provide open forum
in this way. Her address is:
Marilyn Moran
c/o The New Nativity
P.O.Box 6223
Leawood, KS. 66206
Thanks for all the wonderful work you do!
Praying for Peace,
Teresa A. Rasmussen
Nore: The editors would like to caUJion couples to be aware of
safety considerations when considering undenalcing an
unassisted birth.
Sprl.nq, 1990
The Fourth Turtle Island Bioregional
Congress (NABC JV)
will be held August 19-26, 1990
at Lake Cobbosseecontee,
near Augusta, Maine
in the Gulf of Maine Bioregion.
Faced with the developing ecological
crisis, the Congress sees its mission as
deciding whether the bioregional
movement is to become a ''visible
and viable social/political/ cultural
transformational movement" (and
creating the bioregional and
continental organizing strategies to
fulfill that goal) or to be primarily a
philosophical concept that permeates
other movements for change.
The movement does not need to
further refine its resolutions.
Rather, it is time to apply these
principles in practice in our
bioregions and across the continent.
People from the Karuah Province
will be attending the NABC IV, so
please contact the Katuah journal
(Box 638; Leicester, NC; KatU.ah
Province 28748) if you are going, so
that we may coordinate
transportation and consider how we
will represent our region at the
Congress.
Mail Congress queries or registrations
to:
Turtle Island Bioregional Congress
Gulf of Maine Books
61 Maine St.
St. Brunswick, ME
Gulf of Maine Bioregion 04011
Places for the Congress are going
quickly, so register immediately, if
you are interested in attending this
important event. Registration is $175
for adults, $100 for children.
�ENVIRONMENT-AL PHOTOS
WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL
LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM
The Spirit of the Wild
James Rhea's artwork that was the logo
for the "Restoring Biodiversity in the Southern
Appalachians" conference and the cover of Issue
25 of the KatUah Journal. is now available to all
as conference posters and T -Shirts.
The posters are beautiful, four-color 11 .. x
17" renditions of the native species portrait with
conference information below and are available
for $2.00.
The T-shins are heavy-d uty, all-conon,
silkscreened by Ridgerunner Naturals. Only
large and extra-large sizes remain. They are
available for $10.50.
Prices include postage. NC residents
please add 5% sales tax.
All proceeds from the sale of 1hese i1ems
will suppon rescue actions for native habitat in
the Southern Appalachian forest.
Order from: KRLRNU
Box 282; Sylva, NC
Katuah Province 28789
The Womens International League for Peace
and Freedom (WILPF) is 75 years old this year.
The group was organized in 1915 at the Hague,
Netherlands. It has been an interracial
organization throughout its history.
The League came about when more than
1,000 Women's Suffragist leaders from 12 nations
met at the Hague to mount a campaign to abolish
war. Jane Addams of the U.S. chaired that
Congress. The participants chose the name
'Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom' and resolved to work to end intervention,
promote disarmament, negotiate regional conflicts,
and work for peace and freedom by non-violent
means.
Those resolutions and our commitment to
undoing racism as an influence in our society still
form the basis of the programs of WILPF.
The Asheville Branch of WILPF meets for a
pot luck lunch on the third Saturday of each
month at 12:00 noon at the Friends Meeting House;
227 Edgewood Rd. (off Merrimon Ave). Join with
us.
For further information call Dorothy (704)
298-9082, Brita (704) 667-0287, or Mary Kay (704)
667-04630.
SEE "EVENTS" for details a bou t WILPF's?Sth
BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER on APRIL 71
The Appalachian Environmental Arts
Center is issuing a call for environmental
photography to be entered in an Eanh Day
photography exhibit to open in Greeneville, SC
on April 22, 1990.
The exhibit is intended to bring attention
to abuses of the natural world as well as to
celebra1e !he environment
Complete details on photo categories and
entrance procedures may be oblained by writing
Gil Leebrick at !he Appalachian Environmental
Arts Ce nter; Drawer 580; Highlands, NC
28741 or calling (704) 526-4303.
THE BURNING QUESTION
...AND JUST WHAT IS A
YAPI??
A YAPI (Youth Advocating Planetary
Improvement) is a species of concerned and
aware high school student committed to making
beneficial changes on the planet.
The idea began in Highlands, NC. where
the Y API's have organized and publish their
own newspaper, Reflections, for others of their
ki nd. They stand for world peace, the
environment, and an end to world hunger.
Y API supporters or individual Y APl's
wishing to stan a new chapter can contact the
group at this address:
Youth Advocating Plane1ary Improvement
Box 2136
Highlands, NC
Katuah Province 28741
MYLES HORTON MEMORIAL
t!lti11ae .,4(11p1111e/11re
ul
Jler/111"1111 t!li11k
74 EAST OESTMJT SmEET
ASHEVIU.E. NC 29801
70t·251MIOIG
EU.EN Hlf'IES, M.Ac.. ~ M,
UC. .MU'UNCTURlST
HUMMINGBIRD
The career of Myles Horton, Jong-lime
radical activist and co-founder of the Highlander
Research and Education Center, ended with his
death early this year. Myles was well-known
nationally as well as regionally for his work in
the causes of labor organizing and civil rights.
Friends and admirers of Myles Horton will
gather at Highlander early in May for a memorial
service dedicated to his memory.
Any who arc interested in attending the
event may call Alissa Keny-Guyer at (615)
933-3443 for details.
Bulk I terbs, Spices, & Grains
Vitamins & Supplcnwn1s lf?!~faw
WhC<ll. Sall & Yeas1-Frf'C
1-cxxfs
Dair} Subs11tu1cs
I lair & Skin care
Natural Food Store
&Deli
160 Bl'Olldway
Asheville, NC 28801
Wher'9 BroedWlly 11*ts
Mlrrlmon Ave• ~240
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Monday·Slllurd.y: 9 am·8pm
Sunday: 1pm-Spm
(704) ZSS.785&
_,
f]\iagei 'JWtt~r 'Natyr<\l~
130 N. Main Street
Waynesville. NC 28786 (704) 456-3003
'Tht' t\ft'';ffl';:
S~~~
Oldl'SI & Ull<WSI
N111urc11 FoocLs Gmn•n(
704-264-5220
200 W. Klng St. Boone, NC
3 Bloclts from Campus
SprincJ. l 990
�€V€0t'S
18-2 1
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
The Black Mountain Festival.
Traditional and folk music weekend with Tim
and Molly O'Brien, Ethel Kathy Austin (black
vocal), Liz Carroll (fiddle) wilh guitarist Daithi
Sprouce, Figgy Duff, Harry and the Cajuns,
The Buzzard Rock String Band, Summe.r
Puppetry Caravan, more. Ans and crafts
festival, 5/21-24; contemporary and international
music weekend, 5!25-Zl (see lhose dates). Cost:
$12/day on weekends (vehicle camping $5
extra); $40 for weekend w/ tent camping or
bunks; $5/day Mon.-Thurs. For more info;
Grey Eagle and Friends; Box 216; Black
Mountain, NC 28711.
MARCH
WESSER, NC
Nanl.3hala lnlCmalional River Rally. Paddlers
from the Soviet Union and Othct countries will compete.
Sponsored by Nanlllhala Outdoor Center. Call fOC' dclails:
(7().1) 488·217S.
I S-26
17
ASHEVILLE, NC
Shadow puppet workshop and demonsll'ation
for children 7 and up with Hobie Ford and the Goldenrod
Puppeis. 10:30-11:30. Free.
22-23
BROWNS SUMMIT, NC
Lex Mathews Conference on Theology and
EnvironmenL Keynote: Thomas Berry. $25. Call The
LMd Stewardship Council (919) 821-4391.
19
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
"Forests and Trees of the Smokies." Visiting
lhe various forest associations of the Great Smokies.
S25. Sec 4/21.
2A
ARDEN, NC
"Bringing A Course in Miroclts into
Application," workshop with Aliana Scurlock at Unity
Center of Arden. 10 am • 4 pm. $65. Write: Dr. Frank
Trombcua; 671 Balsam Rd.; Hendersonville. NC 28739.
25-27
25
SWANNNANOA, NC
Willaru Huayu, lncan spiruual messenger
from Cuzco, Peru, will speak on lncan prophecy and
spirituality at The Earth Center; 302 Old Fellowship
Rd.; Swannanoo, NC 28776 (7().1) 298-3935.
28
Brevard, j\IC
The Traveling Ecological Road Show
featuring lhe YAPl's, hjgb school students for the
environment, at Brevard Episcopal Chun:b, 6:30 pm. For
information, call: (7().1) 526-92482.
21-22
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
"Wilderness Wildflowers.• Two-day
instructional wildflower identilicat.ion. Easy 8-milc hike,
camping. $50. Coniact Smoky Mountain Field School;
University of Tennessee Non.Credit Programs; 2016
Lake Ave.; Knoxville, TN 37996 (800) 284-8885.
APRIL 22 IS EARTH DA y THROUGHOlJf
THE KATUAH PROVINCE· SEE SPECIAL
PULL-OUT SECTION, PAGE 15, FOR DETAILS
APRIL
7
JOHNSON CITY, TN
"Wizard of the Wind," an environmental
fairytale, and shadow puppet workshop on dental care.
Museum BClmission fee. For info, call: (615)928-6508.
7
ASHEV ILL E, NC
Fundraiscr Concert fOC' International League
fOC' Peace and Freedom with David Wilcox. Joe and Karen
Holbert, Womansong. Jubilee Center. S7. Call (7().1)
298-9082.
HOT S PRINGS, NC
"Daily Life as Spiritual Practice," four-day
Zen retreat wilh Cheri Huber. Sl60. For more info,
write: Southern Channa Retreat Center. Rt. I, Box
34-H; Hot Springs, NC 28743.
23
ASHEVILLE, NC
The Tra veling Ecologicnl Road Show
featuring lhc YAPl's, high school students for lhc
environment.. at lhe Asheville School. For info, call
Evereu Gourley (7().1) 254-6345.
TUXEDO, NC
"National Forest Service Reform The Time l s Now!" Randal OToole, J eff
DeBonis, David Wilcove, Leon Minckler, Ned
Fritz, panels, field trips. Camp Green Cove.
Registration; $10. Meals and lodgi ng; $49. For
more info, call Western North Carolina AUiance.
(704) 258-8737.
2.S-27
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
Block Mountain Festival contin ues!
Contemporary and international music with Leon
Redbone, Ephlat Mujuru (mbira player from Zimbabwe),
Aor de Gana (Latin band), Lucy Blue Tremblay, Stark
Raven wilh lhe Twister Sisters (folk rock), White Boys
in Trouble, Goldenrod Puppets, more. See 5/18-20.
26-28
MADISON, VA
"Woman/Earlh/Spiri1 • gathering on
feminine spirituality. $210. For info, contaec Sevenoaks
Pathwork Center. RL I, Box 86; Ma<lison, VA 22727
(703) 948-6554.
MAY
JUNE
4..S
17-22
HELEN, GA
"The River Cane Rendezvous," the
Eastern Eanh Skills Gathering for 1990. Jim
Riggs (wilderness skills advisor for Cla11 of the
Cave Bear), Darry Wood, Snow Bear, Steve
Wans, Scott Jones, Eva Bigwitch, and Eddie
Bushyhead and other practitioners of aboriginal
ans will teach flintknapping, firemaking, plant
lore, native hide-1anning, split cane basketry,
primitive weapons and tools, and more.
Pre-rcgis1er: $125. Contact Bob Slack; Unicoi
State Parle, Helen, GA 30545 (404) 878-2201.
Sprlnq, 1990
5
FRENCH BROAD WATERS HED
Clean Streams Day • clean-up effons
throughout lhe French Brood River wniershcd. For info:
Transylvania Co.· Rich Fry (7().1) 884-3156
Henderson Co. · Jim Volk (7().1) 684-1423
Buncombe Co. ·Quality Forward (7().1) 254-1 TI6
Madison Co.· Jane Morgan (7().1) 689-5974
1·3
HOT SPRINGS, NC
"Non-Duality and Social Awareness"
workshop wilh Catherine Ingram. WOC'kfog for social
change while living in an understanding of non-duality.
SIOO. Southern Dharma Retreat Center. See 4/4-8.
5
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
"Geologic Evoluuon of the Great Smokies.•
Learn the language of the rock record to lnlCC the history
of the Smokies from one billion years ago. Dr. Don
Byerly, instruct0r. $25. See 4/21.
10
ASHEVILL E, NC
Matthew Fox of Lhc Center for Creation
Spirituality to spcalc ot Jubilee Center, 46 Wall SL. For
more info, call: 252-5335.
Drawin& by Susan Adam
NOTE: Tlie Founh North American Bioregional
Congress (NABC N) will be held August
19-26, 1990 at Lake Cobbosseecontee in the
Gulf of Maine Bioregion. Those who want to
attend should register immediately, as space is
filling up fast. See page 27 for details.
J{.Qt.Ucih Journot JXlCJll 29 •
�SUMMER
CAMP,
July
9th
thru
20th.
EnVironmeoaal ICtivitica sbated with die Eanh, plus
swimming, hilciq, bones, locs or run. Send
brochure to: Cllnp Wildlirc in the Meadow; lobo
IDd Dory Brown; RL l, Box 184-B; Hot Springs,
NC28743.
ror
DREAM TABLE GROUP on Western Carolina
University campus. Cullowhee, NC. Next meetings
Jn.2, 3/l9, 4/S. For more infomwlon, call Joyce
Prcwiu al (704) 293-5403.
RA WKWIND
RENEW AL
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES (Sunroots)
organically grown • to eat or as seed tubers for
spring. contact Sicvco Knopp; S06 Menimon Ave.;
Asheville, NC 23g04 (704) 2S8-2S86 or (704)
682-3573.
EARTH
CO-OPERATIVB • g7 8Cre primitive rweat IDd
working community rarm in northern Alabama
mountains, j ust 1 lS miles nonhwest or ~ta.
Classes on alternative lifestyles and Nauvc
American philosophies. Earlh Renewal gatherings
planned on a quancrty basis. Facilities availiible for
private organizational use. For craft catalog or
schedule of events, call (20S} 635-6304.
SPIRITUAL PERSONAL ADVICE. Correspond
with your Native Gnndfather. All questions
addressed Crom Medicine Pctspcctivc. No charge
ever. SASE with teuer to: Blue Sky; Box S387;
Largo, Fla. 34649.
ADVENTIJRES FOR EVERYONE· Backpacking,
canoeing llama ltddting in the NC mountains, SC
barrier ~lands. Congaree Swamp. Families wi!11
young children and seniors wclcoc_ne • ~ w~
cany your gear. For moce informatson wnte: Magitt
TrUs; P.O . Box 6876; Columbia, SC 29Ui0.
MIND MAPPING • on-going classes in wriuen
ICChniquc integrating right and lei\ hemispheres Of
the brain. Groups and organizations welcomed. Call
Catherine Faherty at (704) 298-0077.
BIODYNAMICALL Y GROWN Corn seed.
Mi.n i-pops to giant fallers. Varieties for no-till
without herbicides , and for compost rather lhan salt
fertilization. For caialog plcau send SASE to:
Union Agricultural Institute, Rt. 4 Box 463S,
Blairsville, GA 30Sl 2.
WOODSCRAFT • Seeking to correspond with
persons interested in primitive woodscraft s~ills
such as, bow/drill rirc-making, t rackang,
snarc/deadraJ I trapping, cic. Have auended Tom
Brown's basic class. l.T. Garrison; RL 4, Box 667;
Spring City, TN 373g1.
ORGANIC HONEY · Tulip Poplar, Sowwood and
Wildflower. From Palrick County, Virginia. For a
4-oz. sample of out premium sourwood and our
catalog, send $4 to: Wade Buckholts cl Megan
Phillips; Route 2, Box 24g; Stuart, VA 24171.
(703) 694-4S71
I AM LOOKING FOR A POSITION with an
environmental awareness/action organization in
Asheville or neaiby. Prefer pan-time, beginning In
summer or fall 1990. Please contact laneicc Ray;
RL I , Box 1gg.J; Quincy, FL 323S l (904)
442-6474.
CREATION SOAP- hand-crafled herl>al soaps from
the Blue Ridge Mountains. Rose IDd lavender soaps,
moisturizing bar, shampoo/conditionct bar. Contact
Anna: RL 1, Box 278; Blowing Rocle, NC 2860S
(704) 262-2321.
YOGA FOR AU. AGES- Ongoing classes in the
Asheville area, workshops for groups, and private
sessions. Give yourself the gin or wellness and
peace. For more infonnation call Bonnie Kelly
(704) 254-869g,
WHITE CANVAS MATERI AL • 42 yards of 12 oz.
unused canvas, 6 ft. wide. Enough ror a full-size tipi
or very large tenL Cost $380. Wilt sell for $220.
(704) 29g.7639, Asheville.
SEERSUCKER BABY SUNG, with colonul beads
auachcd for baby's tccthing pleasure securely nestles
newborn through young child. For immediate
delivery, send $ 12.00 and parental shin size (S·XL)
to COZY CRADLES; P.O. Box 514; Tahlequah,
OK 74465.
SKYLAND • tog on lO lhe computer bulletin boanl
of the Smokies. Networking, plus news on the
environment, nature photography, games, computer
utilities, much more. Coniact Michael Havelin,
sySOp, (704) 254-6700.
MOUNTAIN DULCIMERS • made of black
walnut, red cherry, or maple. Tops available in
wormy chestnut, butternut. sweetgum, sassafras.
western cedar and other woods. Contael: Miu
Dulcimer Company; RL 2, Box 288; Blountville,
TN 37617 (615) 323-8489.
MlNl-FARM with beautiful mountain views. IS
acres: tn. woods, ln. fenced pastures. Modem
2-story Log House. 45 min. to Asheville. Please
contact: Pat Palmer: 409 N. Trade SL; Tryon, NC
28782.
90 ACRE MOUNTAIN PARADISE • We arc
seeking environmentally conscious buyers lO share
and help protect a unique cl beautiful ttact of land.
Call (704) 258-2586 or (704) 682-3S73.
RHYTHM ALIVE • Handcrafted African-style
Drums, workshops, learning iapcs, drum bags • and
.
accessories. Please send SASE to Rhythm Alive!;
SS Phenix Cove Rd.; Weaverville, NC 28787 (704)
645-3911.
NEW AGE COMMUNITY FORMING on 57 acres
of land. Located on sacred Cherokee Stone
Mountain. Visions of healing the earth cl our
children. Contact Sue Ann Ritter; Rt 2, Box 314;
Vilas, NC 28692.
CONSCIOUS COUPLE cl infant, wish to
lcam/wolt on organic £arm for housing + stipend
OR Clrelake a ~dence on acreage. Very comrniled
and sincere. Contacc Dan & Bast> Umberger; 347
Sinclair Ave. N.E.; Atlanta, GA 30307 (404)
Sll-2971.
VEGETA.RIA.N
MASTERPIECES •
tacto-vegetarian cookbook designed to provide
recipes for Slandard rare as well as gourmet dishes.
Over 300 recipes. Spiral bound, 403 pp. $ 14.9S ppd
from: 2122 Forest Dr.; Owloltc, NC 28211.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LANDSCAPING SERVICE • Lawn maintenance, trees,
shrubs, nowc.cs cl edibles. Organic. Patrick Clark,
254-8116.
NATURAL CHILDBIRTH CLASSES specializing
in the Bradley Method. Classes are small. and
include nutrition physiology, consumcnsm,
parenting skills, and relaxation and labor suPP?"'
techniques. For mon:: infonnation cal~ or wme
Maggie Sachs; 808 Florida Ave.; Bnstol. TN
37620. (6 lS) 764-2374.
ASTROLOGICAL CHART with aspect grid and
key to astrological symbols. Send SIO, SASE, and
birthdate (mo/day/yr), binhlime (00:00 AM/PM},
and birthplace (city, state} to Sw Charts; P .0. Box
18205; Asheville, NC 28814.
NEW AGE GROUP forming. Emphasis on spirit
and out coMection to Mother Earth, visualizing
positive growth and nurturing. Contact: Theresa
Carlson; 7501 Rule Rd.; Knoxville, Tiii 37920.
MOCCASINS, handcrafted of clkhide in the
traditional Plains Indian style. Water-resistant,
rcsoleable. and rugged - great for hiking! Children's
and infant sizes available. Contact: Pauick Clark;
Earth Dance Moccasins; Box 931; Asheville, NC
28802 (704) 254-8116.
RECYCLED PAPER! • Directory of products
sources for the southeast. Suggested donation S 1.00
to Western North Carolina Alliance, PO Box
18087, Asheville, NC 28814 (704) 258-8737.
WEBWORKING is free. Send submissions to:
Drawing by Rob M~slclt
KotUah Journal
P.O. Box 638
Leicester. NC
K:uUah Province 28748
Sprl.nq, t 990
�The KatUah Journal wan rs to communicate your thoughrs and
feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send them
to us as letters, poems, stories, articles. drawing~ . or phowgraphs,
etc. Please send your conrriburiollS to 1LS at: Kattiah Journal; P. 0 .
Box 638, Leicester, NC; Kattiah ProvirLCe 28748.
Issue 28 of Lhe Karuah Journal (Summer, '90) will take up
the topic of "Carrying Capacity" and the burgeoning impact of the
human presence and human technology in the mountains. lf we are
to continue after the last industrial smoke-cloud and past the end of
real estate, we have to apply this important ecological principle to
our own selves.
Articles deadline: April 25 - Editorial meeting: May 12 Layout: June 2 until...
"Water ls Life" is a principle with which we are all familiar.
Issue 29 of the Kat"'1h Journal will concern itself with water and
watersheds in the Southern Appalachians - the blessing of water,
how it affecLs the lives of all of us who live here, and what we can
do to protect iL
BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE
ISSUE THREE · SPRINO 1984
Sustainable Agncultutc - Sunnowcrs • Human
lmpacl on the ForcJI · Children.I' Educalion
Veronica Nicholu:Woman in Polilics • Liule
People • Medicine Allies
ISSUE FOUR · SUMMER 1984
W11cr Drum Wa1er Quali1y . Kudzu - Solar
Eclipse • Clcucutung • irout • Ooing io W11a
Ram Pumps · Microhydro · Poems: Bennie
Lee Sinclair. Jim W aync Millu
ISSUE AVE · FALL 1984
Harvest • Old Ways in Cherokee • Oinseog •
Nuclear Wu1c • Our Celtic Heritage •
Biorcgionalism: Past, Present. and Furure •
John Wilno1y • Healing Darkness • Politics of
Participation
ISSUE SIX · WINTER t984-8S
Winiu Solslice Earth Ceremony • Honcpasturc
Rivu • Conilng of the Light • Log Cabin
Rooca • Mountain Agricullurc: The Righi Crop
• William Taylor . The Furureoflhc Forest
ISSUE SEVEN · SPRINO 1985
Suslllnlblc Economics • Hot Springs - Worker
Ownenhip • The Orcat llconomy • Self Help
Credit Union • Wild Turkey • RcspoNiblc
Investing • Working m the Web of Life
ISSUE EIOHT · SUMMER 198S
Celebration: A Way of Life • Ka1l1ah 18.000
Years Ago • Sacred SilU • Folk Arts in lhc
Schools • Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle • Poems:
Hilda Downer · Cherokee HeriLage Center·
Who Owns Appalachia?
ISSUE NlNE · FALL 1985
The Waldee Forest • The Trees Spcalr.
Migrallna Forais • Horse Logging • Starting a
Tree Crop • Urben Trca • Al:«n Bread - Myth
Time
ISSUE TEN . WINTER 1985-86
Kate Rogers • Circles of Stone • internal
Mylhmaking • Holistic Healing on Trial ·
Poems: Sieve K.nauth • Mythic Places • The
Uk1cna·s Talc • Crystal Magic •
"Drcamspcaking.
ISSUE EIOIITEEN . Winier 1987-88
Vernacular ArchilCCrure . Dreams in Wood and
Stone • Mountain Home • Earth Energies •
Earth.Sheltered Living • Membrane Houses Brush Shelter • Poems: Oc1obu DMSk • Oood
Medicine: "Shcl1cr"
ISSUE TWENTY-THREE - Spring. 1989
Pisgah Village • Planet Art • Orecn Chy •
Poplar Appeal • "Clear Sky" • •A New Earlh"
Black Swan • Wild Lovdy Days • Reviews:
Sacred Land Sacred Sex, Ice Age • Poem:
"Sudden Tendrils"
ISSUE ELEVEN · SPRJ.NO 1986
Community Planning • Ci1ies and the
'Biorcg1onal Vision • Recycling - Community
Olldcrun&· Floyd County, VA • Ouobol •
Two Bioregional Views • Nuclear Supplcment
Fo.Uue Oames · Good Medicine: Visions
ISSUE NINETEEN · Spring, 1988
Pcrelandta Carden · Spring Tonics - Blueberries
WildOo wCT Oarden.s • Oranny Herbalis1 •
Rower Eucnces • "The Origin or the Animals;
SIOry • Good Medicine: "Power'" - Be A Tree
ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR · Summer. '89
Deep Lis1ening · Life in Aiomic City . Direct
Aclionl · Tree of Peace • Community Building
Peacemakers • Elhnic Survival • Pairing
PTOp:t • "Baulesong" - Crowing Peace ill
Cllltures · Review: TMCMUceOJtd IN Blode
ISSUE THIRTEEN · Fall 1986
Ccniu For Awakening • Elizabeth Callari • A
Ocnllc Dealh • Hospice • Ernest Morgan •
Dealing Creatively with Death • Home Burial
Box • The Wah • The Raven Mocker •
Woodslorc and Wildwoods Wisdom - Oood
Medicine: 'Tlic Sweal Lodge
lSSUE FOURTEEN · Winter 1986-87
Uoyd Carl Owle • BoogCTS and Mummen • All
Species Day • Cabin Fever Univenity •
Homeless in Kalolah • Homemade Hot Water
Siovemaker's Narrative • Oood Medicine:
lnu:rspccies Communication
ISSUE TWENTY · Summer. 19&&
Prcsctve Appalachian Wildcmcss . Highlands
of Roan • Celo Community • Land Trust •
Arthur Morgan School • Zoning Issue - 'The
Rid8c" • Farmers and the Farm Bill • Oood
Medicine: "Land" • Acid Rain • Duke's Power
Play • Cherokee Microhydro Project
ISSUE TWENTY.ONE · Fall. 1988
Chcs1nuis: A Natural History • Restoring the
Chestnut · "Poem of Preservation and Praise"
Continuing the Quest • Forats and Wildlife
Chestnuts in Regional Diel - Chestnut
Resources - Herl> Note • Oood Medicine:
"Changes lO Come" · Review: Where ugmd.s
Uve
ISSUE AFT'EEN · Spring 1987
Coverleu • Woman Forester • Susie McMalw\
Midwife • Allemativc Contraception •
Biosexualily • Bioregionalism and Women •
Cood Medicine: Malri.vchal Culture · Pearl
ISSUE SlXTE.llN - Summer 1987
Helen Waite • Poem: VisioN in a Oarden •
Vision Quest • Firll Flow • Initiation •
Leaming in lhe Wilderness • Chcrokeea
Olallengc . "Valuing Trca"
~UAttJOURNAL
For more info: call Rob Messick at (704) 754-6097
Name
City
Regular Membership........ $10/yr.
Sponsor.........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
Area Code
Spr LrMJ, 1990
State
Enclosed is$
to give
this effort an exrra bOost
Zip
I can be a local contact
person for my area
Phone Number
..
".,
....
lSSUllTWENTY..SDC- WINTER. 1989·'90
Coming of Age in the E<iotoic Eta • Kids
Saving Rainforest - Kids Tree.cycling CornpMy
• Conllict Resolution • Developing the Crcativ&
Spirit • Dinh Power • Dinh Bonding • The
Magic of Puppetry • Home Schooling • Narnint
Ceremony • Mother Earth's Classroom •
Oatdening for Childrcra
ISSUE TWENTY-TWO · Winter, '&&-89
Olobal Warming • f'tre This Time • Thomas
Betry on "Bioregions" • Eanh Excteisc • Kor6
Loy McWhirw • An Abundance of Emptiness
LETS • Chroniclea of Floyd • Oury Wood
The Bear Clan
Box 638; Leicester, NC; KatUah Province
Address
ISSUE TWENTY -FIVE • F.All., 1989
The Orcat Forest . Restoring Old OroWlh •
Regional Planning - Timber - Forest Roads
Poem: "Sparrow Hawk" - A Place for Bean
"There Fell the Rain Healing" · Eastern
Panther • Oak Decline • People and Habitat
Wild Sanctuaries · BllUI" Fair
28748
Back Issues
Issue # _ @ $2.50 = $_ _
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $ _ _
lssue# _@$2.50= $ _ _ ·
Issue#_@ $2.50 = $ _ _
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _
Complete Set (3-11, 13-16,
18-26)
@ $40.00 = $_ _
postage paid
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 27, Spring 1990
Description
An account of the resource
The twenty-seventh issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on holistic healing: personal and planetary. Authors and artists in this issue include: Richard Lowenthal, David Wheeler, Sam Gray, Doug Aldridge, Rob Messick, Stephen Wing, Lisa Sarasohn, Snow Bear, James Rhea, Kim Sandland, Sandra Fowler, and Susan Adam. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1990
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Personal and Planetary Transformation: A Holistic Model of Healing by Richard Lowenthal.......1<br /><br />The Healing Power by David Wheeler.......4<br /><br />Peace to Their Ashes by Sam Gray.......6<br /><br />Healing in Katúah by Doug Aldridge........9<br /><br />"When Left to Grow": A Poem by Rob Messick.......10<br /><br />"Calling to the Ancestors, Calling Our Relations": Poems by Stephen Wing........11<br /><br />The Belly by Lisa Sarasohn.......12<br /><br />EARTH DAY 1990!!: A special pull-out supplement.......15<br /><br />Food From the Ancient Forest by Snow Bear.......19<br /><br />Natural World News.......20<br /><br />Good Medicine.......24<br /><br />Drumming: Letters to Katúah Journal.......26<br /><br />Events.......29<br /><br />Webworking.......30<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cherokee mythology
Holistic medicine
Health resorts--Appalachian Region, Southern
Alternative medicine--North Carolina, Western
Mind and body
Wild plants, edible--Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Black Bears
Cherokees
Ecological Peril
Education
Electric Power Companies
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Good Medicine
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Health
Katúah
Plants and Herbs
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Recycling
Stories
Turtle Island
Western North Carolina Alliance
Women's Issues
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/e8b264ef4ec25f6e96204d3ae515c995.pdf
da3b1c41e52d67bec48c8df227746edd
PDF Text
Text
/-�
�UAWURNAL
P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748
Postage Paid
Bulk Mall
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
�FromMountains to the Sea
uy uafMyczack........................•....•
1
Profile of a Southern Appalachian Watershed:
The Little Tennessee River
(An Interview with Dr. William Md.amcy)
rtcortkd by David Whttlu.....................3
Freshwater Canaries: The Spotfin Chub
b y William Mclarney.........••.•.........•..5
Mudwatch and Fmoount: The Environmental
Survey of the Little Tennessee
6
by William McLarnq.......................••
Headwaters Ecology and Blgh Quality Habitat
by Mary Kelly.........................•.••....?
"It All Comes Down to Water Quality"
by Mitlit Buchanan............................8
Water Power: Ac.tion for Aquatic Habitats.... IO
Dawn Watchers
uySncw Bear ................................ 11
Adventures on the River
uy uaf Myaack.............................12
Accessory toMurder: Watts Bar Lake and the
Public Trust
uy LeafMyczadr........•.........•......••...14
Poem: "Country S10re"
by Witliam MU/u...••.......•........•......14
The Nonh Shore Road: Environment or
Development in the Great Smokies
by Pmrick Clark..............................15
The Long Branch Composting Toilet
by Paul Gallimore ..•...............•.....•... 11
GoodMedicine: The Long Human Being....18
Katuah Sells Out!!
by Bud Young and Rodney Webb............ 19
Watershed Map of the Kauiah Province......20
Namral World News. ...........................22
Green Spirits: Karuah Rains
by Lte Barnts................................26
Off the Grid
uy Jim lloustr ...............................21
Drumming (Letters (O Katuah) .................28
Early Warning: The Gypsy Moth ls Coming!
uy Ed lytwack..•......•....•............•...30
Poem: "Unbound"
by Gaston Siniard............•........••.....31
Events.............................................36
Webworking.....................................38
TaUMint.u, 1990
FROM MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA
by LeafMyczack
It begins as dense, moist clouds riding
the prevailing winds 11p from the Gulf of
Mex.ico. Meeting the Corest updrafts from the
AppalachianMountains, the clouds release their
wet cargo over the rich forest below. The rain
drips to the ground through the leafy canopy,
seeps into the dark soil, gathers, and begins to
triclcJe down the mountain slopes. Ct is here
where the River is born. SmaJJ riwlets become
streams, splashing and tumbling down rock
strewn beds. When enough of these feeder
streams converge, creeks form, and Lhey in rum
•
receive additional aibutaries.
From the slopes of the old mountains of
Kanlah, the growing rivers bring their watery
gifis 10 the valley lands. But rivers do not lend
themselves to arbitrary beginnings. The health
of a river is the culmination of an ongoing,
cyclical process. The health of rivers depends
on atmospheric as well as ground conditions.
Sulfates, nitrates, and toxic gases are washed to
eanh in the form of acid rain. Here the
contaminated water combines with herbicide
residues used by forest abusers and with din
paniclcs from bulldozed land. The first stream
f ormed is already poisoned. Add industrial
chemicals, silt from road construction, salt
fertilizers, utility company herbicides, raw
sewage, and the result is a river much
diminished in itS capacity 10 suppon life. Even
before the rivers leave the Appalachian foothills,
their health is often severely compromised.
Most humans have forgouen that we arc
dependent on the interplay of all life. We think
we can clear the forest without harming the
river, or that we can diny the atmosphere
without harming the forest. Even when
confronted with historical evidence of
environmental impact, ecologically destructive
patterns continue unabated, especially when
there is money involved. Greed seems to be the
engine of destruction. Cut, rape, slash - "How
much money are we making?"
Rivers, in order to be healthy, must have
a healthy watershed. The atmosphere and the
ground must be clean in order to maintain the
aquatic environment. To protect the life of the
river, steep slopes musr be closed to logging
and development. The less roads, the better, for
roads only promote the migration of ecologically
abusive people and materials. Rivers are
intended to be pathways for rich organic
nutrients leached from the mountain slopes to
feed the diverse aquatic communities living in
the estuaries. Damming rivers inhibits this
cycle. In place of nutrients, rivers now carry
water-soluble toxins that are deposited in delta
and estuarine habitats.
This Katuah region, sacred in all its
biodiversity, is in great danger. The forest ones
and the river ones call out for help. The scream
of pain is almost constant among them. But their
voices are not going unheard. Joining these
voices are human voices - Lhe voices of
caretakers, poets, Earth defenders • aU
advocaLing a respect for all of'life.
Ycs, brothers and sisters, trees and rivers
do have rights Lo life and good health. Let us
sing and dance to life in aJJ its many forms. The
dance of life must supersede the chant of death,
for without our relatives we are diminished in
spirit, mind, and body. It is not a political
struggle we are engaged in, but a spiritual quest
to find the wellsprings of our soul. Listen
closely, and you will hear great wisdom from
Karuah. Be creative with your work and your
life. for these are your honor song.
- illustration by Cielo
(canlinucd p, 12)
XAtuah Journot � t
���������������������������������������
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 29, Fall/Winter 1990
Description
An account of the resource
The twenty-ninth issue of the<em> Katúah Journal</em> focuses on water quality: the Little Tennessee River watershed; Watts Bar Lake; development in the Great Smokies; and solar composting toilets. Authors and artists in this issue include: Leaf Myczack, David Wheeler, William McLarney, Mary Kelly, Millie Buchanan, Snow Bear, William Miller, Patrick Clark, Paul Gallimore, Buck Young, Rodney Webb, Lee Barnes, Jim Houser, Ed Lytwack, Gaston Siniard, Rob Messick, Bob Clark, Marnie Muller, Marlene Mountain, and Susan Adam. <br /><br /><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1990
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
From Mountains to the Sea by Leaf Myczack.......1<br /><br />Profile of a Southern Appalachian Watershed: The Little Tennessee River (An Interview with Dr. William McLarney), recorded by David Wheeler.......3<br /><br />Freshwater Canaries: The Spotfin Chub by William McLarney.......5<br /><br />Mudwatch and Fincount: The Environmental Survey of the Little Tennessee by William McLarney.......6<br /><br />Headwaters Ecology and High Quality Habitat by Mary Kelly.......7<br /><br />"It All Comes Down to Water Quality" by Millie Buchanan.......8<br /><br />Water Power: Action for Aquatic Habitats.......10<br /><br />Dawn Watchers by Snow Bear.......11<br /><br />Adventures on the River by Leaf Myczack.......12<br /><br />Accessor to Murder: Watts Bar Lake and the Public Trust by Leaf Myczack.......14<br /><br />Poem: "Country Store" by William Miller.......14<br /><br />The North Shore Road: Environment or Development in the Great Smokies by Patrick Clark........15<br /><br />The Long Branch Composting Toilet by Paul Gallimore.......17<br /><br />Good Medicine: The Long Human Being.......18<br /><br />Katúah Sells Out!! by Buck Young and Rodney Webb........19<br /><br />Watershed Map of the Katúah Province.......20<br /><br />Natural World News........22<br /><br />Green Spirits: Katúah Rains by Lee Barnes.......26<br /><br />Off the Grid by Jim Houser.......27<br /><br />Drumming (Letters to Katúah).......28<br /><br />Early Warning: The Gypsy Moth is Coming! by Ed Lytwack.......30<br /><br />Poem: "Unbound" by Gaston Siniard.......31<br /><br />Events.......36<br /><br />Webworking.......38<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville</em> <em>Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Watersheds--Tennessee, East
Watersheds--North Carolina, Western
Watersheds--Virginia, Southwest
Human ecology--Appalachian Region, Southern
Water quality--Appalachian Region, Southern
Gypsy moth--Control--Environmental aspects
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
https://www.geonames.org/4666185/watts-bar-lake.html
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
||||osm
Watts Bar Lake
||||osm
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Alternative Energy
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Book Reviews
Community
Economic Alternatives
Education
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Geography
Good Medicine
Habitat
Health
Katúah
Katúah Organization
Plants and Herbs
Poems
Politics
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Recycling
South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness)
Stories
Transportation Issues
Turtle Island
Water Quality
Wilderness
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ISSUE 30 SPRING 1991
$1.50
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Drawing by D.avid Opalccky
~UAt1 JOURNAL
P.O. Box 638
Leicesler, NC
Postage Paid
Bulk Mail
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
28748
�lONTENT5
Econorny/Ecology...................... " .............. l
by David Whulu
Avoiding Lhe Passive/Helpless Approach
to Economic Developmcnt.........................4
by TlwmllS Power
Ways 10 a Regener:uive Economy.............5
by Rob Messick
Sacred Oconomy........................................6
by Will ~c Bason
"Money Is 1he Lowest Form of Wealth":
lnt.crv1cw wilb lvo Bnllcn1ine Bnd Robin Capc.....7
by Rodm:y Webb and llcnry EcJJcr
The Clarksville
"Miracle".......... ........................................ ]O
by Gri.rcom Morgan
Self-Help Crt!dit Union............................ IO
The Village......................................." ...... 11
by Snow Bear
"1hrough dreams, through magic''............ 12
Poc,m by Gary l;awler.t
Food \-1overs.............................." .. .......... 13
b) DU!lul II hul.-r
Poems hy Jim CJark.. ..... " ........................14
Life\Vork .................................................. 15
by Ernr.rt Wom1c.l; and Mtlflt. Sundstrom
Green Spirit,;: "Kntuah Pl:inting
Calendor".................................................. 19
by I.Le Barnt.S
Good Medicine: "Villogc Economy".......20
On Eco-cconomics...................................21
by David llaellke
Thoughts on Work, Productivity,
and Development.....................................22
by Richard Lowenthal
Natural World News................................23
Shelton Laurel. .........................................25
byRodneyWeJx,
Off The Grid: ''Regional Fuels"...............26
by Jim Houser
LETS..........................................." ...........27
Rtsources................................................. 27
Drumming................................................28
Eanh Energies: 'The Great
Lover"...................................................... 31
by Cha.rlo11e llomsMr
Events.......................................................33
Webworking.............................................34
Sprtng, 1991
by David Wheeler
"Economy" means the basic, natural
processes lhaLsupport life in the world. This is
where we begin. The wind in the trees rain
dripping through the leaves, mounrain~ silen1and
tal.11 the moon sailing 1hrough the sky - these are
basic factors of life in Lhe mountains.
These elemental powers are refined and
individuali~ed int~ a~oms ~nd whirling poplor
seeds, lwmnous cnlhums, insect larva crawling
un?:r strea~ rocks, a .grouse thrumming in the
twilight - beings 1hat live and die, eat and are
eaten, closely bound to the web of existence.
Thi~ is the living economy of lhe Soulhem
Appalachian Mount.ains.
The human "economy" is how we live in 1he
W?rl~. It is simply an accounting of how we live
within the greater economy and utilize itS energies
to support our own existence.
Tn conversation, human economy is of1en
contraI?Osed to the natuml ecology, as if they
were dtfferent and antagonistic 10 each other. But
both words share a common root from the Greek
word oikos, ·•household." This is not a
coincidence; this is observation of a fundamenral
~ity. The two conceplS are simply clifferent
views of lhe same system seen from diffcren1
perspectives and on a differem scale. The first
principle of Lhe human economy is "preserve the
system that gives life to all."
The human economy. being a smaU
er
segment of the natural economy and working
through the same laws, mirrors the health of the
greater economy. Once human economies were
dependen1 on the health of the regional
ecosystems from which they grew. Then some
humans learned to expand their sphere of
infl_uence, so lhat by drawing energy from other
regions they were able to maintain artificially
healthy economies in the midst of failed
environments.
The Southern Appalachian Mountains know
this process well. The human economy we know
as the industrial growth system has not been
good ro the mountains. The relatlonship of the
~ rull? Province lo the central economy has
histo~cally been tha1of a colonized territory,
exploucd for raw materials and cheap labor;
always for the benefit of the same urban elites
who rule the economies of Uruguay and
Indonesia, Nigeria and the Philippines - and all
the other miliLarily weaker and technologically
less-developed countries.
1n the Soulhem Appalachians, the timber
boom of the early pan of the nineteeolh century is
the clearcs1example of the "rape and run"
mentality of resource extraction. And though lbe
tech niques nave been refined, there is little
difference between the mentali1 of the old-time
y
timber barons and the current-day land developer.
But the industrial growth society has
reached rhe end of ils rope - or, more aptly, the
bollom of the barrel. There are no new bioregions
to conquer, and any funher expansion and
growth only weakens lhe condition of the
already-stressed global ecology. The industrial
growth sysLem has taken a terrible toll on !he
world - !he ecologicnl collopse is underway, the
economic collapse follows.
The planetary economy of human hobitation
i~ once again a retlection of Lhe planet's natural
ll.fe suppon system. We are now going lO have to
give attention 10 the first principle of human
economy and make a rcaJ commitment 10
"preserve the system that gives life to all."
Change is happening. Ahhough waning
govemmenrs srill dominate the headline news
their struggles over the dregs of ao obsolete '
energy source are only the dea1h agonies of the
industrial grow1h system.
The recent war, recessions, and depressions
are ~e symptoms of change. Like continenLS in
moo?n, me forces actuaUy driving this change are
moving slowly, ponderously, deep beneath the
surface - jusl as powerful and jus1 as inexorable.
The planetary life system is moving lo preserve
iLSelf.
While we can see the shadow of the
approaching change, we cannot see i1s shape, and
we know only that the future will be like nothing
that has gone before. We need to prepare.
That we are aware this transition is coming
does noLmean that it will be easy or comfortable
for us; in fact just !he opposile appears more
likely to be the case. It will help to rell1CIIlber thai
we are in the midst of a monumental
transfonnacion, and although it will be diffi.cuJ1, it
offers an opponuni1y for us to supplant the old
ioduslrial growth system with one much more
suilable - one that is ecologically viable and more
spiritually fulfilling.
During the throes of tra.nsi rion we need 10
remember that the second principle of eoonomy is
"the survivaJ of species." This refers not only to
the human species, although our kind is included
as well, but the survival of all species - each
constantly growing, changing, making its own
conoibution to the continually creative process
we call evolution. "Survival of the species•· also
does not require the survival of every individual
of a species, for that would in fact be
counter-productive. It refers instead to the life
(conlinucd on ~
3)
:l(.Qtuah Jotu"nm pa'}&
�i<eLlAHjOURNAL
EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE:
Susan Adam
Patrick Clark
Oiarlotte Homsher
Lorraine Kaliher
Rob Messick
Jeff Smith
Rodney Webb
Lee Barnes
Andy Half-baker
Jim Houser
Richard Lowenthal
Mamie Muller
Manha Tree
David Wheeler
COVER: by Rob Messick © 1991
PUBLISHED BY: Ka1ualr Jo1unal
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
PRINTRD BY: The Waynesville Mountaineer Press
EDITORIAL OFFICE Il::0$ JSSUE: The Globe Valley
WRITE US AT:
Kat(I/Jh Journal
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Karuah Province 28748
TELEPHONE: (704) 754-6097
Katuah Joiu110I is on Skyland BBS, Asheville, NC.
For information, call (704) 254-6700.
Diversity is an important element or bioregional ecology, both
natural and social. In line wilh this principle, lhe Katuah Journal tries 10
serve os a forum for the discussion of regional issues. Signed articles express
only the opinion of lhc authors and are not necessarily the opinions of the
Kat~Jaurnal edil0!'$ or ~taff.
The lnlCmlll Revenue Serviu h:is declared Ka1dah Journal a non-profil
organization under section 50l(cX3) of the tn1emal Revenue Code. All
conliibutions 10 Katitah Journal are deductible from personal income tax.
Articles appearing in Katuah Journal may be reprinted ill olher
publications with permission from the Katuah Journal slaff. Contocl the
journal in writing or call (704) 154-f:,(1}1 or (704) 683-1414.
Here,
in the Karuah Province
of these ancient Appalachian mountains
where once the Cherokee Nation lived in freedom
between th.e Tennessee River Valley and the Eastern
Piedmont
between the Valley of the Roanoke and the Southern
Plain
on this Turtle Island continent of Mother Ela, the Earth
Here,
In this place we dedicate ourselves to remembering our
deep connection to the spirit of the land.
We bring this connection into the being and the doing of
our daily lives
When the land speaks, we listen and we act
We tune our lives to the changes, to the seasons
We respect the limits of the land
We preserve, defend, and restore the land
We give thanks for all that is good
Harmony with the land is no longer an ideal; it is an
imperative.
The land is a living being. She is sacred.
As the land lives, so do we.
As the spirit of the land is diminished,
our spirits are diminished as well.
'LNVOCA.T LON
In a house of bones we
call down the spirits.
and the plants grow.
and the animals move freely.
We light candles, calling for the return,
and the flame of life
burns through the buildings,
nothing but ash,
and the plants grow,
and the animals move freely.
The Katiwh Journal sends a voice...
with articles, stories, poems, and artwork
we speak to the spirit of all the living, breathing
inhabitants of these mountains
in hopes that we, the human beings,
may find our place in this Great Life.
- Gary Lawless
The Ka16ah Journal wants to communicate your thoughts
and feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send
them 10 us as le11ers, poems, stories, articles, drawings, or
photographs, etc. Please send your contributions to us at: Katuah
Journal; P. 0. Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kattuih Province 28748.
,.
,i
- The Editors
The summer issue of 1he Katuah Journal will feature
stories about the sub1le energies of the Appalachians and the
Eanh - those invisible forces that, whether we choose 10 be aware
of them or not, exert such a powerful influence on our lives.
Please send in .your stories, drawings, or poems of
dowsing, eanh changes, sacred sites and their legends, vonexes,
and other accounts of encounters with the pulsing heartbeat of the
world by April 30 to Ka11wh Jotunal; Box 638; Leicester, NC
28748.
Spr tmJ, 1991
�(COminued &om pqe I)
and health ot the species as an organism unto
itself.
Pictured as an individual organism, our own
species, at this point in time, is in deplorable
health. We an: gluuonous and grossly far,
physically soft and out of shape, ridden with
cancer and other degenerative diseases, subject 10
numerous natural resource addictions, beset by a
severe attitude problem. and (among the more
advanced sectors in panicular) badly neurotic.
One of the side effects of the transition now
underway appears to be that Mother Gain as drill
sergeant is about to shape us up. In order to
maintain its place in the world, the human species
and the human economy of the future will
necessarily be lighter, quicker on its feet, more
alert, and more aware of its surroundings.
Technology will not be able to effect this
change for us. In fact an increased dependence on
fancy technology would be n debilitating
influence at this point. This change is going to be
made inside our collective psyche - in our mental
condition and our spiritual values.
Because the third principle of economy is:
''Do it well."
Consequent to redefining our idea of
"economy" is redefining our criteria for the
success of that economy in maintafoing its place
in the biosphere.
For one example: the phrase "quality of life"
as used in these mountains at one rime referred to
the health of the streams, the health and number
of the animals, the health of the forest But today,
even as the world about us is being degraded and
destroyed, we are constantly told that our "quality
of life" is improving
For a second example: what is meant by
"living well?"
At one time "living wcll" meant the manner in
which a person carried himself or herself in the
world • what a person said, what a person did, in
other words, the quality of their actions. In these
days "living well" means what and how much a
person eats, drinks, and owns • in other words,
the quality of their consumption.
ln order to correctly judge the success of our
economy, we need to revise the standards by
which we detennine our basic needs - not in
terms of goods, services, and the medium of their
exchange, but in terms of the purpose of our
daily transactions: health, satisfaction,
fulfillment, and happiness.
Here m the Southern Appalachians we are
lucky: we have a model for change. For as long
as humans have inhabited these mountains, the
removed from a time when people lived by
hunting, gathering, and small-scale agriculture.
One hundred yCtlrS ago the majority of the people
here lived a pastoral, self-sufficient lifestyle.
The Appalachian culture of that time gave rise
to the image of the "independent mountaineer."
That stereotype is still cherished today. but it is a
joke in these rimes when we buy our food from
supermnrketS, borrow money from urban
banking canels 10 buy vehicles from Detroit or
Yokohama, are dependent on job wages, send
"It's a sad situation whe11 humans in a
society like ours find thnt they can
survive only by destroying the basis of
existence.
''The basic goal of our economy is to
take the greatest possible amount of
natural materials as quickly as possible
through the consumer economy to the
junk heap. The main idea is to mnke
junk. All our jobs are keyed to making
junk...
''I'd like to say just a word about jobs:
we don't need jobs! We need food, we
need clothing, we need housing, we need
education, we need health care, we need
all these things. Now my proposal for the
Southern A7JPD.laclriat1s is to get out of the
whole consumer economy and establish
014r own internal economy based in
bioregion.
"There's no reason why we can't build
an economy here and a culture here
independent of bringing all this
extravagant consumer economy and
technology and productivity into this
region. We don't need those! All we need
are food and clothing and fun and
celebration and necessities like that.
That's wl1at we need, and there's no
reasorr why Katuah Province can't
provide it."
- Thomas Berry,
tu the 1990 "Em·ironmtntal Summit
Confertntt," UNC Ashtvilfe
monthly insurance premiums to Hanford, power
our commerce on fuel that is carried halfway
around the world, and absorb our culture from
TV programs that come to us from big-city
broadcasting stations through giant satellite
receivers. Our regional economy presently is
flaccid, lame, and unsmble.
To be independent means t0 take
responsibility for one's self. We need to
re-examine our situation literally "from the
ground up." How are we going to provide the
clean air we need every minute, the pure water
and good food we need every day, shelter,
healing, education, nns and entertainment that are
enriching and fun, and a spirituality that
recognize:. our place in the Creation?
We will provide for these needs by getting
together with friends and community, doing for
ourselves, and trusting in the land. We will
restructure our economy by methods that will be
sustainable in the mountains for many
generations to come in a variety of different living
situations. And we will renegotiate our economic
contract with the land, the foundation of all our
existence. If our relations with the land are not in
order, then we will not survive to see what the
next era will bring.
In the rimes to come, although conditions
may seem hard and the shadow of oppression
may loom large, it is important that we keep our
spiritS up and do not give in to fear or
depression. We cannot wait for someone else to
give the orders or someone else to fund the
budget We have to worlc together for our
communities and for the life of our region.
There will be a strong temptation tO "simply
survive," "get by." or "muddle through." But we
have a responsibility 10 the future and to those
who will follow us to "do it well," for we are at a
· cusp in the planet's history, and the techniques
we use to bring ourselves through the maelstrom
of transition will be the foundation for the
regional economy to come.
We need to keep compassion - that our
knowledge might be used to better understand
this world and find our place in it. We need to be
guided by wisdom - that our technology more
closely mimic the biological than the mechanical.
We need 10 keep our spiritual center - that our
vital drive be directed to care for our community
(human and natural), rather than strive to place
the individual above all.
This is a rich land. lf we embody the real
values of the natural ecology in the economy of
today, Kauiah will provide well for the needs of a
lean and healthy human population.
r.8"
fact of Appalachia as a region has dominated the
local economy. We are not two hundred years
Rob Messic~
Sprttig, 1991
Xat.i«ih Jouma( Pa«Je 3
�Avoiding the Passive/Helpless Approach
to Economic Development
Advocates of extractive uses of the
national forests have defined an approach to
economic development that has become widely
accepted. In fact, advocates of preservation have
largely accepted the developers' view of the
mechanism of economic development.
The approach I am concerned about might
be called the "pass.ive-helpless" approach.
According to lhis view, we and our fellow
citizens follow passively and helplessly the
geographic pattern of job creation provided by
commercial businesses. The commercial
business community, in tum, is seen as an
outSide force over which we have linle control
and of which we are not a pan except as passive
employees or consumers.
This should all sound familiar: In this
widely held view of the economy, the business
community creates jobs for us and we
lhankfuUy, even gratefully, take them. Once this
view is accepted. the primary economic question
raised by the conflict between extractive
development and the preservation of
environmental quality on national forest lands is
simply one of figuring out which businesses
create the "most" and/or the "besl" jobs. The
advocates of ongoing extraction tell us that it is
the timber or mining industries, while advocates
of preserving environmental quality insist !hat it
is me tourisr/recreation industry.
1.r:11Howeven thit•oppmnclr.mi~\arleau .,,rr
half of the economic reality. Moreover, it may
miss more than half of the political and social
reality that we ought to be trying 10 create. To
explain lhis, let me present four basic principles
or facts about the economies we live in.
First, people care about where they live.
The quality of the natural and social environment
is a dominant force in determining where people
locate. The evidence for this is all around us.
Consider the move to the suburbs. to the deserts
of the Southwest, to the Sunbelt, or to the hill
country of the South. Initially these mass
movements of millions of people represented
movements away from both jobs and
commert;ial centers. They also represented
movements from high wage areas to relatively
low wage ar~ People took significant risks
and made :.ignificruit sacrifices to obtain the
living environments they wanted.
Second, most jobs involve "taking in each
others' wash" or "scratching each others'
backs". not scratching at the Earth to extract and
make valuable lhings which are then exponed 10
the rest of the world. In recent years, 70 to 80
pen:ent of American jobs are in locally-oriented
(as opposed to export-oriented) service jobi;, no1
manufacwring. There has been a long term,
ongoing trend which constantly increases the
dominance of this type of economic activity.
The third principle is tha1 people can and
do crea1e jobs for themselves and their
neighbors by engaging in small-scale
entrepreneurial activity. In fact, this has been
one of the primary so~ of job creation in
some of the states most heavily hit by the
recessions of the 1980's. In Montana. for
instance, during the first half of the l 980's wage
and salary jobs shrank by tens of thousands
Xotiulh )ournat pO<JC 4
by Thomas Power
while total employment increased. All net new
not be available. Passive communities of
jobs were self-employment jobs. In North
helpless people who do what large corporations
Dakota. small new businesses were also the
tell them to do don't survive the inevitable
dominant source of job creation.
decline that accompanies shifting business
The final principle is that 40 10 50 percent
winds. "Company towns" are never dynamic,
prosperous places.
of all personal income flowing into our
Finally, it must be kept in mind that a
communities doesn't come in the form of
growing number of residents are "foot-loose" in
wages, salaries, or profits. It comes from return
the sense that a substantial source of income
on past investments. including pension and
follows them no matter where they choose to
retirement plans, and from transfer payments
live. Retirees are the most obvious group. Their
from government programs such as social
residential choices can be guided almost entirely
~urity. This flow of income into our local
by their preferences for natural and social
~nomies is far larger than any single industry
or combination of industries, but is NOT caused
environments. They bring with them major
0ows of income that support the economic
by current employment.
activities of others. In dollar terms, a single
This is a dramatically different picture of
retiree who chooses a panicular community as
the local economy than the one we are usually
his or her new home is worth hundreds of
given. People choose to live in places they like,
tourists streaming lhrough the community. In
where they support themselves through jobs
addition, rather than disrupting the community
they, themselves, create. These jobs primarily
as tourists do, the new resident's productive
serve the needs of their neighbors, much of
activities are likely to make a contribution 10 the
whose incomes are not tied to local jobs. Taken
vitality of the community.
together, these factS have imponant implications
Based on these ideas. T would suggest a
for how we view local economic development.
few rules for those concerned about both
For instance, maintaining and creating an
attractive social and natural environment for
preserving environmental quality and enhancing
residents is critical to the future of our
the economic well-being of their communities.
"forest-dependent" communities. Butcher the
narural environment, and we lose the qualities
Firs1, don't give away the store to
~
that draw and hold people and economic activity
outsiders, whether those outsiders be extractive
here. This iuffltical poim: we-protect the
u
' industry or tourists. That will only destroy lh~
natural environment nor for 1ouris1s and outside
things we have going for us.
r1•
recrearionalists but for us. the people who live
here. We do it so that we and others will find
Second. siop talking about tourists.
lhis an attractive place to live, work, and do
Nobody loves a touris1, no1 even tourists, and
business. The natural environmem created by
no one looks forward to cleaning up after
our forested mountains contributes to our
1ourists. We do 001 impress our fellow citizens
ecomomic well-being first and foremost by
\\ith talk about putting them to work making
being available for us to enjoy directly.
motel beds, cleaning toilets, and washing
dishes. Talk instead about ourselves. why we
If we are interested in attracting more
are here, and what is imponant 10 us.
people, we have to ask what we have to offer
that sou them California or the eastern
megalopoli do not. We clearly are not going to
Finally, as we work co protect the nationaJ.
compete by providing stripped and rdvaged
forests, Ice's take back the economic argument
from those who see our forested landscape only
mountainsides. silted streams and polluted
as a source of raw material for shipment to the
rivers, and noisy, dirty plants belching
res1 of the world. In taking back the economic
foul-smelling gases into the air. It is the general
argument. we must be careful not to buy into the
ugliness and pollution of our largest population
centers from which people are seeking to
vision of ours~lves as passive. helpless folks
completely ckpcndent upon outside forces. That
escape. Our economic development stra1egy
position is dangerous to 1he spec1acular beauty
muse be built around asking what it is that we
of our region, as well as destructive of the
have that is special and attractive. Our forested
political and social fabric of our states and our
mountains and the environmental quality they
comrnunjties.
provide cenai.nly are central 10 answering that
Instead we should view ourselves as
question.
creative entrepreneurs, contributing 10 the
There are important implications here,
economic resources and the well-being of our
100, for what a good "business climate'' is.
communities. We all have co find a living, and
Since we largely create our own jobs rather than
forest protection rather 1han forest extraction
wrutirig passively for gifts from benevolent
outside corporations, the business climate that
may be the best way for many.
~
counts is that faced by local, small
Thomas Power is professor of eco11t>mics
entrepreneurs. A productive business climate is
and chaiml(lll of the Eco,wmics Department at
not one tha1 gives outside businesses anything
the Universiry ofMomona ill Missoulo. His
they ask of the community! Rather. it is one that
recent book, The Economic Pursujt of Quality
encourages and supporlS residents as they create
(ME. Sharpe,1988) develops ill more detail rlre
economic opportunities for themselves and their
ideas presented here.
neighbors by pursuing opportunities 10 provide
goods or services to their neighbors chat
This artu:/e is reprintedfrom the Ottober 1989
otherwise would have to be imponed or would
issUL of Forest Watch, which is available from Box
3479: Eugene, OR 97403.
Spr L119, 1991
J ,i"'-'i
�,
...
WAYS TOA
REGENERATIVE
REGIONAL
ECONOMY
Nature does not require that any of its
intercomplmrmting mmrbers ·ear-n a /it,ing·.
R Buckmlnstcr FullC!I'
We all eat from the Earth, brea th from the
Earth, drink from the Earth, and exchange energy on
the way to rclurning it in augmented molecular forms
to the Earth. The movements of energy through the
many organismic forms of the biosphere creates a
kind of metabolism, a kind of economy, that is both
ancient and alive as we participate in its elaborate
ways of clean-burning combustion. Micro-organisms
first found ways to perpetuate themselves on
compounds like methane and sulfur. As different
cellular forms engulfed and rejected each other the
pattern of using solar energy emerged as a strong and
usefu I means of tapping into the flows of energy
coming to the Earth from the Sun. This
photosynthesizing ability came about through
millions of years of evolution, and the oxygen it
produced eventuaUy led to the creation of a
protective ozone layer· enabling life to lnhabil the
continents. It also came as a great shock to the
ancient anaerobic bacteria, who cannot exist in the
A Region Regen • crativc Primer. Involved in each of these basic requirements are questions about
Values and Ufostyles, which tend to tran,ccnd the mere fulfillment of material needs (•.. In nonlinear order).
presence of gaseous oxygen.
As dynamic plant forms began concentrating
their energy in fruits from pollinating flowers, and
edible (and inedible) seeds, along with developing
cellulose to incre~ lhe strength of their cell walls,
they began to take on more of an energy harvesting
role on the continents. Converting radiant energy to
chemical energy, they also began to aid In regulating
the flows of water, the contents of air, and the
distribution of some minerals. Animal cells which
thrived on the energy flow created by the existence
of plants also began to flourish and diversify into
multicellular forms. Through millenia this ever
renewing. turbulent, and resilient cycle of energy,
being used and reused through the lives and deaths
of uncountable organisms and whole species of
organisms, has continued despite the catastrophic
impacts of asteroids hurlllng in from the solar
system. The visceral movements of volcanoes and
plate-shiftings have also been a major factor In lhe
ability of this planet to mend from such great events.
Until human beings came along, there seemed
to be no multicellular form or life that could
interrupt these magnificent biotically guided cycles
or radiant and molecular energy as drastically as
meteors, volcanoos, and plate tectonics have. When
our coordination of social activity began we had
neither the numbers nor the skill to drastically
interfere with the vital regenerative nature of the
Biosphere. We simply participated in the flows of
energy that were swarming around us and inside us.
Particularly since an ice age was coming to an end,
there were other regions and habitats we and
related primates could move into and explore if need
be, to find food, shelter, and waler. We burned wood,
ate the plants and animals that were herding,
mcadowing, and foresting around us, expressed
ourselves though various languages and spiritual
practices, and found cures for some infections. Many
of these infections are due largely to the great
ancestral microbes and viruses who arc still doing
much of the most basic work of the Biosphere. Our
immune systems exist as an attempt to maintain
identity in the "sea" of microbes and viruses we live
prlng, 199 1
in.
As our social systems became more complex, and
the basis for human technology and industry began to
be discovered, we eventually eame to a critical
phase. The control of major regional energy Aows
that human beings hlld contact with were being
maintained less and less by a naturally diverse
Biosphere, and were co-opted more and more into our
own growing tribal intellect and infrastructure. Much
has come from our early inluitive grasps for wisdom.
However, these were relatively inexperienced
guesses al how natural systems work. The fine
details of recording and mapping our experiences soon
began lo open our species into realms or knowledge
thllt were as unexpected as they were at times
frightening.
As the experiences of our species with natural
systems expanded, so did our methods of control. This
was true not only of energy flows outside the core of
human culture, but also with the basic internal
relationships of gender, spirituality, and the
introducing of children to the dynamics of a Universe
at large. Conflict among various cultures (or
infragroups) within our species. over the economic
Aows of food, know-how, tools, minerals, and power
etc, soon inflamed into t he existence of hostile
sovereign states. One form of human cul lure would
try to assert its dominance over another (due perhaps
to its mihtary rrught at a given time) and a process
of intimidation would spread like a dlscase.
Delusions of a different culture being viewed as a
completely "evil other· only added to the
turbulence. Unfortunately, this kind of projection
often fails to recognize the evil that exists in all
dominator societies.
There have been m.1ny human cultures that
have exhausted the biodi verstty of lh!! ecosystems
surrounding them. A$ the life-cycle of some of these
cultures came to an end they somctimc!S paid the
price for this exhaustion with their survival. Early
ht.UlW\ hunting and agricultural practices could
deplete the carrying capacity for human beings in a
given region. This is supported by evidence from a
number of early human cultures that turned forests
into meadows and croplands, w hich in him could
become infertile deserts in some areas of the world.
The effects of sucll. practices however; extracted far
less from the whole Biosphcric Context than do
relatively fast changing industrial societies. For
much of the span of human existence there was
abundant habitat for other large multicellular
organisms lilce ourselves to con tinue in the Great
Energy Cycles of the Earth. As we extracted some
seeds and animals, domesticating and breeding them
for greater yield, a process began that infringed
further into forest, prairie, and coastal ecosystems.
By the lime some human cultures began pushing their
way into a dominating posture toward other human
cultures, and toward the uncountable millions of
species that were continuing to evolve, we were not
only losing these habitats· we were also beginning to
lose contact with deeper mysteries within ourselves.
As we found ways to use lhe petrified remains
or life from eons gone by (le; coal, oil, and ear thly
Aatult?nce) as add itional sources of fuel, the
virtu.-illy clean-burning fuel cycles of microbes, fungi,
plants, and animals were infused with a differmt
kind of pervasive combustion. The eicplosive
introduction of fossil fuel burning engines which arc
inefficient relative to the organic (or more readily
recyclable) combustion of living systems meant that
human beings were developing a potential for
by-passing many of lhe limits that existed earlier in
the Biospheric Context. Such a context, of energy
exchange bet ween organismic and molecular fonns
that created fossil fuels from marshes over vast
spans of geolog,c time, 1s now able to be *burned" by
human beings in the span of centuries. The effects of
this wave of fossilized-.?nCrgy-dcpendence and the
consequent existence of elaborate technologies and
populabon increases. has created a new kind of
threat not only to our human cultures but also to the
very existence of larger multicellular organ
communities llke ourselves.
As we release more greenhouse and ozoneOraw111g by Rob M cmclt
(cominuod on aut p1ge)
xatuah Journot
~ 5
�(continlllOd &om page S)
depleting gases than the Great Energy Cycles of the
Earth can accommodate, produce myriad synthesized
chemistries derived primaril>· from "cooking" oil in
petrochemical refineries, interrupt the now of vital
habitats, and till away topsoil at an alarming rate,
we can sec the evidence or an economy that has
strayed from the roots of its existence. It could be
said that when a species of multicellular organisms
grows too fast, outpacing the rate of energy now
created by millions of years of conflict and conflict
resolutions between the needs of a species and the
needs of the overall integrity or ecosystems in a
bioregion, then some feedback in the whole system
might seep in to correct the flow.
Perhaps we as a species will recognize in time
that "fooling around" with systems this large and
complex can lead to a partial or contagious collapse
of many types of biosystcms. By using methods of
accounting that do not regard the subtle nature of
whole systems, and their inability to susla.in
themselves when 'broken down' into incommurucable
parts, we open ourselves further to such risks.
Ignorance of these kinds of feedback processes became
evident in Katuah when disastrous floods occured as
a result or excessive rainfall after large areas of
forest were felled. The qualities of soil structure that
could move and absorb water through the work of
vegetation, earthworm, and microbe scale organisms
was lost in this method of industrial extraction.
A Regenerative Economy for human beings
would involve a recognition of some of the ancient
patterns of microbial relationships that have been
worked out over eons of geologic time. Huge
consequences have come from some of those
relatively "small" decisions or adaptations. In
developing co-operative and predatory behaviors,
biosystems have come to live within limits of scale
and tolerance that are 1mplicit to being abve in the
context of the Great Energy Flows of the l3iosphere.
It has now become an essential aim of humnn beings
to hve within the population and resource limits of
such solar initiated regenerative flows.
SACRED 0CONOMY
.,
There's a huge old apple 1ree on the fann
we live on that gave over a dozen bushels of
apples this year. The apples made good
applesauce and we put up about a hundred
quans of iL Thick, yellow and brown, sticky
sweet summer in Mason jars on the pantry
shelves. When the apples fell faster than we
could handle them, we called up Ed and Randye
and their family came over and picked up four
bushel~ to make themselves some sauce 100.
This was what the land afforded us, it was what
was freely offered and though it was a busy time
of the year, it felt like something of a sacred
duty to see that the apples were put lO good use,
to accept the offering of this place and our place
in the magic transfonnation of Sun and Rain and
Soil into Tree and into growing Human
children. The tree was planted and probably
grafted by an African-American fanner a half
century ago or more in the fertile Little River
bottomland. Its apples have become a lot of
children over the years, and I feel like we honor
the fanner as well as the place when we use
these apples.
When we lived at Travianna there were a
lot of wild grapevines that grew next to the
creeks, using the alders and willows there for a
natural arbor. Most years there would be a
couple of bushels of fragrant wild grapes for the
easy picking. Going 10 pick the grapes really
XQti&afl Jourtiai pa9e 6
Efforts such as energy conservation through
more efficient technologies that require less of the
dreaded noxious belching of fossil fuel engines will
be of great service. However, the invention and
practice of human systems that tap into regenerative
energy flows - such as solar ovens, heaters, collectors
and batteries, along with hydrogen and possibly
alcohol fuels, bioshelters, composters, wind
generators, and microhydro - will aid more clearly in
healing our relationship wilh the Sacred Flows of
the Earth. Many primal skills of living in balance
with local habitats and being able to flll many
human needs from healthy forests and mrodows
will also be important to this effon. Reforestation,
good husbandry, and soil conservation could be seen
as a form of "currency" in allowmg these potentially
heallhy ecosystems to sustain themselves. Such a
renewing economy could also explore ways or
integrating sustainable agricultural sysll.'l'T\S into
homes, offices, ponds, gardens, villages, and counties
within the Biorcgional Ptovincc.
A rcgen1?rative economy would guide us into
concentrating more on the local qualities of supply,
demand, and re-use of provisions, and less on the
push to generate more and more products without
regard to the effects on children, landfills, and
overall costs to the environment. Instead of insisting
on "continual growth" (a.k.a. greed) for the human
economy, a regenerative perspective would manifest
as more of a Steady State Economy; one in which the
now of energy and provisions would be used and
regulated for the good of the whole society and local
environments by councils of members living within a
given Shire, or county, of a Bioregion. Qualities of
durability, thrift, and attention to the needs of
systems larger than the human economy would be a
major focus of this approach.
I
The just involvement of other life forms in the
human economy would also be encburagcd. An
example or this can be found in the process of
Biorcmediation, in which microbes and other
organisms are used in specific ways to digest and
disintegrate many forms of organic and metallic
activates the hunter/gather memory banks and it
is sometimes a very good thing to do with kids.
It is sometimes a very good thing to do alone.
The chinquapins ripen about the same rime as
the grapes and we would find these and gently
pry them from their prick Iy husks and eat them
on the spot, spitting out their thin shells and
swallowing the sweet mini-chestnuts. This land
is so generous.
In our present lifestyle, the gathering of
the offerings of the wild is mostly symbolic, but
I think we long for a return 10 a more basic level
of relationship with our local environment lt is
sad I think, for the offerings of so many
blackberry thickets, grapevines, and apple trees
to go disrespected. ft is sad for busy humanity
that can no longer find the time to enjoy the
natural fruits of the place we live. r think we
kick ourselves out of Eden every morning. I
think we can walk back in any time we will. r
thank this planet and these mountains, the Little
River and an apple tree for the life they
generously and patiently afford. This place is
sacred. This place is beautiful. This place is
home.... So, how do we get to this place and
stay there? We can look at the examples of
Native People everywhere for an answer. We
see that native people are a whole lot simpler in
their lifestyles. We have become a nation of the
needy, needing all sorts of things that we would
be better off without. We can also see that we
need to cooperate with each-other more fully.
Tribes, extended families, bands and villages are
much more stable and powerful than our nuclear
contaminants in water systems. A regenerative
economy would act In ways to stop the now of such
contamin:iting agents at their source. This could be
done by using non-toxic replacement chemistries, or
bioremcdiation, or dehydrating techniques to
de-toxify or prevent some specific compounds from
being released into water, soil, biotic, or atmospheric
systems. However, the best way to stop
contamination is lo not produce it in the first place.
Better sbll, embody less of a need to use toxic agenl5
in creating proviSiqns.
Monitoring flows such as those of minerals,
nutrients, and re-usable wastes through settlements,
forests, living soil, and life-giving waters would
become a basis for this circulatory economy.
Involvement in these geological movements can
engender a kind or respect through familiarity,
similar to that which potentially exists in the
qualities of our own customs, know-how, emotions,
and mediations. Both of these living patterns are
necessary for human culture to sur,tivc.
Hopefully it will become possible for us to
envision the material form of a complexedly
regenerative human society. Perhaps it would live
and grow as a squash plant: keeping information in
the seeds and feeding them with the "meat" of our
hearts and minds; creating structures on which to
extend energy collectors with the sun, soil, waters.
and winds; diversifying enough so that each cell
phlys a specific role in contributing to the survival of
the plant, yet working together enough that.these
cells are sustained by the s tructure of the whole
plant. One thing aboul squash plants, though, is that
they need ''rich" soil. The price to be paid is
providing a kind of compost - a compost that tends
not to equate well with the way most human beings
think about and account wealth. Wealth comes from
partidpaling in lhe sustenance of the Great Cycles of
Energy of the Earth. To maim this source is to maim
the source of our own economy. One has no life
without the other.
Rob Messick
families and much better in touch with location
than our governments and bureaucracies which
can't deal with blackberry picking or anything
near that level of real. Our families arc hard
pressed to "cover all the bases" in this game we
are playing now, driving kids around and
driving ourselves around trying to earn enough
dollars to keep driving kids around. We forget
the sacredness of the place we rush through.
We let our share of Eanh's sacred gifts go 10
brown rot and yellow jackets. A tribe is seldom
this wasteful, even an extended family has
members who are free to put up food and fuel
from the local environment. Real cooperation
on a local level brings the focus of the
community home 10 here and now and
reintegrates us into the web of life. Sacred
economy is local 8conomy. This is certainly
not to imply that there is anything wrong with
trade, just that we will profit by looking closer
to home for the basic elements of our
sustenance.
A collapse of the present world economic
"order" would necessitate a return to local
economy all over the planeL We can envision
a new world 8conomic order in which
communities trade directly with each other from
aJI pans of the Eanh, assisted by a UPS, a
global, reality based 1rading system without
money or middlemen ..... These are good things
a person can dream about while making
apple.~uce.
.,,.
~
fr
- Will'Asbe 811.~on
Sprlnq, 1991
�Robin Cape and lvo Ballentine are literally
buildir,g a life for themselves from the waste
generated by our society. Tire pair mah! a living
salvaging, recycling, and finding creative uses
for "refuse'' - literally, those things t/rarsociery
/ras refused. Using mostly salvaged materials.
they restored a small, mndown lwuse near the
end of a small street in the city of As/reville,
where they live with their infant son Django.
This family is nor just surviving - they are
living well. They /rave found a richness in the
goods t/rat others have discarded: a life filled with
love, well-being, and a sense of meaning and
purpose.
As a result of their unique perspective, tl,ey
have valuable insights on our society and a clear
sense ofpriorities t/rat most people overlook in
the /rustle and bustle of accumulation.
"Money is the Lowest Form of Wealth"
An Interview with lvo Ballentine and Robin Cap e
Kat(iah : How do you go about your work?
Robin: It's just keeping our eyes open and
finding a place to put lhe things lhat come. In a
sense, it's a matter of doing what you can with
what you have. We go out and see what we can
find, and then we think of the best uses for the
things we have found. With practice. we have
gotten better at it.
Ivo: It's awo.reness, and stepping out of our
way a little bit to ask, "Hey, is that thing gonna
get thrown away?" My route is my day, and what
I come up with is whatever I find along the way.
I just look in on my streets, and it's new every
day. Somebody else has thrown something else
away that we can find a use for. that somebody
would buy, or somebody somewhere else would
want. We think of ourselves as "re-routers,"
because recycle has gotten so overused.
Robin: And recycling isn't necessarily the
best use for an item. Re-using is the best use,
because that saves the most energy, and geis
away from the idea that 1f we just throw
something away, it's somebody ebe·s job to
recycle iL We have 10 be responsible for our own
stuff. We can't just throw it away.
When we re-use an item, or we re-route it to
a person who wiU re-use it, we are saving the
object iiself and also countering the whole
concept of this thing as "trash," That action says.
"This isn't LrnSh. This still has value."
lvo: [ think everyone should start a
relationship with "the mill": che paper processing
plant. the metal processing plant, or even giving
their cans to the fire depanment.
When you take stuff to the mill, you learn
about what's going on. You start 10 think about
the transmission of the goods.
Kat(llll1: 'The mill" being the existing
reclamation system. and "transmission" meaning
moving stuff 10 where it belongs.
lvo: Yeah.
Kar1iah: Your equipment is basically a
pickup truck and some trailers.
lvo: We pull the trailers w11h an old 1929
Model A Ford, but not with the pickup. l did this
with my Model A when I didn't have a Lr.tiler,
and the Model A did fine for me.
We don't have a junkyard, so
"IT3llsmission" to us means keeping things
organiLed and keeping things moving. We have
trailers for metal, aluminum, and glass, and we
,.
Spr,-n41 ,l99 I
have to be caretul about not ovenoawiit
ourselves. We don't gather any more than we can
put right back into the system.
We don't go out of our way. either. When
we are going to the grocery store. we're looking
out for things we might be able to pick up along
!he way. We wou!9,n't hav~ a warehol§e way~ut
m the county to sllish aU this stuff, because that
would just be a waste. Our warehouse is right in
the same liule central area.
Katua/r: And stuff always turns up?
Roblll: We teamed a lot gathering the
materials 10 build our house. first, you get the
idea and make the plans. Then you have to get
out and get started on the work. By actively
looking for the things, we've found that often
what you want comes to you.
Like windows. We knew we needed $Orne
windows, and just when we needed them. we
were asked to clean up n remodeling job at a
church, and they were throwing away all these
old-style, hand-le.-idcd windows that you now see
in the house. These and man}' more. A lot had
been broken before we could reach them, and a
101 more we have sold or given away. Now we
have more windows than we could ever want.
Robin: If you make a clear enough plan in
your mind, oftentimes you are going to
materialize it. Bue then you al~ have 10 be able to
build your house or complete your plan using
whnt comes, rather than having to have
everything custom-mndc.
Looking for this propeny, we looked and
looked and looked, and I kept having the feeling
that what we were looking for was out there. The
action of looking helped us 10 clarify in our
minds what we really v.antcd to find.
Kar1iali: So being flexible helps when you
are doing n:cydmg and salvage. You get an idea.
but tl1en when you get the stufT you change the
idea. too.
Rohin: Yes. ll's t.TI;alivc.
AWtlUII. l'\JIUUlel pan OJ tnat creativity is
being able to make stuff out of things that people
have already discarded.
Robin: We have such fun making our
"Compost Cards." They are postcards that we
make using pjctw-cs from mag\\7,ines we ij.uipl
the dumpsters backco v.ith cardboard from cereal
boxes. They're not production cards. They arc
each one-of-a-kind cards.
We don't make any money on them 10 spe3.k
of. We figured out that we might make $4.00 an
hour for the time spent.
Ivo: That's lhe whole thing, though: we find
other profits. There are so many profiis other
than money. Jreally think that money is one of
the lowest forms of wealth.
With the cards, there is the fun and there is
the togetherness of doing it. beyond any money
involved. And when people see them. the cards
get everybody talking.
Robin: And I make jewelry out of old
linoleum 0ooring. It looki. very nice after il's
been refinished and hung with beads, I buy some
beads at lhe nea market, but l also make long
beads out of the insulation on electrical wires.
The jewelry sells very well in the citie.s. l call
it "composite materials," because ritzy ladies
don't like 10 think about hanging old floors from
their ears.
I used to make an. I used 10 do ceramic:!' and
weaving, and I was always buying expensive
materials trying to make my an. A lot or my worli.
was about the Earth, but at the same time I was
using energy to keep an incredibly hot kiln going
for days at a nme to produce my l>tatcments about
the Earth.
For me, it's a bcucr statement to make :irt out
of smff that ii. already here. It's fun, .and people
go, ''Ohl You made thh is from that old stuff1 l
\\Ould never have seen that."
It rcqu~ looking a1 something th:11 may
seem to have no value and then changmg it to
make it into something of beauty and worth. I
Phoio by ltodncy \\ cbb
(. ontinued oq D<,\l 1'"4")
c
D ,Wt\lpfi J o \ t ~ 7
�(conunucd from page 7)
have more fun now making linoleum jewelry than
1 had creating my art before.
Kauwh: lt is interesting what you said earlier
about "materializing," bocause our society is very
materialistic. Even though they have so much,
people are always wanting something else and
putting aside what they already have in order to
get it. It feels like you are crearing the life you
want our of the discarded fragments of the
American Dream.
Robin: From time 10 time. of course, we
have to take a load 10 the dump. We always bring
recyclables along with the garbage. That saves us
the tipping fee, and we can get in for free. Once
we're in there. we can poke a.round. We find
aluminum, copper. batteries. antiques...it's
amazing how much valuable stuff is just being
tossed away. Lately it"s been slimmer pickings,
but for awhile we'd be coming out of there with
$50 worth of stuff almost every time.
I hope that the new dump is going 10 be more
efficient. They say that they are going 10 call it a
Robin: Last year 1 picked up a book by Alan
WattS. He made the point that although we
constantly talk about America as a materialist
society, that is not what America is at all. We are
a concepmal society.
Americans in general don't take care of their
material goods. They say, "Oh if I just could
have that, then everything would be great." But
it's not actually the thing they want, h's the
striving for something. As often as not, when
!hey actually obtain an object, it goes out in the
back yard until it rusts, and then they throw it
away.
Americans don't take care of material things,
and I've come to think that really being
materialistic may not be so bad. If we were really
materialistic, we would take care of our material
things better.
We're symbolistic. The symbol of good taste
is imitation cheese. It's not the good taste. IL's the
symbol of good taste.
Kattwh: When we buy stuff, we think "I'm
,uying mushrooms," not "I'm buying
nushrooms, and I'm buying a mushroom
.ontainer." Some things are garbage even before
ve buy them.
Ka11wh: So a lot of recycling has to do with
being able to tell when something is valuable.
Ivo: To my mind, everything has value.
There is not much that is nOt worth something in
some way. We just haven't figured it out yet. The
whole process is figuring it out.
For instance, our bathroom floor is made of
solid mahogany. A lumber company in town getS
plywood from Honduras. It is packed in crates
made of mahogany wood. They take the plywood
out and throw the crates away. We picked up the
crates, took all the nails out of them, and now we
have a mahogany floor.
All that tongue-and-groove siding on the
gazebo was given to us at the lumber yard - right
on the day we needed it. It's being in those
alleyways that puts you in touch with those
goodies. That wood was going to get wasted,
even though it was very valuable. Now look at it!
Robin: We have a small warehouse where we
store things, and we find after making the rounds
of the flea markets that then: is some stuff that we
cannot seem to put back into society. It may be
because the person out there who wantS it
probably lives in Colombia, and we can't get the
stuff to the places where people would take the
time 10 take the screws out and re-use them someplace where people would see these items as
goods rather than as waste.
Ivo: When there's something in our
warehouse that we don't know what 10 do with,
we just look at it in a different way. We sec it as
pans and strip it down. Maybe there's lots of
screws or nuts and bolts in it that are perfectly
useable, or maybe there's a piece of wood that
could be used for something else. A lot of what
we do is 10 strip things down. We don't have 10
go shopping for hard wan:, for one thing. We just
go down to our bins and boxes and find ii.
"4tiulh JoumaL rm9c 8
belong. One thing we c-0uld easily live without is
~e "throwa~ay society" concept that says. "I'll
JUSt throw this away and forger the other five and
one half billion people's opinion on it."
We all need a metal pile, a glass pile, and a
paper pile, and we all need to take care of them
be talking about them, and getting stuff to whe~
it belongs. One might not make much money
from it, bur it's a mauer of tucking it in, of taking
care of the future.
The best thing would be to change our
a1ticude about things from the instant we acquire
them. We need to think, "Now I'm the steward
of this. How am I going 10 take care of this?
What am I going to do with this?" And then
follow it through.
When we buy something, do we think about
where it came from? Do we think about what it
?Ontains? Do we think ~bout what it is packaged
tn? Maybe we shouldn t buy the mushrooms in a
,tyrofoam container, for instance, unless we have
1 specific use for that styrofoam container. Even
hough the styrofoam container of mushrooms is
mly 89¢ and unbagged mushrooms are 99¢, the
ost of the container · the living cost - has to be
dded in, even if it doesn't come directly out of
,ur pockets.
Photn by Rodney Webb
"Reclamation Center." 1 hope that means that
we're not going to throw away something like
$30,000 wonh of ready recyclables per day,
which is what they say is happening now. Thar's
why someone can go in there now and find $100
wonh of stuff in one visit - and that's just ready
recyclables: metals, glass, and paper. That's not
even mentioning antiques.
lvo: Some things are garbage, and some
llings are just difficult 10 use - like aluminum
;creen doors. We get 10 of them a month at least,
all different sizes, all custom-made for different
houses. There are no real Standards. Aluminum
windows are the same way. There's very little
chance that we'd find another space that would
exactly fit them. so we strip them down and
recycle them.
We wish that someone would Stan a small
forge that would take aluminum and make some
worthwhile thing out of it. We could make a little
money selling to them, and they could save a
whole lot of money.
Kar1lah: That's a good idea: spin-off
indusrnes.
100?
Robin: The Smith and Hawken Company
sells aluminum cast benches, very small benches.
for $795. They contain maybe 50. maybe 100,
pounds of aluminum. We sell 50 pounds of
aluminum for $14. rf we could provide their
stock, we could get maybe $20 out of it, and the
company would keep a lot more of tl1at $795.
lvo: I've hauled things to the dumpster for
people, and they've said "If you see any hinges
around, I'll buy them from you." Several times
I've stripped pans off items they have given me
and sold those parts back to the same people.
Once they see stuff as "tra.Sh," they're blind 10
what might be in there.
But if we're hauling aluminum and there's a
piece of steel in there. even though 1 may not
need that piece of steel, I take it anyway and
throw it on my steel pile. which is continually
going to the scmpyard. I call the steelyard the
"the no-pay mill," because they recycle it, but
they don't pay me anything for it. In the
meantime, though, I get to use it if 1need it.
This is an example of "dumpster karma." It's
not only a mauer of making a li\'ing. It's trying to
take care of things and putting them where they
Ivo: We've been doing building salvage and
demolition clean-up work. It's really helped us
while we were working on our house, but more
and more people doing building projects an:
calling us because they need these goods, 100.
Now thnc we're finishing up our own place. I
want 10 put together a crew that's made up of
people who want wood and other building
materials to take over these jobs.
And t want 10 learn more about wood thi~
year, because people who really know wood are
telling me that the wood being thrown away i$ a
thousand times better than the wood wl! are able
to buy today. We need to save that old wood.
We are completely into the practice of cutting
down more and more trees and driving the price
up. whereas what we really need to do is to go
back and have a new understancling of wood and
Kattlah: Do you sell things from your stash,
Spri.f\9, 1991
�figure out that this is really wonh something.
These old boards remind us of our
grandparents' lives. Our grandfather might have
cut this tree. This is the tree, the wood, wood
like this doesn't grow anymore. This is
something really, really imponant
Old joists can be new furniture. It doesn't
matter what we make out of iL It just matters that
the wood's not wasted, and that it is used over
and over. It's a renewable resource, but not in a
way that we can waste it
disrurbs me that some people look at re-routers
and recyclers as n-ash, like "Oh, you're in the
dumpster? You're trash."
There are several responses when people
come on us at work. One response is, "Alright!"
and the other is, "Uggghhhh." And it huns
sometimes when people look at me and go
"Ewww, you're trash." I have to keep reminding
myself, 'Tm not" It's easy 10 buy into that when
you're climbing in and out of dumpsters.
lvo: Once I was going from one litter barrel
Robin: Several times while doing salvage,
we've run into a situation that bothers us greatly.
That's when the person in charge of a building
demands a payment to allow us 10 retrieve stuff.
That's fine as long as those people are
willing to salvage what they can, because if they
set the value on it, then they are responsible for
getting it out. But it's not right for good materials
to be wasted.
It would be better for the people in charge ro
honestly embrace the idea that a building is
coming down, get out what they can, then let go
of the rest, and be joyous about other people
going in and getting what they could.
We have to be more honest about our
commitment to our own labor. If people are not
willing to do what needs to be done, then they
need 10 move out of the way and open those
opportunities for others.
Robin: Part of it is 10 release and
acknowledge and hope that there are other people
out there who arc doing the work, too, and that
people will pick up what they can use. For awhile
we were feeling like it wasn't getting picked up,
and maybe we'd beu.cr eick ilup, so that when
someone's ready for it. it's here. Well.'wc can·1
do that for everything. Everybody has to help.
Katuah: It is kind of underground. It's a
sub-culture.
Robin: I suppose it's inevitable, but it
Sprlnq, 1991
Ivo: Or that's going to break and they're
going to throw it away'!
But moving metal the way we do. and
thinking about everything in this way, that can
get real hlll'd, too. It's not easy work. Help
would be great. To know that more people are
doing it would be real good, because we could
feel like, "OK, maybe I can't get that particular
item. but it's going to get taken care of."
lvo: It drove us nuts, because there is so
much waste and it really hurt us, seeing it.
Robin: The flea market is one. It's a great
place • kind of like an underground marketplace,
except that it's not underground - where people
rrade stuff off: "Iley, rm not using this any
more, can you use this?" ''Yeah, I can use that"
lvo: The world slows down a bit, and you
make friends with it. It's a different way.
Robin: And who wants to worlc a job 10
hours a day to get this stuff that they don't know
what they are going to do with?
Robin: For awhile we did try 10 do
everything. But we can't do everyrlting. Like one
pc11ion can't save the world. You can try but
you'd blow out in the process. We're having to
learn that. Living in the city, it's pretty
mind-blowing how much gets thrown away, and
for awhile we were just all the ume husding,
hu.srling, lmstling!
Karuah: Precisely. That's another case when
the symbol of value has come into conflict with
real value. It comes down 10 the question of
where our commitments really are.
I'd like to know if there other options for
re-routi ng items.
Robin: lt is. And a lot of people our age
disdain the flea market and look down on that
class of people. That seems funny 10 me. because
the flea market is a place where people value this
old scuff and seek it out
The flea market, the mill - they are there. and
there are real people working those places. We've
become very good friends with the people at the
metal mill in town. They give us Christmas gifts,
and they gave us baby gift~. They're our friends.
We see each other regularly; we have a
relationship with those people. They're part of
our community.
Living in a community includes alt the people
we come in contact with, whether they are our
groovy friend~ or not Living in community
involves knowing the names of I.he people in the
stores or the lumber yard we go 10 and letting
those people know who we are. If we are
friendly to those people and accept them into our
community, then they're more open to sharing
with us the stuff that would otherwise get
wasted.
Ivo: We try to be non-consumers. We try to
offset the waste in this country. We're trying to
do more with less, and use what people throw
away, and a lot of times we find that those goods
arc better than what we can buy.
Phoio by Rodney Webb
to another with my bag, and a homeless person
came to me and asked to borrow money. I just
said, "Hey, it's laying everywhere!" And he said,
"I'm not going to pick up irash."
Where did he think my money came from?!
All l do is trade my trash for money, so my
money must be rrash too.
People never seem to think of money as
being dirty. We never even think about that We
play with our money, and then we sit down to
cat.
Robin: Someone asked me one day what we
do for a living. I said that what we do is try to
keep a low overhead. That's a big pan of being in
the salvage business: keeping a low overhead.
That's sometimes hard to believe when the bills
come due. Then l am reminded that I am still
tapped into this modem-day society. But for the
most pan we do pretty well at staying out of the
monetary now.
We don't garden as much as we want to, but
we've been working on our house and preparing
the gardens.
I saw a video recently about some tribal
people in Africa. All the women do most of the
day is pound millet 10 feed their families. They
don't have much, but their needs are very small.
lt made me wish I could discover the joy in such
a simple life.
lvo: We want to change the way we can
change. The way we can change is not stopping
and staning up again. It's working slowly and in
truth and in power with what we have and what
we know, in the spirit of trying to let it occur. All
we can do is work at it. We all need 10 suut by
asking what we can do.
We hear all the rime about what's bad and
what's killing us, but people need to know about
what we can do and what ideas are working what heals.
People tend to think that they are basically
helpless and that because the world's so big that
their little pan doesn't matter. This is death. We
want 10 teach people that the little pan that we
each play is what mancrs; that those little pieces
add up in a big way. and that is all there is. It
empowers us. That's life.
lnien,iew recorded by
Rodney Webb and llenry Eckler
Robin and /vo's "Compos, Cards" and
Robin's "Collaborations" jewelry are/or sale ar
1he "What Do You \Vant?" store on Luingu,n
A~·e. m Asheville. Tlae two also have a boo1h 01
the Asheville Antique Mall at the corner of
\Valnw Sr. and lexing1on Ave. where they sell
valuable pieces that 1hey J,avefound in their
salvaging.
�THE CLARKSVILLE "MIRACLE"
by Griscom Morgan
Once we undersl.'.llld the cause of the
decline of rural communities, many
opponunities and resources are at hand for
canying out corrective action. One example is
the story of William Bailey, who was the
president of the First National Bank of
Clarksville, Tennessee during the Great
Depression of the l 930's.
Bailey made a habit of visiting local
farmers to stay in touch and to check on the
condition of their operations. During one of
these visits a local fanner named Peter Barker
spoke frankly to the b:inker saying, "I am a
good fanner and have plenty of food in
production, but I can't sell the food, because
you have all the money, inste:id of it being the
hands of the people who need to buy what I can
grow.
"You won't lend the money, except at an
in1e~t rate which is higher than the people of
lhis county can afford. Since the local people
can't afford to borrow it, you're investing your
bank's money outside the county. Because of
this. the whole economy of our coun1y is at a
Sl.'.llldsrilJ!"
William Bailey saw the point. Agricultur>!,
labor, and enterprise were quite sufficient for a
successful economy in Mon1gomery County. lie
saw the county was suffering because it had
little money in circulation. He saw that he had
been acting on a banker's first impulse, which
was 10 follow the highest interest rates and
invest where they could be found.
Bailey cared about the people in his
community, and he saw that if the county's
economic woes were 10 be solved. there would
have to be a good supply of money in continual
circulation. He knew if he offered low-interest
loans, the local people would borrow the capital
and keep it circulating. He also knew that he
could guide lhe loans to see that they were
invested where they were needed in the
community. But it would be up to the people
themselves 10 mount a campaign 10 buy locally
10 keep that money from leaving the county.
Bailey began loaning the bank's available
capital as low interest loans to the people of the
county, and borrowed money from outside the
county 10 augment 1he available capital.
He analyzed the county economy and
suggested ways to shore up the weak points, as
well as responding 10 people who came 10 him
asking for loans. Always his main emphasis
was 10 keep money circulating in the county.
Money in an economy is like the blood
circulating in the body: if it bleeds out, then the
body dies. One reason Bailey was successful
was his ability to make the local people realize
that finance was like the crucial role of the
blood, and that everybody in the community.
nor just the bankers, must feel responsible for it.
!he morale of the community was very
tmportant.
But the crux of the whole mauer was that
William Bailey was not just looking out for his
institution and for his own individual profit. Ile
saw his firs1 responsibility as being 10 the
community. His policies met with success.
Mon1gomery County rose from being one of the
10 poorest counties in Tennessee to become one
of 1he IO most prosperous counties in the state.
What happened in Montgomery County
became widely known at the time. Some thought
Xotuah JoumaL pa!JC 10
that what happened in Clarksville was close to
the miraculous. Later, William Bailey was the
first small-town banker to be chosen president
of the American Banker.; Association. He
always said, however, that he was never able to
convince American bankers or American
businessmen to accept the basic perspective of
their social responsibility as bankers.
The Clarksville "miracle" was no miracle.
It was just common sense.
What happened in Clarksville, Tennessee
was very similar to wha1 happened in a small
town in Austria at about the same rime. Austna
was aJso suffering from the Depression of the
1930's. The small mountain town of Woergl
was in economic collapse. and its people were
starving. The mayor of the town remembered
that 100 years earlier, when the town had been
without roads and was isolated from the rest of
Europe, it had been prosperous. It therefore
seemed absurd that they should be starving
when they clearly possessed the conditions
necessary for full employmenc and prosperity.
Work needed 10 be done, and they had in the
local area aJI the resources necessary to feed and
clothe themselves.
The mayor persuaded the people of his
community to exchange their Austrian currency
for a local currency, which would be subject 10
an annual tax 10 discourage people from
hoarding it out of circulation. Three monihs after
the)'. began circulating the taxed money, lhey had
full employment in the community, in
comparison 10 the desperate unemployment they
had been suffering earlier.
By the end of the yeauhe town was once
again prosperous. and the mayors of other
Austrian towns began to follow suiL But the
Bank of Austria had the government prohibit the
practice because it was driving the national
currency out of circulation.
In both these cases, although the actions
taken wen: different, the end results were
similar. When money becomes the medium of
savings instead of the medium of exchange.
people suffer, and damage is done to the whole
economy. When money migra1es from an area,
then that area sinks into depression and the
economy stagnates. Communities can take steps
lo ensure the health of their local economies.
Self-Help Credit Union
In 1980, the Center ror Communi1y Stir· Help
was founded in Durham, NC m order IO help low-income
people in !.he area gain ownership of lheir jobs and their
homes. The CCSH provided tcehnical nssislance to
worker-owned nnd othcT cooperative businesses.
In 1984. the Cemer saw need t0 start !.he
SelC-Help Crcdu Union ( SHCU) in order 10 provide
loans to these businesses nnd IO encourage the building
or low-income housing. The SHCU is a bona fuk credit
union, a regulated, fcdcrally insured depo~tory
insti1ution. The Center also. in 1984, began 1hc
Self-Help Ventures Fund, a non-profit revolving loan
Cund (RLF).
In 1988, lhe SHCU opened an office in Asheville
IO scrvc the mounuin region. This past ye.ir, the WNC
office provided more than 5700,000 in l(Xllls, including
eight business loans. fi\'e home mortgages, six 103lls
from iL\ Working Women's Fund, and one loan through
iL~ Self-Help Ventures Fund It also made 13 loans worth
over $50,000 through the NC Rural Center's
Microcnl.Ctpri~ Loon Program. In lhis program, business
spccialiru; at WarTCII Wilson College's Black Swan
Center and at McDowell, Mayland, and Isothcnnal
Communily Colleges work wilh emerging cnireprcncurs
who need small loans nnd technical assistance in ordct 10
get their businesses going. The SHCU provides the loans
from a pool or runds set up by the NC Rural Center.
Unfortun:ucly, the interest r:ue is quite high.
In the WNC area, lhe SHCU has helped finance
Stone Soup ResL1uran1, Nnntahal:i Outdoor Center,
Asheville Monicssori School, YMJ Cuhural Center,
ABC Recycling, and other small business \'Cnturcs.
Self Help Credit Union
12 1/2-A Wall Street
P. O. Box 3192
Ashe~ille, r-.c 28802
(704) 253.5251
Mountain Microtnterprise Fund
do Chris Just
701 Warren WIison Rond
Swannano:i, NC 28778
(704) 298-3325
Working Women's Fund
do nVCA Women's Re.source Center
Asheville, NC 28801
(704) 254-7209
Griscom Morgan worked closely with his
father, Arthur Morgan. the visionary engineer
and rite first director ofthe Tennes.fee \'alley
Amltoriry. At his father's request Griscom
traveled 10 The S0111/iem Appalachians to find a
location for an in1en1io11al community. Griscom
found a beautiful spot in the meadows along the
Somlt Fork of the Toe River where the Celo
Comm1111iry still prospers today.
Bur Griscom could not .Hay in the
mountains. He fell there was work to be dnne ill
/tis native town of Yellow Springs, Ohio were
he rewrneti and with his wife, Jane.founded
Community Services, Inc., a "think tank" and
resource tenter for comnuu,iry living i11 ntral
area.r.
Commiuzin· Services can be contacted tlt
Box 243; Ye/lo"; Springs, OH 4538i.,
Drawinc by Rab Meuidl:
Sprtn<J, 1991
�The Village
by Snow Bear
Tlze village lzums witlz activity, all
cenJeri11g on providing for the basic luunan and
material needs of ics inhabitants ...
A circle ofartisans, including some
childreri. sit coiling. molding, and pressing wee
gray clay into fonns offunction and beauty that
wiff later be tempered in the open fire.
Others skin and butcher the carcass of a
you11g whitetail doe that han9s from a
chokecherry, using flakes offlint picked up by
the lodge where theflintknappers sit. The
rhythmic clacking ofthe toolmakers'
Juunmerstones striking theflilll cores is as
soothing as distant drums.
In the warmth of the spring sun, deer
hides are being scraped, rubbed with mashed
brains, stretched, pulled, and then smoked over
smoldering fires until ,heir traTLeformation imo a
soft, srrong fabric is complete. Skilled hands
thenfashio11 the buckskin into moccasins and
shirts. The remnants go into the making of
po11clzes and lacing. emphasizing the
preciousness of every scrap ofthe deer's skin
a11d every moment ofthe labor that cransfom1ed
it.
One man sits spinning a carrail stalk
between his pabns,pressing it downward into
the yucca stalkfireboard a11chored beneath /us
feet. Smoke curfs II{) in a thin plume. and in a
surprisingly slwrt time, he tenderly places a
small glowing coal 011to the cauail down and
cedarbark tinder. His breath brings the glow into
flame, and a group of young men begin working
with this gift offire, /,eating and s1raigl11e11ing
rivercane into bfowg1111s. Older, patient, steady
hands fletch yellow locust darr slzafcs with
thistledown.
Nearby, a wizened grandmother, with
uncanny deftness, peels and splits riverca11efor
her double-weave basket. She internvines splits
briglzcened with the orange juice ofbloodroot
with contrasting lengths dyed dark brown with
walnut bark.
looking up, the old woman smiles at the
children pounding dark red dent corn imo meal.
They use a hickory log that has been burned and
scraped inro a 11wrcar and a hickory sapling char
has been stripped and scrapt•d into a pestle.
At the cooking fire, a growrdlwg is
smjfcd with cornbread dough. wild ginger, and
peppcroot, wrapped in wet clay 011d covered
with hot coals to bake with cornbread ashcakes.
SpriWJ, 199 I
The cooks drop hot rocks into a rawhide pot
hanging from a tripod to bail a ve11iso11 stew
comaini11g wild leeks, choran greens, and
solomon seal tubers.
In the wooded coves above the
riverbonom village, a small, quiet scouri11g parry
lopes along at wolf-trot, sca11ning the
mo11nrai11sides for the gifts of namre 1h01 supply
their people with food, medicille, and row
mmerials that defi11e a cult11re. The J,erbman wlw
leads the scowing party scops, drops t0 the
ground, looks up to the sky, and makes a prayer
to ack11owledge with thanks the awesome forces
that have united to bring healing and sustenance
u, the people. He ties together a twist of tobacco
and a lock of his own hair 1h01 he mighr make a
gift ro the world, before his people gather
anything on this journey.
The scours res11me their wolf-trot, but
stop to examine every discernible sign. the
mushrooms that have bee11 nibbled by whitefoot
mouse and box wrrle; the core of a white pi,re
cone that has been neatly stripped ofits scales
and seeds by a gray squirrel; the greenbrier
shoocs browsed by a whitetail buck; rhe
meucufously picked a11d stacked crayfish shells
011 the rock next to the deep raccoon hind-tracks
in the creek.sand.
This is a world 10 be see11, heard,
u,uched, and smelled, a gift ofthe Earth Mother
and the Spirit-/11.-All-Things. To move through it
any other way seems 1mgratef11l. The scowing
parry remrns laden with the Mother's bo1mcy:
poplar bark to be twined imo cordoge; pitch
scraped from wounded pines/or a waterproof
glue made with powdered charcoal; resinous
pine/or starting fires in wet weather; cucwnber
root, solomon's seal, and bluff mustard,
sassafras, ginger, and sweet birch: a deer skull
and mrkey feathers - bur above all, kMwledge.
Knowledge of where to/ind the freshest spring
water, where the deer have been bedding down,
wlzere the turkeys have bee11 scratching and
roosting, where the large rro,u gather under
boulders in deep, shimmering pools.
Knowledge: that the people may live ...
This picture of village life is not, as it
might seem, ancient history. These were scenes
from the daily life of the Riverc;ine Rendezvous
held at Unicoi State Park in I lelen, Georgia in
April, 1990. This rendezvous was an outgrowth
Drawing b)- Manha Tree
of the Eanhskills Workshops held in
the same riverbonom meadow each
spring and fall for the last six years.
Darry Wood, Bob Slack, Jr., and
myself have had the privilege of hosting
and instructing these workshops with the help of
talented, accomplished guest insiructo!'1>. The
The 1990 Rendezvous, however, brought
together over 15 instructors and almost 50
participanis, many of whom we have i;r!!V.1l 10
know closely over the years.
One shared perception is that these
gatherings are much more than an educational
event. The skills shared there are of the eye and
hand, but just as imponantly, of the mind and
hean: knowledge and intuiriveness
complemented by patience and detennination, a
feeling of harmony with the things we shape,
and a vision of beauty, all blended into a
balanced whole. Some aspects of che sacred
work accomplished there can be described and
communicated; some of what happens there
must be felt and experienced. One becomes pan
of a small, temporary village, but in another
sense, we become part of a more pennanent
village of the ancients of all cultures, who lived
by these ways for thousands of years.
These skills can be used 10 create a
sustainable economy at iis purest - a wealth that
will last as long as the natural world lasts, as
long as the village is sensitive 10 the rhythm and
flow of the life of the land.
A nature-based economy knows both
bounty and shonage, but nature rarely produces
true poveny. Blue tongue disease may cause a
decline in the deer population, but the wild
turkey, also feeding on white oak acorns, will
probably increase. A decline in hard mast can
reduce the number of deer, bear, and turkey, bUl
the trout and beaver will probably be unaffected.
Of course, human beings arc capable of bringing
it all 10 an end; but there is a tremendous feeling
of security in knowing tha1 when the oil runs
om, when the money-ba.--ed economy collapses
of its own weight. one possesses Lhe knowledge
10 create and sustain a rich life, full of beauty
and bounty. The essence of this life, the element
that makes it fulfilling. is the village: people of
(IXll\linuod.., pai;e 12)
'.Kattmh Journal pn9c 11
�(cootinucd from page 11)
like mind gathering to pursue common
endeavors within the comforting
security of nature.
People return 10 the Eanhskills
gatherings as much for the village
experience as for the potential to
increase their knowledge. It is a basic
human need often denied by our
individualistic, companmentalized
society. In the village created by the
EanhskiUs gatherings. we Ullce
responsibility for creating our own
material culture, music, an, stories and
legends. rather than having i1 spoon-fed
10 us by an industrial society that
refuses 10 base itself on respect for the
One Great Life. In doing so, our minds,
hearts, and spirits grow stronger. I
know of no one who has not been
touched by the plaintive cry of the
Lakota flute in the pre-&.wn mist; no
one who is not deeply enriched by the
stories absorbed while gazing into the
hean of the campfire; no one whose
heart does not know a pure joy when
they have worked the magic of calling
fire from the bow and drill. As one
whose life is controlled by the pursuit
of money, my return to this (and other)
villages is always revivifying; it feels
like I reclaim, for a shon rime, my true
place in this world.
As h~mankind develops. this will
come: a life in which our "economic"
pursuits wi.11 not deny our need for
communal contact, spiritual growth.
cultural stimulation, and artistic
endeavor.
Snow Bear is an herbalist,
n.awralist, eanhskills instructor, and
storyrcller. He is a staffteam supervisor
at tlze 0111ckxJr Tlu:rapeutic Program i11
C/e-.,eland, Georgia and co-director with
his ll'ifc Khalisa of the Pepper/and
Fann Camp.
Snow Bear can be comacted by
writing c/o Pepper/and Farm Camp; Rt.
4, Box 255-8; Murphy, NC 28906 or
calling (7{},1)494-2353.
The 1991 RnvcOM Rentfewo11s will
rake pl&e on April 16-21121 Vnu:r)I Suue Parle,
/Iden. Georgia. Pre-rcgwr=n isSl.15 and
includes campzng, instrucrion. ond two meals
per day. Chew urt PtJy,able lQ "Earrhskills
ll'orJ:sl:op." For more informmion, call or
wriu:: Bob Sloe.Ir.. Jr.: Unicoi Sratc Par.Ir.: Box
1029; lfeltn, GA 30J45 (4()4) 878-220/
(£.rt , 282).
Insrructor Darry Wood with Eva Bigwirch
"through dreams,
through magic"
she says !ihe can fly. says she can fly
feathen; and wings. bones and Lhings,
says she can fly
she says lhe eanh feels like her body
sky feels like her home
she moves out over the water
but she always goes alone
says she can fly, yeah she says she can fly
feathers and wings, bones and things
lisLen to the songs that the spirits sing
she says she can fly
well once I knew a woman
now she's more than that
she flies up lo 1he scm at night
but she keeps on coming back
i;he says she can fly, says she can fly
bones and wings, feathers and lhingr.,
listen to the songs that the spirits sing
the ~now owl guides her journey
and the hawk knows where she goes
the eagle gives her life and light
but she travels with the crows
oh she says she can fly, says she can fly
feathers and wings, bones and things
listen to the song that the dark bird ~ings
feathers and wings. bones and things.
listen to the song that the spirit sings,
the spirit sings
"-atuals Journot J'"'J0 1:i
poems by Gary Lawless
drawing by Stephen Petroff
they read their stories in our bones,
heated by flame, cracks, sharp ridges,
fingers tracing futures etched by fire.
we carry your life in our blood, the p~se of
story begins in our marrow, a deep, nch red.
you read its traces in our bones.
hands in the fire:
"for the marrow is known to be
the dwelling place of souls"
when they wish to find us
they call to us in their dreams.
we answer them through bone, through fire.
(from "Ice Tattoo•)
When the animals come to us,
asking for our help.
.
will we know what they are saymg?
When the plants speak to us
in their delicate, beautiful language,
will we be able to answer them?
When the planet herself
sings to us in our dreams,
will we be able to wake ourselves, and act?
Por:ms and drawing from the book FITTI Sight of
Land by Gary Law/us, published /9')() by 8/aclt.btrr,
Boou. Aw1ilablefor $7.50 plus shippmgfrom the
publishtr at: RJl. I, Box 228; Nobleboro. ME; Gulfof
Maint Bioregion 04555
6prln(J: 1991
�FOOD MOVERS:
Ron Ainspan and Mountain Food Products
not show up in time. Theo, although a company
may be doing a great business, at the same time
it's bouncing checks all over the place or it's
running out of funds 10 do what needs to be
done. It's in trouble
I like being small. We've sacrificed some
of the closeness that we had. Personally I think
that it makes sense 10 grow slowly, so we can
maintain the kind or environment in which people
can keep a connection with each other. We hold
staff meetings every week to involve all the
employees in the operation of the business, 10
talk about personal relationships · whatever
comes up. It's like a family; we have our
quarrels, and we try to work stuff out, either at
staff meetings or in smaller personal talks in the
course of the day's work.
For years local food growers have said that
the lack of a developed market for organic and
locally-grown produce was holding back
alrerflQ/ive agricu/mrefrom raking itS riglefu/
place in our regional economy.
Ron Ainspan was one of those growers.
Seeing the problem clearly, he built a local food
distriblllion network thaJ now stands ready 10
meet the needs of those w/w produce and those
who wish to buy wlwlesome and m11ri1io11s
nwumain-grownfruit and vegetables.
The Mow11ain Foods plan is now nwving
into its second stage. With rite network secure,
Ron is now actively helping growers to organize
and to produce the food thaJ will fill the niche the
Mouruain Food Products Company has created.
Ron is an enabler. He is one who can bring
a vision inro physical manifestation. This calling
requires special skills.· patience, dedication, a
genius/or strategic maneuvering, and a clear
sense of purpose. And, as Ron re/ls us in the
following interview, those who set out to realize
their dream must walk the narrow tightrope of
inregril)' . keeping their principles while creating
a vessel that will stay a/u)OJ in the currents of
physical reality.
Katuah: Can workers participate financially
in the company?
Ron Ainspan: We started a profiL-sharing
plan that we made up ourselves. People get a
check every three months based on how the
company is doing, and on how much they work.
Full-time workers are eligible to receive a
half-share six months after they start and a full
share after a year. Part-time workers are eligible
for a half-share after their first year. It is an
incentive for people to stick around.
Kat(Ulh How did you get the idea that
being a food distributor was a meaningful avenue
for social change?
Ron Alnspan: I've been involved in
encouraging the local agricultural market for quite
awhile. During the early '80's 1 was growing
produce to sell 10 local markets, and during that
time, I helped to set up the Tailgate Market in
Asheville, which is a growers' market now
locared on Merrimon Avenue.
It was in 1984 when a small group of local
producer:; called some meetings, and we talked
about the idea of working toge1her to distribu1e
our producL\ • bakery goods, sprou1s, tofu, and
produce. l "as finishing my gardening for the
season. so I staned 10 coordinate the whole thing
and began deliveries. Mounta.in food Products
hns been doing it ever since, although now we
focus on produce almost exclusively.
After we had been going for two or three
months. I met a woman who was working in
produce at The Fresh Market, Debbie Thomas.
We became a pannership, and stancd LO contacr
restaurants and some grocery stores 10 notify
them that we were distributing produce. The
business really took off, and we have become a
good-:;ized purveyor of produce, selling
primarily 10 restaurants, but also to some retail
stores.
Karuah : How big is the company'!
Ron Ainspan: We have 16 or 17 people
and five trucks. We sell wholesale only, making
deliveries 10 Asheville, Hendersonville, and as
far west as Bryson City. Only one truck is
refrigerated; the rest are small delivery vehicles,
from Mandard cargo vans up 10 pa.reel-type
trucks.
We do a lot of shon routes. We shuttle
food in and out of here from 6 or 6:30 in the
morning to four o'clock in the afternoon. The
little intersection out~ide the office is a traffic jam
in the mornings · with people rushing back and
forth with pallet jacks and hand ltllCkli for several
Sptit1CJ, 19!.lt
Phoco by Rodney Webb
hours. It's a scene of half-organized
confusion ...trucks going out and coming
in ... people pulling food out of the coolers.
Panicularly during the summer season, it's a
constant hustle to get the food out to the people
the way they want it. when they wan, 11. But it's
fun.
Kattiali: How many coolers are there?
Ron Ainspan: We've got two walk-in
coolers. One is 12 feet by 30 feet. and the other is
a couple of feet longer, nnd then we have dry
storage space in the rooms. We're going 10 have
10 expand the smaller cooler. tx.-causc we've been
busring the scams out ofit this year. We have had
10 buy at least one vehicle every year and do
some kind of cooler e:,.pansion every other year
since we ~tarted. It doesn't seem 10 stop.
I would like ii if our rate of growth did
slow down. If a company grows too big 100 fast,
then it has 10 incorporate systematized
relationships 10 maintain standards of quality and
10 keep clear accountability for evcl)•body's
activities. It begins to involve very bureaucratic
systems, and everybody become:. subject 10 rules
that don't make sense to anybody except the
people at the lOp. everybody else becomes a
puppet 10 to the rules.
But if a company growl> slowly. and tries,
as we've tried 10 do, 10 involve everybody in a lot
of the aspects of the business, then people can
maintain a connection 10 the whole operation,
even as it changes.
Kau,ah : The finance~ change 100. don't
they?
Ron Ainspan: Yes. Under condi1ions of
fasL-paccd growth iL':. easy Lo run up large bills
for receivables, and the necessary cash just may
K01t'loli: How is all this helping 10 build
markets for locally-grown food?
Ron Ainspan: My concept. even as we
were growing, has been 10 provide a reliable
supply 10 the customers. Because l supply the
market all year round, we are keeping a market
open for the local produce when it comes in. That
gets us outside the regional economy 10 some
extent. because to keep up a consistent supply we
have 10 make runs 10 Atlanta. There we buy
produce that comes in from everywhere, but we
also take mountain-grown bibb lettuce, shiit.'.lke
mushrooms, sprouts, and produce in season to
be sold in the city. It'~ a two-way exchange, but
overall it works out well for the local growers,
because, locally or in the city, we are always
ttying 10 move local produce.
We've been able 10 be useful to local
growers as an outlet. There arc s1x or seven
people that we deal with all the time, some of
them year-round because more people: arc getting
into greenhouse production. Two regional
growers arc cultivating hydroponic bibb lenucc,
and Ed Mills of Sunshine Makers Sprouts in
Fairview is producing organically-grown alfalfa
and mung bean sprouts.
A basic operating principle of our company
is 10 buy our stock locally whenever we can. Our
original goals when we siarted Mountain Food
Products were to suppon the local economy, to
encourage small-scale production, and to keep
things on a pen;onal level. We still keep that
commiunent.
Kat1iah: Do you emphasize organically
produced food?
Ron Ainspan: We are just getting strong
enough 10 move into that. As I said, our first
priority was moving local produce. We learned
that in order to be effective in doing that, we hod
(eontinll<d on next 114ge)
Xntilnfi Jburnn(, r1QCJIS 1
3
�(c:auinu<:d fninl page 13)
to provide produce of top quality all year. As we
built that capability, helping the local growers
actually diminished in imponance, because we
were growing so fa~1 overall. Now we sell to
over 100 different accounts, and we have enough
rumover that we can mke the time and the energy
10 seek out local growers. Now we can
confidently say, "Grow food for us and we can
sell it." We can help people ge1 going.
It's puuing 1he two together: !hose who
need the food, and those who have it
Righi now we aze helping to organize a
cooperative of local organic growers. A group of
six to 1en local growers from the area around
Asheville is meeting every iwo weeks.
Mountain Food Products bas been able to
sell all the produce that has been offered to us by
the local growers we aze working with, but we
have not been able to sell ii as "organic produce."
We have often bad 10 mix it with conventionallygrown produce and sell u at the same price. So
we are banding together 10 promote the organic
concept and reach out more to the remil market.
We are offering supermarkets a package deal
~hereby, if we can get a small "organic" section
m the produce department, we will stock it and
promote it ourselves by pmting up signs and
making a lot of personal connections. We have
seen some interest in this among the local chain
stores.
Initially the co-op is going to work through
Mountain Food Products. I don't know what will
work best in the long run, but right now we can
offer !he trucks and the cooler space.
For the last two years - especially since the
Alar scare - more organic produce has become
available. More people are handling it, and more
people are asking for it, so we have been able to
carry it. We can get supplies reliably and we have
customers who want it
We can now support organics in the same
way that we suppon conventional local produce.
q,as.c; productio~ that-it'$ difficuh_ to compete as a ,...
small gro~er with most oflhe things that_ arc
grown: Its largely a qu~snon. of economies of
scale: if you can sys1em1ze th10gs, you can
produce them more cheaply. It's not as human a
syscem. because it forces people to do very
routine, monotonous jobs without much say-so
about what they're doing, and not much control
over their working conditions. And with
transportation being fairly cheap, a company C30
economically move a product great distances
from one place to another.
There's another reason, too. As the whole
system has gonen more centralized. it has become
harder 10 break into the distribution chain.
Kan1ah: What do you think needs to
happen to get the local market going?
Ron Ainspan: It's an on-going process of
making people aware of the importance of
keeping it close 10 home. Mass media advcnising
barrages and other market forces tend to make
people expect a product that is mass-marketed It
could be anything - from Big Macs 10 cars to
electronics.
I was talking to some people about the idea
of opening a "brew pub" here, a place that
actually brews its own beers. But a venture like
that would have 10 buck Michelob and Coors and
companies of that size.
Another of those market forces is access 10
capital - somethings take a lot of money to get
started. That's certainly another aspect that tends
to propel large-scale operations, operations that
make a product one place and distribute it
everywhere.
r think that the advantages of keeping
Kamah: It sounds like the whole time
you've been building the company, you've been
thinking of developing a regional agriculture.
Ron Ainspan: My guiding philosophy has
a lot 10 do with keeping things local and
maintaining personal relationships. I don't like
the coipOrate mentality and standardi7.ed ways of
doing things. Individual initiative is very
important, and that's something that in many
cases is threatened by the way the economy
functions.
The corporate mentality is lifeless. People
need to be alive and thinking. Then, even if they
screw up, at least they're trying and putting
themselves into what they arc doing. That has
always been important to me.
Ka11wh: Why do you think that there are
not more people growing food for sale?
Ron Ainspan: It's a lot of work and n fairly
low pay-off. So much of farming is large-scale
,c.aiuah Journal plUJc 14
Kar(tah: What are some of the reasons that
local production is advantageo\lS?
Ron Ainspan: To me the most important
thing is having a personal connection 10 what }'Ou
do jn your dnily life. Too many people just put in
their work hours so that they can play when they
are not working. Our work-life is the biggest pan
of our life, and we should do something that's
innately satisfying. We need 10 be able to give
our own personal input, to put our own personal
stamp on what we do. I think that's really the
thing.
There is also the whole question of some
geographic areas taking advantage of others, and
the dollars that are lost from a local area. If your
beer is coming from Colorado, 1hen your beer
dollars are going to Colorado. 1f your produce is
coming from western Nonh Carolina, then your
money is being kepi in the local economy.
That kind of concept is in contrast to the
prevailing "trickle-down" concept that says it's
efficient to produce on a large scale somewhere
far away and distribute over a wide area, and the
wealth that is created from doing that will
evenrually work its way down to everybody.
That kind of system creates an imbalance between
the people who are very wealthy and the people
who get just a triclcle.
Karualr: The reason we are able to dunk
and act that way is because of our tremendous
(continued Cll'I page 30)
POEMS
by Jim Clark
Katuah: Secure that market and then plug
in the local goods.
Ron Ainspan: However, the growth
potential for local production is still greater than
the growth potential of the local market There's
the possibility of growing more produce in
western North Carolina than the market could
handle, at least right now.
thing! focal, small, andpel'sonal nud"to bet''~._
continually put in front of the public. People tend
to go along with whatever the trend or the lates1
marketing campaign is.
LIGHTS
i
This is the body's land at home here
or nowhere.
Through deep-welled air
the magne1 moon
orients the singing
skin's cardinal points.
ii
In cedar hung silence,
through camp smoke and wave lap,
shards of stunned brighmess
speak
a language of light
iii
As from a great distance
patterns are seen
to shiver
suddenly into focus,
so these lights
flashing at the body's perimeter
connect
and in the vibmting darkness
chart our every step.
MOUNTAIN WALKING SONGS
i
Always the ancient air
finds its home in our lungs
and goes on
ii
AJways our feet
move lightly
over the charged ea.nh
iii
Always we are walking
in the mountains
singing
Spri.n9, 1991
�Going about the Business
of Building a Regional Economy
These are profiles. shorr sketches of what
some people are doing and how they are dcing it.
These are only aJew examples showing different
facets of a possible regional economy. Many
other enterprises and projects have appeared in
the pages ofKa1uah Journal, in both the ads and
the feature sections - parricular/y in issue #7, the
first time the jo1unal touched specifically on the
question of a regional eco,wmy
COUNTRY WORKSHOPS
(Drew Langsner)
90 Mill Creek Rd
Marshall, NC 28753
(704) 656-2280
When I.hey first bought their farm in the
nonheas1em c?mer of Madison County in 1974,
Drew and LoU1Se Langsner hope.cl 10 make their
living close to the land, doing the things I.hat they
loved. Foremost among these were farming and
woodworking.
The couple was already well-versed in
traditional woodworking and other folk skills
largely as a result of a trip to Europe taken during
the early 1970's. However, they spent "four lean
years" of minimum wage work interspersed with
some magazine writing and some craft projcccs as
they gradually figured out how to put their skills
10 work.
In 1978 Drew and Louise hi l on the idea of
a woodcrafts school called Country Workshops.
The school would offer students seven-day
courses on the Langsner fann to teach some of
the skills Drew and Louise had garnered in their
travels and studies. The Langsners saw the
school as a way 10 earn income by sharing skills
they knew well and loved 10 practice.
With $500 of their personal cash, Drew
and Louise set up the first session of Country
Workshops. Enough people attended 10
encourage them 10 continue the idea, and the
workshops have happened every summer since.
It was mostly love of the work and a belief in the
potential of the idea that kept the Langsners at it
for the first years. "Only recently," said Drew,
"have the ~eip½~ shown anything appro,dmating
even a pan-nme mcome."
To round out support for their famHy,
~rew farms, producing cows and hay, and sells
his excellent ladderback and Windsor chairs on
order. The fann emphasizes Red Devon cows an
historical breed that came over 10 Plymouth with
some of the first white seulers from England.
Sprl.ng, 1991
The businesses presented here must be
viewed from two perspectives: the economy as it
is now, and the economy as it could be.for tliese
are businesses that are working within borh of
these contextS simultaneously. They are working
enterprises within 01u present economic sen'{),
b111 they are also the inspiration and the
infrasrrucnue for a new, mtJre appropriate
economy - although in some cases the operators
miglu deny that as their intent.
To fwiction within 01u present economic
system requires compromise, and the businesses
presented are evaluated honestly in terms of
Louise grows excellent vegetables in her gardens
and prepares them for their guests during the
workshop season. They are also occasional
authors. Together they wrote a book on European
craftwork, and Drew has also written three
instructional books: A logbuilder's llandbook.
Country Woodcraft, and Green Woodworking,
all well-known and well- respected in their fields.
"We're not even close to middle class,"
sars D~w, "but we've moved away from being
poised nght on the edge. Our car died a few
months ago, and I was able 10 purchase a used
car without it being the major crisis it once would
have been."
At first the workshops taught only two
courses: Scandinavian woodcarving with old
hand tools, and log cabin building. Now the
curriculum also includes Swiss coopering,
Japanese woodworking, ladderback and Windsor
chair-mnking, and basketry. Drew at first spent
muc~ ?f th~ time teaching, but recently
~dm1m~trauve tasks have been occupying an
mcreasmg percentage of his time. "Wilh seven 10
twelve people here and the needs of the students
and teachers to attend 10. it wa,; difficult and
sometim~ impossibl<:; 10 see to everything while I
was teaching as well Drew also allows up to
two students to live with their family for extended
winter tutoriaV apprenriccship programs.
The students sleep in a building on the
property and Louise prepares meals for all. "The
food is excellent, but the sleeping arrangements
are still somewhat primitive," says Drew. "Still
only a few people have minded at all."
"While we don't teach saictly Appalachian
crafts per se, I think the surroundings here are
imponant to the people and contribute a lot to
their appreciation of the experience. Many of the
people who take the courses are folks who get a
two-week vacation each year and decide 10 spend
one _w~ek of it here at a workshop. That is very
gra11fy1ng to me.
"People get more out of the experience than
just 1he skills of woodworlcing. Students write
back to say that they have learned something here
ecological a11d economic impact and
s1istain.abiliry. Their collective experience is a
report card, indicating ro /IS as a region how we
are doing at this business ofb[tilding a
land-based economy. Admiuedly, we have a long
way1ogo
Bw rhe most impanant message rha1 these
people and these projects bring UJ u.r is that there
are things we can do, tlllll we can begin now,
even if conditio,rs are not perfect, even if rite deck
is stacked against 11s in the shon nm.
Profiles compl/i,d by
Ernest Womlck and Millie Sundstrom
about what is imponant to them."
The same might be said of Drew and
Louise, two talented people who are clear about
the life they wane and have found a way to live it
Their fann and their skills are important to them.
Rather tlJaP. move;c;>.the urban marj(!!IP!ace to.sci.~ ~
ineir ~k.ills foi: me higltest price, th~y Jiav• found>n.e:>
a way to balance their abilities to provide a
satisfying life in the countryside.
BRIGHT HORIZONS,
BRIGHT MOUNTAIN BOOKS
(Eric and Cynthia Bright)
138 Springside Rd
Fairview, NC 28730
Bright Mountain Books is a publishing
house specializing in Appalachio.n regional
material. Bright Horizons is a regional book
distributor. Boch companies arc the creations and
the present passion of Eric and Cynthia Bright
Says Eric Bright, "We wanted to strut a
publishing company. but to publish books you
have to sell them, so we first began distributing
books 10 make a marketing network."
Today their first ambition is still largely
unfulfilled. Most of I.heir business and most of
their income still comes from book distribution
sa!e~. Bri~ht Mountain Books has published four
onginal ntles, however: Keep 'Em loughing by
Bob Terrell, Disorder in the C()llrt by Bob Terrell
and Marcellus Buchanan, Two on the Square by
Bob Moore, and Poper Mansions by Bob
PadgeR They have also reprinted other works
that were out of print and would have been lost,
like Moun1ai11 SpiritS and More Mountain Spirils,
well-read books about the Appalachian
moonshining culture.
The couple has jusc invesccd in new
computer equipment and a laser printer that will
be reserved strictly for publishing work. They
hope that the new tools will launch them more
deeply into the publishing side of their business.
Or.win& by Rob Missick
(conlirwed on pege 16)
Xatl'.mh Journat PCMJC 15
�(CCII\UIIUOd &om page IS)
•
create our own markeL We've done that.
'There has been a ground swell in interest
Bright Horizons is highly successful. The
in herbaceous native plants. The interest
company sold one-third more books in 1990 than
continues t0 grow, and we arc optimistic, but I
it had any other year in the pasL !he o'Yncrs,
suppose I should have done a ~arket ~e)'. I
while feeling that their comp~y lS malcing a
would have sought outside capital and Just bitten
contribution to the understanding and
.
the bullcL
appreciation of the Appalac~s and. Appalachian
~we can see clearly in hind.sight that we
culture, see some weaknesses tn their sue~.
"We are very dependent on the tounst ll'ade should have been harder-nosed businesspeople
initially. If I could start over again, l would
righi now," says Eric. "That means that we have
educate myself to good business practices
to malce concessions to the demands of the
beforehand, because that end of the operation is
market and offer some books that we may not
not anractive to either Meredith or me, yet we
particuiarty like, but which are good sellers and
can't avoid iL I would say that we are right now
are important to our retail store customers. .
"I saw a book called White Trash Coobng, making the tranSition from be~g dedica~ed
hobbyists to becoming professional busmess
and my first reaction was that I didn't want t?
people."
carry that book at all, but customers kept calling
The two are confirmed plant-lovers, and
and asking for it. and so finally I gave in and put
they started their business from a desire tO spend
it in stock. We sold 2,000 copies in the firstfour
time doing what they love to.do the most ~oth
months it was available."
are knowledgeable about nanve plants. Ed ts a
Are they living well? "No," they say. "We
professor of botany at the University of
haven't had a family vacation in ten years. We
Tennessee at Knoxville. It is hard 10 imagine two
haven't made our material goals, but we feel we
people more qualified for this work, yet Ed says.
a.re following out our p!an, and we ar~ firmly
"if we were dependent on the business for our
committed to the direcuon we are taking.
livelihood, we would be in the poor house. . .
"When we get our daughters through
We're going 10 give it a few more years, and if ll
college, we will think more about our own
doesn't become more profitable, we probably
lifestyle."
will get om of it."
They see the greatest problem wi~ ~cir
Some of the plants growing in the Native
work being that they spend much of !hCU' nme .
doing mundane chores that they don ~ n~e~y Gardens have commercial uses as herbal
medicines or botanicals. Ed would like 10 develop
enjoy, but which are necessary to maintaining
that trade because botanicals are growing in
their business at this stage. They are, however!
popularity and commerc!al harvesting in the _
wild
satisfied with their present progress toward their
would put 100 much stra.tn on the plant spec1es,
goals.
many of which are endemic or rare.
"I don't subscribe to the idea that
"Producing botanicals probably has greater
companies have to necessarily grow and grow
potential than the straight production of , . .
and grow," says Eric. "When a company gets to
wildflowers for gardening,'' Ed figures. This lS
a manageable siz.e !hat fulfills the needs of the
already a big business in the Southern_
owners, then it is quite alright t0 ease off and
Appalachians, but it is not developed m the way
maintain it at that level."
that it could be. As it stands now, a few large
And the Brights agree c~mpletely ah?ut
companies pretty much control the market. They
one thing: "People have to rcaliz.c that i:unnmg a
contt0l the price, they control w~at_ they buy: and
business takes l 50% of your efforL It is a very
the guy out there on the mounl8lns1de doesn t
demanding task."
have any choice."
Ed and Meredith are conscientious in their
work. They started out with ~ highest stan~ds
of purity. Now they use pesuc1des and fungicides
"only if we have to, or if there are legal
requirementS for them." That was another le~on
learned. "If somebody is going to g~t into this
business and thinks that they are going 10 totally
avoid chemical pesticides, they're naive," says
NATIVE GARDENS
(Meredith Bradford-Clcbsch and Ed Clebsch)
Ed.
. d al.i.n
There are other issues of concern in e g
Rt. 1, Box 494
with native plants.
Greenback.TN 37742
"We ask questions about whether the
plants we buy have been propaga~ed in th~
Native Gardens, the creation of Ed and
nursery or if they have been du~ in the w)ld. For
Meredith Bradford-Qebsch, offers herbaceous
the first four years of our operauon, we simply
plantS almost entirely of native varieties and all
didn't deal in materials that were dug from the
propagated from seed and cunings, for wholesale wild. Lately we have bought rescued plants from
and retail sale. Most of the plants are sold m
situations where their destruction is absolutely
containers, although they sell some field pl~ntS 10 certain. But we are not yet at a point where we
landscape architects. Much ~f the company s
would tum around and sell those materials
business is mail orders obtamed through
directly. We use them for propagation pufJ>?SCS.
Meredith's tastefully-designed catalog. .
"I am also concerned that we are creanng a
Personnel consists of Ed and Mered1th an~ considerable mixing of genetic material, because
two part-rime helpers and another worker, who lS we often buy plants from other pl~es '.111d grow
full-time except for the winter months.
them out 10 maturity for sale. The dilunng of
Ed and Meredith started Native Gardens
genetic purity is something that ~onccrns 11s, and
with their own money.
we think it will become an issue m the next
"If we had paid for a pre-opening market
decade."
survey, we never would have opened," said Ed.
Ed urges people not to be idealistic when
"We inruitively knew that we were on the
staning a business.
, .
beginning of what we were confident was a
"We run into people who say, fd like to
rising trend, but we knew that we would have to
do that. It looks like so much fun.' It is, if you
Xatuah Journ.at pCMJe 16
..
are willing to work 16-18 hours per ~Y"The market is there. I wouldn t
discourage anyone from getting started, but I
would encourage them 10 go into it with their
eyes open. It is an enormous amount of work,
and it takes some knowledge up fronL The .
starry-eyed ideal of growing plants and having
them sell themselves automatically is not true. If a
person has that idea, then they would do better
not to get into the business at all."
FRENCH BROAD FOOD CO-OP
(Barb Acker)
90 Biltmore Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
The French Broad Food Co-op. the
member-owned food co-op in Asheville, NC has
made a move - a big move. Not just from ~cold
cramped quaners in the Old Chesterfield Mill on
West Haywood Street to a new address on
Biltmore Avenue, but a shift in policy that
involved borrowing $100,000 to change their
location and to expand the store, so the co-op
could serve the general public as well as the
co-op membership.
The co-op is run by a 7-person board of
directors elected by the membership at an annual
membership meeting. The board hires the store
manager and it was the board that decided to
undenak~ the $100,000 debL To raise that
capital $42 000 was borrowed from individual
mem~rs a~d another $60,000 was obtained
through the Self-Help Credit Union.
Barb Acker is the co-op manager, in charge
of supervising the day~t<Hlay OJ?Cration o~ the
store and its four full-ume and CJght pan-tune
staff people. She is encouraged by the response
to the move and feels it has revitalized the co-op.
'We are in the mainstream financial market
right now, deeply in debt., but. we fel~ that it was
necessary in order to make this leap in growth.
We are finding it to be money well-spent, and we
arc starting to pay back the loans on schedule."
"For the five years prior to November,
1990 while we were at the Chesterfield Mill, we
had a'bout 800 people from 400 families who
sustained the business. In the two and one-half
months since we've moved, our membership
base has increased to 1200."
Co-ops are different than most o~cr •
economic instirutions in that their goal 1s SCMCC
mher than profiL Co-ops depend heavily on
volunteer help; they keep a small rnar&;in of
overhead with which to run the operanon, but
they are not in the business of accumulating
wealth or making anyone rich. Co-ops generally
define their goals in terms of filling basic needs,
rather than using people's needs to reap pe!Sonal
and material benefits. Some co-ops see their
purpose as simply providing a cenain product,
but there are others that see themselves as pan of
an oo-going, overall social change.
The French Broad Food Co-op sees itself
as having a role in the changes ~at are happening
in the Asheville area and the region. Barb,
speaking of the grour 's long-range goals,
pointed out that "a trade magazine caJJ;d
.
Cooperarive Grocer ran a quote back m the spnng
Sprt.nq, 1991
�i~) l._ 't ' Jlt) :i :11 '"\) I
~ O I
t \~ If "' ..•ll
of 1990 that impressed me. (t reads, 'Food
co-ops n~ to be quality, profitable groceries,
but also pan of a larger social transformation.•
"1 think that's the essence of the
cooperative movement and also of the French
Broad Food Co-:op. Socilll change is very much a
p:ut of the C(),,()p's n1essnge in that we arc trying
to bring something different to people that is
better for all of us, beuer for the whole."
The co-op's first task is providing quality
food, but living in this world means making
choices and finding a workable balance. Barb
says, "We are providing the best physical
nourishment that we can in the food products we
offer, and we try 10 make equitable choices on
everything we buy to make sure that they have
the least environmental impact possible.
However, 95% of the food lhat we sell comes in
from outside the region.
"Produce is one area where we might be
able to change that Produce is 16% of our total
stock. Most of that presently comes from outside
the region. But it is a high priority for the co-op
to suppon local farmers, and we are now talking
with farmers to help them plan whar they plant
for the next growing season, knowing that the
co-op now is a much bigger market for them.
"We definitely do encourage our buyers to
buy locally whenever they can, but the reality of
the situation is that very little of our food is
locally-produced at this point. You just can't get
cashews from the Appalachians. One of the
realities of food distribution is 1ha1 it is
world-wide, and we have to provide what people
are u$ed to getting if we are going to stay in
business. We realize that shipping food all across
the world has a major environmental impact. But
I suppose things have to be W(;ighed in the .,
balance, and we see oun;elvcs as trying to 1
educate more people as to how they can eat bener
for less money."
The emphasis on eduC.'.lcion is another
imponant way that co-op members see their
business taking pan in social change. According
to Barb, "the next step we have to take, now that
we are settled down in our new loca1ion, and the
dust is settling from the transition, is that we have
to stan education right away. Folks are coming in
and saying. 'I want to switch from eating so
much meat, but I don't know what to do with this
tofu sruff.'
"People are more interested in eating food
that hasn't been poisoned. Even chain
supermarkets arc s1aning to carry organic food,
and it's making an impact on the everyday
person's consciousne.~s. We arc staning co see
that what we eat makes a difference in how we
feel, and how that makes a difference in the
health of the community and the health of the
world as a result People are wanting to cat
bener, and realizing tha1 eating good food fuels
the body much better."
"If we can't help people make that
transition, we aren't going to be here very long.
But the co-op staff people are qui1e ready 10 help
with that. They have been doing this work for the
last 15 years, and now they have a better
opportunity lo help 1he public learn how to use
good food.
"People are catching on about doing things
cooperatively, too. Thal':; another thing that we
have to teach. Worker-members have doubled in
number since we have moved here. Members feel
a real sense of belonging and contributing 10
some1hing: supplying decent food that they want
10 buy and are proud to offer 10 01hers.''
The co-op members arc also aware their
Sprtn(J, l 991
I
,fj
O!J
-,.//
1,11,
fl f /.., •,.t.. r)
4
J,.
business is making c.onlributions on tither levels.
"It's a physical sus1enance that we offer," says
Barb, "but it's also a social sus1cnance as well.
We want to promote a feeling of community. We
have one room that has been designated as the
community room, and we have a bench made out
of a rree that is just inside the door where people
can sit around and visit. That essence of
community is very central to the reality of the
co-op.
"We have a.water cooler, one of the
old-fashioned ceramic ones, that is filled with
spring water from up in the mountains, so the
co-op is also the watering hole."
The co-op also took a concrete step to help
people get through the recession. In line with
their policy of providing oosic foodstuffs at the
cheapest possible prices, the co-op in January cut
the mark-up on all the beans and grains in the
store to just above cost. Again, It was a question
of finding a balance.
,
"Right now in this co-op and in many
n:llural food stores and co-ops around the country
there arc a lot of packaged. fluffy foods that none
of us really need. but which we have become
used to," said Barb. "It's the fluffy alternative to
the products the supcnnarkets have. We have 10
answer that, so we stock them.
"People can choose whether or not they
want those expensive items. But the things they
need to live on will be here, and they will be
affordable."
But the co-op has also made a commitment
to quality. "Most of our produce is organic. so it
is somewhat higher-priced than produce a, the
supermarket," Bnrb explained. "We are adamant
about maintaining our support of the organic
fanning industry, so that it can c90tinue 10 grow
and flourish. To Mthdrawoursllpport ts&ause
I
conventional food is cheaper would oo 10
compromise our commitment 10 pure food.''
The co-op is moving forward. The group
is excited about the changes enabling them to
better carry out their original purposes.
tl'ltS . .ts,-it
.
GREG OLSON
211 Stoney Knob Rd.
Weaverville, NC 28787
(704) 658-0834
"In designing environmental homes, I am
basicaUy looking at three levels of impact," says
Greg Olson. "I try 10 minimize impacts on the
environment by designing homes that are
energy-efficient and rely heavily on alternative
energy sources. I try to look out for the
environment by using materials that have as linle
negative impact as possible in their production
and use. And then I pay attention to the health
impacts, which include things like electricity,
water quality, and how different spaces wi1hm
the house nre going to be used."
· Greg is an al1em:uive home designer who
is presently doing a brisk business planning and
overseeing the construction of environmentallyconscious shelters in 1he Katuah Province.
"My sole criteria for taking on work is
whether the people want an energy-efficient
home." he says. ''l don't look at the size of 1he
project, the money involved, or the building
f
"!i
,
r
•
, .....
, ~le. Jt could be an exciting project, btlt if it
looks like its not geared toward energy efficiency
I refer them 10 someone else.
'rrhe work I've been doing has varied
widely depending on the conditions of the site,
and the budget and desires of the people who arc
building the house. I have done passive solar
homes with solar water heating lhat is backed up
by power from the grid. I have done a middleground system that utilizes a solar-and-wood
system for healing and cooling. Right now I'm
working on a large house now that is completely
off the grid. All the electticity is produced by
phocovoltaic panels.
"lam constantly looking for materials that
are environmentally benign. That type of question
is constantly coming up: in doing the plumbing
should we use polybutylene or copper?
Polybucylene is a plastics product; but making
metal; whether it's siccl, a.lumitium, or copper, is
also nn intenseprocess;, •
J
J;tf
"We've dealt some \\ith the effect of
electromagnetic fields created by house wiring.
Where people want it, we've staned using
shielded cable lo neutralize that effect.
"We have also gotten to the point that we
don't use any plywood or any materials with
urethane binders unless it's absolutely nece.~sary.
"Contradictions are always coming up
between the levels of impact Insulation, for
instnnce, fulfills a very important function in the
house. But for a long time the best foams were
extruded or impregnated with air by CFC's in the
manufacturing process. Now one company has a
foam that they say is not a CFC, but which is
probably something else equally bad.
"Right now we are investigating setting up
a d~ership io the .area for air-enttaine.d.coocn::1e,
Vthicti ~s concn:te thal is,ini.vlaced.b>'.h.lvioa air
forced through it. That will llCl as a Sll'Ucrural
material and an insulating material at the same
time.
''The solar products are another example.
They are extremely helpful in their operation, but
as far as their original materials, they all have
their setbacks. Photovoltaic panels or copper
collector plates have a ttcmendous manufacturing
impact While the copper in a solar collector is
never going to return all the energy lhat was put
into it during the manufacturing process, it's still
better than just burning the energy.
"We're pursuing it all the time, but there is
also the cost factor: how much can we do on the
owners' budget?"
Greg says that there seems to be an
increasing concern about energy-efficient
building, perhaps generated by the war in the
l\1iddle F.ast. "My business all comes by word of
mouth; I don't advertise. Thar helps, because
people that seek me out are already thinking in a
certain way. It helps to filter my work out,
Nevenheless, I've been extremely busy.
"It's really picked up in the last year. We
are a culture that responds 10 crisis, and I thinlc
recent evenlS have been staning people to wonder
where their energy is going to come from."
Greg also teaches n class at UNCA called
"Environment, Design, and Solar Energy."
His business (and the rock-reggae band he
played wilb) was originally called "One Straw."
He doesn't use the name anymore, but he says
that be is still drawn to the quo1e in the book by
Masanobu Fukuoka from which lhe name
originated:
"With this single straw, I, by myself, will
begin a revolution."
.
�wltich are often indistinguishable, all are closely
clustered around the Gorge.
It is a vigorous athletic and cultural life
they share. In the same week on the Nantahrua
aaasoBElB oooosa BB BBB BeooBooooo
0
River, after wearing one's self out rafting,
c
biking, hiking, or rock-climbing, one could
spend the everting at a poetry reading, a loud rock O
Of Success and the River
c
'n roll pnrty, a modern dance workshop, a lecture ~
o
by a prominent nature writer, dining at a fancy
o
g
restawant, or .auending a friendly get-t0gether in o
The river staned it all. When Horace
c
one of the Center's private cabins.
gHolden bought the isolated motel on the
c
ln Payson's view of that enlightened
o Nantahala Falls, it had no profits and no future, g
community, it would be unfair to the Staff and the o only a good location on the river. Holden and
c
company alike to have anytlting less than full
Payson Kennedy provided the vision the location c
participation - economic and political, as well as o needed; they turned the location into a thriving g
professional and social. He first proposed the
o business and the NOC into a recreation industry o
employee stock ownership plan at a staff meeting g legend.
c
in January, 1987. The plan was at first rejected o
The best tribute to success is imitation, and g
by the employees.
"'I now 15 rafting companies crowd the banks of the o
0
Why would workers initially cum down a g Nantnhala. There would be more if the Forest
share in the profits and policy management of
o Service bnd not stepped in to limit the burgeoning g
their company and a greater measure of control of o whitewater industry on the river.
~
their day-to-day lives? The answer lies to a great ~
Whereas a total of 1.200 people rode the g
extent in the nature of the NOC and its staff.
o river in the NOCs first season, now more than 0
The raft-guiding and recreational work in o 6,000 people run the Nantahala on one good
o
which the Outdoor Center specializes requires
Saturday. In the 1990 season over 200,000
great expertise that comes from rigorous training o people took the river trip. The Nantahala is
g
and long practice - especially at the NOC. which o known as the most crowded rafting river in the o
rakes great pride in the excellence of its
gcountry.
o
programs. Thus. many of the Outdoor Center
o
The river continues to now along,
g
employees are highly skilled athletes, who could o seemingly unpenurbcd by all this uproar. But the o
easily find a job in other pans of the country.
g high rate of traffic is affecting the river. John
and often do. Recreational work is seasonal and o Burton, the president of the Nanw.hala Ourdoor g
is traditionally low-paying. Those who are
c; Center, says, "Up until five or six years ago,
c
attracted to it are willing to accept the lower
g resource degradation wasn't a serious concern in
wages because of their love for the work and the o my mind, but now it is. Human traffic along the
free-wheeling lifestyle it affords. Although the
o banks has been degrading the banks and wearing o
Outdoor Center is fortunate in having a strong
them away. People are trampling vegetanon that
core group of more than 70 people who have
o is needed to st0p erosion and exposing the roots 0
been on the staff for more than JO of the
c of trees. And there is the inevitable liner from the o
crowd and the cars that pass by on the two-lane
company's 18-year history (an unusual
percentage in that demanding business), many of o road that runs alongside the river."
0
0
the NOC employees are young and transient,
And surely the constant disturbance caused c
coming for one summer or only during cenain
by the high rate of river traffic is affecting the
times of the year. Even of the employees wbo
o aquatic habitat
0
consider the Nantahala area t!ieir ho~. a good . g
. c
number rake several months m the winter to "ski O
Ten years ago the NOC, aware of their
g
bum" or cravel.
o effect on the river, tried unilaterally to limit their c
O company's growth.
As a result, many of the Nantahala staff did
o
not want to risk their small salaries on stock
"All we did," said John Burton, "was to
investment and were wary of the long-tellll
o put a couple of competitors in business real fast, o
commitment and responsibility to the company
and we didn't do anything to limit the growth of a
that ownership requires. They were completely O the rafting business. Therefore, we felt we were g
happy to do what they did best and leave the
o undermining our own purposes, and we haven't c
hassles of management to the businesspeople
g tried that again."
o
hired for that job.
Being such a mnjor player, the NOC
g
0
Company president John Bunoo said, ''To o cannot suggest overall limitations on river us~ it o
many of these people, 'commitment' meant doing ~ would seem as if they were trying to monopolize c
the best job possible while they were here. To
O their own strong position on the river. Control is
Payson, it meant a long-term commitment 10 the o left up to the Forest Service, which limits only o
company. That was essentially the gap I h:id to
g the number of companies that can operate on the o
bridge."
0 river each season and mruces no attempt to
Burton was fonnerly a securities analyst
o regulate the size of those companies.
o
for the Philadelphia National Bank, as well as a g
"It's not the number of people who use the o
dedicated canoeist and one-time member of the
O river," said Ranger Bill Lea, ''it's the kind of
US Olympic canoe team. He understood the
o people who use the river that makes the
o
g difference."
o
problem from both sides. The KSOP
compi:omise was ms ~rainchild. 1ne plan's mix O
But o~ summer Sarurdays, the rafts come g
!)f opt!onaJ membership, and the handsome
o down, one nght after the other. River rafts are o
mcennve offered, seems to have met the needs of g not as deadly as dioxin, but the "invisible hand" 0
the NOC staff; 70% of those eligible are now
g
O of free enterprise is slowly choking the
member stockholders.
o NantahaJa.
o
O
Because of the closeness of the
a
community, the Outdoor Center's KSOP plan is
necessarily a social experiment as well. The NOC au sos uo oeeaeeeonooo Bes noooooa
is more like a rambunctious tribe than a
corporation, but in practical tenns that means that
g
THENANTAHALAOUTDOOR
CENTER
41 US Highway 19 West
Bryson City, NC 28713
(704) 488-6737
Rural Swain County is an unlikely place
for a phenomenon. But it is here, beside a low
waterfall on the Nantahala River, that a wildly
diverse crew runs the Nantahala Outdoor Center
(NOC), purveyor of rafting and outing
adventures and the corporate headquarters for an
operation that grossed $8 million in 1990.
The NOC is well-known in business
circles as a recreation-business success story. In
1972 when Payson and Aurelia Kennedy first
started the operation, everyone was waslting
dishes, and Saturday's profitS were spent
Monday morning for new paddles or life
preservers. The Center now comprises a
sprawling complex of three restal!Illnts, cabins,
an outfitter's store, and a fleet of buses, plus
outposts on four other rivers in the region. The
NOC employs 350 staff people at the height of
the summer rafting season and even sends
voyagers to exotic places such as Nepal, the
Grand Canyon, and New 2.ealand on an
Adventure Travel tour program.
But one of the most outstanding features of
the NOC is not noticeable 10 visitors coming 10
ride the river: the company is in the process of
transferring ownership into t.he bands of an
association of its workers.
It is a difficult process, and NOC staff
people are candid in speaking of its benefits and
t~ drawbacks. On paper what is happening is
this: the employees of the company are carrying
out a gradual and friendly buy-out of the outside
investors' interest in the NOC. An Employee
Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) now owns 50%
of the shares of the company stock. Workers are
gradually buying into the plan through what is
called a "40l(k) provision," which gives them the
opuon of deferring 5 to 8% of their salary 10 buy
stock. Whatever they set aside, the company will
match at a rate of 50 ccntS on the dollar for stock
purchase. Because of the 40 I(k) provision, the
NOC employees cal1 their hybrid stock
ownership plan a "KSOP." According to the
plan, the KSOP will have vinually complete
control of the company by 1998.
The KSOP is a compromise plan, the result
of several years of often intense discussions. The
idea that the Outdoor Center should be
employee-owned came first from founder Payson
Kennedy. From the beginning, Payson conceived
the ~antahala Outdoor Center, not solely as a
~usme;,s venture, but as a community of
like-mmded people. That community is alive and
~ppeniog _in once-isolated Swain County.
River-running and the outdoor life are the
community's Stock in trade, but more
i!flponantly, they are the foundation of a way of
life that the Outdoor Center shares with its paying
guests.
The staff live closely together. More than
100 NOC employees consider the environs of the
NantahaJa River as home, and the Cen1cr
provides ~bin space for the summer employees,
so that durmg both working and leisure times,
xawah Journm J>CUJC 18
g
g
g
°
°
°
g
g
g
g
g
g
g
g
g
5
g
g
g
g
g
(continuod on psgc 19)
8pri.tUJ, 1991
�the KSOP member/staff have to hve with the
results of their decisions as a company day in and
day OUI.
The NOC executive officers worked hard
10 be sure that the decision for cooperative
ownership was made by consensus. But the idea
came from the top and the transition is being
managed by the company officers.
The plan is 10 gradually tum political as
well as financial control over 10 the KSOP
members.
"We want it to mean that the KSOP
members on the staff are actively involved in
policy decisions, big picture kinds of decisions,
directional decisions... " said John Bunon.
The KSOP's power to vote in board of
directors' elections is allocated democratically on
the basis of "one member. one vote" (rather than
on the economic basis of one vote per share). The
KSOP controls half of the company's 16,000
shares of stock. That block of 8,000 shares is
voted proportionally according to the wishes of
the people in the KSOP.
"We seek consensus at every tum, if we
can. We take it as far as possible in that
direction," said John. "What the people in the
KSOP are learning is that it is in their interest to
be unanimous. lf they act as a unit they can
control the board of directors. We have board
~ectio~s every year. The politics are getting very
interesnng."
But beyond participation in the election of
the Board of Direccors, the traditional function of
stockholders in any corporation, the KSOP is not
set up to participate in policy decisions. The
group has no structure and no independent
leadership. Meetings are still called by the
top-level management in the company hieran:hy.
With characteristic candor, John said, "It's
up to the leaders of the company to nunure the
leadership of the KSOP, whether that means
putting together a social council or actively calling
meetings that are run by different folks.
"The lesson we've learned this first year is
that it takes active effort to get this KSOP group
involvcd...lt takes someone 10 call the meeting. If
the meeting doesn'c get called, then the issue
doesn't get discussed. It's a demanding process,
and we have a lot 10 learn about how to do iL"
The Nantahala Outdoor Center is a
dynamic place, and the transition to worker
ownership is dynamic as well. It is closely
scrutinized and widely discussed in very practical
and non-idealistic terms, signs of a healthy
democracy. John Bunon thinks that the KSOP
will be able to develop its own identiry and rise to
the challenges of leadership.
"If for no other reason," he said, "the
employees are beginning to come around to it
beca~se they are wondering why they have been
working as hard as they have for someone else's
profit."
GREEN SPIRITS:
KATUAH PROVINCE VEGETABLE PLANTING CALENDAR
Developed by Lee Barnes (1/10/91)
Based on an a"crnge 160day frost-free period a~ adapled from Jeavons et aL 1983, NCAES 1978 and others.
For high elevation or shoner frost-free period, start two to three weeks later for spring planting
and two to three weeks earlier for late plantings.
START INDOORS
February I
Cool season plants - broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, kale
Wann season plants - tomato, pepper, eggplant
SEED IN GROUND
TRANSPLANT TO SOIL
Win~er Chores - Soil ccsc, lime, prune trees and berries, 1urn compost,
IUm in cover crops one month prior to planting.
March 1
Most annual herbs, spinach, annual flowers.
mosc perennial seeds
April 1
<or when ground tl'mpernturcs are greater than
40-45° F. at 4 inches in depth)
Cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, squash, leaf INtuce
Beets, chard, po1a1oes, peas, turnips, radishes,
lenuce, bare-root fruit trees and berries
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard,
spinach, onions
Beans, carrots, corn, potatoes, radishes, beets,
turnips, squash, Cucumbers, Swiss chard
(Best after soil temperature is 65° F. at four
inchesdup)
Cucumbers, eggplant, melons, okra, peppers,
squash, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins
Beans, corn, field peas, potatoes, New Zealand
spinach, radishes, cucumbers
Cucumbers, melons, squash, tomatoes
Beans carrots, corn, potatoes. squash,
cucumbers, collard greens
Cucumbers, late t0ID3tocs
May 1
'(or when ground temperatures are greater than 60"
F. at 4 inches in depth)
(wail for soil lo warm, tra11splants require 2-6
weeks to grow to s11fficic11t siu)
June 1
July 1
Brussels sproutS
July 15
Broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, kale,
Mustard
August IS
Fall greens, radishes, lenuce, turnips, rutabagas
Radishes, letruce
Fall cover crops - winier rye, clover, buckwheat
Broccoli. Brussels sprouts,
cauliflower, leuuce, kale, mustard
cabbage,
Fall _Chores - Soil 1es1, plant clover crops. remove and compost garden refuse, lime (if needed),
tum m phosphorous and rock phospha1e/granitc sands.
Spn!UJ, 1991
Jeatu(lf1 Journnt J>G9C 19
�(These nre the wolds oC n tt:ldition:il Cherokee medicine person.)
"Vll,LAGE ECONOMY"
It was like the whole tribe was the torso of
the body of the people, and the clans were like
the extremities. The extremities did everything
they could to suppon the torso. :That was their
purpose. If the Wolf Oan was like the right
hand, !he Twisted Hairs would be the left hand
But the purpose of each of them was to suppon. 1
the torso, and the torso's purpose as a collective
body was to suppon the Grea1 Life.
The old pe0ple saw themselves as
caretakers. They used to say that they were the
first people on the Earth, and they were plnced
here to be caretakers - to keep the spiritual,
natural balance. We have the abiliry with our
~onsciousness to hook into the Great One, which
1s...l don't know what it is, maybe it's the spirits
of _all living things put together...and 1hey felt that
being caretakers was pan of our purpose, Like a
bcar's purpose is one thing, a deer's purpose is
another, and an oak tree's purpose is another
~ch_ thing is put here for a purpose. The Gre~t
Llf~ IS made up of trillion.s of beings, great treesl
• tu,tmy oolls, fllld; the .function of encll of those
individual llves.isto suppontheUfe:\lach in its!
own way.
. . The human way of supporting the Great
Life JS through our spiritual consciousness. We
were spiritually conscious of other living spirits
Like ~imals_. birds, and trees. No1 all the people'
were lake this, of course, bu1 people in general
were, and the people who weren't, understood it.
We we~n't domestica1ed by individualism and all
those things that are pan of the dominant culture
today. '!bat's why this society has a problem. It's
so mulu-<:ultured, that people don't have the same
h~ and the same mind. Everybody's doing
thetr own damn thing.
I
During those times, life was village life and
everyone saw lhe people they lived with every
day. ~hen visitors came through, they would
stay tn the town-house, and there would be a big
pot of food out there. Everybody would
contnbute to ?1at pot of food, so that strangers or
anybody connng through could have something
to eat. That was the people's attitude: their culture
was an extended family.
Generally, anybody in the tribe could go
alone out in the woods and take care of
themselves. The younger ones might have some
tr0uble, bur most people could. The women were
exi><:n at gathering; they probably were beuer
survtvors than the men.
And then a family, an extended family
would also take care of itself. The old peopte'
who raised the children. The uncles taught the
children. And while the old ones and maybe
some of the n:iother's clan ~le were taking
cnre _of the _c~ildrert, th~ mamed couple would be
making a livmg, fanning and hunting.
They had individual gardens, also clan
Xatuah ,aurnaL pnge 20
gardens, and there was a community garden.
They had storage places in the village to keep
food for those who needed it. Some of the
storage bins were built up on poles. Another kind
~ a small pole log structure that was sealed
~th mud to keep the rodents out. Com was put
10 there, and people were assigned 10 check it
~m. time to time to see if the critters were getting
IOIO ll
The white man Henry Timberlake when
he first came into the village of Echota the early
1700's! estimated a population of close to 2,000,
and said there w_ere something like 6(). to 70,000
bushels of com 1n storage. That was his estimate.
That was western attitude. Even if it wasn't that
much, it obviously was considerable.
i;
Most o_f th~ time every pan of the tribe, as
well as the mbe ttself, was self-sufficient But if
a family got in trouble, if they had their crops
washed out by a flood or something, 1hey would
first appeal 10 their clan for help, and then other
clans would ju~t naturally volu~teer to help,
beca~se the philosophy at that ume, which has
drasnc/¾P.-.r,pb,qn'i¢. w~ ~U)~ 'YI;~, !,!le helpless.
1,1µ1d !he ~1a firsi.. -l3ack,qi.c11 spjlii11g e.ni:I .giviµg
sniff' away was well 1ooked upon. Those people
who were the most generous showed their
commi~ment to the tribe and were given power.
The chief was the poorest person in the tribe, but
the smanest. However, that doesn't exist any
more. In today's society hoarding sruff and
amassing wealth is well looked upon. The old
way was son of nice, but it doesn't deal very
well with capitalism.
Food wasn't bought or sold inside the
tribe. Food or hides may have been offered in
exchange to people who could make beautiful
craflS or weapon-makers who knew how to make
really good arrows or blow guns, but no one had
10 buy food to keep from going hungry.
~ei:i. someone ,creates something, they put
power mto ll. h doesn t mancr what ii is. At the
very lcas1, one puts in their life/time. U someone
makes a flu1e, their intent is for the flme to play
and to free you up inside. You may not get that
out of the flute, but at the very least you get six
hours of their life • they put that much of the11
power into t~t object. They have put their full
10tent, all their experience, everything. into that
flute. Thar flute has power, and we recogni:ze
that.
. . We put power into everything we do. If we
do _11 _10 a bad heart, then .ii has bad power If we
do 11 1~ a good hean and 1n a loving way. maybe
say a httl~ prayer, then the power is a good thing.
If~ are Just neutral, if we just do it without
pumng anything into it, then it's not a craft it's
not a skill, it's just a repetitive motion.
'
. . Bae¥ then people saw that giving a gift was
g1v10g their power, so they didn't wait around for
admiration. They'd drop off a flute at someone's
front door, and that would be it. It was obvious
when a gift was given.
Some people were more skilled than
others, and it was a fine thing to get a gift from
someone who was very skilled. But the gift that
was the best was one into which some person
~ad put all their ~can. It _di~'t have to be good,
tf they put all their heart 10to u, then it was a
highly prized gift and would probably miss the
gambling exchange.
Betting and gambling was a wonderful
way of exchange. The men would play the
chunky game. It was definitely a macho game
probably the only macho game we had. One '
person would roll a round chunky stone and two
other men would be standing on either side with
spears with little red marks on them. They would
throw the spears underhanded and sec who could
ger the red mark closest to the stone. It required a
Lot of skill.
They would play right in the village
~uarc, big old males strun.ing around downtown
in front of the court.house. It was kind of like the
pool haIJ where the men could get 10gether and
talk rough.
They wouldn't bet food, just possessions:
crafts, weapons, things that they had taken from
other Indians, or trade goods. They would stand
there and throw down their bows and arrows
their loincloths. They would stand there naked
betting, and then try to calk a guy into betting ~o
or three days work in the cornfield. They would
always pay off, 100, because back then a
person's word was everything.
In lhe tribe auention was most important.
~e. cullu:e was built that way. Our way of
ra.1smg children wasn't to hit them, but to praise
~em when ther did well, and lO ignore them or
give them nothmg when they did wrong. So if
you were good in the chunky game or were a
" w81l}ol'1and did ~ t deeds, tllen you we~
admiicd lf you were a good fanm:r then you
~ere admired. But if you messed up, you were
ignored. The worst punishment was to be thrown
out of the tribe. Many people committed suicide
when that happened to them, when they lost that
connection with the tribe.
Although the tribe was self-sufficient, the
Chero~ees loved 10 trade. Some people think of
the Indian tribes as being isolated. but that isn't
true. The Cherokees could trade with anybody
from New York all the way to Florida and all
along the Mississippi and all the way along the
coast Everybody spoke the same trade language.
h was ~I~ the Choctaw trade language, and it
was a p1dgm version of Choctaw. All tl1e Indians
spoke it instead of using a sign language.
The P,crokee never actually used a
~ncy, like money. Everything was done
stnctly by baner. They used to make a lot of trips
to the coast to get "black drink" (a decoction
made from the leaves of yaupon holly - ed.),
shells, feathers and items like that, but what they
really loved was the dried root of the Venus
fly-trap, because it was considered an incredible
fishing chann, and all the fishermen would use it.
And then maybe they'd bent up a few Tuscaroras
on the way back from the beach, because that's
just the way the Cherokees were.
We had good flint deposits over in
Tennessee. and we may have carried that for
trade. We might have done some business with
soapsrone. We had soapstone here to trade. We
would trade mica to ihe northern Indians.
The Cherokee might have gouen turquoise
and stuff like that from the Chociaws and the
Chickasaws to the west. We traded horses with
the Chickasaws, who lived along the Mississippi
Sprtm.,, I 991
�On Eco-economics
by David Haenke
Instead of endwing a meaningless job to gei the
money IO buy necessities, real work should involve our
efliciClll production or bllSIC needs, or our dilcct
involvement in their procurement - e.g., by J)311icipaling
as wor.ting members or cooperatives. In an ccocconomy, the formal "work weclc" wherein we labor for
money might drop IO 20 hours or less.
The ec:o-«onomy would run as much as possible
on solar energy, just IIS cco-sysu:ms run entirdy on solar
gain. Jt would mnke judicious use of "capital" ~ources.
such as fossil fuels, which are used according 10 lhcir
most efficient application as in Ille "soft energy path.•
Basic cco-«onomics means doing the following
10 the giealCSl extent possible:
River around Memphis, because the Chickasaws
were lhe great eastern horsepeople - like the
Sioux or the Plains Inruans. They were
absolutely incredible horsemen, and 11\~y w~re
great allies of the Cherokee. The two tnbes Just
loved each other, God knows why. A whole
village of Cherokees would move over and live
by a Chickasaw village for a year. Then 11\e
Cherokees would go back home, and the next
year the Chickasaws would show up and live by
the Olerokee village for a year.
ArchaeologistS have discovered things in
Cherokee mcdjcine bundles that were found only
in South America. That shows 1he extent of their
trade and their communication. They weren't
isolated from one anoilier.
When 11\e white people moved in and
m.fluenced the Cherokee, they staned trading for
productS. They would trade bushels of com,
He jusL didn't fit in.
The couple left for two weeks. While they
were gone, their house burned down, a.nd it was
rumored that someone had done it on purpose to
get nd of him. They came back, and his wife was
so sad 1ha1 they had lost their house, that the
community got together and built them a new one
nnd just put up with the man.
That's an old Labor Brigade story.
The tribe was self-sufficient in every way.
The tribe satisfied the basic needs of human
beings. One of those needs is community. We
have a need for community that comes from
tribalism. On the intimate level people filled that
need through the extended family; on another
level, it was fulfilled through communal
ecrcmony, which was one of the foundations of
their culture.
dried pumpkin, deerskins, probably chestnuts,
They had feast days or holy days at
and ginseng to the western people, and 11\ey got
important times during the year. The feast days
teehnology in return. The clan system gradually
were held to celebrate the blessing of the com or
turned into a capitalistic system, but they sill!
ceremonial occasions Like lighting the fire or
maintained the community gardens for a long
putting the fire out, bu1 they were also a
time, until (Chief John) Ross created an elaborate connection people made with each other. The
central government that could tell someone what
people would get together, there would be betting
to do, and the government started a tribal fund and gambling, the exchange of goods. and people
money, y'know. IL son of worked its way over
would undoubtedly share some genes around at
from the baner system to capitalism, but at the
those big gatherings, and at the same time they
same time the Cherokees have always felt loyal to shared the spirit around the tribe.
"the torso," the body of the tribe, although
It was the cement that held the culture
·occasionally it's been pretty sick. Today the
together. When that started crumbling, it was real
tribe's like everything else in the world tough. But remnan1s of it still exist. You can still
everything's got cancer.
see it here and there: the Labor Brigades, people
The Cherokee Labor Brigade, which was
helping each other out, or sometime you might
going strong up into this generation, was a
hear somebody talking ihe old way. things like
remnant of the time when everybody lived in the
that.
village, and the clans were like the extremities of
Today we have less ceremony in our lives.
the body supponing the torso. The people of the
We need certain kinds of ceremonies. If we don't
Labor Brigade would get together on Saturdays
have them. we create them, because ceremonies
and go to the house of somebody who needed
are very imponant to human beings.
help, like an old person who needed firewood
Everything's a fonnula. When you're
split or someone who needed their roof fixed.
making a little cake. you go by the formula. You
they would all pitch in nnd do the job and then
need some flour from the field, eggs from a
have a big pot-luck. Nowadays it's only some of
chicken, some honey, and then the last thing is
the older men who still do it, but it's a part of that' some heat, which makes it change from five
culture, maybe it'll come back.
different things into this one sweet little brown
J beard a story once. There was a
thing, a cake. It's no longer an egg and some
half-breed married to a full-blooded woman.
flour - but it is. h 's made up of a!J those partS.
They lived in Birdtown a long time ago, like in
Everything's formulistic. There is a
my grandfather's time. He was a drunk and lived
fonnula for our way of living. We need the com,
in this community where nobody drank. Whether
we need the honey, we need the ceremonies, they
they were Baptist or traditional or what, they
are all the raw materials. The fire is our
didn't believe in his drinking. They thought it
spirituality, which heats il and makes our cultuIC
was a bad thing. He was a rowdy person, too.
the way it is.
~
'
Sprtng, 1991
.....
Drawing by Rob Lcvcrcu
•Participate In, invest in, and support local,
ecologically responsible production by locally owned.
opcralCd, and con1.rol1ed entctprises.
•Buy, trade, and consume locally/ regionally
produced goods and services.
•Keep resources, capital, and energy at home;
plug leaks.
•Use solar energy and other •renewable" energies
and resources..
•Be radically efficient in the use or nonrenewable
resources.
•Practice intense cooscrvat.ion and efficiency in oil
sectors.
•Do full-scale -- 90 to 1ooi.. -- recycling,
utilitiog local/regional enlelpriscs.
•Pay true. CCQlogically audited costs: intemalizc
"externalities". It may hurt now. but it will pay off lalu.
•Wodt coward a fonnol or informal local/n:giona1
trading sy~tem o.r cumney.
•Support a humane and socially responsible
economy.
•Do not support businesses that pollute Ot destroy
the cnvironmcnl.
•Wherever humanly possible. do not buy from
national or multinational corporations or their
subsidiaries.
Each localily, region, biorcgion oc stnte should
have an up-to-daie dat.nbase on what is being sold and the
ownership of the company selling, within its bounds.
This infonnation should be furnished IO the public so
lhat people can choose a tocallrcgional allCmlllive where
possible. Development of economic altem:uivcs 10
national and l18nSrultional companies should be a focus oC
each regioru
Lee every economic act be ecologically conscious.
�THOUGHTS ON WORK, PRODUCTIVITY, AND
DEVELOPMENT:
UNRAYELLING THE MYTH OF 'THE FREE MARKET"
The refrain has become all too familiar.
environmental proiection means loss of jobs. we are told,
and if we would only let the corporate "£tee market"
[unction without interference. lhen everylhing would
magically work out for lite best. The "invistble band" of
lhe market •aulOJ'llatically" mainlllins economic balance,
we arc assured, and competition keeps prices low and
SWldards high, as well as providing mucb·occdcd "jobs."
Our economic difficulties :uc lhcrefore lhe result of lOO
much regulation, not 100 liu!c; we are simply not letting
the system function properly...
Of course, !hero is some trulh to lhese assertions but not very much. If "mnrlcet fon:es• are reaUy th:11
benevolent, lhen why are lhey (we) creating many
lecllnologics and coosumption pauems which are bolh
socially and ecologically destructive. Why is energy
conservation seen as somehow benealh us? Why is our
society fallmg apan at lhe seams? (Wasn·1 it largely lhe
DE-regulation of lhc 80's lhat led to outrageous financial
excesses of every description - !he • gxced is good"
memality which, we're now learning, we're going to be
P3ying for over seveml dcc:ldes?) Why do most peoples'
"jobs" consist of boring, unfulfiUing work which, more
often Lhan 1101, has a dctrirnenlal effect . ranging from
slight to tremendous - on our world and our lives? We
need onJr /l)Fk ~l.!!Jc,P.:_9Jl:l~.w01"Jna in ~Pll!l~
indUSlry, Or ~..
"!9rkiria \lfilh~Jhcu U~_.,_, JU\j I J
"military-industrial complex· and ilS off!hoots, or all !he
common household products - solvenlS, painis, delClgel\b,
aerosols, polishes, etc. - whose creation simulUlllcou.~ly
createS a multitude of toxic industrial by-products, and
which are oflCII luu:ardous or toxic themselves...
Oearly, theie is something very wrong with a
socio-economic system which rapidly undermines social
cohesiveness ond destroys the very resources upon which
our supposed "prospctity" depends! The manic. or
mMliacal - functioning of our present economy reminds
meofthoseold canoons III which lhc "hero" is silting on
a high tree branch nnd is vigorously sawing lhrough it on lhe side closer to the trceJ Or lhttc's the classic
comedy routine in which the "hero" is sawing a circle
wound hunsclf in the !loor and soon completes it - only to
fall through to the !loor below. In both c:iscs, lhc end
result of all that hard work is 1111 unforsocn disaster though anyone eV\:11 remotely aware of reality could !rive
forcsccn iL These comedy routines arc funny precisely
because !he coming dis:ister IS so complctcly obvious yet when we promoo:: an economy that is leading 10
immincm social ond ecological disasw. we seem
oblivious to !he danger. Laughably, not only is it NOT
obvious 10 us, but most of u.~ mightily defend our "right"
10continue on the same "prolil:lblc" palh! But here we
should learn something from lhe C3rl00ns • or we will
continue sawing away until we and our environment are
dcsu'Oyai.
9f
···········
All around our nation and !he world, the struggle
10 save our environment and our societies is moving into
high ge3r • and the issue of'jobi' and ·productivity'
occupies a central pl.ice m this S11Uggle. In the Pacific
Nonhwes1, environmentlllists rue desperately trying to
save 111e spoucd owl and its habitat, lhe rcmnantS of
once-huge old-growth foresb, while angry loggers cloim
lh:u TIIEY are now •an endangered species", and logging
Xatuan JoumaL page 22
I
II
comp:inies claim to be patriotically serving vital
socio-economic needs. And in Norlh Carolina and many
other stales, obsessive road-building and "development" are
Cervenlly supponed by businessmen, cconom,stS, and
politicians (and, of course. !he developers}, on the
assumption lhat economic prosperity and job availability
depend on more roads and more rapid "growlh.• This trend
continues unsb:ued despirestrong evidence that lhc
prosperity thus gained is very shon-lived, if tndced the
•standard of living' for the locals - the actual inhabitants
- ever DOES rise appreciably.
The reality behind the dream of qu,ck, bsung
prosperity 1s this: once lhe p~pcrity boom
accomp:1nying !he initial devel0pmcnt and eonsuuclion is
o~r. the local inhabitanlS IISUa.lly tl1ld up getting shafted.
Most of lhc big money - from mnnufoc1uriog, rCJuals,
chain depatunent sl.OreS and superm:irkcls, and lhe glut of
fast-food rcslllUl'8lllS - is funnelled out of lhe kx:aJ area and
into lhe bank accoun1S oC distant corporations and
developers, while "!he locals" are left to race the tong-term
prospect of menial "setVice jobs" and socially and
ocologicatly disrupted lives.
TREND #1: Dcspitc intensive "development" and
an influx of new tcehnologics and induslrics over lhc Jr.ISi
IS yc.ars, Lhe "standard of livmg" of lhc average American
has ran,n durin9 that,J,lmc pi:\iOd, and feal income has
been steadily faJliog. ~p.y.is iltis l)CCwril)g?
TRF.ND 112: During' th,s same period lhe richest
(and smallest) segment of the American populllcc has
go11C11 much richer, while lhe middle class and the poor
have goucn poorer. 11 ,swell.known lhat lhe reign of
"Frcc.-markct Rc:lg:inomics" (and its sequel,
"Bushonomics") has created more millionaires lhan any
previous "growlh decade.· The trouble is. II also created
mounlllins of debt. a horrendous banking crisis, many
more families and children living in povcny, and legions
or homeless and hopclc.ss pcoplc... lhc grim "dart. side" of
lhe supposedly unbiased, accessible. and
soctally-rcsponsive "free markcL •
QUESTION: Is the market rc3Uy "value- free." as
us proponents claim. and docs it really encourage
dcmocrauc paruc,pation and bcallhy socio-economic
divcr~i1y . or does its implicit value-prefcscnce for proli1 ;it
any price drhc the market (panicula.rly 111duj;Uy} to be
free of ethical considerations and compassion,
free to abusr the public lrUJ,I, and rree to
lgnort as many !IOCiRI and ecological
consequences :is po5.<>ible?
QUESTION: b it po:;s1ble I.hat the TRUTII
underlying lhe "free marke1" is I.hat it suppons a very
small. scff.3ppo1n1ed elite in ransacking our environment,
exploiting oilier people. and raking in vastly
disproportion:ue monetary rewaril'i? Docli our society
actually reward those who can most convincingly con
lite public 1010 bclieviog th!lt all lhi$ cxplo1tation :ind
"development" 15 for lheirown good and lhc good of lhe
country?
......•••.•.•....•••..•.......
The qucsuon or cnYIJ'Ollmenl:1.1 prcscrvauon vs.
"development" and jobs is without doubl a thorny one and it IS made even lhom,cr hy a multitude of dangCl'OU$
and unquc:suoned assumptions about the n31ure oC our
economic/ ecological re31ily. Such assumptions include:
I) lhc belief lhat environmellllll prot.ection IS the
prilll3J'}' factor behind job loss in industries such as lhc
by Richaro Lowenthal
wood produclS indllSlry, clcij>ite lhc fact that lhc true
culprits in MOST job loss are managerial greed and
callousness. industrial automation, corporate
"strcamliniog." and poor "resource managcmcnL •
2) !he belief th:lt endless extraction and
consumption of resoun:es is good for jobs and lhe local
economy, despite lhe fact th:lt when these resources are
dcple1ed !here me then NO rc1alCd jobs left m that area and the exuactors simply move on, leaving behind a
legacy or heightened monetaty ~tations and the
bitterness of a 'boom-tumcd-busL'
3} lhc belief lhat wori( and productivity must be
~ SOL.ELY hy amounts of Dlllterials e:ctraeted,
~ . and sold, and NEVER in terms of conscrvar.ion
or restoration of vital h:lbil:us. Due to lhis belief, we are
still reluctant to commit ourselves • and our money - to
ecologically-sound economic practices, and we stubbornly
refuse to fac10r into our economic accountmg lhe true
social and ecological cosu of our vaunted "free mar1ce1•
system.
4} lltebclieflhat pcoplearedcpendcnton the
"gcnerosil}'" of industry fa their jobs, :ind not on
themselves. the value of their own labor, or personal
involvement in lhcir communities.
S) the belief that del>-pite meaningless and
mcchanic:ll work. worker's "productivity" cnn be increased
solely by mtre3Slng 'll'agcs, WlTHOUT anyfac- in
workers' intete..u. involvcmcn1. or sntisfacuon.
......•.•................
The deeper problem th.at we a.re just beginning 10
confront is lhat we have crcrucd a 'cuhwc" based on mass
consumption and "!he consumer mentality.' When
maximum profit and consumption are our highest goals.
we of course seek only SHORT-TERM "efficiency" in our
extraction, production. and dlslribulion processes.. Under
lhe prime direcuvo or maximum profit and consumpuon,
·emcicm productivi1y• MUST mean producing the
grcaics1 amount of good.~ m lhe least possible time ot the
least possible cost • and lhen selling lhem al lhe gn:atcsl
price lhc market will bear, This kind of "productivity"
would more approprinlcly be called "dC5tructivity"; it
ignores long-term consequences. create.~ "needs" where
there were oonc, and trc.ats both naLUre and human beings
as objocL~ to be e:cptoilcd, u.,;cd up, and !hen forgo1tcn.
For most worlccrs, lhis ovat cxploillltion is 111en
·compensated" via insulllngly low monetary rewn.rds.
which nevcnheless enable~ to consume more goods·
which requires 111at we produce more, of course. The end
resuh • our REAL •gross 113lional product" - is a vic:ious
downw:ird spirnl of producc-scll-consume-lhrow away,
produce-sell-ronsumc-lhrow nway.• and n never-ending
"need" toc~ploit ond "develop" new areas once the old
ones :ue ei1haustcd or become "unproliwhle" in lhc eyes of
our Glorious God. the marketplace.
But now we have nowhere to move on 10, and our
113bnual ·rron1.1er· mcnlali1y no longer makes even
economic sense (ii NEVER mode sense ecologically).
The biosphere we live m is suddenly changmg - ,n our
human awareness - from a lim,tlc.s~ collection or
exploi1abte ·resources· 10 a fragile and endangered ecosystem w1lh limited "resource avnilabtlny." So now
something has 10 give, somclhing has to change in our
way of RELATING to lhe Earlh and all her divctSC
hfc.forms.
(conlinued on pegc 30)
Spr tng, 199 1
�..
• • t .
\ t
,!:\~
.
"
.. , &
••
... '
APPEAL HELPS BEE TREE
OUTSTANDING RESOURCE
WATERS
Nawn! World Ne..-. Service
Nanni World News Sc,vicc
The NC Division of Environmental
Management has reclassified 14 bodies of water
in the mountain region as OutStanding Resource
Waters (0RW). putting them under special
protection to maintain their high water quality.
The newly-listed 0RW's are:
South Toe River (Yancey County), Gipp
Creek (Cherokee County). Fires Creek (Clay
County), Cacaloochee Oeek (Haywood
County). Upper Nantahala River (Swain
County). Chattooga River (Macon County),
Henry Fork (Burke County). the Mitchell River
(Surrey County), Elk Creek (Watauga County),
the upper South Fork of lhe Mills River
(Henderson County). Wilson Creek (Avery and
Caldwell Counties). Jacob Fork (Burke
County). Upper Creek (Burke County), and
Steels Creek (Burke County).
Nominated for possible future 0RW
designation are Bearwallow Creek (Transylvania
County). the New River and its South Fork
(Waiauga and Ashe Counties), Panthertown
Creek (Jackson County), Garden Creek (Wilkes
County), and Bullhead Oeek (Wilkes County).
After a bitter fight, Alarka Creek (Swain
County) has been classified as a High Quality
Water (HQW), a body of water that is somewhat
protected. allhough not as stringently as the
0RW's (see KaJuah Journal #26). Toe Nonh
Fork of the Catawba River (McDowell County)
has been nominated for future inclusion as a
HQW.
Although 0RW status is supposed to be
strictly a matter of biological criteria, experience
has shown that designations are often swayed
by political considerations, so it would help
classification of creeks nominated for 0RW
status if interested people would write letters on
the behalf of the water bodies.
Any state resident can also request
reclassification of a water body as an 0RW or
HQW. The Division of Environmental
Management requires a detailed description of
the area suggested. an indication of the water's
quality, and a list of the special resources that
need prorection. The agency will send a list of
.the standards and regulations on request. Call or
write Suzanne Keene at the NC Division of
Environmental Management: Box 27687;
Raleigh, NC 276ll (919) 733-5083.
"SOMETHING STINKS"
N,nnl World New, Savice
Development is the first priority for the
town government of Highlands, NC. And if the
town government gets its way, Highlands will
spur development with a 500,000 gallon-pcrlU!Y sewage treatment plant along the Cullasaja
River.
Spri.n9, 1991
The Cullasaja is a Class B trout stream
and a spectacular scenic attraction. Toe river and
its unique attributes would be th.reatened by
presence of the plant. Presently a treatment plant
half the size of the proposed plant is dumping
effiuent into lakes below Highlands. Toe lakes
help somewhat to maintain the river, but the
quality of the Cullasaja is srill deteriorating,
according to aquatic biologist Dr. William
Mclarney. Toe new $5 million plant would
discharge below the lake druns and would
severely compromise the water quality
downstream.
The town of Highlands is cager to install
the plant - so cager that they were ready to begin
construction without an environmental
assessment or an environmental iropacr
statement. They publicized the project with
notices in the local Highlands paper and the
Asheville paper, but not in the Franklin Press
which might be read by county residents
downstream who would be affected by the
plant. Highlands Mayor John Cleaveland
explained their actions, saying that Highlands
has been paying more than its share of the
county taxes, and they should get to do what
they want with the river.
The NC Division of Environmental
Management (DEM) seemed to be abening the
move to rush construction of the plant: they
refused to hold a public hearing on the matter
until confronted by a petition bearing 2,082
signatures collected by county residents
organi7.cd by Peg Jones of CuJlasaja
Community.
Resident Lee Hollins summed up the
community's feelings about the way they had
been treated when he said, "Sewage stinks, but
in this case I smell something a lot worse, and
that's rotten politics."
The new treatment plant is much larger
than the present needs of the town of Highlands
require. Residents downstream know that a new
treatment plant would be an open door to more
development in the reson town. They arc not
willing to let the Cullasaja be polluted for the
sake of mon: condos, second homes, and golf
courses.
Those who want to speak out on behalf of
the Cullasaja River can write to the DEM at: Boit
27687; Raleigh, NC 27611.
To help the river preservation effon or
offer support, call Peg Jones of Save Our
Rivers, Inc. at: (704) 369-7877
In response to an administrative appeal by
the WeStcm Nonh Carolina Alliance (WNCA),
Regional Forester John Alcock of the US Forest
Service ruled that the proposed Bee Tree timber
sale in the Pisgah National Forest was in
violation of the Endangered Species Act and
ordered the Ranger district to make a complete
biological evaluation of the area.
The appeal victory will delay cutting on
Bee Tree and, the Alliance hopes. will compel
the Forest Service to gather complete
information about stands slated to be cut before
beginning logging.
The Regional Forester, however. denied
other arguments the Alliance tiad with the sale:
that the Forest Service was not considering a full
range of cutting alternatives, that they had not
made a complete analysis of the true cost of the
timber sale. that they were not ensuring safe use
of herbicides, and that the sale plan did not
follow the principles of sustainable
management
MAKING STUMPAGE
Nanni World News Savice
The US Forest Service National ForestS
in Nonh Carolina has announced that it is
raising its timber targets 18% for 1991 - from 63
million board feet to 75 million board feet for the
year.
This announcement came shortly after a
much-publicized declaration from the same
office to the effect that there would be less
clearcutting in the National Forests. When asked
how the Forest Service planned to cut back on
clcarcutting while simulatancously raising timber
targets, Forest Service environmental planner
Pat Cook said, "we will try to maintain our trend
towards less clcarcuning in proportion to the
total harvest."
Translated into ignorant (they hope) lay
people's terms, Cook's statement reads, "we're
not going to to do any less clca.rcutting, but we
are going to keep raising quotas so that it seems
like we'll be doing less clcarcutting."
Any other questions?
Onwlnc by Jim HOUS('r
A(atuah Journn! JXl9C 23
�SMOKEY EATS APPEAL
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Nawnl World News Se,,,icc
HEARINGS
1990 TIMBER LOSSES
REPORTED
Nanni World NcWJ Scrvlce
After a four year wait US Forest Service
Chief Dale Robenson finally responded to
objections lodged by the Wilderness Society to
the Land and Resource Management Plan
(LRMP} for the Cherokee National Forest. The
LRMP is supposed co guide agency management
practices for a 15 year period.
The objections were pr~ntcd as an.
administrative appeal. The Wtldemess Society
stated that the Forest Service was not fulfilling
its responsibility to maintain biological diversity
the Cherokee Nauonal Forest, was selling
timber below cost, and was not providing visual
beauty.
Under the National Forest Management
Act of 1976 the Forest Service is charged with
maintaining populations of native ~ies in .the
national forests. Many of these species reqUlre
old growth habitat. Forest Service plans to log
58 percent of the cove forest habitat in the
Cherokee would drastically reduce the amount
of old growth remaining and would also cut into
the supply of acorn mast that is vital to the
survival of many species of wildlife.
The Wilderness Society appeal also
pointed to the fact that below-cost timber sales
amounted to a public subsidy of the
deforestation of the Cherokee forestlands.
Tennessee senators Albert Gore and Jim Sasser
supported the point, saying in a Jetter to
Robertson that, "It makes little sense to
subsidize timber production on public lands in
the Southeast when the private lands provide far
and away the vast bulk of the timber used in the
region."
The Wilderness Society plans to pursue
its objections to the Cherokee Forest plan in
coun, as a civil lawsuit.
Narunl World News Service
What would you say if the government
asked you if you wanted nuclear weapons?
Well, for the first time in history, they're
asking...kind of.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is
sponsoring hearings to gather opinions on their
plans for building nuclear wenpons in the 21st
century. However. they are disguising the
hearings as "Programmntic Environmental Impact
Statement Scoping Hearings on the
Reconfiguration of the Nuclear Weapons
Complex." And, although the hearings are
supposed co be open to the public, the DOE is not
disclosing the dates.
But sometime between March 20 and July
31 hearings will be held in the 13 locations
where nuclear weapons are produced, including
Oak Ridge, TN. They will constitute the first
national referendum on nuclear weapons
production, and it is imponant that. despite the
obstacles, people make themselves heard.
For more infonnation and updates on the
times and locations of the hearings, write or call
Ralph Hutchison of the Oak Ridge
Environmental and Peace Alliance: Box l 101;
Knoxville, TN 37901 (615) 524-4771.
The US Forest Service (USFS) has
reponed the 1990 losses from its timber
extraction program in the Southern
Appalachians. As well as destr0ying the
old-growth forest habitat, the timber sales
accually cost the agency more money to set up
and carry out than they recoup from the price of
the stumpage. The difference is paid br t~e
taxpayers in what amounts to a roadbwlding and
habitat desttuction subsidy for the limber
industry.
In the national forests in North Carolina
the Forest SeTVice reponcd a loss of $2.0 I
million for the year. Georgia's national forests
came out slightly in the black, bringing in a total
profit of $233 thousand in the state, due to profit
made on the Ocoee National Forest. The
Chattahoochee National forest lost money.
However, in North Carolina and Georgia the
Forest Service keeps its tallies on a state-wide
basis and refuses to disclose totals for the
individual forests, so that the more profitable
national forests in the piedmont cancel out
somewhat the losses in the Appalachian national
forests.
In 1990 the USFS timber program in
Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest cost
taxpayers $654 thousand, and in Virginia's
Jefferson National Forest the timber program
lost $969 thousand last year.
"YOUR GOOSE IS COOKED"
...Then there are the hot geese of Oak
Ridge. According to the August (1990)
Scientific American, geese on the 35,000-acre
Oak Ridge Reservation have been detected wuh
up 103,950 picocuries of cesium-137 per gram
of breast meat. "In tenns of Christmas dinner,
just one pound would deliver almost 100
millircms, which is the generally accepted
standard for nnnual exposure."
Rrprinirdfrom IM Watrrn ,Vu.-tlt Carolina Alttatlt!c Acc:mt.
Foll.l9'm.
FI:'\E WITH ~lE
Nmir•I World Jl:ewi Sef\'1cc
Draw111g by Rodney Webb
The J.L. Todd Auction C.Ompany, a
Georgia-b;tSed lnnd developer, has nccn fined
S206.400 for violations of the NC
Scd1men1a1ion Pollution Control Act.
"lbi~ is a landmark penalty, the biggest
sedimentation pollution line in the history of
North Carolina, " said Don Follner of the :-;c
Depanmen1 of Environment, I lealth, and
Natural Resources (DEHNR).
The company was fined $103,200 for
violating the sedimentation act on a site in
Jackson County five miles north of the Qualia
Bound.iry on Route 19, and J.L. Todd, as
owner of the property and director of the
company was assessed an additional $103,200.
According lhe state DEHNR officials, the
violations occurred \\hen Todd built access
roads on a 10 acre tract (part of 1,000 acres he
owns in the area) that had been ;1uc1ioned off in
small parcels for residential development.
Richard Phillips of the DEi INR office in
Asheville said, "h's fairly serious due to the
large tract involved and the proximity Lo
!itrcams."
"I DON'T WANT TO SEE
NO ORV"
The US Forest Service (USFS) is
proposing a five-mile extension to an Off-R_oad
Vehicle (ORV) trail in the Nolichucky D1stnct of
the Cherokee National Forest near Greeneville,
TN. The extension would tie the area into an
"extensive net\,ork." of ORV trails, according to
a USFS spokesperson.
Other forest users feel that there is already
entirely too much ORV traffic in the area and
that the noisy vehicles are a grave thrc:u to
habitat. There have nlready been c.ornplaints
about the OR V's from hikers on the Appalachian
Trail and residents of the Shelton Laurel area
.
just over the Slate line.
As planned, the extension w~ld pas~
between two bear preserves, greatly increasing
access and rcsulting disturbance: in an atCfi .
where building up the black bear populauon is
supposedly a t0p priority. Bears ~hy away from
human intrusion.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency has already voiced objections to the
proposed trail. ·,:·he more activity ~nd the more
access you have m there, the less likely you are
to have a good bear population," said Ron
Saunders, a biologist with the agency.
C.Omments on the potential threat of
ORV's 10 wild habitat in the Cherokee National
Forest can be addressed to the forest
headquarters at: Box 2010; Oeveland, TN
37320.
Contpil,:d 111por1frqm a rcp(JII III lhe A!hc•illc C,ti1en.
Spn119. 1991
�SHELTON LAUREL
Natural World News
SPECIAL REPORT
"The trees are so high so the legend goes
They grow all the way to the sky.
And they were here before you were born
And they'll be here the day that you die."
Waltzing with the Mountains
Shelton Laurel is situated in nonhem
Madison county, near the Nonh
Carolina-Tennessee state line. Shaped by the
high ridges and cascading slopes, gently
forested and filled with the sounds of rumbling
branches and streams, it is a beautiful and rich
land, special to the people of the community.
Things have come a long way since the
first white settler in the Shelton Laurel area lived
in a hollowed-out poplar for a season until he
got his cabin built. The forests have changed:
the people, the streami;, the wildlife, the way of
life have all undergone tremendous change. But
it is still evidem that there are people living here
who love these mountains and don't want to see
things change too fast or change for the worse.
There a.re recreational areas used for
fishing, and hunting as well as rugged wild
places in the portion of the Shelton Laurel
watershed that is overseen by the US Forest
Service (USPS). Although these areas seem
serene, they are the subject of controversy· a
controversy between two different interest
groups: those who want to extract the wealth of
the forest and those who a.re interested in having
it remain whole.
This difference of interests goes back
many years, and it currently centers on the
evolving role of the Forest Service. The Forest
Service once was seen as the protector of the
woods. Now it is now seen as an agency
protecting a financial invesanent A life-long
resident of Shelton Laurel, Haze Landers,
remembers a time when the Forest Service
wouldn't let anyone take so much as a single
tree for firewood . "I thought they were set up to
protect the forest.", Haze said. Now, after years
of poor logging pmctices and below-cost sales,
he sees the Forest Service in a different light:
"They don't love these mountains. If they did,
they wouldn't treat 'em this a'way."
The folks in Shelton Laurel have plenty of
other reasons besides poor timbering practices 10
dislke the Forc:.t Service. Back in the late
l 970's, when the RARE !I surveys were being
conducted, residents were told by Forest Service
employees that if the national forest in their area
were designated as "wilderness." they would no
longer be allowed 10 hunt, fish, or camp on the
land.
However, this is patently untrue. and
some of the folks in Shelton Laurel wish they
could have another opponunity to designate the
area as a wilderness, because now the forest
faces clearcuning. roadbuilding. and herbicide
poisoning - all the atroeities that accompany
timber harvesting.
-Sp ri.t,9·, t9 9 l
A CONSTITUENT'S LETTER
~anuary 24, 199·
Representative Charles Taylor Dear Mr. Taylor:
I hate roadbuilding on Federal Forest
Service land.
I hate clearcutting.
I hate below-cost timber sales.
I want all of these things to stop.
Yours truly,
Haze Landers
Marshall, NC
On January 24th the community held a
meeting in L'\urel School to discuss concerns
about preliminary plans for four timber sale
projects in Shelton Laurel. The meeting was
hosted by the French Broad Forest Walch
(FBFW). a citizens' group established two years
ago to panicipate in dialogue with the Forest
Service and make suggestions for the
management of the French Broad Ranger
District rn attendance that evening were about
50 people from the community, Forest Service
personnel, and Congressional aides.
Mary Kelly, Phd., ecologist, coordinator
for the Western Nonh Carolina Alliance, a
member of the FBFW, and a Shelton Laurel
resident. explained the four proposed timber
sales in Brigman Hollow, Little Prong,
Sugarloaf, and White Oak Flats in plaiin terms.
The Forest Service plans to cut 11 million board
feet of timber and build 6.8 miles of new road.
As the primary method of "harvest" would be
clcarcutting, that would translate into 805 acres
of cleared and roaded land in Shelton Laurel in
the course of the next three years.
The new District Ranger for the French
Broad District, Kimberly Brandel, said that she
is interested in listening to the concerns of the
people and is planning to do an "area analysis"
to look at the entire area as a whole instead of as
separate timber sales. She also stated that "no
decisions" had been made and thal the four sales
in question are "not even being considered at
this time." Meanwhile, the figures still reflect
the board feet quotas, the survey tape still flaps
in the breeze from the trees, and long-rime
residents remember, "We've been lied to by the
Forest Service before."
Pat Cook. a planner for the Forest
Service. tried for more than half an hour to
explain the need for management in the forest
and how the Forest Service is presently revising
and re-evaluating their views of timbering
methods such as clearcutting.
But Mary Kelly pointed out that the
projected ASQ (Allowable Sale Quantity for
timber) for the French Broad District for fiscal
year 1991 is expected to be 6.5 million board
feet (mbO. This is up from 5 mbf in 1990. And
now more recent infonnation indicates that lhe
ASQ for the French Broad could go as high as
8.5 mbf.
One local farmer spoke out saying, ''If
she's got to tum out six and a half million feet,
that seems to be it." But Ranger Brandel
answered that no matter what her ASQ, she was
first and foremost "committed 10 stewardship"
and that she W3S \'\1lling to "listen to what the
people want."
At that point, one member of the FBFW
called for a show of hands.
"How mnny people want to see Shelton
Laurel preserved the way it is?" The response
was almost unanimous.
"Well, that ought 10 tell you what we, the
people of this community, want."
Obviously the folks of Shelton Lautcl are
not interested in seeing the forest health
"restored" through resource management They
prefer seeing the land in its present healthy state.
As Haze Landers secs it, ''They say it'll grow
back to its original state in 250 years. So why
wait? It'll stay ihat way for the next 250 years if
they don't cut it down. We got generations of
kids between now and then who'll never know
what it was like if they cul it down."
The citizens making up the French
Broad Forest Watch can be proud of their effons
in staying ahead of the game with the Forest
SCIVice and infonning the community of what is
to come in their ranger district They are
definitely setting a precedent for what needs to
happen throughout the entire bioregion.
Their neighbors in the Cherokee National
Forest could learn much about the type of
recreation and forest activities that are
life-sustaining and non-desbllctive. Just over
the ridge, across the state line. in the Cherokee
National Forest, roads and ORV (off-road
vehicle) trails are being cxccnded deeper into the
bean of the forest. This is a matter of concern to
FBFW members, as they see the ecosystem as a
whole, and do not wish to see the habitat
disturbed.
When people in communities such as
Shelton Laurel take a stand and hold their
ground, it is like a breath of fresh mountain air
in the polluted wind.,; of change. Such effons
will take hard work. the kind of work that
people of the mountains know well. But the
effons to save these mountains do not go
unrewarded. As Haze put it, "There ain'
nothin', nothin' nowhei:c. that the Lord ever
created, I don't think, that can beat the looks of
these mountains...with the water in the streams
a'comin down betwixt 'em. I don't think He
built anything any better. Honestly, Tdon't
believe He cou1d'vc. I figure Ile thought we'd
be so poor, He'd have to give us somethin'."
- by Rodney Webb
�(H20). and carbon dioxide (CO2). This is why
t
OFF THE GRID
REGIONAL FUELS
by Jim Houser
- In Nownber and December I logged abo111 50 milts
driving my van around Boone on ethanol. -
Last issue, I said I would delve deeper into
the question of water power. Since !hat time,
however, there have been certain major tragic
events which pcnain directly to our dependence
on grid energy, in this case oil.
Seventy percent of all the oil used in this
country is used by the transportation sector, as
anyone, who has had the misfortune of driving a
car in downtown Boone on Friday afternoon, is
probably aware. We all depend a great deal on
our automobiles. They are essentially a necessity
if we want to get to and from work everyday,
especially in this region where mass transit is so
scarce.
The consequences of this dependence are
now painfully obvious. As a nation, a people, we
in the United States like to think we are in control
of our own destiny. But now, if you believe our
leaders. the actions of a single individual (and his
anny). left us with absolutely no alternative but
to fight an extremely costly and deadly war.
Docs this have 10 be so? Do we in lhc Katuah
region have recourse 10 other fuels besides
gasoline to drive our vehicles? Is it possible for
us to develop a regional supply of fuel which
would suengthen our regional economy while at
the same time free us from being economically
dependent on a bunch of countries many of us
would have been hard pre.~sed to find on a map
just a few monrhs ago?
The leader in the use of alternatives to
gasoline in this area is the Rural Public
Transponation Authority (otherwise known as
AppalCART}, headquancrcd in Boone, NC.
According to Chris Turner, director of
AppalCART,
In and of itself, public 1111nsponation, even when 11
uses gasoline. is a way to reduce our dependence on
foreign oil. A bus carrying 50 people uses a lot less gas
than 50 separate catS, as well as reducing traffic congestion
and air pollution, two problems which Boone i.~ beginning
to ex pcricncc.
AppalCART carries the conservative role of
public 1ranspona1ion one step funher by actively
experimenting with fuel aJtcma1ives. They have
eight vehicles which use propane as a fuel.
Being a fossil fuel like gasoline, propane is
also a grid fuel delivered to this area from Texas.
via a single pipeline. Nevenhclcss, it is a much
cleaner burning fuel than gasoline, due to 1he fact
lha1 it enters the engine as a true gas. ralher than
an atomii.ed liquid like gasoline. Liquids bum
(instead of exploding like gases), leaving behind
carbon deposits which foul oil and lead 10 the
deterioration of an engine. The complete
combustion of a hydrocarbon gas like propane
(C2H6) produces nothing more than water
Xntunfl Journot pmic 26
vehicles which must operate indoors. like
forklifts. use propane as a fuel.
Propane, however, is still a fossil fuel and,
clean as it may be, the carbon dioxide its
combustion produces adds to the Greenhouse
Effect, underscoring the reason why all fossil
fuel use must eventually be cunailed.
Propane would be a good vehicle fuel for the
coming transition period when we will have ro
switch to a non-fossil fuel trnnsponation system.
Its use would reduce smog, and it would
introduce society at large to the concept that
vehicles do run on something else besides
gasoline. In addition. a propane fuel system
could easily be modified 10 accept melhanc (since
they are both gases), and methane is a tested
vehicle fuel. The East Ohio Gas Company of
Nonh-East Ohio runs an of their company
vehicles on natural gas. The advamoge of
methane is that it can be of non-fossil fuel origin.
Methane (CH4), more commonly known as
natural gas, comes from oil wells, but it is also
found in swamps (swamp gas), septic tanks,
landfills, and biogas digesters (technology
specifically designed 10 harvest methane).
Actually, it is found anywhere organic matter has
been cut-off from oxygen. Bacteria which can
only live in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic),
consume the organic matter and "breath" Cll4,
instead of CO2 like oxygen (aerobic) organisms.
Non-fossil methane can be made in a few
weeks in a biogas digester or landfill. Biogas
digesters are very common in some countries.
China has an estimated 7 million diges1ers.
Communities are already required to vent
their landfills in order to prevent methane
explosions. Enlightened communities are
capturing and using that gas.
Bio-fuel, like non-fossil methane, is energy
harvested from a currently active and ongoing
biological process. Therefore, as long as there are
there are plants growing to replace the ones
harvested for fuel, the combustion of biofucls
does no1 add to the Greenhouse Effecr.
Another common biofuel is ethanol or ethyl
alcohol (com squeezens). Ethanol is harvested
from the fermentation cycle (yeast consuming
glucose and excreting alcohol). We can utilize lhe
energy in alcohol by completing the combustion
process begun by the yeast - turning alcohol into
carbon dioxide and water.
This process does not necessarily destroy the
food cycle, as many people contend The organic
remains left in the fermentation 1ank (stillagc) arc
a high protein foodstuff. Essentially all the com
grown in this nation's "com belt," goes through
the fermentation cycle at large industrial plants
(Archer Daniel Midland, and Staley). The alcohol
is sold to oil companies, the carbon dioxide to
soda companies, and the stillagc to livestoek
owners.
Dunng the 1980's AppalCART was actively
producing and using ethanol, thonks to a
Department of Energy grant from the Caner
administration's Alternative Energy Small Grants
program.
They have on-site a working still capable of
producing I0,000 gallons of ethanol fuel ( 180
proof) per year.
The program is not currently active for a
number of political reasons. and because they had
difficulty converting a vehicle to run satisfactorily
on their alcohol. 1l1is docs not mean that alcohol
is not a good fuel. Over half the vehicles in brazil
run on pure ethanol harvested from sugar cane,
and their vehicles are ma.de by the Ford Motor
Company and Volkswagen. In this country
manufacturl!rs are just beginning to introduce
flexible fuel vehicles which will run on a variety
of liquid fuels, including alcohol.
Since AppalCART experienced some
difficulties converting vehicles. I decided to srudy
up and do a conversion of my own. so that I
could beuer understand the difficulties they
encountered_
Fonunately, Talready had an old 1966 Ford
Econoline Supervan with a 240, in-line six
cylinder engine, which, luckily enough, was
essentially the same kind of engine AppalCART
had worked with.
l found that, as fuels, the essential difference
between alcohol and gasoline is that gasoline
requires a 15/1 air-to-fuel ratio for good
combustion while alcohol only requires a 9/1
air-to-fuel ratio. This ratio can be changed in the
carburetor by adding more fuel or decreasing the
air. For a number of reasons, the main one being
simplicity, I chose the air restriction method.
Appa!CART. and most conversions in the
literature. pursued the route of adding more fuel.
Mother Earth's 1979 Mother's Alcolwl Fu.el
Seminar is probably one of the best explanations
of this conversion scheme. However, a manual
from the State Fair Community College in
Sedalia, Missouri (816/826-7100 ext 220)
entitled Conversion of Gasoline Engines to Use
Ethanol as rhe Sole Fu.el points out that the liquid
systems in a carburetor arc precisely calibrat~
and independent of the operator. while the arr
flow, through the use of a manual choke. is
under the control of the driver and can be varied
for a wide range of speed and load requirements.
They install a metal sleeve in the carburetor
venturi to reduce the amount of air.
So I spliced a five gallon plastic gas can into
my fuel line before the fuel pump (plastic is
necessary because alcohol will rust metal). With
the simple rum of a valve r could switch from gas
to alcohol. This way l could start on gasoline (1he
way all Brazilian cars do). and then switch to
alcohol when 1he engine got hot. At the end of
my trip I would switch back to gasoline in
preparation for my next stan.
Even without the addition of a venturi sleeve
this system worked quite well. By simply closing
my choke a bit l was able to drive all over Boone.
My only real problem was speed on _lhe big hills,
which might be alleviated by advancmg the
timing and adding lhe venturi sleeve.
The best thing about the 50 miles J drove on
alcohol was they were relatively clean. With the
help of Bob Chandler who runs the power lab. r
checked my emmissions on an exhaust gas
analyzer at Watauga lligh School. On alcohol my
carbon monoxide emissions were reduced to
0.2% from the 6.5% of gasoline. Hydrocarbons
were reduced from 100 ppm 10 27 ppm. These
alcohol exhaust emissions are well within the
current guidelines.
The possibility or small farms generating .
their own fuel for on-fann purposes could easily
be a reality. This combined with the use of
subsidized energy crops for public transponation
could be the beginning of a truly regional energy
economy, helping 10 bring meaningful work and
economic security to our local communiti1/
A.nyoN 1nttrated"' a,,.,,,, "' <kpth look at the
A.ppalCA.RT a/£olwlf~I protram ~"" smd SS.00 to, OFF 11/E
GRID. Rt I , Bux J OO. 8/u,w,g Rod , NC 28605 f<>r a ror, of
my rrport A.ppalCART Alrohol ,..u~l l'rogrom
,hu~•mrnl Mis 20,0()() word rq,ort tlioroughly ro,·,rs tliL:
ph) ,u:aJ and admirustrotrw a.<per:u cf the program as "ell as the
baclrwnd rcwvdt I did an vehick ~on··~rstnrt Spn tUJ , I !l9 I
�LETS
What is LETS?
LETS Network 1s a Locru Economic Trading System
which helps people trade their goods and services so they
can get what they need without using cash. LETS is an
information exchange which through a computer or
bookkeeping keeps track of account holdcts' trading
ll1lllsactions.
The benefits of LETS arc:
I) Encourages sclf-confid;:ncc and initiative among its
u~. People who have previously valued themselves on
lhe employment market discover Ihm they ha,·e olher
skills and ways in which they earn money
2) Stimulates local trading activity, as the currency Clln
only circulate locally. In order to cam "emcmld dollars"
(the community currency), people must tr.we with local
p:ople
3) Transactions strengthen personal relationships and
goodwill w11hin a community, as trading always involves
a personru one.10-onc arrangement.
How did LETS begin?
LETS was established in 1983 by Michael Lin1on, who
was concerned about the high unemployment rat.e in
Vancouver, BC. He observed that while many local people
had ~kills and products to offer, their lack of money
prevcnt.ed them from trading with each other. By 1987, e
do,en LETSystems were opcr:uing in Canadn.
Who can join LETS?
AU members or the community can join. LETS docs not
discriminate on lhe basis of r.ice. sex, nationruity. age,
sexual preference, lilUlllcial staws, or political orientation.
RESOURCES
Books
•Berry. Thomas The Dream of the Earth (Sierra
Club Books, San Francisco, 1989)
•Berry, Wendell /Jome Economics (North Point
Press. San Francisco. 1987)
•Daly. Herman and John Cobb For lhe Common
Good. Redirecting the Economy Toward
Community, the Environmenl, and a Sustainable
Furure (Beacon Press, Boston. 1989)
How is LETS organized?
LETS Network has a Membership directory which lisLS
311 its members alphabetically. as well as their goods C1nd
services. Members needing goods or scr.·1ccs conLXt other
members who offer what they netd. Aftcr a tr.msac1ion has
been agreed upon and complcccd, :1 roccipt su11ing the
amount u-ansact.ed 1s scm 10 lhe LETS Network. The
network keeps track of lhe tmnsactions. Traansactions are
accounted for in ·emerald dolm" (the community
currency) which equals cash • dollar for dollat. Exchanges
can occur in a combination of emeralds or cash. Members
choose who they wish ID trnllsac1 with and for what
amounts.
How does LETS work?
The account holders of LETSysLCm lis1 what their wan&s
are and what they have 10 offer in a directory. for eimmple:
068-·StMPLE CAR MECHANIC
Rosie ~53773
069-·LA WN MOWINO
Dave 339-990S
07S··BUJLDING WORK
Andrew 442-9878
086-FRESH VEGETABLES
Jtll 776·2024
•Morrison, Roy Building the Road as We Travel:
Mondragon's CooperaJivt Society (New Society
Publishers, 1990)
•Power, Thomas The EcofllJmic Pursuit of Quality
(M.E. Shnrpc, 1988)
•de Romana. Alfredo, Tht Autonomous Economy:
An Emuging A/Juna1ive to Industrial Society
(Monchanin Cross-Cultural Centre, 4917. Rue St.
Urbain, Monucal. Quebec, C:tnada H2T 2\VI;
1989)
•Schumacher, E.F. Small is Beautiful: Economics
as if People Ma11ered (Harper and Row, New York,
1989)
•Eller, Ronald Mintrs. Mil/hands, and Mountaineers
(University of Tennessee Press. 1982)
•Elgm, Duane. Voluntary Simplicity: An
Ecological liftsryle tha1 Promotts Personal and
Social Renewal (Ban&am, 1982)
•Hacnke, David. Ecological Politics and
Bioregionalism. (The Biorcgional Projccr, New Life
Farm, Box 3, Brixey. MO 65618)
•Hau de no sau nee Nation, A Basic Call 10
Consciousness (Akwcsasnc Not.es. Mohawk Nation,
Periodicals
•Catalyst. Investing in Sot:ial Change P.O. Box
364; Worcest.er, VT 0S682
•In Busintss Box 323; Emmaus, PA 18049
•Katuah Journal (particularly Issue 7; Spring, 1985)
Audio Tape
Rooscvch., NY 13683; 1978)
•Philosophy and Economics in the Ecozoic Era
Conftrence with Al/rt.do dt Romana and Tlwmas
Berry, Tapes available from: Center for Reflection
•Hawken, Paul, Tht Nut EcofllJmy
on the Second Law: 8420 Camellia Dnvc; Raleigh.
NC 27612.
•Henderson, Hale! 11:e Policies of the Solar Agt'
•McRobic, Ocorgc, Small is Po.rsible
Projects & Organi,.ations
•Morgan, Oriscom I/ope for tht Future
(Community Setvicc, Box 243. Yellow Springs,
OH 4S387; 1987)
•Allernathe Economic Development Idea~,
MCED; University o( MO (628 Clark Hall);
Columbia, MO 6S21 I. Strategics. tools, case
studies for communily-ba.'iCd planning.
Spnm,J, 1991
++means "to offer" and - means "Wlllllcd.•
People get in touch with each other and negotiate a Lradt.
Rosie agr~ to pay Bob SO emerald dollar.; for five hours
of car mcchrulics, so Bob's emerald account goes up by
SSO and Rosie's account goes clown by SS0. No money is
exchanged. Bob sends a receipt to LETS which is
rcgi!;tcrcd in lhe books. The sum total or "acdits" in !he
system always balances ei,;actly lhe sum iolal of the
"debits." Account holders am take out "I0311S" simply by
spending cmemld dolllll'$ and running up a debit accounL If
a member leaves town. the sys1.em as a whole absorbs the
loss, ns shareholders and customers do with normal
banking losses. (This has never happened.) The more
account-holders there ore, the grcau:r the variety of tmde ts
possible. The LETSyst.em is a non-profit system. No
int.crest is charged on "ovcitlrafts.• and no interest given on
pos1 li vc account balances.
This inform111wn was exurptedfrom 1he "LE'fSNEWS~
article by Sarah F1111Sle.r itr News Crom Aprovocho.
Drawing by Rob M_,..jck
· Coalition for J obs and the F.m ironment
Working ror environmental quality and economic
ju.slice in NE Tennessee and SW Virginia.
• Bi-monthly newsleucr from CJE: 114 Court Street;
P.O. Box 64S; Abingdon, VA 24210 (703)
628-8996.
• E. F. Schumacher Society
Box 76, RD 3: Great Barrington. MA 01230
lnformauon on SHARE (Sclf·Hclp Association for
a Regional Economy) end "berksharcs•, an
alternative regionru currency.
•lnstilutl' ror Community Eco nomics
ISi Montague City Road; Greenfield, l\fA 01301 A
wealth of ideas and information including The
Community Loan Fund Manual and revolving loan
funds.
•Institu te ror Local SeJf.Reliance
242S l8lh Street NW: Washington, DC 20009;
(202) 232-4108. Provides ~ h , information, and
direct I.C(hnieal essisuince 10 citie.~ and towns.
V:iricty of pubbshcd papers available.
• LETS (Local Em p loyme n t Trad ing
System) Find out about lhis dynamic approach 10
regional currency. LETS; 37S Johnson Avenue;
Coutc03y, BC V9N 2Y2 Canada
•Rcgtneration Project
Rodalc Press; 33 E. Minor Street; Emmaw.. PA
18049, Promotes community regeneration,
particularly in the area of health, ctonomy. and
agriculture. Also publi.•,hes Regmeration magazine.
•School or LMng
RD I, Boit 1508 AA: Spring Orovc, PA 17362.
r-ocuscs on al1cma1ivc economic sy~1cms and
concepts: publi.~hcli Grun Revolution ncwslcucr.
Xaumr, Jo\&nmt
paqe z:,
�..
We must come to Ille understanding that the
amount of production possible is limited, llS the canh is
lim1ted in the amount of rcsowtes it is able to yield. We
should not treat Ille earth os a commodity, bul rather as a
community.
Adam Smith's concept oC the "Invisible Hand,•
which he claimed wiU guide our selftSh pursuiis of
supply and derrumd lO a 1111wral economic order, is (lawed.
As World Baok economist HetmM D31y says:
ShD11Td tltue IIO/ al lm1' be a mini"""" ,t~a,dsJ11p of
DRUMMI N G
To &he EditorS of KOJ@h Journal 1 read wilh inlCrCSt your Summer, 1990 number
oo "Canying Cap:lcity.• Very inlCrCSting matcrilll lhcrc,
and some very powerful ideas.
I was particularly intrigued by the graph oC
population coordinated wilh thc evcnJS or regional
history. Thal graph lod me into an interesting uain of
lhought.
Once iribal societies that lived off lhe land
regulated their populotions to what lhcir defined
ICl'ritories could provide. The economy of each group was
relaled to the available n:sowccs of !heir regioos. and
because lhe balance of population was aucial to survival,
it was a tnbal maucr, not a question of individual
preference. Things were very clear back lhen.
As was pointed out in lhe "Carrying Capacity•
issue, !he bioregion is sliU the n:uuml unil or human
hJbiution, however much we may au.empt to conceal
that by victimizing workers in other regions. importing
scarce resources, etc. tr we over-strcsS our bioregioru,
then that stress will only be passed on to other regions,
until lhe whole planet feels the suain. as is happening
now. Like those LribaJ people of yore, we once again
have to live within the economic limits of our
bioregion.~. The humM population still has to be
balanced to the re1,'10n's ability to provide,~ it was then,
which makc.s popufation conlli)I an ecological question
as well as a quc;;tion oS individual choice. It is up to lhe
people of each region to n:cognize how many people
!heir region could mainiain wuh external suppons, and
then accept !hat level as a goal to approach - gradually.
Bccnusc we over-consume so much, every
irutividual in this country counts for more in tenns of
rc,,()W'CCS, TI!en:fore, llS well as reducing our
consumption, wc must be very responsible about
keeping our number.. under control. Regional population
goots clccided by the people of the 111gion based on lhe
limiis of their regional economies seem like a necessary
ecological policy, b111 also one lhlll would grc:uly
11lCJ'C3Se the prosperity and wdl-bcing of the people or
each biorcgion. Thanks co Ka1uah Journal for the insight!
Sincerely,
Hoyt Wilhelm
N. Wilkesboro. NC
Dc.irKatUDh,
It is with sadness that l inform you that my
husband. Jack Combes, died of ()3llCre®C cancer in
Tampa, Florida on May 2 ISi, 1990. The world has lost n
long time dediaucd informed environmcnraliSI.
Jack supported your programs and your
publication, bu1 now you may n:move his name from
your mailing lisL
Wishing you continued WCCC.51;
Sancerely,
Nina C.Ombcs
De.Ir Ka1uah,
I read in the last issue that Ka1@h is going
lhrough difficult times. I wi.~h you all well - Ille jOurnal
is a bright $J)Ol in my life.
1M land. raJJiu tlian ltaving 1M •invisib/1/o«• nu, by theprofil
tJo, only t:onlrolling /1JC1or.
The invisible fooc in this case would be the
aftermath of poorly managed land. Daly poinlS out the
sukiJit "111vulbk liands", k
Dear Friends,
The Unil.Cd Swc.s oC America has a unique and
amazing culuue. It has provided a great many things 10
large numbers of ilS pOpublion. M:lss production has
produced not only large quMtiues of J¥0(lucts, but has
done so cheaply, due in pan 10 11 readily available soun:e
of cheap fuel, namely oil. What is our rcutionship 10
Ille production of oil? Clearly we are dcpcndem on ii,
but 10 what extcnt? With oil we run our ua111,-ponauon
sySICms, communications, heating and electricity. Oil
and its products enable us to produce linoleum tiles, latex
and acrylic paints, clothes, dyes, plnstic bottle.\ toys,
etc. Needless lO say, oil and ourculwre arc ine~tricably
in tenwined.
Problems arose when we bcgM 10 131c.e llus
resource for granlCd, conducting business as though there
were a constant and readily available supply. Oil is a
finite resource, and we arc using u at a ru1e fa.~tcr lhlln
natw-c is able to produce iL Evenwally we are going to
run out of it. and we are going to have to SUJ'l thinking
about 1C11ewablc fuels. Our society has become addicted
to instant gratification and Ille quiclc fut, plummeting
headlong into the fuaure wit.bout much forcthooght or
plnnning. Many of us have not truly considered Ille fact
1h31 the cycle of rcnewability with oil is hundreds of
millions of years. Oil dates back m time to a period 300
million 10 S00 million years ogo. As Jim Houser wri!Cl;
m l\fom~ntwn, I do not wnnt to sec our society, "Bum
as brightly as the sun
only 10 fmd lhat we "[grew)
while the growing was good, wid oow must die as Ille
dying is proved.· As Ille laws or lhetmodynamics Leach
us, "The star which burns twice as brightly only bums
half as long."
Due 10 our dependency on 011, wc have lost toUCh
with ourselves, our culture and the earth cycles which
ultimately suppon us. No longer have we an
understanding of the mechanisms, l.bcories and soences
which have produced our cultural anifaas, and we begin
to ta.kc !hem for grunted. We rely almost entirely on oil
to run our "Cree mnrkct" economy.
This "Cree mnrtct• ecooomy leads to an
overproduciton of goods. In ordct to com()CIC and still
mainiain a profit, priCC$ must drop and sales must
increase along with an maeasc Ill production.
C.Omp:inies are look.ing for low wage wortcers. which
help add lO their overall profits. A company may even
threaten 10 take ils business elsewhere (pcrtiaps to o lhinl
world country where the wages arc really low), unless
union concessions arc made. The employed worker must
worlc longer hours to make Lhe same amount of money
and maintain the same standard of living. Nevcrthelcs.~.
leisure ume and quality of life is sacrific:c:d, as wdl as an
understanding of the eanh S}'Slcrns which would
ultimately bring them security. We would be well
advised to listen 10 the word.~ of David Brandon in the
book Zt.ia in the Art of Helping, wherein ll is stal.Cd:
can:
COSl to our environment:
MUJtw•fortM .~ of1<nl11niudincreasuofwclJllll
and pop11/a,ion, atirpal, great """'1¥n ofsp«w ofrar, p/anls
and onimals and resources.
When wW our psychic incomes be satisfied?
Perhaps never. We an: IOO caught up in Ille economic
paradigm to be able to see past our.;clvcs.
Rachel Summas
Boone.NC
Fnends-
After reading more about tl1e matriarchal Ooddess
religions in The GrcOJ Cosmic Mothu of All, lltis sacred
symbol came lO me. I was thinldng how all the art and
symbols of pre-history were in honor of the
Mother-female-woman's body. While I am in reverence of
that, l also felt a lack of powerful male symbols in
reverence of lhnt aspect of mutu31 creation. C.Ombining
the spiral of life, often associated wilh women/birlh,
wilh the pointed arrow (obviously Phallic), lhis symbol
came to me and felt powerfully whole. When I showed it
to my lover, he immediately said, "Tum ii around."
Suddenly it was a sacred female symbol complete wilh
fallopian tube spiral, birth canal, and VI - a mirror image
• in balance - inner and outer - so different, yet so much
alike. It seemed appropriate, in this ca~. 1h31 the female
would see the male fertility in the symbol, and mnle
would see the female, honoring each other through o
unique humnlriarchlll symbol.
C.SacRcd
Only""""' who Is IIO/ itr.pr~d by IM Wbthl of his
po1.susions, and Jd not pcs~,sed wuli 1h• Med cQfllilwo,,sly 10
fwl.food and s~/1u ow, tu.l:oNJ live°"' vnporuw qlJtstibM
'11'1,o"'" 11 ll'Jiae""' I IOUlt? \\'hat u IM ll<JJIVC of life?'
Erika Schneider
Xatuafi JoumaC page 28
Spring, 1991
�Dc:itK01riah,
Enclosed is my check for S10.00 to renew my
subscription for anolhcr year.
I have debated and waited 10 renew wilh a reason.
For most of its publication lifetime, I have bought
Ka11ioh Journal over the counter. and subscribed when I
moved west a year and a hlllf ago.
It saddens me !hat Katuah Cor some 1.1me has
spoken wilh G voice increasingly shrill. I do not want
anolhcr cnvironmcntnl activist news organ-I have access
to many or lhese. What I want IO read more of in Katuah
Journal are aniclc..~ on the people, the h&Storie.~, !he
Native Ameriellns, spirituality (eitpecially NMive
Amenc:m and alternative), humor. poetry, music, nature,
self-sufficiency. rural living, cooking and n:cipcs, special
(and obscure) pl3ccs and events. the uniqueness. the
peculiarities, the gentleness, the quiet goodness, !he
sense of family and community so common 10 my kin in
Kauiah Province. To me, there's plenty of "diversity" in
!he abo\'C, both "natural and social" and intenclatcd.
Through !he years Kauiah has often l.OUChed my soul ,n
small ways, and to me !hat's the best kind of "education·_
Having lived in Kauiah Province for 47 years
before depaning, and with family "rOOIS" going b.1ck to
!he t 700's there in my Christian relations and even
longer in my ChocUlw relations, my heart remains in
K:miah as surely as my body will return 10 join it when
my Sedona sorjoum is completed- Now that I'm away
Crom "home." those words above speak of wh:ll I miss
most of all.
If Kauiah is headed toward a more angry.
confronUllional tone, or more "what's wrong• instead of
"what's right.• just send my check back, please.
Thanks for !cuing me have my say.
Judy Elizabeth Love
All of the elements /Ml you mention which rn.tJU
Ka1uah a bl'auliful and unique place, we all hold dear and
will conrinue 10 write about because they are a part of
our Ifft, bur so is the habitat which makes /his way of
life possible, and it is thrcattn.cd.
We live in the midst of the greatest evolurionary
catasrropl~ since the end of the Cretauou.t Period. 65
•million years ago. For those of u.s who liw: in and cart
Qbout Ka11ioh it would be irrespormble not to say
somcllWlg. Yt'/. we are aware tlwl when you livfl in the
midst of rhe .wciery largely resp0nsible/or the
catastrophe, whar you Junv: 10 say probably will ,wl
sound plcasa111 10 their cars.
• The Editors
Dc.itKatua/1,
Encl~ please find S40.00 for !he complete set
or b.xl.: issues. Also, please lind an addi1io113J S10.00 for
a foture subscription (after thi.~ one expucs).
We love you. The Kattiah Journal is a work or
spirit and artt I trust we'll answer your uppcal with
enough v!gor to give you new Ufe.
Warmly,
Ste\·e Qubcck
Or.wing by Rob Levcmt
Dear Ka1uah,
I love your journal and always look forward 10 it.
then treasure it until the neitL I really think it's
exceptional in many wayi;, but for me, thc spirituality or
!he Joumal 10uches my heart so deeply.
I hope you continue forever; and if you would
ever need assistance from someone outside !he Province
physically but lhcrc in spirit every day, I hope you will
let me know.
Bless each or yoo.
Nancy LignilZ
DcarKa1uah,
Thank you for sending issues of Katuah Journal
IO me, we've found them very interesting and informative
with beautiful art and open accessible layout. I'm so glad
we've discovered you! I'm including a check to cover a
subscription, but rn give you !he mailing information
'below so I do noc have to cut up the b.xlc: of one of my
issues.
David and Cindy Ort
To Katuah Journal:
Dear People.
I am a member of a Sydney-based group that until
recently was bioregional repn:sentative in an Australian
bio-rcgional network lcnown as Austtulian Association
for Sus1ainable Communities (AASC).
Though this network is no longer formally alive,
the groups of rural and urb.,n communities the
bio-regional mtsS11ge "stained" after cuuings Crom such
publications as Planet Drum Review and Akwas:isnc
Notes were circulated (via an AASC press cuuing
network) around thc countryside. are numerous and
mostly all locally active.
Recently in Sydney l met with Peter Berg and
friend Judy. Judy showed us many CJtamples or
bio-regionally inspired publications and pnnted creations,
one of which was your Mag37.inc Kotuah JourllOJ.
l was very unpressed wilh the breadlh in one
article or the Spring 1989 Edition by David Morris.
Could you please send me a copy of that edition or that
article if the.re arc none left? Or word of where I might
get a copy locally if my failure to enclose/forward any
money with this no1c discourages you? I would be
happy to send you wluucver the cost is in rc1um ma.ii if
you can get me a copy.
I look forward to hearing from your pan or the
plancL Over here il is (once again) mysteriously 100 hot,
and then just as mysteriously coo abruptly cold, then
again jUSt ~ radically windy without v.aming. Too
much change, 100 many extremes. all too often, to feel
comfonablc talking about !he wcalher - and the sun huns
your eyes and neck.
Right now it's I !pm night. and well away from
banks and money currency exchange venues, so I hope
you can bill me in the rewm mml.
Hope thi:. !cu.er finds Someone...
Regards,
Sieve Ward
.
Sprim.,, 190 I
'.J((lfuofl Journal J)O(JC 29
�(coruinued limn page 14)
fossil fuel draw. We may not be able to think that
way for tOO much longer. As the oil supplies
diminish, the gas is going to be getting more and
more expensive and it's going 10 be less and less
efficient to produce everything in one place and
ship it all over the world. Our assumption that the
fossil fuel supply is infinite dislons the price of
what is being made.
DW: What do you think the next step is for
local agrlouhlil'e? What's some of the stuff that
wt need to work on?
Ron Alnspan: We need to work together,
suppon each other, and promote the idea of the
regional economy. This involves on-going
education of the public. I don't think I have any
ideas that haven't been said before, but it's
imponam 10 raise the issue to the people, to make
the public conscious of the cosLS of gerring things
from far away. That way people can pull each
other up and build suppon for one another, so
they have the stamina 10 carry on.
My attitude about social change is summed
up in the idea that "you do what you can." I don't
know that ·we can ever expect to overcome all the
mon:: regressive or more reactionary forces, but
ic's imponant for everybody to live by their
principles and do what they can. Whenever we
win a battle, we can feel good about it, but then
we go_ on and continue the struggle. It's an
on-going proctl>s.
/
Ron Ainspan: If we were acting slI'ictly
from of our consciousness of global issues.
Mountain Food Products might not carry
products like Mexican tomatoes or O.ilcan
raspbenies in the wintertime because that
encourages the long-distance production and
disaibution system.
Kantah: That would definitely hurt your
business.
Ron Ainspan: Even though cantaloupes.
for instance. cost $30 a case in the wintertime,
whereas they go for $6 or $7 a case when they
are in season during the summer, people have
this seemingly insane need to be able to buy
anything they want whenever they want iL I
don't know what causes that, but it flies in the
face of efficient use of the world's resources.
For our pan, we push local produce and
try to raise the issues whenever we can, but we
try co be practical • I guess that would be the
word • and do what's necessary 10 be successful
and hope that we are getting some of our
principles across to our customers while
maintaining our own integrity.
(ca,linu':iS ~ 113i• 27}
lnttrvitw recorded and tdittd
by David Whulu
Photo by Rodney Webb
~
.
Growers or retailers who are interested in
?anicipating in the organic produce co-op can call
Wountain Food Producis at (704 J 255-7630, or
.1isit their location in rite Old Chesterfield Mill at
121 Wesr Haywood Street; Asheville, NC.
.
truer toilay. We do indeed need. despcrn1cly . to "step back
Yet our economic system is structured to pro1CC1 big
Md have a new look" at the world we are~ busily creating
business more than Individuals, so it's quilC likely that
• and the world we are destroying. But here's the rub: In
lllXJ)ayers will soon be asked - or ruther, told • 10 f00t the
order to ~,, cnvironmcntaVsocial preservation as
bill, as is already occurring wilh the mushrooming S&L
"productive work." we must stop relating producuvity
SC:lndal and other looming socio-economic disasters. If we,
only to shon-tcrm profits nnd mruumal consumption. The
the worl.crs, lllllpayers, and citizens wish to a"oid this fate,
ideA of "production for sale and con~umption" must be
we must rccogniz.e that a suong environmental sunax for
augmented by the vision of "productive prcscmumn for a
these nnd similar mdustrics is both necc.'IS.lry and jusL This
sUSUlinablc FUTURE."
nx:ognition must in tum be followed by social action, if 11
What will such a shift m emphasis mCM? In
is to have any effect • und then we'll face the long and
pr:ictical terms. it means that we mu.~l cre:itc new criteria
arduous UISk of bringing industry into line with ecological
for producuvity. and will have to pay people to preserve our and economic reality. Aficr all, the money to pay for
environment evtn though their work does not
long-term productivity and prc_~ervation hos 10 come from
create,, a "product" for imminent sate, and thus
some\\ h,re • :ind it should come from those who profit
brin~s in NO money In the short term. On this
the most from the rape of lhc Eartll. Equally imparuint,
most pracllcal level, it's obvious that the money needed to
our concept of ·work" simply HAS 10 shift into a more
IXIY these people will have to be justified by an cntin:ly
future-oriented and truly produclhe mode, a mode in
diflcrent rnuonale lhan that usually subscribed to by
which our finMci3J sul'\'i\'OI no longer depends on
industry ond by ~om1sts. This type of wort will have
personally, socially, and planet.1nly deadening "JObs." or on
to be e,•alumed and ,·ntued differently tlun work producing
incomes deriving directly or indirectly from ecological and
imrned1.1tc n:sults and profiis, and the woflcCl"S' P3Y will
social destruction.
ha,·e 10 come from olhcr public or private :,ource,-, since
their wurk involves on outlay of funds rJthcr 1h1111
producing immcduic income.
The logic:il source of such funds is the corporations
We now have the opportunity to refrnme our
and businesses which have been profiwng the most from
economy and our society so that they can be a
the cxploitntion and/or destruction of our environment •
source of pride and fulfillment ins1ead of shame
e,;pocmlly such COtJ)Ol'ate giants a, the trans-national 01I,
and despair... so that we can regain a sense of
banking, chemical, pla.5tics, beef, and wood products
identity beyond our roles as exploitive "consumindustries. THEY should be the ones 10 pay for
In I977, on the day before his de:uh, E.F
ers" and profiteers. There is so much more 10 the
cnv,ronmenUll prouXtion, not the beleaguered W<JXl)'Cl'S,
Schumacher h:ld this to :..iy ubow Wcstem lnduslrial
"American Dream" 1han we·ve been seeing, so
suicc nlOst of lhcse corporatioM have been allowed to •get
society: "Narurc canllOl Sl!lnd 1t, the resource cndowm~t or a11,-ay with (ecological) murder" for decades - in return r«
much we've apparently forgotten. The time has
the 11,orJd cannot stand it, and lhc human being c:innot sland the m30y ·benefits" they suPJX)Se(lly bring us. As
come to revi1alize that dream, 10 renew the vision
iL,.. lt 1, a kind of fruud. And so it c; necessary for us 10
Schumochcr put 11. we've boughL into •3 kind of fr.iud." and of a truly just and humane society... and to create a
step baclc and ha,e a new look_"
livable, sus1ainable future. Let's "seize the day"!
have been conned into supporting 3 fraudulent and
It is now 199 I, :ind Shunm,hcr'~ wool.~ nng even
disastrous economic systcm, This has got to stop; we
simply HA VE to redesign our economy if we wi~h to
~urvivc.
X.nti1ofi JounmC poqc30
n t '"- J1 ,1u, r ,1u. •nx
Oar response to this need for change has been
slow, but we arc sUll'ting to REDEFINE productivity to
Ulcludc lhe pr~rvation/ rtstoration of ecological
sysiems and "n:rourccs; since such prcser"auon alone c.in
guarnmoe a contmuing supply of valu:ible "products• (as
well as a functioning planet!). Eventu:llly, we will have
to recogniz.c lhat pro1CCting and n:smring nmurul
ecosySICms is ·productive work" wonhy of great financi:11
"COJnpcnsruion.• Thi~ essential mind-shift CIIII Blreooy be
o;cen in action in progr.ims such as the Federal
ConSCNntion Reserve Program, which pays furmen; to
NOT plant crops on eroded fields, and to pLlnt uces and
grow a forest iru.t.C3d. Th= farmers ·are paid to take the
land out of producuon fo,- IO years," and though the IJ'CCS
can be "han·ested" afier that time, "90% or the acres
planted m trees under the ooil bank programs of the SO's
and 60's have remained fore:;tcd • .Similar illCCllll, c
progrnmi nre being utiliz.cd m lhe SIJ"Usglc to save the nun
forests: for example, the SO<lllled "dcbt-for-ll3tUIC swap~· .
in which C011strvat.ion groups or governmental ugencies
·buy' pan of a trOpical ll3tion's debt food in exchange for
the preservation of a s«:tion of rmn forest.
These programs, and Olhcrs hke lhem, ~nainly
desctvc IO be viewed :is "productive." Indeed, lhe work.
they provide could be called the MOST producUvc work,
for u cn::itcs ecological health and economic
SU"'31nability, Md is NOT based on the economic.~ of
profit through ~pto,1a11on and destruction.
•••••••••••
···········
,
�EARTH ENERGIES
The Great Lover
by Charlotte Homsher
~
/~
' ~•
A t the deepest level we are all lovers of the
eanh and we are here on this planet to discover
this love relationship. It is like walking through
the woods, feeling the rhythm, feeling tuned in
'
~ and stepping lightly on the leaf cover, then
~
c:;
,J~
Drawing b)' Susan Adam
suddenly kneeling down and picking _up a leaf to
discover the marvelous, previously hidden world
underneath. The first time I recall feeling the eanh
energy as a distinct sensation, which literalJy
entered my body, was three years ago in the
Joyce Kilmer MemoriaJ Forest. I have aJways
loved big trees and I have attempted to
communicate with trees for years. Some of my
experiences with trees have included seeing
flashes of colored lightS and hearing sounds
within trees which I suppose to be the tree
elementals. Sometimes I received "messages"
from treeS. Any time interspecies con_imunication
is happening via words, thoughts or images,
there is translation going on. The tree doesn't use
words to experience life, therefore the energy of
the tree must be transformed into a cerebraJ
energy which we can understand.
At Joyce Kilmer, I chose the biggest, oldest
poplar I couJd find, grounded myself firmly and
put my paJms on the tree. 1did not expect
anything in particular except that I wanted 10
express affection and gratitude for the life of the
tree. I quickJy became aware of the tree as a very
powerful being. The energy came up the roots of
the tree from the eanh and emered my body just
as though I were attached to the tree as a sucker
root. The energy entered through the soles of my
feet. traveled up both legs, up my back on either
side of the spine and into my head. At the same
time it entered from where my paJms touched the
bark, traveling up my arms. The sensation was
pleasurable to say the least, and riveting. For that
quiet moment I was part of an ancient tree; I
knew cxactJy what it was like to be alive as a
poplar hundreds of years old. I stayed with the
experience as long as I could I noticed that the
energy which came form the canh into the roots
of the tree and into my rootS (my feet), came in
surges or waves of energy. Others have called
this energy pulses, or even feeling the rhythm of
the breath of the earth. In India, visceral energy,
when it travels up the spine, is called kundalini.
In any case, the knowledge of earth energy as
VJSCeral and real, a force to be reckoned with, is a
worldwide, if arcane, study. Witness the
worldwide distribution of sacred sites. Someone
or ones had co recognize the places of power and
then understand what effect these special energy
places would have on the people. One theory
now in vogue and mentioned in the book~
flaw by James A. Swan, is that the sacred sites
correlate to the chalaa system of man. For
instance, we go to a heart chalaa place and our
heart is heaJed or opened as our vibratory energy
harmonizes with the energy in that place.
I nearly always recognize vortexes as .
vibrations in visceral rushes of energy Wlthin my
own body. The intensity of energy might vary
with the power of the vortex or wilh my ability or
inability 10 be receptive at the time. For me. the
receiving of the energy, which of course is really
an energy exchange, is reason enough 10 pursue
the study of earth energy; it proves to me that our
relationship to the earth is not a static thing, but
creative and sensuaJ.
Many of the most powerfuJ vonexes in
Karuah are on public access. We flock en massc
to these places of pristine beauty ignorant of why
we feel so invigorated, why we wish to return
again and again. When you consider the
awesome power of the earth compared 10 the
puny life energy of a single human being. you
may wonder why the earth would bother to
respond to us at aJl The :t-nswer to t~is, in m_y_
opinion, is 1ha1 the earth 1s a lover with exqu1s11e
sensitivity.
~
GIRL'S SUMMER CAMP
'TURTLE ISLAND IS LOOKING
FOR A FEW TOUCH GIRLS"
NATIONAL
lNDlAN
FESTIVAL
JULY 7-13 1991
ACES 11-17
If you enjoy the challenge of
adventure then Turtle Island
ls the place for you,
100¾ Cotton Futons & Covers
No Rain Forest Wood Used
(615) 929-8622
Batik Clothing, Jewelry, Artwork ...
414 s . Roan St, Downtown Johnson City. TN 37601
For mon: infonnation write; Turtle 1'1.Jnd Pre..erve. Rt. I
Box 249-8 Deep Cap, NC 28618 (704) 265-2267
"CELEBRATING OUR
MOTI-IER EARTH"
MAY 17, 18, 19 1991
Highlights of Events:
• Native American Dancers
• Floyd Westerman ("Dances with Wolves")
• Thomas Banyacya - Hopi Elder
• Javier Alarcon - Aztec Fire Dancer
• Native American Flute Music Concert
• Demonstrations
• Native American Crafts & Skills
• Traditional Indian Foods
Thi$ cvl?J\t will be the l.lrg~ of its kind to date in
the Southeastern Unit-cd States! Camping is available
for the public al Chcllilw Parle Albany, ~rgla. $4.()() •
adults - S3.00 children. For More information call Velaric
Spratlin - Festival Coordinator, (704) 265- 1063.
Spri.ntJ, 1991
Union Acres
An Alternative
i
- - Acrtagt for Salt - Smoky Mounlmn Liuing
with o focus on spiritlllll 011d
ecologiall wluts
For more information:
Contact C. Grant at
Routt 1. Box 61]
WhiHitr, NC 28789
(704) 497-4964
Progrorrw to enco1.Xoge
sell aid Earth O\N0r808$$.
celetxol1on. klmhlp and hope.
• Yovfl Cempl • School ProgfWl!s
• Femily CemP* • Toachet Trumg
• Commurwty Progren,1
•~Stell Tr1lMQ
• Outdoot Prog111m Consulting
NATURAL MARKET
P0. 8al 1306
823 Blow,ng Roel<. Rd .
Gannwo. Teme- 3n3a
615-436-6203
265-2700
Boone. NC 28607
�----------------,
Floyd Co. Envitonmental Council
The Aoyd County Environmental Council
was formed out of a successful struggle to
prevent the county's participation in a potentially
expensive and dangerous regional landfill.
It is currently involved in trying to prcvent
massive clean:utting in an environmentallysensitive area of the county known as "The Free
State," where many people believe that cougars
survive.
People who want to get in touch with the
Floyd County Environmental Council or help in
their efforts can contact them via Donna
Whitmarsh at (703) 651-4747.
Staging a Bioregional Event:
The Piedmont's Haw River Festival
Beginning on April 19 and running for
four weeks, a volunteer crew of educa10rs,
performers, and river lovers will travel the
length of the Haw River, stopping 10 meet with
school children in each of the five counties the
river connects. At approximately seven different
riverfront sites, the festival crew will put on a
colorful learning celebration that will look at the
river from the perspectives of science, nature.
history, and fun.
A main goal for the Festival is to give
children a direct, hands-on experience that will
leave them with a greater awareness of the place
where they live, and how human choices affect
the natural world. Also along the way, the
festival will involve many other citizens within
the Haw River basin through scheduled events
in riverside towns. In all, approximately 3000
srudentS are expected to participate,
accompanied by 300 parents and teachers.
When children arrive at the site, they will
be clustered into small groups, which will rotate
among these teaching stations: Animals, People
Along the River, Good Allematives, Riverwalk,
Music & Stories, and Games. The Animals
Station, for example, will feature live animals
from the river and riverbanks and let the children
get to know these finned, furry, and scaly
neighbors - their relationship to each other
(food chains), to the place (habi1a1). and to us
(environmental issues).
To contact the Festival, write Haw River
Assembly; P.O. Box 187; Bynum, NC 27228
or call Louise Kessel at (919) 542-5599.
., '
RECEIVED
Elwiro~n1al Ad'IIOCacy: Concepis, Issues, and
Dilemmas by Bunyan Bryant (Caddo Gap Press, Ann
Arbor. MJ, 1990)
Communitits 1n Economic Crisis: Appalachia and tht
Sowh edilcd by John Gaventa, Barbara Ellen Smith, and
Alex Willingham (Temple University Press,
Philadelphia. 1990)
Audio Tape
Light ,n tht Wind a cappella chanis and circle songs by
Bob Avery.(irubel and lhe Celcbnuion Singers (Tribuia,y
Records, Aoyd. VA, 1990) - Spirited songs for holi<bys.
campfires, swcais. or whenever lho CltClc gathers.
REVIEW
From Walden Pond to Muir Woods:
Alternative Way.r Aero.rs America
Mary Dymond Davis (1990);
Foreword by Ernest Callenbach
Order from: ASPI Publications; Rt. 5, Box 423:
Livingston, KY 40445
For those who travel, Mary Davis' book
From \Vaiden Pond u, Muir Woods is an
ecological ttavel guide. For those who stay at
home, it is a local resource listing. Mary Davis
has compiled descriptions of a variety of
ecological loci throughout the continen1 that
would be worthwhile for a traveler to visit or for
a potential local activist to link up with.
Her descriptions cover a broad spectrum
of interests: groups and communities promoting
alternative and ecological ways of living, natural
areas, environmental education, recreation spots
and suppliers, and transponation help. Her
profiles are infonnative and her introductory
explanations show clearly the pan each caiegory
plays in the ongoing process of ecological
recovery on Tunle Island.
This is a book 10 have and to pass around,
a great resource for alternative folk or those who
want to find out "where it's at" on Turtle Island.
.ow
PLANTING CHESTNUTS
A very detennined woman, Dorothy
Dickson, has a vision of establishing an
American chestnut tree seed farm that could
supply viable seed to someday re-establish the
American chestnut in the wild. She is looking
for land and money to help with the idea.
Write her at: 113 Autumn Lane;
Harrisburg, NC 28075, or call (704) 455-1027.
Paul Gallimore of The Long Branch
Environmental F.ducation Center has initiated a
project to plant hybrid American-Oriental
chestnut seedlings in the wild to provide a
short-term hard mast source for black bears and
other creatures who will soon face mast
shonages from the oak tree decline and the
imminent depredations of the gypsy moth.
Membership in the project, including two hybrid
trees for planting, costS $25 to Paul Gallimo~;
RL 2, Box 132; Leicester, NC 28748
NATIVE FLUTES
Two styles made of cedar or walnut
woods in the traditional manner
Hawk Littlejohn
Sourwood Farm
RL 1, Box 172-L
Prospect Hill, NC 27314
(919) 562·3073
r/ r:rf.u
~ Saru}JMush
Htrb Nurse_y
,
WHOLE FOODS
VITAMINS
ORGANIC PRODUCE
160 Broadway
Asheville, North Carolina
Open 7 Days a Week
Monday - Friday 9 am - 8 pm
Saturday 9 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm
WREATHS • POTPOURRI
• HERBS • TOPIARY
Complete Herb CataliJg - $4
Describes more tlum 800 plants from
Aloe to Yam,w
Rt 2, Surrett Cove Road
Leicester, North Carolina 28748
P1ione for appointment to visit
A.I.A., Resource Information Analysis
Neil Thomas and Andy Feinstein
(704) 683-2014
305 Westover, Asheville, NC
(704) 252-6816
Sprl.ng. 1991
�MARCH
20
"Oh, the May, the jolly, jolly May;
The leaves they spring so green."
SPRING EQUINOX
:8:ELT~:E
SWANNANOA, NC
Baba Olatunji Drum & Dance
Weekend. Spuitual teacher and cultural diplomat from
West Africa via the drum. Performance 8 pm, 3/22,
Kinn:dgc Auditorium, Wanen Wilson College, S 10.
Call 004) 645-391 I for mon: info. Sponsored by
Rhythm Alive!
22-24
and
APRIL
Katuah Spring Gathering
at Morningstar Fann on the Tanasi Ridge
5-7
AS II EVILLE, NC
Seminar on solar technology and a
tour of solar homes sponsored by the Buncombe
County Solar Communities Program. More info,
004) 255-5522.
30
FULL MOON - PASSOVER
30
WESSER, NC
"Cheoah Council" to talk
stm1.egies and tactics for the defense of the
Cheoah Bald area, the largest unprotected
roaclless area in the region, now threatened by
logging and roadbuilding. Bring food and
camping gear, be prepared to walk in along
the Appalachian Trail. For more info, write
SouthPAW; Box 3141; Asheville. NC 28802
or call (704) 586-3146.
April 26-28
5-7
22-23
Bring camping gear and food for yourselves and to share.
The site is at high clevnlion, so be prepared for changeable
weather. Bring colorful dress, musicm insuuments, toys,
mask matcn:ils, and other celcbl1\lory tools.
• .• t
11, I ,
NEW MARKET, TN
ST? (Stop the Poisoning! or Save the
Planet!) environmental acuon school at the Highlander
Center. Call or write for mfo: 1959 HighlMdcr Way:
New Market, 1N 37820 (615) 933-3443.
VALl,.Ef llEAD, AL
,
"Masculinity: Native Tcachmgs. Earth
consciousne.ss• workshop. Cieorgc Goodstrikcr
(Blackfoot elder), An Hom, Tarwater. Pn:-rcgisier.
S I75, includes 4 meals and camping. Hawkwind Earth
Renewal Cooperative: Box 11: Valleyhcad, AL 35989.
ASHEVILLE, NC
"Re-Thinking Democracy: Citizenship
in the Age of Mass Media," A Symposium for
Tcac.hcrs, PurcnlS, and Concerned CitiJ.cns. Speakers
include: Walter Trucu Anderson. Kathleen Hall
Jrunieson, Marie Crispin Miller. Free. University of
North Carolina at AsheV1Uc. For more mfonnation,
(704) 251-6526.
1 ••
,
n,
~
.(
•,
This is a bcnef4 celebration IO help ~ve sacri!d land:
SS d0113tion per pcison requesled
For 1r1vd din,clio115 and more info.rmJJlcm,
call (704)293-7013 or (70,1) SU-3146
11-13
28
FULL MOON
MAY
13
NEW MOON
NEW MARKET. TN
STP environmenl:ll action school for
young people! at the Highlander Center. See 4/5-7.
24-26
31
EASTER
13
SWANNANOA, NC
Dedication of the World ~ u n d
Oiamber ru. the Earth CcnlCI led by Beautiful Painl.Cd
Arrow (Josoph Rael). 30'1 Old Pdlo10sl11j, Rd.\• ,, •,110-x
24-27
14
NEW MOON
Spiritual Hcaltll." lnteyal yoga taught by Swami'
Vidynnanda. $145. Southern Dharmn Rcueat Center.
Sec 4/19-21.
28
Home! A Bioregional Reader
llome! A Bioregional Rt.adt.r, just published by
New Society Publishers, offers ·an CJtciting vision and
~tn11egy for creating ccologicmly suswinable
communities and cultures in h:umony with the limits and
regenerative powers of the Earth.· It has gathered articles,
stories. and poems of over forty writers and activists who
hnve comribuled both to defining bioregionalism as a
political philosophy and to lhc practice or "living in
place.• Contributor.. include: G4ry Snyder, Peter Berg.
Caroline Estes, Wendell Berry, as well as Mamie Muller
of the Kmuah Journal. Graphics in lhc book include the
worlt of Kmuah'.r Rob M~ick:.
The book Is a large-format paperback with 192
pages. including resources and a reading lisL Copies are
available by mail for $15.70 from: RM Designs: Box
UiOt: Boone, NC 28007. Pri~ of Rob Mcssick's
illustrations from the book are also available from the
same address.
Sprt ng, 1991
''"'.
jZ
16-21 HELEN, GA
Rive~ane Rendel.Yous with
Snow Bear, Darry Wood, and Bob Slack. Jr.
plus visiting instructors. "Ancient arts and
skills for the mind, hean, and hand..."
including fire by friction, making stone and
bone tools, tanning buckskin, plant
identification and use, basketry. blowguns,
and more. Pre-register: $135, includes
camping and two meals per day. For more
info, contact: Bob Slack. Jr.; Unicoi State
Parle; Box 1029; Helen. GA 30545 (404)
878-2201 (Ext. 282?· . \.,
HOT SllRINGS,rN<:'. h.'11~:Ktx·, am ~lri'I ,UI?.
........~~:M~~~.f9r ~1!,Yi;ic:il. Meot;i!J\~ •.., __
Sw:11\MnOa, NC .28nS.c31l.(704) 2!l8Tl!l3S. ~
FULL MOON
JUNE
11-15
JOHNSON CITY, TN
Changes, a play by The Road
Company at Down Home. Tickets 58.00 during week,
$10.00 weekend. For details call (615) 926-TI26.
19-21
HOT SPRrNGS, NC
"Hca\'en on the Mountain: Nine at !he
Top," divinauon with lhe I Ching taught by Jay
Dunbar. 'Through subtle movement and discussion we
will excn:isc the intuition and explore the language of
energy.• S75. Southern Dharma Re1Ica1 Center; RL I,
Box 34-H; Hot Springs. NC 28743 (7~) 622-7112.
21
25-26
EART H OAY CELfBRATIONS
II ENDERSONVlLLE, NC
Into the Heart of Healing" IC\'etsing hcan discas.c wilh vegetarian dict, cxe.tt:ise
and su-cs:; m.lllngement taught by Steven Oreer. MD
Md Lynn DcLuca. Shambala Institute. For more info,
write 118 Cumberland Ave: Asheville, NC 28801 or
call (704) 25.3-0509.
NATURAL
ALTERNATIVES
FOR HEALTHFUL
LIVING
p.o. box 1092 • winery square
gatlinburg, tenne.,sce 37738
615-436-6967
X.Otiw:lh Journot pa«Je a3
l ~ lQn,uor t Q.UnJl
�BUSINESS PAR1NER WANTED· Must have some
cspiLill IO help CSUlblish nn herb, orgnnic foods, and
0
possibly ecological and solar equipment business. Large
new building, half ac.re, in Ellijay Mt'ns. area. Please call
(~) 635-7009 or wri1e io: Wall Klimowiez; Rt. 5, Box
30-t: Ellijay. GA 30540.
omusu~ !:~ ~
challenge, of advenuue, lhe beauty and inspiration or
nature, the fellow~ip and sharing of lcindered spirilll, lhcn
Turtle Island is the pince for youl This one week camp is
open 10 gills 11-17, and runs from July 71h IO July 13th.
Tow cost iS $300.00. For information and application
call (704) 265-2267, or write: Valarie SpraUin c/o Tun le
lsl!lnd Pre:;ctve; RL I, Box 249-B: Deep Gap (near
Boone), NC 28618.
LAND FOR SALB • 32 acics, all or pan. 3 private coves;
2 large organic fields; sm311 solar ~lrUCture; 1906 rustic
fannhouse: barn. If interested, please wnic: Vicki Baker
and Tom Graves; Rt. 2, Box 108-A: Whittier, NC 28789
or call (704) 586-8221.
PIEDMONT BIOREGIONAL INSTITIJTE • For those
who live in the Piedmont ruca, lherc's a bioregional effon
well underway. Join us! We would appreciate any donation
or time or money to help mcel operating c:Jtpcnses. For a
gift of $2.5 or more. we will send you a copy of John
Lawson's joumru. A New Voyagt' 10 Carolina. Also, come
find out about the Lawson ProjecL PBI; 412 W.
Rosemary Strcci; Chapel Hill, NC 27516; Uwharria
Province. (919) 942-2581.
1WO FAMll.IES seeking neighborly folks 10 buy inco
130 acres of bcautlful mountru11S1de bnd near
Weavcsville, N.C. We are involved in org:inic gnnlening,
homeschooling, n:11.uml healing and spiritu:ility. 20 acre
share for $24,000. eau (704) 658-2676 or 645-7954.
LOO CABIN BUILDING CAMP· a three week.
hands-on, edueational retreat building a log house. Live as
an American pioneer and learn the ways of wood.
Magnificcnl involvement wilh hi.5tory and self· sufficiency
in na~ Towly hand-built Crom U'OCS cut on lhe sice in
the beautiful wilderness setting ofTunle Island Presesve.
A uniqueopp0nuni1y. June 23- July 13, 1991. For more
information call (704) 265-2267. or wrice Turtle Island
Prescrvo; RL I Box 249-B; Deep Gop (near Boone), NC
28618.
HAWKWIND EARTH RENEW AL CO-OPERATIVE is
an 87 acre primitive l'CU'Cal. and wocking community farm.
Located in the Northern Alabama mountruns, just 115
miles northwest of Allan ta. Classes on a!J.ernative
lifestyles and Native American philosophies rue available
on a regular basis. For inforrruuion or callllog of Native
crafts & products, call (1.0S)63S-6304.
MUSIC BY BOB AVERY.ORUBa available on lhrec
cassew:s. Treasures in the Stream and Circles Re1urni11g
a recent release of original chan1s
and songs. Ughl i11 the \Vind, is a cappella. Lyric sheets
included. Send $10 for each cape or S26 for o.ll lhlee co
Bob Avery-Grubel; RL I, Box 735; Floyd, VA 24091,
aie folk/roclt-jazz. and
GOOD STEW ARDS WAN"ffiD for rcmoce land. Approx.
IS acres for sale w/ house (2 bdrm., I bath). Organic3lly
fanned for 1.0 years, gravity feed spring water. High on
Tanasi Ridge, views. Raven and ~ Walker, Box 23:
Lake Toxaway, NC 28747 (704} 293-7013.
MOCCASINS, handcmfl.ed of clkhlde in the traditlonal
Plains Indian style. WaJet rcsisUlnt. rcsolable, and rugged great for hiking! Children's and infant sizes available.
Write: Eanh Dance Moccasins; RL 5. Box 341-B,
Burnsville, NC 28714 or call 675-594 I.
WICKER WORKER • Wicker fumitW"e reslortd. Cane.
rusb, lllld reed SC3IS woven - basJcets rcp:wcd. Expcricnced
scat weavu. "lf you ean'L we cane.· Andita Cwkc; 27
Mrut SL; Asheville, NC 28801 (704)2.53-6241.
SKYLAND • log on co the computer bulletin board of the
Smokies. Networking, plus news on lhe environment.
natwe phocography, games, computer utilities, much
more. Con1.aet Michael Havclin, sysop, (704} 2.54-6700.
HlGHLANDER CEN1eR • is a community-based
cducalional organization whose purpose is co provide space
for people co learn from each other, and co develop
solutions co environmcmal problems based on their own
values, experiences and aspirations. They also put OUl a
quarterly newslcucr, Hlghlandu Reporu. For more
infonnation contact Highlander Cci11er; 1959 Highbnder
Way; New Market.. 1N 37820 (615) 933-3443.
ADULT CAMP· a nawra1 living experience 1eJ1Cbing
primitive Eanh Skills and rughterung participants spirilU3l
awareness lllrough riwal This renewal rwe:11 olTers five
days of living in a teepee at Tunle Tsland Preserve wilh
master woodsman nnd &eaehu Eustace Conway. June 8 12. 1991 or Scpiember I • 5 arc the dates. For more
information call (704) 265-2267, or write TurUe Island
Preserve; RL I, Box 249-B: Deep Gap (near Boone). NC
28618.
EARTH SKILLS, NATURE AW ARE1''ESS
WORKSHOP • Reconoo:t wtlh the Earth • bow drill fire,
cordage, shelters, lOOlmaking. medicinal and edible plants.
nature observation, and much more. See and fed the Eanh
duough primal C)CS and primal :.kills Write: Dr. Guy
Jaconis; RL 4, Box 92: Beaufon. NC 28516 (9 I9)
728-2959.
BODY RIIYTJJMS from Pbnetary Molhcrs - a beautiful
and practical calendar for women 10 chart lhcir ·moonlhly"
cycles. Send S3.00 plus S 1.00 p0stagc 10: Planetary
Modicn Collective (c/oNancie Yonker): 5231 Riverwood
Ave.; Sarasot:i. A. 3423 I.
WISE WOMAN TRADmON APPRENTICE WEEKwith Whitewolf, near Asheville. July 25-31 (Weekend
opuon, 26-28). Foraging, wildcrafting, communicating
wilh plants, herb gardening. llllditional remedies,
Eanhkccping, woman's heallh care. women's wisdom
circles, Moonlodge, mllSSllgc, movement. and music.
Donation or work Exchange. Comfortable dorm, camping,
meals. Concacl Lcivan; Box 576; Asheville. NC 28802.
1990/91 DIRECTORY OF IN1'ENTIONAL
COMMUNfTIP.S • Just released, over 2 y~ in the
making. Names, addresses. phone nwnbets, and
descriptions of31.0 Norlh American communities, and
over 250 rcsourcc groups, plus 40 nniclcs. Maps,
cross-reference chruts, fully indexed. $13.50 postpaid from
Sandhill Fann; ROUIC I, Box 155-R: Rutledge. MO
63563. 40% discount available on orders o! 10 or more.
I am looking for land suitable for small scale farming
wilh a good source of war.er, preferably northwest
Rulherfocd or soulhW$ McDowell Counties. I am also
open to ocher areas within 45 min. of Asheville. Also
looking for people who would like IO develop a rural
community in lhc Kan1ah region wilh intereslS in org1111ic
gardening, environmental issues, lllld education. Contact
Frank Holzman: 537 Seminole Avenue; Atlanlll, GA
30307 (404} 688-4016.
RECYCLED PAPER! • Dll'CCtory of products sources for
the Southcas1. Suggested donation S 1.00
to Western Norlh Carolina Alliance; PO Box 18087:
Asheville, NC 28814 (704) 2.58-8737.
• 1Vebworkil1g hasclumgt>df There is nowafuof S2.50
per entry of50 words or less. Send 10: Rob Messick;
P.O. Boz 2601; BooM, NC 28f,/)7.
"The area's oldc,;t
and largest natural
food< grorery"
811fk Herbs, Spices, & Grains
Vitamins & Supplements
Wheat, Salt & Yeast-Free Foods
Dairy S11~titutes
Hair & Skin Care Products
Beer & Wi11e Mnki11g S11pplies
200 W. King St, Boone, ~C 28607
• PrCll'ulmg I fealll:y Food Sitree 1975 •
COMMITTED
To COMMUNITY AND Gooo Fooo
255-7650
~
90 Biltmore Avenue Asheville, :-.:c
2 Blocks South of Dov,mtown
(70,l) 26-t-5220
Sprlt19, 1991
�BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE
ISSUE THIRTEEN • FALi.. 1986
Cenn:r FOT Awakening - Elizabclh Callari - A Gentle
Dcmh • Hospice - Emes1 Morgan • Dealing Creatively
wilh Death • Home Burial Box • The Wake • The Raven
Moelter. Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom· Good
Medicine: The Sweat Lodge
ISSUE THREE • SPRING 1984
Susminable Agriculture - Sunflowers - Human Impact on
lhe Foe-est - Childrcns· Edu01tion • Veronicn Nicholas:
Woman in Politics - Lillie People - Medicine Allies
ISSUE FOUR • SUMMER 1984
Walef Drum • Waier Quali1y • Kudzu - Solar Eclipse •
Oca.«:ulling - Trou1 - Going to Waier • Ram Pumps·
J\.1icrohydro - Poems: Bennie Lte Sinclair. Jim Wayne
Miller
ISSUE TWENTY-TWO -WINTER '88-89
Global Wanning. Fire This Time· Thomas Berry on
"Bioregions" • Earth Exercise - Kort Loy McWhirter - An
Abundance of Emptiness - LETS - Chronicles of Floyd Darry Wood • The Bear Clan
ISSUE FIVE • FAU.. 1984
Harvest. Old Ways in Cherokee. Ginseng - Nuclcor
Waste - Our Ccluc Hcrimgc • Biorcgionalism: Past.
Prcscn1, and Fu1ure - John WUno1y - Healing Darkness·
Politics of Participauon
ISSUE TWENTY-THREE - SPRING 1989
Pisgah Village - Plane1 An - Green City • Poplor Appeal •
"Clear Sky". "A New Earth" • Black Swan • Wild Lovely
Days • Reviews: Sacred Land Sacred Su, Ice Age • Poem:
"Sudden Tendrils"
ISSUE SIX • WINTER 1984-85
Winter Solstice Enrlh Ceremony • HorsepaslurC3 River Coming of the Ligh1 • Log Cabin Root • Mouniain
Agricuhure: The Righi Crop - William Taylor· The
Future of I.he Forest
ISSUE SEVEN • SPRING 1985
Susl3.i0llble Economics· Ho1 Springs - Worker Ownership
• The G~1 Economy - Self Help Credit Union - Wild
Turkey. Responsible Investing. Working in lhe Web of
Life
ISSUE EIGHT- SUMMER 1985
Celebrauon: A Way of Life - Katuah 18.000 Years AgoSacred Si1es - Folk Arts in the Schools - Sun Cycle/Moon
Cycle - Poems: Hild.:! Downer • Cherokee Heri1age Cemcr
• Who Owns Appalachia?
ISSUE NINE • PALI.. 1985
The Waldcc Foccs1 - The Trees Speak. Migraung Forests ·
Horse Logging • Slorting a Tree Crop - Urban Trees •
Acom Bread - Myth Time
ISSUE TEN • WINTER 1985-86
Ka1e Rogers - Circles of S1one - Internal Mylhmaking Holistic Healing on Trial - Poems: Steve Knauth • Mythic
Places • The Uktcna·s Tale - CrySUIJ Magic "Drcamspcaking•
ISSUE ELEVEN- SPRING 1986
Communi1y Planning - Cities and lhe Biorcgional Vision
- Recycling - Community Gardening- Floyd Coomy. VA·
Gasohol • Two Bioregionnl Views • Nuclear Supplcmenl •
Foxrll'C Games - Good Medicine: Visions
ISSUE 1WENTY-ONE • FALi.. 1988
Chestnuts: A Nalwal His10ry - Restoring !he Chestnut "Poem or Preservation and Praise" - COlllinuing lhe Qucs1
- Forests and Wildlife - ChCSllluts in Regional Diel •
Chestnu1 Resources • Herb N01e - Good Medicine:
"Changes lO Come•. Review: Where Ltgends Li-.e
ISSUE FOURTEEN • WINTER 1986-87
Lloyd Corl Owle - Boogcrs and Mummers - All Species
Day • Cabin Fever Universi1y • Homeless in Kaubh •
Romcmade Hot Water - Stovemaker's Narrative • Good
Medicine: Interspecies Communication
ISSUE FIFTEEN • SPRJNG 1987
Coverlets . Woman Forester· Susie McMahan: Midwife •
Alternative Contraception - Biosexuali1y - Bioregionalism
and Women - Good J\,tcdicine: Malriarchal Culture - Pearl
ISSUE SIXTEEN • SUMMER 1987
Hcfon Waiie. Poem: Visions in a Garden - Vision Quest·
F°l!SI Flow - µti1iation - Lc;iming in !he W i t ~ "Cherokee Challenge. "Valuing Trees"
ISSUE EIGHTEEN • WINTER 1987·88
Vernacular ArchilCCturc - D~s in Wood and Stone Mountrun Home - Eanh Energies - Eanh-Shellcred Living
• Membrane Houses - Brush Shcl1cr - Poems: October
Dusk - Good Medicine: "ShellCr"
ISSUE NINETEEN • SPRING 1988
Pcrclandra Garden • Spring Tonics - Blueberries Wildflower Gardens - Granny Herbalist • Flower Essences
- "The Origin or lhe Animals:" S1ory • Good Medicine:
"Power" - Be A Tree
ISSUE TWENTY • SUMMER 1988
Preserve Appalachian Wilderness - Highlands or Roan •
Cclo Communi1y - Land Trust· Arlhur Morgan School Z.Oning Issue - "The Ridge" - Farmers and !he Fann Btu·
Good Medicine: "Land" - Acid Rain - Ouke·s Power Play·
Cherokee Microhydro Projec1
ISSUE TWENTY·FOUR • SUMMER •39
Deep Listening • Ufc in AlOmic City - Direc1 Action! Tree of Peace - Communily Building· Peacemakers·
Elhnic Survival - Pairing Project - "Bnnlcsong• Growing Peace in Culwn:s - Review: The Chalice and the
Blode
fSSUE TWENTY-SIX • WINTER, 1989·'90
Coming of Age in lhe Ecozoic Era - Kids Saving
Rainfores1 - Kids Treecycling Company· ConOic1
Resolution. Developing lhe Creative Spirit - Birth Power
• Birth Bonding • The Magic of Puppetry - Home
Schooling - Naming Ceremony - Molher Eanh•s
Classroom - Gardening for Children
ISSUE TWENTY-SEVEN • SPRING. 1990
Transformation • Healing Power - Peace to Their Ashes Healing in Katuah • Poem: "When Left to Grow· - Poems:
Stephen Wing • The Belly • Food from lhe Ancient Forest
ISSUE 'TWENTY·EIGHT - SUMMER 1990
Carrying Capaci1y • Selling LimitS IO Growth - What is
Ovcrpopulntion? • The Road Gnng • The Highway to
Nowhere. The J.26 Project - "Curing Capacity" - Poople
and Habillll • Designing lhe Whole Life Community Steady Staie - Poems: Will Ashe Bason Ttansporte.rnativcs - Review: Cohausing
ISSUE TWENTY -NINE • FALL/WINTER 1990
From the Mounlains lO lhe Sea • Profile of The Lillie
Tennessee River - Headwaters Ecology and High Quali1y
Habitat - "l1 All Comes Down lO WBJN Quality· Wa1er
Power. Action for Aquatic HabilatS - Dawn Waichcrs •
Good Medicine: The Long Human Being • The North
Shore Road • Kalliah Sells Ou1 • W81erShed Map of lhe
Kalllah Province
- - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - --- - - - - - --- -- - - - ~UAt1 JOURNAL
Issue 30
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province
For more info: call Rob Messick at (704) 754-6097
Name
Regular Membership........ $10/yr.
Sponsor.........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
Address
City
Area Code
Sprlnq, 1991
Stale
Phone Number
Zip
Enclosed is$_ __ to give
this ejfon an exrra boos/
I can be a local contact
person for my area
28748
Back Issues
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $ _ _
Issue# __@ $2.50 = $_ _
Issue H_ _@ $2.50 - $ _ _
Issue# __@ $2.50 = $_ _
Complete Set (3-11, 13-16,
18-24, 2~29)
@ $40.00 = $_ _
posiage paid
(
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 30, Spring 1991
Description
An account of the resource
The thirtieth issue of the<em> Katúah Journal</em> focuses on regional economics, development, and ecology. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Thomas Power, Rob Messick, Will Ashe Bason, Rodney Webb, Henry Eckler, Griscom Morgan, Snow Bear, Gary Lawless, Jim Clark, Ernest Womick, Millie Sundstrom, Lee Barnes, David Haenke, Richard Lowenthal, Rodney Web, Jim Houser, Charlotte Homsher, Martha Tree, Stephen Petroff, and Rob Leverett. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1991
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Economy/Ecology by David Wheeler.......1<br /><br />Avoiding the Passive/Helpless Approach to Economic Development by Thomas Power.......4<br /><br />Ways to a Regenerative Economy by Rob Messick.......5<br /><br />Sacred Oconomy by Will Ashe Bason.......6<br /><br />"Money Is the Lowest Form of Wealth": Interview with Ivo Ballentine and Robin Cape by Rodney Webb and Henry Eckler.......7<br /><br />The Clarksville "Miracle" by Griscom Morgan.......10<br /><br />Self-Help Credit Union.......10<br /><br />The Village by Snow Bear.......11<br /><br />"through dreams, through magic": Poems by Gary Lawless.......12<br /><br />Food Movers by David Wheeler.......13<br /><br />Poems by Jim Clark.......14<br /><br />LifeWork by Ernest Womick and Millie Sandstrom.......15<br /><br />Green Spirits: "Katúah Planting Calendar" by Lee Barnes.......19<br /><br />Good Medicine: "Village Economy".......20<br /><br />On Eco-economics by David Haenke.......21<br /><br />Thoughts on Work, Productivity, and Development by Richard Lowenthal.......22<br /><br />Natural World News.......23<br /><br />Shelton Laurel by Rodney Webb.......25<br /><br />Off the Grid: "Regional Fuels" by Jim Houser.......26<br /><br />LETS........27<br /><br />Resources........27<br /><br />Drumming.......28<br /><br />Earth Energies: "The Great Lover" by Charlotte Homsher.......31<br /><br />Events.......33<br /><br />Webworking.......34<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Economic development--Environmental aspects
Mixed economy--Appalachian Region, Southern
Regional economics
Ecology--Economic aspects--Appalachian Region, Southern
Salvage (Waste, etc.)--North Carolina--Asheville
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Agriculture
Alternative Energy
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Community
Earth Energies
Economic Alternatives
Education
Forest Issues
Good Medicine
Habitat
Katúah
Poems
Politics
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Recycling
Stories
Turtle Island
Villages
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance
Wilderness
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/c5ee330c977312a17d828d214a7916e6.pdf
05640bd372243437e62e080e13bbb8ac
PDF Text
Text
ISSUE 32 FALL 1991
$1.50
�Drawina by Rob M~siclt
~UAHJOURNAL
PO Bo:,,. 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
Printed on recycled paper
Postage Paid
Bulk Mail
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
�CONTENTS
Bringing Back !he Fire................. .
by David Wheeler
A Bil of Mountain Levity.................
by Barbara Wickersham
5
Climax Never Came.......................
by Henry Wender
7
ls the Southern Appalachian
Ecosystem Endangered?..................
by John A. Freeman
9
'Talking Leaves": Sequoyah............ 10
by Tom Underwood
Green Spirits: Seed Saving .............
by lee Barnes
12
Walking Dis1a11ce.........................
by Will Ashe Bason
13
Angle: Environment......................
by lvo Ballentine
13
Good Medicine: ..........................
14
Poem: "A Rotting Log"..................
by Brownie Newman
15
THEGRANOLAJOURNAL..........
16
Livin' By Their Wits
recorded by Rob Messick
An Old Family Tale
by Bess Harbison
BRINGING BACK THE FIRE
The Slide
by Rob Messick
Recorded by David Wheeler
How Can You Lose Anything as Big
as This Ego?
by Maxim Didge,
Paintings: "Mountain Stories".......... 18
by Robert Johnson
Natural World News.....................
20
Dying Soils, Dying Waters.............
by Emmelt Greendigger
22
Songs in lhe Wilderness.................
by Char/011e Homsher
24
500 Years of Resistance!................
by Emmell Greendigger
25
Save James Bay..........................
25
Drumming.................................
26
Off the Grid: Solar Ovens... ,...........
by Dennis Scanlin
29
Events.....................................
32
\Vcbworklng..............................
34
Ka11fah Konfusion.......................
35
foff, 1991
While Walker Calhoun is II/JI the only
person working ro keep alive the old
Cherokee practices and values, he is
definitely one of the people most dedicated to
restoring the traditional ways. When he
speaks of "the Fire," he means the spark of
life irself. and also the spirit behind the
Cherokee spiriwal life • so strong in this
region until even JOO years ago. But, like the
Cherokee white flour corn that was
cross-fertilized with the white people's
Yellow Dent \•aricty, Walker's spiriwal way
also shows traces of the white people's
Christian religion.
\Vhen I drove 11p 10 Walker's house, he
was sitting by a small fire in the side yard.
He had a ra1: wrapped around one pa111/eg,
and he was Ito/ding lo11g pieces ofriver ca11e
over rite blaze until tltcy became pliable. then
s1raigluenin1: them across his leg to make
blowgu11s.
lie stood to greet me. He was a slight
111011 with a ready smile that showed the worn
nubs of a few teeth.
"let's sit 011 the porch," he said. "It's
too hnt to work around this fire anymore."
I showed him a copy of rite Kattiah
Journal and, ofter consideri11g it a mmure.
without further prompting he began talking ..
Walker Calhoun: Katuah - that's the
name of the tribe. We're not the Cherokee.
When lhey wrote a history, they called us the
Cherokee, but really we're the Katuah tribe.
They've got the Katuah Band in Oklahoma,
and lhe Katuah Medicine Society out there.
That's our religion· lhe Cherokee religion·
the Katuah Society.
I'm supposed 10 put the sign up at our
stomp grounds we have just a.cross the river
up here in Big Cove... the name is the Raven
Rock Nighthawk Ceremonial Grounds ·
Katuah Society. We have dance there every
month on the last Saturday. In August we
have a big celebration • a Green Com
Celebration. We have a big time.
I was chosen to bring lhe Everlasting
Fire back here to the Eastern band. The
reason they picked me was because I was the
only one keeping our culture and heritage
from disappearing. That's why they chose
me to bring the Fire back where ii belongs.
I didn't know much about the Fire until
three or four years ago. Two men from
Oklahoma came and told me. We were sining
right here, and these two men came. They
mentioned Katunh. One asked me about it,
but I didn't know what he meant. It was later
when I learned what they were t.1llcing about.
Now, the Fire... people misunderstand
the Fire. At the ceremonial grounds we've
got a mound where the spirit is. We build a
Drawing by Rob Messick
(con11nucd on page 3)
X,ntunf, Journo(
pn9c
I
�~
LJAHJOURNAL
A BAD CASE OF EDITORTALSTAPH:
Susan Adam
Jim Houser
Lee Barnes
Anomal..ee
Heather Blair
Rob Messick
Emmett Greendigger
Mamie ~lullcr
Charloue Homsher
David Wheeler
EDlTORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Chris Green
Scou Bird
and Li'I Matthew...
Mountain Gardens Family
COVER: by Rob Messick
©1991
PUBLTSHED BY: Kart'iah Journal
PRTNTED BY: The Waynesville Mowitaineer Press
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
EDITORIAL OFFlCE THIS ISSUE: The Globe Valley
WRITE US AT: Kat(iah Journal
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province 28748
TELE Pl IONE:
(704) 754-6097
Divcrsi1y is an imponam clcmcm of biorcgaonal ecology, both nntural
and social. In accord with !his principle Katuah Journal Irie.~ to serve as n
forum for lhe discussion of regional issues. Signed :iruclcs expross only lite
opinion of lite aulhors and arc no1 ncccss:irily 1he opinions of lhc Katuah
Journal editors or stllT.
The Internal Revenue Service hns dcclnred K01uah Joivnol a non-profi1
organizntion under sccuon 50l(c)(3) or lhe lnicmal Revenue Code. All
contributions to Ka,uoh Journal an: deductible from pcrson3l income l:lll.
Aniclcs appearing m Ka1uah Journal may be rcprimcd m 01hcr
publications wilh permis.~1on Crom lhe Ka1uah Journal slllff. ConUlCl lite
journal in writing or coll (701) 754-6097.
CORRECTION: m our las1 isssuc (Summer, 1991) lhcrc was an
error in lite article •Jack-o-Lanicms, Acid Ram, and the Elcctncal Life of lite
Earth." Brown Mountain is aclllally IOC3lcd in Burke and Caldwell Counues
of North Carolina.
Wltat would the world be, once bereft
Of wet and of wilderness? Let them be left,
0 let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.
Here,
in the Katuah Province
of these ancient Appalachian mountains
where once the Cherokee Nation lived in freedom
between the Tennessee River Valley and the Eastern Piedmont
between the Valley of the Roanoke and the Southern Plain
on this Tun le Island continent of Mother Ela, the Eanh
I lcrc,
In this place we dedicate ourselves to remembering our deep
connection LO the spirit of the land.
We bring this connection into the being and the doing of
our daily lives
When the land speaks, we listen and we act
We tune our lives 10 the changes, to the seasons
We respect the limits of the land
We preserve, defend, and restore the land
We give thanks for all that is good
Hannony with the land is no longer an ideal; it is an imperative.
The land is a living being. She is sacred.
As the land lives, so do we.
As the spirit of the land is diminished,
our spirits are diminished as well.
Ka11iah Journal sends a voice...
with articles, stories, poems, and anwork
we speak to the spirit of all the living, breathing
inhabitants of these mountains
in hopes that we, the human beings,
may find our place in this Great Life.
The Editors
- Gerard Manley Hopkins
KATUAH JOURNAL wanes ro communicare your thouglus and
feelings ro the 01/zer people in the bioregional province. Send them ro tlS
as lerrers, poems, stories, articles, drawings, or photographs, ere. Please
send your contribwions ro us at: Katuah Journal; P. 0. Box 638;
Leicesrer, NC; Kar(ltlh Province 28748.
OUR NEX:r ISSUE is concerned with the role of the element Fire in
the life of the mountains...forest Fire, how humans changed the
landscape with Fuc, Fire in the heanh, Fire as tool, Fire of the spirit.
Please submit all material by October 30, 1991.
JC.ati!Qn )ournat pa«Jc 2
THE SPRING, 1992 JSSUE will be concerned wilh "Sustainable
Agriculture and Regional Diet." We need your input on topics including:
sustainable agriculture (alternative ag., low input, appropriate ag.,
pennaculturc, biodynamics, etc.); seed-saving techniques; wild-foods
and medicinals; regionaVcommunity food production and marketing;
seasonal diet and recipes; food preservation; green manures and
composting; agroforestry; and especially recommended resources,
guides, and contacts.
Please send material to Lee Barnes; Box 1303; Waynesville, NC
28786. (704) 452-5716.
Ta(t, 1991
�(con1inucd !'tom page I)
fire on top. A lot of people misunderstand it they think that we worship the fire. That's
not it. The spirit of Fire is in that mound. The
Oklahoma people fixed it (put it there). They
said that was !he sll'Ongest Fire they had ever
fixed.
It came from the Redbird Community in
Oklahoma. That's the original Fire. They've
got some more at other stomp grounds, but
they get the spirit from the main one, at
Redbird, !he same one that this came from.
We've got the seven clans of the
Cherokee. We've got seven arbors around
the fire, each clan sits in their own arbor, and
when we start dancing, each clan comes from
their own arbor, and when they quit, they go
back to their own arbor.
We went a lot of different places to get
that place fixed. We went up to Clingman's
Dome to get a piece of dirt to put over here.
That's where the wisest medicine men of the
Cherokee had their meetings. I guess they
would go all the way to Clingman's Dome to
talk with God.
People forget about their culture and
heritage, they're going with the rest of the
world. The Green Com Dance has been
handed down from our forefathers, but it
almost went out of existence. It was going
down slow. They hadn't done it for about 50
years, until last year.
I was just a young boy when they did
the lllSl one 50 yean. ugo. 1 remember how
they danced.
The women would be dancing away
from the men, while the menfolks were doing
the Green Com Dance. When the men got
through, the women came over, and they
would stan doing the stomp dance, and then
the women would join in.
When the menfolk were dancing, they
would carry shotguns - each one would have
seven shots. They would go around a singer,
I believe they'd go around seven times first,
just walk it, and then on the eighth round,
they'd Stan singing, they'd go completely
around, and the second time 'round, at each
side the men, they'd shoot, each one. That's
the way we did it.
When we dance, that's the prayer co
God. We've got the Fire on top - smoke
takes what we're saying up to God. What
we're saying, God is the only One who can
understand it. We can't understand it
ourselves.
Sometimes in Oklahoma they dance all
night. That's when there's some reason, like
the Green Com Celebration or the Fire's
birthday. There was one time at the stomp
dancing in Oklahoma, it was broad daylight,
it was still going. They ran out of songs, they
started singing "Old MacDonald."
0L:J.l:J~
f'n{t. I 99 1
The leader sang, "Old MacDonald had a
fann."
They answered, "Hee yi, hee yi!"
I tell you, when they get warmed up,
tlleY_'re airing th~ Fire as they dance, making
mouons. They sing songs about God while
they're dancing, how they appreciate God.
Our Fire's birthday is September 29.
That's when it was lit, September 29. The
man who lit it, his name was Hickory Star.
He was the one who wanted the fire brought
back here, he said that this is where it
belongs. He just barely made iL He lit tlle
fire, went back home - he died there last
February. He brought the fire back, and tllen
he died.
Karuah JourMI: Do you sing old songs
at the stomp dance?
WC: Yeh. I don't know how old. This
was done before white men came to America
- way before. That was the way they
worshipped.
Kl: I'm glad you are starting it back
again. It would be a tcnible thing if we lost
that.
WC: Yeah. They've got a lot ofit back
now. Some of it they have in Oklahoma.
They know more about it tllan us, of course.
The Eastern Band, we just came from the few
who escaped and hid in the mountains. When
they came back. they didn't have nothing.
They took the Fire with tllem out west.
The Fire, that was their religion. That's the
spirit - it was within 'em. They carried the
Fire of the spirit.
They staned back doing it. To begin
with they did it in secret, because the
government didn't allow tllem to do that. But
they kept it up. Then the government passed
a low about freedom of religion (Native
American Religious Freedom Act), and then
they came out with it.
When I was a boy, I guess about 12 or
14 years old, I always heard my motlier and
some of the older people talking about the
Fire - the Fire in Oklahoma. l thought tllat
they had taken the name of the real fire with
them when they lefL That's tlle way a lot of
people believe yet.
Up at the Mountainside Theater (in
Cherokee where the drama Unro These Hills
is performed), they've got a name burning,
that they bum by gas, I guess, so that's the
not the Eternal Flame, for when they want to
clean it, they put the fire out. That's a
commercinl fire.
When they brought it back from
Oklahoma they actually carried the fire back.
I don't know exactly how they carried it,
somehow they kept it burning until they got it
to Cherokee. They called on a man in
~
Oklahoma to give them the Eternal Fire. He
didn't know what to do. They wanted the
Fire, so he gave them a name to bring baclc.
He didn't know what to tel1 them.
There's a lot of people interested in
Indian religion, I don't know why. I guess
that they think that they (tlle native people)
might be more right The Indians respect the
Mother Earth. They respect just about
everything in nature. You don't hear of any
Indians inventing something to kill people
with. They don't even talce part in inventing
everything. 1 guess they're thinking it's not
right. I believe it's not right, the way white
people use their inventions. The first thing
!hey do with an invention is they make it into
a war material. That ain't right. The Indians,
they're not involved in that. Maybe tllat's the
reason (white) people think that they (the
native people) might be more right.
God didn't intend it for that way, when
He created Man and the Eartll. We were
supposed to share the Earth and get along equally.
Everything that the Indian goes by, it
makes sense, even the legends. It makes
sense, all of it.
There's a lot to it. Back when I was a
kid, it seemed like they kept everytlling. They
kept the culture and the herirage, but it
gradually went down. When I found out, I
had to decide to bring it back. Nobody was
trying.
YJ: It's important to save whatever you
know.
WC: We are trying to keep the
ll'llditional way. We don't allow alcohol at the
stomp dance - no alcohol, no drugs, and a
woman that makes her period (who is having
her period) can't take part.
KJ: Now why is that?
WC: That's just traditional. They can't
eat with the rest of the family. they have to
have their own plate. And a married couple,
staying in the family way, they can't take part
in the dancing, either one of them.
KJ: Is that the way you do in your
house?
. WC: No. Like I said, it's going out of
ex1Stence.
The old-timers said that kept a lot of
sickness away. I believe it, because Indian
people were bigger people than they are now.
Now you see a lot of shon, fat Indians, they
used 10 be tall - tall people. So 1 believe that.
You don't hardly see a big Indian man
anymore.
(continued on pa,., 4)
�(c:ontinucd from page 3)
KJ: Will it help the young people in the
tribe to bring back the old traditions?
WC: We can't drag 'em. The drunks
know that they can't go there (lo the
ceremonial grounds) unless they're sober. I
believe that's going 10 work out slow.
They'll be wanting to go there, but they can't
go unless they're sober. I think that's the
way it's going to work.
J know that there are a lot of 'cm
peeping around there. They've been
drinking. You can see them way out in the
weeds, peeping out. They can't come in,
though. Within four days, if they've been
drinking, they can't go.
KJ: It's good work you're doing,
Walker.
WC: The first 11me I went 10 Oklahoma,
the head man explained 10 me all about how
that Fire was kept. While he was explaining
it, he said, "As long as you are doing God's
wiU. that's all that's required."
Well, that's all that's required for
anybody anyway. As long as you are doing
God's will and believe in Jesus Chris1.
KJ: How about the white people,
Walker? The Ind fan people have been hcrc a
long time, and they have old traditions that
they can get back in touch with. But the white
people haven't bt-cn here so long, and they
don't have such old traditions. ls there
anything they can do 10 get back in touch?
Cartersville and Albany. Georgia. Instead of
having Fire, they had a bale of hay.
KJ: That takes the power out of i1. ll's
hard to think about in the same way after it's
been commercialized.
WC: There's another thing: we can't
build the Fire unless we use a spark out of a
rock. My son's a fueman, he builds fires. A
man gave him a striker, it makes a big spark.
You can·t use a match or a cigarette lighter.
KJ: Do you ever use a bow and drill?
WC: No. This man said it wouldn't be
right. That's somebody's invention. The
spark was 1he real tradiLional thing.
KJ: Are you teaching somebody to
come after you?
WC I don't have to. The spirit's there
forever. If I die, 1ha1 won't bother i1. The
spirit 1s still there. they know 1he spirit is
there, so I don't have 10 Lc:11 1hem how i1's
done. lt's the Everlasting Fire.
KJ; What else are you trying 10 ,~ach
people?
(remedies). I'm not a medicine man. A lot of
people call me medicine man, but the
Medicine Man is down in Cherokee (referring
to the Medicine Man Gift Shop). 0aughs)
KJ: So these are plant medicines. You
don't do any conjuring.
WC: No. I don't go for that, it's against
my religion ConJuring and religion don't go
together. Just like alcohol.
KJ: llow did you learn the remedies
that you know.
WC: From my mother, she taught me.
Someone can teach you the different
medicines, but even if you understand what
kind of medicine a person gets, and you just
went and got that same kind of medicine for
everybody, it wouldn't be any good.
We've got to put our Creator first,
because we ain't got power ourselves unless
we put God in front. Then we can do it.
Thc medicine is just a point of contact.
Goel is the One who heals you. I understand
that. The medicine is just something 10 get
you closer 10 God. If you don't believe in the
medicine· no good, it won't do it. You've
got to have faith in the medicine, too.
/
WC: I'm trying to teach medicine, "hat
little mcdidnc I know. I ju$t know a few
WC: Well. I don't know. They're
supposed 10 keep up their tradition. their
culture, of whatever they arc. Each
nationality should keep their own.
KJ: It's hard for white people because
they have been away from 1he land for so
long. h's been hundreds of years.
WC: Thar's like these two men who
came from Pennsylvania. They were curious
about what l was doing.
"Our people ain't got nothin'," 1hey
said. "We're just here, that's all."
KJ: I think that's why a lot of white
people are interested in the native religion,
because that's how they feel. It's imponant
for everybody tha1 you keep the old customs,
the s1
omp dance and all of 1ha1.
WC: That's a religious dance, and we
can't do Lha1 dance away from the ceremonial
ground. The only place is down around the
Fire.
We can do the other dances 10 honor the
animals, the Bear Dance, the Beaver Dance
the Quail Dance. But the stomp dances we '
have to do around the Frre.
There's one big bunch from the Creek
tribe that has commercialized theirs. I saw
them do their stomp dance down at
Xatuah Journat page 4
WrUTEPATII
Moving in10 my solitude,
he wrestles me from stolen moments of peace
among the grand green pines, golden poplars,
and brawny. brown oaks
or rides a <1uie1, sure-footed mount along 1he ml.ii
that conscience leaves
into my sleep ChiefWhitepath moving his people from Georgia.
I le doesn't speak, but I can hear others weeping,
and often there's a scream of death
that deepens his frown.
ln his eyes I can read the desperate question
"How can so many people rest on the carcasses
of murdered souls, and not be thought
savage?"
· Dtborah J~s
ran, 1991
�A Bit E)f Mo~ntain Levity
"Laugh and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone;
For the sad old eanh must borrow its minh,
But has trouble enough of its own."
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
In the minds of each of us, there are
worlds which no longer exist and which we
can visit only in memory and in i;haring with
others. We cnn not walk the same trail twice.
It has been my good fortune, however, to
have some of the people of Roan Mountain
share their hidden worlds of yesterday with
me, especially those of the Depression era. I
discovered therein a fascinating culture of
isolation, independence, and great good
humor.
They refer to the Depression years as
"hard times but good times" and their
wonderful sense of humor seems to have
been the glue that kept heads on straight and
held families together during those "hard
times." Banter, affectionate teasing, story
telling, and practical jokes were a way of life
. .. and still are.
I remember one day when I became
hopelessly lost in my ramblings around Roon
Mountain. I stopped at an isolated country
store. A porch rnn the full length of the small
building lllld held a number of ladder-backed
chairs. In one of these, tilted precariously
against the wall on its two hind legs, sat a
very old man eyeing me a bit suspiciously. I
C:lrCfully explained my predicament and
asked for directions. Without changing
expression, he surmized "You can't get there
from here." He paused, looked very stem,
then a big grin broke his face. A little levity
goes a long way toward turning problems
into laughter. I must have seemed really
uptight.
The language of their stories is filled with
subtle and not so subtle humor, sometimes
even a bit caustic, sometimes it bruised a bit
but served as a gentle reminder of what path
was allowed. Admonitions such as "Do
something, if it ain't nothin' but carry water
out of the branch and put it in the creek. It'll
keep from wearing the rocks out," indicating
that laziness was simply not allowed. For
children too young to work in the fields but
not out playing, "You're as lazy as a pet pig.
If your breathin' didn't come and go by
itself, you'd be to0 lazy to breathe." At the
table you might bear "Let your vittles stop
your mouth" when children got a bit too
rambunctious. About someone who got up
"feelin' poorly," "He got up cranky and
hasn't gotten over it." Then there's "You
look like the hind wheels of hard times" and
"You sure took your time. You'd a-been a
good hand to send for the doctor if the devil
was sick."
Oaildren were the target of much good
natured teasing, a son of initiation rite. Jim
Street tells of one such incident when he and
his brother Aoyd were on the receiving end
of a bit of "funnin'." Will Garland, a close
friend of the family, had brought Sam
Brinkley to talk with the boy's father about
:Foff, 1991
buying some property. Now Sam Brinkley
was famous for his long beard that reached to
the ground and which he kept carefully stored
in a pillowcase tucked inside his shin. The
boys, aged four and eight, had never
experienced that beard. "We were playing
head and beard. h skeerd us so bad we run
and jumped in the hog pen with the hogs. We
couldn't find no place else to hide. Daddy
then came and got us out and said Will, quit
skeering these boys: they're already crazy
enough.' Garland was always aggravating
and making cornstalk horses," Jim said.
us, telJing us these big stories about what
was going to catch us and everything. Ever
time I seen Brinkley auer that, he'd laugh,
but Floyd never did like him much."
Floyd was a born prankster himself. Hear
this one: Visiting preachers, especially during
camp mecrin's, wen: regular visitors at the
Street family table. One day when there
see~ 10 be an especially large number of
them and the children were having to wait
second table, the fried chicken seemed to be
disappearing at an alarming rate. Young
Floyd peered around the dining room door
and called to his mother, "Don't let 'em eat all
the chicken, Mom!" Turning, he ran out into
"We'd cut off a long piece and make his head
and we'd use a little stick or a slip off that
comswllc and make his neck and stick it on
that and then put on his legs and tail and his
mane and everything and we'd have cornstalk
horses. That's what we were busy a-doing
and we didn't think they was anybody
around. So Will Garland talked Brinkley into
sticking his beard around an apple tree and
a-scarin' us. We didn't know they was
anybody in a mile. He was about maybe fifty
feet away. We didn't sec him and he stuck
his head around that tree and Garland said
'Oh yes, I've got you this time' and he was
hid and all we could sec was the old man's
(COlllllluod on page 6)
Xnti1af1 Journat page S
�(coounucd l'rom piigc .S)
the night. 1 don't know if he go, a~y chicken
or not!
Humor was not always up front, and as
Malone Young so aptly put it, "Old time lying
wasn't really a vice. Land Sakes! Life would
have been dull as a froe if people didn't
stretch the truth," Storytelling was a real an.
Old men would sit around the country store
and see who could top the next one or swap
stories at bean stringin's or com i;huckin's.
During interviews, I was not always sure if
the story I was hearing was true or not. One
day I asked, "Is this really a true 5tory?" The
answer came quickly "Honey. if I'm a-I yin'.
I'll tell you." He didn't say when.
Sometimes the story would be quite true,
such as this one told by Howard Shell, but in
order to make them interesting they might end
with a funny questionable twist. Howard was
sining in the swing on his front porch when
I askc-0 him about witches. Ile immediately
got a mischievous linlt: twinkle in his eye and
10ld me his mother was a great believer in
witches. The story goes that she was having
difficulty geuing the milk to chum and
decided chat her cow was bewitched. She and
her son built a big bonfire. Then she went to
the woods and got two haw branches.
stripping the thorns to make a good handhold
but leaving them on the ends. She put her
daughter on one side of the fire and her :;on
on the other. As she poured the milk into the
fire. they beat it with the haw br.inches and
the cow wa.,; cured. Then he told me their
chickens became sick nnd his mother decided
they were bewitched. Again she built the big
bonfire, put one of the sick chickens into a
bag and threw it onto the fire alive. I waited
expectantly for the rest of the story which
didn't come. Finally I asked warily, "Well.
did they get un-bewi1ched?" "I don't
remember," he replied wilh a sly grin.
One charming lady has taken practical
joking 10 a long-running high. We'll call her
Anna 10 pro1ec1 the innocent. Anna is married
10 a very serious, reserved, channing
holiness preacher. bm ,his did not deter her
yen for fun. Let's call her husband Joe.
Every year, come April Fool's Day, Anna
auempted 10 play a joke on Joe and much 10
his chagrin, she always succeeded. Joe
logged and farmed, was generally hardworking and steady as you go. His horses
were of much value and importance to him
and were greatly cherished. Early one April
ls1. Anna slipped ou1 of bed early,ju~t :11
daylight. went outside and came rushing back
into the bedroom screaming that the horses
were tangled in the barbed wire and were
cuuing themselves badly. Joe, who slept only
in his wherewithals, rushed out into the
frosty. cloud-heavy morning, only 10 find
1ha1 he had been taken again.
The next year he threatened 10 whip the
children if they helped their mother play her
linle game. Anna had been after Joe 10 move
a hig pile of logs stacked in !he yard because
she was afraid the children would get hun
playing on 1h·em. but 10 no avail. There they
were. stacked 100 high for safety. Before
anyone else was up. she wen, 0111 into the
yard. pushed 1he logs over so they rolled in
every direction. then carefully maneuvered
herself under two of them in a way 10 appear
badly hun. When one of the children peered
out the window and saw her, he screamed for
his father. When Joe saw what he- thought
had happened, he leaped through the window
10 run 10 her rescue. only 10 have her sit up
when he go! there and say "April Fool!"
Could you live with a woman like that? He
has for some 60 years!
Another one of her delightful stories
in\·olved "siuing up with the body." The
custom was when a person died, the body
was kept a1 the home until it w~ interred.
During 1ha1 time. even a, night, friends and
relatives "sat up." One such night Anna was a
bit bored and she looked around for some
mischief needing to be done. She saw two
very pious women sining in straight chairs
leaning against the wall - sound ash:ep! She
took some soo1 from the chimney, mixed in a
The air is fine
for it gives me
what J need to live
••
.~·
$'
~:
:::
.•.
\
·
The water is my mother
for it holds me
as she would in dream
~
.•
Fire is my pride and foe
for when it snaps it says
it will overtake me
...
.•.
·• .
.•.
And stone, stone is my best friend
for it shows me the hardness of the world
-1.smanl Cirino
JI I
I h
•,.
.
-~.
•
Hard Scrabble
.!.
the ground I stand on
I
by Barbara Wickersham
.• ! .
as it prepares
I
The judge could no! solve ii and the man
went free. It was later solved: 1-Ie had killed
his wife, dug a hole 10 put her in, and his
name was Fox.
And then chere's the story about the man
who had 100 much moonshine anti killed his
cat ... bu1 we'll save that for another time!
They still remember, these people of 1he
mountain~ and they laugh and share their
funny stories. I love 10 laugh and r did so
enjoy listening - hope you did 100.
/
•
••
.•·
The earth is good
t 1 \'
Riddle 10 my riddle to my right,
Guess where I srayed las, Friday night.
The wind did blow and my hean did ache
To see what a hole that fox did make.
.. ·· ·· · . ....
.•..~·......-.:•:•:•:•:•:•:·........·•..•....
..·•·
....•.
...
The Elements
Xotimf, Jou1 nnC pn9c 6
little water, and painted their faces lndian
style No one would betray the culprit v. ho
had done the dastardly deed! Recently Anna
1old me she asked one of the women if !hey
wanioo 10 know who did it. The lady replied
"No, not now. I might get angry all over
again." So Anna didn't tell - and her secret is
cenainly safe wi1h me.
Long hours of plowing. hoeing com,
chopping wood, washing, cooking, etc. se1
these very bright people of devious minds to
crca1ing riddles. An nnicle about their humor
would be incomplete without a, least shanng
one nddle with you. Here is my favori1e
story of riddles shared (supposedly a true
story). The wife of a man who lived back in
the deep woods had disappeared without a
1rnce. Her family became concerned and there
was an investigation. The man was brought
before a judge and accused ofkilling his
wife. Apparently the judge musr no, have
been ahoie1her sure of his guih and he 10ld
the man if he could make a riddle tha1 the
judge could not solve. he could go free. Here
is the riddle:
·•
.•..•.
...
............
·•·
•
·~
•
Appalachian mountainside,
more rocks than grass.
Three cows graze sideways round,
short legs up hill, long legs down.
Farmer says there's green enough
to put milk in their faucets,
and maybe there'll be milk enough
to put green in his pockets.
{
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rnff., ,.19!1 I
1 . '1
�CLIMAX
NEVER
CAME
have ever been in an old-growth forest thm
contains tulip trees, you can see that they
have a Iarger crown than other species, Like
hemlock, sugar maple, or beech. And as tulip
trees fall over. they create an open patch that
is bigger than a gap left by one of the other
tree species. Intermediately tolerant or even
intolerant ttecs that wouldn't come up in the
space left by a sugar maple or a beech, come
up in the gap made by a fallen tulip tree. So
even in an old-growth forest you can have a
(OMlinncd on~· 8)
by Henry Wender
The idea of a "climaxfores1" has been
an appealing one w sciemists interested in
validating the idea of a 1111mral order in the
world. It has also been a term usedfrequelll/y
in the pages of the Katuah Journal to describe
the old-growth hardwoodfore.\'l.
Now it appears that n111ybe there has
never been a climax forest in the Southern
Appalachians, that the theory is too restrictive
to accurately describe the dynamic processes
of na111re in the mowuain highlands. JIere is a
report on the controversy
Scientists looking back at the
magnificent hnrdwood forest that once
covered the Southern Appalachian Mountains
felt a sense of awe at the splendor of the big
trees. The old forest had a feeling of
permanence and "rightness" I.hat was justified
by the observation of "succession" among
forest plants: after a disturbance smaller,
fast-growing plants repaired ecological
damage and prepared the site for larger tree
species and their accompanying understory
vegetation. The dominant uces and the plants
associated with them were termed the "climax
forest," for these trees were shade-tolerant 10
some degree and succeeded themselves in the
forest canopy. It seemed that unless an
outside disturbance threw the forest back into
an earlier stage of succession that the
dominance of ccnain tree sP-CCies was
inevitable. Certain species appeared 10 be
ideally adapted 10 the conditions of the region
and. unless interrupted, could maintain their
reign perpetually (or at lea.st until the
conditions of the cnvironml!nt changed).
Succession, the scientists said, always
reached a climax: "a self-reproducing 1cm1ina
community."
As with almost any abwlute statement
in science, contradictions began 10 appl!ar
within the idea of the climax forest. During
the 1970's, scientific questioning turned into
open revolt. One of the leaders of the
rebellion was Dr. Peter S. White, then a
researcher for the National Park Service at th
Uplands Field Research Laboratory ,n the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
White is now the director of the Nonh
C-irolina Botanical Gardens maintained bv th,
University of Nonh Carolina at Chapel I iill.
In a conversation in his office. he spok,
about how his observations clashed with the
climax theory:
" 11tey (the climax thcorhts) would
pn.-dict that in time a cenain cove site would
become a hemlock forest or a beech forest.
But th:it ~ocs nor happen everywhere without
interruption.
"Fire is an example in many
ecosystems. but 10 use an even subtler
example, tulip trees (locally known as yellow
poplar) are shade-intolerant, early
successionaJ trees. They colonize where there
is on abundance of resources and nutrients
and light and water.
'Tulip trees have a large crown. If you
:ft1CC. 1991
Phoio by Rob Meutck
Xatum, Journot PCIIJe
7
�of climax. They_
inU'Qduced "Polycli~cs," a
mosaic ot different climax situations across
the same landscape, and even "dis-climaxes,"
climax situations based on recurrent patterns
of disturbance. Others referred to climax as
an ideal situation that was valid for an
(ainunucd frum pqc 7)
persistent succcssional tree, just because of
their great size.
"So the ultimate progression towards
climax would occur only in some rare
situations. It docs happen. In a deep ravine, it
CARIHEAN ISLANDS
GIJ'
MOOE LS
,-,.......
$MALL
WATERSHEDS
DOMINICA
CUBA
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RECREATIONAL FOREST IN
SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
1
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1010
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OIUIIRICANES
HITTING
CIRCULAR
ISLANDS
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EFHCTIVELY
NONEOUILtlRIUM
LANOSCAl'ES
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AUSTRALIAN
~REST
FIRES FIIQM
1954 ,.,,
IIY YEAR
.
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IJ''ALACHIAN
WILDFIRES
AREA IN THE 11.tlNGES OF
COMMERCIAL A\ISTIIALIAN
~IYSl'ECIES
Sc.le of dinurbonce and ICale of bnclscapcs for •umple ecosyslefflS. The hne between lhc
dTcctive.ly nonequihliriwn and 111c quai-eqwlibri1m 1.-,d,apcs is based 011 a SO: I ratio of landsape
cn:a to diJllllt)enu au. Cornbina&ions of disn.wbance and laidscape scales illu.waied uc: (a) Trerfalls
Oii imall W111Cn!w,ds; (b) W'llcl!n, on ama11 walaShcds; (c) WildfiRS on reaeaiioml foruu: (d)
AIISlnliln Corua ms on I.be nmie of Auslnlli111 £colyp1i,s specie$; and (c) Hurtian<s OC1 Carribc:m
hllnds. (from A Theory of Forest Oynamies by Herman H.Shup.rt)
might just be shady enough that hemlock is
able to exclude any intolerant plants
eventually, providing there is freedom from
fire or hurricanes. So in a cenain sense there
could be dominance by a few of the most
shade-tolerant species. But in most other
cases, I think thar that end-point of
succession was still a mixed forest which
never quite got to climax."
Key to the idea of climax was the
qualification "unless interrupted... " In climax
theory, disturbance, even natural disturbance,
was looked on as "endogenous," something
that came from outside the system and
interrupted the "normal" progression 10 a
stable climax. White and his scientific allies
maintained that disturbance was a natural
occurrence in the life of most forests and
needed to be included in any theory of forest
dynamics.
'There was a certain sense that
evolution creatcS ctiversity," White said,
"There is a reason why early-succession
plantS such as birch, pin cherry, or
blaclcberrics evolve in a system. and that
reason is that there is periodic disturbance, so
it felt that 10 look only at the end-point was
the wrong focus."
In nature, it is said, "change is the only
constant," and trying 10 deny disturbance an
integral role in the forest ecosystem seemed
10 be setting up a Static model lhat left out the
clement of change.
Scientists defending climax recognized
this, and they began to redefine the concept
Xawan Journat
- • , J. ".
h. t
P™Je 8
environment whether it actually occurred or
nOL
There came to be so many "climaxes"
that, in the eyes of White and his cohons, the
concept lost its meaning. "Every species is
climax in that it evolved within some
environmental setting and is extant within that
setting," he wrote in 1979 (emphasis added).
A nonhem hardwood forest setting
provides an example. The dominant species,
such as beech or sugar maple, depend on a
shady, liner-covered forest floor to germinate
their seeds. They are slow colonizers but are
very tolerant of shade and play a waiting
game. sitting as small saplings in the
understory until an opening appears, when
they use their height advantage and leap 10 fill
it.
While these species arc clearly
dominant, other early-succession species
persiSt. Yellow birch has light seeds which it
disperses widely, starting many seedlings on
I.be forest floor. But these seedlings arc
completely eliminated, except for those which
manage to take root on disturbed soil or on
moss mats covering rotting logs or rocks
from which they drop trailing roots 10 the
forest floor.
The fire cherry has persistant seeds that
live a long lime in the soil, waiting for a
ctisturbancc 10 open a gap in the upper
canopy. By such strategics, these
"early-succession" species, although never
dominant, keep their place in the the northern
hardwood forest. When larger gaps open up,
the "climax species" arc out-competed by
stands of the fas1-growing, light-loving trees.
Rather than a linear model always
approaching the goal of a final climax, 1his
appears to be a shifting balance of different
species competing amid a constantly
changing set of conditions.
"Dynamic equilibrium" or "patch
dynamic equilibrium" is how White describes
this continuing process. He mentions the
work of Herman Shugan, a professor at the
University of Virginia. ln his book A Theory
of Foresr Dynamics, Shugan modeled a
forest with disturbance patch size (maybe a
burned area plus the gaps opened by fallen
trees) on one axis and the total landscape siz.c
on the other axis.
If the total siz.e of the disrurbanccs was
one-fiftieth of the size of the forest, Shugan
said that the forest was in a state of
"quasi-equilibrium." If the disturbance area
included more than one-fiftieth of the forest,
Shugart said that the forest was in
"disequilibrium."
Shugart also drew some conclusions
about habitat ctiversity by examining patch
sizes on a landscape over time. ln his model,
maximum ctivcrsity was obtained when
one-fiftieth of the landscape was stirred up by
small, concurrent disturbances. On the other
band, a single massive disturbance, like a
hurricane or a large fire, would not produce
that same diversity of habitats, because the
character of the whole forest would be
altered.
This analysis is more relativistic and
flexible than the traditional climax model
because it incorpocatcs disturbance as pan of
the picture rather than trying to exclude the
influence of change. It can also give a picture
of relative stability. While there is constant
change and constant activity happening at the
local level, seen from a wider viewpoint a
forest's rate of food production, the average
amount of biomass, or the average size of
animal populations may bold steady over an
extended period of time.
'That equilibrium." says Peter White,
"since it has changclessncss within change,
could be seen as a climax landscape. It's a
big landscape with lots of inctividual local
dynamics, but they're all canceling out over
the whole. One could call that climax.
"Historically, the tenn 'climax' would
not have been applied 10 the patch dynamics
equilibrium, but given freedom from people,
and a constant equilibrium on a larger scale,
there is a stable landscape configuration that
could develop."
Change is constant The key is balance.
This viewpoint frees our minds from a linear
and goal-oriented perspective. lt integrates
the forest species and the forces that influence
them together into a larger whole. In this
view of evolution, the cycles of successfon
yield stability in its time while providing
necessary diversity to meet the challenge of
unceasing change.
Thuw to Or. Peter White for I.he infonnation ror this
arti<;lc. For more in-depth infonnalion. - his article
-Pattern. Process. and Natural Diswrbancc in Vcgctation" in
The Botanical Rrv~. Vol. 4S, No. 3 (Swnmcr. 1979) and
TM &oleo ofNOlrval Distrvbana and Pasch Dyll(tlflia.
edited by S. T.A. Piclcca and Peter While (Academic Press,
1985).
f"n(L, 1991
�..
1
IS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN
ECOSYSTEM ENDANGERED?
by John A. Freeman
The Southern Appalachian area is one
of the beauty-spots of Earth. Yet there are
signs that this ecosystem is in trouble, that it
is breaking down, perhaps much more
rapidly than we are used to thinking
ecosystems can.
There is ample evidence that
ecosystems break down quite rapidly due to
stresses from overuse or abuse. Ln early
classical Greece, trees were so abundant that
the land was basically forest with isolated
clearings. Yet within two centuries trees were
uncommon enough that travelers mentioned
individual trees or small groves as guidepost~
along their routes
ln the American West 130 years ago,
travelers described the grasses as reaching
halfway up 1he sides of their horses. Today,
some of these areas seldom have grasses
more than a few inches tall and the carrying
capacity forcanle has been reduced by
perhaps 98 percent.
But surely our beautiful area wi1h its
forests is not on tha1 slippery slope,. Or is ii?
Fifty years ago, as a graduate student at
Chapel Hill, I chose 10 use three common
aquatic snails in a research project. One basis
for the choices was that they were readily
availnble in nearby srreams - I could collec1
1he seveml dozen of e;ich that l neede.c;I in a
matter of minu1es. Fifteen years later, in.
Piedmont ponds two of the snails were
common. The third, always found in small
streams and pi:eviously common throughout
these mountains, was rare. In 1956 r saw the
last one I have seen in this area. Six or seven
years later, the pond snails had almost
disappeared from the ponds where 1 once
collected them in large numbers.
By 1he mid-'60's, even superficial
observation showed that stoneflies and
mayflies were much reduced in the areas r
visited. Except for fishermen, most people
would not be concerned about the decimation
of these insects. However, the fact that they
are major sources of food for trout gives
them significance. Their loss has been
responsible for the need of frequent stocking
of trout streams 10 enable tr0u1 fishing in
most of the area. Other small creatures nre
rare in many areas wbere they were once
common. Some that come 10 mind are snakes
and other reptiles, and a wide range of
amphibians (frogs, toads, and salamanders)
which, as a whole, I estimate have been
reduced in numbers by perhaps 99 percent.
Many songbirds are also much reduced in
recent years.
Taking a longer historical perspective,
the top predators were reduced 10 only token
levels many years ago. Wolves, for example,
were once important in the balance among
animals in our area. Now, in an effort to
restore some semblance of balance. red
wolves are being reintroduced. The predatory
birds (eagles, hawks, owls, etc.) were once
reduced to small populations but fonunately
with some suppon by humans are makmg
comebacks.
:fa(£, 1991
In recent years, among the most
conspicuous changes have been among trees,
especially Fraser firs and spruces at higher
elevations, such as Mount Mitchell. As yet
less dramatically affected arc various oaks,
pines, dogwoods and 01her trees extending
thing of the past, possibly within decades and
almost surely within a century.
What can be done, if anything, 10 get
our beloved area off the slippery slope?
Unfortunately, about the only rhing we
can do locally is 10 apply as many "bandaids"
down into the valleys. That we have some
explanations - or tentative explanations - of
the changes we sec docs no1 reduce the fact
or significance of the.c;e changes.
Based on my own per;onal, though not
systematic, observations, I conclude that our
Appalachian ccosys1ems are under attack.
Once the slippery slope of ecosystem
degeneration i.~ reached, ecosystem
breakdown can be rapid. It leads 10 a nc:w
and different system that develops rapidly
unless remedial steps are taken promp!ly and
vigorously. The new ecosystem has a lower
tot.ill life suppon capacity than the original
from which it developed.
My conclusion is qualitative, not
quantitative: based on my observntions over a
lifetime in the Appalachian and nearby areas,
our ecosystems are already onto tha1 slippery
slope leading to dramatic changes, including
towered productivily. Just when sharp and
dramatic changes will come is unccnain, as it
is uncertain just whru the changes will be.
Unless dramatic steps are taken soon, the
ecosystems we know and enjoy will be a
as possible, for the basic causes of the
problem are much more widespread. Any
steps which lower the pollutants known as
acid rain or acid precipitation will help.
Global wanning and the depletion of
stratospheric ozone are widespread problems
1hat require more than local actions.
Fonunately, there is developing wide intereSt
in this country, especially at
non-governmenllll levels, in these problems.
Accords and bws mandating changes are
ei1hcr already in effect or arc being
developed.
Grassroots activists instinctively ask a
crucial question: "What is there for me 10
do?" Fonunately, there.arc several
overlapping areas in which we can be
effective.
Foremost, in my opinion, is increasing
awareness on the pan of the public and of
government officials that the mauer i~ critical
and that we cann0t afford to wait until all is
kTiown about such matters as what causes
damaged vegellltion.
Drawing by Rob Messick
(COIIIIIIUed on page 24)
1Gatuah Jo1..rnn£ PCMJC 9
�uTalking Leaves"··
1
,,,
The Life and Influence of Sequoyah
based on an interview with
Tom Underwood
Sequoyah was unquestionably a
genius. He developed an 86-character
syllabary of the Cherokee language that
enabled his tribe to become the only one of
the North American Indian tribes 10 become
literate. Sequoyah's invention allowed the
Cherokees to publish a tribal newspaper and
preserve many of their old teachings and
beliefs in written form. He is the only man in
recorded history known to have devised a
system of writing without knowing how to
read or write in any language.
Sequoyah was born in eastern
Tennessee sometime around 1776, the
half-breed son of a while man named
Nathaniel Gist and a daughter of one of the
Cherokee chiefs at the village of Echota.
There has been much discussion among
historians about his parentage, but today
there is little doubt that Gist, the son of a
prominent Virginia family, was Sequoyah's
true father.
Gist was a friend of George
Washington, and it is said that he was
working secretly for Washington, looking for
purchasable land in Tennessee. He lived with
the Indians for quite some time at the Echota
village. He did not leave there until the
Revolutionary War, when there was
discussion in the Virginia legislature of
d~laring him a traitor because he was living
with the Cherokee who were actively aiding
the British.
Gist traveled to Virginia and presented
himself before the legislature. He told them
that he was not a British sympathizer and that
he would recruit Cherokee to the colonial
cause. He brought 14 Indians to fight for the
colonists, but he did not return with them to
E~hota. After the independence was declared,
Gist settled in Ohio, and his family became
respected leaders of their time - one was a
congressman, another became a well-known
innkeeper in Washington.
After Sequoyah had invented the
syllabary and was on business in
Washington, he visited the Gist family on
one occasion, evidently at their invitation,
and was accepted by them as Nathaniel's
son, George Gist.
Some of the best written information on
Sequoyah is included in an odd collection of
documentS on the Cherokees compiled by a
white man named John Howard Payne.
Payne was a contemporary of Sequoyah and
transcribed first-hand n:collcctions of the
man.
"The Payne manuscript," as it is
known, says that Sequoyah's family on his
mother's side "was of high rank in the
nation. The famous John Waus was one of
them. Two of his uncles were men of great
distinction - one of the two was named
Tah-lon-tee-skee (the overthrower), and the
other Kahn-yah-tah-hee (the first to lcill).
"Kahn-yah-tah-bee was the principal
X.Otuah Journal
pac.,s 10
chief of Old Echota, the ancient town of
refuge, over which he presided, He was
called The Beloved Chief of All the People.'
1t was his exclusive duty and delight 10 be a
peace preserver.
"During some public assembly, there
was an onset of the whites, notwithstanding
it was a time of profound peace, and all the
Tndians fled, excepting Kahn-yah-tah-hee and
another chief, of whom there was some
distrust in the nation. They were both in the
square where the ceremonial had been gone
through. Kahn-yah-tah-hce arose from his
scat, and with a white flag waving, met the
marauders as they broke into the square.
Both chiefs were murdered brutally on the
spot.
"Some days subsequently, the invaders
having withdrawn, the people returned.
Carrion birds had devoured the body of the
one chief, but that of the other,
Kahn-yah-tah-hee, the Beloved of All, was
untouched, and unchanged even in death. His
hand still grasped the violated Flag of Peace,
and upon his dead lips lingered a benignant
(sic) smile."
Se.quoyah grew up a Cherokee and
identified with his tribal heritage. He never
learned to speak English. He had no wish 10
learn the white people's language. Even after
~eh~ invented the ~yllabary and was being
interviewed for a sencs of newspaper articles
!n Washington. he spoke through an
interpreter.
The boy and his mother lived at Echota
until he was 11 years old and then moved
down to Wills Town, in nonheas1ern
Alabama.
He never showed signs of his genius
when he was a child. He was 100 busy
helping his mother find a means of survival.
She ran a small trading post and outfitted fur
trappers on credit. Young Sequoyah would
go out in the forest 10 pick up the furs owed
to her for payment. He was alone much of
the time. He learned self-reliance and
supplemented the family's meager larder by
hunting.
When he was older, he learned several
trades. He was a silversmith for a time. The
Cherokee loved 10 decorate themselves with
fine jewelry - ear and nose rings, armbands,
bracelets, gorgets, and chains, and Sequoyah
became proficient at creating these ornaments
out of silver. He prevailed upon a white man
10 write his name in English and engraved his
signature on each piece of his work. He also
began 10 draw and was highly regarded
among the tribespcople on this account. He
latertumed to blacksmithing. But he was
never much of a farmer; he never could get
interested in hoeing com.
It was also said of Sequoyah that he
was "greatly considered among all the
handsome women." The Payne manuscript
tells us:
"...when he discovered that he was so
greatly considered among the handsome
women, he began to pay less attention to his
employment He neglected his silver worlc
and his drawing and went about visiting one
and another, and every day he had more and
more friends. The young men were always
pleased to see him coming where they were.
When he would arrive at any place where a
number of them were assembled around their
boule, they would call out to him, 'My
friend, my friend, let us drink whiskey
together... '
"But at that time he drank only water;
though he would. when thus invited, always
go fetch a quart bonlc of whiskey. and give it
10 his friends and then wait and let them drink
it by themselves. He went on thus for a long
while, but was at length tempted now and
then to taste a little with his friends - and
soon, a little more: until at last. he would
often get tipsey (sic) with his friends:
whereupon his friends increased upon him so
fast, that instead of a bottle, he would have to
bring a three gallon keg for their supply, and
he would make them all drink with him, until
the keg was empty."
One night Sequoyah and a couple of his
friends went to a Bible reading. They
listened, and going home that night they
talked about how wonderful were the "talki.ng
leaves," as the Cherokee described pages of
paper. To them the pages of a book sounded
like leaves rustling in the wind.
Sequoyah's friends said, "This is a
wonderful gift of the Great One to the white
man. We could never have this."
He said, "1 could do this."
They laughed at him. "No, you
couldn't do that," they said.
He said, "I can do it I can find a way
to make the talking leaves speak in Cherokee.
They laughed again and said, 'You're
crazy.'''
That set him off. Sequoyah went to
work. He first tried 10 devise symbols to
make sentences, then symbols to make
words. Everything wound up too
compli_cated. He started over again trying 10
figure It all out. From when he began, until it
was completed, Sequoyah worked off and on
creating his syllabary for over 20 years. He
eventually broke the Cherokee language
down into 86 basic sounds and assigned a
symbol for each.
He could not devise enough signs 10
designate the different sounds. so one day
when he found a discarded newspaper, he
picked symbols from the pages and adopted
them into his own system. That is why some
of the characters in the Cherokee syllabary
appear familiar to English-speaking people.
Sequoyah would become absorbed in
his work and retire to a small outbuilding on
his propeny to ponder on the syllabary for
long periods of time. He abandoned his farm
fields completely and left the raising of crops
and family entirely to his wife. She became
infuriated about this project that was taking
her husband away from his responsibilities.
One day, when his work was almost
completed, she burned his little building with
all his notes while he was away from home.
But he would not quit He staned over.
No one else in the tribe believed in his work.
The other members of his community
disrrusted his long periods of solitary labor.
The word began to go around that Sequoyah
was engaging in witchcraft He was losing
the respect that he had gained in the
community. Finally one day a friend named
fo(t, 1991
�tribal council, Sequoyah received wide
recognition. Now a famous man, he
remained quiet and withdrawn. The Payne
manuscript described him as follows:
"His manners were never forward and
are now become somewhat reserved. lt can
be seen that his mind is always busy within
him, and, especially when smoking, he
seems absorbed in thought. He is thin and
above the middle heighL 1n dress he :idheres
10 the old costume of the nation, but without
ornament; wears the turuc and robe, leggings
Tunle Fields came ro visit Sequoyah. The
Payne manuscript recounts what to0k place:
"'My friend,' Turtle Fields said to him,
'my friend, there are a great many remarks
made upon this employment which you have
taken up. Our people are much concerned
abour you. They think you are wasting your
life. They think, my friend, that you arc
making a fool of yourself, and will be no
longer respected.'
"Gist replied, 'Lt is not our people who
Cherokee Syllabary
Da
-$-ga t ho
'Vha
W,a
,/"ma
Re
l"ee
T.
rhl'
.oh,
f ,e
Ctme
f ,,
H m,
0 n l.hnaGnah J\.n
a
e
Yii,
Iln,
Q Que
'fqu,
l::fsa OUs
4 ,e
h s,
W,..
d1a .Ct1d
i
G,.a
G.wa
tDva
~ mo
J'mu
,,,. . , 4 nu
O'nv
quo le}quu f; quv
½$0 If'$, Rs.,
Z no
~ qua
t da
.
Ou J..,
A eo J gu .Egv
J.lho r hu &-hv
G,o M,u 4 1
v
o)o
I
Sde't1e .,L ] ,, Vdo Sdu I ~ do
L ,,p C,11
,J ,,o -'i'P 11u P 11v
lr,s,
K ,so cJ,su C ,sv
'J',se
/Jwu 6w
v
4£JWL'
J3ve nv fi vo Gvu Bvv
have advised me to this, and it is not
therefore our people who can be blamed if 1
nm wrong. What 1 have done I have done
from myself. If our people think lam making
a fool of myself, you may tell our people that
what ram doing will nOl make fools of them.
They did not cause me to begin and they shall
not cause me to give up. If I am no longer
respected, what l am doing will not make our
people the less respected, either by
themselves or others; and so I shall go on,
and so you may tel1 our people."'
We sometimes call Sequoyah's
symbols an alphabet, but 11 is actually a
syllabary, which correctly describes a system
of signs for the sy11ables of a language.
lf one knows Cherokee. it is fairly
simple to learn Sequoyah's symbols and
write the words of the language. Not many
go 10 the trouble 10 do it anymore, but the
fin;t person Sequoyah taught was his six year
old daughter. She was the one who
demonstrated his system to the governing
council of the Cherokee nation.
When Sequoyah t0ok his syllabary to
the council, the members refused 10 believe
it. It was 100 complicated, they said. There
were too many sounds. They would never
learn it.
He said, "h's so simple 1ha1 that I have
taught my six-year old daughter to use it."
They put him to the test. She wrote
down what they said while he was out of the
room, and when he came back, he read ii.
After the syllabary was accepted by the
rnrt, 1991
~
WI
~ WO
sometimes of buckskin, sometimes of blue
cloth - moccasins instead of shoes - and a
turban."
By this time there was intense pressure
on the Cherokee from white people who
wanted their land. Sequoyah left Alabama
with a group led by Chief John Jolly and
settled in Arkansas. He worked some salt
springs and taught the written language 10 the
Cherokees there. At one time, there were
more literate Otcrokees than there were
literate white people in Arkansas!
When the first Cherokees forced to
travel The Trail of Tears arrived out west m
1839, there was much resentment among the
earlier settlers because "the newcomers" were
talcing up the land. There was violent
dissension that threatened 10 destroy the tribe.
and Sequoyah turned his talents and
reputation toward the causes of peace and
tribal unity.
The tribal leaders met and decided 10
write a constitution that all factions could
abide by Sequoyah was elected president of
the group, and if not for his presence, there
probably would have been much more
trouble, because he was a man who did not
take sides and did not harbor grudges. He
was a leader and a man of peace, and it
turned out that he had great powers of
diplomacy.
When the constitution was negotiated,
the Cherokee moved all their belongings 10
Oklahoma.
Scquoyah's final trip was a mission to
Mexico undenakcn when he was about 67.
He journeyed the<e to bring a whole village
of Cherokee people back to Oklahoma.. The
group had starte.d west without a guide
during the Removal, and had wandered down
the wrong river and ended up across the
border. ln seeking for them, Sequoyah died
in the small town of San Fernando, Mexico
in 1843.
•••
Words become only insO'Umencs,
expressions. The written syllabary
significantly changed the world of the
Cherokees, but it is difficult even now to give
a definitive analysis of the impact that
Sequoyah, singlehandedly, had on his tribe. I
think that will have to wait for future
historians.
But one thing is clear: Sequoyah
wanted his people to be able to read and write
like the Europeans, and through his genius
and his efforts he allowed the Cherokees 10
have their own written language. It gave them
a chance to read, and many Cherokees
became better informed than their own white
neighbors. They took pride in that. and they
took pride in the fact that it was their
tribesman Sequoyah who had made ic
possible.
Once the syllabary was widely
circulated, the tribe installed a printing press
in a log cabin office at the tribal capital at
New Echota. It was set with specially cast
type and printed documents and a bilingual
tribal newspaper. TIie Cherokee Phoenix.
There followed translations of the Bible,
hymnals, and prayer books in10 Cherokee.
After the Removal, literate Cherokees sent
leners back and forth between Oklahoma and
the Eas1. Directly or indin:ctly, the printed
word broadened the horizons of every
member of the Cherokee tribe.
It gave the Cherokee a significant
advantage over other Native American aibcs.
Because they could read their own language,
they were able to become acculturated ro
white society easier than the other native
people. That gave them a better chance of
survival in the world they had to face.
Of course, this acculturation had its
negative effecL~. 100. In some areas the new
literacy increased the jealousy of some of the
Cherokees' white neighbors. And at the same
time that it was increasing the Cherokees'
pride and sense of tribal accomplishment,
literacy was also helping to destroy traditional
foundations of tribal society. lndividual
Cherokees became confused about who they
were and turned their back on their native
heritage. As the Cherokee Bibles and prayer
books helped to gain convcns to the Olristian
religion, the power of the medicine people
was eroded and the ages-old spiritual life
withered away.
But because ethnologiSt James Mooney
found small journals in which Cherokee
medicine people had ~ e d their magical
formulas, he was able to preserve a written
record of ancient lore that was lost to many of
the other tribes. Other valuable information
wrincn in Cherokee was preserved as well.
There are medicine chants written by Bird
Partridge in the Museum of the Cherokee
Indian that were written in the native
language, and I am sure I.hat there were other
items of the same natuTC.
(0l>lllinlled <lll P-'CC 24)
1'ati1 fl Jour nd.
a
po(JC
11
�GREEN SPIRITS:
Human societies, cultures, and cuisines
originally developed around the ecological
cycles of plant growth and dormancy. seed
set and tuber development in their regions.
Today it is still highly desirable for each
bioregion to be more self-sufficient in its own
food production. Diet should become more
regionally localized and more seasonable,
with different foods available at different
harvelit periods. Produce .,,. hich is storable
or dryable (potatoes, winter squash, etc.)
would come to be of greater imponance in the
regional diet.
Regional food production (especially
production utilizing low-input organic
methods) would act 10 stabilize regional
economics by decreasing our dependance on
foreign inputs, especially oil and
pem:x:hemicals. Any region can become
more self-sufficient in its food production,
distribution, and marketing.
Critical to the successful development
of regional agricultural economies is the
preservation of the dwindling amount of
remaining world-wide plant genetic diversity.
Thousands of locally selected vegetable and
fruit varieties have been lost in the last
century due to the change from growing
predominantly local, open-pollinated varieties
to the almost exclusive use of F1 hybrid
varieties. Modern hybrid plant varieties have
been developed for characteristics such as
high yield, case of production and uniform
harvest, but not for the generic diversity
which serves as biological insurance against
disease or insect attack.
Hybrid crop varieties have the
disadvantages of (1) genetic uniformity, and
susceptibility to major insect and disease
attack; (2) seeds produced from hybrid plants
cannot be saved and replanted, since their
offspring would not produce a uniform or
stable crop; and (3) hybrid crops require
massive amounts of outside inputs, such as
fenilizers and pesticides, to achieve high
levels of yield. With the loss of genetic
diversity in our food crops, we are losing the
diversity which has developed over millions
of yea.rs, the same genetic differences which
allow plant populations to survive climatic
changes.
PlanLc; which have diverse genetic
backgrounds are generally termed
"opcn-pollinnted" varieties (also called
"non-hybrid," "standard," "heirloom," or
"old•timey" varieties ). Open-pollinated
varieties are more or Jess, randomly
pollinated from genetically diverse parents,
resulting in unique offspring with a wide
range of physical and biochemical genetic
expressions Seeds from open-pollinated
plants contain a great deal of genetic diversity
from which agriculturists can select for
features such as taste, disease resistance, and
suitability of use. By selecting parents with
desirable characteristics. and by crossing
them in selected combinations. improved
varieties, which are more adapted to local
climates, soils etc., can be isolated. Another
major advantage of open-pollinated varieties
is that they retain their genetic diversity,
preserving genes which may be more
:Kcit.i'.w h Jo1.m mt pQCJe 12
Seed Saving to Preserve Biodi:ver~sty,
adaptable to changing environments. II is of
grem practical value to be able to produce and
save one's own seed. 1hereby being able to
gradually selec1 for desired improvements
and bcner local adaptability (i.e. better gene
combinations for a panicular climate or soil).
while retaining genetic diversity.
SEED SA Vl~G REFEREI\CFS
Robm Johnson. Jr. 1983. Growing Garden
Seetlr: A Manual/or Gardeners and Small
Farms. Inexpensive and easy to understand.
Available from Johnny's Selected Seeds;
Albion. Maine 04910. $1.95
Peter Donelan. 1986. Growing ro Seed. A
more detailied presentation. Ecology Action,
Self-Teaching Mini-series# 13. Order from
Ecology Action: 5798 Ridgewood Road:
Willeis, CA, 95490 $3.50.
Suzanne Ashworth. 1990. Seed ro Seed
Seed-saving techniques for over 160
vegetable crops. 240 pp., $20.00 ppd. Order
from Seed Savers Exchange (sec address
below).
SEED SA VJNG ORGANlZATIONS
The Flower & Herb Exchange (FHE)
Rt. 3. Box 239
Decorah Iowa 5210 I
($5.00 annual membership)
Fonunately, there is a growing number
of individuals and developing organizations
which recogni1.e the imponance of preserving
natural genetic diversity in agricultural crops.
The most widely known is the Iowa-based
Seed Savers Exchange, which is a loose
organization of people committed to seed
saving and exchange. The Seed Savers
Exchange believes that the best way to
preserve historical varieties is by propagating
them and distributing them to a widely
scattered number of seed savers. The group
publishes lists of available varieties and
addresses of members with panicular
varieties for exchange or sale. By keeping
open-pollinated plant varieties in the public
domain, the Seed Savers Exchange ensures
that they will be widely propagated and
distributed.
We highly encourage Kan1ah plant
caretakers to identify and promote the
preservation, propagation, and distribution of
local "follc-roce" varieties of vegetables,
ornamentals, and fruits. Local county fairs
can be better orgnnized to identify local
varieties still grown by the old-timers. Talk
with dedicated seed-savers to identify their
favorite varieties and then offer to purchase
or trade for seeds when they arc available.
Multiply these varieties and be sure to further
distribute and "spread the wealth" to help
prevent the loss of these natural treasures.
Secondly, interested gardeners should
seek out open-pollinated varieties and
encourage their use and distribution. Try
growing these varieties and selecting for
plants with improved qualitic:;.
Lastly. plant caretakers need to produce
extra seeds to pass along to other seed-savers
to encourage their increase and serve as
insumnce against the loss of these
irreplaceable heirlooms.
Seed saving can be a simple and
economical hobby. General and specific
information on saving vegetable varieties can
be gained from the books listed below.
Seed Savers Exchange
Rural Route 3, Box 239
Decorah Iowa 52I01
($25.00 annual dues, with reduced
r01esfor "reduced income" membership),
specializing in plant listing ofvegetables and
fruits.
Native Scc<VSEARCH
3950 West New York Drive
Tucson, Arizona
Specializing in S011tllwest
indigenous crops, such as peppers, beans,
dye plants, etc. Dues $10.00 per year.
COMPANIES SPECIALIZING IN
OPEN-POLLINATEO/HEIRLOOM SEEDS
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Box 158-N
Nonh Garden, VA 22959
Caralog $3 .00, credited to first
order.
Redwood City Seed Company
PO Box 361
Redwood City, CA 94064
Caralog $/ .00
Bountiful Gardens (Ecology Action)
5798 Ridgewood Rd.
WilliL~. CA 95490
Abundant Life Seed Foundation
Box 772
Pon Townsend, WA 98368
Seeds Blum
Idaho City Stage
Boise, Idaho 83706
Caralog $3.00.
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Albion, Maine04910
Dr•wmg by Rob Mc.nick
- by Lee Barnes
1'nrt, 1991
�Walking Distance
Our transpotation addiction is
responsible for massive ecological and social
damage. Our society is built around the use
of Lhe automobile. It is now necessary for
most people to use a car or bus to get to
work, school, to buy groceries or see most of
our friends. This is a very expensive situation
in currency oflife, money, environmental
qualiLy and in social disruption. Our highest
priority should be to establish villages and
re-establish neighborhoods in which the day
to day needs of the people can be met within
walking distance.
A pattern of local self sufficiency would
have many good effects on our lives and on
the environmenL Fuel use and polluLion
would be cu1 dramatically and people would
save a 101 of money. People be/long in a
walking based society. Children grow up m
greater sccuri ty, and oldt:r folks can live
longer in their own homes when supported
by a caring community. In local economy we
empower each other as we disempower huge
political and industrial cartels. Wal.king and
biking as means of rransponation reintegraLc
people with their environment while
providing a moderate and appropriate
execrcise schedule. People would live longer
and be happier. Inter actions with actual
people would tend Lo replace video reality.
We live in a world designed for cars instead
of people. In a world designed for people,
kids can find enough other kids for a
ballgame any day with decent wcaLher, and
adults can either have the solitude of the
woods or the compt1ny of friends within
walking distance.
Native peoples the world over have
almost always chosen to live in villages.
Synergy is the reason for this. a village is
more than che sum of its pans. In a village
there is more protection from wild animals
and violent people, cooperation in labor, the
sharing of resources such as ox and plow,
GASOLJtlE
JS A
DAJ\JGEHOUS
CHE},JJCA!.
ADDJc·r JON.
and there is the possibility of specializing for
greater efficiency. Even as rteenily as the
1960's most of the people of che world lived
in agricultural villages with forest and field
out the back door and friends and neighbors
out the fronL
One of the reasons people moved to
cities was that the rural villages were cultural
backwaters. This has changed in an era of
satellite communications and U.P.S .. Now
the ideas and goods of the world are readily
available in the wilds of anywhere.
ANGLE: ENVIRONMENT
Fifteen years ago I wrote in my journal
that l had three jobs. The first was for money
so I could keep a roof over my head, eat. and
function in society \\ith a grasp on
self-reliance. Having been a Boy Scout and
raised with respect for nature and a vision of
caring for it, I wanted my job 10 be a pan of
an ecological wlution and not more of the
problem. 8111 I remember thinking at the
same time that "Job One is for money 10 pay
my bills." 1 had to begin wi1h my
self-reliance and forge my conscious ideas in
the marketplace as l went along.
Working as a mechanic. I sometimes
wondered if cars weren't one of our major
problems. Eventually realizing that it was
true, I also had 10 keep in mind that I had
learned to make them run more efliciemly. So
I was able to organi:r.e my thoughts and ideas
with the security my paycheck gave me to
work on Job Two.
For Job Two I recycll!d cars. This was
more of a hobby than a job-type job. I did not
do tt for money, bu1 for the environment. If I
made money that was line, but I figured tha1 I
would do this job as part of a solution. It was
a feeling l kept in my private heart, but I
knew my work muse feed it. If I wns to grow
and strengthen and become a man in the
business world, I had to help in designing
that world for health. I was looking for my
own true man rather than the businessman and trying to keep the roof over my head. So
roff. 1991
ii was my goal not to let this work tax the
environment in nny way, but to engage me in
part of the cleanup. My own system of Earth
first.
In the college town where I lived,
students abandoned cars everywhere. It
didn't seem to mailer how simply they might
be fixed, with their own studies and
graduation on their minds. and maybe sights
set on soon buying a new car, off into the
field the old cars went. I fixed cars man>'
times by putting in a new bauery. Other times
I took two cars and made one good
one...feeding them back into the
:,ystcm... seeing that no good pans were
wasted.
Though technology might give belier
fuel economy from year to year, we must
consider the "Bic Clic" mentality in the
throwaway car industry, keeping in mind the
horsepower it takes and the 1ax on our
environment to keep up the new car cycle.
Seeing the rate at which so many of these
'"dead" cars got crushed, only 10 create a
demand for another ne\\ one, made Job Two
feel very good environmentally. It seemed 10
go out and out. if only in my own thinking,
towards my goals.
My third job was solely for the
environment. 1 would not use fuel nor
generate money: I picked up trash.
II felt so good when money was not my
motivating force. People around me thought I
Photovoltaics can give electricity to the most
remote community. A modem rural
community is an atttactive idea in a time
when cities offer more in the way of crime
and less in the way of cultural attractions. It
is now possible to have the best of
civilization and the best of rural life. The
village is an idea whose time has come again.
The industrial revolution has brought us
great progress in many areas but the pattern
of social disintegration and ecological
degradation that it has fostered must be
changed. Consumerism must be replaced
with a more broad minded philosophy that
cares about the welfare of the entire system.
In a localil.ed economy there are
micro-<:conomic niches for pan time bakers,
appliance repair people, haircuucrs, chicken
keepers, cow milkers, etc. The industrial
revolution separated and scheduled life, work
came to mean job, education came to mean
school, and all of society came to revolve like
a gear around the needs of industry. People's
lives took on the same scheduled and
sequenced rhythms as the assembly line.
Extended families shrank into nuclear
families and then to one parent families.
Prosperity came to mean economic growth
instead of a state of well-being.
Now there are other trends at work, and
these will eventually produce an age of
self-sufficient villages that produce much of
their own power and food and at the same
time can choose co be active members of a
global civilization. The world needs models
for this new generation of rural community.
/
by Will Bason
Drawing by Rob MC$~ock
must have really tlipped. And though a1 fir..1,
1admit, ii did feel a little crazy, I had begun
to realize "new profits" and decided 1hnl
linering was indeed crazier.
I also pickl!d up aluminum. There were
liuer baJTCls up and down both sides of the
street from my home all the way across town.
So every day after work r walked and picked
up paper and cans. The barrels came up like
clockwork, and in them I found an aluminum
mme. There was a can buyer along my route,
so that was my "bank" right on my path. If I
thrcatencd anyone's sensibilities, f soon
didn't care. Because of the social nature of
the work, I was discovering more of what
mnde what tick.
Before long I added up what it was
costing me to go to Job One, and realized I
couldn"t afford ii anymore. Since that time
I've found that I cannot afford 10 work for
money as my chief motivaung force. The
things I do, I do for different reason5. I get a
strong feeling that a lot of the problem~ in the
world, the ones we inherited and the on~ \\e
perpetuate, began and continue because we
have been so busy making money. And as
we start 10 find the things that rc3lly can
s:uisfy us. we also find we don·t need so
much money anymore.
I've learned that sclf-n:liance actually
begins with me - and not with the roof ove~
myhead.
,P'
by lvo Ballentine
x.ai.urui Joun\OL
page 13
�SERYING TI IE OREAT LIFE
These are the words of a traduionaJ Cherokee
medicint ptrson:
1 have said that there are three levels of
conjuring: the personal levt>I, the level of
knowledge, and the spiritual level. (See
Kartfoh Journal #27.)
The first fonn of conjuring is the ways
we know to persuade acquainmnces or people
we are intimate with - every day sort of smff.
The next level is conjuring by
understanding how things work. what I call
the laws of nmurc. The more knowledge one
has at this level, the more ability one has to
conjure.
The highest form is the spiritual fonn or
conjuring. This level requires more than
lenming 10 accomplish it. One can learn how
to do 11, one can completely understand how
it works, and still not have the ability to
make it work. The reason a person may not
be able to do it is because his or her
individual self is in the way.
The whole key to working the higher
fonm of conjuring is to get one's self out of
the way. That's the hard pan. To be a
conjuror requires a personality that 1s strong.
willful, and persistent. Tt takes super courage
10 confront one's own self. That's the biggest
enemy. the biggest monster that ever existed:
our own ego.
The equation for conjuring is One.
There is One Spirit that flows through us all trees, plants, animals, the Eanh. That is our
connection to all things. Getting our
individualistic self out of the way allows us
to hook into that One SP.irit. which is moving
all the time. It is very difficult to get one's
self out of the way, but someone who can
accomplish that may use the spiritual power
for conjuring.
Conjuring, as I know it, corresponds
most closely to the western concept of
"manipulation." And in the dominant culture,
manipulation has bad connotations, because
people don't like to feel like they have been
manipulated, when actually we arc
manipulated all the time. We are manipulated
by our culture. The German people were
manipulated in World War Il. Americans are
manipulated by capitalism and glittery,
materialistic things. Many of the Jewish
people a.re very tied in to their own culture
and their history as a people. We arc aJI
constantly being manipulated.
In a world in which we a.re manipulated
all the time, conjuring can be very useful.
The conjuror can heal people. The conjw-or
can heal people who might otherwise be
dead. The conjuror can interfere with their
fate.
For instance, in this culture it's
absolutely terrifying 10 be told, "You have
Xotuan Journal p!MJC 14
cancer." Cancer is known to be so bad and
usually fatal. When a doctor tells a patient he
or she has cancer, it's devastating. ln some
cases people stan dying right away. They
surrender and relinquish them~elves to the
disense. The will dies.
Doctors can't usually do much about
cancer. But the mind and the spirit together
are so powerful that somerimes they can
make a cure. Sometimes they can provoke the
spirit of the Physician Within to heal a
person, And one does that through conjuring.
If a conjuror is successful, it's amazing
what can happen. Sometimes conjuring on
the third level produces results that seem
impossible 10 people who arc looking at it
from an conventional viewpoint. What they
see cannot be explained in a rational, linear
way.
''Magic comes when all doubt is cleared
from the mind." I don't see events th:11 occur
on the spiritual levels as magic. I see them as
facts - events that can happen all the time.
They only seem extraordinary to people who
are caught up in the physicaJ, materialistic,
self-oriented culture.
Healing may appear to be magic and
mystical, but it isn't. It's a law of nature.
Everyone has the capacity and the ability to
do this if they can get their own self out of
the way.
A conjuror can also do terrible things.
He or she can do absolutely hideous, horrible
things to other people. The same energy that
can heal someone can be used 10 make
another person to sick - just by reversing the
process. But in my experience of watching
people who had the ability to use that power,
the majority of them never did horrible or
terrible things. The simple reason was: the
consequences. There is karma, and it affects
one's spirit. Misusing spiritual power is one
way to destroy the spirit, kill it. How could
that not affect someone spiritually?
Sending a sickness used to be called
"spoiling the saliva." The old peoRle believed
that the spit was the secret way to a person's
spirit. They believed that by spoiling the
saliva they could make a person's spiri1 sick,
and then, since everything is connected, the
biological or emotional being would also
become sick.
The conjuror used to concentrate on the
saliva. using it as the focus point for a strong
meditation. When a conjuror is using a
spiritual form of conjuring, he sees himself,
his real self. He then visualizes the Whole,
and sees himself dissipate into the Whole.
The thought that he takes with him is of the
saliva of the person he is conjuring. When he
rerums with the saliva spoiled, he sends it
back 10 the person, and the person gets sick.
Using the spiritual fonn of conjuring is
definitely interfering with fate. It is the fate of
all of us to die, yet 1 know people who were
healed from their cancer after being given up
for lost by the western physicians. That's
interfering with fa1e. There are consequences
10 interfering with fate, and the consequences
could be positive, or they could be negative.
Conjurors don't feel that the spiritual
burden of interfering in someone's life rests
on thcm. When they are asked to do things,
they do just what somebody asks them. The
person who requests the conjuring is the one
who picks up on the good or bad
consequences of the act, not the conjuror that's our reality. Conjurors consider
themselves to be like the pistol in a murder,
and, by asking chem, their diem pulls the
trigger. h's not the pistol that goes on trial,
it's the trigger-puller who goes on trial.
In tribal times the conjuror was
honor-bound to carry out any fequest. The
tribe used to set apart people to be good
hunters, chippers of arrowheads, or com ~
planters. That was their task in life. A
medicine per.;on was set apart 10 conjure, LO
be a healer, or to be a priest - and there could
be no personal limits set on ii.
The only request a conjuror could
refuse was one lhat would require him or her
to hurt the Great Life, the Whole. lf someone
asked me to conjure the State of Nonh
Carolina to let them dump their toxic waste
along the highway or 10 poison the river, I
would be injuring the Great Life. I could
refuse. Otherwise. a conjuror relinquished
his responsibility.
Still, there were ways to get out of
conjunng acts that one considered distasteful.
One way was 10 get the client to participate in
the conjuring as much as possible. A
conjuror could drag it out for several days to
test their will. Often a person would change
their mind in two or three days.
Or the conjuror could have the person
do some things that didn't absolutely
necessary need to h:lppen.
"Get me a cenain plant up on
Clingman's Dome. There's a li1t1e rock up
under there with some moss that grows on it.
You have to be there in two hours, and you
have 10 hop in from the north on one leg,"
and when they brought that, he would say, "I
need this one other thing. You need to wade
across the river and..." There were always
means 10 slow people down and make them
think about their actions.
As a lasl reson a conjuror could say,
"My will is not going to be into this, and I
don't know how effective this is going to be.
I suggest you go sec another medicine
person."
Because conjuring is manipulation, the
'Fn(l., 199\
�11
idea seems negative and threatening LO many
people of Lhe western culture. But who is 10
tell what is positive and what is negative?
One would have to have a seer in order 10
know before the fact.
As an example, neighbors often do
Lhings against neighbors when they have bad
feelings and resenonems. A medicine person
could do mild fonns of conjuring which
would relieve them of their bad feelings
toward their neighbor, because they felt that
they'd taken action. In the long run, it could
possibly be more positive to do some
superficial conjuring than to let those people
sit around with their resenunents festering
and their bad feelings gening stronger and
stronger. It's a psychological and emotional
pressure release. It's hard to try to justify that
to western people.
It could conceivably be a positive action
to cause somebody 10 get sick. In the culture
that we live in, there is no excuse to
relinquish responsibility to go out and smell
the flowers and just be. Sickness is the only
valid excuse. And sometimes there's so much
stress and pain in the lives of people involved
with the dominant culture that they will create
a sickness just 10 meet that need to relinquish
responsibility.
A good healer shouldn't limit him or
herself to biological matters; a good healer
shouldn't limit him or herself to social
matters. A good healer should understand
that there isn't anything in this culture that
will let us relinquish responsibility but being
sick. He or she is a priest A healer should be
able 10 say, "Listen, take a week off. Go to
the beach, do what you like 10 do."
Conjunng • manipulation - is good
when it serves the Great Life. That's the
governing principle. Through the whole
process, the conjuror has 10 keep the ego out.
Of course, it is true that "Where I go, ego."
There's a very fine balance there. I am
constantly asking myself the question, "Who
does this serve? Who does this serve?"
Because if l felt I was acting just to serve
myself and my ego, I would stop
immediately.
Conjuring puts one in a position of
power, but it has to be done without a sense
of power. Working on the spiritual level is
powerful, bul if the conjuror is receiving a
sense of power, rhen he is manipulating the
situation for his own individualistic intereSt
One of the ways you can tcU a good
healer or a good priest is that they just act
They do n0t think that ii might be benefiting
them. They accept it as pan of their individual
spiritual path. Things just keep happening.
Each incident could be a challenge, a test. a
blessing, a joy, or ail of these things.
Myself, rm not special. rm a human
being, trapped in a body that eats, shits,
suffers, and die~ just like everyone else.
And sometimes it's a curse and sometimes
it's a blessing, but that's just the way it is. I
accept iL
This role of medicine person has been
something that I needed spiritually. It's been
an ego challenge for me. There have been
times in my life when I've wanted 10
manipulate people for my own gain - and
known that I could have done it. Without the
slighiest bit of doubt, l knew I could get what
I wanted from these people simply because I
understood things that they didn't
understand. But I felt that doing that would
damage me in some way. It wasn't worth the
immediate gratification. It just wasn't worth
it.
People who are conscious, really
conscious, cannot be conjured or manipulated
in any way. But most people can be conjured
because their mind is someplace else constantly.
I have yeL to run across one person
whom l couldn't conjure 111 some time in their
lives. I have met gurus and ail other sons of
people, and at some point each of them
would slip into self, or imponance, or "my
trip," or some other negative state.
Yes, it would be wonderful ro live in a
world where people were so clear that they
could n0t be manipulated or conjured. That
would be the ultimate goal. But we are going
to have to be more advanced than we are,
much more advanced. I hope that we can
reach that point. It's one of those things that
are possible for the future.
Things wiU be different when people
stan seeing that we are pan of a living
/
organism, the Great Life.
A Rotting Log
Call ii a waste. Call it a shame.
And you are numb to this other life.
1lusoldoak
has barely had lime to die.
Alre.idy mushrooms grow through mosses
against hues of amber, brown, and gold.
A snake is rurll!tl up in a hole
beneath her weight.
A bear will winter ,n the heart
twelve feet h11,h
where lhe trunk broke off from the bottom.
To build a ncsl
a woodrat crawls into the ca,,ty.
To her life and dl'alh smell the same.
And arthropods th:it h\'c nowhcN! else
arc mo\'ing through the 50h wood,
laying eggs.
Thl'Y too arc dymg.
Ra,pt,crrics ,ind gr.ire:, grow up around
for slw ha!> falkn
hgh1 1s ll't into the for<.'SI.
Four years from now t"-o nroms
will fall to grow
on this rothng log
I win trees c,f the same mothc-r.
This de.ith 1s so ferule.
The fc,rcst keeps its promises.
PholO by Rob Mcss,cl.
rnrr.
1'191
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BIOREGIONAL BURNABLE OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
Livin' By Their Wits
It sure is a stitch watchin' all these
"back-to-the-land" people and the tourists
come to the mountains lookin' for serenity
and a good life. Those poor young folks
come here with these notions of raisin' a
family and havin' a piece of land 10 work.
while at the some time they're in need of a
high payin' job to get the land and the house.
Why the prices those tourists can afford are
enough to drive anybody whose been here a
while right through the roof!
Not only do they come with these high
minded ideas about doin' everything the
organic way. like that was some kind of
religion or somethin'. half the time they don't
even know the basics of tendin' a place and
they st:ut belly•achin' cause the works too
hard, or the bugs are drivin' um crazy, or
they can't get things happenin' the way they
wan't um 10 in the first couple years.
I know dern well we can't go back to
the old subsistance days like they were when
my folks grew up here. I guess I have to give
some of these young people a little credit for
tryin' to find a good way 10 live with the
land. But they always seem to be squablin'
amongst themselves about somthin' or
another. One wants to live on a piece of land
with a bunch of other people. while another
is satisfied to stick it out where they are.
Most of um can't figure out where they want
their kids raised either. and there's hardly a
school they feel is fiuin' 10 send um to.
h seems like when I was raised it was a
little clearer where a person stood. Livin' by
your wits wasn't just some nice thing to do
on the weekends, it was your bread and
butter. Usually it was our of necessity that
cenain people did ccnain things so a family
could survive. Nowadays theres all these
splinteriud groups like feminislS,
environmentalistS, pro-business factions, and
government people tryin' 10 tell everybody
what they think is besL I think they're all too
big for their britches if you ask me. Men sum
beho.vin' like women and women start
behavin' like men; the timber people and
these self-appointed environmental rescue
squads go at each other; these dem franchises
come in and pay people next 10 nothin' while
the money moves off to far away places; and
college trained officials from down in the
piedmont come and show off the version of
zoning 1ha1 seems to suit um best.
It all seems like some big jumbled mess
to me. As long as everybody is in it for
themselves I don't see how we are ever goin'
to conduct ourselves in such a way that
families survive, and schools can be places of
leamin', and govemmenlS don't have their
hands in everybody's business. It's like
there's too many vultures buzz.in' around
these mountians and not enough decent folk
to talce care of um and protect um.
1(.Qtuar~)ou.rna1 p09e 10
Some of these back-to-the-lander types
are more than a linle spoiled 100. They come
from cities where things seemed to be fed to
um all the time. They kinda remind me of
tourists thar hang around a little longer till the
money dries up. or their kids move away, or
they get tired of it and they leave. rew of um
have the backbone 10 make it through hard
times, but some of um learn how 10 li<aen to
the mountainside and how it can provide
medicines, food, warer. and materials for
shelter if they don't me~s around 100 much
with its own state. There's a lot of leamin' in
store for um if they take a likin' to it, but
most of um get huffy and impatient.
l just hope that if the cities start havin'
more problems and geuin' more congested
that they all don't keep comin' here thinkin'
there's some easy life just waitin' for um.
Maybe its good that mountain life is hard.
But that ain't goin' 10 stop um from comin' 10
have a look. that is as long as the price of gas
holds out.
recorded by Rob Messick
An Old Family Tale
My mother's youngest brother, James
Francis Dresenbury. came 10 Conway, SC 10
visit his sisters and brothers when I was a
linle girl. One day he gathered all his nieces
and nephews together and told this tale of a
happening when he was a little boy.
He began by praising his mother for her
thrift and saving ways. made necessary by
the ume just after the War Between the
States. Then he told us it wa.,; the time of year
when cherries were ripe. The trees had a
bumper crop and a bushel or more had been
seeded and made into cherry preserves. The
seeds had been left on the back porch for
several days. One morning my grandmother
told a little helper boy 10 empty these seeds
into the chicken ya.rd.
The next time anyone noticed the
chickens they were all lying prone around the
yard. Grandmother was not only sorry to
lose her prized chickens. but since she did
not know what had kilkd them. she could
make no use of the meat. But she decided she
would not have 10 lose the feathers too • so
they brought the chickens in and plucked the
feathers to use in pillows and feather beds.
The chickens were thrown our into the
yard to be buried later. About an hour after
that, someone exclaimed, "Look at the
chickens!'' They were gawking and walking
around stark naked. Their little tipsy spell had
worn off! The sun was beaming hotly and 10
keep them from getting sunburned, the girls
took some calico and made clothes for them.
by Bess Hwbison
The Slide
lt was a hot day in nonheastern
Tennessee. Leslie had been bugging her
parents for hours 10 take her and her little
brother to a campsite with a water slide. After
driving for hours, the family finally found
one and pulled in. Leslie's dad paid the fee
and made some small talk with the rotund
female auendant.
After they chose a spot and got the
camp ready for the night Leslie's mom let her
get her swimming suit on. At long last she
took her younger brother by the hand and
\\Cnl over to the big double tunneled water
slide that emptied into a cool pool. Her
brother wus more than a little scared at the
idea of whizzing around in these coiled
slippery runnels. so Leslie 1old him to stay at
the pool while she went to the top where au
the action got staned. She saw the water
gushing out of the pipe when she got to the
top. and the excitement was growing inside
her. The man watching the entry instructed
her 10 lean into the curves and off she went.
She squealed with excitement around
the first bank. Then aU the sudden the people
at the pool noticed a distinct change in the
pitch of her squeals. They had transformed
into blood curdling yells, as her brother and
some other grown-ups watched her come 10
the end of the ride twirling a large copperhead
above her head like a wild laso rope. As she
hit the water her grip on the snake loosened
and it was flung into the woods, where
presumably it got away unharmed. That
water slide has been closed ever since.
by Rob Messick
How Can You Lose
Anything as Big
as This Ego?
Back in my formative years. Actually a
little after what is considered the normal
formative years in terms of physical maturity.
but 001 in mental maturity, or emotional or
spiritual or whatever you want to call that
other pan of us that isn't the meat. Of course,
I'm still in my formative years for that other
thing. or stuff, and probably always will be.
Hopefully. a1 least. I wonder how many
parenthetical thoughts you're allowed 10 hnve
in a row? Sometimes I think all of my
thoughts are parenthetical. And so on.
Anyway, back in my formative years
during college, when r became exposed to a
world of ideas and the evolution or revolu110n
of the human being.
Being human.
f vowed 10 become a better person. By
God, or nature. or whatever, I was' going to
become a near perfect human being!
raft. 199 1
�No one is perfect.
The fust step on that evolurion, I
learned, was to lose your ego. r should have
seen it coming. The idea of striving to be
perfect and at the same time losing your ego
is, to put it lightly, a quagmire. Perhaps the
contradiction is obvious. The closer you feel
(your ego feels) that you (your ego) is
corning closer 10 perfection, the beuer your
ego feels. In fact, it's damn pround of itself.
And the bigger it grows.
I suppose that is the pitfall the mystics
always talk abouL 111ey always warn amid
their other mumbo jumbo that all of this
mumbo jumbo, and ego losing, can be
dangerous. I never understood that. Sitting,
contemplating one's navel, or chakras, or
marimbas or whatever. Never seemed very
threatening to me. It now occurs to me, that
what is really dangerous, and what they were
probably talking about, is thinking, or
suffering from the delusion, that one is
actually losing their ego. That's because,
while you think you're losing your ego, it's
actually growing. And your life becomes a
hypocrisy. In other worlds, you think you're
o ne thing but you 're actually 1he
opposite. Which leads 10 lots of embarrassing
moments when you're suddenly acting unlike
the perfec1 person you arc supposed tO be. As
a matter of fact you're acting like a perfect
asshole, but you're ego's so big that it's in
control and won't let you blame it. As a
ma uer of fact, it's telling you that it doesn't
even exist. A clever subterfuge to keep the
rest of your meat ignorant of the fact that
everything it's doing is to feed this ego that's
grown so large it needs constant nourishment
to keep from collupsing into a stinking rotten
heap that can be smelled by anyone within
visual distance.
So it blames others. It couldn't be
because you're selfish. Only people with
egos are selfish. You don't have an ego so it
must be them. It couldn't be because you're
not envious. Only people with egos are
envious. You don't have an ego. So they
must be assholes. Eventually. everybody
becomes an asshole, except yourself, of
course, and the world no longer deserves
your unselfish administrn1ions of good
works. Actually, 1he whole damn world can
go to hell in a handbasket, for all you care.
because you have your own world which is
your ego, which by now has grown 10 the
size of a small plane1oid. I measured mine
recen1ly, when arter ten years I found i1
hiding behing the nas1y remarks I was
making 10 my wife in order, I have since
learned, 10 make pillars for my enormous ego
10 rest on since it had grown so large that
even in the airy netherworld of egos, it could
no longer suppon its own weight. It is
currenly the size of Pluto.
How did all this come abou1?
rnnocently enough, at least if you were 10 ask
FausL It was initiated by a commendable
desire. I wanted 10 become an enlightened
individual who would nunure the
splendorous miracle of life and make it reveal
its most beau1iful aspects 10 me and those
around me, and eventually the whole damn
world. Yes. l was going to improve the
general lot of humankind through the exercise
of my perfec1ed egolcss will. Of course, it
would take me a few years to reach this state.
The method by which I would reach it was
meditation and aceticism. Hedonism,
raCC., 1991
ac.rually. We!I, a[rcr all, I wasn't going 10
nuss out on hfe JUSt because of this ego crap.
And soon.
Actually, just pure naked experience
was my goal, and women. I was actually the
product of a damaged ego. Damaged by
was doing. Of course, it probably assumed
from past experience that if l did know I
would have stepped in somehow and
screwed up the whole process. Which I think
is the whole point of meditation - gcniog
yourself out of the way so that you can just
constant female reJection during those
aforementioned formative years, meat and
01herwise. So I strutted my naked experience
among the dregs of society. Playing wi1h
1hem. parrying with them, but always (of
course) somehow feeling above it all.
Superior.
Each day expanding my awareness
through mcdiiation ... consciousness
expansion (i.e. ego expansion). Whal is ;1
human being without ego? Whom am I,
anyhow? A boneless chicken. And so on.
All throughout my stru1 I was doing
great acts. Or so I thought. Trying to s1op
nuclear weapons by having a conference of
six hippie college students in West Virginia,
and sleeping with the best looking one after
she played wilh my knee under the.: table.
Didn't do much to stop nuclear weapons, but
it did wonders for my ego. More fuel for the
fire Very linle effect on world peace.
But a great person (i.e. perfect human
being. Don'1 forget, that was my destination)
must do great things. Or at least things with
the stamp of greatness to feed 1hnt giant ego
which I was supposed to be losing. What I
was losing, was my meat. I staned 10 gel
quite thin. This ou1sized ego, which I had
convinced myself. was diminishing, drove
me 10 do all kinds of ~trnnge things. II used
my intellect to r.itionaliz.e every ego foeding
acl as a philanthropic act. It used my meal 10
take it places where it could feed . But it
didn't feed on organisms, ii fed on ~piri1s.
As I said, I now realized 1hat this was,
all along. the pl:in of a severely damaged ego
(an ego which had been victimized and
punished again and again for no apparent
reason, by a very confused piece or meat), to
save icself. First, confuse the meat with all
types of inscrutJble mysuc mumbo jumbo
and convince it that you are leaving entirely.
Next, make the meat go into self-induced
comas periodically so it won't be aware of
you as you sneak back in and take con1rol of
nerve central. Then make the meat go ou1 and
do all kinds of things with the veneer of
goodness. no matter how ineffcetual the acts
are. Make the meat think it is on a Godly
mission, maybe even a messenger or disciple
of God, so that it's willing to put up with all
kinds of nasty physical deprivations, while
the ego feeds, and feeds, and feeds.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not
saying this is all bad. My ego did need
fixing. I just wish it had let me know what it
take over. But now it really has gotten om of
hand. My ego has grown much to large and
has become an independent agent which
seems 10 care little, if a1 all, for myself, and
only keeps my meal around so tha1 it can
have corporality.
But I chink its beginning to be
confused. For instance, it can't understand
why world leaders haven'! noticed its
magnimity and come to it for advice. Of
course it probably has something 10 do with
the fact that it has ignored its meat to the point
that it has got it working in a sewer plant.
Maybe tha1 is all pan of its mas1cr plan. It
stuck me in a sewer plant shoveling shit, and
gave me a beautiful little boy and wife, to
show me, finally, that it really isn't gone, but
is actually the.: size of Pluto. Really much too
big 10 ever be s:uisfied. It needs to trim itself
down. Get back to fighting weight. Big egos
are seldom happy. They're always hungry.
Maybe I really can lose it this time.
Maybe the stink of the plant will drive it
away. Maybe I need to meditate, not on my
connection 10 the cosmos. but on the true
insignificance or my acts 10 the world at
large. and the very real significance of my
acts 10 one very litulc boy and one very
~pccial woman. The only good things my ego
ever did for me.
Actually working at a sewer plant has
probably done more to help me lose my ego
1h.in all the meditation and good acts could
ever do. Not JUSI because of the work, but
because of the male bonding of 1he work
crew, which consists of the mutual
destruction of self-wonh. Maybe it's due 10
an inherent understanding 1hey have of the
immensi1y o( the male ego, and they practice
this form of humiliaton 10 keep it in check.
While we of the enlightened new age SIJ'Oke
each others ego. until they devour our very
relationships.
In any evem, my ego is now shrieking.
Ifs starved, and it has revealed itself. It can
no longer hide (amazing that something as
big as Pluto could hide all that time).
Though, actually, I think everyone else could
see it. Everytime I looked around, however,
10 see what they were looking at. it ducked
··
out of the way.
Preuy nimble for such a big fellow'/'
/J!f
by Maxim Didgct
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Near Todd at a bend on the New
Rh·er there is a spot b-.nown as Peggy's
Hole. It was named that because of an
incident that occured there at the
beginning of the 1800's. An elderly
woman named Peggy Clauson \Vas
going to church on Sunday morning
when she saw a dog run a bear off a cliff
at that spot. The bear landed in the
water and was stunned. Peggy waded
in, grabbed the bear by the ears and held
its head under the water until the bear
was drowned .
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An old lady near Canton told me
her grandfather was hiking near
Shining Rock when he was a young
man. A panther started following him.
I Ie started running and the panther
sped up. To slow him do""'ll, lhe man
took off his shirt and threw it down.
The panthc>r stopped long enough to
rip it to shreds, then started chasing
him again. The man kept throwing his
clothes down as he ran down the
mountain. By the time he got home, he
was completely naked.
This series of paintings came about while 1 was hiking and drawing in remote
areas of the mountains of Western North Carolina. There I met mosUy older people
who had grown up in the Southern Appalachians. Many of these people were very
friendly and once a conversation started, they would communicate their knowledge
of an area by telling stories.
These paintings are not meant to be illustrations of the stories, but a freer form
that incorporates commentary, associations, my own subjeclive reactions, and
elaboration on the images provided by the story and its place of origin. I'm attempting
to develop a fonn between illustration and pure painting.
As each day passes, we tend to lose our intimate connection to the Earth, and also
�n Stories
..",
,
I
1,
by Robert Johnson
At Cranberry when the old folks
there ~ere young, the parents used to
tell them that the pools of water in the
iron mines didn't have a bottom. If
they ever became unstopped, all the
water would go rushing out and take
the children, all the people and the
whole town of Cranberry with it.
I asked a young man how Standing
Indian Mountain got its name. He said.
"1 don't know. I guess an Indian just
stood there."
I asked a middle-aged man. He said,
"During the Civil War a band of
Cherokee Indians fought bravely here
and stood up to the enemy."
I asked an old man. He said, "Before
white men came here, Lhere was a
monster who lived on Lhe mountain
and would carry off people. So the tribe
posted a brave up on the mountain to
keep watch. The thunder spirit saw Lhe
monster creeping up on the brave and
sent down a bolt of lightening,
shattering rocks, destroying the
monster, and turning the brave to
stone. Today one can see shattered
rocks and a stone Indian on top of the
mountain."
stories like these that come from the pre-industrial culture of the Southern
Appalachians. These simple but powerful stories have an almost mythical quality,
and they embody a connection between the land and oral knowledge of the land,
which is a culture that is dying out. This project is my attempt to get to know Lhese
stories and to keep them alive a while longer.
Robert Johnson's paintings of ''Mountain Stories" are on display until September
27th 1991 at the Blue Spiral I Gallery; 38 Biltmore Avenue; AshevilJe, NC 28801 (704)
251-0202. The paintings will later be shown in the six counties from which the stories
came: Yancey, Macon, Haywood, Ashe, Avery and Rutherford.
�, ~~TER~HEQ.JWI..J?.S" ,,,.,.,t.
NIIIUnl World News Service
In 1989 the Water Supply Watershed
Protection Act sailed through the Nonh
Carolina legislature. The bill w~ passed
unanimously in the Senat~ and 1ll .~e House
there were only six votes ~ opposmo~. !he
legislation enacted protecnons for mumCJpal
drinking water supplies so that n~w .
development did not endanger Lhts basic
resource.
. ,
In August, 1991 North Carolinas
Deparnnent of Environmental Management
(DEM) held public hearings across the Slate
on the implementation of the new water
regulations. Public reaction was
.
unprecedented. Across the state the heanngs
were long and stormy. Each of the eight
meetings drew more than l.~ people. The
hearings in Asheville and Hickory were
anended by more than 1,500 people each.
The state was completely unprepared for the
surge of public interesL In Hickorx, the .
meeting site was changed 10 ~ locan~n with a
larger capacity, but after heaTlllg tesumon~
for one full day the speaking roster ~s soil
only one-half completed and the heanng had
10 be continued at a later date.
There was clearly-defined, and
sometimes biller, controversy at the
watershed protection hearings. The theory of
the Watershed Protection Act is that
development must be contr0lled in
.
watersheds that provide drinking water in .
order to protect the purity of the supply. This
raised the boogie of land use management,
the "Z word - zoning," in the mind of many
traditionally conservative landowners and
farmers. Some saw the bill as a direct threat
10 their property rights. Others saw it as the
first step in an insidious government plan to
gradually enact a full set ofland use
management contr0ls. As ~'lolly Di~gins of
the state Sierra Club orgamzauon said,
"Where locru governmcntc; should be seeing
'protection,' many are seeing only
'restriction."'
Development interests played on these
fears with a concencd public outreach
campaign, and aroused a strong opposition to
the w:uer protection measures. These . .
interests see a loss of profil in any rcstncuon
of development
The opposing pole at the public
hearings were environmentalists who
supponed the protective regulations and
protested that they were not strong enough.
Agricultural and silvicultural opcr.itions
should be regulated as strictly as
construction, they said. Presently the rules
provide water bodies only a IO foot buffer
against agricultural activities, which often _arc
major sources of erosion and wnter polluuon,
whereas buildings have to be outside a 100
foot buffer around protected streams.
There was also concern that
"grandfather" clauses. under which existing
buildings and projects would be exeml)t from
the provisions of the watershed protecuon
measures, would weaken the regulations to
the point of uselessness.
Also supporting the regulations were
town residents who did not take a supply of
pure drinking water for granted and wanted
10 ensure protection of their !Own wa_ter
supplies in the face of ever-encroaching
X.Otuof, Journal'. poge 20
development.
This round of the drinking water
protection fight is not yet over. ln light of the
controversy generated by the regulations, the
DEM has extended the public comment
period on the watershed protection
regulations until October 31. It is particularly
imponant that the DEM hears from the people
of the mountain region.
Direct co=nt.f 10:
Sttvt Zoufaly
Division of Environ~IUQI Management
8ox29535
Raleigh. NC 27626.
YES MORE WILDERNESS!
N1111r.il World Nev-s Sa-vice
Saturday, July 6, one of the bu~iest
rafting days of the year, there mystenously
appeared across the Nantahala River a long
banner saying "Yes More Wilderness! Save
Cheoah Baldi"
Rafters taking out downstream were
met by activists from the organi1ation
SouthPA W requesting responses for a
"Forest Service Evaluation Sheet."
.
"Did you know that the Forest Service
is planning a timber sale only 1/2 mile above
the Nantahala and within sight of the river?"
More than 95% did not know
"Do you think that the Cheooh Bald .
area, the: largest unprotected roadies.~ area in
the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests should
be allowed to return 10 old growth?"
99% thought it should.
"Do you think that the Forest Service
should stop logging in the national forests?"
98% thought they should.
South PAW struck again at Forest
Service credibility at the agency's Reanalysis
Checkpoint meeting concerning the
re-evaluation of the Land and Resource
Management Plan for the Nantahala-Pisgah
National Forests. South PAW calJed for a
boycou of the meeting, saying that the Forest
Service refused lO consider the relevant
ecological issues in its planning.
The meeting was billed as a scoping
meeting, but a SouthPAW handout said
"Wrong End of the Scopel" declaring that
the Forest Service had its priorities reversed,
since it seemed to be more interested in
sellin-g,tirpbgr:,tJw!,pwJe:C~Jlll~~// i,
diversity o( the forest. In the flier the group
reiterated their position that the national
forcstS in the Kaninh Province should be
habitat areas free from roads and commercial
exploitation.
There were about equal numbers of
people inside and outside the Owen
Conference Center at the University of Nonh
Carolina Asheville where the Forest Service
meeting was held. But in C<?n~st _10 the
restrained and orderly mcenng ms1de the
building, those out on the lawn boisterously
chanted, laughed, and played drums and
kazoos.
At lunch time the activists congregated
at the student open forum in the lobby of lhe
university center to hear Buddy Newman
read lhe alternative forest protection plan he
authored for SouthPAW. Nantahala-Pisgah
Forest Supervisor Bjorn Dahl was among the
audience listening 10 the proposal and later
invited South PAW representatives to a
meeting with Forest Service personne! to
discuss 10 their ideas for the Appalachian
forests.
To take action on behalf oftlu: Appalachian
forest habitat. write:
SouthPAW
Ba:d/41
Aslu:ville, NC 28802
KILLING Lm'LE FISH
NIIUnll Wodd News Scrv,cc
A series of five different spills over a
seven month period last year that dumped
untreated wastewntcr, oils, and concentrated
foams into the Pigeon River will cost the
Champion International paper mill in Canton,
NC $60,000. These are the first fines ever
levied against the company by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)..
According to Champion .~pokespe:Son David
Craft the mishaps were the first m recent
mem~ry" at the plant. The ftrst spill, of an
unknown quantity of untreate~ wast~":'ater,
was evidently the most damaging, killing,
according 10 Craft, "270 little fish." Croft_
maintained th:u neither the foam nor the oils
were hazardous to human or aquatic life.
Champion had originally faced a
$125,000 fine from the EPA;the m~imu~
allowed by law. However, after meeung wuh
mill officials last February and March, t11e
agency downgraded the fine. The company
representatives maintained that Champion
should not be assessed the full fine because
the spills were caused by malfunctioning
equipment and not by human error or
deliberate neglect The EPA seemed to agree.
Craft said that another reason for the reduced
fine was evidence that "Champion has taken
steps 10 mitigate the damage," from
skimming escaped oil off the nvcr banks to
closing the malfunctioning valves that
Champion maintains caused four of !he
spills. However, the EPA also penalized
Champion for failing to file a formal repon of
one of the spills within the required five
days, an oversight Craft blamed on an
"administration problem."
Oaft said that Champion would
probably not appeal the fin 7 "~e.~o bel!eve
that the amount of the fine 1s fair, he said,
calling the accidentS "a series of unintentional
and unrelated failures within the mill."
1'c:afL, t99l
�NEW PERSPECTI•VES 0N TRE "~'·
CHATTOOGA ..
Natural World News Sctvice
EnvironmcntaJ groups from three states
and three national forest administrative areas
have combined 10 form the Chanooga River
Watershed Coalition (CRWC).
The Chatto0ga is a beautiful river, one
of the most popular recreational rivers in the
Karuah Province. Pan of itS length has been
designated a Wild and Scenic River, and a
large tract in its headwaters area beneath
Devil's Courthouse near Highlands, NC was
recently bought by the Trust for Public Land
and transferred to the US Forest Service 10
preserve its pristine character.
The CRWC has wriuen an alternative
Land and Resource Management Plan for the
watershed which they are requesting the US
Forest Service 10 adopt. The plan is
important, first of all, because it proposes a
unified forest management program based on
watershed boundaries, rather than along state
or national forest tines. At present, the
Chauooga watershed is managed under three
different, and somerimes conflicting, national
forest management plans.
"A landscape with natural ecological
integrity is the desired future condition of the
watershed," says the CRWC proposal. The
coalition suggests a new, standardized
management unit, the Ecosystem
Management Area, 1hat would base
management on complete forest habitats
rather than on timber sale companmems.
The CRWC is requesting a meeting
with Forest Service supervisors and regional
and national personnel to discuss
implementing their plan in the Chattooga
watershed.
interest. the DO.Ii e11ct&fup with nver four
days of testimony which they scheduled
concurrently in auditoriums in two different
locations over a two-day period. ("Divide and
conquer," said one activist. "It's an old
tactic.")
Attendance at the hearings ,vas about
equally divided between opponems of the
plan and workers from Oak Ridge nuclear
facilities bussed to the hearing from work.
Although the workers, wearing T-shirts
saying "Complex 21" superimposed over n
map of Tennessee. made their presence felt,
of the 376 speakers more than 68% were
opposed to the pluronium plant, in the
estimate of the Oalr. Ridger newspaper.
The testimony was sometimes brilliant,
always heartfelt. Speakers talked about
cancer risks. damage 10 the environment, the
possibility of nuclear accidents, and the need
for disarmament now that the primary
adversary had dropped out of the game.
In the afternoon of the second day
srudents from Oak Ridge schools testified a1
the hearings. One student presented a petition
with 65 names of students against Complex
21 in Oak Ridge or anywhere else on Eanh.
Several high school students also testified at
the hearings, all opposed to the planL
The DOE will ruei~t written comme111s 011
tht Rocky Flats pluto11ium plant rdocatio11 until
Ocrotn~r 30. Mail r.omme111s to the Dtpartmi!fll of
Energy. clo:
Oak Ridgt E11vira11111t11tal and Ptace Alliance
Box 1101
KnoX\/ille. TN 37901
T~ Chattooga Riw!r Wattrs~d Coalitio11
Box368
Clayton, GA 30525
PLUTONIUM OR. .. NO!
Narun! World Ne..,, Service
"Please let me introduce myself. I am
Plutonium, the God of unnatural death and
suffering."
The black-robed figure with the grisly
skcleial face stood before the impassive
bureaucrats presiding at the "Reconfiguration
of the Nuclear Weapons Complex" hearings
in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. At issue was the
future of the nation's nuclear weapons
program, specifically the plutonium
processing facilities at Rocky Flati.,
Colorado. The plant has contaminated its site
in Colorado and has to move. The DOE is
considering locating it either at Oak Ridge or
the Pantex plant near Amarillo, Texas.
For the first rime ever, the Depanment
of Energy (DOE) had called for public input
on the future of the program. The agency
scheduled 15 hearings around the country.
TheorericaJly, they would listen 10 what was
said and consider the opinions offered in their
program and policy decisions.
People responded, aroused through the
effons of area peace groups spearheaded by
the Oak Ridge Environmenuu and Peace
Alliance. The hearings were scheduled to last
one day. Because of the outpouring of public
Tai(, 199 1
"WE DON'T BUY YOUR LINE"
The Appalachian Power Company
wants to build a 765,000 volt power line
through southern Wes1 Virginia and
southwestern Virginia. The tine is ostensibly
10 provide extra power in Richmond and 1he
eastern pan of the state of Virginia.
To sell their idea, the ucility company
se1 up a series of hearings along the line's
proposed route. They met with solid
opposition aJI along the way.
The company came to the meetings
well-prepared. They brought a 30 page
handout, coinplett Willi ~li~.'gl-Jphs:'~d
maps. They also distributed a report. "Faces
on EMF' (electromagnetic fields) to dispute
scientific evidence that high volrage Lines
cause genetic damage and degenerative
disease.
But the people were not buying it More
than 50 people opposed to the power line
showed up at the meeting in Giles County,
VA and 300 people attended the meeting in
New Castle, VA. Another meeting in Hinton,
WV also brought out strong opposition to the
line. A meeting in Monroe County, WV was
canceled because hearing officers feared
violence. The meeting was rescheduled,
however, and 300 people peacefully declared
their strong opposition 10 the power line.
As well as health concerns, people
attending the hearings feared that herbicide
spraying would contaminate their water
supplies, and that the power lines would mar
the scenic beauty of their area, which they
considered an imponant asset. Critics also
questioned the value of the plan, saying that
the new power line would encourage higher
levels of energy consumption and sidetrack
attempts to promote energy conservation.
Baud 011 a report ill the New River Free Pre,;.,;,
available from Box 846: Blacksburg. VA 24063.
1165 MEGAWATTS OF
POLLUTION
Nawn.I World New. ScMc:e
The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense
League (BREDL) is warning thar Duke
Power Company is planning to build a 1165
megawau electric generating plant in
Lowesville, NC in the piedmont county of
Lincoln. The plant would be fined to operate
on either diesel fuel or natural gas, but the
primary fuel source would be diesel. When
running on diesel fuel, the plant would tum
out 4,278 pounds of sulfur dioxide per hour,
according to BREDL director Janet Hoyle.
Sulfur dio,ude is a main component of the
complex of pollutants that produces acid rain.
The plant is proposed as a peak power
generating plant. meaning that it would only
operate at times of peak power demand when
electricity is most profitable. Duke originally
asked that the plant be allowed to operate
3,500 hours per year, but later reduced their
request 10 2,000 hours per year.
The proposed site for the plant is 56
miles southeast of the Linville Gorge
Wildeme:.s .Arca. Data collecred by Duke
Power and the NC Department of
Environmental Management (DEM) show
that prevailing wind patterns would bring the
acidifying pollution directly into the Class I
wilderness area. In their initial application.
Duke admitted that operating at 3,500 hours
per year, the plant would inetcase acid
deposition in Linville Gorge 400-500%.
Even at the scaled-back operating time, acid
pollution from the plant would be
considerable. The US Fore.st Service will
have the right to review the plant to see if it
would adversely affect the air quality of the
gorge.
For mare information·
Bl~ Ridgt E,wironmenra/ Dtfe11St uag~
Box8JJ
Gltndalt Spr111gs. NC 28906
�DYING SOILS, DYING WATERS:
Natural World r-iews
SPECIAL REPORT
Pollution, Collusion, and the Future of the Eastern Forests
by Emmett Greendigger
The 1990 Clean Air Acl seemed to
many citizens to be a sign that lhe federal
government would finally begin to rectify a
decade of willful neglect of envirorunenlal
issues. Now, however, little more than a year
after the act's passage, scientists are
beginning to conclude that the reductions in
atmospheric emissions mandated by the bill
will not be sufficient to protect sensitive
forest areas or mountain streams.
Resean:hers are discovering alarming
damage to forests and streams, damage that
to a great extent was ignored or soft-pedaled
by the government studies that led to the
Qean Air Act, and many scientists and
environmentalists charge that the research on
the effects of acid precipitation carried on by
the Reagan and Bush administrations was full
of design flaws, done in collusion with
industry, and guided by politics more than by
objective science. They charge that the
research was, in effect, rigged in favor of
"business as usual," rigged to such an extent
that many feel that the Oean Air Act is merely
a baby-step toward protection of the natural
landscape.
Scientific srudies of atmospheric
deposition began in earnest in the late l 970's
when the governments of US President
Jimmy Carter and Canadian Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau initialed cooperative research
of the freshwater acidification that was
beginning to appear in eastern Canada and the
Adirondack Mountains of upper New York
State. The bilateral rcseareh was carried out
with the understanding that by 1980 an
agreement to reduce sulfur emissions by 50%
would be in place in ordec to protect
freshwater bodies in eastern Tunic Island.
But the regressive environmental policies of
the Reagan administration delayed nnd diluted
the bilaternl rese~. and several imponam
US researchers were fired from the study and
replaced by scientists who were willing to
tolerate the new administration's stalling.
Throughout the I 980's, to deflect crittcism,
Reagan's people pointed to the $570 million
National Acid Precipitation AsS¢ssment
Program (NAPAP) established by Congress
in 1980.
By 1982, the US-Canada project had
been terminated. [n its place was I\APAP.
whose smted purpose was to gather a
database of information about the effects of
atmospheric deposition to guide Congre~s
through the rewriting of the Clean Air Act.
llowevcr. throughout NAPAP's history,
scientisis of both the public and priv:11c
sectors ha~·e tried to \\1lm environmentalist,
of collusion between government and
indwmy on the study. Funds from electric
unlity companic~ and the papc-nnaldng
industry - obviously not dis1nten.:stcd
observers - backed large portions of the
study, ,, hteh intlucnccd the condusions
brought in by the NAP AP research. These
charges are based in part on the otherwise
inexplicable w:iy that NAPAP nam)\\t!d thc
Xn111nf1 )0111110{
ne:::
==
scope and range of acid-induced forest
decline studies. Vermont's camel's Hump
and Hubbard Brook in New Hampshire were
omitted as study sites, despite the fact that
these rwo eastern sites have the longest
record of soil changes related to acid rain.
Until 1986 forests in the Ohio River Valley the source of many of the pollutants that
cause acid rain - were not studied, simply
because there had been no papers published
in scientific journals suggesting that there
was a problem in the region.
Scientists also assen that the results of
the research were manipulated by a design
flaw: NAPAP's forest studies were limited to
a single measurement of the nuaieru content
of the soils at study sites, rather than a
methodology developed in Europe which
measures the rate of change in values over
time. Again, it is difficult to figure out why
NAPAP researchers chose the older method.
when a study of true rates of change would
have been far more useful to Congress.
Not until 1985, halfway through the
research period, when William Ruckelshaus
replaced Anoe Gorsuch Burford as
administrator of the EPA, did serious
research into forests and soils begin in
eamesL But by then it was too late. There
was little time for the imponant "reality
checks," field work, or the peer review and
publication required by NAPAP of all its
researchers. Consequently the Clean Air Act
was rewriuen while important new findings
about acid-induced forest decline were still
being evaluated.
Nonh Carolina State University
pathologist Roben Bruck received NAPAP
funding for seven years lOstudy forest
decline in Kalllah's high-altitude spruce-ftr
forests. I !is findings were largely omitted
from NAPAP's final repon to Congress
(despite the fac t that they were completed,
tested, nnd reviewed as specified by
NAPAP).
The final repon asserted that an
invasion of aphids was responsible for
spruce-fir deaths on some of Kaufah's
highest peaks. According 10 Bruck, this flies
in the face of the research he submitted 10
NAPAP, which showed that only 35% of the
dead trees at such sites as Mount Mitchell,
Grandfather Mountain. and the Grc:u Smokv
Mountains National Parl.. were infested with
aphids. What Bruck found were soil pH
levels as low as 2.7 and 2.8 and rampant
aluminum toxicity levels in the forest soils.
(See Kattialt /()11mal #9). This kind of data,
for obviou~ reasons, is not pleasing to
electric utilitr and paper companic~. and
evidently the .government shan.:s the corporate
distaste for emissions reductions. a~ it chose
rather to blame nature for fon:M decline in
Katuah.
Bruck and other scientist~ now tlclie,e
that one of the m:ij(.)r cause~ of fir die-back
and forest decline in eastern Turtle lslnnd 1s
the change m soil nutnents that occurs a~ lhl"
soil becomes increasingly acidic. Nurogcn
compounds found in acid min an: 1hought to
be a primary culpri1. Levels of nitrogen
exceeding by 20 to 40 times the wnounts that
soil could assimilate have been found in
declining forests all over the East. These
findings correspond to research results in
Germany, too, where nitrogen deposition is
thought to be a primary factor in the
catastrophic waldsrerben ("forest death") in
the Black ForesL Recent European findings
also indicate that in order to halt the damage,
nitrogen emissions must be brought down as
close as possible to the levels found in
unaffected soil communities.
Despite all this, NAPAP still seems
determined to understate the problem. In a
position paper published last summer,
NAPAP officials stated that Eastern forests
do not show any "widespread problems," a
position that seems unforrunatcly consistent
with their apparent lack of concern about
forest decline. Already, the much-ballyhooed
Clean Air Act begins to look like nothing
more than a "first step" toward reversing the
acid-induced damage to the forests. Scientists
now believe that nitrogen emissions must be
reduced by 75% (rather than the 15-25%
required by the Clean Air Act) to halt the
damage from atmospheric pollution.
In contrast, the NAPAP repon to
Congress stated that fonnerly "nitrogen
deficient" soils in commercial pine forests in
the South were being "enriched" by nitrogen
deposition, and its comments about the
effects of nitrogen compounds on other forest
types is so rife with qualifying phrases like
"might ...could...potentially" that it seems
bent on dismissing or discounting the
findings of many of its own researchers.
It seems that it will be quite some time
before we will see any tightening of the Clean
Air Act's controls on nitrogen emissions.
Meanwhile, concerned researchers believe
that eastern forests will collapse within fifty
years, as undernourished and weakened trees
give in to insects and disease, not to men1ion
a newer nemesis: lhe stress from climate
changes associated with the "greenhouse
effect."
As if the sl)\.-Clre of forests thinning,
browning, and dying were not enough, it
also appears chat Kauiah's seemingly pristine
mountain stream.\ are also extrJordinarily
vulnerable to the effects of acid pn.-cipitation,
A spate or recently released studies shows
thc11 extensive damage has already been done
to manr headwmcrs and streams in the
Central and Southern Appal,1chians,
including heavy losses to native brook trout
popula1i(.)ns. Like the forest rescar\:h, these
studies indica1e that the emissions reductions
mandated by the Clean Air Act \\ill barely
begin 10 solve 1hc problem. 111c dire
condi1ion of Appaktchi,1n mountain \\aters
has been rnost thorough!)' documentL'<l by Dr.
James Gallov.uy of the Environnk'nt:il
Sciences Dcpanmcnt at the University of
Virginia. who since the mid-1970\ h~s
published widely nbom Lhe many ,1spccts of
the acid precipitation problem. In 1979,
rnrr.
1
in9c 22
-
1991
�Galloway and a research team began the
Shenandoah Watershed Study (SWAS), a
;om1 project undenaken by the University of
Virginia and the National Park Service 10
"understand the processes that govern
b1ogeochemical cycles'' in the streams of
Shenandoah National Park (SNP). Since the
SNP receives the highest sulfur deposition
load of any national park. the SW AS turned
out to be a far-sighted study of the potential
effects of acidification in freshwater aquatic
ecosystems in the Southern Appalachians.
After a decade of research, the final SWAS
repon indicated "a poor prognosis for aquatic
watcrsystcms in Shenandoah National Park,
due to a combination of watershed sensitivity
and elevated acidic deposition."
The Galloway team concluded that 1hc
dcposi1ion of sulfur, hydrogen, and nitrogen
had increased as much as tenfold from
preinduslrial levels. The SW AS process of
sampling streams on a weekly basis over the
ten years of its research enabled it to make
three primary conclusions: "1) that a large
number of SNP streams were poorly
buffered against acidification; 2) that the
acidification process was being temporarily
delayed by sulfate re1en1ion in v.a1ershcd
soils: and 3) that the acidification of SNP
streams was an ongoing process.''
SW AS researchers predict that some
38% of 1he streams will end up with pl I
level~ below 6.0, the "biologically critical"
level for such streams, while the pH levels of
25o/i: or the streams will decline 10 a pl I level
of 4.7, near-total acidity.
In 1987, 10 broaden his study area,
Galloway and his researchers and a crew of
volunteers from Virgioiu's Trout Unlimited
organization began to monitor 350 streams in
Virginia's mountains. Preliminary repons
were alarming. The researchers found that
93% of the streams were sensi1ive to acid
deposition, and that some 49% of those were
extremely sensitive. Only 7% were found to
be adequately buffered by watershed soils.
Additionally, 10% of rhc streams were
already found to be acidic; in a natural s1ate
3% or less would be normal.
Galloway then chose 65 of those
streams for further monitoring. In June 1989
his research team reponed its findings,
concluding tha1 in spite of the fac1 that the
state's mountain streams drain "relatively
TnCt, 1991
pristine catchments proteeted from direc1
man-m.'lde impacts," they were ''receiving
heavy loads of sulfur from man-made
sources." They predic1ed that, assuming
l 990 deposition levels, at least 32% and
possibly as muny of 88% of the states 450
native trout s1reams will become acidic, with
pH levels 100 low 10 support the forage fish.
trout, amphibians, and aquatic insects who
presently live in and around these streams.
We can expect to see che same here in
Kaufoh, and soon. The Great Smoky
Mountains National Park receives the second
highest level of acidic precipitation of any
region of the eas1~rn United Srntcs. While the
lower deposition levels in Katuah have
delayed the kinds of effects seen in Virginia,
as early as 1978, NacionaJ Park Service
researchers had no1ed 1he poor buffering
capabilities of the streams in the park\ higher
elevations. And in 1984, EPA researchers
found the Davidson River near Brevard in the
French Broad River watershed had a pH level
of 6.55, dangerously near the biological
threshold of 6.0, placing it in 1hc "extremely
sensiuve" range.
According to scientists. this rrcnd will
worsen with 1ime. Among them, conscrva1ive
estimates hold that sensitive streams in
Kattiah's watersheds will undergo coipplete
alkalinity loss within 40 to 50 years. Since
levels of acid deposition follow a nonh-south
gr.tdient along the Appalachian chain, we can
look to moun1ain s1reams farther nonh to
predict our own future. In the Pennsylvania
highlands, researchers found no living trour
in 20%.ofthe
headwater streams
and concluded that
"the streams having
no fish as a group
had significantly
lower pl-I and
alkalinity and higher
dissolved aluminum
than those with
fish."
More ominous
evidence comes
from West Virginia.
According to Don
Gasper, a fisheries
biologist with the
Wes1 Virginia
Department of
Natural Resources,
the Cranberry River
rqrinllXI rrorn TMG/acu,J E.rr01ic
in the south-central
pan of the stale is
already "lost." Fish
population data for the Cranberry have been
kept since 1957. making it one of the few
eastern rivers for which historical change can
be documented. Over the past 30 years, fish
biomass in the Cranberry has decreased from
15 pounds per acre to less than five pounds
per acre, and 1he number of fish species in
the river has declined from 15 to eight. Since
the Oanberry drains one of the largest
wilderness areas in the East, Gasper believes
that "the only disturbance in that watershed is
that acid rain has been falling on it for 40
years."
The higher deposition levels in the
north account for the rapid changes and
drastic losses, but Katuah's lower acid
deposition levels do not mean that we will not
see similar effec1s. In fact, the reduced pH
and alkalinity levels found now in our
streams are familiar 10 chose who have becm
tracking the nonhem streams for the pasr
decade. According to Mark Hudy, a fisheries
biologist who studied the St. Mary's River in
Virginia as it died from acidification, "The St
Mary's may be a precursor of things to come,
what we'll all be looking at in 10 years...the
water quality on the St. Mary's when I
sampled the river 10 yean; ago was like what
we have now on rivers farther south."
Whal can be done 10 reverse the
acidification of Katuah's streams? Can we
learn anything from the damage to northern
streams? Most scientists arc pessimistic.
They lament that the region's streams were
neglected during the I980's as the Reagan
and Bush ndministra1ions stalled essential
environmental research. And, like their
colle,igues in soils and fores1 research, the
freshwater biologists do not feel l_ha1 the
reduc1ions mandated by the Clean Air Act
will be able to reverse the damage done. They
believe that a 70-80% redui;tion in emissions
might begin 10 restore acidifying streams.
According to Rick Webb. professor of
Environmental Sciences at the Universi1y of
Virginia, the n:quired 50% reduction in sulfur
emissions will mean that "only a small
number of the strea,n~ will incrca-.e in
:ilkalinity; most will still decline."
The state of West Virginia and the US
Forest Service are trying mitigation measures
- adding limestone to streams and lakes to
bolster their alkalinity - to reduce lhe damage
done by acid precipitation. But this method is
costly and strictly temporary. It is not a
means of rcs1oration for mountain streams.
Most biologists feel that the the money and
effon devoted to mnigation would be better
spent on funher research, and they believe
that only one thing will begin 10 save
freshwater ecosys1ems in the East: drastic
reductions of acidic emissions.
Political analy~ts think it unlikely that
there will be any funhcr emissions control
measures from Washington for at leas, a
decade. They point out chat even the Clean
Air Act levels represent a compromise, that
allies of the coal and u1ili1y industries
auempted to drive sulfur emissions
reductions as low as si:it million tons, from
the original call for a 12 million ton
reduction, and did succeed in having the
number sliced to 10 million ions in the finnl
version of the net.
This does not leave many scientislS
optimistic about the future of forests and
streams in the East Aske.cl if he 1hough1 that
Southern Appalachian streams would ever
recover, Jim Galloway replied, ''Some will
recover," he said, .. but not most"
It appears that after the long twilight of
environmental neglect in the 1980's, the
Clean Air Act is a case of "roo little. too late"
- a political pacifier too rife with compromise
and collusion to address in any honest,
meaningful way the damage already done by
acid min and atmospheric deposition - not to
mention the damage not yet e1,ident and the
damage still occurring.
An old maxim says tha1 politics is the
an of compromise. But unless politics can be
put aside, dead forests and dead streams will
bear out another U\lth: nature bas its own
bottom line. And nature bats last. /
X.Otuaf, )ournn( poCJC 23
�SONGS IN THE WILDERNESS
From the time I was two years of age J
spent most or my childhood summers on my
grandparent's farm in nonhem Colorado. In
the small town where I lived I was
surrounded by a warm extended family.
There was plenty of activity and always
another child to play with. But on the farm
the days dragged on. l can remember walking
up the dirt road away from the farm, acutely
aware of my loneliness, feeling overwhelmed
by the vastness of the rolling hills and
endless grasslands that extended for miles in
every direction. It seemed that I moved
aimlessly through a landscape which had
nothing to do with me. In this
self-consciousness of monality I became
aware of myself as separate from nature. It
was a moment of primal loneliness such as
everyone must face.
This modem human condition is not
that far removed from the tribal legacy. We
still require a personal initiation, a way for
each person to make peace with the natural
world. We have separated ourselves by our
ability to create worlds outside the cycles of
nature, yet ii is our creauve abilities that offer
us ways back in - into wholeness, communication and love. The pathways, the links, the
mediations, the magic needs to be made at a
personal level. We must ovcreome our animal
fear of isolation and death, and reach out with
our consciousness if we are to mature as
human beings. IL was at this moment of acute
loneliness that I first began to sing to the
Eanh and the sky.
I found that the ttan~fonnative power
of song was miraculous. From that day on,
there was a connection for me between the
Earth and my walking on the Earth and the
song. I remember walking down that same
din road in a state of bliss, singing my heart
out in thanksgiving for yet another spectacular sunset I found that when I sang, the
world seemed 10 light up and lighten up.
Phenomena that was of n transitory nature,
such as a cloud shadow passing over a
rolling hill, was suddenly revealed to me in
breath-catching splendor. Sometimes I sang
loud, sometimes soft. Sometimes r skipped
and sang, or danced and sang at the same
time. Special evencs, such as the bright
crispness after a summer thunderstorm called
for celebration songs. There were songs
waiting for me everywhere; songs in the elm
grove in the pasnm: and dJffcrcnt songs
down by the river.
Singing is a great protection. It sets up
vibration which cuts through time and space.
With our voices we extend the boundaries of
our bodies. In metaphysical terms, singing
causes the aura to radiate, which strengthens
the body.
In ancient primitive societies, everyone
danced and sang their feelings about the
inevnable passages of life. There were min
dances and war dances and songs to help rhe
com grow. There is evidence that the use of
music as transforming was much more
sophisticated than the simple melody, lyrics,
and rhythm format that we use today. ror
instance, at many ancient sacred sites the
acoustics arc very unusual. Circular walls
and passages can warp, bend, and amplify
sound. ln such a place, a single voice could
have created modulations, ovenoncs, and
vibratos. Add on the possibility of a chorus
with echoes, a drum or two, and a flute, and
the sound must have been magnificent. What
these sounds were used for, whether for
healing, initiation rites, or simply for the
sheer joy of creation, we no longer know.
The Peace Chamber being built by
Joseph Rael, at the Earth Center in
Swannanoa, NC and scheduled for
completion this fall, is a modem example of a
Native American sound chamber. Joseph's
vision of an oval shaped sound chamber has
resulted in the construction of 17 of these
chambers worldwide. The purpose of each is
to amplify chants for world peace. I visited
the roofless building at the Earth Center in
spring. Even without a roof, and possibly
because of the circular walls, the acoustics
were already unusual. Also worth noting is
that the chamber is on a very potent earth
energy site. The combination of sound, eanh
energy, and architecrual design should pack
some real power into songs for peace.
Looking back at my childhood songs
from the adult perspective, I realize that the
singing put me into an extended altered state,
that it was magic at its height. ft pulled me
completely out of the depression of loneliness
and gave me practical tools for survival. It
taught me to appreciate solitude. It is only in
solitude that songs come to me again. If there
is a song waiting for me, J try 10 leave my
adult cares behind and enter into the woods
with the innocence of a child. I make no
judgement about the quality of my voice or
how ridiculous I might sound if someone
should happen to hear me. There is a great
joy and freedom in this.
by Charlotte Homsher
Dnawmg by Rob Mcs,ick
/
(<ontin~ rram l"'i• 9)
We must convince the public and our
officials that a healthy environment is an
absolute requirement for a healthy economy
and not the other way around. The measure
of what should be done 10 protect the
environment is nor a mailer of good
"business as usual" economics.
We must work ar the local level to do
whatever is possible to move toward a
society that protects its ecosystems.
We must lower as quickly a.\ we can the
strains society places on our ecosystems.
This includes land use practices, development
of less damaging and less energy intensive
transponation, protection of enough critical
area 10 suppon all native species, and
controlling our population within geographic
areas so that the carrying capacity of the area
is not exceeded or is balanced within a larger
regional complex.
Finally, we must lead in an accelerated
movement to lower the environmental impact
of human habitation on Eanh. This involves
limiting the numbers of of humans Earth is
.
JCnt.i'mfi Journnl pQ(Jc 24
asked 10 suppon, making marked
improvcmcnis in our use of natural
resources, and bnnging human activities
down within a safety buffer set by the rates
of geological, geochemical. and biological
processes.
John Freeman is 1he chair of the Pisgah
Group of the Sierra Club. lie was a
profcs.'ior of billlogy at Wimltrop College fnr
30 years. He is al.w uwhor of 1he b()<J/c
Survival Gardening, which he and lu"s 11'ife
Grace self-published. The Freemaris are
presemly retired in Brevard, NC i11 the
headwaters of the French Broad River
waterslted.
This article 11-as reprimedfrom
Foor notes. the 11cws/e1ter of the North
Carolina Clwp1er ofthe Siella Club. The
11ewsletfer is al'ailable to Sierra Club
members ill the Stale For membership
i11fonnatio11, write the Sierra Club, 530 Bush
St ; San Francisco, CA 94108.
(conllnucd from P"te 11)
Overall, I think it was Sequoyah
himself who best evaluated thi: impact of his
\\1'lting sy:acm: ''What I am doing will not
make our people the less respected."
- r«orded by OW
Tom Undi'rwood. a liftlong rt.<id,·nt of the
Qua/la Boundary Rt.<en•aJion has always been
rnlt!rtsred ,n tht Clu:rol.Lt! cultural and arti.<tic
traditions. lie 1s a con1tnuing .rouru of knowledge on
the old wuys oftht tribe (stt Kn1tfah Journal 115) as
wdl as be1n11 a mo1or suppoNu of conttmporary
Indian arnsu.
1'om had ,.,;urn a manuscript for a hworical
booklet on tk lift qf St!quo>·ah which was,,, his
Mt:d1cint: Man Craft Shep the night tht! building was
thstroycd byjirt!in 19..~Z. llt: has since bun
rebwlding hisf/lt!s on the nativt! gcmus. llt! is ._·ell
acquaintt!d With thl' life of ti~ man who brought 1k
Chuoktt 1ht ,.,illt!n "'ord
:Fa(f., 199 I
�S00YEARS OF
RESISTANCE!
In October of 1492, as we all learned in
grammar school, Christopher Columbus
sailed the ocean blue and landed in the
Antilles to become the first European to
record his encounter with the land and people
of the Tunle Island conrinent.
Of the land he found, Columbus wrote:
"Large and very green trees, and great
lagoons, around which the trees stand in
marvelous groves. Flocks of parrots darken
the sun and there is a marvelous variety of
large and small birds, very different from our
own; the trees arc of many kinds, each with
its own fruit, and all have a marvelous
scent."
Of the native people he met in the
Antilles, who later were named the Taino,
Columbus wrote: "They are so affectionate
and have so little greed and are in all ways so
amenable that there is in my opinion no better
people and no better land in the world. They
love their neighbors as themselves and their
way of speaking is the sweetes1 in the world,
always gentle and smiling."
Within a year of Columbus' landfall,
the "miraculous groves" were gone, cleared
to make way for the rancheros and
plantations that would make the large
contingent of Spanish seulers wealthy, and
mining had spoiled the "great lagoons," not
to mention rivers, mountains, and native
farmlands. Within that year too, several
thousand Taino were shipped 10 Europe as
slaves, marking the beginnings of the slave
trade. Those who remained fell victim to
European diseases against which they had no
resistance, and to the barbarism and tyranny
of the colonists.
Thus was set the pattern of ecocide and
genocide which has been the dominant force
in the modem history of the Americas. As the
500th anniversary of Columbus' "discovery"
of the "New World" approaches, it appears
unlikely !hat the myriad official festivities
sponsored by governments of Europe and the
Americas will expose the darker legacy of
~uropean conquest. What they will offer
instead is a "QuincenteMial Jubilee" marked
by all the hoopla, pride, and patriotism that
modem technology can stir up.
fo!C, 199 1
r However. a grcA1nd weft qf publi{ ,
opposition. led by moigendus groups in
Nonh and South America, is gathering force
to assure that the celebrations do more than
glorify the ecocide and genocide wrought by
Columbus and the other colonists and
missionaries who followed him. In July of
1990 representatives of 120 indigenous
nations, tribes, and organizations met for the
first time in Quito. Ecuador to discuss their
peoples' slruggles for self-de1ermination and
10 organi1..e a unified lndi:tn response to the
official 1992 Jubilee celebrations. Their plans
call for alternative gatherings 10 celebrate 1he
resistance chat has enabled Indians 10 survive
the centuries of genocide and opprei.sion chat
1hey have suffered at the hands of the
Euro-Americans.
The coali1ion is also recalling that many
myths and prophecies of native peoples
throughout Turtle Island say 1ha1 chis period
of oppression would la.~t for 500 years, when
it would be replaced by a period of change
("Pachakutek'.) that will lead ro a better life
for the people, a life lived once again in
harmony with Molher Eanh.
At a time when the Euro-American way
of life is threatening lhe survival of all
peoples and of the planet itself, we all would
do well to listen and 10 follow lhe example set
by the indigenous people of a more
harmonious way of being.
It is up to us to make 1992 the first year
of Pachakutek, not the 501st year of
colonialism.
Resource pacuis for those inttrtsted in
organiting local alttrna1i11ts to the official/ts1111i11ts
art availablt from the following:
- Scarborough Fortign l,fiS$ion; 2685
Kingston Rd.; Scarborough. 0111ario. Canada MI M
IM4. Jnclude a nwney donotion 10 CO\ltr prillting ONJ
postagt.
- Cltrgy ONJ Lairy Concerned; Box /91J7;
Decatur, G~ 3003/ for $5.00 postpaid
The Sowh and Mtso-American Jndim,
Information Ctnttr. which strvts as a liason betwun
Indian people of the sowhcrn and the northern
con1intn1s. Is a good sourct of1nforma1io11 aboUJ the
alttrnativt ac1ivi11es plan11td throughow the
Americas. Write to SAJJC: Box 7550, Berktlty, CA
94707.
1/'Jf)U art illltresttd in helping 10 organiu
ahernativt 1992 t~nlS in Kataiah, write Jeff Smith at
207 Coxt A~.: Ashevillt NC 28801 or call (704)
259-5333.
- by cmmtll Grundiggu
Save James Bay
Stop Hydro-Quebec!
Ancestral lands of the Cree and Inuit
cultures as well as the entire James Bay
ecosystem are being threatened by a
mega-hydroelectric project known as the
James Bay Project James Bay, a shallow salt
water bay which forms the southern tip of
Hudson Bay in Canada, is the largest
nonhcrn river drainage system for Tunic
Island. Fresh water from vinually every
major river in the hean of 1he continent flows
into James Bay where it mixes with the Bay's
snit w:lter over marshy tidal flats to create a
vast and diverse ecosystem.
'These rivers make the Bay a rich
ecosystem teeming with caribou, moose,
:i: ~;wer as wellbearseals.1he manyl3cluga
as
walrus,
whales, polar
and
anadromous
fish that return from the ocean 10 spawn in
the fresh water rivers of James Bay. This is
also the nesting and s1aging ground for the
'central flyway' for most migratory birds
from geese and ducks to some shore birds
who may carry ou1 a migrncion that brings
them as far south as Tierra del
Fuego.....(Thc land around James Bay) has a
dclica1e ecology of coastal mmhes, muskeg
and pinelands that provide a rich garden in
which the animals and Native people have
lived for tens of thousands of years."
(Winona l..aDuke)
The fames Bay Project is a
mega proJect of Hydro-Quebec. Quebec's
Premier, Robert Bourassa. sees 1he entire
province as "a vase hydro·elcctrie plant in the
bud... ". Phase I (1971-1985) of the Project
has already destroyed a great deal of habiUlt
and lands. Phase II and Phase lll are even
more massive undertakings. Phase II would
impact an area greater than New York State
and New England combined and would
destroy 15 major rivers.
However, Phase III is the most
extravagant. h is a $JOO billion scheme to
build a 100 mile dike across the mouth of
James Bay so that freshwater from 1he Bay
can be pumped (possibly by nuclear pumps)
to the Great Lakes, and then to the Midwest
and Southwest United States!
This project if completed would cause
devastation of the entire James Bay
ecosystem which is the hean of the largest
remaining wilderness in Tunic Island as well
the cultural genocide of the native people
who would lose their traditional means of
subsistance through hunting, trnpping and
fishing.
Already ten thousand migrating caribou
have drowned crossing the Caniapiscau River
during a 1984 Hydro-Quebec water release.
If all the dams proposed by Hydro-Quebec
arc built, 350,000 square kilometers will be
directly impacted, Over 25,000 ~uare
kilometers \I.ill be flooded. Countless lakes,
ponds and temporary ponds will be
drowned. Critical wildlife habitat will be
fragmented and migration routes destroyed.
Destruction of chis habicat will doom
thousands of migratory bird~.
In September of 1990. the Canadian
National Energy Board approved the expon
of Hydro-Quebec electrici1y 10 the US. There
are formal efforts in Maine. Vermont, and
New Yorlc to call for the cancellation of any
contrnc1s with Hydro-Quebec. lndividuals
and organizations around North America art'
joining the fight to save James Bay.
For more informa1ion. contacr:
Northeast Alliance to Protect James Bav
139 Anrrim Street
/
Cambridge, MA 02139
..
(617) 491-553 I
•
X.Ot uc:ih Journot J>CIIJC 25
�. ",
DRUMMING
LETTERS TO KA TUAH
Dear Kmualt,
This kulwie says that idle hands arc the devil's
wockshop when iJs preuy damn obvious IO anyone
who sits down and thinks about it that idle hands nrc
definitely not a workshop and that the devil's
worbhop has m1111y many busy busy hands. Ovec
achiever type A workaholics with hyperactive
thyroids have predictably lllken over at the throUle of
neatly everything and ate proceeding to make the
world a miserable place to be for anyone who likes to
go fishing or read a boolt or simply to do her pan in
the effort to conserve energy by silLing down and
bcmg quiet.
Motorboats chum our lakes into oily froth.
AirpLllles arc aJmo:.t always whining in our cars. All
terrain vehicles defile the America others pass by.
shnttcring silence and leaving ruts that open into
gullies lhat are geo logical re minders of the passing
of some busy idiot who wos out SpiMing his wheels
and wasting all sorts of resow-ces when he should
have been home playing with his luds or l:lying in a
hammock.
Poople in general and rncD m particular QJ'C
taught that Ill order to be respected we should make
our mark on a world. The world is nlrcady llWkcd up
with graffitti-like doings of the do-do culture and what
we now need 10 learn moSt is s10pping. Don't just do
something, Slalld there.
Will Ashe Boson
Floyd, VA
DcarKmuoh.
Vour article about dowsing slruck an
inu:rcsting chord with me. I have been fortunate 10
get to hike with a group of Retired Citi,..cns or
Gatlinburg over the past sevcml months, and because
of that have met some very fascinating people not the
least or whom is a man named Herb Oabo, a real
mountain man who gi-ew up in the Roaring Fork
section of what is now the Great Smoky Mountnins
National Park:. He now lives in that same area about
two houses from the Park bouod:IJ'y. He still climbs
the mowitnins and walks the ridges almost every day.
At 80 he is still ahead of the pack except when he
siops IO share a bit of history or a talc of sons. It i.~
one of t!lcse talcs that came tO mind when I read your
article. Herb can divine for bodies! • and find them.
The rods arc held loosely in the hands and when he
comes IO the grave. they tum in. I have watched him
do this and it is exuemely fascinating.
The Parle Service asked him and Frank Cart.er,
another dowser. 10 help them with a cemetery in the
Roaring Forlc section which had been badly damaged
by tourists - roc:ks which were really old grave
m:utcrs had been knocklxl over and some even canicd
out of the cemetery. With 1he1r dowsing rods, Hcrb
and Frank were able to rcnlign the graves, replace the
m:IJ'kcrs, and arc now c:nrrying fill din to cover the
IOOlS and ftll in washouts caused by the he.Ivy lrllff'ic
of many feet. For the umc being. the ccmelCI)' is
fenced off and will be unul the n:pciiring and =ding
arc compleled. In that ccrnclct)'. thctc iS a grave for a
leg. A man lost his leg in a logging occident and
Xnti1af1 JounmC p119c 26
insisted on having it buried with a formnl funeral.
Herb u:11s another inlelCsting story about
finding the grave of Jasper Mellinger. Years ago
Jasper had "l:ud-by" his com crop and was going to
Nonh Carolina 10 work a few days tn a blacksmith's
shop. Instead of walking the long way around, he
took the "nigh" way through the hills. Art Huskey
had a bear uap set and Jasper got caught m 11. On
finding him there. it is alleged, Art or his son
knocked poor Jasper in the head with a pine knot and
buried him m a shallow grave. Herb was detenmncd
to find lhnt grave. long since heavily overgrown. He
walked the hills for about a year bcfo,e he loaltcd the
grave only 10 discover there were four bodies buried in
the =e area. He ha.~ cleaned out lllOUlld the graves
• and a path lending 10 them and 1s now placing
mnriccrs for t!lcse people. He has deccnnincd who
three or the bodies arc and will mark the other
"unknown: Hero is a real storehouse of knowledge
and mountnin lore.
Barbara Wickersham
DcarK01111Jh,
I read with great in~t the interview with
Tom Hendricks, "The Responsibilities of Dowsing,·
in the Summer "91 issue of Kmu.o.lt JournLJI.
Hoving recently writu:n IO the Amctic:ln
Society of Dowsers expressing concern at the
non-holiSllc actions of some dowsers, I found Tom's
comments cncoumging. I have been dowsing for a
number of YeaA, mostly locating with L-rods. More
recently I hnvc been conccntroting on trying to
undcrslll.nd Eanh energies. I rend, and dowse., and find,
but feel the need to work with someone who really
knows what they arc doing. Look forward to hearing
from you.
Yours sincerely,
Joy Doheny
DeatKmuah,
s
Something a wrong with the U.S. Forest
Service le:idcrship. They can't 11\llnage our forests
properly due to a spurious pl31l they adoJ)led 25 years
ago. h can be likened 10 a disease in its effccL Call 11
"clcarcuHLtS." Ever since they've been obsessed with
denuding our forestS. They promoted the spread of
this infection to colleges and univen;iucs th.It prcp:ire
future foresters. Certain limber interests, long
affiicu:d with th IS dlSCaSC. have wdcd and supponcd
the Fore.st Service leadership m iL~ addiction and arc
confusing us with a SS0,000.000 misinformation
campain. Their purpose: 10 cut the 5~ left of our
ancient forests at huge profits to them.,;elves within
the neitl 5 to 10 years using the befuddled Fo~
Service leadership to gnm their end.
Once it was the people and the Forest Service
versus timbcrers. Now it is umbcrcrs and the Forest
Service versus the people. A tide of public concern is
rising IO stem this disease in its devnsiation with
powerful mcdicruion to be pn:scribcd by Congress.
Previous prescriptions have failed because the Forcst
Servioc leadership refuses 10 swallow the medicine
that would return it to its fonner stnte ofhc:llth. The
"Santa Claus syndrome." of practically giving away
our trees hntvesu:d at our expense. is also of gi-eat
concern to people.
tn lodinnn 120,000 people signed petitiOns and
wrote thousands of leuets, including congressmen and
lhe governor, ealling for protection of biological
diversity and regeneration of old growth. A poll of
voiers 31'0und the Hoosier National Forest showed
69% are so upset they want to bnn all logging. The
entire congressional delcgnuon or fllinois is
demanding the Forest Service Stop being Sania Claus
with below-cost sales. Arl<ansas and Texas have asked
for a halt 10 clearcutting. South Carolina people arc
asking for a ch411ge m mn~cment. In North
Carolina over 16,000 people and over a thousand
businesses signed pctiuons in a shon period of time
10 halt clearculting. A number of Forest Service
employees and supervisors, not willing to allow this
disease to reach epidemic proportions. are organizing
and asking thru the infected leadership accept
prescribed congressional medication so that the Forest
Service can survive.
I must add that a number of private forest
growers with large and small forc.~ts arc not infccu:d
with "clenrcu1-1tis." They arc surviving low prices
caused by Rnst Service leadership direction. These
forests are a JOY 10 visit compared with the shambles
pre.sent m our ll3tionaJ forests. These many growers
arc not liqu1d3tors. They believe in a tomonow for
themselves and their children. Why can't this be true
for the nntional forests?
Grandfather and Grandmother, we have the
time. We love this land and want 10 leave it beucr for
our children and grandchildren. We've seen the umber
locuslS consume our forest before. It doesn't have to
happen to the Inst gr.md trecS standing. Th.rec bills in
commitu:c need support; HR 2S01, HR 1969, and
HR 842 to help k.ill the infoction. Three congressmen
10 reach arc Harold Volkmer. Eda la Gana, Goorge
Miller (House of Rcprcscntativcs, Wnshington. DC
20015). There arc also three senators; D.ile Bum~,
Pntricl; Leahy, and Wyche Fowler (Scn.,tc Office
Building. Washington, DC 20010). Even though our
hands arc tired and weary, \YOn't you pick up a pen
and write? Let's inspire them in Washington.
Bob Gerry
Franklin, NC
Drawing by Rob Messick
rnrc., 1991
�Dear Ka1uah.
A friend gave me his copy or your Summer'!) I
Ka1uah Journal. nnd I am impressed by lhe imcgri1y
of lhe journal. One of my grcn1-grnndmothcrs wns a
full-blooded Cherokee, plus my family hns roois in
1he Miami Nation. Sadly, I never paid any heed to
this heritage until the last yenr or so. though I have
always been an enrth person. ever drawn 10 nature fascinated by forcsis, ~ueruns, wild Iire, lightning. I
rc.ili:u: that this is pan of my being, and am
beginning 10 look more closely at the wisdom of
thOl,e who came before me.
I would hkc 10 know if a publicauon s1m1lar
10 your; cxisis in the Indiana region. I would be
interested in lellming more about my foreflnhcrs, but
I'm n0t too sure where 10 start. Thank you for :iny
help you can offer. and 1100k forward 10 hearing from
you soon.
Since my return home I have fell myself often
"losing focus· with nil the technology nnd
matcriohstic vibrations that surround me. I h3ve
found th3l one thing I can do 1s make my way to a
stnnd of treeS very ncnr here and allow myself 10
recapture lhc feeling of the Smokies, the •me·
I am working with the Appalachian Women's
Guild on the Monteagle Mountain ~lion of the
Cumberland Platc3u. It seems lO me, thot this
mountain could be an exemplary bioregional
devclopmen1 - it cou.kl become self-sufftcienL ll is at
this lime extrcmdy depressed economically which
Respectfully,
Jeff Zaclulry
Dcar Ka1uah.
IC I h:id closed my eyes and envisioned the
perfect. most harmonious appro:ich 10 life in the
Soulhem Appalachians I could not have crentcd :i
more beautiful image than lhc people who conlribute
10 your journal and those who arc the rtal members of
the Katu:ih Province. I think I hove found my venue,
and my only regret is that Tdid not have the courage
10 head such a wonderful movement myself.
I'm a graduate student at Appalnchian State
University in Boone, NC studying and working lO
preserve the biodiversity and ecology of these great
mounlllins. I have struggled with 10lerance of the
modern, dcvelopmcn1-00nsumcd elite of this town and
this region. I am so happy 10 find the power in your
numbers.
Please let me know more about your cause.
your people, and your apparent passions 10 prcscrvc
the way of the conscious man and womnn. I wnnt 10
be a part of the movement, and be counted among
you.
God Bless,
J1mmy Bnrbcc
-=----
Dear KaJuah,
I was recently introduced 10 your wonderful
publication and would like 10 know more about
K01uah and how I can become involved.
In the past it seems I made less lime for myself
10 read or enjoy the beauty or life nround me.
However, due 10 a recent car occident I've found
myself with the time lO do anything and the physical
ability 10 do almost nOthing.
So I n::id.
I probably never would have come 10 know my
world, or Katuah, if it were not for the accident and a
special man in Lake Toxaway who lOOk the time 10
talk 10 me about life, healing, and Ka1uah. For th:11 I
am very thank:ful.
I thank God as I grow physically and spiritually
stronger everyday, and look forward 10 living as I
never have.
Seize the Dayl
Paula Flanks
Dear K01uah,
I live in a very popul:itcd, "built-up· pan of
Florida. and decided in June to e,;plore the Smoky
Mounuiin.~ with my friend 10 Slill, nnd re-center
myself. We had a wonderful, amazing, and
lr.lnsforming lime • and while there I discovcrcd your
publication.
Tm!, 1991
Paintina by S\1$111 Adam
rediscovered there. The Olhcr is 10 open Ka,uoli
Journal lO any page and begin IO~. The
commitment :ind dedication to Life of your writcts.
people like myself - puts me back on my chosen
pnth. Thank you for sharing and afrummg.
Yours in light,
Susan Rueter
To the Editors:
I was given a copy or lhe Kaiuah Journal.
Spring, 1991. by a friend, Cicio Myc1~k. I have just
this morning read II and am moved to find such an
enlightened group ru work. II IS like finding a pan
of your family that had been ml$mg. r want to
connect with you as projects in which 1 am im,ol ved
p:irnllcl yours in this issue.
I include my story which r have JUSt wriuen
for the Episcopal Chwch. (see excerpt below) The
opposition to a hazardous waste incinerator (three
limes the size of any existing facility which promised
to take haw-dous waste from at k:asl 20 sta.ics)
which I organized, changed my whole life. I now
work full lime on establishing a true grassroots
environmental nerwork m Tennessee that will connect
with other similar networks nationwide. (Thank God I
hnve a husband who C113bled me lO give up my
gainful employment in order 10 do this volw:uecr
work.)
I attended the Episcopal Church Envaronmenlal
Conference ,n Kanuga. NC in April llihcte I met
Jeremy Rifkin, president of the Grecnho~ Crisis
Foundation in Washing10n. He invited me to auend n
conference in Wa.mington at the end or Scp!Clllbcr
lhnt will plan a grassroots Conunental Congress for
May of 1992. I Ulke great hope that this Con tinenlal
Congress will have sufficient impact on the political
paities to change the t.otal disrcgrud for the
environment (my opmjon) that both parties have been
exhibiting.
gives llS fcrtilc ground for movmg in lhc direction of
interdependent living.
I also work with a group which ,s creating a
vision of community when: physicnlly and mentally
handicapped and non-physically handicapilcd can live
in an interdependent relationship where the arts and
celcbrauon oflife you spcalc of will be an integral
part of our circular community. We will have a
biodynnmic farm, a gteenhou~. woodworking shop,
Appalach1311 cmfis, design and making of allcmative
clOthing for the physically challenged, a printing
operation. and opportunities and encouragement for
all 10 develop their individual spirituality in an
atmosphere or love.
In fighting the evil of the inciDCnllOr, people
were brought together who have the underlilanding and
cnprabililics or making the Biorcgional Economy or
the whole mountain IOP work along with the special
community.
I celebrate your enthusiasm, your dedication,
and your Being.
Light and Love 10 all of you,
Marilyn Williams
Chau.anooga. TN
~rpttdfrom Marily11 Williams' story:
Morion County LS an economically depressed,
rural county comprised of a long valley swrounded by
mounlllins, indented wilh coves traversed by the
Tennessee River. This topogniphy results in a
phenomenon cnlled thermal invCTsion. Very often,
tempcroturc changes will force the air down and hold
it against the floor of the valley so that it cannot
escape over the mount2ins. Any kind of smoke-t;toct
indu.«ry would be unusually bad ror the area. I blcr
lcamcd that lhcnna1 invcnion was ·no problem· for
those who warued to site a haz:lJ'dous wastt
incineralor on lhe TenllCS5CC River in our county.
(c:auinued on I"'&" 28)
JC.Qtuah 1oumnl
J)(IQe
27
�(continued from pa,:c 27)
I alt.ended a meeting of our County
Commission and heard lhe president of a commen:i:il
hllzardous was1C incinerator COfflJXUlY IC.Jl lhe
commission and all present he did nOl care whwier
we voted to have him there or nol; he certainly
wouldn't icll us he wouldn't be the.re. We later le:uned
the same group had been defeated in four olhct
counhcs through use of the Local Veto Option which
we voled to hnve him there or not; he ccnainly
wouldn't tell us he wouldn't be there. We lat.er learned
the same group had been defeated in four olhcr
•
counties through use of the Locnl Vct0 Opuon which
was a Tennessee law. We knew quiic well that our
legislature had jus1 removed this law that gave
citizens ~ right to protect their property ond lhe
health and welfare of lhcir children. This 1s a
constituuonnl nght bom of n Ocmocmcy.
I C:lmC from Ilic rooeting angry. I was angry
tlmt in a land where freedom was supposed IO nng
from every mounlllln IOp, a man could siand before us
and arrogantly icll u.~ he 11o us - in so many words •
gomg 10 force on us something that we knew would
dcsll'Oy our property values and endanger our
children., lives - and for what? For profit
• My anger 1ncrenscd with the rcalm1tion that
the citizens of this Staie have every right to expect
thc,r elcc!Cd, paid official\ to make laws to protect Ilic
Jives and property of lhe people of their Staie, I snw
ourselves in the posiuon of bemg forced to do the JOb
for ourselves.
I called a meeting or friends to organv.e n
protesL I sent announcements 10 both the
newspapers, but they did not print 1hcm, We had IS
people ai the rll'St meeting. We each IOOk
rcspons1bili1y or getting others at the next mccung,
and we prepared notices to be ID.ken to the papers. At
the ncxt meeting we h.ld 26 people to plan a town
meeting to discuss the opposition to the incinerator.
At that meeting we had press from lhe city of
ChatUlnooga and 400 orderly people. After that we
had the attention of the clcclcd offici.l!s and the loca.1
press and radio stations.
Two months later, at 7 AM over 3,000 finn,
but orderly, infonned people gathered in the .square at
South PilL~burgh to confront the rcprcsentauves of
FTI who came with armed Pinkenon gu:ll'ds, The
people with their children wore T-shirts reading,
"Two, Four. Six, Eight; WE WILL NOT
INCINERATE." Cars had bumper stickers saying
"DANGER - NO INCINERATOR." Posters staung
firm opposiuon were held high. Many wore gas
mask.~. A-:. representatives of the incinerator company
Milked into the building where they had come to
conclude the mlc or the propsed incinerator site, m on
orderly fashion. the crowd began to chant, "Two,
Four, Si~. Eight - WE WILL NOT INCINERATE!"
The day b.:forc the mlly a UPl reporter who
knew the area, called me and a.,ked me how mony
people J thought we would have a1 the rally. I said
that if--.c did 001 have 01 lcai.t 2,000 I would be
sorely disappointed. He laughed, saying, "If you ha\'c
2,000 people in Marion County come out for
anything, I'll be greatly surprised. Those people luve
never been togcthcr on anything."
When I arrived m South Piu.sburgh shortly
be~ 7:0Q that morning on June 14. 1990, I lil!w
people coming "in droves; as we say. They were
commg from all over in large numbers, and icars
rolled down my race because I knew m my hcal1 that
weh3d won.
Four d.lys laicr, F11 announced they would
not build in Marion County or "any of the
surrounding area."
... I saw interesting and miraculous things
happen in this united effort. I saw shy young mo°'.crs
come forward and tell me, "l"ve never done an),1hmg
like this before. I just Silly home and talce care of my
family, but I'm not Slllying there and watching this
Juppcn."
I saw them transformed into outSpOken,
tireless worker.; who conducted meetings in their
communities to get the word ouL Some or them
called me and cried at the heanless roccplion they
encountered sometimes in the bcgiMmg when they
called on bu.'ilnesspcople to put petition~ in stores or
to tallc at city council meetings; but they never guve
up. They went right back, and !hey bccnme StrOngcr.
as they were empowered b)' the love lhey had for thi:,r
children. It occurred to me at lhc time, if the Earth i.s
10 be saved, 11 will be by mothers and those who
share the feelings or mothers.
I saw children become awurc of somctl11ng
they hlld always Uken for gmntcd. School chil.drcn
made posters and wrote letters 10 elcclCd officials.
ng
They bccrunc int.:rc.,tcd in recycling. I saw a bondi_
of people joined by a common cuus.e. I sow a commg
together of people who would prohably never have
come 10 know each other. I sa--. a ri'i<! in the
consciousnCSli of people. Then: was an elevation of
sclf-e:;1ocm. Th.:se was a knowledge gamed thm one
person can still make a dilTerencc if the)' take the hand
of their brother/sister and slalld up for whal they
believe is righL Since the mc.mcmtor fight, I have
seen others tnke the mniaiive 10 sl:llld again.st other
1njustic.!s in their communit.lc.s. •
The People are Angry! A Monual on \Va.tre
llauvdou...t to tht Ilea/th of our Cllildren in itMetsu
i.s available from Tcnne:.scc Grassroois
EnvironmenUll Network; Boll 15038: Chaunnooga,
TN3741S
Get a set of 10 assorted
folding cards with
artwork you see in
I<atuah Journal.
• You1h Camps - ~ P,ogrem1
• Family Camps· Teach0< Tra.,,ng
• Communuy Programs
• Camp Slaff Training
• Outdo« Pn,gram Consulting
(Envelopes included.)
by Rob lJlessick
Send $11.25 postage paid
to:
RM DESIGNS
r.o. aox 2601
ProgomJ to encouoge
end Earth OWOl8'l8$$.
celebrol1on. ldn&Hp and hope
$611
PO 8oK 1306
Galltnt>,,,g, terY10lSee 3n38
615-436-6203
BOONE, NC 28607
whole earth
grocery
NATIVE FLUTES
Two styles mode of cedar or walnut
woods in the traditional manner
Hawk Littlejohn
Sourwood Farm
Rt. 1, Box 172-L
Prospect Hill, NC 27314
(919) 562-3073
•
NATURAL
ALTERNATIVES
FOR HEALTHFUL
LIVING
446 c p;arkw•y craft ~ntcr • •uilc 11
gatlinburg, tcnn~ 3n38
6 15-436-6967
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wilh II focus on spiri/114/ 11nd
«ologit:Jll valuts
For more informalron;
Contact C. Gran/ al
RDult 1. Box 61/
Whittier, NC 28789
(704) 4974964
NATURAL MARKET
WHOLE FOODS • OULK
FOODS • VITAMINES • HERDS
• FAT FREE FOODS • TAKE
OlTTFOODS • SNACKS • NO
SALT, NO CHOLESTEROL
265-2700
823 Blow,ng Rock Rd
lloonc. NC 28607
:fnfL 1991
�,
-
0FFTHEGRID
SOLAR OVENS
by Dr. lnnnis Scanlin
This issue's 01/The Grid 1ues1 collUMis1
is Dr. Dtnnis Scan/ill, Proftssor ofApproprialt
Ttchnoloo at AppalacNIJJI State University;,.
Boone, North Carollna. Dennis is cwrrently working
on a project sponsored ITy the Su.sklinablt
Dtvtlopmelll Center of ASU to bring so/Ju ove11
ttCM()/olJ to the rural pu,plt ofGllllUma/a. Solar
o - ttcM()loo is pani&ularly appropriJJu in Ct111ral
America wlttn thert is a lot of s1111 and a probltm
with defortSiaJilJ11 as ptoplt u.sc rht forests to prqvide
woodfor cooki/11.
So/Ju ovens could, obviDu.sly. N>t ~ u.scd as
freqUUlll)I hut in Katwolt as ill Ca1ral Amtrica, bu/
rhty could ctrtamly su,,e as All OMXillary tltUf1
source IO ~ wed whutevtr possible to / - , ow
demands 011 wood, proflOM, oU ONl/or tltcrricity.
DtfortSIJJ/k,11 is IU)t cwu11tly a probkm lwre (~sides
timber sales), bUI It col/Jd ~CO/fflt OM if rht opdollS
of oil, propane and/or tltcrricily _,., too expensive
or IINIWlilabk, as is Ille t.aU ill rwol CcfllrtJJ
America. As Dr. Scanli11 lius IO poilll 0111, "lhtre is
"" silltlt tMTlJ fXIIUIUO.. 1ht suslDiJsabh t11tro of
our fwurt will come from a ~ f J ofsourcu. Solar
OVtftS w{J/ be OM of IN>U. •
·td.JimHou.su
Solar Cookers have been receiving a lot
of attention recently in both the developing
and developed regions of the world. This
attention is well deserved because these
ovens are a truly appropriate technology.
First of all, they really work. They are
also cheap enough to be accessible to
virtually everyon~ easy to construct with
locally available materials; simple to
understand and operate; utilize renewable
energy; and reduce our dependence on
centrally supplied energy or, in the
developing world, diminishing supplies of
increasingly expensive fuelwood, wi1hout
having any adverse impacts on the
environment They can be a pan of the
solution ro the many problems facing our
world.
There are two basic types of solar
cookers. The first is the direct or focusing
parabolic dish cookers, which are usually
about 4 feet in diameter and reflect all the
solar energy striking them onto a focal point
which is usually about 18 inches above the
center of the dish. A pot of food would be
supponed at this focal point. Their
performance can be very impressive,
achieving temperatures over 600° F;
however, they can onJy heat one pot of food
at a rime, can be difficult to construct, need to
be focused every 15 to 30 minutes and don't
work very well on panly cloudy days.
Effons 10 market these cookers have
largely failed because of their tempennentnl
nature and because people don't like standing
out in the sun while cooking. The whole
TaU, 1991
SOLAR OVEN
Drawing by DoMis Scanlin
process of cooking with these cookers is too
different from traditional methods.
The indirect or box ovens have been the
focus of most of the recent interest in solar
cooking. An indirect or box oven is simply
an insulated box with a glass or plastic cover,
and one or more reflectors to increase the
amount of sunshine entering the box. Food is
usually placed in dark colored pots with
covers. The pots full of food are then placed
in the solar oven and absorb the solar energy
entering the oven. These ovens reach
temperatures between 250 and 450° F, can
cook several pots of food at the same time,
work on partly cloudy days. aod are simple
and inexpensive to construct
Many indirect or solar box ovens have
been designed over the last few years;
however, most fall into one of two
categories: single reflecror or multiple
reflector.
The single reflector type is the least
complicated variety. It is an insulated
rectangular box with a shoe box type lid and
a single reflec1or attached to the lid. It was
first developed in 1976 by Barbara Kerr and
Sherry Cole of Tempe, Arizona and is the
design presently being promoted by Solar
Box Cooker International, 1724 11th Street,
Sacramento, CA 95814. They have plans
available for $3.00.
Plans are also available from Kerr
Enterprises, Inc., P.O. Box 27417, Tempe,
AZ 85282, (602) 968-3068. They also have
complete kits for a well designed cardbo:ud
oven for about $55.
Kits are also available from Basic
Solar, Harvard Square Suite 67, 1430 Mass.
Ave.. Cambridge. MA 02138.
Kits or plans are not really necessary,
however, as one could easily be constructed
with either cardboard or wood. One good
source of cardboard boxes is Xerox paper
boxes found in schools and businesses.
Banana or apple boxes found in the local
grocery store are also quite sturdy, as are
cardboard file boxes which can be purchased
for about $3.00 at an office supply store.
These boxes could be covered with contaa
paper or painted for increased water
resistance.
The box could also be constructed from
large sheets of cardboard or with peices of
wood. Plywood and lxlO's or lxl2's have
been used. There may be undesirable gases
emitted from the plywood, which would
contaminate your food, but I'm not sure
about this potential problem.
The box should be large enough to
contain the desired size of pots which will be
used. but not much larger. The inside
dimensions of the Kerr/Cole cooker
mentioned earlier arel8"x22"x7". This size
can hold 3-4 pots of food and can cook a
meal for 4-6 people easily.
Insulation on the sides and boaom of
the oven wiU help it attain higher
temperatures by reducing heat loss. The
easiest is Thc.rmax foil faced insulation
secured with foil rape (not duct tape). There
may be hannful gases given off by this and
(continued on page 30)
Xatuah 1ourna! om1e ? Q
�(coniinutd from page 29)
01hers have objected to its use; however I
have not noticed any strange odors or tastes
in food cooked in an oven insulated with this
material, and when I called the manufacturer,
I was told there have been no problems
associated with ils use.
Another insulation scheme is 10 use a
smaller box inside the outer one and put
crumbled newspapers or fiberglass insulation
between the two boxes. Still another is to
fold cardboard so that trapped air pockets are
fonned and put these peices into the bottom
and on the sides of the box. With !he last two
Home Power Inc., POB 275. Ashland, OR
97520; and The Solar Coo~ry Book, Beth
and Dan Halacy, Peace Press 3828 Wilat
Avenue, Culver City, California 90230.
A variety of foods including soups,
stews, bread, chicken, cakes, rice, potatoes,
lasagna, and a variety of other vegetables can
be cooked in a solar oven. However, it does
involve some behavioral modification. One
needs to check the weather report for the day,
plan the day's dinner in the morning, put it
together and in the oven by around 10 or 11
and point the oven towards the south.
Obviously some foods will cook faster than
others. Baked beans and hot dogs can be
heated up in about I hour. Lentils, brown
rice, and soy beans will take substantially
longer. But just about anything can be
cooked in one good sunny day, or even a
panly cloudy day, if placed in the oven in the
morning and if the oven is reoriented towards
the sun a few times during the day. Around
noon is the ideal rime for solar cooking
because that is when we are receiving the
greatest amount of solar radiation.
There is no worry about burning foods.
Dark enamel, glass or ceramic pots work
well. TI1e dark-colored pots absorb more
radiation. Most cooking should be done in
convered pois.
Several solar cookbooks are available,
including Eleanor's Solar Cookbook, Eleanor
Shimcall. Cemese Publishers, 7028 Leesburg
Place, Stockton CA 95207 and Favorite
Recipes From Solar Cooks, Solar Box ,;,!!II'
Cooker International.
schemes the junction between the inside and
outside of the oven needs to be covered.
The reflector can be consmicted from
cardboard with a reflective material such as
aluminum foil, reflective mylar or a glass
mirror glued to it. Glass, plastic cooking
bags (available in grocery stores), or teflon
can be used for the glazings. Multiple layers
of glazing will result in better performance.
The glazing can be attached wilh aluminum
tape, wooden strips and nails for a wooden
box, and/or caulk. Multiple reflector designs
(fig. I) achieve higher temperature.\ (300-450°
F) but are more complicated to construct.
These cookers usually have a door on
the back side, but can also be constructed
with a shoebox type lid so the whole oven,
withou1 a bottom, fits over a shallow pan,
which would hold the pots of food.
Plans are available for $10 from Our
Sol.tr Systems, Box 55891. Tucson, AZ
85703. Two books with plans are also
available: Heave11s· Flame. A Guidebook 10
Solar Cookers, By Joseph Radabaugh,$ IO,
Complete ovens can also be purchased
from Clevlab ($15 - $275), POB 2647,
Liuleton, Colorado, 80161 and from Sunlight
Energy Corporation ($179), 441 lW. Echo
Lane, Glendale, AZ 85302 (602) 943,6492.
Figure 2 shows an exploded view of a smnll
p
muhiple reflector oven similarly inspired by
the Clevlab $15 Sunspot Solar Oven. This
same basic construction can be expanded for
a larger slant face type mulliple rcflcct0r
oven.
FRENCH BROAD
FOOD CO-OP
•• • Co05Umcr0wncd Since 1975 • ••
We Sell Food that Nourishes
I Iumans and Sustains the Earth
OPEN TO T l IE PUBLIC
Mond,,y· FriJay 8:30 AM to 8:00 r:--1
Saturdav 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
SundJ)' I :(l(J P\I 10 6:00 PM
(704) 255-7650
Home! A Bioregional Reader
1/o,,u:! A Biorcgional Rtader, juit publi.\hcd hy
New Society Publi$hcrs, offcrs· nn c,ciung vision :uid
slOltcgy for creaung ('.enlogic.ii ly su~btn~htc
communnics and culture., rn hannony v. ilh the limiL~ nnd
rcgcncrauve powers or the £2th." It ha.~ gathered a.niclcs,
stories. and potnL~ of O\'Cr forty writer~ and acuvm.~who
have contnbu!Cd both co ddining biortgionalism a.~ a
J)Olitic;il philosophy and to the pracuce of "living rn
place.· Comnbutors mcluJ.:: Gary Snylkr, Pttcr Berg.
Caroline Estc,, Wendell Rcrry, a, well as Mnmie Muller
of the Karunlt l<mrnnl. Gr:ipl11cs in the book include the.•
\\Ort of Katuah's Rob Mcsskl..
The book is a large-format r;ipcrhack with 192
pages. includrni; resources and a reading list. Copies arc
available by mnil for S15.70 from RM Designs: Boi
Tnlhng Lto,~.s i~ • mor11hly
JOWMI nf ~ ecoloay, in.<rircd
p,,rwoaJ 11e11,·i= rooted UJ CNtheo
~piri11111iiy. Pu1 i"'-<;ues bnc
!car~ ani,lcs by Gary Soy<kr.
St.Vba"'k, John Sec:J, Joa.nna
Macy, B111 Dc\'all. Looc Wolf
Circle!'. Barhara Mor, etc.
Tnlki11g uo1n SJICU~ for the
narural "''-'"d and for the rdcinJliog
ot our own 'l-11d 51>in1.
Suh5COpUon~ an, S 15.00 on.)Ut/$18.000U1,1dc U.S. S25.00
two yc.tn/S36.00 ouwdc U.S .
~nd ch«k or M 0 . 10 :
Tnlkwg Lto,·a
1430 W1llamcuc #36 7
Eugene. OR 97401
503/342-2974
90 8i11m11rc Avcnul! A,hevallc, NC
2 Blocks South ol Downtown
rrutoNSETc:1
+.
•
0
~
I
.
.
- tl1c new al tcnmt.h·c
•
i
to tJ1c sleeper sofa
wiil1 OYcr 4,000 vcars of
customer ~atisfacH~n built in.
--
2601: Boone, NC 28007. Print,,, or Rob Mcssick's
illustrations from the book are also avnilablc from the
same llddn=
Taff, 1991
�The Bell: A Call to Peace
'The Bell
publishes
commentary and
news about peace
events and
resources. We digest
the best an1clcs
questioning war as a
solution 10 conflict
and exploring
peaceful alternatives
of foresight and reason. We continue to cover
the aftermath or the Gulf War, the policies that
brought us to that war, and the effect of
militarism on our country. our environment,
and our world.
"We accept contributions in the way of
writings, p<>cms, artwork, etc. The Bell is an
all-volunteer project that is dependent on
donations."
Issue #6 of The Bell, which contains an
interview with a woman who has maintained a
ten year, 2·1-hour-a-day peace vigil across the
srrcet from the White House, is currently
available.
TI1c Bell is published by Col/ten Redt1w11 and
Ah,yn Moss. To rrceivt The Bell, send a donmion to
Box 634; Floyd. VA 24091.
Permaculture Conference
The 6th Annual Eastern North America
Pennaculture Conference will be held
October 11-13 at the Standing Stone State
Park, near the town of Livingston m
nonhcast Tennessee.
Friday, October 11 • Field Day at Earth
Advocates Research Facility with an
inrroduction 10 Pcrmaculture.
Presentations on Saturday and Sunday,
October 12-13 - Keyline; Pcrn1aculturc and
Spirituality; Solar Power; Bio:.helters;
Low-income Community Development/Land
Tnms,
Monday, October 14 - Tours of nearby
Hidden Springs and Long Hungry Creek
Nurseries.
Costs are: Field Day - $20, Conference
registration (sliding scale) - $50-75 single,
$75-100 family. includt!s dorm lodging and
meals. Tours are free.
For directions and additional
infonnation, write: Eanh Advocates; Rt. 3,
Box 624; Livingston, TN 38570.
•
TURTLE ISLAND
BIOREGIONAL
CONGRESS
Mark the date!
The fifth
Turtle Island
Bioregional Congress
wm be held
MAY 17-24
at
Camp Stewart
Kerrville, Texas
(northwest of San Antonio)
Rl'g1strahon fet.-s hav<.> not b<.>cn set, but lhcn~
will bc r1.-dured rat<.>S for those who apply
bcfore0cccmbcr31, 1991
For funhcr infonnation on fees and
arrangements, contact the
Turtle Island Office
Box 140826
Dallas, TX 75214
(214) 324-4629
Bioregional Congresses
01.ark Area
The Twelfth Annual Ozark Area Community Congress, OACC
(pronounced 'oak") XII, will meet September 20, 21, & 22, 1991 at
Hammond Mill Camp in West Plains, Missouri. OACC has met for 12
years as a working congress (not merely a conforcnce) developing a
vision for the Ozark region based on nature's ecological rrinciples. They
focus on a range of issues including forestry, water, sustainable
agriculture. education. health, community economics, etc. This year's
congress includes a number of workshops as well as a barter fair. For
more infonnation. contact OACC, Box 3, Brixey, Missouri 65618. (417)
679- 4773.
Great Lakes Area
The Great Lakes Bioregional Congress will meet October 4, 5, &
6, 1991 in Hell (no joke), Michigan. The Congress promises to be a
celebratory, educational, fun weekend. Zones of discussion will include:
Water/Air (repon from International Joint Commission meeting, Great
Lakes Beach Sweep, toxic issues, aquatic intelligence); Eanh ( organic
farming, land use, restoration, tenure); Justice (social justice, people of
color, 500 years of resistance with dignity); Culture (alternative
economics, children, bioregional education, art, sacred sites); Habitat
(co-housing. sustainability); Nature (biodiversity, wilderness, forestry,
land defense). Scholarships available. Contact: Bearrice Briggs, % Wild
Onion Alliance, 3432 N. Boswonh, Chicago. IL 60657. (312) 929-5565.
Ohio River Watershed
The Ohio River Watershed Bioregionnl FestivaVCongress will be
held October 11-14, 1991. Entitled "Coming I Jome: Spirituality and
Ecology of our Region", the Congress is "open to all who desire to create
ways of life which are in harmony with the natural patterns and cycles of
the bioregion." All attendees are asked to panicipate in storytelling,
camping, sharing homegrown entenainment, produce, and seeds. The
Congress will be held at the fann of the Sisters of St Fmncis outside of
Oldenburg in southeast Indiana. $ I0/individual; $25/family. For more
information, contact: John Gibson, 3038 FalJ Creek Parkway,
Indianapolis, IN 46205; (317) 925-9297.
rnrc. ,.,
t!l!Jl
REGIONAL RADIO
Featuring Crossroads music, NPR news and music
p rograms, regional news and information
concerning health, education, government,
recreation, and the environment.
WNCW • FM P.O. Box 8().1
Spind,11~, NC 28160
(704) 287-8000
Xotimh Journot pn')C ~ I
�27-29
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
"Ecological Spintuafity.• exploring our
spiritual relationship to nmure. Topics will co~cr
theology or nature, 1'a1ivc American spir11uality,
stewardship responsibility. Pre-register: SSO. For info
about this and other programs. conUICt Great Smoky
Mountains Institute at Tremont; GSMNP: Townsend.
TN 37882. (615) 448-6709.
SEPTEMBER
11- 13
llLACK '>tOUNTAlN, NC
Black Mountain Mu~ic ~1ival, featuring
HorseOics, Metropolitan Blues Alls1ars, Dnv1d
Wilcox, Dr. Bubba and Ille O.K, Bayou Bnnd, and
other traditional and contemporary mu~icions. Will
also include African Drum Festival with Darrell
Rose. Cont:itl the Black Mountain FcsLi val Office.
PO Box 216, Black Mountain. NC 28711. (704)
669-4546.
Ongoing CIIEROKEF., r-;c
Exhibit: "The Beu in Cherokee Cultucc."
Cherokee Hcri1age Museum and Gallery, Hwy. 441
and Big Cove Rd.: Cherokee, NC 28719. (704)
497-321 I.
CULLOWHEE, NC
Mountam Heritage Day. n cclcbrauon or the
music, dance, crofL~. nnd folklife or Katunh. Cherokee
songs, shape,note singing, gospel, clogging. Life
skills dcmon.s1r.1tions and more. Mountrun Hcniage
Center, Western Carolina University. Cullowhce, NC
28723. (704) 227-7129.
SW ANNANOA, NC
Wnllace Black Elk, Lako1:1 Sioux mcd1cmc
mon. will lecture and conduct h<mling ceremomics 31
the Earth Center. Friday night: S25. Weekend: S150.
The Earth Center: 302 Old Fellowship Road:
Swannanoa, NC 28778. (704) 298-3935.
21
29
11-13
ASHEVILLE, NC
2nd Annual Organic Gro.,.crs Murkct Day
Organic produce, fruit, and growing ~upplics on sale.
8-4. WNC Farmers' Market; 570 Brevard Rd. For
more info, cnll Jim Smith (704) 252-4414.
20-22
HIGIILANDS, NC
"Cclebnumg Gay Spint Visions·
conference for gay and bisexual men. Spc.ikcrs include
poet James Broughton and author/healer Andrew
R:imer. Workshops on chakra b:ilancing, life ma.~k
making. n,e Warrior, and more. Music and artists'
m:irkcL ?re-register: S169 includes food and lodging
at The Mount:iin Retreat Center. For info, contact
Conference: 104 Trouer Place: Asheville. NC
28806. (704) 252-0634.
22
DUNCOM tlE COUNTY, NC
12th annu31 French Broad River Rafting
Cleanup. Tidy up the river from shore or from a mrt:
call Quality Forward a1 (704) 254-1776 for meeting
places and space on a rofL
WESTERN NOR1 H CAROLINA
North Cnrolino Fu-s1 Citizens Big Sweep
will coordinmc river cleanup~ in 18 WNC counties.
For events on your tribul3ry, com.act Pat Brinkley at
WNC Development Associn11on, (704) 252-4783.
28
ASHEVILLE, NC
Ellen O'Grady will speak about her
expcnenccs among Palestinians and lsrnclis during ten
months spent on o Middle East Witness delegauon.
Unitarian Universnlist Church, 2 pm, sponsored by
Rural Souihem Voice for Peace. For more info,
contact RSVP: 1898 Hannah Branch Road;
Burn.svdle, NC 28714. (704) 675-5933.
OCTOBER
Ongomg CHER OKEE, NC
Exhibit: "Coowccskoowcc (Chief John
Ross)" Cherokee Heritage Museum ond Gallery. Sec
"Ongoing" • Sept
1-5
CII EROKEE,
Cherokee Fall Festival 31 the Ceremonial
Grounds. Traditional dancing and costumes. dunce
competitions, weapons dcmonsu:uions. Chcrol.;cc
HcritJgC An Show running concurrently in the
Museum. For info. coll (704) 497 9195 or (800)
438-1601.
22
23
AUTUMN EQUINOX,
FULL MOON
4-6
JONESBORO, NC
l9ch Annual National Storytelling
Festival will feature yarn-spinners from all
over, including some of Appalachia's best.
For info, call the National Association for the
Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling
(NAPPS) at (615) 753-2171.
11-13
VALLEY HEAD, AL
Brooke Medicine Eagle at Hawk wind. (See
"Wcbworking" page.)
11-13
11,EW MARKET, TN
"Building Bridges 13c{woon Community o.nd
Educational lnstitulions" workshop. Designed to
show community activists how to make good use of
university and college resources. The Highlan~ r
Center. Sec 9/13-15.
I 1-20
HOT SPRI NGS, 1'C
"The Buddhist Prcccp1s for Daily Living"
silent rc1.rea1. guided by Cheri Huber. The 16
Bhodisatvn prcceplS as guidelines for deepening one's
spiritual practice. Pre-register: S325 includes vegan
meals and shared room . For information on 1hi5 and
other rc1rcat.s and workshops. contact Southern
Dharma Rc1rca1 Center: RI. I, Box 34-H; Hot
Springs, r-;c 28743. (704) 622-7112.
ASHEVILLE, 1'C
"The Solar Wisdom or the Incas· wilh
Willaru Chasqu1 from the Peruvian Andes. Gnosuc
wisdom of the central sun, imerplnnctary mission of
the E.T.'s, revolution in consciousness, universal
community, and the lnc:in calendar. 7:30 pm at
Jubilee, 45 Wall SL Free - love offerings accepted.
For more info. contact Valerie Naiman (704)
645-5110.
12
17-20 UNICOI STATE PARK, GA
25-29 ASHEVILLE, NC
"Kituwah" - an imenribal Native
American cultural celebration. Included will
be lifestyle ans demonstrations, competitive
dancing, juried fine arts show, traditional
crafts sale, and dramatic performances. All
events will be at the Asheville Civic Center.
Admission $2-7. For info, contact Kituwah,
46 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801.
(704) 252-3880.
HIGHLANDS, NC
WNC Alliance Annual Membership
Meeting al The Mountain. Open 10 the public.
Worlcshops, nature walks, lcgislntivc upda1e. Keynocc
speaker: James Blomquisl. head of the Public Londs
Program for the Siem Club. Workshops on
biOJcgions, mcdj:Juon, environmental effectiveness,
and lhe timber sale appeals. ConlJICt WNC Alliance:
B011 18087: A~heville. NC 28814. (704) 258-8737.
7
NEW MOON
10-13
NORRIS, TN
12th Annual Tennessee Fall Homecoming.
a cctebralion or lrlldmonal mountain cullure at the
Museum of Appalachia. Music, crafts,
demonstrations of rural life skills, in addition to the
Museum's regular cxhJbits. For info, call the
Museum of Appalachia at (615) 494-7680.
FnJI Ennhskills Workshop will offer
serious instruc1ion in the ans and lifeways of
indigenous people. Skills include making fire
by friction, plant identification, tanning
buckskin, stone and bone tools, stalking and
tracking, native drums and rattles.
Instructors: Darry Wood, Snow Bear, Scott
Jones. For info. contact Bob Slack, Jr.;
Unicoi State Park; Helen, GA 30545. (404)
878-2201.
18-20
27-29
ll-14
LIVINGSTON, TN
6th Annual Eastern Nonh American
Pennacuhurc Conference. Field day, nursery
tours, workshops: keyline, pennaculture and
spirituality, solar power, bioshelters, land
truSlS, more. Pre-register: Weekend - $50-75
(sliding scale), Field Day - $20 additional, to
Eanh Advocates; Rt 3, Box 624, Livingston,
TN 38570
SWANNANOA, NC
Dance, drumming, and teaching with
Brooke Medicine Eagle, healer and licensed counselor,
al the Earth Cen1er. S11ong emph3s1s oo women's
ways, but bolh men and women are welcome. Friday
night: $25. Weekend· SISO. See IWl l-13.
18-20
VALLEY HEAD, AL
"Women's Ceremonial Intensive" at
Hawkwind. (Sec "Webworking" p:1gc.)
Ta([, 1991
J
�SWAl'\ r-. ANOA, NC
"Rcncwmg Worship" Conference spon.sorcd
by Asheville Jubilee Community examinmg
Crcauon SpmlU3hLy through Lhc works of Ma11hew
Fo~. S250 1u11,on + S200 lodging. Jubilee: 46 W311
S1.: Asheville, NC 28801 (704) 252-5335.
NOVEl\IDER
21-25
23
F ULL MOON
NEW M ARK ET, T N
Appalachian Writers Workshop a1 1he
HighlMdet Center. Sec 9/13-15.
25-27
25-27
HI GHLANDS, NC
"Fall Landscape Workshop" with
photographer Sam Wang. Pre-register: $250 includes
lodging. For information about this and other
photography workshops, contact Appalachian
Environmental Ans Center; Box 580: Highlands, NC
2874 I. (704) 526-2602.
26
SWANNANOA, NC
Sweat lodge at th.: Earth Center Sec
10/11-13.
HALLOWE'l-:N (SAM ll AIN)
31
6
23
SWANNANOA. NC
Sweat lodge al the Earth Center. Sec
10/11-13.
NFW 1\100"1
7-9
G REENV ILL E, NC
6th Annu:il Altcma1ivc Farm Field Days.
Tours. seminars: aquaculture. markeung. compostmg,
cover crops, f>C$t mMagement, more. For info. write
Caroli no Farm Stewordsh1p A~sociation; Box 511;
Pittsboro. NC 27312 or call Jim Smith m Asheville
4.
at (704) 252-44 1
28-30
WAYNESV ILLE, NC
"Steps 10 Pc:icc" workshop with Sanderson
Beck. Inner ond outer pc:ice nnd the principles which
bring about peace. h3llllony, jusuce, and respect for
freedom. S60 includes vegetarian meals Md lodging.
For info on this and other program5, contact
Sul-Light Retreat Center; RI. I, Box 326;
Waynesville, NC 28786. (7~) 452-4569.
8-10
VA LLEY HEA D, AL
"A Weekend lnicns1vc on Lakota Ways• at
Howkwind. (Sec Wcbworking" page.)
9-10
SWANNANOA, NC
Dhyani Ywahoo 111 Lhc Eanh Ccmcr.
"Dhyani calls on u.~ 10 become Pcacckccpcr; in our
hearts and in the world." S200. Sec 10/11-13.
16-17
VA LLE Y II EAO, AL
Healing Arts Weekend al lillwkwind. (Sec
'Webworking" page.)
20-24
HOT SPRI NGS, NC
"Tam,ng the Monkey Mind" mcdit.ition
rctrc.it guided by Ven. Thubten Chodton, M ,\mericM
Tibetan BuddhlSI nun. Southern Dharma Retreat
Center. Prc-rcgi~tL-r: $170. Sec 10/11-20.
21
DECEMBER
5
NEW MOON
7-8
GREAT SMO KIF.S PARK
Winter llighcountry C.1mping. For info on
this and other field school comses. conlllct Smoky
Mounmin Field School: 600 Henley SL (Suite 105);
Univ. or TN; Knoxville, lN J7902. (615) 974-0150
or (800) 284-8885.
DO YOU ll'ANT YOUR IIAPPENINGS US-TED IN
HIE KATUMI EVENTS CALENDAR? listings arc
free. Mail tl~m to 1/rother 8/uir; JOO Webb Cove
Rd: A.fhtvilfe, NC 28804. l.isltngs for Issue 1133
must bt submilltd by Nov. 15.
FULL MOON
22-24
NF.W MARKET, TN
An11-Env1mnmcnt:il llaras.,mcm work.shop
at the fl1ghlandcr Center, Environmental ac1h·1sts
will learn how 10 dc0ccl harn,smcnt from the
polltic,1Vcorpor.i1e power st.nJCturc. Sec 9/13-15.
"The an!,.l°s oldest
.lnd l.ugcs1 natural
ioodsgnx.:,ry"
811/k l lcrbs, Spices, & Grains
Vitamins & Supplements
Y.'11eat, Salt & Yeast-Free Foods
Dniry S11bstit11trs
Hair & Skin Cart' Products
Beer & Wi11c Makiug Supplies
200 W. King St, Boonr, :-:c 2S607
(70-l) 26-1-5220
l)r4wing by Rob Me;s.,d,
rJ
tJf.u
~ Sand_y Mush
Herb N ursery
WH OLE FOODS
VITAMINS
ORGANI C PRODUCE
WREATHS • POTPOURRI
• HERBS • TOPIARY
Complete Herb Catalog - $4
Describes more thn11 800 pla11ts from
Aloe to Yarrow
160 Broadway
Asheville, North Carolina
Open 7 Days a Week
Monday - Friday 9 am - 8 pm
Saturday 9 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm
Tal.t, 199 1
A.I.A., Resource Information Analysis
Neil Thomas and Andy Feinstein
3 05 Westover, Asheville, NC
(704) 252-6816
Rt 2, Surrett Cove Road
Leicester, North Carolina 28748
Pltone for appointment to visit
(704) 683-2014
�0
•bwo~ ~,! ~
We
'
a fee of $2 .50 (pre-paid) per enrry offifty
words or less.
Submit entries for Issue 1133 by Nov. I5,
1991 to: Rob Messick; Box 2601; Boone,
NC 28607. (704) 754-6097.
Tl-IE MOUNTAINS - arc calling me home. I'll be
there in Spring of 1992. Nuds: {I) a place 10 put
a tipior s111411 camper (nc:ir a wruer source). (2) a
babysiucr between home and Asheville or
Swannanoa (ttansfering 10 school lhete), and (3 J a
JOb. Skills: (I J Organic Gardener {2) Vegetnri.an
Cook ( 3) Herbal Prcparatioos. Contact me ac
Kathleen Ashley; 1302 Two NO<Ch Road #17:
Lcitingt011, SC 29072.
MUSIC BY BOB AVERY-GRUBELavailJlbleoo three
casseues.. Treasures iii the Stream and Circles
Returning are folk/roclc-jaiz, and a JCCcnt release of
original chants and songs, Light iii tht Wind. is a
cap~ll.a. Lyric sheets included.. Send SI0 for each
tape or$26 for all thrce 10 Bob Avery-Grubel: RL I,
Box 735; Floyd, VA 24091.
'69 FORD VAN, high·l0P, very good condition. $900.
Call (704) 488-9347 (doc10r's office - leave message).
Kllty StOkely.
HlGflLANDER CEN"leR • is a community-based
cducaLion:11 orgnni:wion whose purpose is to provide
space for people to lcam from e.ich Olhcr, and to
develc,pc solutions to environmental problems based
on their values, CJtpcricnces, and aspirations. They
also put out a quarterly ncwsteucrcalled llishlander
R1:por1s. For more infoml!UJOII contact Highlander
Centu. 1959 Highlnndcr Way; New Mank.ct, TN
37820 (615) 933-3443
RAW CHEMICAL-FREE HONEY • Tulip Poplar,
Sourwood, and Wild0owcr honey rrom the forests of
Pauiclc County, VA. No chemicals. no white sugar,
no heal ever. Sunincd through chccsccloth and p:ickcd
in glass. Limited qU31ltities. Call or wnte for prices
& availability. Wade B11tkholls • Bull Mountllin
Beekeepers: RD 2, Boit I 516; Stunrt. VA 24171
(703) 694-4571.
WISE WOMAN TRADmON. Fall RooLWOtk
Wed.end with Wh1tcwolf. November 8-10. For
women and men. Dig roots, mnke medicine, I.cam
Eanhwisc healing through Joumeymg, drumming,
and dreaming. Wann donn and hearty vcgclllrian
meals. One hour from Asheville. Donation SISO 100. some worlt exchange avnilablc. Wh11ewolf; PO
Box 576; Asheville. NC 28802.
LAND FOR SALE: 10 actc privlllC cove. Large organic
field. rustic: farmhouse with spring fed water nnd liOlar
symm. SITl411 solar ,1ruc:wre. SS0.000. Call (104)
649-9266 for Tom.
NATIVE AMERJCAN CEREMONIAL HERBS • we
offer a large variety of sages. IIWCCI grass. natural
resins, and everything ncccssary for smudging. Native
smoking mixtures, flute mu.,ic, pow-wow mpcs. and
ocn:monial songs. Essential oils. and mccnscs
speciflcally made for prayer. offering. and mcdiuilion.
For catalog call or write: Essencial Drcnms: Rt 3.
Box 285: Eagle Forlt, Hayesville, NC 2890-I (104)
389-9898.
Xatimfl Journot pt19c 34
PlEDMONT BIOREGIONAL INSTITUTE • For those
who live in the Piedmont area, there's a bioregional
effort well underway. Jom Us! We would npprecillle
any donation of time or money to help meet
operating expenses. For a gift of S2S.OO or more. we
will send you a copy of John Lawson's journal, A
New Vo.)12ge 10 Carolina. Also come find out about
the Lawson Pro.,ect. PB!; 412 WRoscmnry Street;
Chapel Hill, NC27516: Uwharria Province. (919)
942-2581.
BODY R11n-,1MS from Pl311Clllly Mothers· a
beautiful and paraclical calendar for women to ch:irl
their "moonthly" cycles. Send $3.00 plus S1.00
poSUlge 10: Planclllly Mothers Collcctivc(c/o Nancie
Yonker); 5231 Riverwood Avenue; Saraso111, Fl.
34231.
FAMILIES LEARNlNG TOGETHER·
Homeschooling families organization. Discuss
issues, give mutual support. shllre ideas and
resources, and gnther for family activities. Write
Doug Woodward; 68 Lakey Creek; Franklin, NC
28734 for infonnation.
LOCAL RECYCLING CO-OP • crunched by glass
price cuts! rr you have any interest in the recent cut in
glim prices by the Owens-Brockway Company, and
would hkc to help do something about the flawed
economics of recycling, or just shale information,
please write BretNelson; 1578 Bow Hill Road;
Christiansburg, VA 24073.
THE LOVING WELL COMPANY • is a group of
people wooong together to suppon and promote what
worb 111 health and education. We arc building a
communuy dcdicrucd to pence and 10 livmg in a
healthy relationship with one allOlher. For more
infonnauon write Naomi Ross; 1433 Woodland HIiis
Drive NE: AllanUI. GA 30324-4627.
"BLOW YOUR MlND" • with the celestial sootlung
music of "Medicine Wind" by George TOCtorClli. Also
c.xouc fine-tuned bamboo nutcs in many keys nnd
modes. For more information send LO'. George
Tortorelli; 86 NW 55th Street; Gainesville, Fl.
32601. (904} 373-1837
LAND FOR SALE • Magnificent view with small
house m beautiful Spring Creek. NC. Ten miles
south of Hot Springs. NC (o!T Route 209), and one
hour west of Asheville. S25.000 f01 I.Ind and house.
Perfect for the sctr sufficient life. CaU Landa Deyo at:
(704) 675-9575.
NATJVE AMERICAN Fl.UTE MUSIC· Richard
Roberts, a well lcnown west TN new age nutist (ab
Zero Ohms), is now 3V3il~blc an the Ea!i! TN/NC
area. For rclaitiog and uplifting pcrfOrmMCC$ or UIJJCS
conlllCC Richard Robcns; Box 821; Noms, TN 37&2g
(61S)494-8828orRL I.Box 136RD;Lamar,MS
3~2 (601) 252-4283.
WE NEED. three families to complete our five family
community/neighborhood. Private south facing cove
with streams, sprangs. and views 1n Weaverville. NC
area. You get 5 to 10 acres for your home nnd equal
intueSt in I 10 acres of common land. S2S,000 to
30.000 depending on house site. Call (704) 658-2676
ror more infonnntlon.
~~
,"l' ~
HAWKWIND
Eanh Renewal Cooperative - invitcs you to
pan.icipate ma season ofctnsscs and gruhcrlngs to
tnke pince a1 our lush, 70 acre wilderness rctm1L
Ccnttally locnlCd to Georgia and Tennessee in the
Northern Alabama Mountains, our campground and
focilitics arc ava.ilablc to members, public gnthcrings
and private organizational use. Monthly prog,ams
range from Organic G:u-de'1ing, Native and Eanh
Philosophies, IO the Environment, Healing
Programs, Self Reliance, Women m Transition and
much more. Safe Family Camping. Send SI.SO for
oewslctu:r ond schedule of events to: 1-!Qwkwind; PO
Box 11; Valley Head, AL 35989. (205) 635-6304
BROOKE MEDICINE EAGLE • join this very special
Elllthlceepcr, healer. and teaehcr who has dedicated her
life 10 the people. Raised on the Crow Rescvailon in
Montana, she is a licensed counselor, and has been a
moving force behind the movement to ruum 10 the
traditional ways of honoring the Earth. Broolce will
shatc with us her lmditions, songs. dance and
drumming as well as her strong insight into the
"women's ways.• October I l-13th, $160 for the
wcelccnd intensive. For reservations & details contact
Hawlcwind at (205) 635-6304 (evenings best).
A WEEKENDINTENSIVEONLAKOTA WAYS·
Morning Star and Gilbert Wallcing Bull provide
ttaditional Lakota ceremonies 10 their community.
They teach Lakota tradiuons: the ceremony oflhc
Stone People's lodge, the S:icred c:honupa , lhe vision
qllC:il and the Sun Dance prcpru-ation. November
8-I0th, $160 for ru11 weekend. includes Clll11ping.
Ceremonies open will\ no fee. ConUICt Hawlcwind at:
(205) 635-6304 (evenings bcsl).
WOMEN'S CEREMONIAL INTENSIVE· The
Hawkwoman Cucle mvi1.es you to gather for a
wcelcend of song, dance, drumming. and ritual
ceremony for purification and crcat.ion of cen:mooiru
Loots. Together we will explore the many roles of the
Earth Women, and the ways that ceremony can be
used in everyday living. October 18-20, camping fees
and o love offering to cover materials and teacher
costs. Contnct Hawkwind nc (205) 635-6304.
HEALING ARTS WEEKEND· Hawkwmd brings :i
scncs of nawnil hc;iling systems together. Joan
professional mass3ge therapists, herbal healers, body
workers :ind join m purificntion ntU31s to remove !he
dis~ and bring the body m10 b31ancc. No,-cmbcr
16-17, S80 for lhe whole ...,eekcnd. Conuict
Hawlcwmd ac (205) 635-6304 (evenings best).
NEW MOON & SOLSTICE GATHERINGS •
Hawkwmd honors the Earth People and !he Natural
Native Rituals of clc.insing and renewal. We come
togcll1cr in lodge ocrcmony, singing, drumming,
dancing, and sea:;onal mcd1ui11ons. Native philosophy
classc~ and women's circle meet on Sunday.
Novcmb,;r 9/10, December 7/8, December 21/22 Pot
luck meals, camping fees. :ind love offering IO
suppon resource ccmcr dcvclopcmcm. ConlllCt
HawkwinJ ac (205) 635-6304 (evenings best).
rnct, 1991
�l'cl \i~e -to \We in "
5ociet_-J that )sn· -t
aysf.,nct1ona1
BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE
ISSUE TIIREE- SPRING 1984
Sustainable Agricuhure • Sunnowcrs • 1lumnn
Impact on the Forest - Childrcns' Educauon •
Veronica Nicholas: Woman in Politics - Little
People - Medicine Allies
ISSUE FOUR· SUMMER 1984
Water Drum • Water Quality - Kudzu - Solar Eclipse
• Clearcutting - Trout - Going to Water· Ram
Pumps. Microhydro - Poems: Bennie Lee Sinclair,
Jim Wayne Miller
ISSUE FIVE· FALL 1984
Harvest. Old Ways in Cherokee· Ginseng· Nuclear
Waste. Our Celtic Heritage - Bioregionalism: Past,
Present, and Future · John Wilnoty - Healing
D:lrlcncss • Politics or Participation
lSSUE SIX - WINTER 1984-85
Wmter Solstice Eanh Ceremony • Horscpasturca
River. Coming of tile Light· Log Cabin Root·
Mountain Agriculture: The Right Crop • William
Taylor • The Future or the Forest
ISSUE SEVEN· SPRING 1985
Sustainable Economics - Hot Springs • Worker
Ownership. The Great Economy· Self Help Credit
Union • Wild Turkey. Responsible Investing·
Working in the Web or Life
ISSUE EIGHT· SUMMER 1985
Celebration: A Way or Lire - K81uah 18.000 YCD.rS
Ago • Sacred Sues - Folk Ans in the Schools • Sun
Cycle/Moon Cycle· Poems: Hilda Downer _
Cherokee Heritage Ccntcr • Who Owns Appalachia?
ISSUE NINE · FALL 1985
The Waldee Forest • The Trees Speruc • Mlgral.ing
Forests • Horse Logging • Starting a Tree Crop •
Urban Trees· Acom Bread· Myth Time
ISSUE TEN - WINTER 1985-86
Kate Rogers • Cin:lcs or SlOlle - Internal
Mythmnking • Holistic Healing on Trial • Poems:
Sieve Knauth - Mythic Ploccs - The Uktcna's Tale CryslOI Magic - "Drc:imspcaking"
ISSUE THIRTEEN · FALL 1986
Center For Awakening - Eliulbcth Callari · A
Gentle Death • Hospice - Ernest Morgan • Dealing
Creatively with Death - Home Burial Box • The
Wake. The Raven Mocker - Woodslorc and
Wildwoods Wisdom • Good Medicine; The Sweat
ISSUE FOURTEEN· WINTER 1986·87
Lloyd Carl Owle - Boogcrs and Mummers· All
Species Day • Cabin Fever Univcrsi1y • Ilomelcss
in Kauiah • Homemade Hot Water· Stovcmnkcr's
Nrumtivc - Good Medicine: lntcr.,pccacs
Communication
ISSUE FIFTEEN • SPRING 1987
Coverlets • Woman Fores1cr • Susie McMahon:
Midwife - Ahemative Contraception • Bioscxuality •
Bioregionalism and Women· Good Medicine:
Mmriarchal Cuhure • Pearl
ISSUE SIXTEEN - SUMMER 1987
Helen Waite. Poem: Visions in a Garden - Vision
Quest. First Aow - lnitinuon - Leaming m the
Wilderness. Cherokee Challenge · "Valuing Trees"
ISSUE EIGHTEEN· WlNTER 1987-88
Vernacular An:hitccture - Dreams in Wood and Stone
. Mount.ain Home - Earth Energies - Eanh-Shchcred
Laving - Mcmbrone Houses · Brush Shelter·
Poems: October Dusk. Good Mcdicino: "Sheltcrff
ISSUE NINETEEN· SPR£NG 1988
Pcrclandra Garden. Spring Ton,cs • Blueberries Wildnower Gardens - Granny Herbalist • Aowcr
Essences . "The Origin or the Animals:" Story •
Good Medicine; "Power" • Be A Tree
ISSUE TWENTY· SUMMER 1988
Preserve Appalachian Wilderness - Highlands or
Roan • Cclo Community • Land Trust· Anhur
Morgan School - 1.oning Issue· "The Ridge" •
•
Farmers and the Farm Ball • Good Medicine: "Land
• Acid Rnin • Duke's Power Play - Cherokee
Microhydro Project
ISSUE TWENTY-TWO· WINTER 1988-89
GIObal Warming - Fire ThlS Time • Thomas Berry
on "Bioregions" - Earth Exercise· Kort Loy
McWhirtcr • An Abundance of Empuncss • LETS •
Chronicles or Floyd - Darry Wood • The Bear Clan
ISSUE 1WENTY-THREE • SPRING 1989
Pisgah Village • Planet An • Green City - Poplar
Appeal • "Clear Sky" • •A New Earth" - Black Swan
• Wild Lovely Day.f • Reviews: Sacred Land Sacrt!d
Su, Jee Age • Poem· "Sudden Tendrils"
Lodge
32
,
~
UA~OURNAL
PO Box 638 Leicester. NC Katuah Province 28748
For more info: call Rob Messick at (704) 754-6097
Regular Membership........ $10/yr.
Sponsor.........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
Name
Address
Enclosed is $_ _".'""".'.'T":""'. ro give
this effort an extra boost
City
Ya!L, 199 1
State
Phone Number
Zip
I can be a local contact
person for my area
ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR • SUW.1ER 1989
Deep ListCning - Life in Atomic City· Direct
Acuon! - Tree or Peace - Community Building·
Pc:iccmakets - Ethnic Survival - Pairing Project·
"B:utlesong" • Growing Peace m Cultures - Review:
Tiu! Cha/iu and ihL Blade
lSSVE TWENTY-SIX • WINTER. 1989-90
Coming or Age in the Eco7.oic Era • Kids Saving
Rainforest • Kids Trcccycl mg Company • Connie,
Resoluuon. Developing the Creative Spirit· Birth
Power • Birth Bonding - The Magic or Puppetry •
Home Schooling - Naming Ceremony • Mother
Earth's Cl3S.$l'OOl!l - Gnrdcning for Children
ISSUE TWENTY ·SEVEN· SPRING, 1990
Transformauon. Healing Power· Pcoce 10 Their
Ashes. Healing in Katuah - Poem: "When Left 10
Grow". Poems: Stephen Wing - The Belly· Food
from the Ancient Forest
ISSUE TWENTY-EIGIIT • SUMMER 1990
Carrying Capacity - Setting Limits to Growth •
What is Overpopulation? • The Rood Gang • The
Highway to Nowhere - The 1·26 Project· "Caring
Capacity" • People and Habit.at - Design mg the
Whole Life Community • Steady State· Poems:
Will Ashe Bason • Tran$p0f!Crnativcs • Review:
Cohousing
ISSUE TWENTY·NINE • FAl.l./WlNTER 1990
From the Mount.ains 10 the Sea - Prolile of The
Little Tennessee River· Heodwatcrs Ecology· "It
All Comes Down to Water Quallty" - W:ucr Power.
Action for Aquatic Habitats - Dawn W:nchcrs • Good
Medicine: The Long Human Being • The North
Shore Rood - K:uuah Sells Out - Watershed Map of
the Kawah Provance
ISSUE THIRTY • SPRING I99 I
Economy/Eeology - Ways to a Regenerative
Economy • "Money as the Lowest Form or Wealth"
• Clarksville Mimcle - The Village· Food Movers·
Lifework. Good Medicine: "Village Economy··
Sheltoo Laurel • LETS
ISSUE THIRTY-ONE· SUMMER 1991
Dowsing • Responsibilities or Dowsing · Electrical
Life of the Enrth • Katuah and the Earth Gnd • Coll
of the Ancient Ones - Good Medicine: "On
Aggression" • Time to T:ike the Time to Take the
Time. Whole Science. Tuning In
Back Issues
Issue # __@ $2.50 = $._ __
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $._ __
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $._ __
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $._ __
Issue# __@ $2.50 = $._ __
postage paid $_ __
Complete Set
(3-10, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26-31)
postage paid@ $50.00 =$_ __
:K.at ucih Journot. pa9e 35
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
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The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
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1983-1993
Format
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journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 32, Fall 1991
Description
An account of the resource
The thirty-second issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> is a call for humans to return to a simpler way of life, following in the ways of the Cherokee, or Katúah, tribe. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Barbara Wickersham, Henry Wender, John A. Freeman, Tom Underwood, Lee Barnes, Will Ashe Bason, Ivo Ballentine, Brownie Newman, Robert Johnson, Rob Messick, Bess Harbison, Maxim Didget, Robert Johnson, Emmett Greendigger, Dr. Dennis Scanlin, Deborah James, Leonard Cirino, Melba Bari, and Charlotte Homsher. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1991
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
<p>Bringing Back the Fire by David Wheeler.......1<br /><br />A Bit of Mountain Levity by Barbara Wickersham.......5<br /><br />Climax Never Came by Henry Wender.......7<br /><br />Is the Southern Appalachian Ecosystem Endangered? by John A. Freeman.......9<br /><br />"Talking Leaves": Sequoyah by Tom Underwood.......10<br /><br />Green Spirits: Seed Saving by Lee Barnes.......12<br /><br />Walking Distance by Will Ashe Bason.......13<br /><br />Angle: Environment by Ivo Ballentine.......13<br /><br />Good Medicine.......14<br /><br />Poem: "A Rotting Log" by Brownie Newman.......15<br /><br />THE GRANOLA JOURNAL.......16<br />Livin' By Their Wits, recorded by Rob Messick<br />An Old Family Tale by Bess Harbison<br />The Slide by Rob Messick<br />How Can You Lose Anything as Big as This Ego? by Maxim Didget<br /><br />Paintings: "Mountain Stories" by Robert Johnson.......18<br /><br />Natural World News.......20<br /><br />Dying Soils, Dying Waters by Emmett Greendigger.......22<br /><br />Songs in the Wilderness by Charlotte Homsher.......24<br /><br />Save James Bay.......25<br /><br />Drumming.......26<br /><br />Off the Grid: Solar Ovens by Dennis Scanlin.......29<br /><br />Events........32<br /><br />Webworking........34<br /><br />Katúah Konfusion.......35<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em></p>
Publisher
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<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
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Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cherokee Indians--Social life and customs
Sequoyah, 1770?-1843
Appalachians (People)--Social life and customs
Ecosystem health--Appalachian Region, Southern
Acid Rain--Appalachian Region, Southern
Solar ovens
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
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English
Type
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Text
Source
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<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
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<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
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Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
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<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Acid Deposition
Agriculture
Alternative Energy
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Cherokees
Community
Earth Energies
Ecological Peril
Economic Alternatives
Electric Power Companies
Fire
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Good Medicine
Habitat
Katúah
Permaculture
Pigeon River
Plants and Herbs
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Recycling
South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness)
Stories
Transportation Issues
Turtle Island
Villages
Water Quality
Wilderness
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/0791c74f61bfeccd6b0575a3e53240f5.pdf
e919144545b326bd6e557ea5b917f958
PDF Text
Text
ISSUE 33 WINTER 1991-92
$2.00
�Drawing by Rob Messick
~UAHjOURNAL
PO Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
ti}
C,
Q,-
Postage Paid
Bulk Mail
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
~
...
j\
Printed on recycled paper
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
�Fire's Power..................................
by David Wheeler
3
What Is Natural?..............................
5
by David Wheeler
Do Clean:uts Mimic Fire?....................
6
Smokey and the Red Wolves................
7
Fire in Jeffreys Hell..........................
8
by Vic Weals
Poems..........................................
by Barbara J. Sands
9
Fire and Forge................................
by Jan Davidson
and David Brewin
11
The First Fire..................................
A Cherokee Legend
12
Hearth and Fire in lhe Mountains........... 14
by Barbara Wickersham
Good Medicine................................
15
Midwinter Fires...............................
Poems by Jeffery Beam
18
Natural World News.........................
20
Who Will Have !he Power?.................
by Veronica Nic/10/a.t
22
Litmus Lichens................................
by Rob Messick
24
Reading the Inner Tree.......................
by Charlo1te Homsher
25
Review:
Where rite Ravens Roost.....................
25
Around the Fire...............................
by lee Barrres
26
Drumming.....................................
27
Poem: "Sky Mangler"........................
by Mike Wilber
29
Review:
The Sound of Light...........................
31
Events..........................................
33
\Vcbworking..................................
34
Wlntcr , 1991 -92
Fire is one of the four Great Beings, the
elements !hat move Creation.
Fire is the catalytic spark of the life
essence. Living, we are warm and moving;
non-living, we are like ashes, cold and dead.
No wonder ancient wisdom associated Fire
with the directed passion of the will. It is
fitting that through the ages the spirit of life
has been depicted as "the sacred fire."
Fire radiates all around us in the
life-giving energy of the Sun.
Fire is at the center; in the slick and
sweat of love a spark is ignited between a
male and a female and life is born anew.
Fire in its many forms powers the
movement and the production of our societies.
The hearth fire is the center of the home.
Fire cooks the food, warms the dwelling, and
from the fireplace the old stories spring alive
into the family room.
In the heart of every green plant cell the
sunfire drives the process of photosynthesis,
upon which life on Eanh depends.
But ftre is also the changer, lhe
destroyer - a demon of voracious appetite that
gobbles indiscriminately all it can ignite.
Fire unleashed destroys the house it
warmed.
Under the power of drought, forest
becomes desert.
Fire is the nuclear terror, shriveling all
life to ashes.
The most terrible punishment the
bishops could imagine was to bum a witch
alive at the stake.
Fire in the hands of the invaders torches
Lhe village huts and razes the crops in the
fields. Old cities are bombed and guued by
Fire.
Wildfire, the major force of change in
!he forest around us, is capable of overturning
in a matter of hours vegetative associations
that have stood for centuries.
The four elemenml beings circle in the
Great Round, the world we know.
Fire needs earthy fuel 10 eat, oxygen
from the air to breathe. Fire and water are
complementary - at firSt look they seem in
total opposition, but upon a second glance
they are seen to be in a careful and delicate
relationship. There is fire on these mountains
only because there is water to grow the wood
that bums. Born of the union of fire and
water, life is forever suspended in that
balance.
But what is the role of fire in our human
lives and in the life of the mountain forests
that surround us? Where is that balance?
Fire flickers and dances...too quick, too
changeable, 100 close to the essence of life
itself for us to ever expect definitive answers
to those essential questions. But it is
worthwhile for us to begin the process of
understanding.
We need to know Fire, one of the great
powers that shape our being in these
mountains, on this Earth.
The Editors
Drawing by Rob Messick
XAtuah
J~mat PQ9"- l
�EDITORlALSLASH:
Heather Blair
Emmeu Grcendigger
Charlone Homsher
Richard Lowenthal
Rob Messick
James Rhea
David Wheeler
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Acasia Berry
Christine Detweiler
John lngruss
Billy Jonas
Bill Melanson
Mamie Moller
Donna Stringer
Rodney Webb
Thanks again IO Mountain Gatdens for hospiUllily and inspiration.
Thanks to Larry Tucker for able computer assiSlBIICe.
As always, thanks to JH.
Thanks 10 Gene for the car, we couldn't ruive done ii without you!
COVER: by Rob Messick ©1991
PUBLISHED BY: Kattlah Journal
PRINTED BY: The Waynesville Mountaineer Press
EDITORIAL OFFICE THTS ISSUE: Billy Home and Gardens,
WRITE US AT: Katuah Journal
Asheville
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kauiah Province 28748
TELEPHONE: (704) 754-6097
Diversity is an important element of bioregional ecology. both natural
and social. In acxord with this principle Katuah Journal tries IO serve as a
forum for the discussion of rcg.ional issues. Signed articles express only the
opinion of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of the Katuah
Journal editors or staff.
The lnlCmal Revenoo Service has declared Katuah Journal a non-profit
~anization undu section 501(c)(3) oC the lnu:mal Revcnoo Code. All
contributions IO Katuah Journal are deductible from personal income tax.
Articles appearing in Katuah Journal may be rcprinltd in Olher
publications wilh permission from the Katuah Journal staff. ConLaCt the
journal in writing or call (704) 754-6097.
'LNVOCA'Tto'.N
When my skull lies with yours,
Will you sing for me?
The long sleep heals.
We will find new life in the spring.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Here,
in the Ka1uah Province
of these ancient Appalachian mountains
where once the Cherokee Nation lived in freedom
berween the Tennessee River Valley and the Eastern Piedmont
between the Valley of the Roanoke and the Southern Plain
on this Tunic Island continent of Mother Ela, the Eanh
Here,
In this place we dedicate ourselves to remembering our deep
connection to the spirit of the land.
We bring this connection inro the being and the doing of
our daily lives
When the land speaks, we Listen and we act
We tune our lives to the changes, to the seasons
We respect the limiis of the land
We preserve, defend, and restore the land
We give thanks for all that is good
Harmony with the land is no longer an ideal; it is an imperative.
The land is a Living being. She is sacred.
As the land lives, so do we.
As the spirit of the land is diminished,
our spirits are diminfahed as well.
Katuah Journal sends a voice...
with articles, stories, poems, and artwork
we speak 10 the spirit of all the living, breathing
inhabitants of these mountains
in hopes that we, the human beings,
may find our place in this Great Life.
The Editors
Doug Peacock - Criuly Years
Border by Ja.son TudlCf
KATUAH JOURNAL wants 10 communicate your thoughts and
feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send them 10 us
as leners, poems, sroriu, articles, drawings, or photographs, etc. Please
send yoiu contributions 10 us at: Katuah Journal; P. 0 . Box 638;
Leicester, NC; Kattlah Province 28748.
OUR NEXT ISSUE will be concerned with "Sustainable
Agriculture and Regional Diet". We need your input on topics including:
sustainable agriculture (alternative ag., low input, appropriate ag.,
permaculture, biodynamics, etc.); seed-saving techniques; wild-foods
and medicinals; regionaVcommunity food production and marketing;
Xatimf~ )ournot J>°'Je 2
seasonal diet and recipes; food preservation; green manures and
composting; agroforescry; and especially recommended resources,
guides, and contacts. Send all material by January 30th, 1992 to Lee
Barnes; Box 1303; Waynesville, NC 28786. (704) 452-5716.
THE SUMMER, 1992 ISSUE will be involved with the continually
controversial topic of Councils, and how to create more viable methods
of decision-making in the ful\Jre. Possible topics include: Native
American sovereignty, the State of Franklin, Town Meetings, Council of
All Beings, Regional Rainbow Gatherings, Grassroots Groups, Conflict
Resolution, and more? Submit all material by April 30th, 1992.
,.,lnur. 1991-92
�FIRE'S POWER
The Influence of Fire
on the Evolutionary History of the Southern Appalachians
by David Wheeler
Thunder rumbles over the old hms. Ir is
just after dusk, and the nwtmtains steam in rite
humid air ofsummer. 011 the somlrwestem
lrorizo11 great cloudbanks roil up i1110 tlte sky,
arching over tlte land like a pouncing beast,
blotting ow the stars.
High in those clouds, invisible to the eye,
thermal fron1s meet and clash. creating turmoil
in the skies. The collision of hot and cold air
creates violent gusts and downdrafts of wind.
The clouds become enonnous electrical
generators. Humid air condenses into raindrops
then into ice crystals within the whirling
confusion inside the cloudbank. The electrical
forces generated by the clouds become
polarized. In the space of only tens of
milliseconds, there is a branched discharge of
energy within the cloud called the
"stepped-leader" that moves first horiwntally
and then downward at one-third lhe speed of
light.
The Eanh is also electrically charged. As
the tip of the stepped-leader approaches the
Eanh's surface, an answering discharge rises
from the Eanh. The two join and cause a "return
stroke," a surge of intense ionization that moves
back up the leader channel toward the cloud in
the brilliance ,~e see as cloud-to-ground
lil?htning. The whole process has 001 yet taken a
whole second, but there has been an elecaical
discharge of, on the average, 40,000 amperes although discharges of 340,000 amperes have
been measured. The temperature within the
leader channel reaches 30,000 degrees Kelvin.
After 40 10 80 milliseconds a new leader is
l.>i.ntcr, 1991-92
D,awmg by Jomes Rhea
formed and again the process is repeated. Most
visible lightning consists of two to four return
strokes. The rapid expansion of the
super-heated air around the lightning channel
produces a shock wave, so that shonly after
seeing the glare of lightning arcing through the
sky, we hear the booming sound of thunder.
Lightning strikes with awesome power. 011
a l11gh ridge a sta11di11g dead snag is seared by
the blast and explodes imo flame. leaves 011 the
ground ig11ire from the hear ofthe blaze, and the
fire is 011 tlte move, traveling uphill.fanned by
the wind.
The experience of a thunderstonn with
lighrning is intense, but it is a common and
completely natural process. There are about 40
million cloud-to-ground lightning saikes in the
United States each year. It is esumated that
around the world there are 50 10 100 lightning
discharges every second, although half of these
remain in the clouds. Lightning is one of the
great powers of nature.
In the Southern Appalachians lightning
saikcs are frequent during the summer storm
season, which lasts from April through August.
There are usually between 40 and 60
thunderstorm days/year. A review of the records
of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by
Lawrence S. Barden and Frank W. Woods
showed that between 1940 and 1969 lightning
caused 77 fircs wit.hin the park boundaries.
During the course of an eleven-year study they
recorded six lightning fires per year in their one
million acre study area.
In the conifer forests of the West. with their
dry summers, lightning strikes often start raging
holocaustS that climb into the high 1JCC1ops and
sometimes bum off thousands of acres. Our
image of lightning fires is based on that model.
But in the Southern Appalachians lighcning
saikes during the summer rainy season when
the deciduous leaves arc green and full of
moisture and the fuel on the ground is damp.
There are few dry lightning strikes in the
Southeast, and lightning fires usually are soon
extinguished by a drenching rain or subdued by
a steady rainfall. It has been estimated that the
average lightning fire burns five to 10 acres of
forest. Thus, the effects of ligh1ning fires seem
10 have been small, irregular dis1urbances,
localized on south-facing slopes and ridgetops at
higher elevations which would show the driest
conditions and be most prone to lightning
strikes. The deep coves and nonh-facing slopes
were so moist as to be vinually fireproof.
But if the effects of lightning fires were
limited, there was another source of ftre in the
southern mounm.ins that unquestionably had
more impac1: the human beings. The best
archaeological evidence we have uncovered says
that the first humans were present in this area
12,000 years ago. These were
hunting-gathering people. Fire was
unquestionably pan of their technological
toolkit.
Geographer Carl Sauer says in his essay.
"Man's Role in Changing the Face of the
Earth," "Speech, tools and fire are the tripod of
culture and have been so, we think, from 1he
beginning. About the hearth, the home and
workshop are centered. Space heating under
shelter, as a rock overhang, made possible
living in inclement climates; oooking made
palatable many plant product~; industrial
(oonunuod annul P'&")
X<ltuan Jouri!"f p ~ 3
�(c:onunued from page 3)
innovators experimemed with heat treatment of
wood, bone, and minerals. About the fireplace,
social life took form, and the exchange of ideas
was fostered. The availability of fuel has been
one of the main facton. determining the location
of clustered habitation."
Besides using fire in the village, the human
occupants of the Southern Appalachians during
the Paleolithic period also set fires in the
surrounding countryside 10 encourage the
growth of grasses and forbs and thus improve
the range for the grazing animals that were the
foundation of their diet The humans also used
fire as a hunting technique to drive animals
either wward waiting spear-throwers or over
steep cliffs.
Around 10,000 years ago the life of these
Paleo-Indians began to change as they moved
into what is called the Archaic cultural period.
As they became more familiar with the land and
itS inhabitants, they began to settle more into
sedentary villages. As we are told in the ''Good
Medicine" column (see page 17), they burned
the area around their villages to keep out pesrs
and for better defensibility, and burned up the
mountain slopes in the fall of the year for
hunting purposes, to encourage berries, and to
make nut gathering easier. Light burning every
year also kept down fuel loads, thereby
preventing the possibility of large, hot fires that
would harm the forest and destr0y their villages.
Keeping the understory clear greatly facilitated
travel, particularly on the ridges and along the
riversides, where the fires helped the beavers to
clear the bouomland meadows.
Between 800 and 1,000 AD the Cherokee
tribe adopted maize agriculture and became
firmly established in a mixed agricultu-m.1/
hunting lifestyle. They practiced a rotating
"slash and burn" agriculture, burning their fields
off annually and continuing lO fire the
mountainsides every year.
Unlike lightning, humans could start fires
in any season of the year, wet or dry. Autumn,
when a fresh layer of light, dry leaves covered
the ground, was the preferred season for
burning off the forest floor; spring was the time
to bum over the fields. Thus, human-caused
fires were of greater frequency, often of greater
intensity, and covered larger areas than lightning
fires. To be talking about the prehistorical
impacL of fire on the SouLhern Appalachians is
to be talking mostly about human impac1 on lhe
mountains - through their main tool for change:
fire.
Fire was the the most imponant disturbance
fa~tor i~ th~ Southern Appalachians; through the
rrullenma since the retreat of the last glacier it
has been a major shaper of the highland forest
communily. In general, the light bums caused
by lightning and the primitive people thinned out
young trees and opened up the forest floor.
When trees got to a certain age and girth they
became less susceptible 10 fire damage, so that
on fire.prone sites they loomed over an open
forest noor that struck the first white explorers
as "park-like," reminding them of Lhe carefully
tended parks of Europe. Generally, it was the
moist coves and north,facing slopes had the
shrubs, the herbs, and the ephemeral flowers
that we associate with the deep forest.
We will never know many of the ways 1ha1
fire ha.c; influencc.:d the forest around U5. It
changed the chemical and te,ctuml composition
of the soil; it altered lhe microbial populations of
Xat1&aW-Jou.rn«l ... p"4)v '-f ',
p~sJ genlo,...,--
the forest: it killed insect
and
infestations of parasites and disease where it
was present. Yet Lhere were visible signs of the
force of fire's impact.
Because of the abundant rainfall in 1he
southern mountains, the forest cover
recuperated quickly from burning, but openings
remained to testify to fire's passing. Professor
Kenneth L. Carvell of West Virginia University
wrote, "When the first trappers and traders
penetrated the Southern Appalachian
wilderness, they discovered scattered treeless
areas. These forest opemings were of several
kinds; some natural. some man-caused (sic). In
cenain localities these made up a considerable
acreage. Treeless areas could be grouped into
five categories: sphagnum bogs, resembling the
muskeg of the nonh country; grassy glades,
dominated by tall grasses; upland meadows, of
debatable origin, but perhaps the result of Indian
burning; "old fields," areas formerly cleared by
the Indians for agriculture and now starring to
grow up; and finally the high elevation balds,
dominated by shrubs and stunted tree cover, but
not a true tree line. Although obscured by the
dense forest. these openings were discovered
readily, since the first trappers and traders
followed animal trails, and these often led from
one glady area to the next. These openings,
particularly the grassy glades and old fields,
were sought out at an early date by the
homesteaders and settled first, since they were
spared the difficult task of clearing the dense
forest cover to provide crop and grazing land.
"ln spite of these scattered openings, more
than 90% of the land was forested, and in the
Southern Appalachians 90% of the forest was
hardwood."
The early European explorers spoke of
grazing animals like elk and a small woods
buffalo roaming the forest along with an
abundance of deer. Deer are leaf-browsers that
like forest edges; elk and buffalo eat grass,
which grows in the open, indicating that.
particularly in the bottomlands, there were
substantial areas that were open and clear.
The grassy balds were found at the top of
the highest ridges (see KattW, Journal #5).
They were thought 10 be created by extreme
climatic conditions during the last Ice Age, but
they were apparently maintained largely by fire
since the climate warmed. Since fire
suppression has caused natural succession to
overtake the open balds, they are returning to
forest cover. These bald areas con1ain species of
grasses more commonly found in grasslands
1hat fire ecologist E. V. Komarek says "did not
develop wilhout a history offire."
Fire has changed 1he species composition
of the tall tree canopy, exerting strong selection
pressure among tree species on dry si1es. There
are species of trees living in the forest today lhar
are completely dependent on fire for their
continued existence. There arc other tree species
that 1hrive on di:aurbance and are thus
pamcularly adapted to fire.
Dr. Roben Zahner, formerly professor of
forestry at Clemson University, tells us, "Most
of the oak and pine forest stands in eastern
North America were fire maintained. Oaks and
Pines are not climax type species. Without
d1s1urbance, they would have been displaced by
maples. basswoods, hemlocks, beeches. and
other cove hardwood species. In an area with
rainfall as plentiful as the southern mounuuns,
1~ese 'cove· species would do well on anr good
sne. However. they are not at all fire tolerant. so
they were restricted from the dry south slopes
.
•
I
I
~
ano ridgetops that wire liable 10 burning.
'The mature trees of fire tolerant species
can survive burning. White pines are the most
fire tolerant trees. White pines have a thick bark
and can withstand any kind of fire except a
crown fire. They can survive when every1hing
else is burned. Their seed requires an exposed
mineral soil to germinate. Burning creates a
good seedbed for them, so that when they drop
their seed the following season it regenerates
and produces a strong stand of natural white
pine.
"White pine does not have serorinous cones
that pop open in the presence of heat, but the
pitch pine and the Table Mountain pine do have
serotinous cones. These species, too, require
exposed mineral soil for seed germination. They
like a crown fire that climbs into the trees, kills
everything, and opens their cones with the heat
of the names. Within a week they send down a
rain of seed onto the newly cleared ground.
Pitch pine and Table Mountain pine are
completely fire-dependent for their germination,
and since fire suppression has become the
policy in the national forests, their populations
have been diminishing.
"Oak trees' reproductive strategy is to set a
lot of young seedlings and saplings in the
understory. The young trees are relatively shade
tolerant, so they just stand beneath the canopy
and wait for a disturbance to open up a hole for
them to grow into.
"Oak trees have tough roots, and are less
likely to root-kill than most other species. When
a fire comes through, it will kill the young and
medium-sized oak trees right back 10 the
ground, and then - with much of the competiuon
wiped out - they will resprout into vigorous oak
stands.
"Yellow poplar has a lot of weedy
characteristics and is another species that does
well in areas likely to be disturbed by rues.
Poplar has two major reproductive strategies.
First, the tree will sprout at almost any age.
Secondly, each mature cree will put out tens of
thousands of seeds every year. Leaves fall and
cover the seeds up. This process continues year
after year making layers of seed underneath the
leaf cover. Poplar seed can remain stored in the
litter for 8-10 years. When a fire - or a
disturbance of any kind - does occur, it strips
off 1he layers of leaves. Many seeds die. but the
seeds on the layer left exposed genninnte and
begin to grow.
"Black locust trees are not fire tolerant, but
they are dependent on disturbance for
regeneration. Locust seeds are generally not
viable. The tree has become so effective at
regenerating from root suckers that it has
virtually lost iri; ability to reproduce by seed.
But it doesn't need to seed itself. The extensive
root system of a locust cnn recover a
burned-over site almost immediately.
"Sassafras, too, is an early succession tree.
Like locust, it is a good sprouter, but it also
sends out lots of viable seed.
'The ericaceous plants, such as
rhododendron and mountain laurel, are also
fire-dependent. Like the pines. they actually
encourage tire by the fuel in their leaves.
Rhododendrons can survive for 3 long time in
the forest understory, but they can't bloom or
set seed in the shade, so they drop their leaves
each year and wait. When a fire does occur, it
bums fast and hot on the depo~ited fuel and kills
everything. including the rhododendron i1self •
but also opens up the canopy overhead.
(cor11111ood on pite 30)
,.,ultct,
1'!19 f.l-02'
�WHAT IS NATURAL?
The Fire History of the Mountain Forests
The
usual strategy for bioregionnl
reinhabimtion is to restore the narural life
processes and native species of a region while
simultaneously working ro change human
living patterns and limit the human presence to
lessen the impact of our species on the land.
We are largely unaware of the many
subtle relationships that maintain the life ofa
biorcgion, and we are usually ign_orant of_1he
nature and imponance of the mynads of uny
organisms that live around us and are so
necessary in keeping up !he vitality of the
community. In our ignorance, all we ca~ do to
heal a place is 10 restore the macro- species
and macro-processes of life support and allow
enough space and freedom from h:1nun
interruption that the land can find 11s own
natural equilibrium.
For rhe Kaufah Province this poses a
problem: what is "natural"?
It was hardly a "forest primeval" that the
first European explorers encountered on the\r
arrival in the New World. What they found JO
eastern Turtle lsland was actually - at least in
part - a managed landscape. Yet, particularly
during the ninereenth cemury, wrirers
continued to purvey the image of "a foresr so
thick that a squirrel could travel from the
Atlantic to the Mississippi without touching
the ground." Francis Parkman, writing in
1892, described a scene beneath an
impenetrable foresr canopy where "all is
shadow, through which spors of timid
sunshine steal down among legions of lank,
mossy trunks, ... maued bushes, and rotted
carcasses of fallen trees." While scenes like
!his did abound, today we tend to see rhe old
forest as a mosaic of different types, doued
with openings, due largely t0 the presence and
use of fire.
At anolherextreme was forester llu
Maxwell of the US Forest Service, who wrore
an article on the "Use and Abuse of the Forest
by the Virginia Indians" for the William and
Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine in
1910, when foresters were coming 10 see fire
as an unmirigated evil which had no place in
the forest
Maxwell had a decidedly
uncomplimentary view of the First People and
their fire habits. ''Though white men are rated
high as destroyers of forest, they arc not JO Lhe
same class with Indians," he stated. "...They
are wasreful and destructive, as savages
usually are, and the word economy had no
place in his vocabulary...The Indian \s by
nature an incendiary, and forest burning was
the Virginia Indian's besetting sin."
Maxwell described "open, park-like"
forests unencumbered by undergrowth. He
described lands cleared for agriculture along
the riverbanks, and also spoke of damage
done by unextinguished campfires. He quoted
William B>Td, who surveyed the
Virginia-Nonh Carolina line in 1728-29: "On
their way, the fires they make in their camps
are left burning, which catching the dry leaves
which lie near, soon pu1 the adjacent woods in
a flame."
i.>lnt«. 1991 -92
The 1n1th about the ecological impact of
burning by the First People lies somewhere
between the extremes of viewpoint contrasted
above. A multi-disciplinary research team
from the University of Tennessee, which
included archaeologists Jeff Chapman,
ethnoboranis~ Andrea Shea and Patricia
Cridlebaugh and paleoecologists Paul and
I foz.el Delcourt, investigated the environs of
old O,erokee village sites in the valley of the
Little Tennessee River, and found seeds and
pollen in stralified soil samples that enabled
them to deduce some of the narive people's
use patterns.
Samples taken around the village of
Tuskegee showed heavy use and burning of
the bottomland and the low- and mid-elevation
terraces by the Cherokee 1,500 years ago.
Samples from an upland site near the village
showed that the higher elevations surrounding
the Little Tennessee Valley were under
continuous forest cover for 3,000 years - fires
may have burned Lhere, but they did not .
pennanently thin out the forest canopy · unul
400 years ago, when weed seeds began to be
regularly deposited in the soil.
The team's research seems 10 support
rhe general conclusion made by retired
forestry professor Roben ?,aJtncr. "In valleys
like the Little Tennessee River Valley there
h.ad been conlinuous large se1tlemen1s by early
cuhures since Jong before the Cherokees.
When white settlers came into those valleys
they found the land already largely cleared of
forests by the lndian~. _The vall~ys and the
!ow!lr slopes surrounding the villages w~re
heavily and frequently burned. but the high
mountains were not, as a generJI rule. Some
balds \\Cre burned 10 maintain elk habitat, but
deer and turkey were largely found 31 lower
elevations, so that is where the bulk of the
burning occurred."
So what is the "natural" vegetative
,, .
pattern of growth in the South';_ffl
Appalachians? In !he sense of . natural _a.., ..
"growth unaffected by human mtcrvenuon,
Dr1w111g by J:«a1 Tuclla
we will never know. Twelve thousand years
of continuous habitation is a long time span.
There have been major climate changes during
the time the Fll'St People have been here.
Evolutionary adjustmenrs have been m~e in
that time, which must have included adJusnng
to the presence of the humans - and their fires.
Although their numbers were few, it
seems that the native inhabitants, primarily
through !heir use of fire, had a profound
impact on the natural history of the Southern
Appalachians. They did not dominare .
evolution in the mountains, but they did
influence the composition of the native flora in
certain areas by opening them to the sun and
encouraging fi~dependenr and fire-tolerant
associations. They influenced predator/prey
relationships by enhancing habi1a1 for deer,
elk, and other game animals, encouraging
their populations and thereby providing fo~
greater numbers of the other predator species
who also hunted them.
We will never be able 10 replicate the
conditions of 12,000 years ago, or the
changes that have happened since: But _we
know that, in spite of human modaficauon, .
this was still a magnificent land.i;cape when 11
was first encountered by the whites. The
human inhabitants were clearly a factor
influencing the process of change, but they
were only one factor among the many that
created the diverse mosaic of forest
associations scattered throughout the
mountains. While there were disturbed areas
that supponed the early-succcss1on, shade
rntolernnt trees, there were also nonh-facing
coves 1ha1 went without a major disturb3ncc
for hundreds of years at a time.
Fire was an influential force in this
region. Fire-dependent tree species have been
(cominocd 011 ,,. ., Jll&C)
Xat,101' Journm paga 5
�(canunued hom pqe S)
maintained in these mountains for many
generations. The grassy balds, that were
created during the last lee Age but were
apparently maintained by fire and grazing
pressure since, arc only now falling 10 forest
succession. The power of the element fire can
still be fell in the forest, even after 75 years of
fire suppression.
The Firs1 People, largely through their
use of fll'e, exened a strong influence on 1he
regional life community, but not a debilitanng
one. The First People found a balance, a
niche, within that community that 1he natural
life suppon systems could maintam. Unlike
the Europeans, the native inhabitants did no1
render their environment dysfunctional, but
only moved it 10 a different point of balance.
The region still had itS integrity; it still was
operating at full capacity.
Since it is impossible to recreate a virgin
mountain landscape, how then do we restore
an optimally adapted ecological community?
Clearly, fighting every fire is not necessary or
advisable. Lightning fires have been allowed
to bum for all but the last 75 years of human
habitation. They are a pan of the natural
landscape and should be allowed 10 return.
But do we have to bum off the
mountainsides every year 10 mimic the ruuive
influence? If so, how much should we bum?
How could we maintain the precious layer of
humus 1ha1 contributes so much to 1he growth
and health of 1he forest?
On the other hand, if we let narural
succession run its course, are we going to lose
DO C LEARCUTS MIMIC FIRE?
.
The current policy of the US Forest
Service is to clearcut lI"dCts of up to 43 acres
where all the vegetation over one inch in
diameter is removed and the cleared area i~
either replanted to ruws of monocullured
while pine (around which is sprayed ht.-rbicidc
to prevent competition from any intrnding
native hardwoods) or allowed 10 regenerate by
natural sprouting and seeding. This n:suhs in
large areas of ''even-aged" tree s1andli that are
easy and economical 10 cu1 when the loggers
retum to "harvest" the adolescent regrowth
60-80 ye:m; later.
~
This method "mimics natural processes
of disturbance, like fire." claims 1he Forest
Service.
But that is a hotly disputed claim.
"Simply put, clearcu1ting docs not emulate
nature in mixed hardwoods," declared retired
Forest Service silviculrural researcher Leon
Minckler in a recent anicle. "Oean:utting
advocates argue thal clearcurs replicate
wildfire bum parches. This statement is
questionable in the arid Wc:;t ond almost
irrelevant in the humid East where large.
high-intensity forest fires rarely occur.''
Minckler is reinforced by all the environmental
groups working in the Southern Appalachians
today.
"To begin with," says Haywood Greer.
a local activist, "fires don't bulldoze 15 foot
wide system roods that tear up slopes; cause
erosion and siltation in ~trcams: and open the
forest_ forever after 1 poachers, picnickers.
0
arsonists, campers, hunters, ORY'ers, and
whoever else has st.renglh and commitment
..
XotunI1 Joumot pCUJr. 6
..,
•
9
t
I
r t,
f
t.,fJ
valuable diversity and endangered species?
Can we afford that?
Two examples illusl!'llte the dilemma
posed by this uncenainty.
The first case centers around a concern
that communities of Table Mountain pine
might be eliminated from the moun111ins
because of changing conditions due 10 fire
suppression. Table Mountain pine occurs in
association with mountain laurel and galax.
All three species are fire adapted, and the
Table Mountain pine needs fire to survive.
The tree has serotinous cones. meaning that
intense heat causes them 10 open and spill their
seed. The species of the Table Mountain pine
association encourage fires hot enough 10
"crown," to bum into the tops of the trees.
Crown fires are hot enough 10 kill some large
trees, bum the cover off the forest floor down
10 bare mineral soil, and cause the serotinous
cones of the Table Mountain pine 10 open.
Those fires would regenerate the Table
Mountain pine association. which would then
work to perpe1ua1e itself by making ilS habi1a1
area more flammable.
Ftre suppression is clearly causing the
demise of the Table Mountain pine tree.
Existing stands are becoming old and decadent
and there is little regrowth of new stands.
Should we set intentional prescribed bums 10
preserve this fire-dependent species?
That depends on whether we consider
this species to be "natural." Lightning fires (as
we saw on page 3) tend 10 be small in area and
low in intensity. Lightning fires seldom
produced the crown ftres necessary 10
regenerate the Table Mountain pine.
enough 10 pul a vehicle in gear and gas
enough to make it up the hill.
"A fire doesn't come in with a chain saw
and a skidder cut all the tree~ and haul them
away out of the woods. Fires in the mounrnins
- depending on the time of ye:ir and the
dryness - arc usually cool and run lo,.., 10 1he
ground. burning off the leaf cover and 1he
underbrush. S11;all sarlings ;md understory
trees are someumcs killed. hut unless a lot of
fuel· like Jogging slash· h:i~ built up on the
forest floor, fires seldom get large enough 10
kill 1he biggest trees. If the big trees are ktl led,
they s1and n long time as dead snags, offoring
1he finest kind of den location for
over-wintering animals. 1l1e forest biomass
stays in the woods. Eventuallv the dead trunks
rot out and topple over. and their bodies
decompose 10 enrich the soil for the next
generations of trees.
"Also, fire~ around here don·t bum
everything in a 20 or 40 acre area. Most fires
hip-hop around and bum at random • maybe
heavily here, but maybe only slightly burned
over there. Fires tend m create mosaics of
disiurbance on these steep ridges."
Robert Zahner. formerly a forestry
professor at Clemson University. talks more
specifically about regeneration. ''The species
that rclllm after a fire arc somewhat different
than what comes back after a clearcut. l\aiural
eanh-healing species sprout up after a fire weedy planL~ mostly. 1ha1 gro"' from :;eed that
had tx.-en stored in the soil under the litter until
the liner was burned off and 1he seed was
exposctl. Most of the herbaceous seed that
germinates following a fire is quite different
from the seed th:il would grow follm, ing a
We do not know about the fires set by
the native inhabitanLS. There probably was
great variation in the intensity of the fires 1hey
sci, but generally, since they burned certain
areas often, it would seem that they would
keep the fuel loads down and have light, cool
fires every few years.
The great conflagrations occurred in the
mountains after the logging era. The loggers
left great piles of slash in the forest that, when
ignited, caused hot, destructive fires that
burned the whole landscape.
The Table Mountain pine could be only
minimally sustained by lightning fires. In the
moun1ains, the tree inhabits only the driest
sites or reclaims badly degraded areas. It
seems very likely that, while it has long been
present, the species came into its own through
1he over-burning of the white mountaineers,
and expanded its influence due 10 the logging
boom. h does not seem reasonable 10
perpetuate abuse in order 10 maintain a species
that to a great extent was a product of human
abuse. h seems that 1he ecological need for the
Table Mountain pine has largely passed away,
1ha1 it is not a naturally endangered species,
and that we do not have 10 talce special
measures to re1ain it, but could lei narure 1ake
its course.
A second case is the oak tree family,
widespread throughout the mountains and an
important source of mast upon which many
species of wildlife depend greatly. As we
were told by Dr. Robert Zahner (on page 4 of
this issue) frequent, light fires are influential
in the continued regeneration of oak stands in
(continued oo page 30)
clearcut
"I-ires also release nutrients in the
residual ash which change the soil situation.
Leaf liuer and sometimes foliage is burned in
the fire. Carbon and nitrogen arc given off,
but 1hc minerals stay on the site and oc·t as an
instant shot of fenilizer, which changes the
pH and the nutrient bal:lnce and generates a
different populallt)n of herb.,ceous plants.
''After clearcuuing, some sites are
prep:m:-d hy intentionally setting fires called
"prescribed hums." In tcm1s of the site, thai's
probably a better wuy of,.., orking than
clearcumng alone - unfortunately they bum a
site to prepare it for planting white pine tree~.
Thal negates nny advantage there might ha, e
been 10 1ha1 technique.
"Right now there arc plenty of open
areas con1aining early successional species.
We don't have to create them. By way of
immediate policy recommendations. I would
suggest we let present old-growth stands
continue to grow, keeping out uny fires except
lightning fires. Lightning fires we should let
bum. Because they bum during a rain,
lightning tires don't usually burn very much,
and they give a nke mosaic of disturbance.
''Why not just let lighming do it'! If we
are trying to maintain natur.tl systems and
narural biological diver.;i1y, then just letting
lightning fires bum would be the best and
easiest way to do it. Mo~t of this forest is so
disturbed. beat up. and cut over anyway. It\
a long. long way from being a natural syscem.
t would prefer 10 let lighming-ignited fires
burn wherever they are going 10 bum, and just
let them help the foreM 10 recover." , .
Winter, 199 1-92
- fr...
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�SMOKEY AND THE RED WOLVES
For many years after white settlers
staned moving into the Southern
Appalachians, fire pauems changed linle from
the days of native habitation. The whites were
farmers, coming from Europe where the great
forests had long been leveled. They tended to
see the forest as an enemy 10 be overcome.
Wilderness equaled "wasteland" in their
minds, and they started out energetically 10
overcome the forest to make it produclive
fannland. But for their ally Fire, it would have
been a losing battle. The whites used fire in
clearing agricultural fields as the lndians had,
but the immigrants first girdled trees with their
steel axes, planted crops in the resulting
"deadenings," and then later felled and burned
the standing snags. Their numbers and their
steel tools made the newcomers more effective
at clearing land - and keeping it clear - than the
Indians had ever been. The forest began to
recede up the hillsides.
The white people also began to mimic
the Indians' practice of burning the forest
noor. At first they did it for identical reasons,
but as they became more settled and the
predator species were thinned out, the
Europeans began to free-range livestock in the
woods. At frrst there were only a few scrawny
cows and scattered bands of domestic pigs
roaming the forest, but as the numbers of
white inhabitants grew, they put more and
more animals out to forage on the mountain
slopes. And they staned more and more fires
to encourage grass and open grazing areas. As
old-timer Taylor Crockett of Macon County
has said, "fn those days people vinually
replaced the native wildlife with cattle, hogs,
and sheep." Firing the woods became an
annual ritual, supposedly economically
justifiable - but also exciting and fun.
The early white settlers found one
purpose to which the First People had never
employed fire: genocide. One example was
Colonel James Grant's raid of 176 I. In
retaliation for a Cherokee victory ai Fon
Loudoun, Tennessee, in which 50 white
people were kiUed, Grant was ordered on a
campaign through the Little Tennessee and
Tuckaseegee River Valleys. He rode with a
vengeance, destroying crops and every village
he found. In his journal Grant bragged that he
had torched fifteen towns (including the
principal town of Katuah): ravaged "l,400
acres of com. beans, pease, etc."; and driven
about 5,000 men, women, and children "into
the woods and mountains to srnrve."
As more and more Europeans flooded
into the mountains, the increased use of fire
became detrimental to the forest. Although fire
Winter, 1991 92
was still being used largely in the traditional
manner, its use was so frequent and so
universal that the forest was degraded in many
areas because it was not allowed time to
recuperate.
H.B. Ayers and W.W. Ashe, in their
repon on The Sowhern Appalachian Forest,
published in 1905 for the US Geological
Survey, wrote that, "More than 78,000 acres
of the region examined have recently been so
severely burned as 10 kill the greater ponion of
the timber. but the greater damage has been
done by light fires creeping through the
woods year after year. scorching the butts and
roots of timber trees, destroying seedlings and
forage plants, consuming forest litter and
humus, and reducing the thatch of leaves
which breaks the force of the rain. Evidence
of such fires is found over approximately
4,500,000 acres, or 80 percent of the entire
area."
At one study site in Cades Cove in the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
researcher Mark Hannon found that the mean
interval between fires on south-facing slopes
between 1855 and 1940 was 12.7 years.
Considering that observation, Peter White,
also of the Park research st.aff, said that in
Cades Cove, "During the period of
Euro-American settlement, fires were so
frequent that few treeS reached a size capable
of surviving even cool surface ftres."
The damage to the Appalachian forest
and waters began to be noticed by the late
1800's. People began to complain of the
erosion caused by the frequent burning and
the resulting decline in stream quality. A
history of the US Forest Service in the
southern mountains, Mountaineers and
Rangers, mentioned a survey of the Southern
Appalachian forestlands published in 1902 by
Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson and
Gifford PinchoL The survey said that "the
special hardwood forests of the beautiful
Appalachians were being destroyed by
lumbering, fires, and - perhaps worst - by
mountainside farming. These agents of
destruction were causing the soil 10 leach,
slopes to erode, and streams to flood their
banks with rain and melting snow."
It was not a coincidence that the tum of
the century also saw the beginnings of the
forestry profession. The Biltmore Forestry
School, the first forestry school m the United
States, was located in Pisgah Fore.\t, North
Quolina. It was begun by the German forester
Carl Schenck, who was brought over by the
Vanderbilts, and subsequently directed by
Gifford PinchoL Suddenly the mountain
forests were attracting professional imercs1.
There was a growing awareness that the
yearly burning was destroying a fonune in
timber, and, since the railroads had finally
penetrated into the mountains, there was at last
a way 10 get at it To the foresters a forest was
an investment, more than an ecosystem with
its own processes and priorities.
The newly-convened foresters saw
burning the woods as the utmost stupidity. 1n
1923, Nonh Carolina Forester J. S. Holmes
surveyed rural residents to determine the
answer to the "burning" question: why did
they ftre the woods? He fouod that some fires
were staned by ''carelessness" and others by
"negligence." "Locomolives," "hunters,"
"sawmills," and the blanket category
"matches. cigar stumps, boys, etc."
contributed their share. While the most
common reason stated for starting woodland
fires was "to improve the range," Holmes'
survey showed conclusively that by far the
greatest proportion of fires were sraned by
people "without much object, 10 see it bum,
etc."
The damage to the forest was
considerable, but the worst was to come. The
large timber companies followed the railroad
into the mountains. and the Appalachian
timber boom was on. The timber barons were
ruthlessly exploiting a resource. They lo;ged
widely and indiscriminately. Whole hillsides
were cleared. Yet the greatest descruction came
from fires that staned after the loggers had left
a site. ln their greed and carelessness, the
logging companies left behiod on the
desecrated slopes great piles of slash, the tops
of fallen m:es. This build-up of fuel caused
fierce, hot fires that destroyed the remaining
crces, burned up the organic layer of the soil,
caused massive erosion and siltation. and even
degraded the potential of the forest to recover.
1n the eyes of the foresters, and
increasingly among the general public, fl.l'C
began to be perceived as an unmitigated evil.
ln his book Fire in America, Stephen J. Pyne
quotes lines from a poem of the period.
'They are loosed from their hiding
And the red wolves are riding There is blood and blast and fury in their
eyes And their packs go a-crashing
There's a crackle and lashing
Breathing smoke and sparks and splinters to
the skies.
- Anthony Euwer, "Red Wolves"
(canunucd on next page)
x.atuar, Journat
pQCJe 7
�(continW'd from page 7)
The Southern Appalachians came to be
seen as a national disgrace, and a call grew for
the establishment of timber reserves in the
region. It seemed to be the only way to halt
the fires and the flooding.
The timber companies were agreeable.
They had already used the forested eastern
mountains. Now their sights were set on the
tall old-growth stands of the Pacific
Nonhwest. They were happy to sell out and
leave. Timber barons and politicians alike
found that it was sttategically wise to blame
the problems of the forests on fire. Fire
control enjoyed a political unanimity that
controversial initiatives to regulate logging
practices did not. "To save the forests, the
main thing is to make laws to stop the fires,"
intoned timber magnate F. E. Weyerhauser
before a congressional committee in 1908.
The Weeks Act of 1911 provided for federal
purchase of timberlands in the East, and the
US Forest Service was born to care for and
manage the lands.
The new Forest Service rangers in the
Appalachians saw their first task as stopping
fire. They consn-ucted a fire lookout system
and organized fire-fighting crews. They began
a large-scale enforcement and public education
program to convince local fanners to give up
the practice of firing the woods. Throughout
the l 930's and the I940's, as the forest
gradually grew back and began to repair the
scars of its mistreatment, firefighting and
prevention was a major focus of the rangers'
effons. In a stroke of advertising genius, they
recruited the aid of Smokey the Bear. The
national public relations campaign was
successful beyond all eitpectations, and as a
side-effect greatly enhanced the image of the
by Vic Weals
East Tennessee rivers were at their
lowest flow in anybody's memory, and the
15.38 inches of rain that fell in the first seven
months of 1925 were less than half the
normal.
The Knoxville weather station was in its
55th year, and 1925 was the honest a.nd driest
yet recorded, meteorologist J.I. Widmeyer
told the local newspapers.
The temperature for Monday, Sept. 7,
~ 925, is still the highest recorded on that date
in all the 109 years of the Knoxville weather
station. The official reading was 102 degrees.
Logging camps had their greatest exodus
of workers. Heat without letup and short
tempers had sent many a man packing.
Benha and Frank Coppenger were still
working for logging contractor Gold Millsaps
a1 the beginning of September in l 925.
Bertha remembers Saturday, Sept. 5,
1925, as a notably ominous, uncomfonable
day in Jeffreys Hell. There was smoke in the
air from the woods fire that had now burned
more than two weeks across the ridge on
South Fork.
Frank was working at scaling logs that
Saturday. He measured them as they were
brought to the rail landing, and kept a record
of 1he number and kind and size.
Frank brought Will Graves, the camp
foreman, home to the Coppenger quarters
after their work day ended in the afternoon.
~~lU\» J(!Uf~t pm.JC
8
Forest Service as the friends of Smokey and
all the forest crearures.
Smokey's massive propaganda
campaign did help greatly in the fire
prevention effon, but it also had some
negative results. Only in recent years has it
become once again acceptable 10 talk of the
positive and necessary effects of
' THEN JT HAPPENED! SOME CAREI.E55 PE.RSOIII
i'LIPPEO A LIGHTED MATCH •••
From 'TM Tr,u Story a/Smoky tM B~ar·
naturally-caused fire in some ecosystems. The
Tall Timbers Research Station in Florida, for
eitample, opened up new pathways in fire
research and for 20 years has sponsored an
annual scienrific conference on fi.re ecology.
ln 1963. the Leopold Report. presented 10 the
National Park Service, and th~ 1964
Wilderness Act both called on federal agencies
to recognize fire's role in wildlancrs. But
because of the degree of one-sided
conditioning, the general public is having
difficulty accepting the fact that fire is a
process that is natural and, in some ecological
communities. essential.
One guide to the future is the fire policy
in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
which has the avowed goal of maintaining an
FIRE IN
JEFFREYS HELL
Frank filled his homemade poplar-board
bathtub with warm water and invited Will to
take his first bath.
Frank told him to take his time, and Will
did, soaking for maybe half an hour in the last
great enjoyment he would experience on eanh.
Benha says they had dinner early
Sunday, and right after that, about 12 noon,
the men were called out The fire was coming
across the mountain into Jeffreys Hell itself.
"Frank left with the other men to tty 10
smn a back-fire and maybe save the camp,"
Benha says.
''There was nothing fo.r me 10 do but
1alce the children and ge1 ou1 of 1hcre,"
Bertha explains at this point 1ha1 her two
oldest daughters, Sylvia and Beatrice, had left
camp only a week before for the Stan of the
school term in Tellico Plains. It was the two
youngest daughters, Bessie and Lula, who
were in Jeffreys Hell with their parents on that
fateful day.
"I got my husband's suit and draped it
over my ann," Benha continues. "I put the
Bible into his front pocket. The Bible had all
the family binh records in it"
"I had a new dress from Sears and
Roebuck. I had never worn that dress. It was
still in the box that it had been mailed in. I
ecosystem similar 10 that present before white
settlement for the purpose of human
recreational enjoyment. Flawed though the
guidelines may be from the point of view of
habitat preservation, the Park still represents
550,000 acres of (nearly) de /aero
wilderness.
Under current laws, the Park is not able
to use prescribed bums and must suppress
every fire ignited within the Park boundaries.
However, a draft policy recommendation is
being prepared which will suggest that
naturally-caused fires be monitored and, in
some cases, be allowed 10 bum.
Under the new policy, the Park might be
able 10 use fire in cenain situations - to
suppress eitotic species invading the Park, for
example, or to reestablish habitat for species
like the red cockaded woodpecker, which
once inhabited the Great Smoky Mountains.
This bird likes open woodlands, and when the
undergrowth in its nesting area grows up
more than 10-15 feet in height, it abandons its
nesting site and moves elsewhere. However,
due to complete fire suppression, there is no
"elsewhere'' in the Park and little in the
mountains as a region. The woodpecker has
been sighted in eastern Tennessee. but the las,
confirmed sighting in the Park was in 1982,
although in recent years there have been
several unverified sightings of birds that could
be red cockaded woodpeckers.
Like the red wolf, a policy that allows
narurally-caused fires to bum may be
reintroduced in the Southern Appalachians vio
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Fire has a place in the forest, of that we are
sure. We are less sure of how 10 bring fire
back into its proper place in the scheme of
things.
~
took it out of the box and draped iL over my
arm with my husband's suit
ttWe started down the railroad toward
the town of Jeffrey. It was several miles, 1
forget exactly how far.
"We walked the crossties. I couldn't
make it very fast because I wasn't used to
walking on crossties.
"And my least linlc girl, I had to carry
her most of the way.
''And it looked like every few minutes
we were going to be cut off by the fire.
''The train came up the grade, but didn'1
stop for us. The engineer motioned us down
toward the town," she recalls.
She says the locomotive had been in
the repair shed and was taken our hastily that
Sunday to go on the emergency run. The
screen that should have been in place on the
smokestack to catch sparks from the fireboit
was not in place.
And as the engine scattered hot cinclerS
into Jeffreys Hell, it set new fires behind it.
Garfield A. Milsaps also worked for
logging conttactor Gold Millsaps, and lived
in the same camp with Frank and Bertha
Coppenger and Bill Graves, the camp
foreman.
He remembers Sunday morning.
September 6, 1925.
"Bill Graves told me to get the horses
out of there while I could. We had them fine
big logging horses • Nonnans and Percberons
(continued on page 10)
loJ\.I\WT, J99J-9'2 I
�Barbara J. Sands
In Less Than Ten Moons
A message for my Brothers at Lewisburg
In less than ten moons,
the moans of pleasure in a moment's quiet passion
flow steady as the river
into moans of labor.
The blending of two spirits in sacred dance,
in less than ten moons,
the creator weaves beneath my skin
into a new life.
Karuah
for Hawk
I listen to you deny your power to change,
to rise above the habits of self devastation
that have always held you back.
You tell me that you are too weak, that il is too hard ...
In quiet understanding, l smile...
Do you think you walk alone?
In these quiet hills
the swirling mist curls skyward,
Mother Earth offering her pipe to the Great Mystery.
It is easy to feel her in these ancient mountains.
My bare toes dig into the damp soil.
The breeze plays with my hair and shoulders.
I am invisible here, part of the whole.
My brother, when you can see the other road,
the birthing has already begun.
I grow roots, deep into the body of the Mother.
Her energy flows through me,
caressing me, warming me.
I join the timeless flow of all things.
Does it help you to know
that it is useless to tell me
what can not be done?
Three times, I have felt the swelling of life within my belly,
Three times, I have birthed between my legs a Jiving miracle,
Three times, I have watched the first breath of a warm, wet, newborn
And seen with my own eyes, and felt with my own flesh,
and known with my own heart,
the power of the Spirit That Flows in All Things
to change the world ...
In less than ten moons.
I dream.
I am a mountain lion. An eagle.
A rock in a swiftly flowing stream.
A leaf floating in the breeze.
A seed, waiting in the earth.
I am everything.
I am nothing.
The day breaks.
Father paints the sky with gold.
And I never want to leave this place.
k1lntcr, Hl91-92
Dnwin& by Rob Mmiclo.
�~
•
• a.
--
...
..,. '
Drawing by Rob Levacn
(cantinuod &om page 8)
and ClydesdaJes and someoLhers. We had 18
head of horses.
"We tied them Logether single-file and
led them down the railroad track. Fred Allen,
George Robens, Oley Hooper and Jape
McClure (now deceased) helped me. There
might have been some others.
"We walked the horses between the rails
where the ballast between the crossties made a
smooth path. Sometimes there was a
smoother trail beside the railroad. We took to
the creeJc to get around trestles. Horses won't
hardly walk a trestle.
"We tied the horses below the store and
post office at Jeffrey. Then we all went back
up the creeJc to help fight the fire."
Walter J. Evans, wife Grace and their
first two sons, Leslie, about 4 years old, and
Bill, 15 months old, lived just up the track
from the Gold Millsaps' camp and within
sight of it.
"Me and Frank Coppenger and a bunch
of men went to the fire line along the top of
the mountain," Walter recalls. He says they
thought they had the fire controlled there.
"We got up there a linle ways and we
heard the train coming up the railroad.
"We ran back down and Frank was
ahead of me and got to the train, him and
several more of the boys did.
"'The fire cut me and a bunch of the other
boys off and we didn't get to the train.
"We had to go back 10 the top of the
mountain to where the fire had already burned
over and get out thataway," Walter recalls.
One of the people with Walter was a
young relative who was quite drunk. "He
was too drunk to be afraid of what was
happening to us," Walter says.
Walter himself was only 31 years old
but he said to the younger man, "Son, I ha~
to leave you here to get burned up. But I've
fooled with you till I don't know whether ru
get out or not. I'm going to have to leave
you."
Walter says he began to run, and left the
other man. "But in just a few minutes he
passed me running. He ran over trees and
rocks and turned somersets and outran me to
the top of the mountain.
"He wouldn't get scared until be seen
Xawan )oumat
I
4J t •:
1 )P'":
1t ,•
pQCJa
l
O JI
so
•
that I left him. He got scared then."
Garfield Millsaps, returned from leading
the horses down the valley, was caught
behind the fire in the group with Walter. The
men were running side by side when Walter
threw away his ax.
"What was that you throwed away?'"
Garfied asked him
"My ax," Walter said.
"Don't throw our cools away," Garfield
said.
"Where we're going in a few minutes
we won'c need none, and I ain't taking none
with me," Walter told Garfield.
"I was sure we were all going to die
right there and right then," Walter says. '
Everybody in that group survived,
though. And of !he dozens of men scauered
over the thousands of acres of Jeffreys Hell
that day, only Frank Coppenger and Bill
Graves died.
Fronk and Bill and the others !hat made
it to the train were able to load the household
furniture from Walter Evans' shanty car and
one other onto the train. Then they had to
leave, because the fire was moving in.
Cinders from the locomotive's stack had
set new fires down the creek and closed off
that escape. Engineer Dave Dockery started
the train on up the valley. There was no
alternative.
. Walter says there was a big, new log
landing beside the creek in a curve of the
railroad about 300 yards above the camp. The
landing was smned in March, and the teams
had been bringing logs in for six months now
and only one trainload of logs had been hauled
away from it.
Frank Coppenger and Bill Graves left
the train there. 'The men told me later that
they wet their handkerchiefs in the water of
the creek and started up over that landing "
Walter continues.
'
'They thoughc they could make it across
the mountain to Willis Tucker's camp to warn
him about the fire."
'They got up just a litde ways and had to
run out of the slddroad into a field of green
touch-me-nots. That's where they got burned
up," Walter says.
_The wind was up and updrafts were
carrying great masses of flame from ridge to
ridge by now. Frank and Bill were thought to
have died of suffocation before their bodies
bumed.
Big portions of both bodies were burned
a~ay; Frank's was identifiable by !he gold in
bis teeth. The buckles from Bill's overalls
were found under his corpse. Too, Bill had
on a hat and Frank didn't, and the hat
insulated Bill's head so that it was burned less
than Frank's was.
. All the people who stayed on the train
survived. They left the train on the first leg of
a double switchback at the head of the valley.
They were able to run to safety through a
hollow that had burned out two days
previously, Walter says.
Bertha sensed on Sunday afternoon that
Frank was dead. She waited beside camp
most of the night while searchers depaned and
returned. Her two oldest daughters came
across the mountain from Tellico Plains to be
with ~er. All four daughters, Sylvia,
Beatnce, Bessie, and Lula, were wi1h her
when word came that Frank's body had been
found early the next morning.
The watches of both victims, Frank and
Bill, had been welded by the heat and stopped
at 2 o'clock, two hours after their Sunday
dinner.
:;,
R~pri,1ud wi11t pumissi()nfrom /M Knoxville Journal
ofMarcJi 22, /979 and Marclt 29, /979.
At,: Fisherman/
(t:.~=
Fire Plevcntion Ad from 1923
Wlnur, 199 1-92
:r
IIJIH
i, ,•11 '•'
�'!Tif'"
.' •
•
t
I
t
••
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~
•
crossroads. These men worked iron for a
trade, but it also was common for
homesteaders to have a small anvil and forge
on their farm. Just as homeowners today
usually have a power saw and know how to
drive a nail, so fanners in those times knew
how to do many of the small repairs that wcrc
always necessary.
So, although the blacksmith was
important and respected in the community by
right of his skill, he had no monopoly on the
trade. It was a common, egalitarian line of
work. In that period, labor was cheap and
materials were hard to come by. The smith
provided a service, and so took whatever the
community could provide in trade for his
work. Iron was a valuable commodity. new or
us~. ~d the ~~y was also a salvage shop.
Sm1~mg and nulling were the high points of
!he village technology; but the smithy
probably looked more like a scrap yard than a
prosperous local business.
FIRE AND FORGE
by Jan Davidson and David Brewin
Just as the fire on the hearth was the
cemer of the home, the bl:icksmith's fire was
the center of community production in the
mountain villages of the European settlers.
Before the Southern Appalachians and the
other rural areas of the country were tied into
the mass market and che nattonal
manufacturing system, a simple local
technology was shaped at the blacksmith's
forge. Upon it was based a self-sufficient
rural economy.
The guiding principle was, "Figure out
how to m~e it and hammer it out," according
to R. 0. Wilson, of Speedwell Community in
Jackson County, NC. Shelter was the first
thin~ a frontier family_ thought of on arriving
at a likely locanon. With a double-bitted axe, a
broadaxe, a foot adze, and a square, they
could put a log house together.
The next necessity was food. The
blacksmith made the tools for food
production. Unless a fanner wanted to work
with a wooden plow, he went to the
blacksmith. The smith also made equipment
for handling the draft animals, not only the
horse shoes, ox shoes, and mule shoes, but
also the bns and rings of the harness.
The t00ls to cook the food with were
also made in the smithy, as well as the
wagons that hauled the produce to market.
~ot every blacksmi~ could make a wagon of
iron and wood, but m those remote mountain
villages, where people had to be self-reliant, a
lot of them could do the job. Any good
blacksmith's shop could fix a wagon and pUl
"tires" (as the steel rims were called) on the
wheels. The whole transportation system
depended on the blacksmith.
The blacksmith made all the edged tools
lo>tntcr, 199 I -92
Iron Work by David Bttwin
· knives, axes, saws - that a farmer took into
the woods when going to hunt meat for food
or to cut wood for building or heating lhe
home. The gun he carried was often made in
the same village he lived in. Guns were critical
to the early mountain families for food and for
defense, and gun-making was a branch of
blacksmithing.
The blacksrruth could make a loom. The
blacksmith could make a grist mill.
"You had to have hoes, you had to have
plows and horses, cradle blades, mowing
blades, axes, mauocks and wedges,
go-devils, all of these things," says long-time
mountain resident Mary Jane Queen.
..•And single-tree hardware, hinge
pintles, staples. naiJs, cooper's adze.-;, ginseng
hoes, bear traps, bullet molds, cowbells,
augers, barking spuds, pothooks, sickles,
post-hole diggers, froes. spatulas, ladles - all
of these were products of the blacksmith's an.
For food, clothing. shelter, and
tronsponation. almost every aspect of the
community except its spiritual life, people
were dependent on the blacksmith.
The smithy was a focal point for the
village. It was a center for the village
economy, but it also was a men's social
center. ln those days a person did not drop
something off and say, "!'II be by to pick this
up after J do some shopping." When a man
brought a job in, he and the blacksmith
worked on it together.
"They would go there, the men folks
would, if they had tools to have fixed, and
they would help grandpaw run the forge, and
they'd sit and talk· then they'd get up and
work a while, and then they'd talk awhile."
remembers Mary Jane Queen.
There was at least one blacksmith in
each town and often there was a smithy at the
Blacksmithing was always associated
with magic. For a srni!h to lake what looked
like ~lain rocks from the ground, draw out
hard iron, and transform that iron into tools
and weapons that gave their social group an
immense technological advantage must have
seemed magical indeed.
In Christian Europe when the
technology of ironworlcing had become
common, the blacksmith was still held in
some awe, but it was not the elevated stature
the smith had held in the early days of
civilization. Particularly in PoJand and Russia
blacksn:tiths ~ere thought 10 be in league with'
the devil. h 1s easy to see why. The smith's
sweaty, blackened face and torso dinied by
working all day at the sooty forg;; the forge
fire. hot and bright; the incessant ringing of
metal on metal; the showering sparks in the
smith's gloomy shop. which had to be kept
darkened so the smith could ·:iccurately sec the
color of the metal he was working: all the
images associated with Hell were drawn from
the blacksmith's trade.
The mountain story of "Wicked John
and the Devil" carried the connection over into
the New World in the tale of a blacksmith who
was "meaner'n the devil himself.~
Well-known mountain storyteller Ray Hicks
tells a "Jack tale" that relates how Jack
magically trapped seven devils in his sack.
Jack took his sackload to the blacksmith, who
pounded them 10 cinders on his anvil.
In a different tradition, iron was
supposed to defeat the magic of the fairies or
the Little People. In the British Isles some
travelers would wear an iron pin to protect
tl\emscl,ves from ~sfortune along their way.
The smithy, where iron was the stock in trade
was obviously a safe place, free of magic.
'
Other folklore followed the blacksmiths'
trade across the ocean. One custom held that
the water in which the smith quenched the hot
iron was a cure for poison ivy. There were
many others. Even today some blacksmiths
tap the anviJ three times at the end of the
workday to ''chain the devil."
In Europe, the basic tools of the
blacksmith • the nnvil, hammer, forge. and
bello~s - had all taken their classic shape by
the Middle Ages. Their design has been little
changed to this day.
.
The other primary tool of the blacksmith
1s fire. People do not usually think of fire as a
(a,ntinued OIi DCJCI ~ )
Xatilall Journa£ paqc 11
�which earned it into the forge 10 aerate the
f1re.
In the forge, lhe ore was formed into a
"bloom," a roughly spherical blob of
semi-molten iron, air bubbles. and impurities.
The bloom was beaten under the uip hammer
to remove air and foreign materials. When it
was done, it had been beaten into a nauene.d
"ham." The Hanging Dog Bloomcry Forge
turned ou1 1wo or three hams a day, each
weighing about 20 pounds.
The hams were shaped into b~ with
curved ends like sled runner,; so thnt a bundle
of them could be dragged behind a t¢.'lm or
oxe~ to local blacksmiths' shops within a five
or six county area.
This level of production me1 1he needs of
the area until the railroad came and tied 1he
region in10 the national industrial system. It
quickly became more economical to dig iron
Photo councsy of Ille Mountain Heniagc Center
(continued Crom page II)
1001 because it is no1 a solid objec1 that is
picked up and manipula1ed wi1h 1he hands, bu1
fire is crucial 10 every stage of the
blacksmilh's work. Woodworkers shape 1heir
ma1erial by removing some of it. bUL, while it
is hot, iron is a plastic me.dium thal can be
reshaped with li11le or no material being losL
The forge is the specialized fireplace that
holds the blacksmith's superheated fire. In
early times, blacksmiths used charcoal as fuel,
but shonly after the Civil War coke came to be
the most common fuel used in the mountains.
Coke is soft coal burned slowly at low
temperatures to remove the impurities., as
charcoal is made from wood. The bJacksmjth
made his own coke, healing it slowly and with
almos1 no air around the sides of 1he forge.
The blacksmith's fire was kept very hot
by the continuous ac1ion of a bellows. (foday
a blacksmi1h is more likely to use
anelecuically-powen:d blower.) For each
process perfonned by the blacksmith, the
metal must be a1 precisely the right
temperature. For some processes the metal
must be heated to over 2000 degrees
FahrenheiL
As the temperature of the metal changes,
so docs i1s color. The color changes arc the
blacksmith's thermometer, and the smi1h must
learn to distinguish the various gradations of
color in the heated metal. The iron changes
from pale yellow to straw yellow, purple,
blue, gray, dull red, sun rise red, cherry red,
light red, almos1 orange, and then white as its
internal rempe.rruure rises. More time in the
heat of 1he flames turns white heat to
incandescent white and then to a liquid
yellow, which indicates that the surface has
become semi-molten.
•
When the metal is hca1ed 10 the right
degree, the smith can flntten it or taper it, in a
process known as "drawing out." Or the smith
can "upset" the metal by drawing it back on
itself. If a tool needs holes, the smith can
punch them out. Two pieces of hot iron can be
joined together by ''forge welding,"
hammering them together on the anvil.
Blacksmiths' hammers come in a variety
of sizes and shapes. Some are swung, while
others are sci on the piece and StrUClc with a
sledge wielded by an assistant, "the striker."
In a small shop 1herc is usually only one
anvil, but it is capable of doing many different
jobs. The flat face of the anvil is used 10
hammer the metal into the various shapes. The
Xatunfl JOU-ma! page 12
horn is used in bending circles or arcs of
various sizes and can also be used to speed up
1he drawing out process, since the roundness
of the hom acts as a lens to focus the energy
of the blow.
Af1er shaping, the tool or part being
worked is heat treate.d to give either the
hardened metal of a axe head or the springy,
shock-absorbing metal of a saw. As in
forging, the color of the polished metal tells
the smith what kind of hardness, brit1leness,
or springiness the finished tool will have.
Axe heads or chisels can be treated to
vary the hardness wi1hin the tool. A cold
chisel tempered by a smith can be hard and
tough at the cuuing edge and relatively soft at
the baner end so 1ha1 the force of the blows is
cushioned and the chisel is less likely to
break.
Today the hardening and tempering of
tools is done in computer-controlled factory
ovens. Treating tools in large batches may be
economically more efficient, bul an old
blacksmith would consider the tools that we
use today to be of inferior quality.
Contrary to a commonly-held
stereotype, mountain life was not completely
agricultural and not all a matter of handwork.
Blacksmithing was pan of a sclf-rontained,
localized industrial process. Even the iron
used in the blacksmith's shop was produced
within the region at "bloomery forges," like
the two located in Hanging Dog, North
Carolina. Wood for charcoal and limonite,
iron ore, were found near 1he site, and 1he
operation was powered by wa1er power.
The ore was washed under a scream of
water and crushed to powder beneath the
weight of a 750 pound water-driven hammer
suiking at the rate of 100 times per minute.
The powdered ore was mixed with chan:oal
and healed in the bloomery forge. The forge
fire was kepi hot by the "trompe," a simple,
ye1 very sophisticated mechanism that fed a
continuous stream of air to the forge. Running
creek water filled a tank at the top of the
trompe. The water fell through rwo tubes,
which were pierced with small holes. The
falling water drew air through the holes into
the tubes. At the bottom, the water and air
entered what was known as the "wind box."
The rising level of the water forced the air
upwards and out through the wind 1ubc,
out of big pit mines, smelt it in huge blast
furnaces, and ship ii great distances.
By 1920 the local blacksmiths were
being usurped by large hardware companies
who were sending out catalogs by mail tha1
offered almos1 everything in the tool line.
Small-town country scores would keep a
catalog and make orders for their customers.
People became accustomed to purchasing
standard tools from the catalog, but there were
special tools that were never included, and
there still were people who would go to the
local blacksmith, because they did not have
the cash to order through the mail. But they
became fewer and fewer, and gradually the
local blacksmiths disappeared. When the
automobile was introduced, it was a natural
step for blacksmiths 10 move into mechanics,
body work, or welding.
Tourism provided one outlet. In Yancey
and Mitchell Coumies, for instance, 1he Boone
family succc.c;sfully made a transition to
ornamental and decorative ironwork. The
company still makes andirons, chandeliers,
flre sets, and other ornamental pieces for
customers on four continents. Their
succes~iul business means that in Spruce
Pine, North Carolina there is still a blacksmith
shop where a tool can be made or
repaired.Other small smithies still operate in
the mountains.
In recent years, 1he John C. Campbell
Folk School has been a center for smithing
instruc1ion. Students have come from every
part of the country to study there under Oscar
Canircll or the internationally known master
smith, Francis Whit1aker.
Ah.hough it may have been displaced
from itS position as the keeper of the village
fire, _the tradition of blacksmithing still
conunues.
p/a,J'
Jan Davidson is curaror of the Mou111ain
Heritage Center on the campus of Westem
Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC.
Dtn•id Brewin also works QJ the Cenrer.
bur blacksmithing is his first Jove.
The exhibit "lron.f in the Fire· is currently 011
display OJ tht MoU11trun lfrritoge Centu. Tht
prtse1110twn brings to life tht hinory of
black.smithing, shows m llll(l(lrlance 10 tlU! Europt0/1
stllltrs in the IIIOUntuins, and illustrates contemporary
app/ica11ons of the art. Tht uhibit includes a
20-minuu mu/ti-image slidt show and is open
Monday- Friday from 8 am 10 5 pm. For mare
informtJtion, call (704) 227-7129.
1.,1,n~r. t99t-92
�THE FIRST FIRE
out again at the same hole, but his 'body had been scorched black,
and he has ever since had the habit of daning and doubling on his
track as if trying to escape from close quarters. He came back,
and the great blacksnake, Gule'gi, "the Climber," offered to go
for fire. He swam over to the island and climbed up the tree on
the outside, as the blacksnake always does, but when he put his
head down into the hole the smoke choked him so that he fell into
the burning stump, and before he could climb out again he was as
black as the Uksu'lu.
Now they held another council, for still there was no fire,
and the world was cold, but birds, snakes. and four-footed
animals, all had some excuse for not going. because they were all
afraid 10 venture near the burning sycamore, until at last
Kanane'ski Amai'yelii, the water spider, said she would go. This
is not t.he water spider that looks like a mosquito, but the other
one, with black downy hair and red stripes on her body. She can
run on top of the water or dive to the bottom, so there would be
no trouble to get over 10 the island. but the question was, How
could she bring back the fire?
''I'll manage that.." said the water spider, so she spun a
thread from her body and wove il into a rusti bowl, which she
fastened on her back. Then she crossed over to the island and
through the grass to where the fire was still burning. She put one
little coal of fire into her bowl, and came back with it, and ever
since we have had fire, and the water spider still keeps her msri
bo~.
~v
In the beginning there was no fire, and the world was
cold, until the Thunders, who lived up in Ga/un'/ari, sent their
lightning and put fire into the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree
which grew on an island. The animals knew it was there, because
they could see smoke coming out at the top, but they could not
get to it on account of the water, so they held a council 10 decide
what to do. This was a long time ago.
Every animal that could fly or swim was anxious to go
after the fire. The raven offered, and because he was so large and
strong they thought he could surely do the work, so he was sent
first. Ile flew high and far across the water and alighted on the
sycamore tree, but while he was wondering what to do next, the
beat had scorched all his feathers black, and he was frightened
and came back without the fire. \Vahultu, the liule screech-owl,
volunteered to go, and reached the place safely, but while he was
looking down into the hollow tree a blast of hot air came up and
nearly burned out his eyes. He managed 10 fly home as best he
could, but it was a long time before he could see well, and his
eyes are red to this day.
Then U'guk.11, the hooting owl, and Ts/dli, the homed
owl, went, but by the time they got to the hollow tree the fire was
burning so fiercely that the smoke nearly blinded them, and the
ashes carried up by the wind made white rings about their eyes.
They had to come home again without the fire, but with all their
rubbing they were never able to get rid of the white rings.
No more of the birds would venture, and so the liule
Uks11'Jii snake, the black racer, said he would go through the
water and bring back some fire. He swam across 10 the island
and crawled through the grass 10 the tree, and went in by a small
hole in at tne bottom. The heat and smoke were too much for
him, 100, and after dodging about blindly over the hot ashes until
he was almost on fire himself, he managed by good luck to get
::!II'
Version collected by James Mooney inl>tywo{llutC/iuol<LeandSa.:r~
FtxmMlaso/llut CMrouu, published in 1900.
A tusLi bowl wos o cloy vt.r~I. scribed w11h o urtain design \l'ht her
was the vusel itselfor was the name of the po11tr11 of markings is n •I
known, but the IIISU bowl was o .wcred ium.
IUSU
'
1.i~nt~r. 1991-92
A Cherokee Legend
Drawings by James Rhea
�HEARTH & FIRE IN THE MOUNTAINS
by Barbara Wickersham
The Highlands of Roan is a place of
spectaculru- beauty. Seven1.een miles of the
Appalachian Trail cross the massif and are
reputed 10 be some of the mos1 beautiful
stretches of the 2,000-mile 1rek. Settlers started
moving into this tumble of mountains in the
very late I 700's and discovered vast forests
filled with big timber and abundant game; plenty
of fresh, clean water, teeming wi1h trout: and
possibilities for subsistence farming, "sona hard
come by." They brought wilh them to this
wilderness a strong need for hearth and lire.
. The hearth, called "hath" by the
ol~-~crs, was the cc~ter of f!IUCh family
acnvny and took prominence m the building of a
home. Much care and time was spent in its
creation since ii was not only 1he center of
family life, bu1 essential for survival.
. While I was in Roan Mountain recently, a
fnend and I smpped by to see my friend Jim. a
mountain man of great presence who is a story
teller quintessential, a natural historian, and a
philosopher of sons. He has survived many a
harsh fire-demanding winter in the Roan
Mountain Community and seemed to be a
perfect source.
His blue eyes squinted thoughtfully as he
peered out from under a shock of grey hair, a
work-worn hand resting gently on Joe, his big
Gennnn shepherd lying protectively at his side.
He leaned back comfortably in his grea1 chair
and agreed 10 share with us some thoughts
about the use and importance of heanb and fire
during his growing up years.
"First," he explained, "You built the
chimley to a house, and you jest got big field
stones and clay mud, and you'd lay up a rock
and then you'd lay up a bunch of clay mud, then
ano'1!er round of rocks and more mud 'till you
get high as you wanted, and then you built your
hearth."
His voice trailed off as he seemed lost in
another time, another place for the moment, then
sighed, remembering, and continued.
"You hunted as big a flat rock as you
could find to make a heanh out of. Gen'ly had
to build up small rocks under it to make it level
with the floor. What it was for was to catch the
fire 'till it wouldn't get out and bum the house.
They'd be three to four fec1 long and a1 least
about that deep back. Then you got a big
backstick that was to go in the back of the
fircplace ... throwed the heat out Sometimes hit
would be 16 to 18 inches through, sometimes
bigger, and jest half it, and il'd take two to pu1 it
on.
"Sometimes you'd have 10 roll it in, but
it'd last all day behind there, and you'd pu1
smaller wood in front. Then you had a fire, and
you usually never let ii go out 'til along after
April when they'd have an old cookstove
a'goin', and hit went through the summer 'bout
all day."
Matches to start the fire were not easily
obtained. [f available at all, a box of matches
cost about a nickel and "it took sometimes an
hour to work ou1 that nickel back in the late '20s
and early '30s. l can remember well when
people would borrow fire, bring a little old
bucket, come to borrow a chunk of fire. I've
Xatuah J?14n~t J1Q9lt 14
PholO coune,y of lbe Mounwn Heriiaac Caller
even know'd 'em to take the shot out of a
shotgun shell and put a piece of co1ton where
the sho1 was - the powder would still be in the
shell - and they'd lire 1ha1 into some real dry
kindlin' or punk and it would set that co11on
a-fire. Then you jest blow'd on it and you'd
have a good fire in jest a minute."
Punk is very dry rotten, crumbly wood
found inside some hardwood trees.
"You could get it beuer out of a hard
maple and usually ever'body kepi a little around
where it would be dry. Hit wouldn't blaze bu1
made big coals, and once it was a'fire, it s;ayed
a'fire."
Sparks from soiking cwo pieces of flint
together were also used to fire punk.
All the fireplaces had an iron rod built into
the chimney, usually made of wagon wheel
ir<?n. Double pothooks (S shaped) were hung on
this rod and meals were cooked in hanging pots.
.
''When Mom cooked beans or anything
hke that, she pm 'em on early in 1he mornin'
and let them cook 'till noon or she'd cook boiled
cabbage, lots of soup beans, or when she
cooked pork or beef, she cooked ii in a
three-gallon iron pot. That's what it took to do
us for 1wo meals.
"You had to have a fire, and that saved a
lot of wood and more time. Stove wood had to
be gonen in the mountains where it was dead
and dry. Sometimes, owin' to how long you'd
been livin' in a place, you'd have to go a puny
good ways to get it. You'd drag it in 10 the
woodyard with a horse, either on a sled or drag
the whole tree, and 1hen chop it
"Usually mother wanted dead locust hardest stuff in the world. You'd be three
minutes before you'd get one stick off, and 1ha1
would get a stove or a fire really hot, burnt
slow, and had a big coal with it, left coals in
there. You'd get one good fire, and it'd cook a
meal."
The cook stove had a bread oven, but in
the winter they often used a ponable, lidded.
cast iron oven that could be put among the coals
on the hcanh rock. They raked back the coals,
se1 the oven down, and 1hen covered it with
coals. The bread inside the oven cooked to a
fine tum.
"Mom could tell by the smell when it wns
done. Now tha1 was good cornbread!
Sometimes she made pone wheat bread, and I
have eat some rye bread made that-a-way."
Family life centered around the heanh.
The room that housed it was called 1he ftrero0m
(our present living room), and the mantle was
called_the fireboard. It was generally the largest
room in the house and held at least two big
beds.
Sickness was a real problem. since there
was little medical help available. and it was not
uncommon for a woman to be "sittin' under the
(sick) baby" by the hearth all day. Toothache
was trealed by putting hot ashes in a rag on the
jaw to ease the pain. Smoke was blown in the
car to soothe an earache.
"Hit worked. Hit was jest something 10
git it warm, I guess. rve had it blow'd in mine
many of a time when l was little. They'd jes1
puff it in their mouth, put their mouth right up
close to your ear, and blow right slow. When
they'd quit, you could see that liule curl of
smoke comin' out"
Colds were a menace; treatn)ent was
simple. Water was boiled in a cast iron 1calceule
and poured in10 a pan. Vicks salve was added
and the person with the cold leaned over this
with a quilt covering both the person and the
pan. It worked magic! Babies and small children
often had what they called croup. Ir was treated
in much the same way.
"Kids'd completely choke up and that was
the only way they had to break it They'd jest
quit breathin."
A person with rheumatism clid wha1 they
called "bakin' it" by putting a quilt on the hearth
and scooting as close to the fire as the intense
heat would allow, thus lcilling the pain.
A baby animal, unfonunate enough to be
born on a cold winter night or just rejected by its
mother, was brought in by the hearth and hand
fed.
Wlnter, t 99 t -9Z
�"We'd bring liule pigs in a lot of times,
and lambs, and I have brought calves in by the
heanh. I remember having baby pigs in a
confined place close where they could keep
wann when they would come unexpec1edly in
the cold time. If they could ever get to suck a
pig or lamb, you couldn't freeze it 10 dea1h. But
a weakly pig, sometimes you'd have to bring it
in and boule-feed it, or a weakly lamb that
couldn't get up. Once you fed it a time or two,
you bad a pet, and hit was a pest - a sheep or a
pet pig is the biggest pest in the world. An old
pig would trot after you all day long and squeal,
and it not a bit hungry. You've heard the sayin'
'Aggravatin' as a pet pig' - that's whur that
come from."
Before the advent of kerosene lamps, the
room was lit at night by bundles of small pieces
of knots from black pitch pines.
"They'd go into the mountains whur 1he
old black pine had fell over and the wood rots
out and leaves them pines a-layin' there. They'd
take a 10w sack and gather a big sack full of
knots, and they'd be about 1hree inches
through."
They wouW talce pieces a bit smaller than
finger diameter, split them to length, and tie
them in bundles "aboul what you could hold in
your hand." Rawhide ties were placed at
intervals down che 12 to 18 inch long bundles.
When needed for light, a bundle was carefully
secured in a hole among the chimney rocks and
lit. As it burned down, a tie was removed and
the next one down held the bundle together.
Some people had what they called pitch holders
which were made at a black:.mith shop. It, 100,
was stuck back among the rocks in the chimney.
Kerosene ushered in a new era wilh lamps
and lanterns. In the beginning, many of the
lamps had no globe and were made 10 be used
with wool rags pushed down into the lamp, then
covered with kerosene. A bit of the wool rag
was pulled through the opening and lit, sucking
up the kerosene as it burned. Lanterns soon
replaced pitch torches for walking to church at
nigh1, going 10 parties, or seeking a missing or
sick animal on the mountain.
Fire wa.~ used 10 make life easier in lots of
ways. Down by the creek 1hey would have a
30-gallon iron keule hung from a rack a fool or
foot and one -half above a fire. This was filled
with water from the creek and clothes were
boiled using homemade lye soap. If clothes
were especially dirty, after boiling they would
be taken to the creek and beaten on the rocks
with a bauling stick. Dry wood was used for the
fire, beech, sugar tree (maple), oak, "old apple
tree made awful good fire," and the coveted
dead locust.
Ironing was made easier by starching
clothes with a cooked solution made of flour
and water. There were no ironing boards back
1hen, and ironing was done using a whi1c clo1h
on the dining lable as an ironing surface. Fial
irons were h1!.1tcd on the cooksiove, two at a
time in order to switch when one got too cool.
Most v.omen quilted, and ironing small pieced
scams flat with a heavy Oar iron thai wa, often
too hot or 100 cold was no easy task. Trying 10
follow a soap or chalk-marked quilting line in
the light of a pitch pine bundle or a kerosene
lantern was a challenge as well.
And lhen...mcn's work. On the mountain
farm, neither men's nor women's work was
ever done.
1.i11,rcr, 199 1-92
On the evening before hog killing, the men
dug a big hole and layered wood and big rocks
in it. Very dry kindling was placed on top.
About four o'clock the next morning, they
would "lire that up, and them rocks would get
hot, and we'd fill up a 60-gallon wooden barrel
with water, and we'd lay that on an angle, kinda
tilted, and we'd throw them big red hot rocks in
there, and when you got it whur it would burn
you, it was ready.
"They would have the hog up on a
scaffold and it would take three men to put it
down in there and then they'd keep feeling 'till
they could tell the hair was comin' off. Then
they would tum it and get that side. Usually you
scraped it afler you scalded it. They would tum
it around and do the other end. You kept your
fire agoin', and the water would be gitlin' some
cold but not much, and you hung them on the
scaffold then, and take the entrails out and hang
them to drip, and then they'd git the next 'un.
Kept your lire agoin' and kept the rocks hot all
the time. Take the rocks out when the water got
too cold and reheat them. Would have more
rocks all ready 10 put in while the first ones was
gettin' hot again."
A special smoke house was used to smoke
pork. A lire was built in either a hole dug in a
dirt floor or smouldered in an iron pot. The meat
was hung above this.
"Jest let it smoke... had a place in the roof
for the smoke to go out...smoked it auer it was
cured with salt. Smoked it with hickory or
mountain ash wood 'cause they wouldn't black
none."
Two survival-related uses for fire simply
have to be mentioned here. Moonshine was an
important source of cash for these mountain
people, and fire was essential both for heating
water and cooking mash. Another lucrative
business was the cutting and sawing of wood.
Sawmill boilers fired with wood made the steam
that generated power for the big pulley wheel
Belts ran from !here to the saw and made it
possible to cut giant logs into lumber.
M,010 lalcn 01 lhc home of C. E. Willwns 111
Rom Mount.tut. TN by Sort.a Wickcrr.hun
There were for 100 many other uses for
fire to recount them all, but one more important
use was for agriculture. ~New ground" had to
be cleared for a garden about every chrce ~ Everything was cut from as close 10 the ground
as possible on rhree 10 four acres of land. The
brush was put in a big pile, and the log~ were
left for a big "log rollin'.
"This was a git-together, jest one man
a'helpin' another, have 10 or 12 men. They'd
roll the logs and the women would cook.
You've heard that expression "Jest like cookin'
for a log rollin' ...that's what it was. Now they
really cat!"
The logs werc rolled into piles and set
ablaze, burning sometimes four or five days.
Once "Old Man" Wes Miller got impatient
and decided 10 bum his logs by himself. He
rolled the logs together and fired them. As they
burned away in the middle, he pushed them
closer together to encourage them to bum
completely. While so doing, one big log
suddenly rolled over and caught his left leg,
jamming it tightly between two burning logs.
No matter how hard he tried, he could not
disengage his leg.
His axe lay about a foot beyond his reach.
He began clawing at the dirt until ftnally the axe
slid toward him. Then he chopped off his leg,
tore his overall pants leg into srrings, made a
tourniquet, found a crooked stick which he used
for a crutch and managed to get back home.
"He hewed out a wooden leg for himself,
the straight kind, peg-leg they called it. He was
real young when this happened and he lived to
be a healthy old man. He was a rough customer,
he was. He could walk on the mountain even
and talce care of his animals....They was tough,
back then!''
Jim suddenly fell quiet, a gen1le giant of a
man, his hand once again trailing Joe. Truly,
they "was tough back then," and !hey still are.
/
�signify the arrival of the new year, the people
would strip, bum their clothes, and then put
on fresh garments to begin the new cycle. The
mam purpose of that ceremony was 10 make
the connection between all the people.
The Ancient Red
These are tire words ofa traditional
Cherokee medicine person:
Let me st.an at the beginning. This is
what my grandfather told me. The 0:eator
made the Eanh and all things, and then the
Oeator set up the Jaws of nature to govern
everything - so that the wolves wouldn't eat
all the deer in one day, and so on. And the
Creator set Grandmother Moon and
Grandfather Sun in their places.
The Sun was supposed to talce care of
the humans. The Sun, being a bit arrogant.,
thought that some lesser being could talce care
of such a petty species. So he sent the Fire to
the Eanh to represent himself on the planet.
The humans were to communicate to the Sun
through the fire.
The element ofFlfC is known as the
A_ncient Red. Ancient Red always refers to
Fsrc, although there arc several spiritual
beings who are called by that name. The First
Man on the planet, Kanati, became the
spiritual essence of lightning and thunder so
be is called Ancient Red because of that '
conn~tion. In the formulistic language there
are different words for Fire that sigrufy Fi.re as
Kanati, as lightning, as the wood fire, or as
the Sun.
The color red signified Fire and was also
the symbol of Heaven. Our concept of Heaven
is called the Sun La.nd, Beyond the Sun and it
is in the East. Red is the color of the ~ t and
it is also the symbol of success. When th~
warriors went to war, they painted red and
black on their faces; red for victory and black
for death.
1n all the medicine fonnulas, the Ancient
Red is the most powerful being a medicine
person can call. The translation of the word
for medicine people is "the sacred fire bums
inside of them."
Hel_lt _was a prime element in doctoring.
The med1cme people would rub their hands
together rapidly before going to work to
provoke that sacred fire that bums inside and
move it into their hands so that they could
transfer it to the patienL Some would heat
mud daubers' nests and put them on their
patients' bodies to cure them. Fire was
brought into the sweat lodge in the heat of the
stones for healing. Fire is for purification. A
sacred pipe is purified over a fire.
There arc several taboos about Fuc.
People arc not to piss on a fire. Even if they
arc up in the woods where there is no water
close by, and they have st0mped out their
campfire except for a few last coals, they
should not piss on it to put it ouL One does
not throw anything in the fire that is unclean.
Cedar, rhododendron, and mountain laurel
woods arc not lO be used as firewood; they are
Xatuan )o"maL
pQ(Je 16
thrown into a fire 10 change its personality. If
rhododendron or mountain laurel are put on a
fire when they are green, they scream when
you throw them imo I.he fire. The old variety
of sacred lObacco is also put into fires to
change them.
This used to be important to the native
people, but to a great extent we have lost that,
and it's sad. I have been to stomp dances in
Oklahomn, and I have seen people showing
remnants of that former attitude around the
fire. It is rare to see that any more. Today
there are people who piss in the fire or throw
irash in it witho~t giving it ~ second thought.
The most 1mponant thmg to remember is
tha! FlfC ~s a living _
being - a living being with
an ~ncredible appeme. You can be frightened
of 11, or you can be respectful of it and at one
with i~. It will_not harm you if you do not do
anything foolish. But people have to recognize
Fire as a living being.
My grandfather told me that at the
Kaniah village there was a sacred fire that was
the central fire for the whole Cherokee nation.
lt was kept alive with the sacred woods. The
sacred woods were sourwood, hickory,
cedar, locust, yellow pine, white oak and
sweet birch.
'
Cedar and sourwood trees, which are
considered very sacred to the people, are both
connected to the color red. Sourwood is the
first red-leafed tree to change. The wood of
the cedar has red in it The cedar does not
grow in these mountains, but it is really
av~able in Tennessee or southern Georgia,
so in the old days people would just run over
there to get it.
Once a year, at the time of the Green
Com Ceremony, all the fires in the whole
Cherokee territory were all put out. The sacred
fire at the mother village was then relit by a
person who was designated as the firekeeper,
and runners would take the fire 10 all the
villages in the Cherokee nation.
The old people used lO say that the flfC
was the bond that kept the tribe together. It did
not matter that the people were members of
different clans and spoke different dialects: it
did not mauer that we might have different
enemies and different friends; the fire was the
same. Wherever our village wll!>, we all
cooked at the same fire and heated our lodges
with the same fire. It was the fire that held us
together.
. The Green Com Ceremony marked the
begmnmg of the new year. It was the tribe's
most powerful ceremony. It was the bonding
ceremony. When the fires were put out, the
people forgave all the crimes of the past year
and made resolutions for the next My
grandfather said that, after the sacred fire was
li~ and the runners were ready t0 leave for their
villages, the people would do a special dance
around the sacred fire. That dance had its own
particular songs about the fire-lighting. To
The Green Com Ceremony was
celebrated when the first roasting ears of com
became ripe enough to eat, sometime after the
eighth or ninth of July. No one could eat the
new com until then. In the last days before the
ceremony, it was hard LO keep the kids out of
the field. The adults used 10 satisfy the young
ones by letting them eat the com worms, and
the com smut off the ears. Com smut is
delicious! They would take it before it got
black, cut it up a.nd fry it. I understand that
among the Mayan Indians only the emperors
and the wealthy were allowed t0 eat com
smut. The com worms are good too when
they are fried.
'
'
After the Green Com Ceremony, when
the runne~ brought the fire to the villages,
they took It to the council house at the center
of the town. The grandfather of my
~n~ather told him about the ceremony at the
hghung of the fire. One person did a spider
dance and carried some smoldering embers in
a clay pot to each of the four directions in the
village because Spider had carried the FtrSt
Fire in a clay pot which she made (see page
13). Then they returned to the town house,
and the elder who was designated the
firekeeper brought the fire to a blaze with the
sacred woods.
That fire was kept alive in the council
house all year. Just as the One Sacred Ftre
was the focal point for the nation and the fire
in the lodge was the focal point for the family,
so the fire in the council house was the focal
point for the village. If a family's lodge flfC
went out, they went lO the town house, and
the firekeeper would light their fire, honoring
all the taboos around it, because Fire was a
sacred being.
The fire in the council house stayed alive
all Y:8'"· :nie _firekeeper was responsible for
keepmg u gomg and then called it up with the
seve~ sacred woods when they had council
meeungs.
James Timberlake, when he visited
Attakullakulla's village. went to a meeting in
the t?wn_
house. Although it was daylight
outs1de, tt was dark inside the building, but he
could see that the firekeeper had laid out short
piece~ of dri~ river cane, one overlapping the
next, m a spiral that stanc:d from the fire pit
and moved out in a great circle. The elder who
was the firckeeper started 10 chant a fonnula.
and at the end of each verse he clapped his
hands four times and rubbed them together. At
that, I.he fire ignited, and the cane started
burning. It seemed as though it was
spontaneous. Timberlake was amazed.
As one piece of the cane spiral burned
up, the one overlapping it would catch fire,
and the flame went around until the whole
sprral was consumed. The people sat in a
CIJ'Cle around the burning slivers of cane and
used them for liiht during the meeting. Toe
fire was also a nmer, because when it went
out the council was over.
. There was another com ceremony, but
thlS one was done at planting time. 11 involved
�Waiting;
Under the Wing of a Dark Hill
We are waiting to break every vow
We have made.
Hunting the butt-ends,
Smoking them under the trees,
Dra·wing closer to the lantern
We read
The razors
In bloodKin eyes.
We goin idle
Search of him,
Of the silver one
Who is only a flash
That crosses our path
From time to time
(But familiar
like the amber
And the spittle
Or the shadow that falls
on our dreams
Eyes wide.)
lighrning-srruck wood, which, if it was taken
from a cree that survived the blast, had the
Ancient Red in iL Before planting the com, a
large group of women would dance around
the cornfield, leaving a small group of women
at each of 1he cardinal points. Each of these
smaller groups would include an elder
grandmother who had a big splinter of
lightning-struck wood. When there was a
group in each of the four comers, they sang a
special song and rushed 10 the center of the
field. Al the center of the field, they would
plunge their lightning-struck wood into the
earth, like lightning striking the ground.
This was a powerful symbolic act. The
lightning-struck wood represented Kanari, the
First Man and also the lightning, and the
women represented Selu, the First Woman
and also the Com Mother.
That was to make the com grow. 1 think
it probably did. Com just grows beuer if the
women plant it and do things like thaL
Fire was of great spiritual imponance,
but it was also the people's most powerful
tool. Besides using it for basic cooking and
heating, I told how ii was used for healing. It
was also much involved in weapons-making.
The people used fire in making blowguns and
in flintknapping. To make arrowheads, they
heated up the pieces of flint and then poured
drops of cold water on them. And in the
earliest days, before they knew flintknnpping,
they would bum the ends of sticks and rub
them to harden them.
Outside the village, the people used
controlled fires to bum away the leaves and
woody debris around their town 10 protect it
from wildfires. When clearing new fields they
used fire 10 bring down the trees. They would
girdle a tree, and after it was girdled and
dried, three or four people working as a team
would stan small fires at its base. They would
just sit around and chat while the fires burned,
from time 10 rime geuing up to chip away the
charred wood with their axes, until the tree
fell. Jn this way they would also bring down
large poplar treeS 10 make their canoes. Once
down, the log was also hollowed out with
fire.
After the riverbonom fields were
cleared, the people would continue 10 bum
them off every year co get rid of the cane. My
grandfather's grandfather told him that he
remembered the sounds of the cane crncking
and exploding when they burned the fields. 1t
sounded like an army - Boom! Boom!
BOOM!!
They would also bum the mountains 10
gel the chesrnu1s. They would set fires at the
bonom of the mountain, and bum the leaves
off all the way up 10 the top. h made it easier
to get the chestnuts, easier to move around,
and it enabled them 10 gather honey.
Burning made hunting easier because it
100k away the brushy places in which the
animals would hide. Burning the hillsides
encouraged grass and sun-loving blueberries
and huckleberries to grow up underneath,
making better forage for the game animals.
From my grandfather, I got the
impression lha1 they burned the mountains
every fall. I think 1ha1 to a bird flying over this
area in the autumn 300 years ago, ii would
look like the whole Cherokee territory was
smoking.
Fire was an imponant pan of the old#
way of life.
fr'
We foam in the bowels
We shit and quake at the light
Of killing him.
(If we could dare
Or ferret him out,
Tell him apart
Prom us
While we slept ... )
If we could find
What we'd need,
We'd cul his green throat,
Dance on his green blood,
And bury him beneath the sodden
leaves
(Bury him in the mud and lime
Like us)
We'd bury himOnly an inch or so
Below the surface.
Mile and miles
From the black coal,
And just as far
From the
Warm,
Translucent
SKY.
David Earl Williams
Orn ing by Rob Messick
lolu1tcr, 1991-92
By God,
We cast pale omens
Into camp fire
And breath them in.
JCnti'mh )ounW J)QIJC 17
�MIDWINT
POEMS BY JI
MIDWINTER FIRES
All branches bare
Apple persimmon acorn
chestnut hazel
The peach gone
December the dying month
The cold sunken
giving up of ghost
By the fires your
moon-heat wrestling
spent harvest winds
A knock
Admit them
Admit them
Three keen-faced bulls
hindquarters manly
shaggy crouching bearing
mistletoe and holly
berry
THE HOLLY
Beads
of blue
Grieve not!
The golden bough and holly sprig
greet you!
blood
the air transfigures
crimson
A crown
of thorny
green
YULE
The sun does not die
The earth tapers
then savors
Let's make a fire
to cure poison
its shine
In the wood's gloom
a blazing
evergreen
We'll smolder a log
shoulder sorrows away
in brass buckets
of ash
Luck will be ours
The singing flint within us
Embers glowing
glowing
�ER
EFFERY BEAM
EATING THE GOD
Having been Ox
and Shamrock
Having been Queen
and Peasant
Having been Tern
and Blow-fish
This strange land
takes me
Restores my strength
The land's fleshy
length
Such was our custom
With jug and grain
I by thanks am given
SATURNALIA
I left the place l was accustomed to
COW-BORN DIONYSUS
Here you are again
Friend of the winnowing heart
Back from your far journey
I will help you work the
lath and hoop
to set the stars on
an unbitter loop
so your sacred frame
will hang low and succulent
like the eyes
of new calves
Where the rooster
ignites and hails
the sun
You find me
Agoat
with a black
beard
Drawings By James Rhea
Borders By la.son Tueller
�..... LOGGER -VIOLENCE!
••
' • ' N"1Uril W«ld Newr ~ice
On the morning of November 25 1991
Bruce Hare was in the Long Creek Ho~
Restaurant, the local cafe in the little town of
Long Creek. Hare had grown up in Long
Cre~k and presently owns the Chanooga
Wh1tewater Shop that offers rafting trips down
the nearby Chattooga River. And because he
cares about his home and the river, Hare has
also been filing appeals on timber sales offered
by the US Forest Service (USFS) near Long
Creek in the Sumter National Forest
Hare is a former president of the South
Carolina Forest Watch environmental group.
Forest Watch has been very moderate in
pushing forest management reforms, but the
group had recently assisted the Georgia Forest
Watch in filing several appeals in pans of the
Chatrooga watershed that lay in the state of
Georgia. This angem:l logging contractor
J~s Smith, who also lived in Long Creek but
did a lot of work across the state line in the
Chattahoochee National Forest
Smith came into the cafe with an
employee, David Phillips, who has made no
secret of his dislike of Hare and his work.
Smith was believed to have participated in
vandalizing Hare's business several months
before. The two loggers came over 10 Hare's
table, threw hot coffee in his face, tackled him
and started to beat him mercilessly. They brok~
a wooden chair over Hare's back and one of
the men held him while the other
hit him
repeatedly in the face.
. "Keep this up, and we'll kill you," they
said, refemng 10 Hare's environmental work.
They also threatened by name Dr. Billy
Campl?c:11 of Wesaninster, SC, a local general
pracnnoner and Forest Watch member and
:nan
Roben Alexandei- of !labun County,
GA, a
member of the Georgia Forest Watch. They
then walked out of the restaurant leaving
several shocked witnesses and a battered Bruce
Hare, who suffered multiple body bruises a
face that was described as "a mass of brui~s "
a di~located finger, a chipped tooth, and a '
spramed neck.
The two assailants were later picked up
by the sheriff's pan-ol and taken to the county
detention center in Walhalla They appeared
before Magistrate Becky Gerard on charges of
aggravated assault and battery and were
released on their own recognizance in lieu of
$500 bail apiece.
~arc's i:esponse to his bearing is simply
10 conunue his work on behalf of the forest
_"l hate 10 see this," he says. "lt's a
neganve turn of events. It's like the irresistable
force meeting the immovable object. They1I
have to kill me to stop me, and I'm afraid that
some of the loggers feel the same way.
"We're not going to get any help from the
couns or the government. It's a real world.
~hether it's Nicaragua or Ireland or right here,
its a real world we live in."
The reaction of the commercial media to
the beating of Bruce Hare has been subdued
even though the a~sailants made sure thm H:i:re
knew lha1 this was an act of intimidation.
The men who damaged Bruce Hare arc
now loose on their own recognizance. The
court's verdict on the seriousness of their
actions will be a clear signal 10
environmentalislS and loggers alike as to how
Xatuar, )ou1 not
PClCJC 20
·1-T-ENNESSEE·FIRES
'
Narural World N._,, Sc,rvice
Afl.C( lwo monlhs of unusually hght rainfall, the
<bys 111 the end of lhe monlh of October, 1991 posed a
great fire hazard. Wilh lhe rising of a dry wind.
conditions became extreme. All it took was a match,
and on the western slope of the mount.ains in the
Cherokee National Forest. arsonists provided the
matches on October 23. For the next lWO weeks
approximately 40 wildfucs burned in lhc Cherokee
scorching approximately 3.SOO acres of woodlands.
The Roclcy Top area was severely burned by
several fires, the biggest or which alone burned 1,700
acres. In Greene County, a fire in Polly Hollow burned
over such precipitous terrain thnt firefightcrs had to Jet
it bum for a full day before iL reached an accessible
location where they could begin to fight iL That fire
burned over no acres before it was contained. There
was a 300 acre fire on Green Mowuain and 225 acres
burned on LiuJe Pond Mountain, also in Gn,ene
th~ po~ers-that-be view "greenie-bashing" in
this region.
Not all loggers are like Smith and
Phillips, but as the national economy continues
to come unglued, people become afraid.
Non-violent environmentalists could become
likely scapegoats for the social ills that are
making some men angry and fearful Desperate
men are dangerous.
How are violence and intimidation to be
de~? Are the couns up to the job? The
reacaon to the aggravated assault on Bruce
Hare bears careful watching.
DISAPPEARING WETLANDS
Narunl World News Scivloc
Wlul do you do if o wetland area ge1.5 in lhe way
of )'QUT bulldoze(! If you arc President George Bush~
~. US Anny Corps of Engineers, you simply say it
1sn t there and keep on pushin'.
The 1989 edition of the Wetlands Dt1l~ation
Manual. used by lhe ColJ)s and I.he Envuonmental
Protec~ ~g~y to~~ wcllands qualifying for
protccuon LS be.Ing reviScd. However, the revisions are
more political lhnn scientific.
The proposals arc coming from the highest
echelons of lhc Bush administration, and they speak
more or lhe success of lobbyists for oil, gas.
development, and agricultur31 interests than of any new
breaklhroogh~ in scientific research.
In practice, the change has already gone lhrough.
ln the summer of 1991 the US Army Corps of
EngillC.CIS was ordered to go back to using a four year
old manual lhnt has less stnngcnt definitions for
wellands lhan lhc current manual.
"The '89 manual was lhough1 to be leaning a
lillle too much toward lhe wetlands side." Roben
Johnson of the Ashe vii le Corps or Engineers office told
lhe Ashtvillt Ciliun -T~s.
The chllngc in lhc rules will result in I.he lo.~ of
10 to 3~ of the wetlands in the country, according to
the NauOlllll A ~ Society. ~ly, "it is already
mnkmg ,;ome d1ffcrtnce," said Johnson. The Corps is
a~vm_ mon: construcuon, filling, and dredging
g
proJCCts m rucas that previously V.'OUld ha,-e been
COllSJdcred wetlands.
Commcncs on the change in wcdands policy can
be direcltd to:
Grtgory Pt'dt.
En,iron~nta/ Pro1ec1ion Agtncy
County.
The fue on Rocky Top seemed LO be the worst,
wilh flames reaching six feet in heighL Some of the
fires crowned, or burned into the tops of the trees, in
stands of Virginia pine.
There were no homes damaged or dcstr0yed,
although there were seveml close calls. During the
Rocky Top fire. firefightcrs at one paint abandoned one
home to the fire, but because of a sudden drop in wind
speed. they were able to retwn and save lhe dwelling.
Where possible, bulldoi.crs coostructed fire lines
cleared areas in front of which backfucs were set 10
'
consume fuel in I.he palh of the oncoming blllUl.
However, 80 J)Cl'CClll of lhe lines were cleared by 20
person crews working 16 • and sometimes 24 • hour
shifts to clear brush in rough rerrain. They were
n:infon:ed by air tanker$ thnl flew overhead, dropping
water-based chemical fll'C relal'dant on the b ~
Helicopters slinging large warer bucketS also cooled
backfires lhal looked like they might jump their J;nc
and patrolled the edges o( the fires, guiding !hem away
rrom buildings and ~ lhat looked like potential hot
Spots.
Al10get11er, counting fu'Cligluers on lhe line and
suppon personnel, more than 1,000 people fought the
blazes.
401 MSt SIi'
\Vashmgron, DC 2046()
Ciuioon by Andrew l.A,hman
,.,inrcr, 1991 - 92
�-
.-, -.s
WASTES TO BURN
USPS IS ARROGANT
NUii World~
(TIDS IS f'liEWS?)
Nounl World New
An article in lhe Sunday, November 10
Kno:cvillt Ntws-Stntind reported lhat the US
Department or Energy (DOE) 1w requested the Si:u.c or
Tenncssc:c to accept ..tupments or mll!ed hat.ardous and
radJoocu, e waste (o, bu ming at 00 R1dgc·s 'TSCA
incinerator' (so called because 11 1,1as established under
the Toxic Substance:$ Control Act).
The TSCA 1nc1ncrator came up to full burn in
April, 1991. J~is presently burning liquid wiutes stored
in the mile-square K-25 building 81 the Oak Ridge
Reserv:iuon. It is esumatcd lh:lt the facility w,11 be able
10 burn two million pounds or waste per year 81 great
eitpcnsc ond great d:ingcr to the cnvironmcnL Within
two yClll'S the mcincrnt.Or wiU be burning the solid
wastes scored in K-25.
The DOE ha~ permission 10 import wastes from
their facilities at Fernald and Portsmouth, Ohio, and
Padooih, Ken111Cky But the agcncy is oho asking to
bring 111 7S truckloads or-te from the fac1h1y at
Weldon Springs, Missouri as well, pleading that it
should have been included in the original wa~te hauling
COllll'OCL
The Oak Ridge Enviroomcnlal and Peace
Alliance (OREPA) is calling on Tcnncsscc governor
Ned McWhcrter 10 lllkc a st,ong stance against
acccptanee or ony addiuonal wa...ics over the contraeted
amounL The DOE ha~ no comprehensive v,1aste
management pl.an, and governors in Idaho, Colorado,
New Mexico, and Nevada have cited this lack in firmly
forbidding was11: shipments into their Slates.
OR EPA staff member Ralph Hu1cl11son says,
"DOE's waste is Wee elccll'icity seek.mg 8 ground - 11
will 1alcc the palh of lc.ast resistance, and where it finds
a ground, people will get burned."
People all over the K.atuah Province would be
affeclCd ,! Tcnncssce allowed extra loading al the TSCA
lncincl'8tor. OREPA is calling on people throughout the
region to write to:
Go~r""' Ntd McWhtncr
Stott Capitol
Nashville, TN 37219
asking him to prohibit extta twardous and radioactive
waste burnings in TcnlleSlitJC.
It would also be an opponunity to ~11ggcs1
closing the TSCA mcincrator entlrely, to stop it Crom
o;pewing toxic polluUIIJIS into the lllmOsphere.
US 01,trict Judge G. Ross Andcrion, Jr. issued a
temporary n:$tr.Uning order to 5IOp won in the
long-dispui.:d Long Cn:cl umber 'wile m the Picuni.
Ranger Disuict or Soulh Carolina's Su nter National
Forest. In deciding on I SUit brought by South C.arolin3
Forest Wau:h. the judge berated the US Forest Scrvioc
for its "unparalleled arrogance" in its handling of the
su~tion. The agency cleru'ly hod been trying to avoid
tails with the environmental group and had logging
companies poised to begin cuumg. even though the
cnse was sull m ooun.
The sale gained w i ~ ottcntion when, m the
spring of 1991, 1 protc~tcr who identified hu,uclf only
&s "Forest B. Green" s!OJIPCd work on the logging
project for five days by siu.ing in • tnle. At that lime
the USFS was di.rcctcd to come up with a new
environmental a.ssessmct1t 3nd discus:s 11 with the Forest
Watch group. The USFS did come up with• new
environment.al assessment· one which was complcl.Cly
unaccepmble 10 Forest Watch - nnd then piclccd up the
umber S31e cx.aclly where it had been lc!t off, directing
the companies who had previously offered the low bm
to begin cutting, meanwhile Slalling on meetings wilh
the Forest Watch group.
Thi., did IIOl lcnd credibility 10 the agency's
environmcn ta! assessment in the eyes of either the
Forest Watch group or the judge. The Gruntvi/le
News qoOICd Judge Anderson as saying, "I get the
impression your arrogance is unp81211eled. You jUSl
don't care 10 "' down and talk. 10 anyone except
yourselves.•
"I'm noi imprc.<t'icd by a governmental
agency_lh:11 lends IO forget who's paying its sata,y;
the judge said later m the procccd1ngs.
!~uatij: ~ USF11lg,ced., ~ihAia.... the s:ilc
contraets 111d hold moctinil,' with FotcSI Walth
manbcrs. They also agreed to notify Forest W81Ch 30
days before taking any action on the oralc, to prevent any
olhct blitwitg Jogging raids and allow the group ample
time 10 go to coan should they deem II ncccs.ury.
CHEOAH SALE NAILED
Nwnl "'\\tor U News Service
More than 300 spikes wen: found embedded m
ltt.cS slated 10 be cut as part of the Gra.~y Gap and
W=a umber -.;iJcs 111 the Chooah Bald area the
Nantahala National ~ On Scplember 23, 1991
or
US
Forest Service employees checked the urea arier
receiving a leucr postmarked in Olarlotte announcing
the !piking.
Oieoah B.ald, formerly• 21,000 acre roadlcss
area, ""'11.1111ack.cd quickly after being dtlistcd as a
RARE n (Roadlcss Arca Rc.cnrch and Evaluation) ~ite
and reduced to 7.000 roadies~ acres. It still is the !ariest
unprolCClcd road~ are3 m the N:uuah:lla Nalional
forest and on important link between the Great Smoky
Mountains National Pan; and the surrounding fon:st
areas. The Wildtrncss Society and the Siena Club lhis
summer came to an agrccmcnt with the Forest Service
th.It allowed timber cutting but no roodbuilding m the
W=r and Gl"3liSy Gap s:ilcs.
Chcoah District Ranger Glenn McConnell w:is
qootcd in the A ,lttvil/t C11iun-Tunes &s saying. "I
don't consider this (spiking) a protesl. This is
terrorism." The cry was wen up by the newspaper
1L,;clf in its editorial column. The charge was mu
because spikes can be dangerous to saw mill opcra1ors if
they arc working without safety procecuon when a 5Pike
is h11. Neithcl McConnell nor the newspaper unplic.iled
umber mmagcrs or logging company owners ,,.ho order
workers to continue cutting timber "31cs rcgasdless of
the known risk or spikes.
ANOTHER GE SUPERMESS
N uni World N •.,,
The EPA ha.~ recommended three locations in
Henderson County, 1'C for a single federal Supetfund
cleanup site - ~ith General Eloctric Corporation bemg
identified as f'C.\'J)Oll'ible for the contaminauon. GE now
has at least 48 Supcrrund sates to 11.S "credit" - more
than any OU1Cr corporauon.
GE opposes huing the lhroe locauons as a
~mgle site because, although the EPA ha~ found similar
contamination by organic compounds, PCB, 1111d
pcn:loroethylcnc (a su~I.Cd aircmogcn) 11 the various
locations, GE m1111win, lh:ll the propcrues arc not
connccl.Od and are underbid by SCIXll'3te bodies of ground
water. The cost of the cleanup, which would be borne
primanly by GE, has yet 10 be dtltrmincd since the
extent of the contaminauon ,~ sun unclear. The EPA 1s
"concerned about the potential for tong-term exposure;
and recently asked GE 10 sign a consent agreement so
cleanup or the site ll\JIY begin 1mmcdialcly, but so Car
GE has n:fuscd to do so.
Arca tCSldcnts have expressed concern lh:ll
property values m the adJOining areas will plummet ii
the site is placed on lhc National Prioritit.$ list.
Wtntcr, l99l -92
!1RTlOt'1.R. L 'FO'.KFst.S
Xawah Journot pa.c:,e 21
�Natural World News
SPECIAL REPORT
WHO WILL HAVE THE POWER?
Winners and Losers in the War to Control the Utilities Industry
At fm;r glance it looks like a dull and
confusing ''battle of initials": the war over
energy and the who, what. and why of its
production that is being waged in Washington.
If one says them aloud, the tenns FERC,
PURPA, SEC, and IPP, (or how about
EWG?) sound like body functions gone amok.
Rather, they are the initials of agencies,
processes, or classifications of electric power
generating organi1.ations. We need to include
these important abbreviations in the lexicon of
our lives.
Congressional baules or bureaucratic
brouhahas in Washington sometimes seem 10
be far removed from Ka1uah, and yet they are
of vital concern to us, because lhey often have
dircot effects on our lives. This "battle of 1he
initials" is no exception. rt is, quite literally. a
mauer of power and light, Duke Power and
Carolina Power and Ligh1 (CP&L) specifically.
and how those two companies (among those
that SCIVe our urea) have wound up on
opposing sides in what appears 10 be a
regulation dispute. Their split is indicative of a
split in the power indusu:y.
The battle is over whether or nor 10
change the Public Utility Holding Company
Act (PU HCA) of 1935. CP&L feels threatened
by the proposed changes; Duke feels that the
new act will benefit them.
Two years ago, Senator J. Benneu
Johnston (D-LA), who chain; the Senate
Energy and NaturnJ Resources Commincc,
ed
draf1 the Competitive Wholesale Electric
Generation Act of 1989, which was designed,
he said, "1 remove the obstacles to competitive
0
wholesale generation in the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935."
This year, his "National Energy Security
Act," and specifically its Title XV, "would
open the energy generation market to a new
form of independent power producer ([PP),
called an 'exempt whole!>ale generator' (EWG).
that would exclusively marker power io utilities
and that would be free from regulatory
constraints imposed by the 1935 act" according
10 Leonard S. Greenberger in the April 15,
1991, issue of the P11hfic Utilities Fnnnight/y.
At the moment, Bcnneu's bill has
suffered death by filibuster, done in by its ties
10 legislation which would have allowed
drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic's Coastal
Plains. But there is a similar bill in 1he I louse,
and the Senate's Banking, Housing and Urban
Affairs Commiucc, which normally has
jurisdiction over PUHCA, is thinking about
redesigning the bill. President Bush's National
Energy Strategy focuses on PUI !CA as well.
It is clear that in 1992. PUHCA will undergo
some changes. This bodes ill for citizens and
rntcpayers.
To under.;tand what is at stake in this
ongoing debate, a brief history lesson is in
order, The Wheeler-Rayburn Act of 1935.
later 10 be called the Public Utilities Holding
Company Act, was passed as pan of 1he New
Deal legislation designed to break up trusts that
exercised monopolies over many aspects of
.
Xntimh Joun!a ~ p n~c 22
'
'
0
American life. Chief among these was the
utilities industry.
PUHCA was successful in making the
utility companies more manageable by
dismantling the layers of ownen;hip beneath
which they hid their assets. The result, as
James Cook describes in his Forbes anicle
"Camel in the Tent," is thar although US
u11Jirics continue to operate as monopolies in
their distribution areas, they are no longer so
large or powerful as those that existed prior to
the Great Depression, and their prices are
controlled by the PUHCA regulations.
During the energy crisis of the I970's,
there was anxiety about the availability of
dependable energy supplies :ind our
dependence on foreign sources of energy. As a
result of these concerns, Congress passed th.:
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Ac1
(PURPA) in 1978.
The act encouraged anyone capable of
producing energy 10 do so - using windmills,
water power, solar power, or biomass. The
inducement 10 create these al1ema1e energy
sources was this: public utilities were obliged
10 purchase whatever energy was produced ac a
price equivalent to the amount it cost them to
produce it. If chese small energy producers or
"qualifying facilities" (QFs) could produce
power more cheaply than the utility's cost then
the difference between the two prices was the
size of their profit margin.
lt was a good deal for small operators,
particularly at a time when pettoleurn resources
were uncertain and nuclear plants were
receiving bad press and worse repon cards. fl
was unwise to build new generating facilities
when small QF's might appear on the scene 10
supply the increasing demands for power.
Besides, the competition was viewed as healthy
- so healthy that big business and even the
utilities decided to try for a piece of the action.
Enter the Independent Power Producer
(IPP), a larger scale version of the QF. Some
IPP's are owned by non-utility industries,
others are run by utilities themselves. These
IPP's generate power and sell it 10 utihues m
the same way that the smaller QF's do, but
with this difference: they are subject to
regulation by the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) under provisions of
PUIICA.
There are several reasons why this
arrangement 1s accep1able 10 the utilities. First,
il is attractive in the same way that the QF wns:
i.e .. it allows the energy supply 10 expand 10
meet the public need without obliging the
utilities 10 invest their own capillll. IPP's are
also allowed to operate on higher debt ratios
(80%, as opposed co 65% for utilities).
Second, the 3JT:IJ\gcment is effective.
IPP's now make up an estimated 12% of the
nauon'li energy supply.
Third, and most imponanlly, there is
money 10 be made. Cook describes the profit
motivation this way: "Because there is no
regulatory limit on their returns. the
independent power producers have plenty of
incentive 10 cut costs anywhere they can. For
an independent producer. a penny saved is a
penny earned. For a regulated utility, a penny
saved over the allowed rate of return risks
being returned to the consumers in lower
rates."
The present attempt at limiting PUHCA,
Senator Johnston's National Security Act of
199 I, proposes to create a new type of !PP
called an Exempt Wholesale Generator (EWG)
that would fall out.~ide PUHCA's scrutiny.
As Leonard Greenberger put it in an
anicle in Public Utilities Fortnightly in March,
1991: "Anyone could own an EWG. including
today's registered and non-registered holding
companies. Facilities now under construction
could only become EWG's with slllte
approval, while affilitatcs of registered holding
companies already in existence would need a
green ligh1 from the SEC."
n ,e new ruling would point the power
companies back toward the days before
PUI fCA regulation when the energy industry
was a maze of holding companies and
subsidiaries - a confusing tangle in which ii
was often easy to conceal hidden profits and
diffuse accountability.
Power purchased from EWG's would be
sold to consumers at a price regulated by the
state utilities commissions, or by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission if the power
crossed state lines. But any profits realized
from the economical generation of power by
these EWG's would go back 10 the EWG or 10
the utility company that owned 1he EWG.
Savings would not have to be handed back to
the consumer.
While it was totally predictable that the
public consumers would be the last to enjoy
any benefit from this shift, there are also some
utilities that are skeprical about the impending
change - thus the squabble between CP&L and
Duke Power.
Spea.kjng for utilities like CP&L, Don D.
Jordan of Houston Lighting and Power states:
"Tampering with the highly evolved and
complicated s1ruc1urc of our nation's electric
industry is nothing shon of imperiling the
security nnd reliability of a vital part of the
nation's economy. The real test of reliability is
whether the power will be there when ii is
needed."
So they say. But the real issue for CP&L
is the balance of power within the industry.
Some of the uLilities. like Duke Power, have
been ambitious and aggressive, acting more
like Fortune 500 corporations than service
organizations. Other:;, like CP&L, do no1 share
Duke's appe1i1e for unmitigated competition.
They have relied more on the legal structure
that protected their 1erri10ry and their status as
regulated monopolies. They are afraid of being
carved up and eaten alive. They fear that bit by
bit their territory and functions will be taken
over by EWG's that are subsidiaries of
companies like Duke.
Another area of concern for this group of
utilities is the access 1ha1 EWG's will enjoy to
1he utilities' transmission lines. They fear that
the EWG's. should they be able 10 gain access
10 the public utility transmission lines and use
l,lmtc r
191Jl-92
�-··"'JI
energy that developed after the war. The
public, mindful of the burning oil fields in
Kuwait, will be willing 10 embrace Johnston's
new bill, the National Energy Security Act.
because it promises to create new supplies of
energy - a comforting notion 10 consumers v.ho
witnessed mass quantities of pett0leum energy
going irretrievably up in smoke. And it wa:;
definitely unsexy 10 join Jimmy Caner in
turning down the thermostat 11nd wearing a
wool sweater in the house.
The Gulf War may ultimately prove 10 be
our undoing - abroad and at home.
Veronica Nichnlas was formerly a cmuiry
commissioner in Jackson Counry, NC. For ten
years she lias dnne bartk with the Nantal,ola
Power and Ugh1 Company,fim 10 keep in 1he
moun1ai,is 1he henefils ofpower generated
from 11wU11111in lakes, and 1hen oi·er I~ siting
of a high-w,_lrage power line 1hro~1gh
~
Transyl\·0J11a and Jackson Counnes
r.'
NWN (con1111uedfro,n par, 21)
RATILERSENDANGERED
N:ll\lnl World New, Sc,..ice
In Scpccmbcr, 1991 I.he Biodiversity Legat
Foundauon or Bouldct, CO and IC$Cal'Cher Andrew
Wci.~burd fonnally pctilioocd the US F"ISh and Wildlife
Sernce 10 list the timber raulesn:ike (Crota!ILJ horr,diu}
3li .i tndangcrod ,;pccics unde1 the Endangered Species
Act .
them as they liked, would choose to do
business with only the most profitable
customers and leave the utilities with a base of
high-cost residential customers and small
business customers.
On the other side of the issue is Duke
Power, the leader of the coalition of utilities
advocating changes in the PUHCA and a
company anxious to gain a share of the EWG
business. In the withdrawal of PUHCA
oversight that the Johnston bill seeks, Duke can
expect a return to the good old days of
monopoly before the Great Depression when
the trusts were fTce to work their will. They
are looking for the day when once again "big
fish eat little fish."
Whatever the tum of events, we, the
rate-payers, will be the losers. Marie N.
Cooper, director of research for the Consumer
redcration of ArncriC3 put it this way: "Captive
consumers bear all the risks of deregulatory
schemes (like Senator Johnston's) that say 'let
the market work and see what happens'
because they (consumers) arc the weakest
actors in the market. If the market does not
work, it is the residential consumer who pays."
So, no matter what changes come to
PUHCA, the consumer stands to lose, because
utilities, no matter which side they choose in
the PUHCA debate, fail to understand that the
real key to their profitability lies not in
mcreascd production but in conservation.
For instance, in 1989 the 1ocassee
Wlnter, 1991-92
Watershed Coalition was organized to prevent
Duke from building a pumped storage .station in
the Coley Creek basin of South Carolina.
According to Bill Thomas. co-chair of the
group, "When we looked into the proposed
project, we rcali1.cd that energy efficiency was
an even bigger issue than Coley Creek itself."
The coalition hired the Energy Systems
Research Group of Boston to analyze
conservauon and mnnagc:ment programs that
could help reduce energy demands on Duke.
This investigation showed ulrimatcly that the
replacement of all the lightbulbs in the service
area with energy-efficient models could save as
much energy as the Coley Creek project would
produce - at about one-third the cost
If this is so. then the question is, "Why
arc the utilities persisting in their plans 10 create
more energy projects instead of pursuing
conservation tactics?"
The answer to this question is nor very
difficult when one remembers that it is the US
Department of Energy (the same people who
brought us Oak Ridge, TN and Rocky Flats,
Colorado), that is making the judgments about
our future energy needs. With this in mind, it
is easier 10 understand why utility companies
behave the way they do and why they fail to
realize that conservation can spell profitability.
We can understand even more clearly if
we put the expected PUHCA reforms in the
context of the Persian Gulf War. Energy
legislation has become sexy, in the wake of the
heightened national consciousness about
Orawina by Rob Mcssidi:
The timber raider once ranged from Minnesota to
Texas. from the Atlanlic C01$1 wes1 to the urpc1
reaches oC the MJssoun Riva. It occurred in brgc
number.; throughou1 the woodlands th:n once covcrod
the whole or eastern Turlle Island. Raum play an
imponant p.111 in the forest ecology, feeding prinwily
on ~mall rodcms. and young rauJcsnakes thcmsel,ea
being prey to hawks and owb.
The timber ratllcr was Utsa'nori in the liinguage
or the Cherokee Indian!!, who con~idctcd the aea!ul'c a
"grandfaihcr," or spintually powct(ul being. M.iny of
the naovc tnbcs coosiJcr the umber l'IIUla the guardian
or the Earth's sacred place$. The species was once so
common that the nauvc people s:ud that it ~ put oo
Earth to rem ind the humans 10 wau:h wbcsc they 51ep.
The lllllbcr rawer IS cxrn:mcly scns1bve to
human di sturbmcc and Cll'IDOt Ii vc rn I.be pro~un1ty of
human beings. The budding of roads and ORV traib
into previously isolaled snaJce h.lb1tat areas, incn:asing
resort and !ICCOlld home devclopmenr. commc:n:ial snake
hunung. I.he clearing ol bouomland forests for
agric:ulrure. and d11cet persecution ol timber nullen by
human beings in informal or govcrnmenl-sancboncd
raulcsn:lkc hunts and roWldups 1w caused the
near-dclnise or the species.
Tocby thcrc are on1 y a handful ol kx:atiom "'here
I.he bmbcr raulcsnake exists in numbers that arc
sufficient to aUow the species to SUtVivc. Most of these
critical sites have inadequate pro4«uon. Many other
popul3lions arc II a point where lddi6onal persecution
wall ~ult in ciu.irplllOO.~. In the SOlllhcm
Applllachllll\S, wnber raulets-,: n:stnctcd to the mos1
rugged and rcmoet locauons.
The F"I.Sb and Wildlife Service IS cxpccled 10
n:tum a finding on the Biodivasity Lep1 Found:u1011
pcbtion 'l0fflcumc in December.
For addition.al 1nformation, contact Jasper
Carlton or the BiodivcrsiLy Lcpl Foonda1ion: Box
18327; Bouldct, CO 80308 (303) 491).@9I.
(conllmll!d on paac 32)
�r
LITMUS LICHENS
The pages of Karuah Journal have
reponed eittensively on a well-known
indicator species known as the Black Bear.
The health and well-being of Ibis large
mammal has been shown to reflec1 that of the
mountain bioregion we inhabit. I recently
came across an article in the November 1991
issue of Discover magazine lhat brought to
light another form of life that directly reflects,
or indicates, the condition of a crucial clement
of any bioregion; namely the air. This form of
life is called Lichens, of which there arc over
20,000 species worldwide.
The article by Edwin Kies1er Jr. poimed
001 tha1 lichens have no roots. They collect all
their water and food from the air. Through
their life processes they also absorb wha1ever
contaminants are in the air. Unselective caters
that they arc, they can soak up carbon dioxide,
sulfur dioitide, heavy metals, radiation, and
dust Lichens can hold on to lhese chemical
and radioactive contaminan1s even if i1 kills
them. Yct every form of lichen is not
susceptible to 1he same pollu1an1s.
There is a spectrum of sensitivity lha1
can be drawn for each lichen species, and
among lichen species in an ccosys1em, wilh
regard to accumulations of different
contaminants. For instance, some varieties can
tolerate relatively high concentrations of
sulfur, while it may only sicken some and kill
others. By using this kind of grading system
of the known tolerances of different species of
lichen to various contaminants, scientists can
make a record of a region's air quality over
time. Pollution sources can be uaced by
plotting prevailing wind patterns for ao area
and noting whether the species of lichen that
arc sensitive to a given pollutant arc cl3maged
or not.
This sensirivity of lichen hos been used
in European countries to study the paths of
aunospheric contaminants. Lichenological
studies are just beginning in the United States
and Canada, yet there arc some telling
eumples emerging from work I.hat has been
done so far. In the Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio
greater than 80% of lichen species have
disappeared since they were tracked by
naturalists I00 years ago. In the valley called
the Delaware Water Gap between
Pennsylvania and nonhcrn New Jersey, 60%
of Lichen species that have been recorded there
in the last century have perished due 10 the
effluvia of nonhcrn industrial cities.
Lichens arc actually a composite of two
different organisms known as fungus and
algae. The united organisms fonn a mesh
called a thallus in which a fungus threads itself
around algal cells and enclose them. The algal
panicipam provides sugars through
photosynthesis which the fungus uses in
making its own nutrients. The fungal
participant in turn gathers moisture and
minerals from the air that arc used by the algal
cells. One way 10 describe this symbiotic
relationship would be to say that the alga and
fungus arc eating from each other, only they
do not cat each other fast enough or in such a
way I.hat the whole organism tenninatcs.
Lichens are found in nearly every
Xoti«lrl Joun~ j~~c 24'
continental ecosystem on the planet. from
underneath the cover of ice and snow in
An1aretiea, to tundra, temperate forest zones,
and dcsens. They cling to stone statues,
rocks, and trees in the apparent shapes of
shrubs, disks, hair, and even as dashes of
brightly colored ink. Some of them can live
more 1han 4,000 years - think about lha1 next
rime you start up one of those sulfur-spewing
devices!
Lichens can provide a way of
monitoring the potcnriaJ for ecological damage
due 10 air-borne pollutants I.hat is far cheaper
ch.an using electrical gauges. Electrical gauges
can be spread out in a given area and linked by
computer 10 indicate when cenain pollutants
pass a safe level. However, the costs in staff'
and equipment are prohibitive 10 their
widespread use. A scientist studying lichen
can collect samples from specific sites and do
tests to find ow what contaminants arc present
and in what concentrations. These
lichenologists can also transport specific
lichens, on logs for instance, from less
contaminated sites to more contaminated sites
to monitor air quality.
One method of testing lhc chemical
composition of lichen is 10 heat it in a furnace
until it convens into gaseous oxide forms.
From there this gas can be piped into a
detector to read its chemical signatures.
Another method involves plasma atomic
emission specttometry in which the lichens are
liquified with an acid and injected into a
plasma (or hot ionized gas). This process gets
the chemical elements to emit distinctive
waves of energy that can be identified on a
specttomcter. This method can record over a
dozen different chemical elements in lichens.
When lichen dies it means that it:.
chlorophyll has been destroyed, and ii usunlly
turns white. Yet it is now possible for rates of
photosynthesis in the algal cells of lichen 10 be
measured for damage long before the lichen
turns visibly white. This has been discovered
in work done by Thomas Nash from Arizona
State University. He has discovered that in
Drawing by Rob Messick
Los Angeles one major reason why a species
of lichen known as Rama/itl(J menziesii has
died out is that the lichen absorbs nitrates from
car exhaust which impairs its ability 10
perform photosynthesis.
Human beings have used lichens for
dyes, as in the tweeds of Scotland, and the
Chinese have used a fonn of "old man's
beard"' lichen as an antibiotic. One of the most
well-known uses of lichen can be found in a
species called "cudbear". This lichen produces
the chemical erythrolimum which is used to
make lianus paper turn blue or red in the
presence of alkalies or acids. Their "liunus"
use now appears to be eitpanding to include
bio-geogmphical air quality testing.
Some kinds of lichen arc even edible;
but they have a bitter taste (which may not
mauer 10 you if you were starving in the forest
but for most folks it isn't anything of a
delicacy). Some deer routinely cat cenain
species oflichen. This proved particularly
dangerous in Finland, Norway, and Sweden,
as cesium 137 from the Chernobyl nuclear
accident drifted into the food chain there entering via lichens and passing on through
the deer and on to people. The return of
heallhy lichen 10 an area, however, will be a
~
harbinger of clean airs to come.
Rob Messick
FLAMES
The: spuit, its passion.
desiring imcns,ty,
WM!ing to feel the heat,
longing to iouch, to caress
the creative spark
The same heat tha1 wanns the
garden soil, opens the rlIC pine to
birth. and runs down the largest hem lock
scarring its majesty. this now, is the: force
you wish to call your own
With cnch step
the d::inger intre3SCS,
with each movement towards
lllere 1., no lhought of turning back,
or deny mg the allunng pull.
Own the flames •
Ille only wny through
Plunging inio the inferno
The pyre now asscns dominion
Thal long ago lhough1 of harnessing
Her power now seems ridieulous,
The: flames rise. the flesh scrcams 0111. each
cell bums as on ember
Tum back, hurry
before all is destroyed.
No! D:lre 10 face Hu,
IOUCh Her, become Her,
A gasp, a sigh. a surrender,
you are Home
LyMFink
Wlnter, 1991-92
�READING THE INNER TREE
by Charloue Homsher
There are many ways to get visual clues
from the inner 1ree, 10 recognize which trees are
more powerful or have a special function in the
area. Age and beauty are detennining factors,
but not the only ones.
Last summer I hiked the Shanry Spring
Trail on Gmndfa1her Mountain with a group
that included two women who "read" trees in
very different ways. The Shanty Spring Trail is
a very old Indian trail. The treeS there seem
particularly lively and aware. as though they
have been observing humans for eons. When
we crune 10 a large red oak with long branches
hanging over the trail and roots growing into
the path, one of 1he tree readers exclaimed
excitedly that we had arrived at a gateway tree.
She described gateway trees as guardians of an
area and enirance gates to the mysteries of a
specific trail. The second woman hesitated,
remarking that it was indeed a powerful tree but
that she saw sad faces in the bark. We
examined 1he red oak and found symptoms of
disease under the bark. The tree was indeed in
severe distress, and it was probably dying.
Farther up the trail, the woman who had
recognized the gateway tree pointed out another
oak which she identified as being the elf
throne. The seat of the throne was a large, flat
rock which was auached to the tree and
supponed by the limbs. This tree reader's
primary way of seeing rrces is to recognize
their function in the devic kingdom. We found
the queen's throne nearby and also the large
auached rock garden which was supposedly the
fairy queen's nursery. This mammoth rock was
covered with dainty, miniature flowers and a
variety of well-tended mosses and fems.
Between two layers of the rock was a delicate
crystalline outcropping. The gardener in
question would be a nature spirit or one of the
Huie people. Interestingly, there was a side path
from the trail all around this rock, made by the
many hikers who have been intuitively drawn
to that special garden.
My methods of reading trees visually
have changed over the years. One of the most
profound changes in sight and attitude was
after a brief encounter I had with an old man
who had studied various esoteric traditions. He
had offered to teach me a new way 10 see. I did
not have the foggiest idea what he was talking
about at the time. I was a college student taking
art classes and I defined the visuaJ world with
aesthetic j~dgments. His idea was that any kind
of value judgment was a limited way of seeing,
and that the only way to see beyond the outer
form was to look at an object with no
preconceived notions about what it should or
should not be. We spent the afternoon in the
school cafeteria practicing the technique with
coffee cups.
By applying this technique to narure I
learned to see in a deeper way. but I was not
entirely successful. Like most people. if I
describe a tree poetically, it is in anthropomorphic terms, which. of itself i_s :1 value
judgment - actually species chauv1m~m.
Probably the tree reader who recogmzed ~es
as fairy thrones is closer 10 the truth of seerng
the inner tree, since she is able to see the tree as
having a function completely outside the
similarities 10 human existence. The best I have
done as a purely visual kind of intuition is to
l'1mtcr, 19!11 -92
Drawing by Rob Mcniel
recognize that trees do have individual
personalities which may have something 10 do
with the growth pattern. I can sometimes sense
a tree's power, calmness. or distress. But it is
still the visual judgments which give me the
quickest and sharpest clues. This way of seeing
or judging a tree is based on outward fonn.
almost like classifying body types.
The Tanaic yogis in India still worship at
holy shrines inside pipal trees which have
cavernous openings reminiscent of the womb.
These huge trees are supposed 10 contain more
of the Shakti energy or female creative energy.
The yogis also consid~r trees_ sacr~d whic~
have female-like crevices or in which the hmbs,
burls or bark have grown 10 look like the
female torso. These are called the female yoni
trees. Determining the sex of a tree this way is
purely visual and has nothing to do with the
botanical function. There are trees which are
divided in10 male and female. Among these are
1he ginkgo, Kentucky coffeetree, and holly.
I see a lot of yoni trees. l think that they
are the teacher trees of our time. The male
equivalent of the yoni tree in the mountains
would be the giant hemlock trees. The
hemlocks are the sentinels of the woods. They
are like the antennae of the Eanh. They take the
cosmic energy and shoot it into the Eanh. thus
energizing the whole area around which they
grow.
There are guardian trees, gateways,
teachers, grandparent trees, and trees in which
spiritS or fairy people live. Trees also have .
relationships to each other. The natlll1!1 world 1s
an organic whole, and the larger the p1ct11n: we
can encompass, the greater our understanding.
l don't think anthropomorphic clues cnn tell us
everything, yet using them is a valid way (O
observe the inner tree. If trees nre the scnucnt,
aware beings that I suspect they are. then they
are quite cognizant of the crutches that we
need. They communicate with us, via a crude
sign language. They give us clues by the shape
of the trunk, faces in the bark. by 1he
mushrooms or rocks that have become a pan of
the tree, the animals that live inside 1he trunk
or on the branches, or any other obvious signs
which we can learn by observation. ~
WHERE THE RA VE!\S ROOST:
Cherokee Traditional Songs of Walker Calhoun
Will West Long was a well-known
craftsperson and spiritual leader of the
Cherokee tribe in the first half of this century.
He knew the old tribal traditions were dying
and worked to keep them. He passed much
infomuuion on to c1hnologis1 Jnmes Mooney
and also taught his family and other tribal
members who garhered at his home in Big
Cove on the Cherokee Indian Reservation.
One of those he taught was his nephew
Walker Calhoun. Walker remembers tr.tiling
along after the dancers at the community
Ceremonial Ground 50 years ago. Walker,
too, saw that the dances and songs were in
danger of disappearing, and several years ago
he, as his uncle had done before, resolved 10
see that they were carried on.
Walk.er (as he told us in the las, issue of
the Katualr Journal) has revived the Green
Com Ceremony and the monthly stomp
dances at the Raven Rock Nighthawk
Ceremonial Ground. He is teaching the
traditional social dances to a group of young
people. among them several of his 23
grandchildren. who perform as the Raven
Rock Dancers.
At the first great convocation of the
Eastern and Western Bands of the Cherokee
nation at Red Clay, TN in 1988, Walker was
presented with the first Sequoyah A ward for
his service 10 his people. ln 1990 Walker was
a recipient of the North Carolina Folk Heritage
Award.
As part of his restoration effort, Walker
has recorded a tape of traditional songs (with
two Chrisrian spirituals as well) for the
.
Mountain Heritage Center of Western Carolina
University. The tape contains several of the
best-known Cherokee dance songs, as well as
short commentaries on the songs and the
stories and practices that surrounded them.
These are undeniably authentic - unbroken
traditions that extend many generations back
into the human history of this region. An
explanatory bookie~ with an introduction an~ a
complete transcripuon of the songs and stones
acoompanies the tape.
Jn Where the Ravens Roosr, Walker
Calhoun has given us an irreplaceable gift: a
glimpse at the native inhabitantS' a:ibal past
and an inspiration for 1he community of the
future.
Where the Ravens Roostfear11resflure
music composed and played by Eddie
Bushylread. Tire rape was rec~rded_ and edited
/Jy Michael Kli11e. Sou11d engmuring /Jy
Kevin FirzParrick
For a copy, send S/0.00 plus $/ .00
shipping and J,andlillg to the Mo_untain_
.
Herilage Center; Wesrem Caro/ma Unn·er.nry;
Cullowhee, NC 28723.
X.Otunh Jou.nm{.
p<l{)e 25
�; ........ w .,.,.. ., ,
~
,.11
I
x ··
AROUND THE FIRE
Wood Selection and Firemaking
by Lee Barnes
Green SpiritS gift humankind with the
captured warmth of sunshine, providing fuels
for warmth, cooking, and the luxury or
campfire stories. Campfires act as a center for
our human activity, a focus forlanguage
development. socialization, and srory-tclling
(oral histories).
Having spcn1 years backpacking and
building campfires, I offer the following
suggestions for reducing your impact on the
forest First, carry a one-burner camp-stove
for cooking - a stove will quickly provide hot
foods without depicting the local area of slowly
accumulated firewoods.
If you must make fire, keep it small and
efficient. Tfind most novice campers insist on a
campfire, even in summer, suggesting that
campfires wann our deeper selves. Large
campfires arc wasteful of Green Spirits,
releasing years of harvested sunshine in
seconds. Burning plant cells robs lhc local
canh of recycled nutrients and organic bulk
which would otherwise result in improved
topsoil tcxrurc and nuoient holding ability. In
respect to Green SpiritS, try to keep fires 10 a
minimum for your needs - build small
campfires which provide light and steady heat;
use them for as short a time as possible.
While backpacking during a hurricane,
and prior tO carrying a camp-stove, I learned
how to find dry woods for campfires.
Sufficient dry wood for small personal
campfires can be found after even a week of
hard rains. Wood collection begins with lhe
gathering of dry tinder, and sufficieni dead and
dry tree limbs. Gather "squaw-wood"
(historically named for woods easily collected
and broken by squaws) from young trees,
especially lower dead branches of hemlock,
laurel, birch-bark:. and "lighter wood" (the
"fat-wood" of resinous pine and many
evergreens). Laurel (Kalmia /01ifolia) produces
poisonous fumes and should not be used as a
primary fuel source for cooking.
The best tinder-woods are the resinous
conifers (pine, fir, spruce, hemlock) or the
easily-peeled birch barks. Collec1 only woods
which snap cleanly in two. Throw back any
woods which bend or twist.
I find that I can scout the camping area
and find sufficient dry wood for cooking and
campfires without carrying a saw or axe.
Select dry branches which can be easily broken
over your knee or by elevating one end on a log
or stone, then stomping oo the them to yield
firewood of uniform length. I generally look
for dead branches which arc supported off the
ground. Search the low branches overhead for
wind-fall branches and for small dead trees.
Ct's easiest to look for wood on the high
ground around the camp since i1 is easier to
drag an armful of branches down to camp
rather than up! Look for a variety of small to
IMget" sized dead bnmchcs, seeking a larger
supply of branches in the 1/2-to- 4" diameter
size.
In camp, sort your woods by breaking
the smallest twigs into uniform lengths. A
large handful of the smallest twigs (1/8-1/4 "
in diameter and 5-6" long) should be sufficient.
Xotiiah Journot p!UJ& 26
Break I.he remaining branches into longer, say,
12-20 inch lengths. I find it easiest to
progress with the smaller branches, breaking
up the same diameter branches into similar
lengths. Th.is process should result in several
piles of uniform sized twigs which will make
adding fuel to the fire easy and efficient.
Avoid collecting much "spit-fire" woods
which randomly "pop" and eject chunks of
burning coals. These woods are great as small
tinder, since they rapidly bum and ignite larger
diameter branches. "Spit-fire" woods to be
avoided include juniper (red cedar), hemlock,
fir, spruce, sassafras. soft pines, sugar maple,
beech, and hickory. Overall, the best fuel
woods for campfires arc hickory, chestnut oak,
black locust, dogwood, and ash. White ash is
considered one of the bes1 woods for campers,
since even the green wood catches fire easily.
Tulip poplar is abundant in Ka1uah Province,
but bums quickly without developing any
long-heating coals. Horace Kephan, a
well-published authority on camping and
woodcraft, suggests a rule of thumb: "Avoid
drift-wood accumulated along stream banks,
since most of the timber which grows along
streams are softwoods."
Small teepee-shaped piles of tinder arc
easily ignited. Once a small blaze is going, add
10 the it from the pre-sorted piles of dry
branches nearby. These near-vertical piles bum
quickly and provide maximum light. Build
your fires between 1wo rows of stones which
arc open on the windward and downwind sides
to allow better airflow. Staek additional wood
on the downwind side for better burning. Once
a good base of coo.ls have developed, lay larger
branches more horii.ontally over the coals,
allowing good air-spaces between branches.
Push the remaining unburnt ends of branches
into the fire so that all woods arc burnt and
only ashes remain. Before you leave your
campsite, remove lhe stones and spread (or
bury) the cold ashes so that there is no sign of
your passing. Leave nolhing but footprints !
Firewoods for modem stoves vary
greatly in their heat-values, both for absolute
stored energy and lasting heat. Air-dried
hardwoods average 5,800 British thermal unitS
(BTU's) per pound, whereby it is estimated
Drawings by Rob Mc.sick
that 10,000 BTIJ's are required to heat water
for an average sized load of laundry. The NC
Division of Forest Resources provides
estimates comparing energy equivalentS for a
standard cord of wood (a cord of wood is
defined as a stack of wood 4x4x8 feet or about
80 cubic feet of solid wood). Based oo
laboratory derived values for heating values of
wood, a cord of wood is roughly equivalent to
a ton of bituminous coal or 5900 kilowatts of
electricity or 143 gallons of#2 heating oil.
Preferred woods include hickory. oak, and
locust. Avoid softwoods such as pine. A
modem wood stove avernges 50% efficiency
whereas burning wood in an open fireplace is
only 10% efficient.
Home-grown fuel and fiber sources are
critical for the independence of au1onomous
bioregions. Homesteaders have estimated that
10 acres of Eastem Atlantic mixed deciduous
forest should be sufficient 10 provide for the
sustainable heating needs of an average
household. Sustainable fanns must promote the
production of renewable, locally produced fuel
resources, such as fast growing legumes and
other nitrogen-fixing trees planted as
windbreaks and hedges. The first step to
minimize your impact on the forest is to build
small, energy-efficient homes. It is imponant to
the survival of humans and our plant allies that
we no1 waste their wooden gifts.
12th Song of Venta the Naturalist
beneath the polished blue stone of sky
and suffering its ancient oppression
with ancestral stoicism
i slowly finger my rugged beard
and question the grass and ils idle greening
no major answers were given;
and no miracle of nanue
rolled forth on the lawn
10 bury my soul beneath mystical rebuttals
about unreachable conclusions.
beneath the polished blue stone of sky
and recognizing its ubiquitou.~ face
as a fellow freak of fate
macerated for lack of knowledge on a planet
where blue and intelligent things die.
bray
mcdona/d
t.,iotcr. 1991-92
�grabbing my old box guiiar and headmg mlO lhc forest
so nature and I could trade our songs with each ocher.
Nawre's songs arc far mo~ beautiful and comforting,
bul lhe Grea1 Gn1ndfalhcr spirit knows my healt. and
my small songs are acceptable. Often I leave the guitar
al home, so i1's one on one.
I lhough1 you mighl wan1 to consider this (which
is a form of worship lO me) os a possible iopic of
di51cussion. Keep up the faithful work, and Mr.
Messick. !hank you for the inspired and inspiring
DRUMMING
LETTE RS TO KATUAH
anwork.
Ught, Love, &. Life,
Jeff Zachary
Deru- Ko1uah Family,
This pan of Turtle Island cnlled home is the
ecoione of Kaulah and the Cumberland Green
Bioregions. The divide is here on lhe IOp of the
Cumberland Plaleau. We arc fanning a community
whose drainage goes inlO Kauiah Province. My wife
Joan and I have stayed in lOUCh with both regions for a
long lime. Ka1uah is home lO us. The people, plllces,
and energies arc alive and connected. I have passed on
many copies of your joumal over the yea.rs as I have
promoted the nelwork.ing of kindled spirilS. Keep up the
grtal work. Receiving lhe journal is always an exciting
evenL You do more than you n:aliu, and J wanted you
10 know thru your voice is heard far and wide. We feel
lhal we call Kau1nh home even though we rcsl on the
far weslem edge. I wanted you 10 know that we are with
you. Bravol
Namasie,
SanfOtd McGee
Tkfollowing is e.xu rpttdfrqm o longer ltllu.
Dear Fncnds •
Five years ago, K01uah Journol published an
anicle on the CenlCt for Awakening, described as a plllcc
where people can "consciously live and consciously
die." llS purpose was 10 provide termin!llly ill people
with the suppon they needed lO make the tranSition inlO
The Medilltion project has the mission or
"peaceful conflict resolution." HSE rccognius Ihm
mediation has a greater chance o( achieving hnnnony
than docs litigation.
There arc no J)(lid employees a1 HSA. There are
no fees for clicnl scrvtCCS. The Boord members each
votun10er more than 50 hours a month, and not a single
Board member has missed any or the Board meetings
since HSA came inlo being.
Volun!UtS are welcome regardless of their
experience level. HSA makes il easy for people with
children lO volun1ocr. Janice Ayers, a long-time
volumccr, says, "By volun1eering with your children,
you can teach them how 10 care about others." If a
volunteer shows an interest m a particular area, he or
she is lralned 10 be effective in lhal a,ca. Room and
boaro are provided, and the volunLCCrs come away with a
sense of being part of something grealer lhan
themselves, of having given sorn cthing back lO life.
The spark which embodies this service
organization has resulted in HSA's recognition by
Prcsidcnl Bush as one of the Thousand PoinlS or LighL
To see this sprutc continue lO grow, Board members
would be glad lo help others SUIJt their own facilities lO
serve humankind.
dcalh.
The spa,k behind the Ccnw for Awakening has
continued 10 grow inlO a sicady. burning rue. through
five years of tranSfonnation, lO wha1 is now called
Human Service Alliance (HSA). HSA is now localed
between Greensboro and Winsum-Salem, easily
accessible from lnterslate 40 and available lO an
expanded populruion of clients and voluniurs. II serves
clients in four diffcren1 programs: Respiie Care
Program. Center for the TC11T1inally Ill, Health and
Wellness Program, and the Mediation ProjccL
ln the Respi1e Carc Program, weekend crue in a
supportive environment is offered lO physically or
developmenlally disabled children, gavmg their parents a
break from lhe Slte.SSCS of dealing wilh special needs day
in and day OUL
A brand-new 8,000 square fool btulding houses
the Ccn1er for the Tenninally Ill (CTI). errs purpose
is lO give gucslS the personal a1ienllon and Jove lhat
they deselvc, IClting them know as they approach the
uansition from life IO death that they are wonhwhile
people. One volumccr observed once thru all Ullflie
Sl01>$ lO allow a funeral procession 10 pass, in essence
)Xlying tribule lO the deceased indJV1dual. CTI is here to
"stop lhc t.mflic" for a dying pen;on while he/she is still
alive.
The Health and WcUness program is alc;o housed
in lhe CTI facilily. Its goal is 10 help clients assume
responsibility for their own health. A !Cam of
votunlCCl's with a vocation or avocation an health-related
areas assists each cliem in gciting lO 1he underlying
cause of health problems, rather than jus1 ucaling the
sympioms.
lv~nt.er, 1991-92
t - t I 1. •
• ").'
Jo Ellen Ca,son
Human Service Alliance
3983 Old Greensboro Rd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Dear Koruah,
I loved lhe Fall '91 issue from fron1 lO back.
"Songs in the Wildcmcss" by Charloue Homsher (p.
24) brought an idea 10 mind, one I'm familiar with.
Native music. be il nute, drums, voice,
whruevcr - and its impon on na1ure (Bild vise versa)
would be an excellent focu.\ for a future Ka1uah Journal.
All my life, pe1.1Ce of mind has been as close as
Orawin& by Mane Moms
I
"
"
Dear K01uah Friends,
I think it's lime to renew my subscription. l
really enjoy all your issues, good articles and flllC
artworks. Someday I'm going to order a few of them
from Rob Messick.
WeU I'd fjlce to let you know lha1 Ills! September
I was a1 lhe "Shasta Bioregional Gathc.ring." I had a
greru time • deep feeling. I meet many beautiful people
there; from Judy and Peier Berg. Freeman House, Jim
Dodge CIC ••• and especially Ga,y Snyder, a vuy special
person. I wished to come and visi1 you loo, bul works
at home piesscd me lO jcl back early.
O.K., my daily ecoccntric practice is improving.
The llalilln Wildemcss Association has rccenlly
instituted two Wilderness Areas in nonh and south
llaly. The llallan Bioregional Movement is going fine.
Last month we had lhe "Founh Bioregional Camp." I
was there speaking for the wilderness.
Hope this lcuer finds you well and an good spirit
For lhe Eanh,
Moretti Giuseppe
ManlOva llaly
nott: lfey. Mort/Ii, don't wait t<>C Ions It> order
ort -work. Arri.SIS don't live forevu you luww! RM
Dear Friends,
WE NEED HaP ! 11
Despiie ever-increasing protest, a dam in
Czorsnyn in the Plcniny Mount.ains in Poland has been
under COIISltUClion since 1968. Since 1989 young
ecologists and annrchists have crganaed blockndes of
the dam. A geological cawuophc lhrealCnS 10 desuoy
Pleniny National Park's hisiorical relics: castles from
1hc middle ages, manor houses, churches, lnldilional
buildings, exceptionally inieresung villages, and
valuable natural clements.
There is no rational reason ror buildulg the dam.
lnlellcclUals oppose lhe dam; among these professionals
are nwncrous well-known scicnllSlS. This year's
blockade suutcd on July 1. The police action was
exceptionally brulal. II was an exueme show of foroe
and power. The following damages occurred from this
suong-a,ming (as of July 4 injuries): a girl with
concussion. a boy with a damaged kidney. The couns
have thus fa,imposcd f"ines of 40,000 • 800,000?1 on
the young ecologists.
A hunger strike was sWled in fron1 of the
Environment Minasiry on July 6. We REQUEST
HELP through lhe picketing and bloclclde of Polish
Embassies!
Members or the bloc:k.ade in Czo~1>11
6July 1991
P.S Please make these f.lcts known; ,;pread thi.~
infonnation further.
Pragowrua KulUU')' Tcay
Siowawyokeme
35--016 Kraslcow, uL Polcaiego Sf].1
Td 53- 772
I
Xatucin 1oumQ{. ooa& Z7
I " I ,, IJll1 I
rn·;_.,,, •
-
�Dc.KatUllh,
To tbc cdit0r.
r have just moo articles on lhe repeated violiuions
charged agrunst lhe Champ,on Pulp and Pnper Co. and
its continued indifference toward lhe honible c:ondil.ion
or lhe Pigeon River.
We don't expect the Slate of Nonh Carolina lO
enforce laws intended 10 prevent Oulmpion's flagrant
indiffcrcncc to lhc wishes of the people, but it would
seem lh3111llhet than plea-bargain the pclUllties for
turning lhe once beautiful river inlO an industrial sewer.
lhe Environmental Pro<cction Agency would apply the
full foru or lhe lnw Gt iis disposal fot lhc.,c vioouions.
Al the S111T1e lime I.hat Champion has been lClling
slorics about the great fishing in Clyde and au.empting
to beliulc lhc warnings of lhe known danger of dioxin
Lo anyone foolish enough 10 eat any fish caught in lhc
river downstream from Champion's decrepit old mill.
more and more people are becoming awurc of lhc
damage Champion bas done, and continues 10 do, IO
what could be one of God's greatest gifts co lhe people
and wildlife of this region.
I am expccung 10 hear any day that lhe famous
fish fry Champion puts on foe lhe newly decied
politicians in Raleigh will now fcalll!C fish from the
Pigeon River, probably lhe most dangerously polluied
sewer in this otherwise bcaullful area.
Because of the state of Norlh Carol.ina's
indifference to lhe Pigeon River scandill, we should all
be thankful 10 our neighbors in Tennessee for lhe
in!clliguru and courageous Stand !hey have taken to
clean up the river, from lhcoutfall 111lhc mill all lhc
way into Tennessee.
Thnnks and sinccrc appieciatiOn for lhc growing
support we arc getting from environmental groups and
lhc people in general.
Dick Mullinix
Pigeon River Action Group
Dear Ko/Uah,
We arc a group of students at the Arthur Morgan
School, and we'd like IO shllrc our feelings about lhc
milillll')' maru:uvcrs Iha! will be going on ID Yancey
County on November 4lh - 9lh of 199I. As u:enagc,s
of !his coun1.1y we believe !hat our opiniOns should not
only be IJlken into account, but should be rcspec:ICd as
well.
It's so peaceful bese. We really don'1 likc 10 have
our home turned 1mo a praclice wn, rone. I1 feels like
you arc really going to bomb us. Do you rcali7.e wh:11
you arc practicing for? Why docs lhere have 10 be a ncx1
time?
You arc crossing the line of our beliefs, because
we don't suppon the use of violence 10 solve problems.
Even if the miliwy got permission from some people,
!hey did not gel permission from us. We don't believe
lhcse mow11ains or any other land should have anything
10 do wilh war.
How is !his helping the people of Yancey
County work for peace?
Thank you foe list.cning,
David Barrett
Monrovia Van Hoose
Byron Eastman
MoUy Levin
Cedar Johnson
Rose Testa
Alice Delcoun
(The three social studi~ classes ot the Arthur Morgon
School ore studying contemporary issues. Similar
le11us were receivedfrom the rwo other closszs al tilt
school.)
DcarKotuah,
I am saying lhllnlc you to Cbarloue Homsher for
·songs in lhe Wilderness.· Again she has jogged my
inherent nature memory, awakening a beauty of my
own 1h31 s.hps inlO slumbers more often than n0t.
Among.st the many hardened facts and 1rulhs of
our reality on Earth today, it is mosi welcome and
healing to be strengthened and rcvitali7.Cd by Lhis kmd of
ruticle.
I'm looking forward 10 l110fC.
Sinccrcly,
a sister in voice
in Asheville
Dear Katuah,
Hello rrom up north! A few weeks ago a friend of
mme returned from lhc Pcnnaculture Conference in
Tennessee and brought back wilh him a copy of Kaulah
Journal, which I was excited 10 sec and read again. us1
lime I read Kauiah was in Washington D.C. a year ago
and since lhcn I haven't seen 1his WONDERFUL
journal anywhere in this Non.hca.uern region or the
sl.:ltes. I don't even lhmk a journal like ~umh exislS
here ID New H:unpshitt/Vermon1 area.
I write this !cu.er 10 you with lhMks. and wish 10
give you money for a year's membership. Thanks again!
For lhc Ennh,
Michael S1onc
Painting by Susan Adlm
Well l WIOlC "2" first drafis of a teuu 10 you all
hoping Iha! 1 could come up wilh a way 10 keep my
leuer from sounding dumb, but no such luck. So I
figured the best way 10 Lell you my feelings about
Katuah is 10 write 10 you all lhe same way you write 10
us in lhe journal. like we're old friends.
I was lucky enough to find Karuah in a used
book s1ore while my family and I were antiquing in old
downlOwn Asheville- I've never come across anything
as neru and infonnalive!
Florida jUSI doesn't seem 10 be interested in
Native American culture. l'm not sure if they're
iniercsted m IOO much more lhan m:ikmg money,
sending up lhe shuUle, and ripping our environment
apart so lhey can build more moc.els for the tourists. I
know it's supposed 10 be the mainstay of our economy
but why can't lhey leave some trees and wildlife for lhe
ones of us who enjoy them.
I guess thal's why I love lhe mouniains so much.
ll's scary to lhink !hat lhcy might be cleared off in a rcw
years too. I lhink that's why I lmve always admired the
lndiMs, lhcy used wlmt lhcy needed, and lhru was iL
Over lhe past yenr or so I've become vc,y
inlClCSted in lcarmng more about the Native Americans,
their culture. and heritage. Issue #32, Fall, 1991 was
full of great slllm Your interview about "Bringing
Back lhc rll'C" was wonderful!! Reading about how lhe
Cherokee's got so swept up in their stomp dance lba1
they went au night and bad to stan singing Old
McDonald because !hey ran out of songs was so
exciting for me! (Corning from a "stiff" southern
Baptist background, the thought of being able 10 praise
God with everything you can mUStCr malces me wan1 10
get up and do the same!)
From lhc little l know and have learned, the
Native Americans stnke me as a ru;h and beautiful
people who learned to live by faith and the simple lnlth
that God provided lhem wilh everything lhey needed
because they respected lbe earth and trusted in Him! If
we could ever stop and look at how !hey build and try lO
incorporate their ways into our evc,ydlly lives - man,
wouldn't it be great? I guess the best way IO start is
wilh ourselves. One person =hing 2 and in tum
those leaching 2 more. Maybe m time we could heal
the eanh, as well as ourselves.
I've also wondered, are there any books
comnining instrucllon on Native American languages?
Thanks for talcing lhe time 10 read I lcucr from a
young dreamer.
Peact Always!
Rebecca Hogan
Dear K01uah Joutlllll.
Last year I bough1 iwo of your issues from a
small bookstore in Ellijay, Georgia. I still have !hem
with me and they continue 10 help me understand thing$
as I guess I'm mean1 to understand lhcm.
Even though we live oversc35, I'd like to
1rubscnbe. Enclosed is money to cover a year's
subscription and the extra pos1age.
Also. th3nks foe lhe energy you all are releasing.
In spiril,
Scou & Miriam R1eh:lldson
Baguio City, Philippines
l.llnUr., l00kt92
�Sky Mangler, from silver halite
Image of thy snow twisting
The template of thy helix
Formed thee when a snot-throutcd
White trash lay down your passage to
subordinate thee with bullets
No permanent dwelling did thou build
Possessing no deed - au was the soil of thine own kind
The white Earth-mover claims his machine
has a mind of lls own
On account of falling drunk on oil overland
Thou art so praiseworthy for Earth skill
Thy impressionless path was purposeful by its
appropriate scale
The fire-harnessing soldiers executed policy
And have soldierly descendants who
have yet to conceive and deliver a
successful way of coping with the cold and dark
Thy way did peris h until the rost Industrial Tribe
picked it up
The disease of O,ristian Europe, mutated
By stresses in the underpinning rock
And brains of soldiers - the rotted, broken virulence
The settlements laid to waste
But for him thou wouldst have slept on the soil
of thine own kind
But for the war for white convenience of manufacture
For lines on maps
Dottering trifOcs
At the very length of history when
We could have gone thy way .. .
Lain claim to thy sustainable homelessness
Mike Wilber
Drawing by Marte Mems
Shhh- . .Listen ...
~
FUTONS ETC. ~
'The area·s oldest
and l.1rgcst natural
foods grocery •
... the new alt.emative
to the sleeper sofa
with over 4,000 years of
customer satisfaction built in.
Bulk Herbs, Spices, & Grains
Vitamins & Supplements
Wheat, Salt & Yeast-Free Foods
Dairy S11bstit11tes
Hair & Skin Care Products
Beer & Wine Making Supplies
200 W. King St, Boone, NC 28607
414S.ROAN
DOWNTOWN
JOHNSONCtTY
(7~) 264-5220
929-8622
rl 'J"hu
W
WHOLE FOODS
Saru!J Mush
Htrb N urse. J
'
WREATHS • POTPOURRI
VITAMINS
ORGANIC PRODUCE
• HERBS • TOPIARY
160 Broadway
AshevilleJ North Carolina
Complete Herb Catalog - $4
Describes more than 800 plants from
Aloe lo Yarraw
Open 7 Days a Week
Monday - Friday 9 am - 8 pm
Saturday 9 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm
Wi.nter, 1991-92
A.I.A., Resource Information Analysis
Neil Thomas and Andy Feinstein
305 Westover, Asheville, NC
(704) 252-6816
Rt 2, Surrett Cove Road
Leicester, North Carolina 28748
Phone for appointmerrt to visit
(704) 683-2014
�.,. ~r
(canunuod liom page 6)
the Southern Appalachians. A1 present, oak
species seem to be in uouble - they are
declining due to a root rot fungus and are no1
regenerating well in sites where they were
once strongly represented. Since oak lumber
is a valuable timber product, this situation has
been well-investigated.
Oak ll'CCS have always had a place on
drier. south-facing sites in the mountains, but
it is only since the demise of the American
chesmu1 that the oak IJ'Ce has become critical
as a food crop for so many species of wildlife.
Since the chestnut blight wiped om the
chestnut as a seed-bearing tree, oaks have
greatly expanded their niche, moving into sites.
formerly inhabited by chestnuts and filling at
least pan of that great tree's role as a
food-producer. Due to "unnatural"
intervention by human beings in the past, loss
of the oak species at this rime would be
devastating co the life of the forest.
What is to be done? If we were co
abruptly remove our influence without
ensuring the continuation of the oaks, we
might precipitate the loss of irreplaceable
components of the ecological community and
thus make the restoration of natural processes
impossible. This is a situation ~ degraded
that it appears human management may be
needed 10 neutralize past human mistakes.
This is a common <tilert'lma. Ecologist
Reed Noss says: "Conservation ecologists
unanimously rccogniu: the necessity of
scientific management in restoring and
perpetuating natural areas. Active habitat
restoration should apply the best srate-ofthe-an management techniques 10 mimic the
natural environmental regime, keeping human
intervention down 10 the minimum..."
The first step 10 reinstate a natural order
in the Katuah Province is 10 proceed with
effons to reintroduce the American chestnut
tree with all possible speed. Until those effons
literally bear fruit, steps will have to be taken
10 maintain the oak tree. Since light ground
fires seem to be instrumental in maintaining
oak stands, it may be the oak trees that give us
the ~swer, at least for the present; I.& t.he
quesuon of how much fuc is desirable. Doing
controlled bums to maintain habitat for the oak
family would also serve 10 restore the
macro-process of fire to the woods. The oak
irees could guide us to the proper balance for
fire use.
To restore natural relationships to a
community, the minimum amount of
!n~erference is the best, and only for as long as
11 ts necessary. In undertaking any restoration
policies, it mUSt be remembered that we are
"Irrespective of man's
viewpoint, change is necessary
to maintain a healthy
ecosystem."
crying 10 help the Earth heal Hen.elf. We
would be intervening to allow the recovery of
"natural" processes. Paradoxical as that may
seem, that may be our present situation.
The examples of the Table Mountain
pine and the oak family show us the level of
paradox we may encounter and the degree of
ecological understanding necessary 10 make
knowledgeable decisions. We know so little.
There is so much 10 be done.
While we can never return to a "natural"
condition as it was in a mythic past, it is still
valid as a guiding conc:epL The great old u-ees
of the ancient old-growth forest are still the
grandest testaments to the potential of this
region.
And, while ii would be fruitless to
mindlessly mimic the practices of the ancient
native inhabitants, they still can serve as a
guide for our present actions. The only
baseline we have for "original conditions" was
the landscape managed by the Cherokee
nation. lt was a beautiful landscape by all
ac~unts, and it was a stable equtlibrium, as
evidenced by the fact that the Cherokees were
able to maintain a consistent presence here for
~ore than 2.000 years. The experience of the
First People teaches us that humans in small
numbers, living respectfully and reverentially,
can integrate ourselves into a viable landscape.
Perhaps by pursuing these elusive
examples we may be able 10 anive at a new
and original equilibrium, one that will serve
the needs of the future. Perhaps by seeking 10
fulfill the unattainable mcxlel of a ··natural"
landscape free of human intervention, we may
be be able to reach an equilibrium that is
"natural" because ii proceeds from the forest's
own dynamic and follows the forest's own
needs. In aniving at that state of balance, we
would have to change ourselves so we could
live within those natural processes rather than
in conflict with them.
One way in which we could stan would
be 10 put our skills and our passion to the task
of serving the forest, deeming it an entity
greater than ourselves, that surrounds and
holds us, and recognizing that the quality of
the forest's life conuols directly the quality of
our own.
Our goal is the circle of life rejoined. We
can only sketch ou1 the elements of a
functioning natural communiry in broad
strokes, adjust our technologies and lifestyles
accordingly, and then fine-tune our
relationship 10 our environment as we gain a
deeper perception of human causes and natural
effects.
lf we are to continue to live in these
hills, we will have to strive 10 keep the life
community as close as possible to the
evolutionary optimum for this region. Our
work on behalf of the nawral life processes
and the native species as best we can know
them protects the integril)' - or ecological
wholeness - of the region. Our goal is a
community of life capable of sustaining itself
in the face of inevitable change.
~
David Wheele r
(continued from i-sc4)
Rhcx!cxlendron sproutS up quickly and in its
first year in full sun will set flower buds. The
followi.ng year the buds bloom and Lhen open,
producing an amazing amount of seed."
On rhe high ridgetcp, under new sun and
new rain, grass has grown over the charred
ground, hidfog it away from sight. It was
almosr as ifthefve never had been, except/or
the lushness of the new sprillg growth and rhe
blacuned suletons ofberry bushes and
rhod.Jdendrons reaching grotesquely imo the
air. Tiny, leafy shoots spring up from the roots.
In rlvee years, during the longest days, the
meadow will appear to blaze again in a
profusion ofpurple rlwdodendronf/owers.
later in that same s,unmer, the blueberry bushes
will bear fn1il, turning the fresl,/yfertilized soil
in10 a prodigious liarvest
Fire has brought change - and new life.
;,
--~Jo,.
-l'tr1 sorr'l Mr. J"ohnson. We found ~our
'llc.coJ'nt to be ·m arrears . "'"'
· ~1P'I
l.,intu, 1991 92
�REVIEW:
TRIDENT TO LIFE
SUPPORT CHUCK ROE!
"All nuclear stares are composed ofmaJ1y
11a1io11s, bw each is controlled by a single
nation that has the bomb. Britain's bomb is
English, not Irish; the Soviet bomb is Russian.
not Ukrainian; the French bomb is Parisian, not
Corsican; the Chinese bomb is Han, not
Tibetan; and the US bomb is White American,
not lakoran."
Each year during the Christian holiday of
The Feast of the Holy Innocents, people gather
in S1. Mary's, Georgia in opposition 10 the
Trident submarine base and in suppon of
peaceful alternatives to the militarized
economy.
This year the theme of the action is "From
Genocide to Peace: Celebrating the Conversion
of Our Economies." The marchers will
remember the native peoples who were
decimated during the 500 years of European
conquest and protest the presence of a modem
tool of genocide: the Trident submarine and its
nuclear weapons payload.
The event is scheduled from December
27-29 and will include a vigil, fellowship, a
Listening Project, and the march to the gates of
1he Trident base which will take place on
Saturday, December 28. St. Mary's is on the
South Georgia coast, so the scenery is
beautiful, and accommodations and camping
facilities are plentiful.
For more information, write:
Feast of the Holy /1111oce111s
Pla1mi11g Committee
clo Jody Howard
215 McDonough St.
Decatur, GA 30030
or call:
(404)377-7109
TURTLE ISLAND
BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS
V
May 17-24, 1992
A convocation of bioregional people from
across the continent and beyond
at Camp Stewan
in the hill country of the Great Prairie biome.
To register for this event, contact:
Gene Marshall
Realistic Living
Box 140826
Dallns, TX 75214
Upper Blackland Prairie Bioregion
hhntcr , 199 1 92
If. ' '
't
read by Thomas Rain Crowe
accompanied by Eugene Friesen, c:cllo, and Paul
Sullivan, piano
"Love is the perfect work"
Words on a page sometimes blossom into
meaning within the reader's mind. But poetry
read by the author is a three-dimensional
experience in space, time, and spirit. The
listener hears the words as they were intended
to be heard and touches the mind that binhed
them.
When the reading is accompanied by
musical instrumentation, it becomes another
experience. The woros are then the frame
supporting a work that is a collaboration of
influences altogether different than words
alone.
For those of us who were not al the
Jubilee Center on Valentine's Day evening,
1990, Thomas Rain Crowe has recorded
readings from that event and from another
evening at Furman University in Greenville,
SC on July 20 of that year. Accompaniment is
by Eugene Friesen, bassist for Lhe Paul Winter
Conson and a resident of Asheville, and Paul
Sullivan, pianist, who heads a musical
enterprise called River Music Records in the
Gulf of Maine region.
Since the recording was made live, the
quality of the tape is variable, but the meaning
and intem are clear throughout. Crowe,
formerly a Katuah Journal editorial siaff
member, lives in rural Jackson County, in the
Tuckasegee River watershed. He is a gardener
and a printer as well as a poet, but he is always
watching the interplay of opposites · sound and
silence, motion and stillness, the light and the
dark - in the seasons of time and of the human
hean. He writes of the changes he has seen honestly and deeply, yet always with hope.
The musical sounds interweave with the
verbal and offer their own meanings,
communicating with the listener on different
levels. The sensitive instrumentation adds
greatly 10 the depth of the presentation.
Together they present a pleasing work.
Nothing, of course, can match the subtle
exchange of energy that occurs at a live
performance, but the casseue Sound of light is
in itself a wonhwhile artistic statement, full of
sound and insight.
And knowing what love is, I
aw~. In this place in my body.
Full of dream 17WSic,
Full oflighJ!"
• reviewed by KO
near
Kerrville, Texas
• J
THE SOUND OF LIGHT
..
Selcctlons from lhe poem 'i1ie Pcrl'cc:1 Work" by Thomu
Rain Crowe
The Sound of Light was produced by John
lane and Tlwrnas Rain Crowe. The tape is
available for $7.95 plus $1 .00for shipping
and handling from Holocene Books; Box
10/; Wofford College. Spartanburg, SC
29303.
'- I
For years Chuck Roe worked 10
inventory and protect wild lands and native
species in the State of Nonh Carolina as the
director of the srate Natural Heritage Program.
On a shoestring budget, with linle suppon from
the state bureaucracy, Roe consolidated
resources and labor from a variety of sources
and not only kept the Natural Heritage Program
functioning, but made it into an effective force
for natur.11 preservation.
In the spring of 1991, Roe was fired
from his job by the Secretary of the NC
Department of Environment, Health, and
Natural Resources, William Cobey. The reason
given was that Roe had overstepped his
authority in writing a leuer to support Karin
Heiman, who had recently been fired as a
botanist for the US Foresr Service. The real
reason for both the firings is that lleiman and
Roe were being too effective in their jobs and
were becoming obstacles to the goals of the
powers that be.
Chuck Roe is appealing his firing. His
legal challenge is an important battle for free
speech, employees' rights, and environmental
protection.
"The costs so far for my legal fees have
been $5,000," Roe says, "which has not been
easy for my family to afford. Standing up for
principles is not only dangerous but expensive,
bm I did what was right, and I have no
regrets."
He is asking help from anyone who is
willing and able to contribute 10 his defense.
To help, send a check made our to the
"Chuck Roe Legal Defense Fund" to the
Western Nonh Carolina Alliance: Box 18087;
Asheville, NC 28814. Contributions are
tax-deductible.
FRENCH BROAD
FOOD CO-OP
• • • Consu= Ov.,wd Sinre 1975 • • •
We Sell Food that Nourishes
I Iumans and Sustains the Earth
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Monday-Friday 8:.30 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday 9;00 AM lo 7,00 PM
Sunday 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
(704) 255-7650
90 Biltmore Avenue Asheville, NC
2 Blocks South of Downtown
�NWN (co,uinllldfrom page 23)
HELP WANTED
amc:ndmcnl lh:il would allow logging in areas LO be
designated as recreation and stenic are.is.
CALDWELL COUNTY:
SAVED FROM THE SHAVE
Naturul World News Scivicc
A new chapt.cr of the WCSJcm Non.h Carolina
Alliance (WNCA) has fanned in ~'JIOn.se I O ~
limber sales in lhc Grandfalhcr Ranger DistricL The
Foothills Environmental Alli:ince (FEA) is lhc fll'Sl
organit.ed crron 10 appeal timber sales in CaWwcll
Counly. Hunt.crs, f1Shcf5, and ccologiSIS alike ruc
dis1wbed about loog range impaclS due IO excess
umbering.
Citing excessive cumulative cffcclS from
c lcarc:u1ting on both private lands and lhc Pisgah
National Forest, an nppc:il has been filed w1lh lhc
J"orest Service on proposed sales in the Wilson Creek
wau:rshcd. The habillll preservation group Sou1hPAW
also ~ubmiucd four appeals of sales on lhe Grandfather
District to prcvcnl foresl frogmcnuiuon. degradation of
sltC.'lm quruity, and ncg11tive imp:iclS on biodivcrs11y
from lhc logging. In November, 1991 siays were
granted on lhe proposed soles. and lhc WNCA is
prepared tO continue oppeals if R:inger Mike Anderson
decides to continue lhc logging.
In a meeting belwecn members of lhc WNCA
and lhc Forest Service, thc laucr admill.Cd !hat Caldwell
Coun1y has had more lluln its share of clC31CuUing. It is
lime to pf'Olcct Lhcsc valuable lands.
The Poo1hill$ Environmen1al Allianu mrtts al
the county library ,n unoir on ,~ ftr$t Thursday of
every monlh.
US REP. CHARLES TAYLOR:
FOE OF THE FOREST
One of the siJcs slated for release III Taylor's
so-called "wilde.mess" bill was thc Blue Valley area near
Hjghlands, NC. Taylor's acllon prompted a storm of
proccst from residents who loved lhc area and wnnicd 10
keep it as il is. In response he called an "cducaiional"
mecung in Highlands lhat con~ist.cd or a full program of
USFS personnel iclling why thcy want.cd IO delist Blue
Valley. The citu.cns who packed lhc hall were invit.cd 10
air their concerns by sending lctlet~ 10 Taylor after the
meeting. Residents howled. and Taylor bler wilhdrew
his bill from consideration.
His move agai1151 wildbnds in Georgia was
prompted by a bill proposed by Rep. Ed Jenkins
(D-OA) which would dcs1gn:ite lhe Blood Mountllln and
Mark Trail IIICa.~as wildctnc.-;.~ and add 1,100 acres to the
Bn&SSIOwn Wildemcss An:3. h would also create n 36
square mile recreation area oo Springer Mountain, lhe
head of lhe Appalachian Trail, and an 11 square mile
scenic area on Coosa Bald. Taylor's amendment would
have allowed logging in lhe laucr are.is. even lhough
Jc:okins took pains 10 mention lhat his bill would hnvc
liulc effect on timber quOlllS in the Chau:ihooc:hcc.
Jenkins' bill was =enlly passed lhrough
Congress SO/IS lhc Taylor amendmcnL
ll is 110{ surprising lhat Charles Taylor is so
ddigent in the service of lhe timber indusiry. Twcnl)'
pcn:cnt of his 1990 campaign contributions ($40,000)
c:amc from individuals nnd groups connected wilh the
wood producis indusuy. He himsel f is a dc\-clopc:r and
tree farmer in TnlllSYlvania and H:iywood Counties.
flfonnl Wadel News Service
for
BIODIVERSITY LEGAL
FOUNDATION
The Biodiversity Legal Foundation is a
non-profit organization dedicated to the
preservation of all native wild plants and
animals, communities of species, and naturally
functioning ecosystems.The group is involved
in li1igadon in the biocenaic defense of the
elements of natural diversity lhat other, more
mainstream groups are typically unwilling to
undenake.
The Foundation closely monitors the
programs of the US forest Service for
sensitive, threatened. and endangered species
and their ecosystems. It concentrates on
habitats across the country that are integrnl
parts of large, natural, diverse ecosystems. The
group's legal actions always stress a multiple
species/ ecosystem approach.
The Biodiversity Legal Foundation is
looking for help in the eastern foresis. They
need activists with a strong biological interest
to develop a comprehensive review of the
status and disaibution of the eastern wood.rat
(Neotomafloridiana) and the eastern
diamondback mnlesnake (Cota/us adamenters).
Both these species are believed to be in serious
trouble and require legal advocacy.
Those interested should contact:
Jasper Carlu,n
Biodiversity legal Fowidation
Box 18327
Boulder, CO 80308
The congressional reprcscnwivc from Nor1h
Carolina's 11 lh District has been busying himself wilh
aucmpts to destroy wild h:ibi1111 during lhe past tcnn of
Congress.
Rep. Charles Taylor this summer uuroduced lhc
Craggy Mounr.:tln Wilderness Act, a "w11demcss" bill
that released I l,700acrcs of wild lands lO commercial
cxploiiation while prot.ccling only 2,400 aacs that arc
alre:ldy heavily used as a scenic auraction.
He was one or lhc 24 sponsors in the House of
lhc "Family and Forest Protection AJ:1; a limber
indusuy bill designed 10 hinder ci1i1.cns who would stop
destructive n:iuonal forest timber sales.
Taylor also tried 10 weaken a forest
protection biU mitiau:d ror lhc
Chauahoochcc National Forest by Georgia
Rep. Ed Jenkins. Taylor proposed an
flti.
Programs to encolSOge
&elf aid Eorth OW01enes.1.
celebrotton. klrdhlp ond hope.
• You1h Camii- • School Programs
• Fa,my Cami,.· Teadler Training
• Commuroty Provam•
•~Sia~ Tra.,ing
• 0uldoor Program~
PO 8ox 130b
Go11r>tlL<g. reme- 3n3a
61~
1'otimfl JoumoC
J)n'}C 32
~\I',\
TaJJcin1 ua...a is a DlOlllhly
,JOUrUal of deep ecology, inspired
personal acuvmn rooted in earthen
sp,rirualny. Pasl i$SUC$ have
featured ar11cles by Gary Snyder,
Starllawk, John Seed, Joanna
M,cy, Bill Devall, l..onc Wolf
Circles. Bubara Mor, etc:.
Tn/Jnng
~ for the
natural wt'4'1d and for the rekindllOE
of our own wild 5Ptnt.
uo,-a
Suh:\cnpllOIIS an: S24.00 one
year/ $48.00 outside U.S.
Ta/J:JnglLm-a
1430 Willamette 1361
Eugeoc. OR 97401
5031342-2974
Dra'IVll!g by Rob Musick
REGIONAL RADIO
Featuring Crossroads music, ?\iPR news and music
programs, regional news and information
concerning health, education, government,
recreation, and the environment.
WNCW - FM
r 0. Box 804
Spand.ilc, NC 28160
(704) 287-8000
l.,L11tcr, 1991-,92 ,
�•·,I.I, I
FEBRUARY
€V€0t'S
DECEMBER
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
Bill Melanson, reggae rock. at
McDibbs. $4.00. I 19 Cherry S1.; 28711, (704)
669-2456.
20
21
BLACK MOUNTA[N, NC
Pini and Gaye Johnson at McDibbs.
$4.00. See 12/20.
SWANNANOA, NC
Full Moon and Winier Solstice Lodge
a1 the Earth Center. Begins a1 noon. ConlllCl lhe Earth
Center: 302 Old Fellowship Road; 28TT8. (704)
298-3935.
27-29
ST. MARYS, GA
9th annual Peace Witness at
Kings Bay Submarine Base. Program
includes Listening Project training, direct
action, candlelight vigil, and shnred meal.
Pre-regisrration encouraged; donation
accepted. Contact Kings Bay Witness; c/o Joy
Howard; 215 McDonough St.; Decatur, GA
30030.
(404) 377-7019.
ASHEVLLLE, NC
"Breaking Barrier.;, Building Bridges.•
Workshop 10 focw; on brcalcing down barriers of
racism, sexism and classism, and on cswblishing
cross-cul1ural connection:; for more effccti,e grassroolS
organizing. Al W.C. Reid Center. Prc-rcgiSlcr. SS.
ConlaCl uwra Deaton, Western Norlh Carolina
Alliance; 11 Clock Tower Square; Frankhn, NC
28734.(704)S2A-3899.
l
HOT SPRINGS, NC
"A New Years Rcln:aL" Meditation lO
welcome the new year, led by John Orr nod Man:in
Rose. Pre-register. S28S mcludes vegan meals and
lodgmg. Contact Southern Dhanna Rctreal Center; RL
I; 28743. (704) 622-7112.
27-4
VALLEYHEAD,AL
Winter Solstice Celebration. ConlllCl
Hawkwind Earth Renewal Cooperative: PO Box 11;
Valley Head, AL 35989. (205) 635-6304.
22
Winter Solstice
2
SWANNANOA, NC
Foll Moon Lodge al lhc Enrth Center.
See 12/21.
MARCH
JANUARY
ASHEVILLE, NC
Tim Abell, ·songs and s1ories for lhe
young of all ages. Bring lhe kids. SS. 8:30 pm a1
Stone Soup Cafe, comer of Broadway and Walnu1.
(704) 255-7687.
4
SWANNANOA, NC
Full Moon Lodge al lhc Eanh Center.
18
Feile Oridghe or Candlemas
(01 id"in1er)
21
?l-23
.
....
~8
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
"Environmental Education and lhe
Arts" annual workshop. Sessions on slOJylelling,
dramatics, mum, puppetry and other cmfl.s ~gned lO
inspire new ideas for ieaching aboUI lhe narural world.
Fcalured gucsl is Denny Olsen.
Prc-rcgisitr. S80 includes meals and lodging. Conuict
Great Smoley Mounl8ins lnstitute at Tremont: RLl,
Box 700: Townsend. TN 37882. (615) 448-6709.
See 12/21.
ASHEVILLE, NC
Christmas uce chippers in locntions
Lhroughou1 Buncombe County. For locations, call
Quality Forward 254-1776.
26
ASHEVILLE, NC
Tree planting in Afion Parle
co-sponsored by Quali1y Forward and lhc Ashevillc,Buncombe Youlh council. For info: Quality F«wnrd:
Box 22; 28802. (704) 254-1776.
7
ASHEVILLE, NC
Jim Magill, plays mountain music in
Lhe Celtic tradition on a varic1y of instruments,
original music, and stories. SS. 8:30 pm al S1onc
Soup Cafe. See 1/4.
18
21
SWANNANOA, NC
Full Moon and Spring Equinox Lodge
al Lhe Earth Cenl.Cf. Sec 12/21.
Get a set of 10 assorted
folding cards 1Nith
artwork you see in
Katuah Journal.
28
ASHEVILLE, NC
Girl Scoots' 80th birthday tree planting
along Broadway. Public p:lrtieipa1ion inviled. Pisgah
~~~-~-'!!!~t~G~ir,;Sco Council and Quality Forward. Sec 3/1.
; I ~ ;,:ut
(Envelopes included.)
by Rob l/.:esskk
Send $11.25 postage paid
to:
Rob Messick
P.O. BOX 2601
BOONE, NC 28607
Drawing b} Rodney Webb
whole earth
grocery
Hawk Littlejohn
Sourwood Farm
Rt 1, Box 172-l
Prospect Hill, NC 27314
(919) 562-3073
NATURAL
ALTERNATNES
FOR HEALTHFUL
LIVING
446 c.p,ukway rr~h center • suite 11
g.11hnburg. tcnnCSS<"C 3n38
615-436-6967
W1Htct', l9!11-92 ' '
An Alternative
i
NATIVE FLUTES
Two styles mode of cedar or walnut
woods in the traditional manner
Union Acres
- - lscrtage for Sale - Smoky Mountain Living
with a focus on spiritual and
«ologicol values
For more information:
Cont ad C. Grant al
Roule 1. Box 61]
Whillier, NC 28789
(704) 497-4964
NATURAL MARKET
WI IOLE FOODS • BULK
rooos. VJTA!liflNES . HERBS
• FAT FREE FOODS • TAKE
OUT FOODS • SNACKS • NO
SALT, NO CHOLESTEROL
265-2700
823 Slowing Roell. Rd
Boone, NC 28607
�SAVE OUR RIVERS • CllSSClte album by Baro= and
Jolm DunC311 and Ille Foxftrc Boys. Onginal tunes by
Barb.ira DunclUI; old umll go.,pel lnllllS by the Fodirc
Bo),. S10.00 includes poswge .llld handling. All
profit\ go to Save Our Rivm, Inc. PO Box 122:
Franklin, 1'C 28734: or call (71») 369-7877, For the
Cullasaj:i.
• Webworking has changed! There is now a
fee of $2.50 {pre-paid) per entry of50 words
or less. Submit entries/or Issue #33 by Feb.
15, 1992 to: Rob Messick; Box 2601; Boone,
NC 28607. (704) 754-6097
PEN PA.LS WANTED. I am 30, single, a traditional
religious leader and Greenpeace acuvist. I live far from
town on a rivcrf'rom hom<:SIC3d. Bear's.Over-Rainbow:
HCR 77. Box 382; Cosmopoli.~. WA 98537
I W\'E 'f llE E.ARTII. a ca.~uc: nxord,ng of
MUSIC BY BOB AVERY-GRUBEL awilablc on three
casscucs. Treasures in IM Stream and Circlt!T
Rerunung are folk/rOCl.·,i:lzz, and a rccenl release of
original chants and songs, l1g/11111 1/~ Wind. is a
ca~Ua Lyric sheets includ..ld Send SJO for each r.apc
or S26 for all Lhrce IO Bob Avery-Grubel; RI. I, Box
735: Floyd, VA 2409 I.
IIIGHLANDER CENTER· is a community-based
educational org;inl7.alion whose purpo<;e is IO provide
SJ130C for people IO learn from each other, and 10
developc solutions 10 environmenUJI problems based
on thcir values. cxpcnences. and aspirauons. They also
put ou1 a qurutcrly ncwslcw:rcallcd 1/igh/andu
Reports. For more Info conlaet Highlander Ccn1et;
19S9 Highlandct Way; New Mnrtkel, TN 37820 (61 S)
933.3443
BODY RI/YI/IMS from Plancwy Molhets • a beautiful
and pnlCticnl clllcndar for women io ch3rl Lheir
·moonthly" C)'l:les. Send S3.00 plus S 1.00 pOSUlge to:
Plnnc&ary Mothers Colloctive (c/o Nancie Yonker):
5231 Riverwood Avenue: Snrasoin. A.. 34231.
"BLOW YOUR MIND" • wilh 1hc celestial ~Ing
music of "Medicine Wind" by George Tortorelli. Also
exotic !ino-1uncd bamboo nuics in many keys aod
modes. For more informauon send 10: George
Tonorclli; 86 NW 55111 Stttet; Gnincsvillc. A.. 32601.
(904) 373-1837
WANTED: FUNDRAISER for the Grassroots LislC.nlng
311d Organizing Program or Ille Rural Soulhcm Voice
for Peace. We provide uaining end organiring
assislllllCC 10 grossroots groups 111 the South worlting
on justice, peace, and environmental issues. Localed 111
micnr.ional community m Blue Ridge Mountams.
Modest salary. 30 to 35 hrs/wit., good benefilS. Send
lcucr and rcsumt 10 RSVP/GLO: 1898 H31lll3h Branch
Rd.; Burnsville, NC 28714. (704) 675- 5933.
LAND FOR SALE • M:ignif1ce111 view wnh small ho1.1.~
111 beau1iful Spong Creek, NC. Ten males soulh of
Ho1 Springs, NC (off Route 209), and one hour west
or Asheville. $25,000 for bnd nnd house. Pcrfcc1 for
the self sullkiem life. Crul Lindn Deyo at (704)
675-9575.
SLASH YOUR HEATING COSTS· simple and
i001pcnsive method 10 locate and stop costly air leaks.
Send S3.00ond a SASE 10 M.J Olson: 816 Norlh
4Lh Avenue: Knoxville, TN 37917. Refund if
unsatisfied
JOIN US -111 lhe Olob:il CeJcbrauon oflhe um versa! day
of World Peace and Pl.lnctary Heahng Doo:mbcr 12th
1991. The universal silent rn>cr begins at 12:00
noon. For more infonnation conr.act PO Box 78813:
Tucson AZ, 85703 or call (()()2) 326-7522.
.
Xntu.afl Journot P<UJ'l- 34
.
'
cnvironmenial songs by lhc Oreal Smoky Mountains
lnsti1u1c at Trcmon1 in celebruuon of the 20th
annivcr.;ary of Earth Day. Includes ·scAT Rap," "The
0:lrbagc Blue.~." and more. $9.95 plus S2.50 shipping
for each ca=uc. Mail order plus check to Grcru
Smoky MounlOins Natural Hi);lory Association: 115
P-Jtl 1-!cadquancrs Rd.; G3tlmburg, TN 37738.
Alternatives ...
The Dirt:c1<>ry of fn1~n11onul Con1111w,111e.< 1s lhe prod·
uc1 or 1wo years or 1111en..1vc n:sc.m;h, .1nd tS lhe most
compn:hcnsive and 111:turate Jircclor) a,·ailablc. IL documents lhc: vi~1on and the dally hie or more lhan 3SO
commu11111c.~ 111 Norlh America, and more than 50 on
oilier conlinents. Each community's hsung includes
name, address, phone. and a dcsc11pwn of the group.
ExlClls1vc cro-s n·fercocmg nnd ,nJ..,1ng mak~ lhc 111formation easy tn act"C$~ for a wide vancay of user-1. Includes maps, over 2SO atld1uOOAI Resource listings, and
40 related aniclcs.
328 pages
K-lnxl I
Pcrfcc:1bounJ
Ocwocr 1990
1S81' Number.
0 96()27141-4
Sl6.00
Add S::!.00 poMagc
& handling for first
hook, s.:m rorcach
.i.Jd111onJI; 41l%
d1'>Coum on ordc~
of 111 c,r more.
Alpha Fann. Deadwood. OR
(503) 9'w-5102
LIV(NG OPPORTUNmES • Needed, Solar
Dcmonstrnlion CC111cr CoordinalOr by Spring, 1992.
Preferred retired and/or mdcpendcm mcome pcrson(s).
Hou,ing provided w11h op110n IO own within ien
years. Expertise in Ofi.llllic gaidcnmg and/or
appropriaie iechnology required. OJ,ponuni1y IO a.«-~t
low-mcome Ccnunl APJX1lach1ans. Wn1e; Appalachm
Science in Ille Public ln1ercs1: PO Box 298;
Livings1on, KY 4().145.
DOG • a chque of Pocuy, SJ)lril. God-is-Life not
God-runs-Li fc. Art. Journeys. IMer Powe11;, Munk
review~ and Zinc review~. Anlclcs, Dislribu110n of
Gypsy Music and more. Inspired 111 Asheville area of
NC and in Southern TX. Be positive and cnioy the
world arouod you. M:ul 10 Colouf!; or Monroe: PO
Box 18752: Corpus Christi, TX 78480. Cost S2.00.
VISIT MEXICO· in summer of 1992 wilh lhe
Exchange Program between WNC and S!ln Crist6bal
de las Casas, Chiapas. The purpose of lhe exchange is
10 build world peace lhrough personal conUICIS across
national boundaries. Spend 2~ weeks with a hos1
family, receive language ansuucuon and reciprocate by
offering hospiLllily in your home community
Minimum cosl IO permi1 wide panicipalion. For more
information write: Jenifer Morgan: 2050 Hannah
Bmnch Road; Burnsville, 1'C 28714 or call Becca
(70-I) 298-6794 or Jane (704) 625-5620.
NATIVE AMERICAN A..UTE MUSIC- Richard
Roberti, a well known west TN new age nutist (M:a
Zero Otims). is now av;ulablc an the Easl Tl'\/NC area.
For relaxing aod uplifling pcrfonnanccs or iopcs
con1JC1: Richan! Robcrtli: Box 821: Noms. TN 37828
(615) 494-8828 01' Rt I, Box 136 RD; Lamar, MS
38642 {601) 252-4283.
PEOPLE OF THE WEB· 224 page book (1990) shows
how lnwan mounds, anciem ritunls, magnetic
CJtJ)Crimentation on lhc: brain, neru-dcath c.~pcrience,
ll1!d UFO obduclions are rclaled. Wilh 94 piclurcs and
illustrnlioos. St9.95 sofl.back. S24.95 hardback- Eagle
Wang Books: Box 99n. Memphis, TN 38109.
NATNE AMERICAN CEREMONIAL HERBS· we
offer a large variety of sages. sweet grass, naiurlll
resins, and evcrylhing ncccs.,;ory for smudging. Native
smoking mixtures, 0uLO music, pow-wow 111pcs, and
ceremonial songs. Esscnr.ial oils. and incenses
specifu:ally made for prayer, offering, and meditation.
For caUllog call or write: Esscncia.l Dreams; Rt 3, Box
285: Eagle Fork. Hayesville, NC 28904 (704)
389-9898.
LOOKING FOR OTHERS • fOI' mutual suppon and
encou111gcmcn1 111 sc:udl of a bcucr life. Loolung for
~ l e formru.1011 of a rcsidenr.ial community. My
1ntcres1S and strengms are: feminism, pcrmllCUIIUrc,
commun11y supponcd agricul1urc, radionics, rot111111
he3ling, and much more. Write Peggy Price; 5807
Poplar Strcei: Doraville, OA 30340 or aill (404)
447-9829.
PIEDMONT BIOREGIONAL INSTITUTE· For !hose
who live 10 the Piedmont area, !here's a biorcgional
cffon v.-cll underway. Jom Us! We would 3pproc1ll1C
any donation of umc or money to help mce1 opern1ing
expenses. For a gift of S25.00 or more. we will !iol!nd
you a copy of John Lawson's JOumat, A New Voyage
10 Carolina. Also come find out about 1he Lawson
ProjccL PBI; 412 W Rosemary Su-cet: Chapel Hill,
NC 27516; Uwharria Province. (919) 942-2581.
MUSICIANS, MAGICIANS, ACROBATS, ACTORS,
jugglers, poets, roadies, cte. wanu:d to JOlll The
Bicycle B:ind, a iribal-foU. trnvcling musical
circus/medicine show. Must be 101ally self-propelled
(no gas-powered vehicles). Conlllct Billy Jonas; 31
Park A,·c.; Asheville, NC 28801
ROOM AV An.ABLE • in exchange for small odd jobs
and some cooking. To inquire please coniact Knrcn
W,ulcins at Rt 4, Box 389; Burnsville. NC 28714;
(704) 682-9263.
,.,lurer, 199 t-92
�BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE
ISSUE THREE· SPRING 1984
Sustainable Agricullure - Sunnowers • Human
lmpac, on lhe Forest - Childrens· Educa1ion Veronica Nicholas: Woman in Politics - Lill.le
People - Medicine Allies
ISSUE FOUR - SUMMER 1984
War.er Drum • Water Quali1y - Kudzu. Solar Eclip.,;c
· Clcan:ulling • Trou1 • Going IO Waler - Ram
Pumps· Microhydro • Poems: Bennie Lee Sinclair,
Jim Wayne Miller
ISSUE FIVE - FALL 1984
Harvest • Old Ways in Cherokee - Ginseng - Nuclear
Waste • Our Celtic ReriLagc - Biorcgionalism: Past.
Present. and Future - John Wilno1y - Healing
Darlcness - Politics of Participation
ISSUE STX· WINTER 1984-85
Winlcr Solstice Eanh Ceremony - Horsepasture
Rjvcr • Coming of the Light - Log Cabin ROOI.
Mounuiin Agriculture: The Right Crop • William
Taylor - The Future of 1he Forest
ISSUE SEVEN - SPRING 1985
Sustainable Economics - Hol Springs - Worller
Ownership - The Great Economy - Self Help Credit
Union - Wild Turkey - Responsible Investing .
Working in Ille Web of Life
ISSUE EIGHT - SUMMER 1985
Celebration: A Way of Life - Katuah 18,000 Years
Ago· Sacred Sites - Folk Arts in the Schools. Sun
Cycle/Moon Cycle - Poems: Hilda Downer Cherokee Heritage Center - Who Owns Appalachia?
ISSUE NINE • FALL 1985
The Waldoe Forest - The Trees Speak • Migrating
Forests • Horse Logging - SLBrting a Troe Crop •
Urban Trees • Acom Bread • Mylh Time
ISSUE TEN· WINTER 1985·86
Kate Rogers • Ci:cles of Sione - Internal
Mythmalcing • Hol.islic Healing on Trial - Poems:
Steve Knaulh · Mylhic Places - The Uk1ena·s Tale.
Crystal Magic - "Drcamspeaking•
ISSUE THlRTEEN • FALL 1986
Center For Awakening - Elizabeth Callari - A
Gentle Death • Hospice. Ernest Morgan • Dealing
Creatively wilh Death • Home Burial Box - The
Wake - The Raven Mocker - Woodslore & Wildwoods Wisdom - Good Medicine; The Sweat Lodge
;'.
33
Ke°UA~9URNAL
PO Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748
For more info: call Rob Messick at (704) 754-6007
Name
Regular Membership........$10/yr.
Sponsor.........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
Address
City
Wl.ntef', 1991-92
ISSUE FOURTEEN· WINTER 1986-87
Lloyd Carl Owle - Boogcrs and Mummers. AJI
Species Day - Cabin Fever Univcrsily - Homeless
in KatWlh • Homemade Hot Water. Stovemakcr's
Narrative· Good Medicine: ln1Crsp0Cies
Communication
ISSUE FIFIBEN • SPRING 1987
Coverlets· Woman Forcsr.cr. Susie McMahan:
Midwi~e • ~tcrnative Contraception - Biosexuality B1oregionalism and Women • Good Medicine:
Matriarchal Culture - Pearl
ISSUE SIXTEEN· SUMMER 1987
Helen Wai1e - Poem: Visions in a Garden • Vision
Ques, • First Aow - Initiation • Leaming in the
Wilderness - Cherokee Challenge - "Valuing Trees"
ISSUE EIGHTEEN· WINTER 1987-88
Vernacular ArchitCCtW'C - Dreams in Wood and Stone
• Mountain Home • Eanh Energies • Eanh-Shcltercd
Living· Membrane Houses • Brush Shelter.
J?oems: October Dusk - Good Medicine: "Sheller"
ISSUE NlNETEEN · SPRING 1988
l?en:landra Garden - Spring Tonics - Blueberries.
Wilctnowcr Gardens· Granny Herbalist - Aower
Essences • "The Origin of lhe Animals:" Story Good Medicine: "Power" • Be A Tree
ISSUE nVENTY • SUMMER 1988
Preserve Appalochian Wilderness - Highlands of
Roan - Celo Community· Land Trust - Arthur
Morgan School - Zoning Issue. "The Ridge" •
Farmers and the Fann Bill - Good Medicine: "Land"
- Acid Rain • Duke·s Power Play • Cherokee
Microhydro Project
ISSUE TWENTY-TWO-WINTER 1988-89
Global Warming - F"1te This lime. ThOIIUIS Berry
on "Bioregions· · Earth Exercise. Kort Loy
McWhiner· An Abundance of Emptiness. LETS.
Chronicles of Aoyd • Darry Wood • The Bear Clan
ISSUE 1WBNTY-THREE- SPRING 1989
Pisgah Village • Planet An· Green Ci1y - Poplar
Appeal· "Clear Sky"· "A New Eanh". Black Swan
- Wild Lovely Days· Reviews: Sacred Land Sacred
Sex. Ice Age· Poem: "Sudden Tendrils"
State
Phone Number
Zip
Enclosed is $ , - - - - - to give
this effon an extra boost
ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR· SUMMER 1989
Deep Listening • Life in Atomic City - Direct
Action! • Tree of Peace - Community Building.
Peacemakers· Ethnic Survival • Pairing Project.
"Batl.lesong" • Growing Peace in Cuhurcs - Review:
The Chalice and the 8/Juk
ISSUE TWENTY-SIX· WINTER, 1989·90
The Ecoz.oic Ero • Kids Saving Rainforest • Kids
Treecycling Company - Connict Resolution •
Developing Creative Spirit - Birth Power. Magic of
Puppetry • Home Schooling - Naming Ceremony •
Mother Earth's Classroom • Gardening for Children
ISSUE TWENTY-SEVEN - SPRING, 1990
Transformation - Healing Power - Peace to Their
Ashes • Healing in KatWlh - Poem: "When Len 10
Grow· • Poems: Sicphen Wing - The Belly - Food
from the Anciem Fores,
ISSUE TWENTY-NINE· FALI../WlNTER 1990
From the Mountains 10 lhe Sea • Profile of The
Lltl.le Tennessee River - Headwaters Ecology. "It
All Comes Down to Water Quality". Water Power.
Action ror Aquatic Rabimis . Dawn Walehers . Good
Medicine: The Long Human Belng - The Nonh
Shore Rood - Katuah Sells Ou, - Watetshed Map or
the Kalliah Province
ISSUE THIRTY· SPRING 1991
Economy/ECOiogy • Ways IO a Regenerative
Economy· "Money is the Lowest Form of Wealth"
• Clarlcsville Miracle - The Village - Food Movers.
Lirework • Good Medicine: "Village Economy• Shelton l.aW'CI • LETS
ISSUE THIRTY-ONE- SUMMER 1991
Dowsing - Responsibilities of Dowsing • Elearical
Life or the Earth • Kaulah and the Earth Grid • Call
of the Ancient Ones - Good Medicine: ·0o
Ag&JCSSion" - Time 10 Take the Time to Take the
Time· Whole Science - Tuning ln
ISSUE THIRTY-TWO. FALL 1991
Bringing back the F"1te · A Bit of Mountain Levity •
Climax Never Came - "Talking Leaves": Sequoyah •
Wal.king Distance· Good Medicine: "Serving lhe
Great Life" • The Granola Journal - Paintings:
"Mouniain Siories"- Songs of lhe Wilderness
Back Issues:
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $,_ __
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $,_ __
Issue# __@ $2.50 = $,_ __
Issue#_@ $2.50 = $
Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $ - - postage paid $,_ __
Complete Set:
(3-10, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26-32)
postage paid @ $50.00 = $. _ __
1
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 33, Winter 1991-1992
Description
An account of the resource
The thirty-third issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on Fire: its power and uses. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Vic Weals, Barbara J. Sands, Jan Davidson, David Brewin, Barbara Wickersham, Jeffery Beam, Veronica Nicholas, Rob Messick, Charlotte Homsher, Lee Barnes, Mike Wilbur, Jason Tueller, Rob Leverett, James Rhea, David Earl Williams, Andrew Lehman, Vince Packard, Lynn Fink, Susan Adam, Bray McDonald, and Mark Morris. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1991-1992
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Fire's Power by David Wheeler.......3<br /><br />What Is Natural? by David Wheeler.......5<br /><br />Do Clearcuts Mimic Fire?.......6<br /><br />Smokey and the Red Wolves.......7<br /><br />Fire in Jeffreys Hell by Vic Weals.......8<br /><br />Poems by Barbara J. Sands.......9<br /><br />Fire and Forge by Jan Davdison and David Brewin.......11<br /><br />The First Fire: A Cherokee Legend.......12<br /><br />Hearth and Fire in the Mountains by Barbara Wickersham.......14<br /><br />Good Medicine.......15<br /><br />Midwinter Fires: Poems by Jeffery Beam.......18<br /><br />Natural World News.......20<br /><br />Who Will Have the Power? by Veronica Nicholas.......22<br /><br />Litmus Lichens by Rob Messick.......24<br /><br />Reading the Inner Tree by Charlotte Homsher.......25<br /><br />Review: Where the Ravens Roost.......25<br /><br />Around the Fire by Lee Barnes.......26<br /><br />Drumming.......27<br /><br />Poem: "Sky Mangler" by Mike Wilber.......29<br /><br />Review: The Sound of Light.......31<br /><br />Events.......33<br /><br />Webworking........34<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville</em> <em>Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Forest fires--Environmental aspects
Blacksmithing--Appalachian Region, Southern--History
Hearths--Appalachian Region, Southern--History
Cherokee Indians--Social life and customs
Cherokee mythology
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Acid Deposition
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Earth Energies
Electric Power Companies
Fire
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Geography
Good Medicine
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Katúah
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness)
Stories
Turtle Island
Villages
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/5ac6c68fc9a4ef339c7624f779acbcb4.pdf
d9ea21ad706d54448902d9872b20ba5c
PDF Text
Text
ISSUE 34 SPRING 1992
$2.00
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~UAlrljOURNAL
PO Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 287 48
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Drawing by Rob Mcssiclc
Postage Paid
Bulk Mail
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
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Printed on recycled paper
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
�Paradise Gardening....................
3
by Joe Hollis
Community Sponsored Agriculture..5
by Hugh love/
"lfYouDidn'tGrowlt... "...........
by Ralph Garrett
7
Eating Close to Home.................
by Peter Bane
9
Silas McDowell's Vision............
by Perry Eury
11
Poems..................................
by Allison C. Surherland
12
Native Foods..........................
by Bear with Runs
13
Cover Crops..........................
by Mark Schonbeclr.
15
Plant For Tomorrow: Hemp........
by John Ingress
17
Katuah Cultivars......................
by Lee Barnes
18
Blowing in the Wind.................
by Charlotte Homsher
19
The Web of Life:
A Katuah Almanac...................
by Lee Barnes
and Rob Messick
20
Good Medicine.......................
22
Natural World News.................
24
"Whose Rules?"......................
by David Wheeler
26
Big fvy.................................
by Emmett Greendigger
and David Wheeler
27
Drumming.......... ..................
28
Saving Wild Seeds...................
by Lee Barnes
29
Resources.............................
31
Review:
"Apple Pie in Your Face" .............. 34
Webworking..........................
37
Events..................................
38
Sprl.nq , 1992
Sustainable Agriculture and Regional Diet
It is rrom the atoms of our bioregion's
soil, water and air that our cells are
constructed and renewed. Within many
unique webs of life, we become our physical
selves and thus must share responsibility for
our impact on the delicate systems which
allow us life.
Bioregions need to become more
self-sustaining, self-governing, and
self-healing. An imponant step in obt.aining
this goal is the development of regional
sustainable agriculture and greater utiliz.ation
of seasonal diet.
Agriculture must be more ecologically
sustainable and regionally specific, since each
bioregion is unique in its combination of
climate, soils, and adaptable plants for food,
fibers and fuels. Within each bioregion:
• Cultivaled crops should be
ecologically produced in harmony with the
Earth's gifts of sunshine, frost-free growing
season, am renewable cycles of soil fertility.
• Sustainable agriculture teehniques
must maximize soil regeneration and nutrition
produced per acre, rather than simply
maximizing yields.
• All materials and energies must be
more efficiently recycled within the biaregion
that produced them. We must blanket our
soils wilh greater gifts of cover-crops and
green manures .
• We must reduce our total dependency
on a dangerously narrow base of major food
crops and monoculture techniques, and
diversify our use of currently recognized and
potentially usable wild-food plants.
• Preservation of remaining genetic
diversity is critical to prevent the final loss of
irreplaceable gene combinations. We need 10
renew the use of genetically diverse,
open-pollinated seeds to retain variability in
our fields to insure protection from
catastrophic crop loss due to genetic
uniformity. Local seed-saving could allow
independence from extra-regional seed
sources.
• Most imponanlly, humans in each
bioregion must accept total responsibility for
their region's ecological health and
self-sufficiency in food production.
A regional diet should be nuaitious and
healthy; pleasant to eat; consumed more "in
sync" with regiona.V seasonal cycles of
production; and involve foods which can be
preserved using, low-technology food
preservation techniques, such as solar
drying, smoking, salt preservation and
pickling.
We need to review each region's
traditional diets, as guides to efficient,
non-destructive food production, and
carefully learn from each region's own
unique seasonal production of abundant
crops such as fruits (berries, etc.), nuts
(chestnuts, acoms,etc.), and wild seeds
(grains).
"Getting back to the garden," as Joe
Hollis tells us, will be no easy taSk.. We must
embra.ce the best featureS of current and
developing techniques and philosophies for a
sustainable future.
In this issue, we address the potential
for regional, sustainable agriculture and
regional diet by reviewing Katuah's historical
foods and agricultural cycles. We explore
new ideas for food production and marketing
systems, and provide some specific
information on wild plant seed-saving,
recommended vegetable varieties, and cover
crops.
We hope this issue will "seed" further
investigations into sustainable agriculture,
regional autonomy, and self-healing. We are
what we eat, and are ultimately responsible
for the heallh of ourselves and "all our
relations."
May we be more receptive to our
planet's council, and our mutual future.
Dr""'Ul8 by Pcgi
- Lee Barnes
�~JAH JOURNAL
EDITORIAL SLASH:
Maria Abbruzzi
Lee Barnes
Chris Davis
Charlone Homsher
John Ingress
James Rhea
Susan Adam
Heather Blair
Emmen Grecndigger
Jim Houser
Rob Messick
David Wheeler
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Sherman Bamford
Jesse Jones
Bill Melanson
Pegi
Breeze Bums
Richard Lowenthal
Mamie Muller
Donna Stringer
Thanks 10 Celo Community and RSVP for hosting Xa,uah lhis time.
Special thanks to l<Alherme Adam and Staff of ATIRA
COVER: by Rhea Rose Ormond
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
PUBLISHED BY: Karuah Journal
Here,
in the Katuah Province
of these ancient Appalachian mountains
where once the Cherokee Nation lived in freedom
between the Tennessee River Valley and the Eastern Piedmont
between the Valley of the Roanoke and the Southern Plain
on this Turtle lsland continent of Mother Ela, the Eanh
PRTNTED BY: The Waynesville Mouniaineer Press
EDITORIAL OFFICE THIS ISSUE: Billy Home and Gardens.
WRITE US AT: Kaniah Journal
Asheville
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kaniah Province 28748
TELEPHONE:
(704) 754-6097
Diversity is an imponant clement of bioregional ecology, both narural
and social. In accord with this principle Katuah Journal tries to serve a.s n
forum for lhe discussion of regional issues. Signed articles e.xpress only the
opinion of lhe authors and are no, necessarily the opinions of the Katunh
Journal editors or staff.
The Internal Revenue Service has declared Ka1uoh Journal a non-profit
orgnnization under section 501 (cX3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All
contributions to Ka1uah Journal are deductible from ))Cl'SOlllll income c.ax.
Articles appearing in Katuah Journal may be reprinted in other
publications with permission from the Katuoh Journal stnlT. Contact the
journal in writing or call (704) 754-6097.
tNVOCATLON
The Greatest Friend I have in life
Has brought me here to dwell
Awhile among these green, green hills
And by the watery well.
The water from that wondrous well
Has made my eyes to see
And loosed my tongue to sing with joy
That such a Friend could be.
Here,
In this place we dedicate ourselves to remembering our deep
connection to the spirit of the land.
We bring lhis connection into the being and the doing of
our daily lives
When the land speaks, we listen and we act
We tune our lives to the changes, to the seasons
We respect the limits of the land
We preserve, defend, and restore the land
We give thanks for all that is good
Harmony with 1he land is no longer an ideal; it is an imperative.
The land is a living being. She is sacred.
As 1he land lives, so do we.
As the spirit of the land is diminished,
our spirits are diminished as welL
Kacuah Journal sends a voice...
with articles, stories, poems, and anwork
we speak 10 the spirit of all the living, breathing
inhabitants of these mountains
in hopes that we, the human beings,
may find our place in this Great Life.
The Edit.ors
j
• The Incredible String BQ/ld
Bonier by Jason Tueller
KATUAH JOURNAL wanrs to communicate your rhoug/,rs and
feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send
them t.o us as leuers,poems, stories, articles, drawings, or
photographs, etc. Please send your coruributions to us at:
Karuah Journal; P. 0. Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katua/1 Province
28748.
OUR NEXT ISSUE will be involved with the continually
controversial topic of Councils, and how to create more viable
methods of decision-making in the future. Possible topics
include: Native American sovereignty, the State of Franklin,
JCQtuah Journat page 2
Town Meetings, Council of All Beings, Regional Rainbow
Gatherings, Grassroots Groups, Conflict Resolution, and more?
Submit all material by April 30th, 1992.
THE FALL, 1992 ISSUE will be about the role of wood in
the life of the mountains. Please send articles evaluating the
present timber industry, logging stories, and visions of ecological
and sustainable ways to cut and use wood. Please also send
pictures and drawings of wood and woodworkers. Deadline is
July 30, 1992.
Spri.ng, l 992
�PARADISE GARDENING
by Joe Hollis
W c wam 10 save the world, and we
want 10 save ourselves. It's the same thing.
The problems confronting us arc enormous
and at every level: personal, social, planetary.
l will spare you a list. My aim is 10 suggest
that they are all symptoms of one problem,
and to propose a solution.
The problem: 10 find a way to live on
Earth which promotes our health and
happiness, conducive to the full development
of our innate potential, and, a1 the same time,
is "democratic," that is, available to all, not
using more than our share, and harmonious
with the biosphere's evident drive toward
increasing diversity, complexity, and
stability.
Our world is being destroyed, in the
final analysis, by an extremely misguided
notion of what constitutes a successful
human life. Materialism is running mmpant
and WILL CONSUME EVERY11iING,
because its hunger will never be sated by its
consumption. Human life has become a
cancer on the planet, gobbling up all the
flows of matter and energy, poisoning them
with our waste. What can stop this monster?
Nothing. Just lhis: walk away from iL
It is time, indeed time is running out, to
abandon the entire edifice of "civilization/the
State/ the Economy" and walk (don't run!) to
a bener place: home, to Paradise.
J
•••
1) Paradfae is, first of all, a garden. A
garden in which everything we need is there
for the taking.
2) And Paradise Gardening is a way or
life which serves to maintain the garden, and
is in turn maintained by it. Ecologist Eugene
Odum calls this being the 'ecosystem
manager:' "an organism that utilizes a small
frac tion of the total energy budget and in
return provides a service which aids the
system in its funclion and continued
survival." (This concept "illustrates the ideal
which man should imitate in his auempts 10
manage a natural ecosystem.") Genesis, with
the characteristic compression of myth, says
we were put into the garden "10 dress it and
keep it." Same thing.
3) Parndise Gardening is not work.
Work is a subjective concept: one person's
play may be another person's work. h has
nothing to do with effon: tennis, for
example, is usually "play" (unless you're a
"pro"), sitting at a computer terminal is
frequently "work." Work is whatever you are
doing when you'd rather be doing something
else. Paradise Gardening is "not work" in the
same sense that what a bear does all day is
"not work." This distinction is the same as
that which the Taoists make between "doing"
and "not-doing." Genesis refers to the same
matter in saying that only outside the garden
do we have 10 earn our living "by the sweat
of our brow."
4) Paradise Gardening is not
agriculture. From chemical to organic
sprLr19, t992
agriculture is a step in the right direction, but
only the first step. Agriculrure itself is, after
alI, half of the one-two punch that knocked
us out of Paradise in the first place. Good
farmers, to be sure, love nature; but they love
her in the context of plowing her up every
year and deciding what to grow next. Our
addiction 10 annual species and disturbed
habitats has put us at odds with the main
thrust of the biosphere (and with ourselves).
Oh, Eanlt is patient and Earth is old
And a mother of Gods, but he breaks lier,
To-ing.fro-ing, wit!, tlte plow teams going,
Tearing the soil of her, year by year
Sophocles, Antigone
Every spring, nature begins again 10
clothe the Earth in beauty. It is the process of
succession, the initial strands of the intricate
web, the rebirth of the Tree of Life. And
every autumn we scrape it off, rake it into
barns, take it to market: we increase human
diversity and complexity (butcher, baker,
candlestick-maker ...) by appropriating to
ourselves processes which are meant to
benefit all
•••
Drawina by Rob Messick
Paradise is a habitat and a niche. Mircca
Eliade refers to the universal "yearning for
Paradise": Memories coded into our genes of
our place, our fit. How, after all, does a bird,
for example, select a place to build a nes1? So
many factors to consider (and such a small
brain!). It simply picks the most beautiful
spot available. It was born with a "template"
of paradise.
Concerning this the Book ofOdes
says, "The twittering yellow bird, the bright
silky warbler, comes to its rest in the hollow
corner of the hill." and Confucius commented
"Comes to rest, alights, knows what its rest
is, what its ease is. Is man, for all his wit,
less wise than this bird of yellow plumage
that he should no, know his resting place or
fix the point of his aim?"
Like any other creature, we are our
niche. By our physiology and behavioral
programming we arc born to live a ccnain
kind of life. Paradise is our birthright and our
duty,
Now, instead, we take up a niche in
civilization. The premise of civilization is that
if everyone is a less than complete human
being (''1'11 be the brains, you be the back"),
ii will be beuer for all of us. This insulting
premise has guided us for so long that many
of us are unaware of an alternative. We
(cnnunucd on next page)
Xotl'.wf, )ourlfflt pcu_,e 3
�(COlllinucd from page 3)
equate "making a living" with "making
money." Thus we spend the best hours of
our lives pursuing our careers, being pan of
the cancer.
But everything needful to be
completely human is available to us close by
in our environment - the garden and the
ocighborhod. We can rely on the truth of this
because "human-ncss" is a creation of the
environment, the most recent manifestation of
a coevolution between our genes and all the
other genes in the world that has been going
on since the beginning of life on eanh. Much
chancier is the possibility that everything we
need to be completely human is available to
us in the city, or through money.
population level, live and coexist as foragers
(ecosystem managers)? "Caught in the devil's
bargain " how can we "get ourselves back to
the garden"? (Joni Mitchell, "Woods1ock")
The strategy here proposed, Paradise
Gardening, may be described as :'in1ensified
foraging." David Harris, in a scnes of
papers has explored "alternative pathways to
agricul'ture." Particular!~ valuable is ~s .
distinction between "agncultural mampulaaon
and transfonnatfon ... agricultural utilization
•••
The last time we lived in paradise it was
as "foragers": hunters and gatherers,
omnivorous, opponunistic exploiters of a
variety of environments. Specialists, not of
disturbance but of diversity.
This lifestyle has attracted much
attention recently (at the very time that the last
vestiges of it~ being eradicated). Toe view
that foraging is an adaptation superior to
agriculture is now well established in
academia and the same theme appears in
popular literature (e.g. Bruce Chatwin, Tl~
Song/Ines and Vargas Llosa, The Storyteller,
both inspiring).
A revolution in the study of the human
niche was prompted by the realization that
foragers, far from living on the brink of
starvation, as previously imagined, actually
had more leisure than anyone else since (Lee
and deVore, Man the Hunter).
Boserup (The Conditions ofAgricultural Growth) suggests that there have
never been any "agricultural revolutions," in
the sense of a sudden invention of a great
new way 10 produce food; but rather that
increases in food production always come at
the cost of even greater increases in labor (or
fossil fuel) input, that the techniques were
always well known to the producers, but
resisted until finally demanded by rising
population (or the demands of the upper
classes for a surplus, a 'cash crop').
"Agriculture permits denser food
growth supponing denser population and
larger social units but at the cost of reduced
dietary quality [less diversity to choose
from), reduced reliability of harvest [eggs in
less baskets], and equal or probably greater
labor per unit of food ... agricuhure is not a
difficult concept but one readily available to
hunting and gathering groups ... " (Mark
Cohen, The Food Crisis in Prehistory).
Agriculture, in rum, allowed population
to expand more rapidly. Any attempt to live a
foraging life in the modem world would
seem to be onJy an interesting but ultimately
imlcvant exercise of the "historic village"
variety. That "there is no going back" is
merely a truism. What those who recite it
mean to say is that there is no changing
direction, progress can be only a straight line
- from an original home in natw-c 10 a world
eventually completely human, domesticated,
fanned.
At this point, I would rephrase the
"problem" with which this essay began: How
can we, with our contemporary tastes and
Xatuafl Jou~ P~. 4
"better" future. "No act is good unless its
goodness is seen in the innnediacy of the act.
An act which justifies itself by appealing to a
later good ... all appeals to reason,
expediency, and necessity, are appeals to the
very forces that wreck all ideals. One must
have courage and be willing to take risks."
(William Thompson, Evil and World Order)
Ecology teaches that a "pioneer"
(disturbed) environment favors life forms that
are fast-growing but shon lived,
wide-spreading, ''greedy" - designed 10
capture the maximum of sunlight and
unoccupied soil. But eventually they are
succeeded by the trees, which, because they
invest energy in making wood, grow more
slowly at first, but are more stable,
longer-lived, and finally faster growing,
more influential, the "dominant species,"
towering above.
We have spread ourselves over the
Eanh, and used or burned just about
everything that is easy to get The age of the
greedy ones draws to a close. (They don't
know it yet.) At last, we may hope, the
'competitive advantage' passes to the
practitioners of permanence, rootedness,
slow growth and steady accumulation, the
vertical expansion of the human spirit into
realms unchanecl, or long forgotten. A tree
derives its satisfaction from the view
achieved.
•••
may - and, if sufficiently intensive, usually
does - lead to the IJ'llnsformation of a natural
into a largely artificial ecosystem: lhe
replacement of a tropical forest by plantation,
of temperate woodland by whcatfields ...
But agriculture may also proceed by a
process of manipulation which involves the
alteration of selected components of the
natural system rather than its wholesale
replacement - a method of cultivation which
involves substituting certain preferred
domesticated species for wild species in
equivalent ecological niches and so simulates
1he structure and functional dynamics of the
natural ecosystem."
Harris has recently edited a collection of
papers (From Foraging to Fanning) which
further explores the emerging realization that
many "non-agricultural" peoples were in fact
engaged in intensive and sophisticated plant
exploitation, previously unrecognized
because their plant management practices did
not fit our idea of agricuhure.
•••
Our goal is to "naturalize" ourselves
in lhe environment. This will involve
changing ourselves and changing the
environment: convergence toward "lit"
Perfect fit means the free and easy flowing of
matter and energy between ourselves and our
environment: life lived as a complete gift from the garden to us, from us to the garden.
But that is in the future; what we need
now is a process, leading to that goal, which
is justified on its own terms. Focus on the
ideal Paradise Garden wilJ tempt us to ta.Ice
shoncuts, perpetuating the same old panem
of selling out the present for some imagined
The process of Paradise Gardening
involves:
- Extricating our life-support system
from civilization/the Economy (bluntly,
money), and reattaching it to the natural
world of garden and neighborhood. This will
be a gradual process requiring a real analysis
of our needs and expenditures.
Thus, for example, cars and gasoline
arc nor needs but only the means to the
satisfaction of needs. The solution is not
gasohol but reducing the reason for travelling
(usually the getting and spending of money).
Concerning this the TM Te Ching says, 'The
country over the border might be so near that
one could hear the cocks crowing and the
dogs barking in it, but the people would .
grow old and die without ever once troubhng
to go there." (sec Joseph Needham, Science
and Civilization in China, vol. D, ch. 80) for
a discussion of ''the political program of the
Taoists: the return to cooperative
primitivity. ")
The key 10 the self-justifying nature of
the process is this: things made or done .by
professionals or machines may be technically
superior to one's own efforts, but are
generally lacking in a quality which,
following Carlos Castenada, I will call
"hean.
0
Satisfaction from things bought usually
peaks at the moment of purchase and declines
rapidly. Needs which a.re met by the
interaction of ourselves and nature are more
deeply mer.. and there are wonderful surprises
along the way. The truth of this will be
evident to anyone who has ever made
anything "from scratch." What seldom occurs
to us (someone doesn't want it to occur to us)
is that an entire life can be constructed on 1h1s
basis.
(c:on11nuod on page J2)
Drawing by Mkhacl Thompson
SprLt1-9, !9!12
�.,,..
.
..
It ,
•
'
#
'
••••••
,
''•
,.,.
COMMUNITY SPONSORED AGRICULTURE
As lhe end of the century nears,
several things must be faced. Tho food
supply is not only tainted. it is devitaliz.ed. In
particular, foods lack nourishment for
integrity, uprightness and willingness. These
qualities depend upon individual attitudes,
but they require nutritional support
Things could get worse, and probably
they will. But, here and there people are
looking at their options and choosing 10 make
a difference. They want to suppon endeavors
that remedy the problems caused by lhe
bigger-is-better mindset. One of the worst
concerns is the loss of more than seventy
percent of the world's topsoil in the last
hundred and fifty years. Instinctively people
sense a need to encourage sound agriculture.
At the same time they want 10 buy food that
not only is free of pollution, but has an inner,
vital impulse toward life. The..-.e and related
faclOI'S motivate a trend toward agriculturally
based producer/consumer communities that
regenerate the land which feeds them.
The acronym CSA stands for
Consumer Supported Agriculture,
Community Sponsored Agriculture, or
Community Supponed Agriculture,
depending on whom you are talking 10. In all
cases it indicates a vertically integrated
agricultural operation.
However it may be done, the CSA
group provides what is necessary to grow
their food. Fortunately, not everyone has the
same things 10 contribute. Usually fanners
who can work the land successfully are in the
shortest supply. But, from these farmers'
points of view, consumers are in shon
supply <>r laborers are hard 10 find at crucial
times. The CSA is not functional until
farmer, farmland, labor, operating capital and
consumers arc lined up in cooperation.
CSA fanns vary. Some are located in or
near metropolitan areas where consumer
interest is high. Olhers involve more distance
between the land and consumers. Many sell
"shares" in advance of their year's
production. Others require an advance
deposit, refundable in everything from
produce, canned goods, eggs, honey and
cheese, to meat, flowers, herbs, firewood or
wool. Tn some cases consumers come 10 the
farm to get their food. In others, weekly
deliveries to distribution points may be
necessary. One CSA may have monthly
potluck dinners, developing strong core
groups and dividing up tasks between
mothers, accountants, farm apprentices,
lawyers, fixers, and fanners; while others
may be seat-of-the-pants operations stripped
to the bare essentials.
CSA's have several things in common.
[n one way or another they all encourage
farmers and consumers 10 understand and
suppon each other. They enable participants
to invest their resources in the land and ilS
beuennenL 1be means of production belongs
to both producers and consumer.;, as they
contribute skill, labor and capital, and take
responsibility for leaving the land better off
for their use of it. Nevenheless, in some
cases the land is owned privately while in
Spnnq, l992
by Hugh Lovel
others the CSA is organized as a cooperative,
a land trust or a research and training
institute.
Besides nutritious food and a healthier
environment there are many subsidiary
benefil!i. By having the moral and financial
expenses. In 1985 I was laid off as a bridge
carpenter in Atlanta, and in 19861 tried to
farm full time, selling produce to stores and
in pl!lking lolS. It was hardly a way 10 make
ends meet. I knew there had to be a better
way. The Biodynamic Association quarterly,
support of a community, the farmer has
backing for experimentation. Members may
want exotic items like Chinese cabbage,
Annenian cucumbers. Roquefon cheese or
Louisiana hot sauce, and the fanner has 10
learn how to produce these items.
The CSA can also be an educational
opportunity for young adults interested in
becoming farmers. By apprenticing on a CSA
farm they experience growing and preparing
a wide variety of products. Moreover,
members and their children learn how their
food is produced, and there .ue therapeutic
benefits in this especially for those growing
or convalescing. Lastly, the farm is a haven
from the vicissitudes of city life. Conceivably
it will provide alternatives 10 employment in
economic hard times.
The idea h that consumers support the
farm and the farm supports the consumers.
Biodynamics, ran an anicle on CSA's. I
drew up a prospectus with a copy of the
ruticle and distributed it to a few people in the
Atlanta area. They told friends, and for the
first season l had twenty-eight members sign
up.
r did not want to promise 100 much, so
I only offered breads, honey. pollen, eggs,
yogurt. and vegetables in season. I asked for
$100 deposits, refundnble in groceries. This
money got me through February, March, and
April when I planted but had nothing 10 sen.
A1 the end of April I had my first
delivery of spinach, lettuce, and seasonal
herbs. The season went on to green onions,
garlic, English and sugar snap peas, yellow
onions, potatoes, cabbage, beans, com,
summer squash, tomatoes, okra, beets,
collards, leeks, winter squash, turnips and
Chinese radishes. The garden was finished
by mid-November, though I made one last
delivery of pork after Thanksgiving.
Because che fann, Union Agricultural
lnsutute, Blairsville, Georgia, was 125 miles
from Atlanta, I made a Saturday run 10 three
Since the only CSA I can re.tlly
describe is the one I founded, I should tell
how it was set up.
During the 1980s I directed a fledgling
founccn acre biodynamic research and
training farm, working off the farm to pay
(QOl\linued on nut page)
Drawing by Pcgi
X.awah Journot pc:a(Je 5
�(OOlllinuod &om pegoS)
drop-<>ff points. Members received a weekly
newsletter and order fonn that 100k me rwo
hours a week at the typewriter and copy
machine. Bookkeeping was on index cards
with names, addresses, dates, and sums.
Mostly I concentrated on running 1he fann,
picking the number one vegetables, recycling
the residual vegetation through forty
chickens., twenty rabbits, and 1wo pigs for
fertilizer, and n:planting with the next crop in
the rotation. Although I kept bees, the honey
and millc for yogun came from nearby farms.
1brought in organica!Jy grown wheat and rye
for bread.
Out of26 weekly deliveries, I counted
on members to order at leas1 half the time
with average orders of twenty dollars, a
gross of $7,280. I believe I took in a littJe
more than that, but my bookkeeping did not
prove it. J realize lhis may not seem like
much, but my expenses were low enough 10
make ends meet All I had was the land and a
small pic_!cup truck, rototiller. lawnmower.
scythe, pitchfork, axe, scuffle hoe, claw
cuJtivator, wheel hoe, push planter, and
seeds bred for response 10 my methods. It
was a start.
Consumer int.crest was strong simply
from word of mouth. I could expand, but a
larger investment was required. The fann
needed woods, barns, fences, greenhouses.
pastures, orehards, and fields all in good
measure. none at the expense of the others. I
did not have to hurry things. The land
consisted of mixed forest slopes and
bottomland with good water bur not
especially good sun. There was plenty of
brush clearing, rock picking and hay planting
to be done. And there were only three or four
acres that could be added to the truck garden
no mancr how I adapted 10 having more help
and machinery.
At my organii.ationaJ meetings in
February and Man:h of 1988 I asked for a
S33 membership fee as a capital invesuncn1 in
the fann, plus the hundred dollar deposit.
Again bookkeeping was only sufficient to
show how much was paid and how much
was delivered. Picking, bnlcing, and packing
orders were changed from Fridays 10
Saturdays, and deliveries were changed to
Sundays. This allowed members 10 visit the
farm and panicipa1e in picking on Saturdays,
while I caught the least city traffic on
Sundays and still picked up organic grains
and supplies for the farm
An apprentice, Matthew Persico, cut
intensive beds into three acres of sod with the
rototiUcr. We planted a fourth of it in
potatoes, for which we had compost In the
rest we inu:rplanted com with soybeans for a
modest fodder crop. We built a smaJI barn
with three sta!Js, hay storage, and an
apprentice's apartment. I bought two calves
to raise in the small barn yard, and phased
out rabbits since the cows made more
compost and were easier to feed on a large
scale.
For fcrtiliu:r I brought in hay, com,
and soy meal for the animaJs while J cleared
~ I _pastures, arch~. and hay fields. The
m~bon was to achieve self-sufficiency,
WJth the £arm producing its own feeds,
s~, and ttansplants, breeding its own
livestock:, and producing its own compost
Starting its fifth year in 1992, this
Xatiloh Jouf'nQ( PQ«Je 6
CSA, UAI Coop, can service 80 households.
We have a reconditioned 35 year old tractor,
three or four apprentices, six aCICs of row
crops, cheesemaking, three bovines, eigh1y
chicke_ns, two pigs, and a smaJI transplant
operanon.
. O_u1side_ of i1s soil: the farm is 001 ye1 a
capuaJ mtenswe operauon, despite a $16,000
gross in 1991. Dynamics and momentum arc
a large part of the operation. Herc are some
derails:
Peas must be planted as early as
possible. In Union County, Georgia 1hat is
lat~ February or early March. Lenuce,
spmach, and onions may aJso be planted
from early March on. Lettuce, cabbage and
collards should be planted under row
coverings for transplanting as it warms up.
The early plantings are better able to stay
ahead of the weeds, though frequent
cultivation - weather pennitting - is advisable.
It helps considerably to have pennanent sod
around cultivated beds.
In winter and early spring the cows are
eating hay in the barn and every so often it
can be mucked out to make a compost pile.
With spring warmth, the rye and clover
covers on the beds shoot up and are cut for
fresh feed or for hay. The stubble is
cultivated two or three times over a three
week period, so that it is digested and mellow
before planting.
. I set out my cabbages and potatoes in
Apnl; followed by com, beans, and cucurbits
in May; and tomatoes, peppers and okra in
June. Garlic is planted early the preceding
October, so that it and yellow onions are
harvested in June and followed with bush
beans. Crops like spinach, lettuce, com and
beans can be staggered to produce a moderate
but steady flow of each vegetable, extending
the season. Compost is given especially to
the greens, while root crops like carrots,
radishes, and turnips do much better
following behind without compost.
Since my grassy borders around beds
an: level with the beds, both borders and
beds can be mowed simultaneously for the
cows, pigs or chickens. In May 1here is so
much to cut that haystacks must be made, 10
be fed in the winter when all the summer's
com stover is gone.
During the growing season the chickens
are fenced in a long, hillside coop containing
a thick stand of bamboo and a nesting house.
At the top of 1he coop, sawmill bark,
sprin.kJed with dust from the locaJ granite
quarry, is added for bedding. My
lawnmower has a rear bagging feature, and
every day I give the chickens a heaping
wheelbarrow load of grass, clover, and herb
clippings from around the beds, which I
mow on a monthly schedule. This keeps the
egg yolks yellow while adding to the deep
litter in the coop. Every so often this is made
into a compost pile.
I use a biodynnmic planting calendar for
working crops according to 1heir root, fruit,
flower, or leaf characteristics. For example,
while potatoes are actually a swollen stem
formation, they are plamed as though they
were roots because the roo1-like characteristic
is being emphasized. Likewise, cauliflower
and broccoli, although 1hey an: flowers, are
plan1cd as leaf crops because they have to be
held back to 1he leafy stage of development.
They an: eaten only as buds, not flowers.
l also apply biodynamic preparations,
which have profound nutritionaJ significance.
And I grow speciaJ crops that do not
contribute income but contribute to the overall
balance and heaJth of the farm. Finally. I
avoid faulty practices. Planting the whole
fann in cucumbers or semng off all the
compost, 1 would never do.
One of the goals of crop rotation is to
allow for a healthy nitrogen cycle while
cropping. Compost is given liberally to leafy
crops that need plenty of nitrogen, such as
lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and collards. It
may be given more sparingly to fruiting crops
which follow the greens, such as com,
squash, tomatoes, and okra. It is withheld
entirely from the roots, such as carrots,
radishes, and turnips, which follow the
fruits. Then I plan1 legumes such as beans,
peas and lentils to draw in new nitrogen and
produce rich compost as their vines are
digested by the farm animals. Then the cycle
begins again wi1h compost to the greens.
Another goal of crop rotation is 10 vary
as much as possible the kinds of plan1s
grown. Thus it may be a good idea to follow
lettuce with carrots, or collards with onions,
but it is a bad idea 10 follow le1wce with
spinach or carrots with parsnips.
There is aJso interplanting. Planting
com with soybeans, spinach wi1h garlic,
tomatoes with sweet basil, dill with cabbages
su_mmer squash with popcorn, and pumpkins
with field com, makes for a lively variety.
Nature has ways to create abundance.
Perhaps most imponantJy, the
pennanent grass and clover walking strips
between and around the beds keep the soil
fauna heaJthy and erosion to 1he minimum
regartlless of the weather. We need to think
abou1 these things.
Not so long ago all farms produced
food out of soil, water, air, and warmth
because there was life. Nature charged
nothing for her pan.
Orawu,g by Rob Mcuid<
(continued on p. 32)
Sprl.mj, 1992
�"IF YOU DIDN'T GROW IT,
YOU DIDN'T EAT IT"
Food Production on a Self-Sufficient Mountain Homestead
as told by Ralph Garrett
Way back when Twas a boy, I lived at
my grandma's and grandpa's up above the
Lown of Sylva in Jackson County, NC. My
grandpa was a farmer and a brick mason, and
he also made bricks.
I grew up during the Depression. IL was
a little worse than it is right now, but it's
going 10 get worser than this, I'm afraid.
My grandpa and grandma owned about
three and one-half acres around their house,
but we tended a 12 or 15 acre bottom that
was up in Addie where the band mill is now.
We also planted 10 or 12 acres up on Fisher
Creek in com and different things. It was
about 25 or 30 acres all told. We grew
enough for everybody in our family, some 10
sell besides, and enough 10 feed the animals,
too.
We raised cows, chickens, and pigs to
eat, and we had horses, mules, and oxen 10
help us with the work. With them we plowed
and planted com, beans, field peas, Irish
'taters, sweet 'taters, sorghum for molasses,
and all different kinds of cornfield crops.
And grains. We'd sow a great big thing of
wheal for our flour, as well as winter oais 10
feed the horses while we were workin' 'em
in the summer time.
Then in the garden we had carrots.
radishes, parsnips, rumips, and different
kinds of greens - leuuce, onions, collard
greens, and all those.
We also had peach u-ees. I got a
whuppin' many a time for getting in the Blue
Goose peaches - big, fine, pretty peaches.
They'd get to tumin' a little bit, and us liule
boys, we'd slip around and try 10 get us one.
J remember how we used to eat. The
usual thing of a morning when we got up,
we'd have side beef or ham - fried good and
brickle · brown-eye gravy, some eggs, and
some biscuits.
Some days we'd have homemade
applesauce for breakfasL We'd heat it up and
have some hot biscuits and butter, and put the
butter and some sugar in the fruit, and you
had a good break.fast.
We'd also cut com off the cob, and
have it fried with biscuits and homemnde
molasses. That's what we had a whole lot of
mornings.
Our big meal was at dinner time, 12
noon. Supper was the evening meal. Al
dinner we'd have cornbread, hog meat or
maybe beef stew with vegetables. You can
get beef stew now in a can in the store, but
we had big pois of it, homemade, with two
or three vegetables in it, and some vegetables
on the side, too. Or we'd have great big pots
of homemade vegetable soup. We'd make the
soup with okry (olcr.1), tomaters, beans, and
onions. We put every kind of vegetable in
there.
In the summerumc for supper we'd
usually have com on the cob, new 'taters,
green beans, cornbread, and biscuits.
Sometimes we'd eat supper without meal, but
Sprtng, 1992
usually we had meat at the table three times a
day, whether it was beef, pork, or chicken.
We didn't have desserts every meal,
like they want now. Dcssens came mostly on
Sunday or Saturday when there was family
coming. We'd have plain ca.Ices with
down there 10 get some flour, some salt,
sody (baking soda), balcing powder, coffee,
and sugar. We just bought small amounts of
sugar, until it come canning time. Then we
would buy whatevercanningjars and lids
that we needed and 50 and 100 pound bags
of sugar to put up jellies and jam. We
young'uns liked LO get old-time candy, like
wax candy, horehound candy, and all kinds
of stick candy at the store. But we never had
money to buy very much there.
A year on the farm went like this:
Winter was kinda slow. We'd be cutrin'
firewood, sittin' by the fire, and relax.in'.
DrawiJI& by J.,,.,. Rhea
applesauce spiced up and pu1 in between the
layers. They called that old-time fruit cake.
They'd pile four or five of them up in a
straight pack with the applesauce in between
each layer, then applesauce down over the;
top ofic. Now, that was a dessen! Today if
someone gets two layers of cake, they think
that that's 100 much, but we had.five layers
of cake! We ate what we wanted, because it
was simple.
Or maybe they'd make a cherry pie.
What they call a cherry pie now is just a little
ol' thing. What we called a cherry pie was a
big bread pan full of cherries with dough
through 'cm. They call 'em cobblers now,
but we called 'em cherry pie.
Grandma also used 10 make sweet
potato custards and sweet potato pie and put
sweetening on it - marshmallows or brown
sugar, good things like that.
If we didn't grow it, we didn't cat it.
That's right. There wasn't no supermarkets,
there was only an old country store. We'd go
We'd spend time a-shuckin' com and
thrashin' out the peas, Crowder peas and clay
peas, through the bad days.
We also had 10 get our harness and
equipment fixed up and in first-class shape.
We had to be ready. so that when the ground
got right we could go right to work.
We didn't use no fertilize (fertilizer).
We used compost, and we gathered that in
the winter, too. We'd clean out the horse
stalls and the cow stalls. We'd throw it in a
bin that was outside the winder (window),
and we'd mix leaves in with iL That would
cause it to heat in the bin. In the spring we
wouW haul out that compost. spread it on the
field, and plow it in. That enriched our land
and made our crops do better.
We staned plowtn' in February and
March, what we didn't already have plowed.
The first crop we put out was the
different kinds of greens - cabbage. collard
greens, you could do them early. Usually,
(canlinucd on nai pqe)
Xatuah Journal POCJI'- 7
�(cullinucd from page 7)
people around here would sow a bed of
turnips or rutabagas, too.
Irish pouuoes were planted next during
the dark of the moon in Man:h, and maybe
we'd put some green peas out in the garden.
Radishes, onions, and parsnips were early
crops, we could get an early start on them,
100.
We would s1an our own S\l,'CCt pouuo
sets. We'd get them bedded down between
April 10 - 15. Then they'd be a-comin' up in
May. Sweet potatoes was a big crop. We
used to plant big fields of 'em.
Around April 15 - 20, we'd plant the
first corn. It would grow up a linle bit, but
not enough that a frost would hurt it bad.
Unless there come an ex try unusual hard
freeze, com would grow on though.
Flour com, popcorn, and com for the
livestock: those were the main kinds of com
we planted. We also had a liule of what we
called llim com. When it got hard, it was
hard as a rock, but it made real good roasting
ears. When sweet com came along, we
started planting sweet com in the garden.
Now people plant fields of sweet com.
The biggest thing was to rotate the com
plantings so that they would come in slowly,
so we could harvest them and take care of
them, instead of having all the com oome in
at once. We would plant some com on April
15, some the first of May, and then again at
the last of May.Hit's not a dry year, you can
plant com in June. It's starting to get dry
then, but sometimes a crop'll make. It's a
short season up here in these mountains, but
some years I've bad three different spaces of
com comin' in.
We always figlftd the last frost would
come around the tenth of May. 1bcn we'd set
out OUT garden vegetables. Any kind of plant
that the frost would affect - like peppers and
tomatcrs - we'd wait 'ril after the tenth of
May, after the frost line.
The cornfield peas, we'd plant them
after we worked (cultivated) the com for the
first time. I'd wait until the com was up
around my throat, and then l'd plant the peas
in between the com. We did the cornfield
beans, like the White McCaslan bean or the
Kentucky Wonder, the same way. l would
plant big com where I was going to plant the
cornfield beans. Then the com would support
'em and shade 'em. Shade is what keeps the
insects away better than any of this spray that
we can buy today.
We'd harvest the wheat when the heads
bowed and tumed yeller. The timing
depended on what kind of wheat we had. and
when we had planted it in the fall. We
harvested it by hand with a cradle. We didn't
have combines like those that cut the wheat
now. We had to do it with a cradle.
At the end of June, we'd finish up with
the wheat and we'd sun our first mowing of
hay. We mowed the hay with a mowing plate
and raked it up with a pitchfork. We'd shock
it • put it in shocks or round piles - and then
we'd come through with the wagon or the
sled, and load it 10 the barn. and put it in the
barn loft We'd pct up great barns full, and
then we'd put up big stacks of hay around
stackpolcs. We'd sUtCk com tops and fodder
the same way around the Stackpole at the
XatuQf1-Journat PCUJe 8
barnyard, where we could jusr go get it to
feed the cows and the horses.
All summer, we were mostly hoeing. It
kept us busy. We'd start work as soon as it
got light enough to sec what we was a-doin',
and we worked 'til dark.
Now at dinnertime, right at the heat of
the day, we gave them horses a good full
hour to two hours to be at rest. And we done
the same thing. We ate, we rested, and then,
when we went back 10 work, we worked 'til
dinner.
ln July when the blackberries and the
raspberries came in, we'd pick berries. We
would take a wagon up on Fisher Creek, and
we'd pick washtubs full of blackberries!
w11.i)
J'"J~
Everybody went, everybody picked,
everybody washed - everybody helped with
canning berries for a few weeks. Some of the
men might be off working on a job
somewhere, but everybody up at the house
just flew in and got busy.
Pretty soon the com would start coming
in, and we'd stan getting roasting cars with
our dinner. And we'd start canning
vegetables. too. We'd can all kinds of
vegetables. We canned beans, 'matcrs,
peaches, fresh ok:ry (okra), fresh com - all
different kinds of food out of the garden.
In the fall of the year, we'd be pectin'
the apples, and pcelln' peaches. Them Blue
Goose peaches came in about the same time
as apples. We'd boil the fruit down and make
apple and peach bu11er.
We had an apple peeler. You just stuck
the apple on and tumcd the handle, and ii
peeled the apple and took the core out of iL
Then we just cut it and made bleached fruit.
Or we mashed it up, cooked it, and made
applesauce.
Bleached fruit is made by burning
sulfur. We'd put the fruit on a rack, cover it
with a cloth, light the sulfur in a sulfur
burner, and leave it all night The action of
the sulfur makes the fruit stay white, it
doesn't tum brown, and it will keep all
winter. Then we would put it in big 60-gnllon
oak barrels, and we'd put up so many barrels
of bleached fruit.
We also P.l!t up ~ I s ofp\cld~
beans. Wr:!d !\ii up big barrels of beans
broke up and washed, put water in there and
add salt to sour 'cm and make 'em pick!~.
The same way about roasting CaJ'S. That was
our pickling stuff.
At canning time we also fixed a lot of
jellies and jams. We'd make apple jelly and
grape jelly. And we'd make peach preserves:
we'd peel sweet, cooked peaches like we
were going to can 'em, and put sugar in there
and cook it down until it come clown like
makin' candy, and 1ha1 was good preserves.
Around that same time we'd also be
cuttin' the com and puuin' it up in the com
crib. We'd cut the tops, and pull the fodder,
and put that up to feed the cows and horses.
We didn't leave nolhin' in that field that a
cow could eat. We kept the com in the com
crib, and we kept the peas in big bags inside
in the house where they'd be getting drier and
drier from the heat, so they'd shell easier.
Whenever we got that done, it was
coming to frost, and we had 10 get them
sweet potatoes out before it frosted. If it
frosted on the vines, we had LO get the vines
off right quick before it rained. so that the
frost wouldn't run into the sweet potaroes
and ruin ·cm. When we got 'em up, we'd
wash 'cm, and take 'cm to town to sell them,
anywhere from a gallon to five bushels,
whatever people wanted.
After the frost was the time to cut the
sorghum and make molasses. We had to strip
the cane down. cut all the blades off it. and
cut all the tops off. Then we'd haul all those
cane stallcs to lhe cane mill and put 'em
through the crusher. The juice would run out
into a vat. and we'd cook it off in what. they
called an evap<ntor until it came out syrup.
Several families made sorghum. Some
had bees. We didn't have no bees, but we
had some people who had bees. We'd just
get some stands of honey from them.
We also used to go into the woods and
gather up chestnuts. I'd go bacJc yonder and
gather up a 75 pound short sack. all the
chestnutS I could carry, and bring 'em home,
and we'd eat on them. I also used to like to
get pawpaws and persimmons. Now I'm
tcllin' you, them old persimmons make a
good pie.
And there were always some bear
hunters who would bring in some bear meat.
l know I ate a IOl of bear meat. Back when I
was a boy, bears were just as common as a
milk cow. It was nothin' to see a bear down
at the settlement. But they just got to bang,
bang, bangin', killin' 'em all they wanted, 'tit
there was a 101 of waste.
Right at the first of November, we'd
have to go back into the fields and clean the
'tater patches off. The usually thing was that
there was late roasting cars and some late
beans in the 'tater patch, and after we
gathered them, we cleaned all that off, weeds
and all, so we could plow our 'taters out
After they dried good, we'd put 'em in the
root cellar. Everybody had a root cellar. Lots
of them were dugouts in the bank, but they
were still root cellars where we'd keep the
bleached fruit, the potatoes, and the lcrnut
Everybody also bad a smokehouse
where they'd smoke their meat. and they'd
(ainunlllld on page 33)
Ornwing by Miehkl Thompson
Spri.ng, 1992
�~, ... .. w ...
EATiNG · LbsE ro HOME
c
by Peter Bane
The Logistics of a Permanent Culture
Consider your next meal: It's
mid-winter and what can be found to eat
nearby? The supermarket offers Iowa beef
and Idaho potatoes, Cnlifomia rice and
broccoli, Mexican lettuce and tomatoes, salad
oil from Brazil or Dakota, Aorida citrus,
Washington apples. The Standard American
Qiet is a marvel of technical complexity and a
sad reflection of cultural banality. Divorced
from place and season, available nationwide
and year round, itS cosmetic perfection and
shiny packaging are a glamour concealing
enonnous unmarked costs and catastrophic
instabilities.
Lurking behind the plastic sheen are the
collapse of rural communities, bankruptcy of
farm families, loss of topsoil (an average 20
tons per ton of grain produced), poisoning of
farm-workers, toxic residues in food, air,
soil, and water, cruelty to animals,
destruction of wildlife habitat, deforestation,
and the cultivation of plagues and diseases
heretofore unknown.
Most of the food we presently eat is
seriously denatured (lacking in nutrient value)
by chemical destruction of soil life and is
funher degraded by transport over long
distance. Our diet, combined with poor air
and water quality and compounded by the
stresses of crowded and hwried lives has led
directly to an epidemic of degenerative
diseases: heart attack, cancer, diabetes,
hypertension, leukemia, AIDS.
Worse than all of this, if that is
possible, our food now requires from 10 to
50 times the energy to produce and deli vet to
the table as it returns to the eater as calories of
nourishmenL We couldn't continue this way
without a huge subsidy of fossil fuels. We
are literally eating oil. And when it runs out as we know it will in 30 to 40 years - we will
starve. Of course, long before that
eventuality, our agriculture will have
collapsed from a host of other problems: the
shortage of water, excess UV radiation,
susceptibility of our genetically-narrow
monocultural staples (com, wheat, rice, and
potatoes) to insectS, diseases, climate shifts,
war, and revolution disrupting trade. The
production offiber and timber is similarly
vulnerable and destructive.
If the Standard American Diel is insane
and bound for collapse, then how should we
grow and eat our food? Imagine, if you will,
the life of our predecessors in this land. The
Cherokee, the Iroquois. and other Eastern
forest dwellers cultivated com, beans. and
squnsh; hunted deer. turkey, and small game
which were abundam in the woods; gathered
wild berries, nuts and greens. They caught
fish in lhe streams and collected mushrooms
from the forest floor. Around their
seu.lemcnts they selected and planted fruit
trees. berry bushes, and other useful
perennials.
The world of global IT3de, of oil W:lJ"S
and industrial production is a world of
artificial surpluses and scarcities, of unjust
expropriations and moral decadence. Yet we
have a vision of living in Katuah with natural
abundance, and a dedication to libeny and
1
SprLng, 1992
Drawing by Rob Messick
justice for all. How then can we move from
this disturbed and troubled world into one In
which all our true needs and wants are met
without despoiling the earth and robbing
from our grandchildren and our neighbors in
other countries?
aim of producing the greatest sum of yields in
the least practical area for the murunl benefil
of all creatures. He was certain thal small
areas dedicated to human needs could provide
net surpluses of food, fibre, and energy
while augmenting both genetic diversity and
We need a new way of thin.Icing and
seeing and new tools for problem-solving.
And we need to address fundamental human
needs: clean air, water, and food in sufficient
quantity, shelter appropriate lO climate,
satisfying and useful work, meaningful
human contact, and immersion in a natural
world.
This search for a new paradigm in the
built environment and our interaction with
nature emerged as a response to industrialism
and gradually merged into the science of
ecology. Frederick Law Olmstead, the great
I9th-century American landscape architect.
realized that the growth of cities and of
industrial work threatened the natural
foundation of human sanity. He sought to
ameliorate the effects of both by renewing
vistas of nature in urban parks and
greenways. ln this century, Lewis Mumford
extended these considerations of human scale
and sanity 10 the choices we make about
technology, and Ian McHarg and his
associates projected a concept of design
based on intrinsic capabilities of landscape.
Aui.1rlllian ecologi~t Bill Mollison
transformed his own studies of
environmental psychology imo a practice of
landscape design and coined the term
"permaculture" from "~nent agrioonm:."
or "pem1anent culture" to describe a proce,;s
of assembling artificial ecologies of crop
plants and animals to mimic nature with the
wildlife and resource conservation.
Toe understanding and application of
permaculture design over the past fifteen
years has taken several main forms: the
restoration of degraded landscapes; the
creation of naturalized food foreslS as a locus
for human habitation; the building and
retrofitting of strueturtS to incorporate
climatically appropriate energy and water
harvesting, and to suppon food production;
and the design of economic and
communication structures appropriate to local
production and trading. The work may be
found on American homesteads, in European
municipalities, and among African villages.
New towns have been created in Australia.
and long-term economic decline reversed in
regions of Nepal and India using
pennaculrure principles.
Pcrmaculrurc draws 1tS models from
patterns in nature and embraces many
integrative disciplines: agricultural ecology,
urban planning. landscape architecture.
decent:ralist economics. and shamanism.
among other.. Key insights which apply to
all living )ystems include the following
principles:
I) Design by Relative Location place all elements {house. pond, road, plants)
so as to maximize beneficial relationships and
minimize antagonisms.
2) Select clemcntS to perform \lultiple
Funclions.
(contmual on nc,1 page)
Xotuah JounlO! page 9
t
�!'
)
(001Uinuod &om pegc 9)
3) Suppon every important function
with Multiple Elements.
4) Efficient energy planning through
analysis by zones of access and Sectors of
outSidc influence.
5) Use Biological Resources favor perennials.
6) Recycle Energy on site.
7) Use and accelerate Natural
Succession to establish favorable sites and
soils. Integrate animals, plants, humans, and
StruCt\Jl'CS.
8) Polyculture & Diversity of
beneficial species to promote productive,
stable, interactive systems.
9) Pay attention to Edges & Natural
Patterns.
Pcnnaculture rcstS on an ethical
foundation of care for the earth, including all
living and non-living things; of care/or
people, so that all people everywhere may
have their basic needs met; and the
contribution of surplus time, money, and
energy to achieve the aims of earth and
people care. Permaculture also has a Life
ethic, valui.ng life and all ilS multiplicity for
its own sake. Cooperation, not competition is
the key.
How then might a permanent culture
take shape in Katuah? We can begin at our
doomeps by cultivating a diet appropriate to
our region - one based on the planlS and
animals which grow here naturally and which
have acclimated following introduction - and
extend that process into gardening and
fanning those same species regeneratively.
We can learn to eat seasonally even as we
take advantage of other cultural IJ'ad.itions to
Xatuah Journot pQ(J& l 0
enrich our diet.
Anyone can fimd space for a few leafy
greens and herbs, vegetables which
pound-for-pound afford more nutrition than
any other food category. Grown within a few
steps of the back door in mulched soils, they
will survive almost year round if given a bit
of care against summer drought and winter
frost. Even apartment dwellers in the city can
grow in containers on a balcony or in a
windowbox. Cold frames against a south
wall, a small greenhouse, or even movable
cloches can supply a steady stream of salad
which didn't have to cross the Continental
Divide to grace our table. The familiar
European and Medilerranean vegetables:
lettuce, celery, carrot, onions, broccoli, and
many others, are adapted to cold climates and
may with protection, overwinter in the
ground. Root crops and brassicas (cabbage,
kale...) are especially well-suited to this
method. These same vegetables don't grow
best in our summer heat, but that is the
season when the tropical American and
Indian plants - tomato, corn, beans, squash,
melons, eggplant, peppers, and okra
flourish.
We arc blessed throughout Katuah with
generous forests whose dominant members
include excellent nut trees: walnut, chestnut,
oak, hickory, and pecan. We should
recognize these allies for the food resources
which they offer. Let us plant them in our
yards and parks; conserve and catalog elite
trees where they Stand; and take care in
harvesting to leave the best, tallest,
straightest, healthiest, most vigorous, and
most fecund trees for seed, and tnk:ing only
the lesser examples for timber and fuel wood.
Fruit trees too should be planted in
every yard, along roadways, in parks, and in
neglected spaces in lhe cities. Besides the
traditional apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry,
and apricot, many areas arc suited to ugs. We
have the native pawpaw, the maypop vine,
and the persimmon which holds itS fruit on
the tree well into winter. And the mulberry,
which is one of the earliest fruits in spring, is
hardy, easy-to-grow. and prolific. Members
of the Eleagnus family - autumn olive and itS
cousins, provide not only a shower of tasty
fruit, but improve soils by fixing nitrogen at
their roots, as docs the
juncberry/serviceberry/saskatoon tribe
(Amtlanchiet spp. ).
~~
By inrerpianting and stacking vertical
layers into the garden, we can achieve greater
total yields than is possible with single crops.
Our naturally forested region provides the
model for a productive food forest with crops
grown at the canopy, mid-level, understory,
shrub, herb, and root layers, and on vines
running throughouL These food forests
prpvide abundant wildlife habitat and make
excellent forage systems both for humans and
for domestic poultry, sheep, and pigs where
access can be controlled. In very small
spaces, even in the city, bees, rabbitS, and
pigeons can be tended co augment food
production and household income.
Even more important than the
establishment of food forests everywhere is
the organizing of food markelS. We need to
connect capable growers throughout the
region with networks of town and city
consumers to support the development of
healthy fanns and to increase urban-rural
exchanges. These community-supponcd
farms stand a much better chance of
implementing the diverse cropping strategics
needed for ecological restoration than isolated
fanners trying to outwit the commodity
traders. Subscription farming is a way to
create new jobs in agriculture and offer
alternatives to existing farmers.
Strengthening the farm economy;
marketing food locally; and cultivating our
natural suengths in uee crops, fisheries,
berry and bulb production, can provide the
basis for many new, locally manufactured
hand tools, farm implements, craft- and
housewares. These burgeoning local
economies need methods to augment local
trading, and to retain and recycle wealth
wilhm the community. Local currency and
baner systems work well. The L.E.T.S., or
Local Employment & Trading System, is one
such example. (Further infonnacion from the
Institute for Community Economics,
Somerville, MA.).
If we ask again about sustainable
agriculture and pennanent culture, "What is
to be done?", the answer becomes clearer.
1) Eat what you grow and what is
available locally and in season.
2) Grow things that you like that arc
adapted to the area, and which do not travel
well.
3) Plant and tend food forests
everywhere people live, especially in cities,
using public as well as private space.
4) Conserve genetic diversity and
excellence by nurturing elite specimens and
by exchanging heirloom seed and
scionwood.
5) Trade sw-pluses locally. You needn't
grow everything, or even anything, if you're
a good plumber, teacher, baker, or
candlestick maker.
6) Organize food production to suppon
responsible growers.
7) Make direct market links wherever
possible. Know ~here your food come~
from and where u goes.
,,P'
Peter Bane publishu The Pcnnaculturc
Activist. a fUJlional quarttrly journalfor North
A=rico Born in Illinois, M now lives with his
family in Middle TtnnLSst.t w~re Mis putting his
itkas inJo practice. For m«e information please
contact him at Route I, Bo:i 38; Primm Springs TN
38476
· Drawing by Dawn Shiner
Sprt119, t 992
�I,
Silas McDowell's Vision Of
Mountain Agriculture
by Perry Eury
"Amongsr rhe valleys of the somhern
Alleg/UJllit!$ somerimes winter is succeeded
by wann wearlzer, which, cominuing through
the months of March and April, brings out
vegetarian rapidly, and clothes theforests in
an early verdure. This pleasant spring
wearher is renninated by a few days rain, and
the clearing up is followed by cold, raking
winds from the ,wrrhwest, leaving rhe
atmosphere of a pure indigo tint, though
which wink bright stars, bur ,ftlte wind
subsides at nig/11, the succeeding nwrning
shQws a heavy hoar frost,· vegetation is
unerly killed, including all manner offruit
germs, and the la11dscape clothed in verdure
the day before ,ww looks dark and dreary."
- Silas McDowell
On the morning of April 28, 1858,
Silas McDowell encountered this bleak scene
when he went out to inspect his fann. The
Macon Coumy fruit grower hnd spent almost
thirty years establishing his orchard of 600
apple LreCS near the banks of the Cullasaja
River. However, this late spring freeze
"made nearly a clean sweep from mountain
valleys in Western North Carolina of lhe
richest promise of a fruit crop that we have
ever had." For anyone else, the incident
would have been a crushing disappointment.
For McDowell, it was another opportunity to
examine nature's mysteries and to find a
bener way of fanning in the mountains
McDowell had deliberately selected a
shehered valley for his orchard. Only a settler
too poor to buy bouom land would have tried
to grow fruit hiJh on the mountainsides. And
yet, on this Apnl morning, McDowell
realized his mistake. While his own aces
"seemed as if clothed in a black pall," he
observed on the mountains looming over his
orchard a broad horizontal band of vegetation
left unscathed by the freeze.
Around 1780, Thomas Jefferson had
witnessed similar temperature inversions in
the Shenandoah Mountains of Vtrginia. He
reported, "I have known frosts so severe to
kill the hiccory trees round Monticello, and
yet not injure the tender fruit blossoms then at
bloom oo the t. p and higher parts of the
o
mountain."
Silas McDowell understood that this
was more than a quirk of topography and
climate. He suspected that thermal belts could
be the secret to successful fruit production in
mountainous areas. By the summer of 1858
he wrote that "all description of fruit trees
which have the good fortune to be located in
this vernal region, are now bending beneath a
heavy crop of fruit." He began to promote the
value of this zone for fruit growers and
contributed a repon to the United States
Agricu/cural Reports Jor 1861.
In his articles on the "belt of no frost"
McDowell explained, "The beautiful
phenomena of the 'Verdant Zone' or
Thennal Belt' exhibits itself upon our
mountainsides, commencing about three
hundred feet vertical height above the valleys,
SprLng, 1992
and traversing them in a perfectly horiz.ontal
line throughout their entire length like a vast
green ribbon upon a black ground."
Born in South Carolina in 1795,
McDowell moved to Asheville in his youth
for training as a tailor. He practiced his trade
in Charleston and Morganton before settling
in Macon County's Cullasaja Valley, where
he gained renown as a fruil grower, amateur
Silas McDowt/1
naturalist and story teller. His articles on the
mountains were published in popular
magazines and caught the auention of leading
botanists, who sought his help in finding rare
plants of the Southern Appalachians. When a
visiting scientist asked which college he had
auended, McDowell pointed to the hills
surrounding his farm and replied, "These
wild mountains are the only college at which
my name has ever been entered as a sruden1!"
In a tribute to Silas McDowell, T.F.
Glenn remembered him as modest and
unassuming, and also "intuitive, impulsive
and passionate. His companionship with
nature was a marked feature to the most
trivial objects of beauty and sublimity. By a
native force of genius, by dint of fiery energy
of will, by persistent application, he
sunnounted obstacles."
McDowell's tenacious efforts to raise
winter keeping apples had earned him a
reputation among southern fruit growers even
before the thennal belt episode. When
McDowell and his bride, Elizabeth, moved to
Macon County in 1830 they brought a baby's
cradle filled with small apple trees from her
grandfather's orchard near Asheville. Being
especially fond of winier apples, McDowell
chose varieties recommended by northern
pomologists. His results were like those of
other southern growers. "I made a complete
failure," he confessed, "for when my trees
began to bear fruit, it matured and fell from
the tree long before the proper time, and
though they were an excellent collection of
Aurumn Apples, there was n0t a good Winter
keeper amongst them."
For fifteen years, McDowell struggled
to raise winter keepers. Then, the editor of a
farm paper in Athens, Georgia, suggested
that he lake grafts from native seedling
apples. McDowell followed James
Cannack's advice and searched the hills
around his home for fruit stock. His quest
was successful.
"Amongst old Oterokee seedling Apple
trees - as well as other Southern seedlings, I
have succeeded in conferring on Southern
Pomology a llist of names of Winter Apples,
which both as to their highly aromatic taste,
as well as late winter keeping qualities,
cannot be excelled by as many varieties of
Winter Apples in the United States." His
catalog of new apples featured the Carmack,
Nickajack, Bullasage, Mavereck Winter
Sweet, Royal Pearman, Hoover, Golden
Pippin, Buff, Kingrussen, and Neverfail.
"None but late keepers in the list," McDowell
n01ed with delight.
ln 1870, William Saunders with the
Agriculture Department concluded, 'There is
not a doubt about it, the fmest winter apples
in America arc grown on th.ese mountain
lands." McDowell could take much of the
crediL
McDowell, always concerned with the
region's economy, believed that vineyards
established within the thennal belt could be a
mainstay of mountain agriculture. 'The
Grape," McDowell predicted, "will never fail
to yield to the husbandman a rich and
abundant crop of its luscious and
hean-cheering fruit; and had the vine
locomotion, corporal and mental sense, I
would bid it to 'Tarry not in all the plains; but
flee to the mountains for its life,' and take
refuge under the protection of lhe Thermal
Stratum!"
Much as he had in his quest for winter
apples, McDowell explored the mountains to
find superior varieties of grapes. He
speculated on the potential of hybridizing
some of the specimens, "W e cannot well
command our risibles when, in fancy, we
anticipate the aspect of that monster Grape
that will be produced by the hybridal cross
betwixt the Hon. A.G. Semmes's eight
pound bunches and the Mammoth Grape
Prof. C. D. Smith and ourself measured
yesterday, the single berries of which gined
three and a quaner inches around."
Afler the Civil War, McDowell
continued to write on agricultural topics,
presided over the Fruit Growers Association
and pleaded for extension of the Western
Nonh Carolina Railroad. He was constantly
learning more - from natural phenomena, the
culrure of the Oterokees and the latest farm
journals. In his judgement, the climate and
the terrain of the mountains did not have to be
obstacles to successful farming. Instead, the
unique character of the mountains could
suppon a distinctive form of agriculture.
Diversity was one aspect of the
mountain agriculture he envisioned.
"Dairying, grape culture, bee culture, sheep
(continued on page 34)
�Mountain People
The grey winter sky hovers over the village,
threatening to swoop down with nightfall.
A woman carries burdensome logs to her cabin
and feeds them to the wilting flames in the heanh.
She wraps a moth-eaten quilt
tightly about her sinewy frame,
to shut out the icy strands of December
squeezing through chinks in the walls.
Her hands are weathered with time like the mountain, the palms
grooved like the tire tracks frozen into the eanhen road.
These are hands that once held warm lovers,
brought orphaned raccoons in from a storm,
angry, caring hands that spanked naughty children,
and comfoned them when frightened by distant coyotes,
and scratched their backs until they found the itch,
and opened the tightest jars of jam...
The people of the mountain are quiet,
one with themselves, one with the mountain,
but in the lines on their faces, in their strong hands,
in their calm way,
they tell how they work and breathe,
and brim with life,
like the woman rocking before the fire
in that small cabin on the hill,
her heart a smoldering ember,
warm despite the howling wind outside,
whipping through the firs on the mountainside.
- Allison C. Swherland
Quintessence
Never have I seen the sun like one winter's afternoon
late last February. The wannth was drenched into those
hills of the Blue Ridge, into the stalks of yellow and orange,
rolling back finally to the dark mountains, and the still
darker clouds.
We ourselves were engulfed in shadow, steadily
approaching that sunlit stretch of road before us, that
splash of quin1essen1 light.
A gentle warmth touched !he back of my neck.
and I turned, 10 see but a sliver of silvery white light
at the horizon, light which eked out from under the stormy
tumul t of blue-black clouds.
And soon we were immersed in it, bathed in Ught,
the light of spring, or almost summer. It glinted through
the strands of hair in my eyes, and I squinted to keep looking.
So I closed my eyes and breathed, and let it seep into my
veins, and warm my forehead and my cheeks and my shoulders.
And suddenly it was gone. We were in darkness. among the
mountains, and then just shadow. We meandered through those
hills of greenblack forests like a mountain brook in early
evening, now and again coming upon a splash of sunwashed
hills, searching for that light, until the sun went down.
- Allison C. Swherland
J(Qtu.!Jh Journal
p09e 12
Drawings by Mictu,,,I Thompson
Spri-119, 1992
�NATIVE FOODS
I was brought up in the remote
reaches of the Cherokee Indian
Reservation. My family were "a-aditionals."
That means that they stuek to the old ways
of the lncJjan people, believing them 10 be
the beSL We did some things in exactly the
same way they were done by our people
before contact with the white man. As a
boy, I used to go into the woods and hunt
squirrels with a blowgun, for instance. In
other ways, our life, while not exactly
similar 10 the ways of the anc~stors, echoed
the manner in which they lived and gave a
clue to how it was done before.
In the earliest times, our people lived
off the land. They hunted their meat and
gathered plant foods in the foresL Later,
agriculture became their base, that's when
their culture really blossomed, because they
spent Jess time in gathering food.
Agriculture was a stable way of
surviving, but they also hunted and foraged
food from the wild. A srnple food in times
past was chestnut bread. This represented
the Cherokee's mixed food supply: com
from the fields and chestnuts from the wild.
An abundance of both. And if one source
failed, they could fall back on the other to
carry them through.
I heard that a professor said that a.bout
the time the white man came here the
Cherokees were spending about three days
a week for survival. Most of my life in
modern society l couldn't make a living
working seven days.
In my life. I've spent a lot of time in
the woods, and l lcamed that the secret of
survival in the forest is to puc no limits on
what you eaL Like a bear, see everything as
a potential meal. Everything! Game and
fish, of course, but also crawdads, frogs.
bugs, worms, grubs in the logs. Hornet
larva popped on a hot rock are very good.
It used to be a kid's job to sit under a
holly tree with a blowgun stuck up between
the branches to shoot at the cardinals.
robins, or any other little songbirds that
came. People say. "How did you pluck
them?" but we never plucked them. We just
threw them into the fire and rolled them
around until the feathers had all been singed
off. We treated all the little birds and small
animals like that. We never skinned a
squirrel.
I remember one time I was out, and I
ate tent caterpillars that were feeding on a
wild cherry tree. I roasted them. The fire
singed the hair off - most of it. They
swelled up into little puffy morsels. They
did have a queer taSte, but I was hungry
and I ate all of them I could find.
But we did not have 10 eat insects
except in famine and songbirds were more
hunting trophies for the young. Larger
game was plentiful. In the older rimes the
people ate woods bison, deer. birds like
passenger pigeon and grouse, and
groundhogs.
Drawing by James Rhea
But they would not eat possums. The
Cherokees thought the possum was the
lowliest creature on the Eanh. When
DeSoto came th.rough, one of his company.
a man called The Gentleman of Elvas,
wrote that when they SlOpped at the village
that was near the present ciry of Asheville,
they demanded food for their travel-s from
the natives. He recorded that they were
given "several hundred dead dogs without
any hair on their tails." He did not realize
how the Cherokees despised the possum as
a food sourt:c and what a political sutement
this was.
Plant food was plentiful as well. The
people would gather berries in the
summenime, chestnuts in the fall. When
the che~tnut trees were alive. there was a
large chesmut harvest every year • bushels
and bushels of chestnuts. Properly dried
and stored, they would last all winter.
The people also ate chinkapins.
Chinkapins are related to chestnuts. The
by Bear W ith Runs
tree looks very similar 10 a chestnut tree.
The nuts were a little bit smaller than
chestnuts - somewhat larger than a beech
nut.
Acorns were imponanl, too. They
leached them in water to get out the tannic
acid and then ground them into flour or
roasted them in the fire. They probably
preferred the white oak acorns, because
those have !he least tannie acid.
My grandmother used 10 make little
cakes out of white oak acorn nour, com
meal, and honey. She would also add
persimmons, if we had them. Those cakes
were good! They were a heavy food • a
little bit went a long way
In the old limes. the people would eat
a lot of ,mnas, the wild potatoes that grow
:llong the creeks. And in the spring. ramps
and wild greens, like branch lettuce,
s/10-1011 (or so-chan, green conenower •
ed.). Indian cucumber, and nettles, arc
(cxmlinucd on nnt page)
:KAtuan Journot ~ 13
�(continued
rrom page 13)
plentiful. Mushrooms are good, if you
know what you are looking for, but they
aren't very filling.
It's interesting. One person can
forage really well alone, while foraging for
two people is difficulL But with three
people it becomes easier, because two can
forage and the other one can prepare the
food.
When the Cherokees smned planting,
they added some new foods to their dieL
Com, of course, was a staple, beans, and
"punkins," as they called them in my
family, meaning any lcind of squash.
We ate green com as "roastin' ears,"
dried corn was ground into flour and eaten
as cornbread. Everybody grew their own
corn, and everybody thought their own was
better than everybody else's.
The com we would keep in a com
crib. We put the beans in sacks and hung
them up in the barn or under the dogtrot
(roofed, but open air passageway between
two separate sections of a building - ed.) at
the house.
The early people built very neat,
efficient com cribs. They were raised off
the ground on poles, bad a tight thatched
roof, and walls made of panels woven of
bark or wood splits that were daubed with
clay or mud to keep varmints out. The com
was stored in there on the cob.
Mother trimmed the com husks and
packed them to save for cooking chestnut
bread, bean bread, or com dumplings. The
traditional way was to wrap them in com
husks and boil them. When the corn shucks
ran out, Mother would wrap them in green
oak leaves. That would tum the com blue.
Mother ground com a litlle bit at a
time as she needed it. She never ground
very much because weevils would get in
into ground meal very quickly.
Back long ago, before they had ovens
to bake in, they made mealcakes that were
either boiled or roasted. We used to do !hat
when l was young. We would call !hem
hoecakes. We always carried com meal
when we were traveling. To prepare the
cakes, we would mix the meal with boiling
water to "kill the com." Killing the com
causes the dough to stick together. Then we
would flatten them out, lay them on a flat
rock, and let them roast as brown as lhey
could be.
In the old days, lhc warriors would
carry parched com in a long bag by their
side when they were on the trail. They
parched shelled com by throwing it into a
hot fire and leaving it until it got brown (or
more likely black), and then grinding it into
powder.
On the trail, they would trot from
dayUght to dark, heading for Iroquois
country. When they saw a stream up ahead,
they would pour some of the powder into
their hand while they were running. As
they crossed over the stn:am, they would
bend down while they were still moving
and grab a handful of water and keep
trotting. That was the only food that they
would take alo11g their route.
Beans were important to us, too. The
elderi; told me that the originnl bean was red
and white, and it came from the south.
Xatuah J~rnoL pf.UJC 14
Pinto beans were my family's
favorite, and we must have raised one-half
acre of pinto beans every year. A visitor
could come into our house any day of the
week and find a pot of pinto beans on the
stove and bread in the warmer on top of th~
stove - cornbread, and later when l was
growing up there were occasionally flour
biscuits, but lhat was not often.
We had meals only once or twice a
day, but we ate whenever we got hungry.
That was the way I was raised. If 1 got
hungry in the middle of the day, l'd just
run in, take a bowl of beans, grab some
bread, and eat up.
When people found that
domesticating livestock was easier lhan
hunting, they began raising animals as well
as growing crops. My grandfather said that
the turkey was the first animal to be
domesticated, and it domesdcated itSClf.
When the Cherokees began raising com,
they would build litllc racks in the cornfield
and assign the kids to keep watch to scare
off the crows and wildlife. The turkeys
loved the com so much they just wouldn't
scare, so the people just penned up the
turkeys and fed them com in the pen to
keep !hem out of lhe fields.
The Cherokees ate turkey, but !hey so
prized the turkeys' feathers for making
ornaments and beautiful capes, lhat my
grandfather said, "We used to care more
about 'em for their feathers than for the
meaL"
Because we ate what was provided
locally, lhe diet of the Cherokee fndians
changed with the seasons of the year.
In the green com season, when the
first com turned ripe enough tO eat, besides
the roasting cars we would cat squash and
other vegetables, fish, and chicken. But we
never ate game in the summenime, because
we were afraid of a parasite we called
"weevils" or "foxes." (insect larvae, also
called "warbles" by white people - ed.)
This was a big wonn that got into squirrels,
rabbits. and deer. You could often see two
or three of them sticking out of an animal in
the late summer and early fall. IL was large
and black, pointed on one end. It would
bore into the skin and live off the moisture
and the blood of the animal.
We never ate game at all until the
worms were killed by the first frost. There
were taboos about killing animals until after
the weevils were gone.
But we ate chickens. And we caught
fish all summer long. The old way to catch
trout was with trout baskets. They built up
weirs in the stream made out of rocks.
They piled up rocks forcing the fish into a
narrow channel that flowed into the trout
basket. As kids, we used to build weirs in
Lhe stream, too.
We also ate frogs and any turlles we
came upon during the summer season - if
we came across a mud turtle, that was just a
didn't have any lard on them at all. But they
tasted really good. We fed them some
garbage 10 keep them around, and they ate
bugs and snakes, but we would kill them
right after the acorn crop was down, and
that's when they would be their nicest.
Hogs raised on acorns and com taste totally
different than the meat you buy today. Fall
was the fat time for everything that lived in
the forest - including the Indians.
Father smoked meat, and Mother
would can trout and other kinds of meat in
jars. She would boil them outside in a big
washtub that would hold 30 or 40 cans. We
ate a lot of meat in the fall and early winter,
and then we ate dried food until the spring.
ln the old days people would put
dried food in clay pots and carry them up 10
the asi, their dugout winter shelter. The
food would store there until the wintertime
when the people arrived and would live in
the asi surrounded by their food supply.
My Mother would dry berries,
persimmons, squash, any kinds of food we
could get. We had a tray about lhe size of a
screen door made of honeysuckle vines
woven into a mat. h was hung it over the
wood stove. We would lower it, she would
lay out all the slices, and then we would
help her pull it back up. When it wasn't in
use. we just pulled it up against the ceiling.
It always stayed over the wood stove.
I like to think that is how they did it in
the old times: hung a mat over lhe central
fire in the house under the smoke hole.
We had chestnuts, and we had com,
so no one really went hungry. The diet may
not have been nutritionally stable all year,
but we had enough.
The hardest time of year was late
February and early spring. By then we
were craving greens. Tobacco helped with
the hunger. Tobacco depresses the appetite.
But we were doggin' for vegetables. In the
meantime we drank teas: sassafras tea,
birch tea, pine needle tea, which had a lot
of vitamin C, and spicebush tea.
My mother used to make cough
medicine for me, anyway l think it was for
me, but Grandpa would drink a lot of it.
She'd catch him at it, and he'd go "Hunh.
hunh, hunh (like he was coughing)." It was
wild cherry bark and pine need.Jes. They
were boiled down and after all the needles
and bark were taken out of it. she added
honey until it was really !hick, and then she
cooked it down some more. It was nice. It
was really nice. It was good and sweet.
Then, a little later in the spring, the
sho-tan came in. Everyone would have a lot
of that. get the shits, and clean out their
bodies. My grandmother would also make
us a tonic from a gray lichen called
"turkey's tail." Later the ramps would be
ready, the growing things would be getting
green, and everything would balance out
/
again.
treat.
We were meat eaters in the fall, for
sure. We never did have any cows. 1 didn't
eat beef until l was 2 l or 22 years old. But
we did have some old skinny hogs. They
were as lean as they could be. l remember
my father complaining about how lhey
In spilt ofth.t: droll nomt he has odopttd/or
this articlt, Btc.r With Runs IJ a full-blooded
Chtroku Indian. lit livl.S in quiet anonJmity ofl
tht Cherolctt India/I Rt.str.•ation
Drawing by Pcgi
Sprl..™3, 1992
�COVER CROPS
On-farm, Solar-powered Soil Building
by Mark Schon beck
During my four years as an agricultural
researcher at the New Alchemy Institute, I
chose to focus on cover crops because they
perform so many different functions on the
farm, utilizing primarily solar energy. The
only off-farm input is the seed - a few
pounds to one hundred pounds per acre,
from which thousands of pounds of organic
matter arc accumulated through
photosynthesis. In contraSt, most soil
amendments entail imponing hundredweights
or tons of materials for each acre.
A cover crop is a crop grown not for
harvest. but to protect, maintain or enrich the
soil A green mallW'e is any crop (but usually
a cover crop and/or natural weed growth)
which is tilled into the soil to add organic
matter and feed the soil biota. Cover crops
and green manures protect soil against wind
and water erosion, suppress weeds, provide
habitat for beneficial insecis, add organic
maucr, add nitrogen (legumes only), and
make other nuoients more available to the
next crop. Most cover crops can also be
grown for grain (e.g., rye, buckwheat)
and/or livestock forage (e.J/ ., clover, annual
ryegrass, alfalfa).
Cover cropping is a cornerstone of
sustainable agricultural systems in most
bioregions, and this is cenainly true for
Kawah. Why do I make this claim? I'll Stan
with a brief digression into soil ecology...
In both natural and agricultural
ecosystems, plant growth depends on the
organic matter cycle in the soil. Soil
organisms continually break down soil
humus, thereby releasing nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients
for plant roots to absorb.
The carbon from the organic matter
appears in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
Plants convert carbon dioxide b:ick into
organic compounds in photosynthesis. In
natural ecosystems, leaves, other plant
residues and animal dung thar fall to the
ground feed earthworms and other soil
organisms. These creatures change the
residues into humus, thus replenishing
organic matter reserves. Most of the nucrients
can cycle back and forth between soil and
plant almost indefinitely, except when intense
rains wash some of them away.
Nitrogen is more volatile, and some of
ii inevitably slips away into the atmosphere or
groundwater. Fortunately, there arc
numerous species ofbac1eria and blue-green
algae in the soil that can fix (convert)
atmoSpheriC nitrogen back into forms that
plants and soil organisms can use. The most
effective nitrogen-fixing bacteria, the
rhizobia, form a symbiosis with the roots of
leguminous plants such as clovers, beans and
black locust trees.
Sprl.fflJ, 1992
Agriculture disrupts this
nutrient/organic matter cycle in three ways.
First, clearing the natural vegetation exposes
the soil surface to sun, wind and rain.
Because humus is a lightweight and
finely-divided material, a disproportionate
amount of humus is lost when soil erodes.
Extreme temperature and moisture
fluctuations at the soil surface can also bum
up the humus and deter biological activity,
leaving a son of "dead zone" in the top inch
or so. Second, tillage accelerates the r(lle at
which soil organic manerdecomposes. This
happens because soil disturbance brings
additional oxygen into the topsoil, thus
speeding bacterial action. Initially, the
resulting burst of nucrient release promotes
heavy crop yields, but the soil wears out
unless the organic mauer is replenished from
other sources. Third, harvest removes
nuoients, and these must be replaced
regularly. Because synthetic chemical
fertilizers do not feed the soil life and tend to
upset the soil's balance, biological farmers
use organic and natural mineral fcnilizers,
such as compost, leaf mold and ground
limestone.
Organic fanning often entails adding
large amounts of organic amendments to the
soil. lf these materials are brought in from
off-fann sources, this is not sustainable
farming, as this removes materials from the
organic matter cycle on someone else's land.
Also, iransporting bulky amendments from
their point of origin 10 the farm consumes a
lot of fossil fuel. Composting manure and
crop residues produced on the farm is more
ecologically sustainable, but may be quite
labor·intensive. Often, the amount of
residues produced on the farm docs not meet
all the land's organic matter needs.
Cover crops use sunlight to produce
organic matter in place, and, in the case of
legumes, to fix nitrogen. In contrast,
manufacture of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer
uses a tremendous amount of fossil fuel.
Once a cover crop is established, its l"OO(S
bind the soil together, significantly reducing
erosion even before the foliage fully covers
the ground. As the cover crop canopy closes,
it effectively stops erosion.
Cover crops such as buckwheat
suppress weeds by growing rapidly and
casting dense shade, whereas winter rye, oats
and sudan grass release natural substances
that suppress weed seedlings (this
phenomenon is called allelopathy).
Legume cover crops often add 50 to
150 pounds of nitrogen per acre in a single
season, thus replacing the nitr0gen harvested
in most vegetable and grain crops.
Buckwheat, lupines and sweet clover have
roots that can absorb relatively insoluble
fonns of phosphorus that other crops cannot
access. When the cover crop is tilled in, the
phosphorus is released to the next crop.
Some cover crops and deep-rooted weeds can
extract potassium, calcium, or ccnain
micronurrients from the subsoil or from
insoluble minerals.
A mixed gra:.s/legume cover crop (e.g.,
clover/timothy, or winter rye/hairy vetch) can
produce three to four tons of dry organic
matter per acre in a year, and the proportion
of nitrogen to carbon in such a mixture is
often ideal for humus formation. A three ton
cover crop provides about as much organic
matter and nitrogen as a 10 to 15 ton manure
application, and the cover crop does not need
10 be hauled into the field, but simply mowed
or tilled in.
The biggest challenge in using cover
crops is allowing them enough time to reach a
good size without sacrificing a whole season
of vegetable or grain production. The
simplest approach is to plant the cover crop
immediately after harvest, but this is often in
fall, leaving the cover crop little time before
winter.
One altenullive is overseeding, or
planting the cover crop while the production
crop is still growing. In moist, fine•texturcd
soils, small-seeded cover crops like clover,
alfalfa and ryegrass can be broadcast on the
soil surface between rows of com. squash,
1oma1oes. broccoli or other widely-spaced
crops. Jn coarser soils or drier conditions. the
se.ed can be incorporated by light hoeing or
cultivation. The cover crop grows slowly
beneath the esmblished vegetable. then spuns
ahead after the lauer is harvested and cleared.
Another method is to plant a slowstaning cover crop such a.\ clover~ the same
time as a grain is planted. After gram harvest,
the clover is grown until the following
spring, then tilled in. Clover plus grain
(ciontinucd an p1gc 16)
Ora..,ing by Rob Musick
�stubble give excellent wintertime erosion
conuol, and provide a lot of organic matter
with a good c:irbon-nitrogen balance.
When a green manure is ,tilled into the
soil, a burst of biological activity occurs
which can be detrimental to crop seedlings
for a shon rime. Thus it is a good idea 10 wait
two or three weeks after turning the crop
under before direct-seeding vegetables,
especially small seeds like lettuce and carrots.
An alternative method is to mow the
aboveground pan of the cover crop, and
gather the clippings to mulch another bed or
build a compost heap. 11 is much easier to
spade or plow up the crop stubble withou1 all
that shoot biomass there, and the waiting
period needed before direct-seeding should
also be shoncr. Some cover crops can be
killed by mowing at the nght ume. Their
clippings can be left in place and vigorous
crop seedlings (e.g., cabbage, 1oma10)
lnlnSplanted through the mulch without
tillage. Success with this varies because the
mulch cools the soil and can aurac1 slugs.
Clearing an eight to twelve inch diameter area
around each seedling reduces these problems.
Different cover crops arc suited to
different purposes. A few specific examples
follow. The first six are non-legumes and do
not add nitrogen, the rest are legumes that can
fix niuogen.
Winter rye is very hardy, overwintering
as far north as zone 3a (annual minimum -35
10 -40 degrees F). In the Katt.iah bioregion,
rye planted by early October will protect the
soil and suppress weeds effectively. Rye
planted in early November will do well and
produce lots of organic matter in spring, but
there is a risk of winter erosion, as the cover
will be thin.
Rye is useful for talcing up and
conserving any soluble soil nitrogen left over
from the growing season. The crop can be
difficult to manage in the spring because it
rapidly gets very tall and tough. When grown
alone, it can also ccmporarily 1ie up soil
nitrogen and release allelopathic substances
that can inhibit growth of the nex1 crop. If ii
gets away from you, mow-kill the rye after
the heads have emerged and begun shedding
pollen. Or let the rye go to maturity and reap
some nice grain and/or seeds for next year's
cover crop. Seeding rate is 90-150 lb/acre
(note: one pound per 1,000 square feet equals
about 44 lb/acre). using the higher rates for
later plantings.
Win~r wheOJ can be used similarly 10
rye, though it is a little less hardy, somewhat
shorccr and later to mature. It may also be
easier to manage in the spring. Sow 90-120
lb/acre.
OOJS, another small grain, is much less
frost-hardy, and is generally killed the first
time the temperature drops to 15 or 20
degrees F.. Oats can be planted in early
spring and mowed or turned under in early
summer. They can also be planted in August
or early September and allowed to grow until
killed by hard freezes. This leaves a thick
protective mulch that is easier 10 manage in
spring than a live rye crop. though the
~um of organic matter will be less. Sow
90-120 lb/acre..
Annual ryegrass is marginally
winter-hardy in zone 6b (annual minimum -5
to 0 degrees F), and can either be planted in
early spring or in August-early September.
Ryegrass fonns an unusually dense root
sysiem that gives excellent erosion
protcccion, fosters good soil strUcture and
"mops-up" leftover soil nutrients so they
don't wash away. Unlike the three preceding
crops, ryegrass ca11not be mow-killed, and
must be spaded or tilled in. Rye and rycgrass
are often confused, bu1 they arc easy 10 tell
apart. Rye has the edible, wheat-berry sized
seeds, while ryegrass has fme, fluffy seeds
that look a lot like lawn grass seed. Sow
20-50 lb/acre.
Sudan grass is a fast-growing,
fros1-sensitive summer annual that can
produce a tremendous nmount of biomass. le
requires warm, fertile soil, and is well suited
to planting after harvest of early spring
vegetables like lettuce or peas. It suppresses
weeds through both competition and
allelopathy, and can be cut twice for mulch
(prized by strawberry growers), compost
mmerial or fodder (cawion: let it grow a1 least
24 inches tall, preferably more, before
feeding to livestock, as young sudan grass
contains toxic amounts of cyanide). The
stubble may be subl.tantial enough 10 hold the
soil over winter and add a li1tle organic matter
when turned under in spring. Sow 20-50
lb/acre.
Buckwheat is a mos1 useful green
manure for shon fallow periods in vegetable
culture. It can be planted any time after the
las1 frost, up to the middle of August.
Buckwheat emerges and shades the ground
rapidly, choking out weeds. It reaches 2 to 4
feet and begins 10 flower about 30 days after
planting, and should be mowed or turned
under at most 45 days after planting 10
prevent self-seeding. Two or three successive
plantings of buckwheat, followed by winter
rye, with each crop tilled under, reduces
populations of stubborn perennial weeds like
quackgrass. Buckwheat is also excellent bee
forage, and is good for mobilizing the
phosphorus in a rock phosphate applica1ion.
Sow 50-100 lb/acre.
Clovers are small-seeded legumes that
Stan slowly, but can fix 50 to 100 pounds of
nitrogen if allowed to grow a full year.
White clover is a low-growing (4-18
inches, depending on variety), long-lived
perennial, and is suited to "living mulch"
applications (be sure you don't confuse it
with white sweetclover which can reach five
to 10/eet).
Red clover is taller (18-30 inches),
faster-growing, shorter lived and very shade
tolerant. ll is we11 suited to overseeding into
established vegetables in August if moisture
is adequate.
Alsike clover is intennediate between
white and red clovers, and is more tolerant of
clayey, wet or acid soils. Unlike the 01hers,
crimson clover is an annual, which can be
planted in August or early September and wi11
overwinter in the milder pans of Kaniah (it's
risky here in zone 6b). h can also be planted
in early spring. ln addition to fixing nitrogen
and producing 3 t0ns/acre of organic matter,
crimson clover has spectacular deep red
blooms. Sow clovers in early spring or late
summer, 4-8 lb/acre for white clover, 8-15
lb/acre for red or alsike, and I5-25 lb/acre for
crimson. Clover seedlings don't like ho1 sun,
so it helps to plant oats at 35-50 lb/acre with
the clover to provide light shade, then mow
the oats at heading. Crimson clover can be
mow-killed just after 0owering, while the
other clovers cannot.
Hairy vetch is a legume which has
recently enjoyed a resurgence of interest. h is
a winter annual vine with small purple
flowers and can fix 100 to 250 pounds of
nitrogen per acre. Vetch is hardy to zone Sa
(annual minimum -15 to -20 degrees),
although frost-heaving can be a problem if
harsh freezes alternate wilh !haws. It can be
planted in September, either alone or with
rye, wheat or oats, at 20-30 pounds of vetch
plus 50 pounds of grain per acre. Vetch/rye is
an excellent combination because the rye is
strong enough tO support the vetch vines in
spring, 1he rye roots help prevent frost
heaving, and the combination is more
effective than either crop alone in stopping
erosion, suppressing weeds and building
humus. Also, vetch can be mow-kilJed once
it has begun to flower, which happens about
the same rime that rye sheds pollen. Other
vetches include bigflower vetch (hardy in
most of Katt.iah), common vetch and purple
vetch, both of which are winterlcilled at 10 to
20 degrees F. Their residues release nitr0gen
in the spring, thus these vetches may be
valuable planted in August ahead of the next
year's early spring greens.
Sweet clovers are biennial legumes with
very deep taproots that open the soil and
bring up nutrients. White sweetclover likes
rich, moist, somewhat clayey soil, and gets
very large in the second season, while ye11ow
sweetclover tolerates droughty, sandy soils
and is somewhat smaller, about 4 LO 6 feet
tall. Hubam sweetclover is an annual white
variety that produces lots of organic maner in
a short time, but may self-seed and become a
nuisance weed. Sow sweetclovers in April or
August at 12-18 lblacre. alone or wilh 35-50
lb oats/acre.
Alfalfa, the "queen of forages" can also
make a heavy nitr0gen-fixing cover crop and
provide a highly nutritive mulch. Alfalfa is
somewhat finicky, requiring deep, rich,
nonacid soils high in phosphorus, potassium,
and calcium. Under good conditions, it is a
long-lived percMial lhot can be cut for
several years for mulch, compost or forage.
Sow a1 15-20 lb/acre, pn:fembly with oats at
35-50 lb/acre and/or timothy or other
perennial forage gross at half its normal
seeding rate.
Mark Schon/Jeck Ph.D.•formuly a rcscarckr
with Ntw t\lchtmy. is now inll()/vtd with tht
fnstitutt for Sustainable Living. Wind.n..-ept Farm;
Rt. I, Box 35: Chtck, VA 24072 which products
{JII uctlltnt ncwsltlltr, TcJtinh.
Sprlll<J, 1992
�Plant for Tomorrow:
HEMP
by John Ingress
"Whal is c/wJ uncercainflush low on
the ground, tlwt irresistible rush of
mulci111di,w1LS green ? Aformigl,t later, and
the field is brown no longer. Overflowing ir,
burying it out ofsight, is the shallow tidal sea
of the hemp, ever rippling. With that in
view, all ocher shades in namre seem dead
and coUIII for nothing. Far reflected,
conspicuous, brilliant, strange; masses of
living emerald, saturated wirlt blazing
sunlight."
•from The Reign of Law; A Talc or lhc Kentucky
Hemp Fields by l=s Allen Lane (1900)
Although the Earth has always had
"environmentalists" - people and entire
cultures who respect the forces of Nature and
who try 10 learn from and work wirll those
forces - our industrial/scientific society is
coming 1ownrds environmentalism from the
opposite pole: by discovering how pollution
has disrupted the web of life.
The thread that binds these issues is
1he non-sustainable nature of our dependence
on fossil fuels (and u-ees, because forest
habitats cannot be replenished a1 the rate at
which treeS rue being cut). To dismiss hemp
as a possible solution because ii is of the
genus Camwbis with "marijuana" ( a
pejorative misnomer) is akin to dismissing
Galileo because "the world is flat." For the
moment, let's consider only those varieties of
cannabis referred to as "headache weed,"
containing little psychoactive THC.
Hemp is one of humanity's oldest
cultivated crops. The weaving of hemp fiber
as an industry began 10,000 years ago (see
Jack Herer, The Emperor Wears No Cloches,
1990). By the 27th century BC. the Chinese
cultivated hemp for fiber, medicine, and
herbal use. Since that time, cannabis has been
continuously incorporated into virtually all
the cultures of the Middle East, Asia Minor,
India, China, Japan, Europe, and Africa, and
its uses for oil, food, and relaxation were
developed.
The first laws governing hemp in 1he
Americas were those requiring colonial
Virginia fanners to grow hemp. Violators
could be imprisoned. Washington grew i1,
Jefferson smuggled Chinese seed at great
peril; the first drafts of the US Constitution
were written on hemp paper. The Census of
1850 counted 8,327 hemp plantations of
2000 acres or more, mostly in the South.
In 1916, USDA Bulletin No. 404
reponed that one acre of cannabis hemp, in
annual rotation over a 20 year period, \\0Uld
produce as much pulp for paper as 4.1 acres
of trees, requiring no polluting chemicals.
The hemp pulp technology wa~ invented by
USDA scientists in 1916, but awaited the
mvcntion of dcconica1ing and harvesting
machinery. These arrived in the mid-10-la1e
1930's. at the same time as the DuPont
Company was patenting processes 10 make
plastics from oil and coal, as well as new
Spn119, 1992
sulfate/sulfite processes to make paper from
wood pulp.
Coincidentally - some say
conspiratorially - the Marijuana Tax Act of
1937 effectively outlawed the entire cannabis
plant family on the basis of it's "reefer
madness" properties. No1 only DuPont
profits, but those of large timber holdings,
were wriuen into law. (William Randolph
Hearst, whose "yellow journalism" was
instrumental in the marijuana scare, owne-0
hundreds of thousands of acres of timber,
destined for newsprint).
A working definition of sustainable
agriculture might be those practices that
assure the means of survival - food. fuel,
fiber, and medicine. The mining and use of
fossil fuels. unless absolutely necessary. is
only "economical" in 1cnns of shon cerm
profits. As Buckminis1er Fuller poinis ou1 in
1he book Critical Patl1, it took millions or
years of pho1osyn1hesis, decay, and
accumulation of organic material 10 produce
the oil and coal we use today. By determining
replacement values. he calculates gasoline to
be wonh $2.'i million dollars per gallon! One
might say it's priceless. Or. since burning it
is killing the planet. one could say it has
negative value when removed from the
ground for applications for which a
renewable, sustainable resource, such :is
hemp. is available.
The cannabis hemp seed is a
complete source of vegetable protein, :ind the
USDA food comparisons found hempsecd
lower in saturated fats than any other cooking
oil. including soy and cnnola.The byproduct
of pressing hemp seed for its oil is a high
protein seed cake.
Hemp fiber makes fabrics that are
stronger. more insulating, more absorbent,
and tonger lasting than cotton. More than
half the textiles we use today are imponed,
due to environmental concerns and labor
costs. Hemp requires little fertilizer, and no
pesticides. Local industry could revive.
Hemp is the world's most prolific
source of plam cellulose, which is the basic
raw material used for plastics, fabrication
material, chipboard, fibelboard and other
construction boards.
For more than 3,500 years, cannabis
has been, depending on the culture or nation,
either the moi;1 used or one of the most
widely used plants for medicines. If legal, i1
would immediately replace an estimated lO to
20 percent of all pharmaceutical prescription
medicines and could be added, as extracts, 10
another 20 to 30 percent. From 1842 10 1900
ii made up half of all medicines sold, with
vinually no fear of its "high."
In 1937, the AMA and drug
companies testified against the Marijuana Tax
Ac1, because cannabis was known to have so
much medical potential and has never caused
any observable addictions or death by
overdose. It is known to be helpful in ca.~s
of asthma, glaucoma. tumors, nause:i
resulting from chemotherapy or AIDS,
epilepsy, back pain, and stress among its 100
or so kno\\ n applications.
If we would let it. cannabis hemp
could have a bright future providing
humankind with food, fuel, fiber, an~~
medicine.
fr
For addiuonol informaJu,n on w u.ses of
rhe MIii/i plan/, wme 10: Fnendsofllemp: Bo;(98/:
Mars /lilt, NC 28754,
x.cituah Journal. JJCllF t 7
�KATUAH CULTIVARS
Cultivated Varieties of Vegetable and Fruits
Recommended for Ka mah Bioregion
We received a handful of Kaniah
gardeners' lis1s of favorite fruil and
vegetables varieties. The resulting list is a
chefs' cornucopia. and generally includes
personn.l favorites for productivity, taste,
nuaition, and relative freedom from
problems. Codes for seed sources for the
more difficult-to-find varieties (when known)
are included at the end of the article. Happy
Gardening!
We invite Katuah readers to send us
your favorite varieties (esp. Open Pollinated
{O.P.) or non-hybrid varieties) and your
list of not-so-m:ommendcd varieties (this is
also imponant info!) for developing a more
comprehensive regional listing. Thanks for
your giving...
Perry Eury (Kalmia Center, Sylva, NC)
-rates Red Jewel sweet poiato as a
favorite! He continues to have problems
with disease on legumes. but has had good
luck with a crowder pea, Purple
Knucklehull (SH). He highly recommends
the recovered "Cherokee" Com, a delicious
white com with pinkish blush-- makes lhe
BEST cornbread! (from Cherokee Boys
Club).
Hueh Love! ( Union Agricultural
Instirute, Blairsville, GA) -- Hugh is a CSA
Producer, dedicated to regenerative,
biodynamic agriculture. He loves the English
green pea. Little Marvel which does not
require staking in his intensive, three rows
per wide bed spacings. Sugar Snap edible
pod peas are a favorite with his cus1omers.
He recommends Blue Lake Pole and
Yellow Wax Bean, as productive, but
recommends choosing "rust" disease
rcsistanL varieties. He recommended
Purple Top Tumips (greens and root multicrop!) and rape greens (Vates).
Cherry Belle radishe~ are recommended
for quick maturing spring radishes, and for
Fall planting, Chjna Rose radish.
Touchon is a great coreless carrot, and
Bloomsdale Spinach is recommended as a
standard. Hugh notes that spinach will last
longer in the spring (nor "bolt") if you grow
spinach with low levels of nuaients (esp.
nitrogen).
G}en Hubel (Certified Organic Grower.
Waynesville, NC) has done well with edible
podded pea Snowflake and Sugar
Daddy, and the english pea Knight. He
suggests the beans Easy Pie and the Yellow
Wax bean, Gold Crop. He likes the shon
season tomato Russian, but has had much
"Blight" disease problems with his tomato
varieties. His best crop is his potato crop
including Kennebec, Purple Peruvians,
Red Pontiac, Yellow Finn (SB) and
rates Butte average. He recommend!. agains1
Yukon Gold because of potato bug
problems (lururtm, might be a "trap-crop"! ).
He has had good yields with Black soybeans
and the edible at green-stage Butterbean
soybean. His best crops are his lenuces,
:IC4Nan JO\lf'nat PCUJe 18
recommending Red Oakleaf, Sangria,
Lolla Rossa, and Red Romaine
(SHP).
Will Ashe Bason (Floyd Co.• south.of
Blacksburg, VA) especially likes Lutz
Greenleaf Keeper (SESE) bee!li, as the
~ I keeping. sweetest and mos1 render. He
grows white, yellow and red po1a1oes, but
has had worst "Scab" disease on reds which
do 001 keep as well. He likes his yellow
poiatoes best! He notes broccoli and cabbage
do well. but need to be treated with the
biological insecricide, Dipel (B1). He
advises to plant fall varieties of cole crops
and plant these seeds in late spring. He has
found Sunroofs (the native sunflower,
Jerusalem Artichoke) easy 10 grow and s1ores
well in the l!:r0und over winter. He
recommends blueberries as a fruit crop which
tolerates warm early spells and l:11e frosts, but
recommends additional peal or organic matter
in the planting hole. Will states that Shiitake
mushrooms are relanvely easy 10 inoculate
int0 chestnut oak logs, but may require a year
to get going, but then may "fruit " for years.
He is especially happy with Scarlet
Runner Beans, which are best in flavor,
and make a ''preny good" dried bean. These
are most easily shelled when ''perfectly" dry.
He grows his beans in the garden space left
available after the spring crop of snap peas
(although this may eventually lead to disease
problems in time- ed.)
Mark Schonbeck (Instiru1e for
Sustainable Agriculture, Windswept Farm,
Check. VA) shares his favorite varieties of
"non-hybrid, good flavored, nuaitious, with
good keeping qualities, resistance to pests
and diseases, and ease of haJvest and
processing." (Whew! What criteria!)
Windswept Farm gardeners were
impressed by the grain sorghum.
Mennonite (SESE), yielding over 7 lbs. of
grain from a 100 square foot plot . The
cooked grain iasted somewhat between wheat
berries and brown rice (but had 10 be leached
of the tannins from the grain by boiling and
changing the cooking waters). Hickory
King white flour com, although it grew 10
feet tall, survived thunderstorms, showed
little earwonn damage, and had little mold or
maggot problems. They no1ed that Purple
Peruvian and Saginaw Gold potatoes had
less potato beetle problems than other
varieties. They had problems growing carrots
in their poor soil but Danvers U6 carrot
grew well withou1 becoming woody, and bad
little weed problem. They especially favored
Long Standing Bloo~dale spinach,
with its excellent flavor and winter hardiness.
They recommend several beans including
Chinese Red (SESE) azuki beans
(yielding equivalent 10 2500 lbsJacre), which
grew without any Mexican bean beetle attack!
Swedish Brown common bean had lower
yields (eqiv. 1500 lbs/A.) but have an
unusually good flavor. A local adapted
pinio-type October Bean, obtained from a
neighbor, yielded well and had slightly less
bean beetle damage than other varieties. A
Redkloud Kidney (SESE) bean was
badly chewed by beetles, but managed to
yield as much as the azulcis.
Barbara Duncan (Herb Enthusiast,
Franklin, NC) -- recommends her favorite
perennial Greek Oregano (SHP) which
she prefers for its ease-of-culture (although
hard 10 genninate) and strong, distinctive
taste.
Lee Barnes (Plantsman, Waynesville,
NC) - I've had repeatable success with
Peruvian Purple potatoes tender,
finger-sized and beautiful mixed with yellow
or white potatoes in Potato Salad! Early
Jersey Wakefield cabbage is more tender
and sweeter than other varieties. Celery
(Golden Self-Blanching and Giant
Red(actually pinkish) (SB) does well if
seeds are sown indoors early (60 - 90 days
prior to transplanting). Favorite superhot
peppers are Thai and Habanero (RCS)
(great for hot vinegars, too (()() hot to eat!),
which do best if transplan1ed after mid-May,
or when soil 1empera1ures are greater than 00°
F. My favorite eggplant is the tender
"finger-shaped" Japanese varieties, and I'm
currently addicted to the hybrid eggplant
"khiban". Can anyone recommend an O.P.
variety? Purple Top turnips are favorites!,
while ruUlbagas and kohlrobi do very wcJI if
sown 2-3 weeks earlier than for turnips.
SESE • Southern Exposure Seed
Exchange, P.O. Box 158, North Garden,
VA22959
SH - R.11. Schumway. P.O. Box
I, Graniteville, SC 29829
HA - Hastjng.s. P.O. Box 115535,
Atlanta, GA 30310
SB -Seeds Blum, Idaho City Stage,
Boise, ID 97333
SUP- Shephard's Garden Seeds,
6116 Highway 9, Felton, CA 95018
RCS- Redwood City Seed Co.,
P.O. Box 361, Redwood City, CA 94064
(See KJ # 32 Fall 1991 or master
Resource List for additional seed sources.).
By Lee Barnes
Drawing by Rob Messick
Spr\n4), 1992
�..
--BLOWING IN THE WIND
by Charlone Homsher
When 1 was growing up in
southeastern Colorado, my family hnd a
Sunday afternoon ritual. Every Sunday we
drove to the wheal fields south of town lo
check the moisture content of the soil.
There were usually live or six children;
sisters, brothers and cousins who piled out
of the pickup. My father knelt on the
ground and dug into 1he soil with his bare
hands as we surrounded him waiting
breathlessly. If the subsoil was moist Lhcn
he held up his handful of din, triumphant.
If it was dry, then the eanh sifted Lhrough
his fingers. We all goL a chance to look at
lhis little piece of eanh, wrenched up :IIld
turned over by the sweat of man, the inner
eanh which in some mysterious way would
either give us an ample crop or wither the
grain on the stalk.
This memory of my father, first
digging and than holding the soil in his
palm in a gesture of triumph, is stlU vivid in
my mind. More than anything else it
symbolizes to me the ambivalent
relationship he had to the eanh and 10 his
inherited occupation of farmer.
Before the Homestead Act of 1862
brought white seulers in hordes, there were
no towns or setdements on the prairies. The
Cheyenne and other Plains Indians were
nomadic hunters and gatherers. They found
an ample supply of wildlife sheltered in the
tal1 prairie grasses that grew as high as a
man's chest. By the I 930's the virgin
prairie grasses had been plowed under.
Everyone knew the plowing was out of
contr0l but no one could stop it. There was
always a new wave of homesteaders
detennined 10 farm. One of the excuses
used for plowing up the prairies was I.hat
the grasses were just weeds, after all; and
like weeds everywhere, they would thrive
on their own. Unfonunately the grasses
never returned. What did grow back was a
scraggly grass, euphemistically called
buffalo grass, only a few inches high, nor
high enough 10 sprout under the layers of
sill deposited by the high winds.
Not many people realize I.hat I.he
dusrbowl didn't stop with the depression
era. Even in the fifties, the fields were still
blowing. A dustsronn that would lai;L for
days could be sianed by one farmer. If a
fanner plowed his field in a dry spell and
the farmer next door happened to plow his
at the same time, it could stan a chain
reaction. The lifegiving topsoil from one
field could blow overnight into the next
county suffocating all vegetation in its path
and causing the hair 10 fall off the backs of
grazing animals.
Once 1he prairies were plowed there
was never a settled farm life. The eanh
simply could not sustain the population.
The first mass migration off the prairies
were the Okies of the dus1bowl era who
abandoned their small holdings for
California. The postwar era continued the
cons1an1 trickle of fanners into the cities.
SprtncJ, 1992
Since the land was no longer fenile and
intact as it was as a prairie, ii was the
evolution of fann pracrioe LO acquire larger
properties in order to make a profit This
me.int depending on ever more
sophisticated farm equipment LO handle all
that land, and borrowed financing to pay
for the whole operation. The foreclosures
and farm auctions of the seventies and
eighties where a result of the farmers'
inability 10 repay their massive loans.
Postwar govemment policies
encouraged expansion, as did the ever
burgeoning agribusiness industries. One of
the biggest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the
American fanner was the postwar sentiment
that the American fanner was responsible
for feeding the world. This grandiose
responsibility with its heavy psychological
load, was just more fuel for the
expansionist fodder of big crops at any
cost. Politicians stressed the imponance of
the fanncr in protecting democracy, a
responsibility that reached beyond national
borders. (Empty bellies not only cause
suffering but foment revolution.) The
postwar farmer had a mission and a duty.
Fanning is a pan of the myth of
creation. The farmer is supposed to
understand things 1ha1 other people don't.
He works in cooperation with nature. He
knows when to plant and when 10 harvest.
The farmer feeds everyone. A land without
its local farmers soon shrivels up and dies.
or so the myth goes. Or at the very least the
food prices escalate. The farmer as
supposed to be the sail of the eanh, the real
backbone of America, the man who keeps ii
all going while the rest of the country runs
amuck in the cities. At the same time he is
expected 10 remain isolated, cut off from
the mainstTCam of society, a laborer whose
opinions are considered wonhless. The
fnnner is dealing with some heavy
propaganda from without and expectations
from within. The fanners of the fifties ond
sixties were nearly frantic in their push to
mtiinstream fanning into the standnrd of
living of the while middle class. Fanners
wanted cash in the pocket, brick ranch
houses and college education for their
children. The very idea of making fanning
a respectable profession is a historically
brazen tissurnption. ln every civilized
society the farmer is the low caste, the
ignorant, humble servant of the soil.
Here is another sticky contraclictlon.
Farmers were forced off the fa.nm that they
said they wanted 10 keep and lost a way of
life that they professed 10 Jove, yet they
pushed their children into learning skills
that would be of use only in the cities, thus
assuring that the way of life could not
possibly be handed on. This could be seen
as either a foresighted concern for future
generations or a disinheritance. I never did
find an easy answer 10 Lha1 one. When I
was about fifteen my father drove me to lhe
original family homes11:ad. We walked 10
the middle of the field behind the rock
house between Lhe apple ort:hard and !he
sandy banks of the dry creekbed. I hadn't
been 10 that field in years.
Dad pointed ar the bare eanh under
the stubble of lhe last crop. With great
solemnity, he told me that he had hired a
water witcher (a dowser) who had said that
there was enough wa1er in that panicul:!r
spot for a well. The drilling crew was
arriving the next day and he wanted me 10
know how things really stood. If they hit
water, I would get to go Lo college. If
no1 ... well ...1here was nothing worse for a
young girl than lO rot in some dying farm
town.
I Ils arrirude was typical of the worry,
fear, and despair of fann fathers of that era.
In contrast to this dreary scenario, I am
reminded of the description of small scale
farmers in Japan in the wonderful
philosophical treatise on nature and
fanning, The One Straw Revolution. In
that book, Masanobu Fukuoka describes
how fanners of old Japan, before
mechanization and before life got so
frenetic, took off for a three month holiday
in the winter 10 hunt rabbits in the
mountains. They also wrote Haiku poetry.
Fukuoka claims that there was even a time
when fanning was considered a sacred
work.
In my family, of all the children who
knell with my father in the fields and got
that first lesson of the harshness of the
Eanh and its potential fertility, lam the
only one who still owns land and I do not
own fannland. In an ironic cwist of fare it
was the sudden, unexpected sale of my
grandfather's ranch that paid for my piece
of mountain.
Over the years, l occasionallv run into
one of the ex-fannboys with whom I grew
up. Meeting them is very similar 10 how I
have heard Vietnam veterans de..~be
encounters \loith each other. Looking into
each other's eyes we recognize the vast
expanses of psychic space between our past
and our present, the bridges that we have
had 10 bum to travel such distances
00Cllinuod on page 32
Draw111g by Rob Messick
Xatuah Jo\4rnm pQ()e 19
�~
5
E
p
T
E
M
B
E
A
0
11th
• ~fore C.1ting wild
edibles, be sure or their com!Ct
Identity and proper preparation.
Times may vary in your area.
Native and naturaliud plant
listings rcncct average beginning of
�- .-
0
18th
~
-
C
r
�"MEDICINE TRAINING"
These are the words ofa traditional
Cherokee medi'cine person:
My grandfather was one of those who
believe that everything has a spirit - the
stones, the grass, Lhe soil, everything. To
him, it was apparent that anybody could
communicate and work with these beings.
He believed that no one was any more
magical than any other person. It was just a
pan of being human, and civilization
domesticated that part of ourselves, and
turned everybody's reality around to
whatever white man's reality is. Everybody
had to have the same reality.
As soon as I was born, he saw physical
signs on my body thOt told him that I was
destined 10 be a medicine man. One of the
biological signs that he noticed were simian
creases (sharply-defined creases extending
from between the thumb and forefinger
across the palm - ed.). I have two of them.
When a baby is born in the hospital,
western doctors look at it to see if it's eyes,
teeth, nose, mouth, etc., are all in order,
and then they check for simian creases,
because they are a sign of Down's
syndrome. Eight out of ten babies who
have a simian crease have Down's
syndrome. I had one on each hand.
Now my grandfather had no idea what
simian creases were or what Down's
syndrome was. But he did notice that they
were an unusual physical occum:nce on my
body. There were other physical signs, but
I don't know what they all were.
He took the matter up with other old
people that he talked with, and they all
agreed with his interpretation of the signs.
After that, r was preordained by my
grandfather 10 be a medicine person and
blessed by the elders.
They gave me a naming ceremony.
They held me up and called in all of
Creation from all the directions and
introduced me. Then they offered my spirit
to the Creation, saying, "This is your
relative. This is how he will be known."
When I was a child, I would "make
things happen." 1t was like fantasizing. 1
would see something happening in my
mind, and it would occur. I could make
somebody come over to my house. r could
find something in the woods. Little things,
but r was encouraged 10 exercise that
ability.
I was also encouraged in things that the
white culture would consider foolish. If I
came home and said that I saw some Little
People in the woods, the adultS would said,
"Well, that's great! What were they doing?
How were they doing it?"
In while society parents would say,
"You're a fool," "Don't do thaL Act like an
adult," or, if they were very liberal, "Ooh,
he's got an imaginary play friend."
Most of culture is just habits. If things
don't work for you, over and over, then
you drop them. If something works, over
and over, then gradually it becomes part of
your reality and then pan or your identity.
And as a child the fact that r had certain
abilities just became a fact of my life. I was
encouraged in special ways 10 follow a
certain direction.
For instance, one of the very first
memories I cnn remember was seeing a
baby push out of a woman. Kids were nol
normally allowed to be present for that sort
of thing. But the elders thought that I was
good luck, juSt by being the. '".~ause
people thought that I was special, they
reinforced it b) IJ>"..ating me that way. Of
course, it didn'l take much to convince me
that I was special! Everybody thinks that
they have a special destiny. That's
unders1andable, and it's true to a certain
extent, but it very seldom comes oue in the
way that we would like it 10.
That was the way they began my
training. It was the most natural thing in the
world. A lot of it was just being raised by
my grandparents and being around old
people a lot of the time.
Most of the kids my age grew up
around fathers who had been in World War
ll. My grandfather wns 69 years old when l
was born. And as a boy he had lived with
his grandfather, who had fought at
Horseshoe Bend with Andrew Jackson.
Through my grandfather, l had a direcl
connection to those times. In my childhood
adventure games I pretended 1 was hiding
in the mountains during the Removal,
eating grubs and bugs, and running from
white soldiers with tall hatS.
I lived in a world that in many ways
was quite archaic. The Cherokee language
that my grandfather spoke was an archaic
version of the language they speak today.
Growing up among these elders, pan of my
thinking was archaic. I don't know if it was
because of the way that I was raised, but I
was more marurc than most males my age.
r also had a sense of being content to be
with myself. When I think of my
childhood, r think of myself as being alone
much of the time. That leaves a mark upon
you. For one thing, it made me more
peaceful being with myself. I never seem to
need entenainment. l don't need diversion.
My mind is all the diversion I need.
My early training was just spending
time with those old people. We might be
out collecting sho-un or ramps, and we
would run across a woman whose specialty
was birthing. She would point out a plant
and say, "This is good for teeth, cutting
teeth, cutting teeth," she'd say. Or "Sore
mouth," or "This is good for white
tongue," (thrush). Another time we would
meet somebody who had a lot of
knowledge in another area. That was the
way I teamed. lt was structured, but it
wasn't a structure. It was spontaneous. Yee
I had a sense that it was importanL
The only les.wns r learned by rote were
hem were long, but
the formulas. Some of 1
they all have basic Structures and themes
that run through them that make them
simple to remember once you catch the
pattern.
The formulas were in a special
ceremonial mode of the Cherokee language
that was symbolic in its meaning and older
even than the speech my grandparents
used. A modem-day speaker would not be
able to understand it. When you say, "Way
up on high where the four black ravens
rest, r call you down here, and r ask you 10
pull the black smoke all over this," what
does that mean to a modern Cherokee? It
doesn't mean a thing. But II is incredibly
meaningful to me.
Sprt.119, 1992
�Most of my training was learning how
to learn. Leaming how to use my mind.
They taught me by giving me the answers
to questions· questions I hadn't even asked
ye1. I had the answers; I had to find om
what the questions were. h's a good way 10
learn. It talces a lot of patience.
1 might be walking with my gr.indfather
or one of his friends, and we would sit
down and build a fire, cook a little
some1hing, and, as we were sitting there,
he might say, "Ginseng." Or he might say,
"lt's inside yourself." Or he might say, "It
comes when all doubt is cleared from the
mind." Just out of the blue. It would have
no reference to any1hing that we were
doing. The first few times, l started to ask
questions, but after awhile I stopped asking
qucs1ions.
My grandfather would say, "You may
not understand now, but you will
understand. You're not ready for it. But
lis1en. Pay attention to everything."
"Don't trot around knowledge," he
would say. "Knowledge without
understanding is worse than tits on a boar
bog, so wail Ir will come to you."
And it has come to me. I have been
caught up in new experiences, when I did
not know what to do, and, all at once, the
answer would be there, clear as a bell. I'd
had the answer all along, and I had finally
ran into the question.
People talk to me about their life
problems. Often they are going through a
Jot of suffering. SomeLimes I feel like a
third person sitting there watching myself
talk to them and helping to solve their
problems. rm not egotistical. I know
where it's corning from. Still, T feel
absolutely amazed. rm not me any more!
That's the way my whole life has been:
I've had the answers, but I haven't had 1he
questions. fve been running into the
questions throughout my whole life. In that
sense, it has made my life easier. I don't
know if I have run into all the questions
yet. I'm still looking. though, because
sometimes the answers will fit many
questions.
•
canvas bag. He kept everything · absolutely
everything • in this bag.
I would be walking down the trail past
a clump of bushes or a blackberry thicket,
and all of a sudden he would sL,nd up in it.
He scared me every time. He \\Ould just
appear. And he'd grin. A1 that most people,
even those who knew him, would run. But
he was a boyhood friend of my
grandfather, and I think my grandfather
was his only friend. He never manied,
and, when my grandfather died. in his own
way he took responsibility for me for
awhile. This wasn·t much, because he was
very seldom around. But he always
appeared when I needed him · every time r
needed him.
Owl did magical things. He was the one
who taught me how to eliminate doubt in
my mind. And that's the best gifL he ever
gave me.
Eliminating doubt makes magic happen.
I was brought up with no limits as to what
my mind could do. but then, as I got older
and exposed to other people, they put doubt
in my mind. Owl taught me how to remove
that doubt.
He did not give me a set of simple
instructions like, ~stick your nose in your
ear, and this will all go away." It was a
combination of things. He said that 10 clear
the doubt out of my mind I had to go
through a rational, linear process. It was
something that one had 10 be taught over a
period of time. And with my formal
experience of magic, it didn't talce me very
long to learn it.
Talso learned how to focus. If I can
visualii.e something, and see it in my mind,
and hold it in my mind, and do it in my
mind • and drop it! - it never fails. When I
was a child, I could do it easily. But as I
grew to be an adult and developed doubt. I
had a more difficult time. The fonnulas
would help me to keep my focus, son of
like daydreaming.
*
One of the old men was a special
person to me. He was a medicine person.
People came to him for conjuring and
docroring, and he was good at it. I always
referred to him as Owl, but that wasn't his
name.
He was probably six foot four, if you
straightened him out, but as a child his leg
had been broken and badly set, and he
leaned over to the left. He also had an eye
that hnd been damaged, so that although he
could see ouc of it, it was puckered up into
a fearsome squint. He was a fierce,
mean-looking old man, but he was as
gentle, caring, and loving as he was
scary-looking.
He always had a long World War I
overcoat with him. I can remember Lhe big
brass buuons that went all the way down
the front. When he wasn't wearing his
coat, he would roll it up, tie strings around
it, and carry it over one shoulder. On his
other shoulder he would carry a funky old
1
I remember a scene that happened
repeatedly. Owl and I would be walking
down a trail, and I would be talking to him,
when suddenly he would grab me by my
shirt and pull me into the bushes.
"Stand still and be quiet," he would
say.
We would stand there, sometimes for
ten minutes. Then 1 would hear somebody
coming down the trail and look up. It
would invariably be somebody that Owl
didn't want to see.
After the person was gone, I would
say, "How did you know he was coming?"
Re would say, "You know it, 100! You
know it, tool But you're so goddamn busy
chattering and talking. Busy! Give yourself
a break."
He would say, "You know
everything."
faery time I would ask Owl weighty,
involved questions looking for profound
answers, he would just look at me and
shake his head.
He'd say, "You kMw I.he answer," and
I.hen "Goddamn it, you don't need no
teachers."
And it's true. That's the big lesson. The
minute we become leaders or followers, we
have lost our power.
Owl also taught me the imponant
principle that most things don't maucr, and
I don't have any place to go anyhow. When
1 somehow indicated that I had learned this,
he was delighted.
"You got it!" he said." That's
absolutely wonderful! lf I've never done
anything else in my life, this is the greatest
thing I have ever done!" /..;:.!Ill"
He was great.
p-
End of PART I
)
Drawings by Troy Scwa
Sprt.mJ, Hl92
C
�., ~
PROTECTING THE PARK AND THE BIOREGION
Nanni World News Service
Since itS dedication in 1940, the Great
Smoley Mountains National Parle has been the
crown jewel of the Southern Appalachian
ecosystem. The Park is protected as a de
facw wilderness throughou1 much of ilS
550,000 acres and is the keystone of the
natural habitat in the southern mountains. The
Parle occupies a cemral location in the region
and acts as a preserve for rcmnanlS of the
original old growth forest and many rare and
endemic species of plant and animal life. It is
a natural habitat large enough to accept
~introductions of wide-ranging mammals
like the red wolf and the ouer. It is a dispersal
poim from which species can migrate to
replenish the the three million acres of less
protected national forests that sWTOund its
borders. Eoologically, the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park is of great
importance as a stabilizing factor 10 the
natural life community of the Southern
Appalachian Mountains.
The Great Smokies Parle also stands as
the ecological standard by which we judge
the health of the rest of the forest. But
although the Park is pro1ec1ed on the ground
throughout most of its area, the Park
ecosy~tem is deteriorating from pervasive
polluuon that drops from the skies. Because
of the high altitude of 1he Park's highest
ridges, clouds carrying contaminants gather
a1 their creslS and drop their deadly burdens.
Thus, atm0spheric pollution that affects the
w~ole re~on tends to be concentrated at high
alntude s11es such as those in the Great
Smoky Mountains Na1ional Parle. The Park
acts as a barometer for the ecological health
of the region as a whole.
1:"10.w the Park is also sailing fonh as a
flagship in the defense of the regional
ecosystem. Under the provisions of the Clean
Air Act, most national parlcs and some of the
larger wilderness areas are defined as Class r
meaning that no significant deterioration of '
the air quality in those areas is 10 be
permiued. Yet continued indusaial
d~elopment constantly increases the already
senous pollution that is undem1ining the
ecological health of the Park and the
mountain forests.
Thus, in the fall of 1991 James M.
Ridenour, Direc1or of 1he National Park
Service ~S) of the federal Deparunem of
the lmenor issued a statement declaring that
proposed developments near the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park and the
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia would
have an adverse ecological impact and were
unacceptable under the tenns of the law.
ln Tennessee, Ridenour's s1mement
referred specifically to a proposed expansion
b%" me Eastman Chemicals Company in
Kmgspon that would include construction of
a new$ I00 million coal-fired boiler that
woul~ spew 1,542 tons of nirrogcn oxide per
year mto the atmosphere.
Ni~gen oxide is a precursor of
atmosphenc 01.0ne. Resource specialis1s in
the Park have already identified 95 plant
species that show signs of damage from
~mne contamination, indicating that pollution
m the Park already is extensive.
NPS researchers also point out that
since 1950 visibility in the Park has declined
40%, and the famous blue haze from which
the Great Smoley Mountains derived their
name has turned into a siclcly gray or a
poisonous-looking yellowish white pall
depending on the season.
'
Because of aonospheric contmination
"Soil and water resources are at serious risk "
wrote NPS Regional Director James Col~
in a letter 10 the State of Tennessee
expressing the Service's opposition to the
Eastman expansion project The NPS holds
that any debilitating influences within a circle
tha1 extends 120 miles around the Park in all
directions would adversely affect the air
quality of the protected area.
LICENSE TO DUMP
Nanni World News Service
. ~n E~vir?nroental Protection Agency
adm1mscranve Judge on February 12 struck
~own challenges.to the discharge permit
ISsued to Champion lmemational Co.
allowing them 10 put was1es from its Canton
papermaking plant in10 1he Pigeon River.
The primary objections came from the
Dead Pigeon River Council, an organization
of downstream residents. The group's ma.in
complaint is that dioxin produced in the plant
is affecting 1heir health and the health of the
environment below the mill. They are also
concerned about the color and odor of 1he
river\ "':'hich are evidence of the heavy waste
load It 1s forced to carry and are hurting the
economies of the towns below the Canton
plant
The five-year discharge pem1i1 has been
stalled in coun since 1989. Confident of
victory, the company has proceeded with a
$250 million modernization plan for the
antiquated paper mill, installing new,
non-chlorine bleaching lines and water
mwcrs for recycling water that may cu1 river
use by one-third. The company hopes 10
approach a 50-unit color limit that during the
~nnit c~ntt;?versy ~our years ago i1 &aid was
1mposs1ble 10 attain and would force
closure of the plant.
The Dead Pigeon River Council is
deciding whether 10 appeal the judge's rulmg.
ECOTAGE,
Nanni World.Newt Service
''
In what might be another case of
"ecotage" in Karuah, over $50,000 wonh of
damage was done to various pieces of
logging equipment in the Buck Creek and
Rich Mountain Areas of Macon County on
February 2, 1992. lnves1igators claim that the
incident is the worst recent example of
apparen1 ecotage directed at the timber
industry in western Nonh Carolina, stating
that virtually every piece of equipment on the
rwo sites was affected. The saboteurs
punctured truck and skidder tires, cut
elecaical wires on bulldozers, cut hydraulic
and air lines on other equipment, and placed
tacks on roads leading to the sites. According
to officials of Hennessee hardwood, one of
the timber companies hit, new skidder tires
will cost $1025 each, and the hydraulic lines
will cost from $60 to $400 apiece to replace.
Hilton C3bc. an independent logger whose
equipment was damaged, said he has no
insurance 10 repair or replace his equipment,
and Jack Hennessee, Jr. stated that the
deductible is so high on his insW'ance that
damage suffered by his equipment would not
be recovered.
No individual or group has come
forward to take responsibility for the action,
but the loggers are certain the sabotage was a
protest against logging in the national forcs1s.
"(lbe ecotage) is against the timber
industry," logging contractor Lloyd Cook,
also of Macon coun1y. told the Asheville
Citizen-Times. "They've started a war. 11
looks like we are going to have to defend
ourselves. They are not playing fair."
The Hennessee company plans to hire
security persoMel to guard their logging
sites. "They brought it to me," said
Hennessee to the Citizen-Times. "I didn't
take it to them."
Forest Service investigators and Macon
County law enforcement officers reported
that they bad found foot and tire prints at the
sites. On February 6 the Macon Coun1y
Chapter of the Western North Carolina
Alliance posted a $200 reward for
"infonnation leading to the arrest and
conviction" of the perpetrators. However, at
press ume no progress had been made in the
investigation.
CUB KILLERS ARRESTED
Naunl Wnrld N""'• Scr,,,cc
A mother bear and her three newborn
cubs were killed by poachers on January 3,
J992. Michael Lee Correll of Black
Moun1ain, NC was arrested and charged wi1h
the slaying. Another man and two women,
also from Black Mountain, were charged
with transponing a bear out of season.
The crimes are all misdemeanors and
carry a fine of at lea.,t $2,000 per offense
plus a restitution cos1 of $1,035 for 1hc bear.
The two men said that they were
raccoon hunting when their dogs roused the
mother bear. Apparently the mother bear was
denning on the ground and was awakened
and frigh1ened by the hun1er~. She died, nm
only a vicLim of poachers, bur also of a lack
of mature den rrees in which she could hide
during her winter dormancy.
Spr1.t19, 19!12
�RADIOACTIVE SURPRISE
Narunl World News Service
A congressional hearing held before
Rep. George Miller's Interior Committee
heard evidence that barrels of hazardous
materials sent from Oak Ridge Tennessee
came with a free surprise in every barrel radioactive waste!
The hearing was caJled after journalist
Peter Schenkel of the Stare-Times Moming
Advocate in Baton Rouge, LA collected
irrefutable evidence that the Martin Marietta
Company, contractor 10 the Department of
Energy (DOE) at the Oak Ridge, TN nuclear
weapons complex, had been mismanaging
radioactive waste. Since 1980 the company
has sent about 10,000 tons of hazardous
wastes containing small amounts of
radioactive materials to 16 commercial
incinerators not licensed to handle such
substances.
The company knew it was violating
regulations. All references to uranium were
whited out from shipping orders. Clyde
Hopkins, the president of Martin Marietta,
told the congressional committee that the
documents were altered for "national security
reasons."
Leo Duffy, specialist in waste handling
for the DOE, disavowed any DOE
responsibility, saying that if Martin Marieua
thought that changing documents was a
proper interpretation of DOE regulations, the
company was very wrong.
Martin Marieua's actions were not only
inappropriate, but also clearly illegal, in
violation of Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Environmental Protection Agency, and state
regulations. However, no criminal
investigations have yet been begun in the
case.
Ralph Hutchison, of the Oak Ridge
Environmental and Peace Alliance (OREPA),
said, "What happened was that Martin
Marietta unilaterally decided that there was
not enough radiation in the wastes to worry
about Although the toxic substances
contained more radiation than they were
allowed 10 bum in their own incinerator, they
still sent the shipments on to other private
facilities. The company in effect established
its own private BRC (below regulatory
concern) levels."
Journalist Schenkel was investigating
Rollins Environmental Services, a large
hazardous waste processing facility in Baton
Rouge, in January of 1991 when he
discovered documents indicating that they
may have received waste materials from
Martin Marietta Energy Systems that were
contaminated with radioactivity. As Schenkel
probed deeper, he began to run into the kind
of roadblocks that suggested that he was onto
a story that was bigger than he had expected.
llis persistence uncovered the Martin Marietta
activities. Fearing a scandal, the company
stopped all off-site shipments of hazardous
wastes during the summer of 1991.
Shenckel is not content that the full
implications Martin Marietta's actions have
been revealed. He was quoted in the OREPA
newsletter as saying, "I am not convinced by
any degree that they know the full extent of
radioactive material released."
Sprlf\9, 1992
He said that papers recently procured
from Oak Ridge give chemical analyses of the
shipments. They show the presence of
cobalt, strontium. and yttruim, which can
occur naturally but often arc radioactive
isotopes. The chemical analyses give no clue
as to their isotopic form. When Schenkel
asked, "Were any of these radioactive
isotopes?", company representatives admitted
that they did not know and no longer had any
way of finding out.
What is clear is the nature of Martin
Marietta management. Ralph Hutchison says,
"Martin Marietta took over (as the major
contractor in Oak Ridge) in 1983 after Union
Carbide was caught with mercury on their
hands, and Martin Marietta has supposedly
been doing everything right. Now in the last
month we find out that they have been doing
the same old stuff."
"A PATTERN OF ABUSE"
Natural World l',cws Savsu
The firing of Karin Heiman (see Karuah
Jour110l #31) as a US Forest Service botanist
was not an random incidence of arbitrary
authority. Repression against employees who
arrive at conclusions contrary to agency
policy has been a common occurrence in the
Forest Service.
This was uncovered in hearings held by
the Howse of Representatives Civil Service
subcommiuee, chaired by Rep. Gerry
Sikorski (0-MN). The comnunee found that
the Forest Service offered harsh punishment
to whistleblowers, even when they were
pointing out illegalities in Forest Service
activities.
At the close of the hearings on January
23. Rep. Sikorski said, "This needs to 1,c
investigated by the Depanment of Justice.
There is a pattern of abuse. There is a pattern
of ignorance. There is a pattern of delay and
retaliation."
NATURAL WORLD NEWS BRIEFS
NO RADIA TION...THIS TIME
The truck was wheeling down I-26 on
February 27 when just outside of Asheville,
NC flame spouted out from one of the
wheels. A Buncombe County sheriffs
deputy pulled the truck over and Sgt. N. K.
Goering of the State Highway Patrol
appeared on the scene. It was just another
breakdown.
"It appears that it was a just a truck that
broke down and this particular truck
happened to be carrying a radioactive
product."
What?! Yes, radioactive waste, going
from Northern State Power Co. in
Monticello, MN to the Barnwell Waste
Management Facility in Barnwell, SC.
"Until I obtained all my readings, I was
concerned," said Sgt. Goering. State troopers
carry geiger counters in their vehicles?
Apparently the possibility of a nculear
accident has become accepted as a
probability.
"You never know what kind of wreck
you might be called to," said Goering,
"because you never know who is going up
and down the highways."
Maybe this is something we need to
know.
The fire m the radioactive waste truck
was contained. No radiation was released. It
was just another day on the highway...this
time.
tnforma1ion from ,~ Asheville Ci1i1.cn-T1mca or
'1.mfn.
"Warh.tod WatcMrs" art o,-ganizing to monitor
move=nt of truck comY>ys carrying nuclear weapons
maJcriaJs on 1-40 and 1-26 /OWdl'd tht Trilknl
Submarine base in St. Mary's. GA. For in/ormolion
on becoming a Warhead Watcher, call Amy Mozingo
(704) 253-3854.
• To protect imperiled aquatic species
and their habitats, the NC Wildlife Resources
Commission has submitted a proposal to the
state Environmental Management
Commission asking that portions of 33
watersheds in IO of the state's river basins be
protected as High Quality Waters. Included
are portions of the New, the Watauga, the
Tuckasegee, the Linville. and the Little
Tennessee Rivers.
• The "Ballenger bill," proposed by
conservative Rep. Cass Ballenger, a
Republican from North Carolina's 10th
District, has passed the House and awaits
action by the Senate. The bill would protect
the Lost Cove and Harper Creek areas in the
Posgah National Forest.
Sen. Terry Sanford (D-NC) has
introduced a companion bill in support of
Ballcnger's legislation.
• Charles Taylor is the best friend the
local timber industry has in Washingt0n. It's
true - he said so himself before a meeting of
the Multiple Use Council, a timber lobbying
group.
• A Superior Coun judge in Wake
County ruled that the town of Highlands
needs no environmental impact statement 10
build a sewage treatment plant that would
dwnp 500,000 gallons of treated sewage a
day in the Cullasnja River. The citizens group
Save Our Rivers immediately appealed the
judge's ruling and asked for a restraining
order 10 stop work on the project until the
appeal is heard
• Ten otters were reintroduced into
streams arounci the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park last February. Six were
released into Cataloochec Creek and two
more pairs were released into Hazel Creek
and the Little River. Three of the Otters
released in Cataloochee were pregnant
females expected to bear young this spring.
NII/IJroJ World N~ws I, rdilrd •,
e-m Crundit,:rr.
�WHOSE RULES?
The Drinking Water Protection Controversy in North Carolina
"ll's the biggest cave-in in the history
of the Environmental Management
Commission. lt's remarkable that big money
overpowered science and public suppon."
This was the conclusion of Bill
Holman, environmental lobbyist in the Nonh
Carolina state legisl.nrure, about the change in
the watershed protection rules proposed by
the state's Environmental Management
joined the campaign after it got going, but the
finances and the strategy came largely from
big urban developers in the three metropolitan
areas.
The development consortium had paid
little attention to the 1990 public hearings. In
1991 they turned up the heat. They called up
association. Carla DuPuy was formerly a
eouniy commissioner in Mecklenburg
County.
Barnes is from Wilson, NC and Brady
is a lawyer from Lenoir.
. . ~Wc~s~ ~~~-~:f~~i~~f~:~
, . 'liearings on regulations adopted in 1990.
The original regulations, created in
1990 under a mandate from the Water Supply
Watershed Protection Act passed by the state
legisl:uure in 1989, were designed to protect
sources of pure drinking water for towns and
cnies across the stale. They basically set up
two areas around a lake or an intake point
from a river from which drinking water was
drawn: a critical area, one mile around the
water supply point, and a protected area, five
miles around the water supply point.
Watershed iypcs were graded according to
the amount and iype of development that
would be allowed within the critical areas.
A WS-1 watershed was the highest
grade. in which the entire area was essentially
publicly owned and development was not
allowed. Residential developmenr was limited
from one house per every two acres in a
WS-Il area 10 one house per acre in a
watershed graded WS-IV.
Industrial and large commercial
development, like large shopping malls, were
prohibited in the critical areas or WS-Il and
WS-ITI watersheds, which were designated
as primarily residential or agricultural areas.
These restrictions raised the ire of
well-monied and powerful developers. ln the
words of the Charlotre News and Observer,
''The developers realii.ed that the standards
the commission approved in 1990 were real
con1rols. They actually would protect the
water permanently - and thus could threaten
the making of forrunes of the quicker, dirtier
son."
The developers argued thru the EMC
had substantially changed the rules since the
public hearing, and therefore the commission
should hold more hearings.
Leadcrniip for the eonsonium came
from a development project in Durham called
Treybum. The two developers of that project
are Clay Hamner and Terry Sanford. Jr..
Also involved were the North Carolina
Homebuilders Associntion; Duke Power's
Crescent Land and Timber Company; John
Crosland, an intluential homebuilder in
Chnrloue; the Cornwallis Development
Company, which is a subsidiary of Coon
Mills textile company; the backers of an0ther
project called Watt Creek Park, an industrial
development in the City of Burlington's
watershed; and prominent developers in
Guilford County.
Most of the energy for this effort came
from the Piedmont. Some of the smaller
developers in the mountains, and some of the
agricultural interests - like the Fann Bureau :KatilM Journm pO<Jf 26
connections, pulled strings, and contacted
local builders and real estate companies
across the state to pack the local hearings. As
a result the hearings were divided · often
bincrly (sec Koruah Journal #32). Because of
the public interest, the EMC extended the
comment period. They received 2,652 leuers,
the most comment the commission had seen
on any issue except hazardous waste. Ninety
percent of the tellers were in favor of
retaining the stricter watershed conirols.
But apparently hearing rooms are not
where government policy is formed. The
developers pulled strings W1Lh the EMC and
organized a campaign to frighten local
officials about watershed regulation. lf the
watershed protection regulations were kept in
place, they maintained, economic
development in the Stale of North Carolina
would cease entirely. The members of 1he
EMC wilted under the heal. They repudiated
1he1r fonner conclusions and offeted up a
watered-down version of their own
proposals.
Of a panel of six hearing officers, four
supported weakening the rules. and two were
opposed. The four supporters were Virgil
McBnde, Doug Boykin, Robert Griffith,
Carla DuPuy, while Cllnrlic Brady and
Michael Barnes opposed the changes.
Boykin and Griffith are developers
themselves. Virgil McBride was fom1crly a
lobbyist. Although he never lobbied for
development intercsis directly, he worked for
industries closely connecting to development
and construction, primarily the trucking
Orawu,g by Midu,el Thompson
In the end, by a vo1e of 11-5 the EMC
cul the size of the critical area in half, from
one mile to one-half mile in radius. The new
rules doubled the amount of residential
development allowed in WS-JI and WS-UJ
areas, to one house per acre in WS-n areas
and one house per one-half acre in WS-m
areas. Under the new regulations industrial
development and shopping malls are allowed
in the WS-ll and WS-lll areas (only landfills
are prohibited), if they do not discharge
wastes directly into the streams and lakes
from which people will be obtaining their
drinking water. In a WS-IV area industrial
discharge is allowed directly into the scream.
The new, weakened regulations do not
go mto effect until 1994, so developers have
two years to begin projects that would not
come under the junsdiction of any watershed
protection rules.
Bill Holman's assessment is that, ''The
hearings were only for show. Big money
working behind the scenes gulled the rules."
Whereas the earlier watershed
protection regulations were drafted with
assistance from environmentalists, business
people, local governments, and scientists,
'"There was no technical basis in the hearing
record for the changes that were made.
There's nothing in the hearing record that
said it was alright to double tl1e density of
development in protected watersheds. There_
was n01hing in the hearing records that said u
was alright to have indusoial developmenL
The changes were totally political. h was
government behind the scenes," Holman
Sprl.nq, 1992
said.
�Observations by commission mem~r
Barnes seem to verify Holman's conclus10n.
"I never saw any facts and figures 10 change
what we passed in 1990 10 what we have
here today," Barnes Lold the Asheville
Citizen-Times.
Holman said that conservation groups
are going to appeal the EMC vote on the
watershed protection regulations and that they
are going back to the State legislature to ~sk
for more specific drinking water protecnons
10 be enacted inLo law.
The threat to people's health and
well-being resulting from inadequate
protection of drinking water supplies is real
indeed. However, the drinking water
controversy also brings to light broad
questions about how decisions are made in
Nonh Carolina.
The Environmental Management
Commission is the policy-making board for
the Deparunent of Environmental
Management (DEM), part of the Depanment
of Health, Environment. and Resources.
Many of the s1affo~the pEM have.scientific
credentials, but their acnons are gwded by the
EMC, which consists of lay people, chosen
for their influence and political orientations
more than their expertise. And chosen not by
the people of the state, but by !h~ go,vernor,
who appoints 13 of the comm1ss1on s 17
members, and by the lieutenant governo~ and
the speaker of the house, who each appoint
two.
The Environmental Management
Commission makes important decisions, as
the present controversy shows. These
appointed members of a government
commission have great power over sia~e
policy the future of the land, and the hves of
many people. Yet the~ 3:e insulated ~ro.m
informed scientific opinion and pubhc input.
rn effect they constitute a ruling elite,
ostensibly legal and aboveboard, duly
.
constituted by state law, yet more responsible
10 powerful special interest groups a_nd state
power brokers than to any democrauc
institutions or interest in the natural
environment.
The actions of commissions like the
EMC are shielded from public panicipation
and control, and are carried out largely
unnoticed except in cases such as the
drinking water proteetion controversy. The
public does not often get to see the degree of
power wielded by the members of _th:
Enviromental Management Comnuss10~ and
the others like them, much less to be pnvy to
the directives coming from the high officials
who appointed them. l~ their ~c~ons ~ere
more visible, the resulung pohc1es rrught be
quite different.
People need clean drinking water.
Aquatic habitats need protection from
development. And the power of "government
behind the scenes" must be broken.
- by David Wheeler
BIG IVY
The hiker moves quietly, in awe of the
great trees beneath which she walks: u_ntil she
is brought up short by a splash ofbnlban1
color on the forest floor. A small cluster of
the rare Gray's lily shine in the dim forest
light. A short way down the the trail her eye
is drawn by the bright yellow of broadleaf
coropsis, and, there! - t~e pale be~uty of~
bleeding heart plant. This clearly 1s a special
place. This is Big Ivy.
.
Located in the Black Mountains beneath
the much-visited Craggy Gardens, the Big
rvy area is less well-known but. in its own
way, equally as beautiful and scientifically
perhaps much greater in importance than the
popular scenic attraction above.
Big Ivy contains large areas of
old-growth forest and a long list of rare plant
and animal species. Thirty-two rare plants
(including 18 listed as "rare" in the State of
North Carolina and 14 species that are
"watch-listed" in the state) and eight rare
animal species inhabit the area.
The large patches of old-growth
forests, a disappearing habitnt in the Sou.thern
Appalachians, account in part for the vanety
of unique species in Big Ivy. But an unusual
geological formation has given to the area
soils that are "circumneutral," nearly neutral
in pH, compared to ~e aci<l;ic soils gene~ly
found in the mountains. This has resulted 10 a
number of plants and plant as~iati~>ns n?t
found in other areas of the Katuah b1oregion.
Big Ivy is critical to the overall biodiversity
of the Southern Appalachians.
But all is not idyllic in Big Ivy. Because
of its diversity, the area has c_ome under
much scientific study, and sc1enus1s feel that
conditions in Big Ivy are declining largely
due to timber sates, which have caused loss
of endangered habitats and rare species as
well as fragmentation of the irreplaceable old
growth forest. The area is at a critical
Drawing by Mich11el Thomp,on
Spri.NJ, 1992
moment: there are healthy habitats and
populations yet in Big Ivy, but each
succeeding activity in the forest m~es new
inroads into already-threatened habitat areas
and further tips the balance toward
irrevocable destruction.
The big trees, however, offer an
irresistable lure co loggers and the US Forest
Service which concrols the area. In July of
1991 th~ Toecane Ranger District rel~ a
draft environmental assessment for a nmber
sale in Sugarhouse Cove. The assessment
designated approximately 2,3~ acres of
timber in the project area as ''swtable f~r
cutting." Mentioned in the plan altem~nves
was the construction of about four miles of
new road into a previously undisturbed area.
The response from area scientists and
environmentalists has been blunt and
passionate. Local biologists and botanists in
particular, have offered Lhe USFS the
benefits of their research and learned
opinions about how a logging ope~tion.
would affect the rich diversity of this unique
area.
Among them is Jim Patrenka, a
.
biologist at the University ofNonh Carolina
Asheville, who in a scoping letter.to the
USFS informed the agency that his research
indicates that every acre that is clearc~t in
Sugarhouse Cove will mean the derruse of
some 3 200 salamanders, including members
of rare ~d threatened species. This is a death
rate, according 10 Patrenka, that will ~ a
chronic depression of salamander populanons
in the area.
Biologists in other specialties share
Patrenka's concerns. In the past, accord!ng to
local activist Haywood Greer, planned umber
sales in the Big Ivy area hav~ caused. some
friction between Forest Service officials and
scientist.s working with the Nonh Carolina
Wildlife Resources Commission, who
objected to the damage that would be done by
the logging activities. Other i:e~hers have
found lhm p1m timber upc:niu~~~ in the area
have decimated local commumues of
sensitive plant species, such as goldenseal,
whose recovery has been very slow, if the
species is recovering at all.
Right now the proposed lo~ing in
Sugarhouse Cove is on hold.~n~ng further
studies of the plant commumn~,; 10 tJ:ie
planned sales units. These s1ud1es will be
carried out this spring. Hopefully they,
combined with the weight of scientific_
opinion, will dissuade the Forest Se~1ce .
from carrying out their plans to cut umber m
Sugarhouse Cove.
AnOLher action being considered by the
Forest Service is the construction of riding
trails through Big Ivy for the benefit ~fa
nearby commercial riding stable. While.some
people would be able to have pleasant rides
through the old growth f~st areas, they
would unwittingly be cau~m~ severe effects
10 the forest they were enJoying.
Big Ivy does not need 10 be logged or
suffer rides-for-pay 10 be of value. The area
is of greater value as it is: This val_ue can be
maintained by only one sunple acnon: to
leave it alone. Big Ivy is just too special to
end up being just another timber sale.
• by Emmm Grw1djgger ond David W~elcr
~
�Wblz Wisdom (01' the Two Uggeds
DRUMMING
DearKatuah,
I found your anicles on the past
history and possible future desirability of
human use of fire to influence Southern
Appalachian ecology t0 be most interesting,
and l believe that fire could be a valuable tool
for ecosystem management At pxescnt we
have 100 much early successional habitat in
Kauiah, and we should, for now, lay down
the tools (such as fire) that reverse
succession.
Organic matter is a critical element in
the regeneration of new forest soil. The soil
organic mauer harbors the life of the soil. It is
where microorganisms live, grabbing
nutrientS and cycling them back into plant
growth, instead of losing them to erosion or
leaching. Microorganism.~ also attack rock
particles, breaking them down 10 create new
soil.
Organic mauer also keeps I.he soil
cool and moist, protecting plants' fine root
hairs and giving I.hem a fertile medium in
which 10 grow, thus keeping up plant growth
and production.
Burning destroys organic mancr, and
we should be encouraging and conserving it
to nourish the next generation of I.he forest
There is also I.he possibility that the
greenhouse effect will result in massive fires.
We need to protect the forest against that as
well.
Since the arrival of the white man,
cool, moist habitatS have been greatly
decreased, and xeric, hot sites have been
greatly increased throughout the region as a
whole. There arc plenty of overgrazed slopes
near human habitations which would suppon
pines and oaks. If we want pines, let's plant
them on overgrazed hillsides. If we want
oaks, let them invade our pines.
Cool, moist, habitats are under auack
in Katuah, while hot, dry ones are all too
abundant Don't play with fire.
Sincerely,
Jesse Jones
Asheville.
Swannanoa River Watershed
Dear Ka11lal1 staff,
What I'd like 10 know is this: how
do you do it?! lime after time you people
keep coming up with inspiring themes and
relevant materials and then laying it all out in
visually inviting spreads which seem to get
beucr and better all the time?
David Wheeler's anicles in the recent
Fire issue, as is usual with his work, speaks
so clearly and comprehensively. Rob
Mes~ick's excellent organic artwork produce
depth and flow. I can't imagine the
tremendous amount of work, much I'm sure
donated, going into the production of each
Katuah! What a sense of pride it must be for
all involved when it finally slides together
and goes to print.
Being an "outsider" from over in the
Ohio ruvcr Bioregion, I find the journal none
the less relevant and immediluely meaningful.
At our Solstice gathering l passed the latest
issue around and many jotted down your
address, so expect to hear from Lhem soon.
(Raves on Rob's tunle on the back cover).
Hoping the coming seasons bring all
of you much peace and contentment,
inspirations and joy.
Sincerely,
Dave Ort
Phoc,, councsy or lhc Mounl.lDI Hcriiqc Center
Dear Editors,
l discovered Ka111ah Journal at
Mountain Crossings in Blairsville, GA last
summer. That well worn issue has been
re-read on many occasions - its time 10
subscribe!
While I currently don't reside in
Katuah, this summer I'll be moving closer 10 Cherokee County, GA. r wani to rap into
the Kauiah spirit and become aware of the
environmental issues and concerned people
of the area. The Appalachians have always
been like home for me, maybe because I
spent my childhood summers there.
Keep up the good work and positive
efforts.
Piss not into the water,
nor on any mother, child, or father.
Water is not the proper medium
to relieve repeated bladder tedium.
Piss off the walk, path, pavement, or road,
piss not on flowers, birds, or toads.
Piss near, never on, the plants and trees
where no one cares, hears, or secs.
To kill poison ivy or athletes feet
join Latinos: peace on cet.
Never piss in the same spot twice,
not anywhere that h's not nice,
nor within the sight of prigs or wardens.
Piss near borders, hedges, gardens.
Piss on national, state,
jurisdictionnl boundaries
on conventional and nuclear weapons
foundaries.
Follow wolf and coyote
10 the reaches of your domain.
Piss on dogturds and cowpies,
mountain and plain.
Piss not on the trail, campflIC,
bed, or nursery,
nor writing cursive, cursorial, or cursory.
Piss not on any creature, especially fishes,
nor hasty love, slow rage, good wishes.
Piss not on tools, machines,
electrical devices,
electric fences, antennae,
nor ho1wire splices,
not TV sets nor video games,
tho' temptation may be great.
Piss on prejudice, injustice, hate.
Piss on all oil spills and spillers.
Piss on dream-, plant-, or animal killers.
Piss on soil and compost heaps,
never on sailers, flyers, or creeps.
Piss on dirtied or painted stones
on sca1tered or unburied bones.
Put piss little by little where it belongs,
nor in sink, creek, spring, or ponds.
Give proper pisscrs privacy and honor.
Piss on llfe-pissers, messers, conners.
Piss on anyone caught on fire
with anything less than true desire.
Piss not intO Lhe wind nor in the water
but on the idea that it doesn't mauer.
- version read at Coifee House one night,
Fall,1990
by Erbin Crow.from his legacy
SPRJNG
Sincerely,
Nancy Moreland
Kasuah Peoples,
Another tender, angry, beautiful, and
compelling year of Kamalr Journal! This last
year's writings and illustrations were
exceptionally insuuctive and reverent. In
what other publication does lhis combination
of an, education, acnvism, and prayer exist?
1 love you very much,
Nancy Ligni12.
Old winter has retreated
10 the nonh, her snowy remnants
wasting into pools that feed
the swelling bulbs and heave
life fonh • all bursting cells
and swarming molecules.
· Caroline Rowe Marrens
�SAVING WILD SEEDS
by Lee Barnes
Individuals should sttive to collect,
preserve and increase their bioregions'
remaining wild and cultivated plant genetic
diversity. (See "Seed Saving to Preserve
Biodiversity," Ka11,ah Journal# 32). While
the best means of protecting a region's
genetic heritage is by preservation of large
areas of natural ecosystems, we can collect
seeds and cuttings of useful wild plants and
further increase these plants in our gardens
and backyards. The most valuable,
irreplaceable, and exportable resource of a
region arc copies (seeds, cuttings, etc.) of its
unique genetic heritage, the value of which
far exceeds any mineral or energy wealth
which could be exponed. Talce care not to
collect over a quarter of an individual plant's
seeds, leaving plenty for wild animals and
natural seed disaibution and renewal.
Wild-plant seed collection and
germination techniques vary greatly from
those commonly used with normally
cultivated fruit and vegetables. Our cultivated
varieties have long been genetically selected
and modified over historical times by
gardeners who selected for ease of harvest
and unifonn germination. It is preferable to
collect seeds of wild-plants which grow
within one degree of latitude (about 70 miles)
and from similar elevations to which they are
to be grown. This is to maximize the
favorable selection of locally adapted genetic
traits which will result in winter hardiness,
and other adaptations to local growing season
and regional micro-climate.
Wild seeds commonly mature and are
released over periods of several weeks.
These seeds are genetically programmed 10 be
released, remain donnant through winter, and
then germinate irregularly over long periods
of time. This trait serves as generic insurance
by preventing all seeds from sprouting at one
time and perhaps be lost to a major natural
catastrophe, such as major drought or fire.
The simplest seeds for the wild
seed-saver to collect and save a.re the "dry"
fruit seeds (nuts, dry legumes, sunflower,
cattail, grasses, etc.). These dry-fruits mature
and release relatively "clean'' seeds which can
be collected and stored with a minimum of
cleaning and processing. Most seeds need 10
be cleaned of any remaining fruit pans (chafl)
to reduce disease and insect damage during
storage and germination. Most "dfy" seeds
need to be dried to six 10 ten percent
moisture, then stored at low temperatures and
low humidities. Plant seeds which are usually
"dry-processed" include apple, pine, spruce,
fir, sumac, and grapes.
The most important factors affecting
seed life are humidity changes and storage
temperatures. Seeds for planting should be
stored in moisture-proof (also insect and
animal-proof) containers. Save only "sound"
and firm seeds and nuts. Some seed-savers
place a bay leaf in their storage containers to
repel bugs. (Anyone know of local herbs for
~is purpose?). Storage in wide-mouth glass
Jars with rubber gaskets is ideal. Preferably,
store these at low temperarures between
Drawing by Rob Messick
Spri.nq, 1992
40-32° F. - each 9° F. decrease in storage
temperature below 80° F. (to 32°) will
commonly double seed longevity.
Plants which produce "fleshy" fruits,
(such as persimmons, berries,
jack-in-the-pulpit, etc.) require additional
cleaning and processing. Aeshy fruits
encourage natural disaibution by being
"tasty" to animals and humans. These seeds
often require additional processing by being
passed through an animal's acidic gut, or by
natural fermentation by microbes to remove
the fleshy fruit tissues. Fleshy fruits
(especially members of the Solanaceae plant
family) can be processed by a honicultural
process called "fennentation," whereby
mashed-up fruits nre allowed to fennent to
destroy pathogens and chemicals that inhibit
germination. Then the seeds arc separated
from the pulp, washed, dried, then stored.
Another technique to separate small
seeds from their fruit is called "floatation."
Small fruits are "mashed" and soaked in
water for several days, so that
microorganisms can Stan 10 soften and digest
the fruit pulp. This partially digested fruit
pulp is then mixed with additional water and
processed by being agitated in a blender
using short "pulses" (or by rapid whipping
with a whisk). Healthy small seeds then settle
to the bottom where they can easily be
collected by pouring off the floating "pulp"
(some plants have seeds which normally float
- look for whole, uniformly shaped and
colored seeds). For better results, replace the
steel blender blades with a shon piece of tire
rubber so as to cause less damage to the
seeds. This technique is successful with
fruits of dogwood, strawberries, persimmon,
holly, juniper, magnolia, and sassafras.
Most wild seeds of temperate zone
crops require additional handling to duplicate
the natural conditions of cold winters. These
seeds require a cold, moist "stratification"
period to overcome genetic and
environmental blocks to germination.
Temperate wne plantS have biological means
of counting time ("internal clocks"), and
measuring day-length and "chilling"
temperatures. These seeds will not grow until
their internal clocks are satisfied with a
sufficient number of genetically detennined
hours of effective chilling (for example,
requiring a minimum number of hours
exposure - hundreds to possibly thousands of
hours of temperatures between 4S O and 3S 0 ).
Examples of plant seeds requiring moist
stratification include beech, walnut, many
oalcs, and filbens. It is especially imponam if
you collect wild nut trees to be sure to collect
seeds from areas which have similar numbers
of chilling-hours as the location where you
plan to grow them.
Another factor to consider when
choosing to grow plants from seeds is the
mnturation period of many long-lived
perennial plants (esp. fruit and nut trees).
Perennial trees and shrubs must grow
through a genetically influenced maturation
period before they begin to flower and bear
fruit (a son of transition from juvenile to
sexually mature, adult phase). These plants
are usually propagated by asexual means (not
involving seeds, but by cuttings or grafting).
Most of these plants produce seeds by
cross-pollination, and do not reproduce
"true-to-type" (the offspring are not
necessarily similar to their parent-plants)
from seeds, and may hove long maturation
periods. By asexually propagating fruiting
trees (cuttings, budding, etc.), one can select
superior plants (such as with larger fruit, or
tolerance to pests) and produce genetically
identical rooted planrs. These rooted cuttings
from marure trees will usually produce fruit
in just a few years, thus skipping the I ~20
years (or more!) before fruiting if grown
from seeds.
Seed longevity (defined as the average
period during which seeds can survive and
then grow) falls into three categories slum-lived (need to be sewn immediately or
within days/weeks of collection, and never
allowed to completely dry out); medium-lived
(months to S-10 + years); and /011g-lived
seeds (which may remain viable IS to 100
years, and arc able to survive until
environmental conditions are favorable for
germination.
Shon-lived varieties (spring-seeded
maples, serviceberry, paw paw, persimmon,
and sumac) - must not be allowed to totally
dry or they will die. Some seeds must be
sown immediately upon release from mature
fruits to prevent funher development of
growth-inhibiting chemicals which affect
their ability to grow. This group includes
Franklinia, trillium and many
difficult-to-germinate seeds.
Most medium-lived temperate wne
plant seeds (most K.aruah native plants)
require cold, moist stratification, whereby
seeds are stored in moist conditions (in moist
peat or sand) at 32-40° F. for two 10 three
months to overcome internal blocks to
(continued on p. 30)
Xatuah
Journot
P°'J& 29
�germination. Ao easy way to treat these
species is by mixing cleaned seeds with i:qual
pans of moist sphagnum moss or coarse sand
(in a medium that is moist, but not too wet squeeze out excess water!) in moisture
retaining conrainers (zip-lock bags work
well) stored at normal refrigerator
1emperarurcs (40-45° F). Many long-lived
seeds (thick-seeded legumes, water lilies,
morning glories) require physical thinning of
thick seed coats by microorganisms, or
hastened by partially filing, or nicking
partially through the impervious seed coats to
allow passage of gases and moisture to the
donnant embryo.
Saving wild seeds for home
germination is the first step in establishing
wild-food gardens in your back yard. (avoid
trying to transplant mature plants from the
"wild" - this is rarely successful due to
massive root-damage, and also saips the
natural habitats of productive wildlife foods
and new plants). Native agriculturists first
cultivated wild plants which natu:rally
established themselves from seeds and
discarded roots thrown onto their trash-heaps
(original "compost" piles!) and disturbed
areas (fire cleared areas, etc.). ff one can
provide the proper growing conditions, the
low-input culture of these planiS will allow
easier plant gathering without excessive
demands on the diminishing wild
populations.
Earing wild and "semi-wild/
semi-cultivated" plants in "season" will
provide one with fresh, nutritious foods and
a "reunion" with the cycles of nature.
Eat weU and give thanks for 1he tasty
gifts of our Green Spirits!
C.S. Schopmeyer. 1974. Suds of Woody
Plants in tM United States Fon:st Service, USDA
Agriculture Hnndboolc No. 450. USDA. 883 pp. •
TIIE reference for seed handling and gcrmin3tlon of
188 genera of woody plants ruuive or IUIIW'lll'faed in
the U.S. Very detailed with additional rcfcn:nccs.
fbrry Phillips. 198S. Growing and
Propagating Wild Flowers. U.N.C. Press, 331 pp.
$14.95 • especially well-written !llld beautifully
illustraled rcforencc on seed nnd spore p~tion or
native NC plants. Includes calendar of blooming d:ues
and commercial plant production timetable. &ccllentl
BURNING BUSHES
Azaleas, with mouths aflame,
Plant Propagation References
Ignite the mountainside each spring:
Hudson Hanmann and D. Kester. 197S. Plant
Propagation: Principles and Practicer. 3rd Ed.
Prwlic:c-Hall, 662 pp.• the defmilive text-book on
plant propagation l The-Ory and practlcal inro.
cry out In tongues no man can claim,
lheir ancient message siuling.
Michael Dirr and C. Heuser. 1987. Tiu!
Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From
Sud to Tisiue Culture. A Practical Working Guide to
the Propagation of Over I 100 Spt1cies, Varietit!f and
Cultivars. Varsity Press, 239 pp. - TIIE guide 10
propagatlon or woody plants used in Nonh America.
Includes prcfcmd l)l'Oll0gation ICChniques (seed,
cuttings, cu:.}, as well as. seed treatmc,us and specific
rooting percentages, etc.
Caroline Rowe Martens
ddu of the Big Cove dance
tpeak• of traditions and tinp tb.c
Booger Danu,
Com
Dance and • dotCJI 01hcrt with
drum and ranle.
c...,.n
WHERE TIIE
Get a set of 10 assorted
folding cards with
artwork you see in
Katuah Journal.
(Envelopes included.)
byRobW~ck
Send $11.25 postage paid
to:
Rob Messick
P.O. BOX 2(,()1
BOONE, NC 28607
RA YENS ROOST
~
Chcrolcce traditional
tonp of Wallcc:r Calhoun
__,._...,...,
CA.11111'1 ANO IOC*UT
It WAIL Sil
....,..
ATTil&c:e,ru$JO
MOI/NTAJN tlurrAGl ~
Wll'l'Ul< CAIIOUl'IA Utll\llllSITY
Cuu.ow11D, NC l87ll
(704)227-7129
Spring, 1992
�I•:.,,.
tt•· r ,.
9
Sustainable Agriculture and Regional Diet:
Annotated Resources
These l'CS0W'0CS were nx:ommendcd by KJlumh
ConlribulOl'S as their favorites. Price estimates are
included for reference and may not be currcnL Most
are in print or available from Inter-Library loans. A
more complete liSt ( 11 pps. w/ 117 resowces) is
available from Lee Barnes (P.O. Box 1303:
Waynesville, NC 28786) for S2.50 ppd. or send five
or more annOla!Cd resources for a liee copy. Ho!
Sustaioab(c Agrirollocc
Trauger M. Groh and S.S.H. McFadden. 1990.
Farms ofTomorrow: Communiry Supporttd Farms;
Farm Supported Communities. Biodynamic Farming
and Gardening Associalion. Inc. 169 pp. About
$12.00 - begins with several essays on the
philosophical underpinnings of CSA's (Community
Sponsored Agriculture), then describes 7 successful
farms, and concludes with practical info on slllrting
and managing a CSA. Valuable to both CSA
growers and sharers.
Jeavons et al.1983. The BacJcyard llomuttad
Mini-Farm. & Garden I.A)g Book. 10 Speed Press.
196 pp., 58.95 • gives economic data about intensive
gatdening income profits.
Eliot Coleman. 1989. The New Organic
Grower. Chelsea Green. 269 pp., $19.95. excellent
guide 10 beginning mlltket gardeners, stressing the
8-ycar crop rotnlion developed by Coleman,
including inlClScedcd green manure crops, etc.
Robert Rodale. 1971. The Basic BOQk of
Organic Gardening. Rodalc Press. 377 pp•• a classic
(and inexpensive) inlrO to organic gardening
principles and techniques. If you buy only one Rodale
Book, buy this one!
Sustaioabtc Piel t FQQd PcrsccvaOoo
Cherokee, 19th, and 20th Century recipes used by
sculcr; on Hazel Creek, in Ille Cire.u Smoky
Mounmins. Includes information on historical
cooking Lechniqucs uulizing mostly regionally
produced foods.
Jerry Conner. 1991. Eats From IM Peaks
Carolina Mountmn lleritage Cookvy. Ridgetop
Assoc. Pubt.. 111 pp.• $14.95 - modern adap!Otions
of trndilional recipes by n mastcr cheri Delicious!
Mary Ulmer. 1951. Cherolc4!t Coolclore.
Self-publ. 71 pp.· tradilional Cherokee recipes. Great
mush!
Stephen Facciola. 1990. Cornucopia: A Souru
Book ofEdible Plants. Kam pong Pub!. 677 pp.
$35.00 • i.ncrcdibte botanically arranged guide to
edible plnnts, the best of its kind! Describes over
3000 edible plants Md lheir commercial .sources.
Extensive review of cultivars of over 100 major food
planlS. LislS 52 pages of domestic. foreign and
commercial sowces for these plants. Exten~ive
Bibliography and appendices. Chcclc It out!
Lee Peterson. 1977. A Field Guide to Edible
Wild Plants of Easttrn and Ctntral North America.
330 pp. $9.95 · illustrated with plant grouped by
habitat where they can be found.
Paul Hlltnel and Mary Chiltoskey. 1975.
Cherout Plants and Their Use.s • a 400 Ytar 1/istory
. Self-publ.. 65 pp•• reference to 450 plants used by
the Cherokee, including botanical names and uses.
Noc illustrntcd.
Tom Brown, Jc. 1985. Tom Brown's Gui.de to
\Vild Edible and Medicinal Plan1s. Berk.Icy Books.
241 pp. S7 .95 • another in a series of spiritually
sensitive guides to co-surviving with wildness.
H.ighly recommended!
Stanley Schuler and E. Schuler. 1973.
Preserving the Fruits of tht Earth; How to 'Put Up'
Almost Evuy Food Grown in the United States in
Almost Everyway. Galahad Books.· 234 pp.·
general chapters on methods or food pre.wvation
(drying. smoking. brining, etc.) followed by a most
complete encyclopedia of foods and tl1eir common
preservation methods.
USDA. 1977. Canning, Freaing, Storing
Garden Product. USDA Agric. Info. Bull 410.86
pp. Free· Excerpt from 1977 Yearbook of
Agriculture. Gardening/or Food and Fun. Ovczview
or canning and drying techniques • This is
representative of nU/ll(l'()us free publications available
through your Agricultural Extensioa Service. Be sure
to chock out other tax-paid resoun:es available.
Bcginnnl Cookbooks t wna-PJ;int Eocai:1011
John Freeman. 1985. Survival Gardening and
Survival Gardening Coolcbook. John's Press, 102
pp., $10.95 ea. · excellent guides 10 sustaimtblc.
healthy food growing and pre~n. Thorough
coverage of human nulriti011:1.I needs and how to meet
these using foods from the garden.
DW1J1C Oliver. 1990. Cooking on /laze/ Creek:
Tlit Best of Southern Mountain Cooking.
Sclr-publishcd. 261 pp., $13.95 • ll'lldiLionaJ
Spri.tuJ, 1992
Deborah Lee. 1989. Exploring Nature's
Uncultiva~d Garden. Havelin Pub!. 195 pp. $14.50 •
extmotdinary guide to wild foraging which deals with
eastern and west.em philosophy and sensitivity to
plants. Very highly recommended!
Nccessruy Trading Company: Box 305; New
Olstlc, VA 24127. offers wide vllricty of organic
glltdcning supplies, naturnl pest controls, cover crop
~.etc.
Sandy Mush Herb Nursery; RL 2, Surreu
Cove Rd.: Leicester, NC 28748 (704) 683-2014 •
extensive Iisling of herb plants, unusual perennials,
CIC. (Cat. $4.00)
Edible Landscaping; Box Tl; Arion, VA
22920 • specializing in locally-adaptCd, pest-resistant
varieties of common and unusual fruits.
Qcenoizatioos t Nmslcuccs t blaeazioes
The Mountain GardtfU!r Ntwslt!Jtu from
Organic Gardening Cooperative; Rt. 3, Box 409-N:
Sylva, NC 28779 (ncw/monlhly). sponsors
monthly moctings (3rd Wed.ncsdoy, 7:00 pm) at
Jackson Co. Library (Sylva).
Appropriate Technology Tranefu to Rural
Areas. ATTRA 1991. ATTRA l-800-346-9140 -a
fedemlly-funded resource organization aimed at tnilarcd
information-search for assisling commercial and
production-level clients (their funding limits their
ability 10 help backyard, individual growers). Have
helpful Resource LiSIS. "Videol:/Slides/Tapcs oo
Sustainable Agriculuue• (18 pp). "Sustainable
Agriculture Organizations and Publication LiSt (24
pp.), etc •• Also produce lnformation Packages on
diverse info such as "Green Crops and Gtccn
Mllnurcs; "Direct Marteting." CIC. Excellent
resource! Writennd thnnlc your officials forconlinued
funding of this experienced, J'eSOW'Ceful, enlhuswtic,
and dedicated group.
The Virginia Association for Biological
Farming; Box '252; Flint Hlll, VA 22627 •
non-profit organizalion, co-ocdimucs organic
cenificalion, seminars, Flltm Held D3ys, and
farmer-to-farmer networking. S25.00 year.
Carolina Frum Stewardship Association; Box
511; PillSboro, NC 27312 -organic ccnification for
both Carolinas. Involved in LISA grnnts, on-farm
demos, and annual Farm F'ield Days.
The U.S. Dispen.flltory. (any editioo prior
1930.) • invaluable info on plants, their makeup and
how olficially used at the tum of the century (avail.
for SS0-100 from used boolc dealets).
Tennessee Alternative Growers Association;
Rt. 2, Box 46-A-1; Indian Mound, lN 37079
Bceioool Sctd aoa r1001 Spoo(i«:cs
Georgia Organic Growers Association: 1185
Bend Creek Trail; Suwanee, GA 30174
Southern Exposure Seed EJtchange; Box 158;
North Garden, VA 22959 (804-973-4703) •
specializes in heirloom varieties adapted to the
Central Virginia Mountains. Recently founded "Seed
Shares TM: The Gardener's Seed Bank", a project 10
distribute extremely rare plant Cultivars. Also sells
Seed Saving Supplies. (OIL $3)
~
R.H. Shumway; Box I; Gmniteville, SC
29829 (C:u. $1.00) • dependable, well established
(since 1870) seed house specializing in traditional
varieties. Also southern ad:lpted fruit and nut
variclies.
Kalmia Farms: Box 3881: Chnrlotlc.sville, VA
22903 • spccialiJ.CS in multiplier onions. shallolS and
garlic,
)C.Qtuafl Journot J)O()C 31
�Parld~ Gardens
(con:linocd Crom p. 4)
- The (re)integration of needs: not to lhe
market for food, the spa for exercise, the
doctor for healing, theatre for entertainment,
school for learning, studio 10 create, church
for inspiration, etc., but to lhe garden for all
these ar the same rime.
- Enriching the garden with useful and
beautiful species and learning to incocporate
them into our lives. We begin, of course,
with the present and potential natural
vege1ation, to which may be added species
introductions from similar areas worldwide;
then sUgh1 modifications of the environment micro-habitat enhancement - and lhe resultant
possibilities for new species: a paleue of
plants, a Cornucopia• never available 10
previous generations.
- Hand labor. We all have two hands,
one lifetime, 24 hours in every day. These
are "democratic" factors. Working by hand
on a small piece of land we can create a
Paradise with relevance for all. Money, and
machines can not get us there any faster, in
fact can't get us !here at all. They only lead us
astray.
•••
We live during a narrow window of
opponuoity. Having come, at lase, to lhe
realization that a revolutionary shift of
consciousness and lifestyle is required, we
find that we have only a few generations in
which to complete the changes, before it will
be too late to make a ttansition (environment
degraded, resources depleted, species cxtinc1,
soils eroded/polluted, population doubled ...).
Our enemy is a paper tiger because it
cannot deliver the goods. The world waits for
examples: to be shown, llOI told, a better
way. Paradise Gardening is vastly more
meaningful than the 'biodomc' experiment,
and anyone can play.
We have been putting thls off for too
many lifetimes now.
Commuaity Sp(IIISC)ttd Agriculture
(continued from p. 6)
Blowing In the Wind
Now we arc told that modem farm
inputs make unprecedented levels of
production possible. Without heavy spending
on inputs lhe world supposedly could not
suppon all its people. We have absurd
quantities of petroleum and natural gas going
into food production, leaving an eroded,
salty, toxic wasteland behind. We should
know beuer, no matter what our twin "big
brothers" of government and industry say.
The most basic rule is balance. We
want balance between opposite polarities,
heaven and canh, silica and Lime, grass and
clover, bee and canhworm, give and take.
This also means balance between people,
plants, animals, microbes, and minerals.
With balanced crops and livestock, rhythms
and activities build up momentum within the
fann organism. This rule implies that the
greater the diversi1y the greater the health and
stability of the farm. That is something to
think abouL
In the past five years hundreds of
CSA's have sprung into being across lhe
continenL It is an idea whose time has come.
It is catching on. A few bits of land here and
there arc being turned into healthy farms
again. Wealth made at the expense of the
countryside is seeking its return. In half a
century we may no longer see com to the
horizon in a toxic cloud.
On lhe one hand we face slavery and
ruin due to our own hypocrisy and moral
poverty - giving ourselves up to the good old
new world order. On the other hand more
and more people are taking responsibility for
their own Lives by way of home birthing,
home schooling, alternative medicine,
recycling, edible landscaping, and building
energy smart, non-toxic homes. CSA's are a
natural developmenL We have a choice.
geographically and emotionally. Instantly
we recognize in each other a shared
experience that is purely American. intense,
evocative, and yet of which very few
people can speak.
In !heir eyes I sec bitterness, guilt,
denial and nos1algia all at the same time.
Many of these ex-farmboys are very
successful by city stanclards. They have no
more tie to the land than a vague frustration
of being tom without emotional healing
from their roots. I have often thought that
the way we, as a society, raise farmers is a
very good way to raise the kind of farmer
who so thoroughly hates the land that he
would wish to wreak vengeance upon il for
not giving him the life he wanted or was
told 10 wanL At the very least these
fannboys are suffering from heavy psychic
wounds.
War is a good analogy for what we
have done to ourselves and our land.
Clcarcuts and plowed prairies are
devastated, barren places. Modem,
environmental warfare, which threatens the
fertility of the land, extends the acts of
aggression to furure generations.
Some of us have begun to sec the
Earlh as sncrcd ground. We realize that
whatever our occupation, farmer or not, we
are sustained by lhe fruits of the Earth. The
real challenge of Earth stewardship is not to
rcrum 10 some slavish peasantry, wiling
relentlessly upon the soil, but to sec the
way (The Tao) in which the rhythms of the
needs of man, can fit into the rhythms of
nature.
My vision of the future farmers of
America is men and women who are able to
combine the very best of themselves with
the cultivation of the Earth. r would like to
see farmers celebrate the fenility of the
land. I would like to sec the balance
between the needs of an individual and the
getting of nourishment. I would like to see
the plowing of a field done with grace, as
an act oflove, quietly waiting for the right
moment, then turning the earth gently,,., #
reverently.
fr
llqh lo\lCI is a biodynamic and CSA/ar~r
maruting in the Atlanta. GA ar~ At his/arm, Unu,n
Agricu/11ua/ Institute; Rt. 4, Box"63S: Blairsvilk,
GA 30512, llugh restarchn rtgtntrarive ogricult1Uc
and is tk\lC/oping local cu/ti vars of ltafy g r ~
(continued from p. 19)
"You see the beauty of my proposal is
Jr needn't wait on general revolution
I bid you ro a one-man revolution
The only revolution tlUJJ is coming"
(Robert Frost, "Build Soil")
• Corn11COf11a. S. Facciola. Kampong Pub.,
1870 Sunnse Dr., V1SU1, CA 92084. Astounding new
pubhQltion. Three lhousand edible species, many
more lhousnnds of culliva,s, sourocs of supply .ind
infonnation for c.ich entry
ltH /loll,s mttnds 10 product anothtr amclt
dtalmg mL>rt wtth local practice. /It is also
dn<tlopmg a ~,.sfe11u b) and/or fJ<fJOnJ, engaged ,n
t!M! rtaliuuu,n cf Parodi~ os a gartkn PltOJt stnd
,a-nts. and sugg6tions UJ him at 3020 Wht1t
Oai. Cruk Rd : Burn.rvtllt.NC 287/4
l'ho4o COUJ1eSy of Ille Mo11n1ain Hcn1.1sc Ccnll!r
:>i:A\hmh Journot JXUJe 32
Spnng, 1992
�o.
(continued from page 8)
I
J
!4'1 ,
•ft -,
.,.
just keep the meat out in the smokehouse. It
was nothing to kill two or three yearlings to
make the beef. My grandfather, he know'd
how to blister beef and hang it up. He'd bum
hickory wood to where it would just be
a-making the smoke. We would cure hog
meat and smoke that as well.
We'd cook a piece of that ham down,
and it would naturally-born have brown
gravy. Yeah! Not guessed at. I know by
experience.
We'd always make sure to have greens
in the spring, greens in the fall. In August,
when we was plowin' the com for the last
time, we sowed late greens in amongst the
com. We'd sow turnips and rutabagas
mostly.
As soon as everything was put up, we
started fall plowin'. We didn't have these fast
tractors that can plow everything in a day or
two, so we'd plow whenever we got the
chance. We tried to get as much done in the
fall as we could. And we plowed in the
winter, if we were able. I've plowed many a
day and it was snowing.
It was a lot of work, back then,
growing all our own food. But everybody
did it. If anyone wanted to go out and do that
now, I'd have only one thing to say ro them:
"Get busy!"
Halph Garrell is 71 years old, still
working as a mason, and still living in his
hometown · Sylva, NC in the Tuckasegee
Rivu watershed.
This article was excerpted from a
conversation with Ralph recorded by David
Wheeler and Avram Friedman on Jarwary 29,
/992.
Painting by Susan Adam
Kalmia Center, Inc.
Sylva, NC
(704) 293-3015
Custom tilling, organic fe:rtilli:ers, kelp meal,
colloidal phosphate & many more products
and services for abundant gardening and
healthful living.
f'~.~11<\
"I
told
the
Talking ua,-es isa mon1hly
JOUfDA) of d~ ecology, inspired
pm;onaJ aeriv1sm roo1ed Ill earthen
sp,nruali1y. Pa.'il tSSUeS have
fea1ured articles by Gary Snyder,
Slarbawk, Jobn s-i, Joanna
Macy, Bill Devall, Lone Wolf
Circle!>, Barbara Mor, ecc.
Ta/Jcj11g ua,-es ,peaks for the
oarural world and for the rekindling
of our oWD wild spmt.
Subscriptions arc SI 8.00 one
year/ S24.00 outSide U.S.
Talking UOl't'S
1430 Willamette 11367
Eugene, OR 97401
503/342-2974
,prl.n9, 1992
I.lo~. you "' 1n lfflc1 ul!ol9 me lo bllp UI
tlluncll II ptOpitOOWIIUlnldol\1Alld I'm ""' ff I OIi lullw lllem I woutan I
•Ill IO QIIN'CU!t II 111W datllls f«91' 11
TIii ll\S- IS IIO , - no!''
_.....,,..._'"'-
Don't Pay Taxes for War
,fc,tlT'I It
I\ 11'\d '"•
0
I! l
National War Tex Resistance
Coordinating Committee
REGIONAL RADIO
Featuring Crossroads music, NPR news and music
programs, regional news and information
concerning health, education, government,
recreation, and the environment.
PO Box 774 Monroe, ME 04951
WNCW- FM r.O. Box804 Spindale, NC 28160
12071525-7774
(704) 287-8000
�Si.las ~tcDowen -~n1inucd from p. II ,
,
husbandry supplemented by a woolen cloth
fac1ory. Are these the only iu:ms of new
indusuies our moumain section is capable
of?"
He went on 10 suggest one more. "I
have recently learned tha1 a man studied Fish
culture, constructed him a lhree-acre pond
near the city of Atlanta, Ga., and then from
Florida procured a can of eggs of the Scaly
Trout species." After hatching lhe eggs and
raising lhe fish to marwity, lhe man realized
an income of fifteen lhousand dollars in one
year.
Wanting to anempt a similar venlUie
with mountain trout, McDowell had a small
pond build amid a grove of oaks near his
home. ',Oeir feed will consist of lhe waste
from the kitchen and table, with all small
animals tha1 come my way, chopped up fine,
supplemented by a lazy ca1, in an emergency.
1bere is nOlhing but lhe lack of a pure srream
and vim to hinder any man having a mountain
fann, to do the same thing, and have fat trout
for breakfast every day lbe year lbrough."
McDowell lived long enough to see lhe
impact of extractive industries on the
mountain environment. When Western North
Carolina's first corundum mine opened near
McDowell's farm in 1871, he turned a
disaster into a blessing.
Thiny years before, a flood had swept
across the best portion of his farm, "a fertile
bonom field of about 50 acres." McDowell
described the damage, " I found !hat field, on
which I expected to make forty bushels of
com to the acre, to be a miniature Sahara of
white sand, and would no longer pay lhe
expense of resetting and keeping up the
fences." The field had remained in !his
condition until the coming of the corundum
mine, which was polluting the Cullasaja
River. "As the mine was worked by means of
a hose-pipe, a red stream of clay and water
came running down the mountain's side
defiling our beautiful river and Cb8$ing away
lhe fish."
•"
• ·,•
ft occurred to McDowell that he could
protect the river and reclaim his field at lhc
same time. ',Oanks to Sir Samuel Baker for
his suggestions in relation 10 redeeming some
of the African desens by silting chem with the
muddy watc.rs of the Nile. And I forthwilh
applied to Col Jenks, who controlled the
mine, for leave to run a ditch down the
mountain from lhc mine to my sands - a
distance of three-fourths of a mile. The next
thing I did, was to throw up a dike on the
river side off the bottom, 10 hold on lhe sands
the muddy waters until they are absorbed - a
thing not hard 10 do, as the sands swallow
them up very fast and 'thirst for more.' The
water of my ditch performs the carrying
service of ten dump cans, and does the thing
for nothing and we may add, loads itself.
This enterprise I view as my last act in life's
drama, and I feel ambitious to do the lbing
well, and make my bes! bow to my
fellow-farmers as the curtain drops."
Silas McDowell died in 1879. His life
work, promoting agricultural practices
appropriate to the region, endures. McDowell
brought curiosity, ingenuity, perseverance
and humor 10 the task, qualities that would
enhance any effons to renew mountain
agriculture as we approach the 21st century.
01992
Perry Eury and his wife, Laurel, are the
founders of Kalrrua Center, Inc.. an org011iwtion
devoted 10 Sfl!Will'dship of the land in •die,u;e to
God Kalmia Center is a ,wn-profit organiu11ion
ojferiflg sv.ices and produasfor abundant gardening
and healthful living.
Perry is completing a btx,i, entitled
Appalachian Arcadia: Mouniain Fnrms and the _~
ProvidcnceofN31Un:.
~
HAWK'S HOOPS
A unique experience in
Designing, Creating, and
Learning to Play
your own Earth Instruments.
SPfCIALIZING IN
• OE.t}HS
0.:1oqon.,t .,nd Round
• f.ATTLE5 Gouto .ind l!••h""'
• ftUTE5 I!,,..,, am, and s.,mooo
• t.AINHAKEIS c. 11,_1~ Sound l'l.lkm
ttJWflUv,,t
Rt l So• 2411
O.q,G•, NC 28fila
'7041 26:11401
Jenti1ah Journal Pt196 34
REVIEW:
"APPLE PIE IN YOUR FACE"
as American as you
a cassette by Robert Hoyl
To paraphrase Edward Abbey, "lf
you're going to fight for your country, you
have to take on the government."
Roben Hoyt remembers one moment
that had a profound effect on bis life. He was
leaving nonhem California after combatting
corporate power and FBI harrassment as pan
of the effon to save the old growth forest
during Redwood Summer, 1990. A friend
met during lhe action gave him a hug and
said, "Roben, you're a good American."
This insight crystalliz.ed in Roben's mind,
and when he arrived back home in Georgia
he wrote it down as a song:
"All you good Americans
read between the lines
Help your siblings everywhere
w open up closed minds
Stand up to those who are ro blame
For crimes commi11ed in our name,
All you good Americans
Things can't stay the same."
Roben Hoyt "grew up a child of the
military complex," moving from base to
base. Yet somewhere along the way he found
a vision of hope for a different kind of
"American." His vision includes act.ion for
peace, racial equality, and the environment; it
involves compassion for animals and his
fellow human beings. lt also involves outrage
that lhe dreamkillers have a comer on the
national vision. Roben has launched a
personal crusade to assign a new meaning to
the word "American."
Robcn's original, guitar-driven music
is about that struggle against the powers both internal and outside - that want to kill lhc
world and stifle the human spirit. His
newly-released cassette, as American as you,
is a musical treat. The acoustic folk sound
provided by Robcn, David Ormsby (bassist),
and friends is fast-moving and crisp.
Roben's unique singing voice is elecll'ic,
charged with intensity and truth. His lyrics,
too, are charged particles !hat do not abide a
stagnant complacency, and if one harbors
secre1 staShes of illusion, prejudice, or
selfishness, they can sting. Yet to those
whose hearts arc open to the world, the
songs of Roben Hoyt arc energizing nnd
enlightening.
. The S~uth has a new regional pocL
W1th his guuar, a paraplegic cat, and a lot to
say, Roben is staning to travel more beyond
his home city of Atlant3. Lisicn fOr him!
We1I be hearing more from Roben Hoyt.
-DW
'as American as you" is available on
cassette/or $JO postpaid from Folk-the-Boat,
8 ox 2355; Decatur, GA 3003 I
Spri-n9, 1992
�Emergency Appeal for
European Seed-Saving Groups
Political changes in Europe have not
only upset govemmems. but have threatened
the survival of over a dozen grassroot
seed-saving and rare animal pre~rvation
organizations. Nancy Arrowsmith, a
well-published seed-saving promoter ~ow
living in Austtia, repons that the resulung
chaos threatens the survival of numerous
non-governmental organizations (NGO's)
involved in seed-saving projects and the
potential loss of irreplaceable varieties of
vegetables, grains and rare animal breeds.
In her article, "Emergency Appeal For
European Seed-Saving Groups"(l 991,
Harvest Issue, Seed Savers Exchange), she
outlines the activities of over a dozen
organizations and provides contact addresses
to which donations may be sent. These
groups are solely responsible for the
preservation and dissemination of
open-pollinated, non-hybrid plants and rare
animal breeds.
For more information contact Nancy
Arrowsmith, clo Noah's Arie; Postfach 139: A-3500
KreMU/ Donau, Austria. (DonaJions should bt! by
checks made out in U.S. Currency).
For a photocopy of the article men1ioned, write
to Lu Barnes: P.O. Bo:;c 1303: Waynesville, NC.
28786.
"The arc.i's old~
and larg~t natural
foods grocery •
Bulk Herbs, Spices, & Grains
Vitamins & Supplements
Wlieat, Salt & Yeast-Free Foods
Dairy Substitutes
Hair & Skill Care Products
Beer & Wine Making Supplies
200 W. King St, Boone, NC 28607
(70-1) 264-5220
Listening to the Military
"Save Our Rivers":
The Armed Forces Listening Project,
created by the Rural Southern Voice for
Peace based in the Celo Community,
Burnsville NC is looking for "a few good
men and women" to survey active-duty
soldiers at miJitary bases throughout the
world.
The Listening Project (see Kanlllh
Journal #24) is an open-ended survey
designed to involve both the listener and the
speaker in a joint vemure of discovery. The
Anned Forces Ustening Project is designed
to stimulate nationaJ discussion about
alternatives to violence, bridge ideological
boundaries, and stimulate discussion about
issues of personal responsibility and national
ethics.
Topics for this Listening Project will
vary depending somewhat on the location,
but will include: solving intemationaJ
conflicts without violence; solutions to racial,
religious, and ethnic strife, civilian-based
defense, and especially questions generated
by previous Armed Forces Listening
Projects.
The Arnled Forces Listening Project
was begun at the US Marine base Camp
LeJeune, where conscientious objectors
to the Persian Gulf war were being
court-manialed The Project subsequently
traveled to naval bases at Norfolk, VA and
St. Marys, GA. The Listeners found
that sailors displayed "a strong streak of
pragmatism." They were surprised that half
the sailors interviewed were in disagreement
with the Gulf War. HaJf the speakers also
voiced suppon for nonviolent solutions to
international conflict But as important as the
stanling answers that they heard, were the
effects on the interviewers of personal
contacts with military personnel. Volunteer
Lois Miller said, "The Listening Project was
a revelation to me. I had no idea that I would
encounter such depth of feeling from big,
tough Marines."
To take pan in future chapters of the
Armed Forces Listening Project, write: Rural
Southern Voice for Peace; 1898 Hannah
Branch Rd.; Burnsville, NC 28714 or call
{704) 675-5933.
The Cassette Tape
The Town of Highlands, NC_ h!IS
obtained a permit to dump half a million
gallons of wastewater per day int~ the scenic
Cullasaja River. Appeals, both neighborly
and legal, have so far proved futile.
This river has always been used for
recreation. Since ancient times it has been
used for the Cherokee Indian ritual of Going
to Water. Since 1837 local churches have
held baptisms in lhe river.
Local musicians have rallied and
produced a tape containing original songs by
Barbara Duncan and gospel runes sung by the
Foxfire Boys. Barbara sings "Save Our
Rivers," the group's theme song; "You Don't
Miss Your Water Til Your Well Runs Dry,"
written years ago but unfonunately still
timely; "Go Fishin'," "the only real love song
she has ever written," according 10 her
husband; and the beautiful ''Rainbow
Springs."
The Foxfire Boys were recorded live in
a concen in Clayton, GA. The churches of
Macon County, panicularly the Baptisis,
have united in the effon to protect the
Cullasaja.
The tape "Save Our Rivers" is available
for $10.00 postpaid from Save Our Rivers;
Box. 122; Franklin, NC 28734.
FUTONS ETC. ~~
... the new al temative
to the sleeper sofa
with over 4,000 years of
customer satisfaction built in.
~
,.
r/ 'Thu
~ S aru!JMush
Htrb Nur-se,y
WREATHS • POTPOURRI
NATIVE FLUTES
• HERBS • TOPIARY
Complete I ferb Catalog - $4
Describes more titan 800 plants from
Aloe to Yarraw
Rt 2, Surrett Cove Road
Leicester, North Carolina 28748
Plione for appointment to visit
(704) 683-2014
Sprin<J, 1992
Two styles made of cedar or walnut
woods in the traditional manner
WHOLE FOODS
VITAMINS
ORGANI C P RODUCE
160 Broadway
Hawk Littlejohn
Sourwood Farm
Asheville, North Carolina
Rt 1, Box 172-l
Open 7 Days a Week
Monday - Friday 9 am - 8 pm
Saturday 9 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm
Prospect Hill, NC 27314
(919) 562-3073
)(.ati&an Joumm poge 35
�The Katuah Tapes
TURTLE ISLAND
BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS V
POPULATION EXPLOSION
"ln the next seven years the population
of Nonh Carolina will explode. Are you
ready?
'The August issue of MaIUTiry Market
Perspectives predicted Nonh Carolina will be
fifth in the nation as a retirement choice. This
is in addition to the regular population
movement from Florida to North Carolina.
"Seeking to escape from a nightmare of
pollution, high crime, water shonages, and
traffic congestion, these re-retirees are
heading north ..."
This is not a warning to county
commissioners and planners to have their
1.0ning ordinances in place. This is a call to
action for developers and real estate investors
from Green Watch, an environmental
newsleuer for the real estate indusuy.
(Environmental? Yes, "the financial
environment of real estate." as the paper's
masthead proclaims in green ink.)
Another word of environmental
wisdom from Green W01ch; "Remember,
they aren't making any more Nonh
Carolina."
- - life's nec1:Ssitiesfarlas - -
Tara Clayton, a long-time friend of the
Kat1wh Journal from Rougemont., NC, is
May 17-24
Camp Stewart, Kerrville,
near San Antonio, Texas
Every two years people gather from all
the bioregions of the Turtle lsland continent
10 communicate and celebrate the bioregional
movement at the Continental Bioregional
Congress. This year the event is being held in
south central Texas.
The focus of the 1992 Congress is on
Circles of Change. These are levels of work
ar the gathering and in people's home
bioregions:
- Mapping and Organizing
- Links of Communication
- The BioregionaJ Story
- Living at Home, and
- Ecosystem Conservation and
Restoration
There will also be time devoted to
sharing biorcgional cultures, men's and
women's gatherings, and young people's
activities.
Admission will be by preregistration
only and all registrations must be received
before May l. Registration is $225-300 for
adults, $100 per child aged 3- 11. All food
and lodging are included for the entire week
of the Congress. Checks should be made
paynble to "Realistic Living· TIBC V."
now recording the contents of each issue of
the journal on cassette Ulpes "for the purpose
of reaching elderly Native Americans in the
Veterans Administration Hospital in Durham
and for nursing homes as well."
Others who are interested in procuring
recorded versions of the Katuall Journal may
be able to purchase tapes from Tara.
Anyone who would like 10 send n
donation to help this idea along is encouraged
10 do so, as funding for the project is limited.
ConlOCt:
TaraClayr.on
Box461
Ballama, NC 27503
Mail to: Realistic Living; Box 140826;
Dallas, TX 75214.
FRENCH BROAD Fooo Co,oP
90 Bn.TMOR£ A ~
~ AsKEvu.LE
(704)255-7650
your community
grr,«ry•tou
....,.,....,...... 10,_.. ....,....... ,,..
....................
EARTH KIN
Programs to 81'1COU'oge
58lf and Earth oworeoess.
celetl<allon. kl~p and hope
O~<::?Jto
c\....., S c ~ s
l'\UI\"\..$
to""°'itlG- t.ool(.S
CA.~~s
~086~ 1804
~-\)~'l, M.c.
Q.871$-
• You1h Camp& • School Program,
• Fam,ly Camp& • Teacher Tnalning
• CommUOlly
Union Acres
Programs
• Camp Slal1 Tra,n,ng
• Ou1door Prog,.m Conl\Jllong
An Alternative
j
PO 800C 130C>
Gottinbl.fg. Teme~ 37738
61 S-43o-6203
NATURf\L MARKET
WHOLE FOODS • BI.Jl..K
FOODS • VITAMINES • HERBS
• FAT FREE FOODS• TAKE
OlJT FOODS • SNACKS • NO
SALT, NO CHOLESTEROL
265 2700
823 Blow,ng Rock Rd
Boone, NC 28607
Acrolgtfur Salt - Smoky Mountain living
with• focus on spiritlllll and
«ologiclll tlQ/ues
For more information:
Contact C. Grant at
Routt 1. &x 61/
Whittier, NC 28789
(704) 497-4964
whole earth
grocery
•
NATURAL
ALTERNATIVES
FOR HEALTHFUL
LIVING
-146 c J>.lrkway cr~ft center • suite 11
g;,tlinburg. tcnn~
37738
615-436-6967
�ECHOES OF AVERY • a cassellC recording or songs
writlen and performed by Avery Q>uniy, NC
elementary school Sllldcnts with artis1 in residence
Thad Beach. Historical songs with II regional
flavor, lyric reciiaLion and singing. Casscuc liner
includes lyrics. Send $4 .95 (includes posiage} io:
Thad Beach; RL 2, Box 422, Waynesville. NC
28786.
THE RJVER CANE RENDEZVOUS 1992 • is on
April 28th - May 3rd a1 Unicoi Staie Park an
Georgia featuring in-depth canhskills training,
tools & techniques for living in the natural world.
Over a dozen top.ranked instructors including Snow
Bear, Dany Wood, Doug Elliot, Tammy Beane,
Jim Riggs, John & Geri McPherson. Scott Jones,
Sieve Wa:us and Oierolcee elders Walker Calhoun,
Eva Bigwiteh and Eddie Bushyhead. $145.00
regisualion includes meals. For more info eontac1
Bob Slack c/o Unicoi SLalC Park; Helen, GA 30545
(404) 878-2201.
BEGINNING CHEROKEE LANGUAGE BOOK·
supplemenled with two casseues. Slll:Sses alphabet
& proper pronunciation. The first textbook wriuen
for use in IC8Cbing and learning the Cherokee
language. (346 pages) S39.95 plus $5.00 shipping.
Catalog also available with ca.~ . books. pipes,
dance slicks, drums, feathers, furs, buffalo products
and more. Craft supplies also available. (plcaso
specify). Send $2.00 to the Muskrat Trader; P.O.
Box 20033; Roanoke. VA 24018.
HIGHLANDER CENTER - is a community-based
educational organization whose purpose is to
provide space for people to learn from each other.
and to develop solutions to environmenlal
problems based on their values. experiences. and
aspirations. They also publish a quarterly
newsletier called Highlander Reports. For more info
contact Highlander Cerucr; 1959 Highlander Way:
New Mankel, 1N 37820 (615) 933-3443
PCEDMOm' BIOREGlONAL INSTITIJTE · For
those who Ii vc in the Piedmont area, there's a
biorcg.ional effon well undc.way. Join Us! We
would appreciate any dooalion or Lime or money to
help meet opcra1ing expenses. For a gif1 of $25.00
or morc, we will send you a copy oCJohn Lawson's
journal, A New Voyage to Carolina. Also come
find ou1abou1 the Lawson Project PBI; 412 W
Rosemary S1ree1; Chapel Hill, NC 27516;
Uwharria Province. (919) 942-2581.
EARN $200-$500 • wcclcly mailing travel brochures.
For informal.ion send a siampcd 3ddn:.sscd envelope
to: Galaxy Travel, lnc.; P.O. Box 13106; Silver
Springs, MD 20911.
I WV£ TH£ EARTH - a casseue recording of
environmental songs by the GrcaJ Smoky
Mo110U1ins JnsLi1u1c at Tremont in celebration of
the 20th anniversary of Eanh Day. Includes "SCAT
rap," "Tho Garbage Blues; and morc. S9.95 plus
$2.50 shipping for each tasSellC. Mail Otder plus
check to Grea1 Smoky Mountains N&1uml History
Associauon: 115 Park HcadqWlltCrs Rd.:
G11Llinburg, TN 37738.
NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONIALS Hnndcrafled Native American Ceremonial supplies,
include Drums. Cus1om Pipes. Medicine B3gs,
Swcctgnw, Sage, Feathers, Rawhide R:ur.Jes,
Tobaccos. Pipe Bags, Native AuteS, and more! For
free catalogue write: P.O. Box 1062-K Cherokee,
NC28719.
• Spf1,n9, J992
NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONIAL HERBS • we
offer a lllrge variety of sages, sweet gross, natural
resins, and evcsything necessary for smudging.
Native smoking mix1urcs, 0ute music, pow-wow
tapes, and ceremonial songs. EssentW oils. and
incenses specifically made for prayer, offering, and
meditation. For catalog call or write: Essencial
Dreams; Rt 3, Box 285; Eagle Fork; Hayesville,
NC 28904 (704) 389-9898.
SUMMER APPRENTICE WEEK JULY 3·9 Weekend opt.ion, July 3·5. Wtth Wise Woman
Tradition leacher Whitewolf. Workshops, weed
walks, harvesting medicinal hetbs, Moonlodge,
Women's Spiri1uali1y. Beautiful location one bouJ
from Asheville. Cornfonable dorm or tenting:
vegelari3n meals included. Sljding scale.
work-exchange avai.lable. Write: Wolf, P.O. Box
576; Asheville, NC 28802.
THE ALTERNATIVE READING ROOM· is an
unconvenlional library, free and open to lhe public.
Our collection interests include lhc envll'Ollllleni.
social and poliLical issues, lhe media and peace. We
have over 200 magazine suMCripLions. The book
and video collections also emphasize the
environmcot and political concems. Books and
VCR's can be checked OUI. A VCR player is
available for watehing films in lhc reading room.
Located 812 Wall St #114: Asheville, NC 28801
(704) 252-2501. Mon/Wed/Fri 6-Spm • Tues/Thur
1-8pm • Sat/Sun l-6pm
COHOUSING COMMUNITY BEING FORMED·
in lhe Asheville area Residenis organize, plan, and
design a cooperative community where individual
homes cluster around a common hoUS8 with shm.d
facilities- laundry, workshops, children's room,
dining room, cu:. Opponunitles for energy
efficient, ecologically sound land use. Inquiries
invited. Contact: John Senechal; P.O. Box 1176;
Weaverville, NC287&7 (704) 658-3740.
A VIDEO ABOUT LAND TRUSTS • has been
produced by lhe Land Trust Alliance to explain in
layman's tcnns what a land trust is. 2.7 million
acres of land have been saved by nonproli1 land
trust organizations in America, This video
documents this movement's successes. Cos1 is
S2l.00 for individuals and $14.SO for LTA
members (include $4.SO for J)OSl3gc). Contact: The
Land Trust Alliance; 900 17th SI. NW Suite 410:
Washington, DC 20006 (202) 785-1410.
HAWKWIND EARTH RENEWAL COOPERATIVE
- is o 77 acre wilderness reucot locatcd on Lookout
Mountain Parkway in norlhcm Alobama. Easy
access, safe family camping, year round weekend
programs fealUring Nalive American elders and
earth teachers from around lhc world. Strong
spiritual foundation with Earth Renewal emphasis,
membership discoun1 co-op. There is no charge for
Native American ceremonies; rescrvali.ons rcqu.irod
for all visits please. Childcare often available.
Wriie: P.O. Box I I; Valley Head, AL 35989 (205)
635-6304. For quancrly ncwslcuer 1111d program
updlucs send S10.00.
TURTLE ISLAND PRESERVE· Summer Youth
Camps nre a unique cnvironmcnlal education
experience_ Learn primitive living skills,
Appalachian Mountain living skills. ond Eanh
awareness.
• Boys Camp (ages 11-17) June 28 -July 11.
•GirlsCamp(ages 11- 17)July 12-July 18.
• Junior Youth Camp (ages 7-10) June 14 • 20.
For more info conlaCt: EuslllCC Conway; RL I.
Box 249-B; Deep Gap, NC 28618 (704) 265-2267.
LIFETIMES & AGES - a new release from Bob
Avery-Grubel full of new age vocal music
~ploring lhe mystery or life - lyrics included.
Available on casseuc for SI0.00 plus :SJ.00
shipping, and oo CD for S 15.00 plus $1 .00
shipping. Send to: Bob Avery Grubel; Rt. I, Box
735; Floyd, VA 24-091.
DAVID & CATifY BROWN • known by lheir
friends as Ahwi & Wohali arc looking 10 network
wilh people who live in lhe Katuah area and who
wan1 to form o community along tradilional
Cherokee lines as closely as possible. They are
both of Cherokee-Scots hcricage. They have lhree
home-schooled boys who would like some pen
)'31s. If you are inierestcd in ne1WOrking conlllCt:
Ahwi & WohaU Brown: 1915 Buckley Sireet;
Chattanooga. TN; Chickamaugan D1striel 37404.
• Webworking costs! T~re is now a charge ofS2.JO
(pre-paid) per entry of50 words or lus. Submit
entries for Issue #35 by May 15th 199210: Rob
Messick; Box 2(,(JJ; Boone.NC 28607. (704)
754-«>97.
Alternatives ...
The Diuctory of ln1tntio11al Conumu1111e., is lhe product or 1wo years of intensive rcscarcil, and is lhe mosl
comprehensive and accuraic dirccLOry a,ailable. II documcnis the vi~ion nnd the daily hfc of more than 350
communi1ies in Nol'lh America, and more than 50 on
other continenL~. Each community\ listing includes
name, address, phone, and a dcscnJ)tlon of lhe group.
Ex1CDs1vc cross-rclercnc mg and imkxmg makes the information =y 10 access for a wide vanc1y of users. Includes mnps, over 250 addiuonal Resource listings. and
40 rel3tcd a.rucles.
32!1 P3gcs
8-1/]:,.l l
Perfectbound
Ocwbcr 1990
ISBt,; Number:
0-9602714-1-4
$16.00
Adil S2.00 postage
& h3Jldling for first
book. S.50 for each
additional; 40%
discount on orders
of 10 or more.
Alpha Fann. Deadwood, OR
(503J964--5l02
...
�18
GIU".AT SMOKU:S PARK
·Gourmc1 Gnvin' in Ille Great Smolucs·
class will le:leh edible pl.int ID and preparation
Pre-register S30. For mfo on this and other field
courses, comact Smoky Mounlain Field School,
Un1v~1y of Tcmiesscc, Non-Credit Programs,
600
Henley St.. Suite IOS, Knoxville, TN 37902.
(800) 284-8885.
21
ASHEVILLE/CLEVELAND
National Day of Outtage Against
the US Forest Service. Let the forests live!!
Demonstrations wiU be held at 11 am al
Forest Service offices in Asheville, NC and
Cleveland, TN. For infonnation about the
Asheville action, call (704) 299-0860 or
(704) 586-3146. For information about the
Cleveland action, call (615) 524-4771.
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
Spring WildOowcr Pilgrimage. G u,ded
walks to the bcs1 wlldOowcr Siu:.s in the Parle.
lntcipretative prcscnllllions each evening. Conl3CL
23-25
evencs
SWANNANOA, NC
Annual Western North Carolina
Environmental Summit will be hosted by
Warren Wilson College and include
infonnation on current issues, workshops
and a legislative update. Pre-register:
contaet WNC Alliance; Box 18087;
Asheville, NC 28814. (704) 258-8737.
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
"Facing the Automobile Crisis" cransportation issues conference will
examine NC's ttansponation priorities and
feasible alternatives. Man:ia Lowe, senior
researcher with Worldwatch institute,
keynote speaker. Workshops, panels. Ar
Camp Rockmont. Pre-register: $75-125
includes meals and lodging. Contact WNC
Alliance (704) 258-8737 or (704)
689-5988.
4
28-5/3
MARCH
4
18
FULL MOON/ WORM MOON
21
SPRING EQUINOX
21
SWANNANOA,NC
Foll Moon Sweat Lodge beg.ins at
noon. Fat info about participaiing, and dau:.s of
GSMNP; Gatlinburg, TN 37738. (61S)
436-1262.
24-26
Oilier monthly full moon lodge ccn:monies, con1a0t
The Earth Cenlcr, 302 Old Fellowship Rd.,
Swannanoa, NC 28n8. (704) 298-3935.
27-29
BOONE, NC
African Drumming Workshop, presented
by Rhythm Alivcl at H1l11Dp Haven Rctrc3t Center.
Prc-rcgi5uauon rcqwred: drums available eo rent for
lbe woricshop with advllllCC notice. Coniac1 Akal
Der Shatonnc 01 (704) 264-1384. for info on Olher
dlUmming workshops and events, con111e1 Rhythm
Alive!; Box 3331; Asheville, NC 28802. (704)
255-8020.
KNOXVILLE, TN
River Rescue - cleaning up the
fLTSt 50 miles of the Tennessee River. Help
the Clean Water Project clean up the river!
For infonnation, call the Center for Global
Sustainability at (615) 524-4771.
9
18-29
VALLEY HEAD, AL
ASHEVILLF.., NC
Forestry Commission Forum w1U
Seventh generation Cherokee herbalist,
Medicine Bear (D. Walt Burchcu) will :Juw
knowledge abou1 lhc use or plants during a 1wo diay
workshop. Pre-rcgisier: $125. For info on lhlS and
n~~.ct WOllcshops, comact Hawkw,nd Eartb Renewal
Cooperative; Box 11; Valley Head, AL 35989.
inv11e di5cussion of forest use and wildlands
preservation. Co-Sl)OnSOl'Cd by Sierra Club and
other group~. Contact Nick Stcfanou at (704)
685-3881.
(20S) 635-6304.
Environmental and Earth Skills Famil)•
Gruhcring, with Hawk and Ayal HW1'1. Fire by
friction, uacl:ing and $Ulll<1ng, sptnt animal
journeys, plant and medicine walks, llinllulapping,
cordage nnd hide 13ruling. Adults: $80, chi~:
S70. Contac:1 Long Bl'OIICh Environmcnwl
Education Center: RL 2, Box 132; Lc1ces1cr, NC
28748. (704) 683-3662.
APRIL
3-5
SWANNANOA,NC
ApprcntJce cias:; with Morgan Eaglcbcar
will e.tpl~ IJlc proper use of herbs and other
'1calmg tools from the Native American
perspective. First clllS.~ in a four-pan series. For
info on Lhii and other classes, con1ae1 The Eanh
Ccnlet. Sec 3/21.
Xouiah JournaL p~ 38
'
10-12
17
LEICESTER, NC
HELEN, GA
''Rivercane Rendezvous" is
Eanhskills !raining, tools, and techniques
for living in the natural world. Instructors
include Snow Bear, Drury Wood, Doug
Elliott, Tammy Beane, Jim Riggs, and
Cherokee elders Walker Calhoun, Eva
Bigwitch and Eddie Bushyhead.
Pre-register: $145 includes meals. Contact
Bob Slack, Jr., Unicoi State Park, Helen,
GA 30545. (404) 878-2201.
MAY
1-3
TANASr RIDGE
Bchane (May Day) Gatbc:ring BJ
Morningstar Farm. May pole, song, dancing.
Celebrate High Spnng! For informntion and
uavcl directions, call (704) 586-3146.
1-3
ROAN MOUNTAJN, TN
34th Annual Roan Moun111m
WildOowcr Tours and Birdwalks. Con111e1 Ro:in
Moun111in Sl3le Park at (615) 7n-3303.
Fl;LL MOON /PTNK MOOS
Drawing by Rob Mel.Sick
Spr~»9. 1992
�··:KATUAH
2
WFSTF.RN NORTH CAROLINA
Clean SIJ'Callls Day will involve
coordinated clean.up in Buncombe, Madison,
Henderson and Transylvania counties. For info
and lrnShbags, contac1 Quality Forward. Soc 4/6.
MARSHALL, NC
Spoon Carving WOl'kshop is an
introduction 10 lmditional woodworking IOOls and
rcchniqoes, iaughl by Drew Langsner.
Pre-regis1cr: SISO includes meals and camping
(dormilory also available). For info on this and
other woodworking classes. conU1C1 Country
Workshops, 90 Mill Creek Road, Marshall, NC
28753. (704) 656-2280.
KONFUSION =·
Rob Messic\<.
coniact Great Smoky Mount:1ins lnslltulc at
Tremoni; Rt I, Box 700; Townsend, TN
37882.
(615) 448-6709.
JUNE
HOT SPRINGS, NC
"Taoist Medilation for Beginners" will
include instruction, group mcdiuuion, and periods
or silence. Led by Linda Gooding Md Sllaron Reif.
Pre-register: S145 includes vegan meals Md
lodging. For info on this and other retreats, conLaC1
Southern Dhnrma Rctre31 Center. RL I, Box
34-H,: H01 Springs, NC 28743. (704)622-7112.
5.7
16
FULL MOON / FLOWER
MOON
2·3
9-10
VALLEY HEAD, AL
Earth Slcills workshop with Darry
Wood. "Wilh a knife. on axe, and a saw, I can
mnke a life in lhe woods.· R~l and
undcrsianding are what allow us lO live ligh1ly
on lhe land. Hawkwind Earth Renewal
Cooperative. See 3/28-29.
14-18 CHEROKEE NF
Sou!hPAW Spring Council. Join
the region's biocentric environmental
group to plan forest rescue and !he
Kan1ah evolutionary preserve. USFS
appeals, paving moratorium, Earth skills,
non-violence training for direct action,
and more. At Jennings Creek area. For
travel directions and info, caJI (615)
543-5107 or (704) 299-0860.
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
Spring Naturalis1 Wccl(cnd is a chance
lO lewn about the natural hisiory oflhc park
Crom local cxpertS. lnstruciors will include Dr.
Mike PellOn, Dr. Fred Alsop, and Dr. Ed
Clebsch. Pre-register: S75 includes meals Md
lodging. For info on lhis and other progrnms,
15-17
KERRSVILLE, TX
The Fifth Tunic Island Biorcgional
Congress. Bioregional people from across the
continent will gather 10 celebrate and sll':llCgi1.e
an ecoccnlric way of living. Pre-register:
$225-300 includes meals and lodging. ConlllCt:
Realistic Living; Box 140826; Dallns, TX
75214. (903) 583-8252.
17-21
The Black Mountain Festival.
Four days of great music with Goose
Creek Symphony, Norman and Nancy
Blake, Ada Korey, The Chicken Wire
Gang, Brooks Williams, songs and
stories for children wiLh Bob Rosentahl,
Ian Bruce from Scot.land, Steelorama
reggae, the Flying Mice, other
performers, and more dancers than ever
before! $65 for the duration. For more
info, call (704) 669-2456.
CHEROKEE, NC
Sieve Moon, shell engravings. and Joel
Queen, s10ne sculplUl'C and pouery, in a
two-person show at lhe Musewn of lhc Cherokee
Indian.
30
WAYNESVILLE, NC
Bead Weaving workshop: me peyote
stilCh for medicine or spirit bag weaving.
Pre-register. $30 plus materials. For info on this
and olhcr programs, conl3Ct Sl.il-Ligh1
Theosophical Retreat Center; RL I, Box 326;
Waynesville, NC 28786. (704) 452-456
/,
-
Spr~. 1992
-
'
Kaluah Province 28748
For more info: call Rob Messick a1 (704) 754-6097
PO Box 638 Leicester, NC
Regular Membership ........$10/yr.
Address
Sponsor.........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
State
Zip
FULL MOON
20
SUMMER SOLSTICE
AMONG THE TREES
Katunh Rainbow Tribe Solstice
Gathering. Somewhere in lhe national forest brothas
and sisters will gather 10 create a magical village or
love and lighL Location Md exact dates 10 be
annoWlCed. For information wriie lO HO! Newsle11er,
Box 5455; Allania. GA 30307, or call Allanta
Rainbow Light Line, (404) 662-6112.
17(?)-21
Enclosed is $::----- to give
!his effort an extra boost
12-14
MASSANETT A SPGS., VA
6th Annual National Forest
Refonn Pow Wow will include group
discussions, workshops and field trips 10
view several forest management
techniques. Pre-register: $76-122 includes
meals and lodging or campsite. Contact
Forest Reform Network; 5934 Royal Lane
(Suite 223); Dallas, TX. 75230. (214)
368-1791.
3-10, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26-27, 29-33
- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -
Ke°UA~OURNAL
Name
15
23-24
- -- -- - -- -- - - -- -- - --- - --- -- - --
City
JOHNSON CITY, TN
"Places and the Displaced" is drama
inspired by lhe quinccntcnninl of Columbus's
voyage, written and performed by The Road
Company. Box 5278, Johnson City, 1N 37603.
(615)926-7726.
22-25 BLACK MO UNTAIN, NC
BACK ISSUFS OFKATUAH JOURNALAVAILABLE
34
9-13
----
Back Issues;
Issue# __@ $2.50 = s.--Jssue # __@ $2.50 = $•--Issue# __@ $2.50 = s.--lssue # __@ $2.50 = $____
Issue# __@ $2.50 = $_ __
postage paid $_ __
Complete Set:
(3-10, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26-32)
postage paid @ $50.00 = $_ __
Phone Number
XA~ JournaL page 39
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 34, Spring 1992
Description
An account of the resource
The thirty-fourth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on sustainable agriculture and regional diet. Authors and artists in this issue include: Joe Hollis, Hugh Lovel, Ralph Garrett, Peter Bane, Perry Eury, Allison C. Sutherland, Bear With Runs, Mark Schonbeck, John Ingress, Lee Barnes, Charlotte Homsher, Rob Messick, David Wheeler, Emmett Greendigger, Michael Thompson, James Rhea, Dawn Shiner, Troy Setzler, Erbin Crow, Caroline Rowe Martens, and Susan Adam. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1992
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Paradise Gardening by Joe Hollis.......3<br /><br />Community Sponsored Agriculture by Hugh Lovel.......5<br /><br />"If You Didn't Grow It..." by Ralph Garrett.......7<br /><br />Eating Close to Home by Peter Bane.......9<br /><br />Silas McDowell's Vision by Perry Eury.......11<br /><br />Poems by Allison C. Sutherland.......12<br /><br />Native Foods by Bear with Runs.......13<br /><br />Cover Crops by Mark Schonbeck.......15<br /><br />Plan for Tomorrow: Hemp by John Ingress.......17<br /><br />Katúah Cultivars by Lee Barnes.......18<br /><br />Blowing in the Wind by Charlotte Homsher.......19<br /><br />The Web of Life: A Katúah Almanac by Lee Barnes and Rob Messick.......20<br /><br />Good Medicine.......22<br /><br />Natural World News.......24<br /><br />"Whose Rules?" by David Wheeler.......26<br /><br />Big Ivy by Emmett Greendigger and David Wheeler.......27<br /><br />Drumming.......28<br /><br />Saving Wild Seeds by Lee Barnes.......29<br /><br />Resources.......31<br /><br />Review: "Apple Pie in Your Face".......34<br /><br />Webworking.......37<br /><br />Events.......38<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable agriculture--Appalachian Region, Southern
Appalachians (People)--Social life and customs--History
Community-supported agriculture--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cherokee Indians--Social life and customs--History
Cover crops--Appalachian Region, Southern
Permaculture--Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Agriculture
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Black Bears
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Community
Ecological Peril
Economic Alternatives
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Good Medicine
Habitat
Health
Katúah
Permaculture
Pigeon River
Plants and Herbs
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Stories
Turtle Island
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance
Wilderness
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/501565e7337d54952a1f1a4f817e1d07.pdf
e2930310495291405c931b80c288e056
PDF Text
Text
$ 2.00
ISSUE 35 SUMMER 1992
..:··.:·'.
..
.... ··
······· ...... ....... ·..·······
·-·-:.···········
····,.
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··..··,.
�Drawing by Rob Messick
~UAHJOURNAL
PO Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 287 48
Postage Paid
Bulk Mall
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
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Printed on recycled papcT
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
�eoNrENTs0
Consensus........................
1
by Caroline Estes
Decision-Making Process....... 4
by Joyce Johnson
Problems with Consensus...... 5
by Rob Messick
Tribal Council....................
6
by Bear With Runs
Elda................................
9
by Lucinda Flodin
The State of Franklin............
11
by David Wheeler
Where the Trees Outnumber
the People....................
14
by Stephen Wing
In Council with All Beings..... 16
by Lee Barnes
Steve Moon:
Shell Engravings............
17
Good Medicine...................
18
Natural World News............
20
A Look Back.....................
23
by caroline Estes
by Will Ashe Bason
Are Bioregions Too Big? ....... 24
by Rob Messick
Practices for Full Self- Rule... 25
by Clear Marks
Drumming........................
26
Jury Nullification................
28
by Karen Fletcher
Review:
Beyond the limits...............
29
by Rob Messick
Events.............................
32
Webworking.....................
34
Summer, 1992
Consensus is based on the belief that
each person has some pan of the truth and no
one has all of it (no matter how mui::h we
would like to believe so) and on a respect for
all persons involved in the decision that is
being considered. ln our present-day society
the governing idea is that we can trust no
one, and therefore we must protect ourselves
if we are to have any security in our
decisions. The most we will be willing to do
is compromise. This means we are willing to
settle for less than the very best - and !hat we
will always have a sense of dissatisfaction
with any of our decisions unless we can
somehow maneuver others involved in the
process. This leads to a skewing of honesty
and fonhrighmess in our relationships.
In the consensus process, we start from
a different basis. The assumption is that we
are all truscwollhy (or at least can become
so). The process allows each person
complete power over the group. The central
idea for the Quakers was the complete
elimination of majorities and minorities. If
there were differences of view at a Quaker
meeting, as there were likely to be in such a
body, the consideration of the question at
issue would proceed, with long periods of
solemn hush and meditation, until slowly the
lines of thought drew together toward a point
of unity. Then the clerk would frame a
minute of conclusion, expressing the "sense
of the meeting."
Built into the consensual process is the
belief that all persons have some part of the
truth, or what in spiritual terms might be
called "some part of God," in them. and that
we will reach a better decision by putting all
of the pieces of the truth together before
proceeding. There are indeed limes when it
appears that two pieces of the truth arc in ·
contradiction to each other, but with clear
thinking and auention. the whole may be
perceived which includes both pieces, or
many pieces. The either/or type of argument
does not advance this process. Instead, the
process is a search for the very best solution
to whatever is the problem. That does not
mean that there is never room for error - but
on the whole, in my experience, it is rare.
This process also makes a direct
application of the idea that all persons are
equal. If we do indeed trust one another and
do believe that we a!J have pans of the truth,
then ac any time one person may know more
or have access to more information • but at
another time, others may know more or have
more access or bett.cr understanding. Even
when we have all the facts before us, it may
be the spirit that is lacking and comes forth
from another who secs the whole better than
any of the persons who have some of the
pans. All of these contributions are
impo11ant.
Decisions which all have helped shape
and in which all can feel united make the
canying out of the necessary action go
Oraw111g by Rob Messick
(contirwed on page 3)
Xatimh Journat page 1
�~UAHJOURNAL
EDITORIAL STAPH TIHS
ISSUE:
Maria Abbruzzi
Lee Barnes
Heather Blair
Chris Davis
Judith Hallock
Charlotte Homsher
Willow Johnson, lheQuwcctor
Thanks to Jim
Rob Messick
Nancy Odell
Michael Red Fox
James Rhea
Rodney Webb
David Wheeler
Houser for inspiring the "Councils" theme for this issue.
COVER: by Rob Messick ©1992
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
PUBLISHED BY: Karuah Journal
Here,
in the Katuah Province
of these ancient Appalachian mountains
where once the Cherokee Nation lived in freedom
between the Tennessee River Valley and the Eastern Piedmont
between the Valley of the Roanoke and the Southern Plain
on this Tunle Island continent of Mother Ela, the Earth
PRTNTED BY: The Waynesville Moumaineer Press
EDITOR JAL OFFICE TI TTS ISSUE: Billy Home and Gardens,
Asheville, NC
WRITE US AT: Kattwh Journal
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province 28748
Here,
In this place we dedicate ourselves to remembering our deep
connection to the spirit of the land.
We bring this connection into the being and the doing of
our daily lives
When the land spealcs, we listen and we act
We tune our lives 10 the changes, to the seasons
We respect the limits of the land
We preserve, defend, and restore lhe land
We give !hanks for all that is good
TELEPHONE: (704) 754-6097
Diversity is an important clement of bioreg,onnl ecology, both runuml
and social. In accord with this principle Karuah Journal irics to serve as a
forum for the discussion of regional isrucs. Signed articles express only the
opinion of the authors and arc not necessarily the opinions of the Katuah
Jounial ediun or staff.
The Internal Revenue Service has declared Katuah Journal a non-profit
organiuition under section 501 (c)(3) of the lntemnl Revenue Code. All
contributions to Katuah Journal arc deductible from personal income lllX.
Ham1ony with the land is no longer an ideal; it is an imperative.
The land is a living being. She is sacred.
As the land lives, so do we.
As the spirit of the land is diminished,
our spirits are diminished as well.
Articles appearing in KaJuahJournal may be reprinted in other
publications with pcnnission from lhc Katuah Journal struT. Contact the
journal in writing or call (704) 754-6097.
Kattwh Joturwl sends a voice...
with anicles, stories, poems, and artwork
we speak to the spirit of all the living, breathing
inhabitants of these mountains
in hopes that we, lhe human beings,
may find our place in this Great Life.
'LN VOCA.TLON
-
Empowering the Cowu:il Feather
Great Spirit,
Divine Mother,
we know this feather
came to us from you,
we know it's first purpose
in lhe Oeation is to fly empower it
so !hat each of us
who talces it in tum
may look down as the great eagle
circling over our Council,
empower us
so that each may speak
as the wind speaks
from our own comer of lhe Creation,
looking down over the long shoulder
of the horizon
The Editors
KATUAH JOURNAL wants to communicate your thoughts
andfeelings to other people in the bioregional province. Send
them to us as letters, poems, stories, articles, drawings. or
plwtographs, etc. Please send your comriburions 10 us a1: Katuah
Journal; P.O. Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kan,ah Province 28748.
OUR NEXT ISSUE will be about the role of wood in lhe
life of the mountains. Please send anicles evaluating the present
timber industry. logging stories. and visions of ecological and
sustainable ways to cut and use wood. Please also send pictures
and drawings of trees. wood, and woodworkers. Deadline is
August 8th 1992.
- Stephen Wing/
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THE WINTER ISSUE will be an assortment including
stories for good winter reading and possibly renewable energy
systems. Deadline is October, 30th 1992.
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forward wiLh more efficiency, power, and
smoothness. This applies L persons,
o
communities, a.nd naLions. Given the
enonnous issues and problems before us, we
need LO use the ways thaL will best enable us
to move forward Logether.
The above is an ucerpt/rom an essay in
Home: A Bioregional Reader, tdittd by Van Andruss,
Christopher and Judith Plant, and Eleanor Wright
(New Society Publishers, 1990). (First printed in
The New Catalys1, 1tJ. Spring. 1986)
Speaking with
CAROLINE ESTES:
A Phone InLerview - May, 1992
Kanwh: When you are faciliLating, how
do you see yourself acting in the group?
CE: As a servant LO the group; to help
them come 10 the best decision they can make
wiLh those present.
Katlltlh: And 10 do that you have to be
assiduously neutral.
CE: That's right.
Katuah: But it also goes beyond that,
because when you are working at the
Bioregional Congress, I feel you are putting
out a lot of energy to...cemer yourself
spiritually, could you say that?
CE: Yes, you could say that. The way I
put it is that when I am doing consensusmaking facilitation r try to keep myself as a
clear stream. I am noL impeding; I have
nothing in me that is directing. and yet l am
there, in the spiritual sense, LO be as much
help as l can possibly be.
Ninety percent of facilitation is
knowing your group on that level. Only te n
percent of iL is knowing the subject matter
and understanding the words and all of Lhat.
MosL of what you are working wiLh is totally
subjective and understanding the "vibes." l
don't have all the new age tenninology
down, but it's definitely true that as a
facilitator of large groups. you have to be in
tune with the group. If you're not, don'L
facilitate.
Karuah: It's not a mechanistic thing at
all.
CE: Absolutely. That's the reason I get
slightly hysterical when people say anyone
can facilitate.
Katttal1: What is the most difficult job
you ever had LO facilitate?
CE: I can think of times when it didn't
work, bu1 the one thot strained the group the
most and we actually got the group Lhrough
it, was at the second Bioregional Congress at
Lake Leelanauw, Michigan when the group
tried LO pass a spirituality statement.
A resolution on spirituality was brought
before the group. Everyone was favorably
impressed and, I think, was preparing to
Sum mer, 1992
i\...)
.
adopt it, when two people who had been on
the fringe of the Congress all week moved
forward 10 say that they blocked it. That was
very hard 10 hear because they had not been
integral Lo the Congress, and yet they had
been there, and since the Congresses are
open groups they had the right 10 do this.
They were not articulate, so we could
not figure out easily what Lhey wanted or
why they were blocking it. I asked the .
patience of the group for two or three minutes
so I could dialogue with them directly, and in
doing so after a few minutes it started 10
emerge that the problem we were looking at
was the separation of church and state, which
no one up until that point had thought about.
Once that was articulated in a way that
people could understand it. a numbc!r of
people rose. including some who had been
on the commiuee, and said that they would
withdraw the statement. Others wanted 10
sign it in order to show support for it, but it
could not move forward in the group. It was
blocked.
That was one of the most di fficuh ones
in that we had a block from inarticulate
people who "'eren't integrally pan of the
group and were holding up a group decision
that until then looked like it had a "go."
l think that was the most lenmin& a
group has done on why we have blocking. h
also tested the paoence of the group the most.
It showed a lot of things. It showed that
sometimes Lhe facilitator needs 10 step in to
try to find ouL what is really going on. It also
tested the group in whether they re:illy
believed in the consensual process enough
that they allowed the time for it to happen
even when it was at the end of an incredibly
pushed day.
.
r,_
It got very emotional, but...the system
worked! We hadn't thought about that point.,
and we needed to think about it before
rushing into a decision that might have been
100 hasty.
Kattlah Whar do you think is the
imponnnce of the continental bioregional
congress doing its work by consensus?
CE: It's incredibly important. In a sense
we have been co-opted by the larger society.
Bioregionalism is now an accepted word. For
instance, California is now looking at
bioregionalism governmentally. They are
starting to look at how they could break
down the state into sub-regions, instead of
towns, cities, and counties. And part of it is,
1 think, the power that goes behind any
decision of any group that works
consensually. You just have a lot more power
behind what you say. Even if it doesn'L get
into the mass media, it intrinsically has more
power. when everybody in the group is
behind a decision.
Ka11tal1: That leads to the clincher
question: which is the most imponant., the
process or the result?
CE: (Pause) I'd say Lhe process...if
your process is flawed, your decision is
going to be flawed_
When people don't want to use
consensus it is usually because they are
attached to their position. And they are right:
if they are attached ro a position and unable to
see or allow a better position L be brought
o
Drawing by Rob Messick
(continued on next page)
Xat.uah )o"i-l'IQ[. P<J9C' ·3
�(ron11nuoo from p;,i;c 3)
resen·ations. Proposal is altered after
reservation:, are considered, or it is
accepted as is.
forth, then they can't work within a
consensus process. The resuhing position is
not going to have the ~ame power. bu! that\
what's going to happen. I understand It.
And I think that a second rea.~on that
people don't use consensus. and I really .
believe this, is that they don't understand n.
Every time I teach a course, I'm teaching it 10
people who have used consensus for years,
and they are just learning what it means.
So I think that lhose are two points that
people are blank about: they're attached 10 a
position and/or they don't know the process.
,1greement with reservation recorded -
Caroline Estes is a fo1utding member of
the i111entio11ai community Alpha Farm in the
Cascadia Bioregion of the Pacific Northwest.
She lwfacilitated al/jive Turtle Island
Bioregional Congresses held co date. People
watching her ac work are awed by her
strength and clarity. It has often been said
that the ability ofthe continental Bioregio11al
Congresses 10 operate on the basis of
consensus has been due to Caroline's ability
as a facilitator, a claim which Caroline
vigorously denies. This will soon be put 10
the test, however.for Caroline has said that
next year, when she 111rns 65 years old, she
plans to discontinue facilitating the
Bioregio,1111 Congresses and begin to actively ,,#
organize in her bioregion.
j7'
Disagreement or reservations arc
considered. Proposal is altered or is
accepted, and reservations arc recorded.
Unable 10 write - If one individual is unable to
unite with a proposal and is unwilling to
stand aside, then the chairperson must
decide whether to delay action on the
proposal or to ask the individual if he or
she would be willing to be recorded as
opposed. At the next meeting, very often.
agreement is possible after more time 10
reflect on the proposal.
Recorded by DW
CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING
PROCESS
by Joyce Johnson
Purpose: The group must have a unity of
purpose and must clarify the purpose 10 all
in the group. Everyone involved must have
a clear understanding of the group's
purpose.
Members of the Group: The group must
know and trust each other. That is essential
for trust-building.
Members must be willing to listen 10
each other with open minds.
Willingness to learn from each other;
participate in cooperative problem solving
and conflict resolution if necessary.
Members must believe in the consensus
process or be open 1 the process if
0
unfamiliar with it
Proposal: An individual or the chairperson
can phrase this for presentation co the .
group. Adequate time should be taken m
order to ensure thorough understanding of
the proposal. The proposal might not be
clear at the begiMing. It is the
responsibility of the chairperson to state the
proposal so that everyone understands it.
Responses to the proposal:
Agreement - Agreement without reservation;
consensus reached and proposal accepted.
Agreement with reservations - Proposal is
generally supported, but there are some
Xotuofl Journot page 4
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f
1
I • 1
111/l,t
Possible Decisions on Proposal:
Accepted - Consensus with full agreement
reached.
Committee discussion - More information is
needed before a decision can be reached.
Those with strong opinions should attend
this discus:;ion. Sometimes a commi11ee can
be empowered 10 act. Usually it will then
bring the proposal back 10 the whole group.
Delay decision - Group not ready to make 1h1s
decision now. Discussion tabled to later
time.
Dropped - Not enough interest at this time by
the group 10 discuss this issue.
Chairpcr~on (or "facilitator" or
"clerk"): Good guidance is very
1mponan1 10 the consensus process. A good
chairperson is very often the difference
between a meeting working well or not
working at all. There are a lot of tools that a
chairperson can learn to use, but only
experience can tell a chairperson which tool
will work best in a given situation.
issue warr.ints, cspec1ally if making a major
policy change.
•
Discipline - Ask someone to cut shon 1hc1r
comments if they arc repeating themselves
or talking too long. Can also ask someone
who has spoken on an issue to wait until
others have had a chance 10 make
comments.
Diplomacy - Chairperson must be responsible
for dealing with a chronic objector. Deal
with this person considerately. This might
be the time to say that we are aware of your
disagreement, but it seems that the sense of
the meeting is 10 accept this proposal. Be
gracious but firm.
Dialogue - Members should speak 10 the clerk
and not dialogue with each other.
Silence - Allow time 10 pause after decision
before rushing on 10 the next agenda item.
Call for silence if there is need 10 pause
when there is conflict over an issue. This
gives members a chance to think of a way
to-.ephrase a statement or to cool off if
angry.
Clearness - It is sometimes important to ask
the recording clerk to read back the decision
to make sure it is clear to everyone what
has been decided.
Clearness Process - The clerk might
ask for individuals 10 meet outside the
meeting 10 resolve conflict or misunderstanding.
Judging What Is Important - Be careful not 10
be so goal-oriented that the decision
becomes more imponant than the process.
Some decisions might need more time.
After some discussion, the chairper~on
might say, "I feel that the group is ready 10
make a decision of this proposal." If some
feel that they arc not ready, this will give
them an opportunity to say so.
The Most lmporram Role of the Chairperson
or Clerk is 10 judge the sense of the
meeting. lt is the clerk's role 10 aniculatc
the unity that he or she discovers in the
community and to facilitate the formation of
that unity.
Consensus Does not Mean Unanimil):
Consensus means reaching unity or
concorda11ce. Tt has been described as a
pianist blending complemenrary notes into a
chord. It does not mean that everyone encl~
up on the same note, but 1ha1 complementary notes are blended into a chord.
Consensus is not reaching the "lowest
common denominator." It is instead the,_#
"highest collective consciousness." fr
Rt!.fources:
Judith Webb and John Olsson, A Consensus
Dccision-Makrng Model
Miduzel J. Sheeran. Beyond t\.1ajority Ruic: Vo1clcss
Decisions in the Religious Society of Friends
Responsibilities of Chairperson:
Agenda - Put issues in order; do not leave
imponant decisions until the end. Try lo set
time limits on each agenda item. Group can
aid this process.
Frame the question or proposal with
neurrality.
Elicit comments from silent members present.
Have show of hands so that those members
won't be intimidated by more vocal
members.
Poll participa111S - Go around the circle for
comments from each member present if the
Joyce Johnson is a ml!mbcr of the Ctlo
CommUJJity and the Ctlo Fritnds Mteting. She i.r
currtnily working a.rdevt!lopmtnt coordinator for tk
Arthw Morgan School. Slrt has/ocilitated many
meetings/or the Meeting and tilt! Arthur Morgan
School and help.r the students there practice the
consen.fu:r proce:rs 01 thtir sclu,o/ meetings.
Joyce conducts workslu,ps on the con.•tnsu.f
process/or inJtrt.fted groups She may be reached
through 1hr Arthur Morgan School: 1901 /JanMh
Branch Rd.; Burnsvillt, NC 28714 (7{},I) 675-4262.
Oraw.ng by Rob M~s,ck
Sum.mer, 1992
•
. • •. ' ,'J,
�Problems with Consensus
I have finally found the major beef I
have with the Consensus Process of group
decision making. Namely il revolves around
the fact that consensus can too easily boil
down to Minority Rule, and this has a
specific way of frustrating the proceedings
wilhin a group or council. When one person
or a minority can block consensus, or in
effect decide an issue for Lhe group, then that
is Minority Rule. How does this differ from
Realms, which in truth are not councils at all
but Monarchies? The struggle in human life
between inLegrity and the corruption of power
has raged for centuries, and we have yet 10
find means of reconciling the two into a
process 1hat is both just and livable for all
concerned.
Consensus is often touted as a solution
10 the many problems of Majority Rule voting
systems, such as Congresses or Parliaments,
yet it seems co me tha1 this emphasis merely
replaces one useless fonn of council with
another. It is clear 10 me now that both
Majority Rule and Minority Rule forms of
council usually result in splintered groups. Is
there any way to maintain unity among
people or various groups in the human
family? Perhaps noL
It makes sense lo me that an oppressed
individual or group would be attracted to a
consensus form of council. Such people have
surely been under-represented in the politics
of the United States of America and
elsewhere. Thus they seek compensatioR in
small groups where they can insist that their
position be adequately represented. or in
some cases OVERLY represented.
_l d<? not think that rigid Majority Rule
or Minonry Rule systems of council will
work in the long run in human group
dynamics. I say lhis because we as a species
have nasty hisLorical habiLS of not being able
to share the power of decision making when
people's opinions crystallize. There seems to
be a much_ stronger potential for many people
10 ge1 behmd a mob, and get lost in it, than
there is for individuals to think for
Lhemselves or act on their own conscience.
Majorities have a tendency to disregard the
righls of minorities, often feeling justified in
de~9!uing those who contradict the majority
opm1on.
How then can people participate in a
form of Council that can accommodate the
multiple concerns that modem human beings
have? Scale becomes important to the
accuracy of the decisions being made.
Geographical size is also an imponant factor.
A council 1hat is too small may nol have
enough influence, yet a council that is too
large may be irrelevant l0 local concerns. The
village, which is composed of a limited
number of households, is one of the best
examples of an appropriate or workable scale
of human council. When Lhese village groups
are slable then larger councils can evolve that
involve a limited cluster of villages, such as a
county or shire.
Consensus may have worked better in
eras where villages were primary to a given
cultural way of life. The consensus process
may also have worked beuer when times
were not as complicated, or when there were
fewer decisions to be made. The
Summer, 1992
consequences of decision making in the
dislant pasl also were no1 as far reaching as
they have become in the industrial era;
wilness the existence of plutonium and
television.
It seems lo me that many small or
medium sized groups of today could benefit
from having a formal Mediator lo help guide
the process of decision making; panicularly
when difficulties emerge or when a group
becomes deadlocked. This form of mediated
debate would differ greatly from an ingrown
strain of politics that has stagnated due to a
few dominant inclividuals. Instead of
bec_o~~g compl~tel~ i_mmersed in battling
maJonues and nunonues, a good mediator or
facilitator would remind participanLS of their
common interesLS and emphasize the an of
compromise where it is appropriate.
Compromise is a learned skill that individuals
in a small or medium sized group can develop
to auempl to work out solutions 10 problems
in a wa~ 1ha1 does noL leave out any
responsible adult who wants to participate in
the decision making process. In the case of
family disputes a facilitator could assist in
clarifying the rights of children as well as the
rights of parems.
Issues of fairness in a setting where no
weapons are allowed would naturally become
an ongoing concern. A valid council would
not allow weapons a1 their proceedings. It is
clear lo me now, Lhrough a beuer
understanding of human behavior, thal there
are some approaches 10 forming council that
work beuer than others. Finding ways that
panicipants can let go of the spirit of
conquest and still be a pan of the group is
primary to working toward a successful
approach. There are cenainly no guarantees
that this process would work over time, yet
adequate spans of time seem to be necessary
to forming councils that link people at least as
much as they divide them. Most of the
politics of today are 100 rushed and
inconsistent to even begin to consider
susLainability or future generations.
Good facilitators would have the skill
of being able to suspend their judgements
enough, or be sufficiently impartial, to
mediale lhe vested interests within a given
group. A good facilitator would also be
skilled in ways of building truSt among
members of a group or council. Once such an
atmosphere of trust has been created the
various secret and obvious agendas touted by
people within the group can be identified,
slowly brought out into the open, and
confronted.
Even though solutions or decisions may
not emerge spontaneously, at leasl a good
faci.litator can provide a forum in which all
posilions are aired. Members can go away
from a meeting and contemplate the meaning
of these positions. which become imponant
lo dialogues in future meetings. Those
individuals who are most auatched to their
own agendas would probably balk the
loudest at having a facilitator or "outSidcr"
come into their group process. But, as is
often the case in human psychology, it is
those who refuse good medicine or good _
,#
council the strongcsl who need it most!
J!7'
· Rob Mes.sick
Dnwing by Rob Messick
X.Otunft Jouniat PIUJe 5
�TRIBAL COUNCIL
•
I n the center of each of the larger
Cherokee villages were the square and the
town house. In the larger villages the 1own
house was buiJ1 in10 a large earthen mound.
Seating areas were dug into the mound, so
1hat if you looked at ii from the top, without
the roof on it, it looked Like a spiral coming
up out of the ground. AI the bottom and !he
center of the spiral was the sacred fire and !he
seven poles that supported the building.
The visible walls were only four feel
high, and !he whole building was covered by
an immense thatched roof. Some of the town
houses at the major villages were enormous.
The town house at Old Echota, for example,
had 900 poles. Many of !hem were 18"
through. A lot of them were locus1. They
used the seven-pole construction all the way
around and made 1he building very strong.
But not every village had a town house.
The smaller villages used the square for !heir
mee1ing place. There would be seven arbors,
traditionally called ''beds," arranged around
the square, one for each of the clans. Four of
!he beds were localed at the cardinal poinis,
and !he others were loca1ed around 1hem.
During meetings, all 1he members of the clan
sat in their clan bed.
In each village there were people who
spen1 a lot of lime at the town house, in the
square, or n1 1he chunky (a popular gambling
game - ed.) grounds, which were locaied just
to the side of 1he town house. The old men,
in particular, spent a good deal of 1heir time
there just talking. Thus, 1here was an
ongoing meeting around the town house that
was happening more or less all 1he 1ime.
Sometimes the meeting got mor..: intense
when everybody came to the 1own house to
talk about some mauer of importance to the
village, bu1 01her times ii was just the old
men continually discussing the village affairs.
When the whole council met, the
meetings became more fonnal. Twelve of the
elders sat around the sacred fire at the center
of the town house. (In the smaller villages
there was one representative from each clan.}
The rest of the people of the viJJ~ge sat in the
seats by clans.
One member of the council represented
"The Unborn Yet To Be," and spoke for their
poin1 of view. II was important 10 the council
tha1 in decision-making The Unborn Yet To
Be were always taken into account. They
don'1 do that any more. I wish 1hey would.
They would talk about problems the
village faced, like a bad com crop that year
or another village which was requesting theuhelp to make war on the Creeks.
Consensus was the way decisions were
made. The old people in the center spoke
first They did not give commands. They
would make suggestions based on their
wisdom. And oflen the people would follow
that wisdom Part of their wisdom was taking
into accoun1 the Unborn Yet To Be.
Anyone could speak in the council, but
it was done respectfully. The old people
spoke firsi, 1hen the 01her people could
speak. They had to wait until 1he conversation at the center was done, then they would
Xati1nh Jo;ucnnfriP'-90i•i111X
stand and wait to be recognized by one of the
elders in the middle. They didn't scream or
wave 1heir arms, they jus1 stood 10 be
recognized. Women could speak in the
council. Even a child could speak. Everyone
had a right to speak their heart.
Once I was privileged to sit at the
ceremonial grounds wilh a group of old
Cherokee men in Oklahoma while they talked
about a problem in their village. l saw an
example of how lhe old tribal councils made
decisions by consensus.
There were 12 or 15 old men in the
group. The younges1 one, besides myself,
was about 73. These were the people who
used the Council House. They 100k into
consideration The Unborn Yet To Be.
The problem ai 1he time was not really
clear to me, bu1 I remember tha1 everybody
spoke. They sinned off with the younges1
man and went around the circle, each man
speaking his piece and saying wha1 he had 10
say.
It wasn'1 a "meeting" the way whi1e
people run a meeting. They didn'1 hammer
out a decision. In fact, 1hey did not come to
any specific conclusion a1 all. If any white
people had been presen1, 1hey would not have
known tha1 a meeting was taking place at all.
To a white person ii would have appeared
1hat some old men were silting in a circle
talking casually about a mauer of common
concern.
They just talked aboul it. Each of them
spoke abou1 the problem from his own point
of view. The world tru1h among these people
was the same, so they already shared a broad
agreement By 1he time they went around the
circle the silua1ion was so clear from every
angle tha1 the answer was obvious. and the
old men just got up and lef1. There was a
consensus. It was all over. It was decided.
I fell very fonuna1e 10 ge1 a glimpse of
something that rarely happens anymore,
With 1he advice of the elders, the
council chose the chiefs, called uku's, for
the village. There were two chiefs: a peace
uku and a war uku. A person was chosen as
an uku because he had a lot of personal
integri1y and made good decisions. He was a
person the people chose to follow and also a
role model for the young people. A chief held
his position until he made l01s of mistakes,
and the people would choose 10 follow
someone else. But if he made wise decisions,
he could be chief for life.
The war chief was probably the mos1
popular person in 1he village, bu1 he was also
the mos1 vulnerable. ff he used bad
judgmen1, his mistakes could cost many
lives, and his career would be ended.
The chief was a leader, bu, he did not
tell people what to do. h was no1 like "OK,
we'll all go 10 war 1oday," or "Everybody go
pick com." Like the elders, a chief could
only make suggestions. White people do not
know anything about democracy and freedom
until they know 1he way tha1 the native
culture worked.
by Bear With Runs
Another important person chosen by the
council was 1he Beloved Woman. She was
chosen for the same reason as an uku: 1ha1
her character, as a woman, was highly
regarded by the men and women of the
village. Like an 11Jr.u, she would have to show
in1eg:ity and personal power. At one time
every village had a Beloved Woman, un1il
after a 101 of white influence there came 10 be
only one Beloved Woman for the whole
tribe.
The Beloved Woman could no1 start a
war, but she could stop one. She decided
what happened 10 captives. She spoke up
when !he village was lllinking about moving
i1s location, and she had a say on 1rea1ies.
Other women came to her frequently for
spiritual advice and help with everyday
mauers.
The Cherokee are called a nation, bu1
the word "nation," in the Western sense of
the word, does not explain how the people
saw rhemselves. They saw themselves as
"The Human Beings" or "The People." In the
early days of white contac1, the "nation" was
only a very loose federation of individual
villages. Each village was a power 10 i1self
and could follow i1s own hean to a great
extent.
The tnbe had red villages (war villages)
and while villages (peace villages}, and there
were also special sanctuary villages. A
person 'Yho committed a crime of passion in
his own village could find safety if he could
gel to a sanctuary village before being caught.
He could s1ay in the sanctuary village without
being molested by anybody until the
following Green Corn Ceremony, when
judgments were decided, and compensations
were paid. People would have to make
retribution for mistakes they had made. They
might pay in com, or sometimes a person
would indenture himself for a time of service
to make retribution.
The sanc1uary villages and the "cooling
off period" were probably good ideas,
because they allowed people's personal
passions to wane somewhat, and judgments
were made out of reason instead of hot anger.
The Katuah village was a sanctuary.
and also 1he Nikwasi village in Franklin,
North Carolina. I believe tha1 the seven
oldest, "mother" vilJages of the Cherokee
were sanc1uary villages, although I am not
sure of the status of Echota. There were a lot
of warriors based 1here in la1er times.
While the villages were self-determining political unilS, it was the shared
ceremonies, lifestyles, customs, and world
view that kept the tribe together. And there
was also the influence of 1he clans. There
were seven clans in the Cherokee tribe
(ahhough a long time ago there were 14).
PeOple were born in10 their mother's clan,
and tha1 was 1heir clan for life. The women
kepi crack of the lineages.
Each clan had its own rules and i1s own
taboos. The clans 100k care of 1heir own
(tonhnucd on P•&c 8)
Suni'ttttr, 11992 "" ,
�•
DnWllli by James Rhea
�(continued from p;,gc 6)
members. They specialized life within the
villages somewha1 and k:PI people ~rom
marrying too close 10 theLr own family. A
person could not marry within the same clan.
Incest of any sort, eilher biological incest or
clan incest, was lhe worst crime a person
could commit The clan system kept out
inbreeding. It also helped 10 govern lhings.
Besides lhe family cornfields and lhe
communal aibaJ cornfields, each clan would
also have large clan cornfields. Any excess
com from lhese fields would be given to the
old and the elderly of that clan, if their
families could nor provide for them.
The clans also had somewhat dlfferem
functions. The Wolf Clan was the warrior
clan - the military and the police if that
function was needed. The Wild Poiato Clan
was more into agriculture. The Paints were
interested in crafts. And the Bird Clan was
probably hunters - birds, deer. Each clan had
different rules and different taboos,
depending on their function in lhe
community.
While the clan system did serve to
sepanue things and provi_de some stru~rure
within the village, on a different level tt also
served 10 hold the tribe together as a whole.
Clan members were obligated to care
for each other. This was the basic rule of the
clans. A traveler could go 10 a small outpost
village up in Kcnrucky that he had never seen
before and could find clan relatives who
would take him in and care for him. lt held
the people together. Even though the dialect
they spoke might be different, they would
still be clan relatives. They would still be
Cherokee.
And 1hen there was clan justice. This is
often misunderstood. Any time the rights or
person of a clan member were viol~ted, then
everybody else in that clan was obligated to
make swe retribution was paid for the cnme.
For instance, if someone murdered a member
of another clan, all the other members of that
Xotimfl 1 ~ n l:1,.\ 'hll(Je 8 •
101m,nt ,f
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1,t I ~·1~,1...,
(I i,1111 'lnn:mol 1lrilll \
clan helped 10 hunt that perso~ down and take
his life in return. If the offending person ran
to a sanctuary village. he could stay there, but
if lhe clan members caught him first, it was
au over.
This was not revenge. This was the
clan being responsible for its members based on our reality. The clans kept a balance
between each other. That kept a balance
wilhin the whole aibe.
group - but at the same time they were ~iven
tremendous freedom. There were areas m
which an indjviduttl could get glory and
personal recognition. Someone who was a
great hunter was revered. and a gOO?
provider was sought af1er by the lad1~s.
There was glory for the young males 1n
warfare.
However, if someone did not conduct
him- or herself properly, they did not receive
any approval. People would just ignore them.
In most cases, their behavior would be
modified in a very short time. Native people
wanted at all cost 10 avoid losing face and
being shamed. Depriving someone of
attention or ridiculing him or her was a
powerful way 10 get a deviant person back
into accord with the group.
The ultimate threat of force was
banishment from the village. An action that
serious was carried out by the whole village
council, because it required the support of the
whole community. In that situation,
somebody was put 0111 of the circle instead of
into a jail or prison. The idea of cagin_ up
g
somebody's spirit was a totally alien idea.
The purpose of this village justice was
not 10 punish people, but tO change them.
The Cherokee did believe in vengeance, but
only against other aibes. fn the whi~e.
people's system, people who caus<: mJury are
punished. They are made to suffer m an equal
amount to the harm they have caused - either
by years of imprisonment or by ouaight
execution.
The dominant culture of today is
actually a lot of confused culrural biases
which share very little consensus as to what
is true culture. Within our culture it was
clear. There wasn't anything else. It was
either this or nothing. If you didn't belong. it
was terrible. The urge to belong was so
str0ng, it governed the people's actions.
Our consensus was based on a world
view that was shared throughout the whole
aibe. Because of that the Cherokee needed no
couns, lawyers, judges, or prisons.
We had very few laws. They were
mostly just rational, reasonable rules.based
on observation. There was a law agamst
urinating in the river. There was a Jaw against
defecating around the village. There was a
law against talcing 100 many deer, because
everybody knew thar if they killed too many
deer, there would not be any left the next
year. There were clear and obvious reasons
for laws like that They were based on
common sense rules that nature laid down in
front of us.
One of the biggest barriers between us
and the white people was that we did not
have any concept of privare property.
•
Possession meant that "when you were there
it was yours." But the white people did a
good job of teaching us differently.
The word "fndian-giver" came from the
fact that a white man would give some
Indians a load or goods for their piece of
land and the next day the Indians would be
back. The Indians had not realized they ~ad
sold their land. They had never had any idea
of owning it! They took the presents because
it would be rude to refuse gifts of friendship.
It is hard for white people to understand
our ways and how they worked, because
they do not understand how the old
Cherokees related 10 the aibe. The old culture
was holistic. The tribe was the whole, and
the loyalty toward the whole was very
strong. The desire to contribute to the whole
and to move evenly with the rest of the group
was ingrained by many generations of
cultural reinforcement ll was so much a part
of the culture that it was quite abnonnal to ~
an individual. Cooperation was t~e governing
force within the community, and m the old
days, before we were too muc~ influenced by
the whites. our personal integnty meant a lot
more 10 us.
People were rewnrcted for their
cooperation by approval and love from the
In the Cherokee aibe, spiritual life was
not split a pan from the political l!fe of the
village. It was always there. but It was not
recognized as something separate. Because of
the emphasis on character and personal
integrity, the elders tended to be te~chers and
spiritual leaders as well as leaders m the
council.
At one time there was a religion and a
priest society in the Cherokee aibe. I ~ave
heard stories about this from several different
sources. My own thinking is that in !he
tribe's early history when we first migrated
south, we encountered the late stages of the
deteriorating Mississippian culture. The
Mississippian culture "."as ~ on M_ayan
and Aztec beliefs. Tht1r pracoces, beliefs,
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(Continued on page 30)
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�O,.wing by Rob Messick
© 1992
by Lucinda Flodin
Maybe she's the reason I came to live
in the mountains. I know she's the reason I
swp when I'm near that panicular place.
Sometimes I stop nowhere near that place
because the feeling comes over me, and I
stop. After all this time I still fookfor Elda ...
In 1974 I spent the summer with
friends in Limestone, Tennessee, recovering
from a shattered romance. I would sit on the
porch watching the mountains, but more
often I would drive to the mountains and hike
through long afternoons. On one of these
hikes I became absorbed in following a liule
stream and lost track or time. When r stopped
to rest, I realized that it was getting late.
Night came quickly in the forest and I
found myself unable to negotiate the path, I
finally stopped in a small clearing only to
realize that r was now losr. Around me were
trees and darkness and ever-increasing fear.
A sound sent me into total panic. I had
visions of bears and mountain lions and
snakes and bugs! l tried 10 get a grip. I
smacked a mosquito who was definitely out
for blood. My hean started pounding wildly.
I'd probably have a heart auack before a bear
could even find me.
I was hungry ... so thirsty... but there
was no food anywhere... not a bite 10 be
found! I leaned over to drink from the
stream, but I had no idea where I was or
what the origin of the water was. I knew I
shouldn't drink any water in the wild unless I
was at a spring head. How thirsty I was and I
couldn't even drink the water!
1 sat and cried - no, yelled - at the trees
around me about the unfairness or it all.
Finally I ran out of energy and sat down. Just
then the.moon came shimmering through the
su-mmcr, 1992
ELDA
trees, and I rudn't feel so alone. As I looked
across the clearing, it seemed that if I just
walked around the big tree in front of me, I
could get a clear view of the moon's face. As
I pushed away the low branches to duck
around the tree, the Earth s11dde11/y fell away
beneath me.
There was nothing gradual about this
moment. One second I was on the ground,
the next I was in space - learning gravity as
I'd never learned it before - tumbling, falling,
rolling. It happened so quickly I had no time
10 fear as I bounced through bush and briar. I
tried 10 clutch the Earth, but I wasn't sure
where it was - sometimes above me,
sometimes below, pounding at me wherever
we met. Eternity was caught in a single
moment. Would it ever stop?
At last I became more of the eanh than
the sky, and I rolled into a resiing spot in a
patch or briars. Pain and eanh grJbbcd me
back from space. My last thought was
wondering if the spinning would ever
cease ...
Warm sunlight on my face, my bed felt
so good. The dream had been so real. I'd
never dreamt so vividly. I decided to grab the
journal at my bedstand and write it down .
before the memory faded. It was the reaching
for this journal that brought abrupt physical
pain.
I tried to open my eyes. How I hurt!
Oh, no! This wasn't my bed! This wasn't a
dream! Hope crashing, I opened my eyes to
the canopy of young tree growth above me. It
hun to look ouL lt hun to breathe. The
thought of moving hurt. Maybe I was dead.
lf not. I surely would be soon. A tear burned
down my face. I could feel my fingers. l
could feel my toes. Pain filled them all and
soon a strange sleep enveloped me.
A sense of not being alone brought me
back 10 consciousness. Was this the
mountain lion I'd feared? As l tried to move,
pain seared through my body. A voice like
music. or was it the wind through the trees,
said, "Don't move, young one, and don't be
afraid. I won't hurt you."
As I struggled tO tum toward the
sound, r felt movement around me until a
woman came into my sighL First I saw her
hands, veined like the gnarly roots of an oak,
yet wonderfuJJy supple. My eyes moved up
to a face which surprised me with itS
ancientness; somehow it didn't match those
capable hands. The face was an intricate mnzc
of lines and wrinkles - there were no flat
planes. Then our eyes met and I felt myself
falling int0 an ocean of blue clarity. Never
had I experienced eyes like those - clearer,
yet deeper, than a child's. Suddenly those
eyes and her whole incredible face broke into
a smile with more facets than a prism in
sunlighL And that music - no, it was her
voice. "You arc amazed, young one. Good,
that amazement will help you to heal
yourself."
"Are you an angel? Am I dead?"
Again that smile, followed by a laugh
that would have made me laugh, too, except
for how much it would have hun.
"No, young one. I walk an Eanh path.
Some call me Elda. I answered your
frightened call in the moonlighL"
I realiz.ed that I no longer was lying in
briars. Hadn't I landed in briars? My eye
caught a thiclcet of them a little way from
when: I lay.
(continued on ow page)
)(.Qtimh JoUf'tlat PQIJI'- 9
�(CQitinued f'rom pego 9)
"Briars don't make for sweet dreams;
soft pine needles and grass make for more
comfon. You'll rest easy in this baby forest,
and the Eanh will help your healing. You
have strong bones, none are broken. Your
muscles are strained. Only a few of your cuts
are deep. This gash is deep for it bleeds stil1,
but it has bled enough. Feel it closing and
healing in your thoughts, little one."
She reached into a pouch at her side and
took a pinch of some powder and blew it into
the CUI.
"What's that stuff?"
"A pinch of puffball to stop the blood.
It has bled enough now. You are curious?
That is good. I like curiosity. I will teJJ you
of the plants."
I grew anxious at all these answers to
unasked, sometimes uninfonned questions.
"And you are afraid. Are you always
afraid, little one? Breathe or hum a song. It
will help."
She took a bowl -1 think it was a bowl,
though it may have been a hollowed-out tree
gnarl - and with a feathery leaf began to wash
my cuts.
"This is yarrow, cooked in water in the
sunlight. It will numb your pain and let us
work on your injuries."
As she gently washed them. I could feel
the pain numbing, lessening.
"Th.is will allow us to bathe them
again."
With the numbness, I was able to move
to see myself. Everywhere I could see my
skin, it was covered like a roadmap with
scratches. The skin around the scratches was
deepening as bruises formed. I wanted to
throw up, but that would have required
movement.
"Skin mends, young one."
"I'm not that young, and my name is
Lucinda."
"To me you are very young, Lucinda."
As I looked at her ancientness, f felt
silly at having snapped at her.
Throughout the day as I moved in and
out of sleep. I felt her near me. Her words
wafted through my consciousness as she
washed my legs with chickweed, little star
woman, comfrey, burdock, more yarrow.
She helped me sip red clover from a bowl. It
all was like a confused dream. Sometimes r
would hear her talking. Actually, it seemed
that she was having two-way conversations
with the plants. / must be mad' And then I'd
doze again.
"Are you magic?" I asked in a moment
of lucidity.
"No, child... Lucinda. I am a child of
the Earth, like yourself. I've tended this
forest garden, and it has tended me, for
longer than 1 can even remember. We take
care of each other."
At dusk, a drink with a strong taste...
"Skullcap, 10 mke the pain for a deeper
sleep."
I did sleep - deeply - and without fear. I
could hear her voice as I drifted.
"You are safe under the trees, on the
Eanh, with the stars. Sleep sweetly. Dream
wellness."
I awoke to the twittering of birds. I stiU
hun, but I could move. Again I wondered a1
~~~ J?~~~. p~!Z ,10
~e.reality of Elda. then she stepped into my
v1s1on. Yes, she was really here. It was like
she was invisible one moment and there the
nexL Yet I knew she had really been there.
She was real. I was overcome by the wisdom
I sensed in her presence.
"Today you might feel hungry. I've
brought you food."
She opened a giant leaf which I later
learned was burdock filled with violets,
clover blossoms and sweet-tasting leaves and
berries. She would name them.
"It's so much. I'll never remember
them."
"You don't learn them all at once, dear
one. You learn one plant at a time. Each is
your teacher."
I contemed myself with the
nourishment I felt pervading my body. AU
that day Elda fed me and I told her of my
journey. She only laughed when 1 got to the
part of being so hungry and so far from food.
She found that delightfully funny, and I felt
foolish. But then r looked around, and I, too,
was struck with the humor of it. Somehow it
seemed that all the plants around us also
laughed, but I wouldn't swear to that.
Moving became easier as the day went
on and I was amazed at how much better all
my scratches were. Elda made a poultice (I
remember her using that word) of plantain
and elder for my bruises. I could feel the
soothing relief and the healing begin.
'Tomorrow you will be able 10 travel,"
she said as the sun was gold in the west. We
sat with a bowl of salve which tasted full and
thick as soup. "I will show you a shoner
route."
I didn't want 10 go, but suddenly I
thought of my friends, Dan and Ruby, and I
knew they must be panicking by now.
"I would like to know more about
plants, Elda."
"Well, talk to them, dear. They like to
be remembered."
I went to sleep imagining myself in
conversation with a fem and wondering
about my sani1y.
Walking down the mountain \l.ith Elda
in the morning was an adventure. It was a
completely different path, I think. I wasn't
really payiog much auention on the way. She
pointed out plants, talked to them as friends.
and treated them with re:;pect. Before I knew
it, we were at my car
She laughed, "Ah, just the friend you
need now." And she told me to pick the
sticky flowers growing around my car.
"Calendula. Make them into a tea to soothe
your wounds."
"How do I thank you, Elda?"
"You don't, dear one. You pick the
flowers and make yourself strong."
It seemed like just a moment later when
a state trOOper stanled me. I looked toward
Elda, but she was gone. My friends had
reported me missing. He had been looking
for me and had found my car.
"Did you see that woman?"
"No, miss. Just you here. No one Jives
up in these pans. I'll drive you."
I went home and healed up, though one
scar remained on my leg as a reminder of the
adventure. But 1 still thought about Elda and
wanted to see her again. Several times that
summer I returned to that area, but I could
never again find that exact spot where I had
met Elda. l asked campers and hikers, and I
stopped at every house in the area. No one
had heard of anyone sounding like Elda.
They sent me up 10 Granny Pierson
who was the oldest person around and who
reponedly became confused at rimes. We
talked. She drifted in and out of memory, a
sharp contrast to the clearity of Elda's mind.
She couldn't recollect much at first, but
finally she began, "There was this old
woman. What was here name? Something
like that, but, Lord, hooey, hit's bin since l
was a girl An old 'erb woman. She was old
when I was a child. Lord, she'd be in the
grave more'n seventy year now. J remember
her, though, but my mind's leavin' me."
My friends listened patiently, trying to
be supponive, but occasionally suggesting
that maybe I'd dreamed it. Maybe I'd made
her up to keep myself alive. I don't know.
Could I have made up the richness that
was Elda? Her wiseness? I couldn't have
made up her eyes!
Thar was sixteen years ago. I live in the
mountains now, in the same county tlwugh
miles from where I met Elda. I dan't ask
abolll her now, excepi when I meet old
people. But as I walk tliroughfields and
woods, gathering plants and learning abolll
them, Ida think of her. In fields where
flowers seem to be laughing, I sense her
presence. I feel tit.at if I could just turn more
qt~ickly, I'd see her there ware/ting me - her
wise face full oflife, giving nouris/unent. .
After all this time I still look for Elda.
#
P'
There are stories from cullurcs around the
world and from ns far back ns the Stone Ages about
lhc elderberry. UsWllly lhey involve o woman who
lives in the tree and ha~ powerful medicine 10 heal Iler
children. (I created the feminine fonn Elda for !hi.~
cho.roclCJ'.) But she con be dangerous at times when
she is not shown re,.c;pcct. Old supcn;lilions maimain
lhat cuumg elder without pennission or the plant
brings illnes,~ nnd/or death.
Lucinda Flodin lives with her family in Katuah
Province near Hampton, TN and is. among other
things, an herbalist and a Mory!Alllcr. The story "Elda"
is included oo a new audio tape cnlled Mountain
Spirits available for SI0.00 ppd. from: Lucincm
Flodin: Rt. I, Box 726; Hampton. TN 37658.
�THE STATE OF FRANKLIN
Land, Liberty... and Mastery
by David Wheeler
"A beautiful valley and the
almost boundless West lay before
them, beckoning all to adventure
themselves. The thing most worthy of
remark is the far reach and wide range
of the vision and the plans of the
people of Franklin, and the projective
power that gave them and their
descendants a very considerable
mastery of men and measures
througlwut the generations that /rave
followed."
- Samuel Cole Williams
in The Lost State of Franklin
they could hunt. They built their own log
homes, provided their own clothing, and
made their own whiskey. Work parties of
neighbors built and maintained what roads
!here were.
The presence of the tax collectors was
!he main evidence of the Norlh Carolina state
government. The settlers were poorly
represented in the state legislature. They had
to cross the mountains to find a court in
(1933)
In the years immediately following the
Revolutionary War the runnoil of the war
years continued almost unabated in the
former colonies. These were heady times the imperial power of England had been
defeated, new theories of government were
materializing, and a new continent lay open
for the taking. In !he new nation, talk of
politics was on everyone's lips, and "libeny"
was the watchword. But in the minds of
many people was the thought of land - land to
be the material basis for their hard-won right
to "the pursuit of happiness."
In spite of such lofty hopes and dreams
among the European settlers, however, the
new country was in a shambles. The
government of the State of North Carolina, in
particular, was pauperized. The war had
taken a heavy toll on !he personal resources
of the former colonists, and !here had been
much destruction and ill-feeling. The central
government was weak: and in debt for
promises made during the pressing struggle
for independence. By its original charter, the
jurisdiction of North Carolina extended west
10 the sea, but under the prevailing conditions
it was lit lie wonder that those closest to the
capital at Hillsborough received the most
attention.
The mountains of the Blue Ridge were
still a formidable barrier at that time. Settlers
following the Great Valley of !he Tennessee
River had established a bastion in what is
now the northeast comer of Tennessee.
During the war they had shown themselves to
be stalwan pattiotS, pro<ecting North
Carolina's rear from hostile attacks by the
Cherokee and Chiclcasaw tribes and turning
the tide of the war in the South by surging
over the mountains to play a decisive role in
the battle of Kings Mountain,
But now, not only were the wartime
claims of these soldiers being ignored, but
Nonh Carolina was levying heavy taxes on
au its citizens to rebuild itS shattered
infrastructure and restore its government. To
the settlers in the west, this was blatant
"taxation without representation" - just what
they had fought 10 end!
This feeling was justified. The lands
west of the mountains were self-supponing,
living off the crops they raised and the game
summer, 1092
which to setlle their differences. Although
constantly threatened by hostile natives, their
state government would send no ll'OOpS
across the mountains for their protection.
But the worst blow came in 1783. In
order to capitalize its recovery, the State of
North Carolina passed a law offering land
west of the mountains for sale to setllers and
speculators. The bill put up for sale the land
from 20 miles south of the town of
Jonesborough 10 the French Broad and the
Big Pigeon Rivers, conveniently ignoring the
fact that this land had been guaranteed to the
Cherokee in the Avery Treaty of 1777.
This made the natives understandably
restless, and in 1784, largely to avoid the
expense of sending a military force to defend
the western settlers from angry Cherokees,
North Carolina passed a bill giving up its
claim to the lands west of the mountains and
ceding !hem to the newly-formed national
Confederation Congress.
Congress was too weak and 100 far
away to protect the settlers over the
mountains. Nonh Carolina had reneged on
the task. The seulers were used to protecting
and providing for themselves. A decade
before, earlier settlers had even established
the Watauga Association, the first "free and
independent community on the continent," in
the words of Theodore Roosevelt On August
23, 1784 delegates from the counties west of
the Blue Ridge gathered and declared their
area a free and independent state.
Their declaration was immediately
challenged. Norlh Carolinians were surprised
and angered at this tum of events, and when
a new legislature convened that autumn,
North Carolina rescinded the C.ession Act and
restated itS cl.aim to the western lands.
It was a vain attempt. On December 14,
1784 a second convention at Jonesborough
decided to name the new state after Benjamin
Franklin and set about the work of drawing
up a constitution. The following March, that
work was continued, and John Sevier was
elected governor of the State of Franklin and
David Campbell was chosen as its chief
justice and given the task of setting up a court
system.
John Sevier (pronounced se-VEER)
had been at first reluctant 10 become involved
with the movement for independence, but
from 1784 he was a moving force in the
history of the State of Franklin. By all
accounts he was brave, charming, and
handsome · a charismatic leader. He was a
hero of the battle of Kings Mountain and was
a renowned "lndian fighter."
Instinctively, Sevier was a consummate
politician. He knew the value of diplomacy
and the power of force. In his dealings wilh
whites he could use a winning smile and
charming words to win his way; with the
native people he was rulhlessly violent
Although he was educated and
articulate, Sevier's strongest support was
always among the rough settlers on the
frontiers of the whites' territory. These were
his comrades in arms, the mythologized
pioneers. It was moslly from these people
that Sevier drew the militia for his campaigns
against the natives. The backwoods whites
loved and trusted Sevier. They counted on
him for their defense, and he never let them
down.
For three years Sevier led the State of
Franklin. In that turbulent era the exact
powers and role of a state was unclear.
Whether the states were to be
semi-autonomous republics or divisions of a
strong central government was as yet
undecided. One thing was certain: "Liberty,"
meaning self-government, was the overriding
ideal. During the three years that the State of
Franklin existed, it set up its own
govemrncntal scructure, electing delegates
and appointing commissioners. It established
a judiciary; minted coins; provided for
schools; and, of course, designed a "great
seal" and a flag. The frontiersmen were
already organized as a de/aero militia, but
that arrangement was officializcd. The State
also began collecting taxes - frontier Style.
"Be it enacted," decreed the state's first
General Assembly, "that it shall and may be
lawful for the aforesaid land tax, and all free
polls, to be paid in the following manner:
Good flax linen,... woolen and cotton
linsey,...good, clean beaver skins,...cased
otter sk.ins, ... rackoon (sic) and fox
skins, ... bacon, well curcd,...good, clean
tallow,...good, clean beeswax,... good
distilled rye whiskey,...good peach or apple
brandy,...good, country made (maple)
(eontinucd on nc:ll page)
Xati4af1 Journal: page 11
�(continued from page 11)
sugar,...deer skins, ...good, neat and well
managed tobacco, fit to be prized, that may
pass inspection,..."
In certain instances, Franklin also acted
like a national power. The state made treaties
wilh the native tribes, which in those times
with the central government so weak and ~
id~ of self-government so strong in the
mrnds of the people, was not unusual But in
1788, when the effort to maintain their
ind~~dcn~ was falling apart, Sevier began
a ~non wtth the government of Spain.
w~ch held the mouth of the Mississippi
River. To the Spanish representative
Oardoqui, Sevier hinted that the citiuns of
Frank.I.in might ally themselves with Spain in
exchange for protection, money, and
weapons. It was almost assuredly a bluff,
but. even in those times, it was a bold bluff
indeed.
•
The foundation of the "Liberty~ of the
white immigrants was the very material
~sidcration of land. From the beginning of
its history, the acquisition of land was the
other driving force in the remarkable story of
the State of Franklin. That the native
inhabitants had clear tide to their lands that
o~ten went back 1,000 years made no
~erence. The p~ure of the migration of
whit.e Europeans from over the mountains
was irresistible. Also, disagreements over the
authority of the different states, the
Confederation Congress, and the State of
Franklin to sign treaties and ma.kc agreements
added 10 the confusion (which was no doubt
exploited when convenient).
. Always ready 10 make agreements., the
whites did not prove so willing to keep them,
and the Cherokee in vain pointed to tteaty
)CQtuQn )oumQC PQ<Je 12
after broken treaty. On the Cherokee side the
Chickamauga villages, under the leadership
of the war chief Dragging Canoe, believed in
no treaties made with the whjtes and honored
none. Their disbelief was quite correct but
their actions gave the Europeans ample'
reasons for reprisals.
It was a war, 10 be sure, and each side
could point 10 outrages and depredations
committed by the other. But in this war the
treaties were meaningless; the real power was
in the superior numbers and weapons of the
European occupiers, and they would take
whatever their military strength could win.
A fine tract of land in the Great Bend of
the Tennessee (or "the Bent of the
Tennessee"), near the present-day city of
Muscle Shoals, Alabama was a lodestone to
white investors. In 1784, a company of
speculators, including John Sevier and
prominent men in Nonh Carolina, arranged a
"purchase" of the land from some of the
native residents, although the area was deep
in the territory guaranteed to the red people.
Fro~ then on Sevier's eyes were always
looking toward the south. It is felt that his
initial opposition 10 the establishment of the
State of Franklin stemmed from concern
about the future of his investment in the Great
Bend. When he came around 10 favor the
s~ssion, he began to think that the new
state could help his venture, and under his
leadership the policies of the State of Franklin
were always expansionist and pointed toward
the south.
Franklin encouraged immigration by
whites, even when the government knew that
the only available lands lay in Cherokee
country. ~igration meant profits, yes.
land speculanon was a booming industry in
the ne.wly-opened lands to the west. But,
more unportantly, immigration was crucial to
the very survival of the fledgling state across
the mountains. Cleared lands and dense
settlements were the best protections against
anacks by the natives.
The Nonh Carolina Act of 1783 had
violated the terms of the earlier Avery Treaty
by !f!OVing the boundary claimed by the
whnes down to the French Broad River.
However. the act strictly prohibited entry or
surveys by whites south of that line. But as
soon as the State of Franklin was formed,
settlers began 10 move south of the French
Broad. They were encouraged by the state
government. In fact, the State of Franklin had
a land office in Jonesborough that raised
revenue by taking purchase money for land
claims granted south of the French Broad.
Sevier felt that this siruation needed
formal recognition, so he called together a
meeting of Cherokee chiefs in May of 1785
and laid out the Treaty of Dumplin Creek,
~h~c~ moved .the ~undary south 10 the ridge
diVJd1ng the Little River and the Little
Tennessee River watersheds.
However, it was only six months later
that the United States' Confederation
Congress felt that the central government
should assert its authority and negotiated the
Treaty of Hopewell with the Cherokee. This
treaty moved the line back 10 the north . so
far nonh that the town of Greeneville, which
had just been named the capital of the State of
Franklin, was made pan of the native
territories! The treaty specifically repudiated
the Dumplin Creek agreement and the Great
Bend land purchase. It was intentionally
vague about the status of the settlers
occupying the lands north of the French
Broad River, but it clearly stated that all other
trespassers would have to leave in six months
or lose the protection of the central
government.
lt appears that the State of Franklin
simply ignored the Hopewell treaty. Certainly
their defense of the settlers south of the
French Broad was no less diligent. After
fruitless appeals to the national government,
the Cherokee took matters into their own
hands and in the spring of 1786 began attacks
on the settlements in ll)eir rightful territory.
The FrankJinites responded by burning the
Cherokee towns in the Hiwassee River
Valley. Later in July, Sevier and 250 men
revenged the killing of two other white men
by b.uming another town. They then camped
outs1de the central Cherokee village of P.chota
and called the peaceful chiefs Hanging Maw
and Tassel (Com Tassel) to make another
treaty.
Sevier minced no words. He told the
chiefs that the whole country nonh of the
Tennessee River as far west as the
Cumberland Mountains would be setded by
the whites who would take it "by the sword,
which is the best right to all countries."
Though the treaty contained ample references
to peace, love, and brotherly friendship, it
was obvious it was obtained under duress.
Wiuh such a large armed force outside their
gates, the chiefs had little choice but to sign.
The historian Williams says in his book: The
Los1 State of Franklin, "No act of the State of
Franklin is Jess creditable to her than this
Treaty ofCoyatee."
During this time, the Franklin
government was constantly pressing its case
Summu, 1992
�;
I I
for recognition as a s1a1e before the
Confederation Congress. Champion for the
cause was William Cocke, a backwoodsman,
marksman, and a fierce fighter, who had put
himself through law school and had found a
gift for inspired oratory. By all accountS he
gave brilliant. impassioned presentations on
behalf of 1he Sta1e of Franklin, bu1 it was no1
enough to shake the political support
mustered by North Carolina to block
Franklin's recognition.
By 1786 the strain of carrying on the
border wars single-handedly had begun to
tell, and the firm resolve of the Franklinites
began to waver. North Carolina cleverly
exploited this shif1 in sentimenL Under the
leadership of John Sevier's archrival, John
Tipton, North Carolina attempted to hold an
election 10 send representatives from "the
western counties" to the state legislature. The
Franklin government answered the move by
holding their own elections for the North
Carolina legislative seats. The Franklinites
won overwhelmingly, but this recognition of
North Carolina's authority proved 10 be the
first stroke of the wedge that split open the
Franklin government.
Tipton also sponsored North Carolina
couns, which operated parallel 10 Franklin
courts, often in the same county. Vigilantes
from both sides broke up court sessions and
took valuable papers. There were angry
public meetings, and some brawling took
place, involving Tipton and Sevier
themselves in one instance. The situation was
fast deteriorating into civil violence..
John Sevier made several valiant
attempts to save the faltering State of
Franklin. Knowing the unifying value of war
against the native people, he proposed one
idea that would hopefully save his
government, win the coveted Great Bend area
for the_whites (and his investment company),
and gain some respite for the settlers on the
southwest frontier.
At the time, the State of Georgia was
continually at war with the Creeks. Sevier
proposed 1ha1 in the spring of 1787 soldiers
from Georgia and Franklin join together in a
punitive campaign against th111 tribe, which
jus1 happened to control the Great Bend are-a.
Instead of cash payments, the soldiers who
undertook the expedition would be rewarded
with land grants in the Great Bend, which
they would afterward help 10 retain. The plan
never materialized, as Georgia made a
temporary peace with the natives.
Early in 1788 the sporadic hostilities
between the two factions in Franklin flared
up. John Tipton seized several of John
Sevier's slaves under a Stale of Nonh
Carolina court judgment and transported them
10 his home for safekeeping. Sevier was in
the las1 few days of his governorship and
was tired and discouraged, bu1 rhis was a
slap in 1he face that could not be ignored. The
separationists surrounded Tip1on's house in
force and, although Sevier urged restraint, a
melee erupted. Two men were killed and
Sevier's two sons were capiured. Tipton
wanted 10 hang the young men, but was
persuaded to release 1hem. Sevier
subsequently lef1 for the border wars on the
frontier, "where no writs ran and lhe rough
seulers were devoted to him," as John
summer, 1992
VIRGINIA
--------~.~~.r~ttf)lfWl~if1}r-------------..:::~-,.R-... 1-&KLiN·:·,::"' ..
NORTH
.-,::.\(}iY:.:\~f{/· CAROLINA
_, ~,-- - - - ·- -.,,
- - - - - - ------7,....
'
,
'------,...
'
',,
'
',
\
' ',
11SS Map
Preston Arthur commented. This is generally
marked as the end of the State of Franklin.
It was in 1790, with more wars with
the Cherokees looming, that North Carolina
finally gave up and ceded control of Franklin
to the United Srates Congress as part of the
"Southwest Territory." Franklin was finally
admitted to the Union as pan of the State of
Tennessee in 1796. The first elected governor
of the Staie of Tennessee was, no1
surprisingly, John Sevier, and he la1er served
as a congressman as well.
appeared as I.he stubborn independence so
admired in the Appalachian mountaineers. At
other times, however, it appeared as 1he will
for mastery, whether over the land, events,
or those who would oppose them. Even
today, we still see traces of this, the tangled
legacy left by the early while seulers of the
mountain region.
Special thanks to Barbara Wickersham
for the valuable research work she
contributed to this article.
Resources:
The wild Appalachian lands brought out
both the best and the worst in the firs1
Europeans to inhabit the Katuah Province.
They were fiercely devoted 10 ideals of
freedom and justice; they were at the same
1ime greedy and ruthless. A deep-seated
detennination drove them. Sometimes this
Gerson, Noel B.; Franklin: Atrurica·:r Lost
State: Crowell-Collier Press (New York, 1968)
Williams, Samuel Cole; Ilistory of the Lost
State of Franlclin; The Press of the PiollCCIS (New
York. 1933)
Cornstalk Dreams
Poverty is living in a shotgun house
with chimney bookends
Listening to rain tapping on a cheap tin roof
Huddling around the fireplace
like a dark medieval clan.
Poverty is running barefoot
through a maze of corn fields
Splitting open a watermelon just for its heart
Worrying until payday if we would be fed
at least with butter beans and cornbread
- Sandra McClinton
-
..
X.Otimh )ournnt page 13
�WHERE THE TREES OUTNUMBER THE PEOPLE:
I<atuah's Regional Rainbow Gatherings
In the Mtigical U1nd of the Rainbow, a neo-tribal culture is teacl1ing and learning the
arts of Cooperation and Commu,1ity
by Stephen Wing
"Welcome Home!"
The implications arc enormous.
Somewhere back in the mythical mists
of the Scvenries, a tribe of multicolored folJc
called the Rainbow Family began to hold a
"Gathering of the Tribes" every summer deep
in the wilderness, where the trees oumumber
the people. They were "Family" because they
considered all people brothers and sisters;
they were ''Rninbow" for the harmony of
their many colors; and they called out
"Welcome Home!" because wherever they
gathered on the Mother Earth they were home
again. Every Fourth of July lhey observed a
silence, praying for Peace and Healing, each
in their own way. They fasted and prayed
and danced and drummed, and many magical
stories have come down 10 us.
In the nco-Plcistocene Eighties, our
tribal ancestors founded the Katuah Rainbow
clan and began to bold a solstice gathering
every summer in the meadow below Sam's
Knob. Because pan of their inspiration was
lhe 1980 Rainbow Galhering in West
Virginia, it became one of the first of many
regional Rainbow gatherings. It carried on
the Family consensus to be free and
non-commen:ial, open to everyone, dedicated
to cooperative, ecological living, without
leaders or rules. It grew and flourished, and
Xatuah Journal Pac.Je 14
was known as one of the strongest and most
spiritual in the land of the Rainbow.
Now at age 21, the Rainbow Family
has grown into a large-scale, long-term,
worldwide experiment in living out the ideals
of the mythical Sixties: a full-fledged
al temative culture, woven of many different
spiritual, political, and philosophical strands.
Outwardly. perhaps it imitates the Nntive
American tribes; mwardly, it taps the
biological vestiges of one million years of
oi baJ ancestry.
Everyone involved in Rainbow has
their own vision of what it is and what it
could be. The vision that is crystallizing for
me lately is of a school.
Everyone has something 10 teach in the
magical land of Rainbow. And somcLhing to
learn. Many of us are teachers of something
already, perhaps, or know a special craft or
skill or even a livelihood worth passing on.
You learned your first rai chi step or
bcadworlcing stitch from someone. Why not
bring it 10 the gathering _and offer a free,.
informal workshop? Think of the gathenng
as a kindcrganen, not as a university. Even if
you feel you have nothing 10 learn there, each
of us has something 10 pass along to those
following in our footsteps.
But there's a deeper level of learning.
0..wUl&J by Rhea Ormond
Running away like a bunch of kids playing
hooky in the woods is like school turned
inside out - a space in which we can a.U enter
a kind of second childhood and re~ate
ourselves. We heal ourselves instinctively by
re-imagining society in a sane way, becoming
each other's long-lost extended family,
learning how to love and accept each other,
and feel loved and accepted in turn • some
for the first time our lives. It is incredibly
therapeutic just to be in a place where it is
okay to love.
But in order 10 maintain this magical
healing space, we have to work together 10
feed everyone, deal with sanitation, medical
needs, children, authorities, parking,
drinking water, and camp security. We have
10 make decisions that acknowledge
everyone's poinl of view, including the trees,
the streams, the wildlife, the genemtions 10
come. This is a yet deeper learning. We are
learning to come together as a community, a
circle, a tribe - rather than a collection of
self-centered individuals - and act for the best
interest of the whole instead of our little part.
Few of us had the benefit of a tribal
upbringing. Ninety percent or more of the
ordinary families out there arc dysfunctional,
studies now say, producing dysfunctional
people. Our tribe is made up of refugees from
that world; we cannot create World Peace
without some healing. Most of the problems
that plague the "national" Rainbow Gathering
are problems of scale. But a few stubbornly
show up al regionals, too. They are the
chronic dysfunctions of the dominant culture,
"Babylon": abuse of alcohol and drugs,
scamming, inflated egos, male-female
imbalance. These arc the things that we
cannot leave behind when we leave our cities
and cars.
l ust4 to worry about them. But then l
realized that it is okay. Rainbow is a school.
These are our assignmenrs. That is why we
leave all the civilized disu-actions behind: to
focus on what counts.
At the scale of a regional gathering we
can do that - but not without a conscious
commitmcnL I have seen miracles happen
when the wisdom and the will of the people
have been summoned to a serious council.
Through the magical ans of passing a feather
in a circle and listening, of communication
and compromise, I believe we can learn 10
resolve any conflicL But we have to practice.
And the presence nnd guidance of people
who have done some of the inner work
themselves is invaluable to those who might
otherwise stumble over the same mistakes.
Becoming a Tribe may not be an
idealistic fantasy from the mythical Sixties
forever. We are learning how to live without
money, lawyers, governments, police· even
gasoline - because it may soon be necessary.
We arc learning it, 1 believe, because the
future of our families down 10 the seventh
generation depends on our learning 10 live
together as a functional Family.
I hope we are learning it in time.
For dirtetioM to tM Ka11,ah Rainbows-,
Solstiu Ga1hviltg, JUM 12-22, son~p/ace where the
trees OUIIIUl1IMT IM people, coll the A1/a111a Rainbow
Ughllillc: (404) 662--6112 or write 10 /IOI. address
below.
To help out In adllOIICe, contact Katu.ah
Roillbow direc1/1 clo l.ulit Wagenheim: 996 Yellow
Breeches Rd.; Cosby, TN 3m2 (615) 428-4633.
Summu, l!IN
�warp ancl
"We Call It a Gathering..."
At first sight, it seems to be pure
magical anarchy in the woods. But there are
levels you learn to see.
Just under the swface is a layer of hard
wolk: people who are not immediately vi~ble
because they are in the kitchens, out hunnng
firewood, al the parking lot, on a supply run.
They carry lhe whole thing literally on their
shoulders, often to the point of straining. As
soon as we realize we are the tribe and
volunteer, the whole thing is easy.
Underlying everything we do is the
consensus of the council, a periodic circle to
pass a feather and listen 10 each person's
perspective in turn. Daily councils are a
chance to share what makes us different and
what we have in common. When something
comes up that requires a decision, we enter
that siate of unified undersianding called
consensus much more easily if we have been
practicing. (If ~ere is no co~~cil,just ~u.t up
a sign. "Main crrcle at noon 1s the tradit,ion.)
Invisible everywhere are the Shann
Sena - all of us who are conscious of health
and safety and alen for trouble, who have
learned to keep the peace in loving ways, deal
with emergencies, communicate with
authorities - and anyone willing to learn. You
can pretend the gathering is a free ride or a
carefree utopia; you can avoid the problems
and still have a wonderful time. But "sister"
and "brother" really begin to mean something
when you accept responsibility for the
well-being of the folks around you.
Then there are the people who are
praying. Our circles before meals, sweat
lodges and Sufi dances, ceremonies at
equinoxes and solstices, etc., carry the
natural sense of community one step higher.
Participating in the Divinity of each moment
helps focus the natural srate of awareness
called a tribe.
Underneath it all is the root-system of
our friendships. Slogans of peace and love
do not make us brothers and sisters; a Family
forms out of time spent together, real time.
Year after year we work, eat, council, and
celebrate together, between gatherings we live
and travel together. We gather in the parks
back home. Travelers come through. We
grow 10 know and to trust each other. The
Rainbow Family is a vast network of
relations. a fabric woven by the physical
s,unmcr , 1992
..
, 1 ,
~pfrhtlal ~efi-of our•~n& tOgethet.
.
ruo ~!1-nrr . .-.- {·n· ~ rr·,77-,v.z
We have over a generation of history
between us now. We are much more than just
a "counterculture.'' Traditions have
developed, a slow evolution of consensus
agreements, along with a tendency to keep
evolving. Naturally we have our elders of the
tribe - but in this tribe each one of us chooses
our elders. Listen for the voice of experience.
But don't take anybody's word for iL Look
under the swface, and watch who's doing the
work.
People will be noticing the same about
you. To some of us baby-boorners it's news,
but work is necessary to survive anywhere.
Babylon sacrifices the daily labor of millions
to feed a privileged few; a tribe shares the
work equally out of Jove for one another, so
no one has to do too much.
The people who created this magical
village in the woods are working hard,
making sure you will be safe, warm, and fed.
But many of us grew up in middle c~s
households where that much was a given we were the privileged few. Don't take it for
granted in the woods. Join the dinner circle,
pay attention to announcemenrs, spread the
word! Go to council; remember to listen
before you speak. Say your peace. And if
you want to join the tribe, just find a place 10
piteh in and help.
As for the panhandlers at our gate, the
ego-wrestling and ripoffs, the truckloads of
rrash, the bliss-ninnies and rainbozos - it's
helpful to remember that compared to most
tribes we're still in our awkward
adolescence. Most of us weren't born in the
Rainbow Family. We were,bom in Babylon.
A lot of us got pretty messed up out there
before we found our way Home. A lot of
Babylon's mess got tracked in on o~r heels.
Much of our effort to heal the Eanh 1s an
ongoing struggle to heal ourselves and our
relationships - to learn how to really be a
"Family" - and to raise truly.healthy ki~~Meanwhile for better or worse, Its our
Family. As Einst~in's mother put it,
"Everyone is a relative." Getting to know o n ~
another over twenty-one years of gatherings ,,:
has tended to substantiate the theory.
Council Fire
Pilgrimage to the old
power spot, our abandoned
council circle I meet all
the pilgrims packing out
their tents and trash-bags
I find
a giant fire-pit dug here
since we counciled
hard for three hours in the sun
to move the council closer
to the center of camp
Three pilgrims
rest here on a log:
they too casually join
the council of all vanished
tribes around the coals
of the original fire
- Stephen Wing
(E.xurp1ed. with "visions by the awhor.from
110!. a ~wsllove /mer to the Rainbow Tribes of the
Southeast, Spring 1992 iss~. Contact llO! at Box
5455; At/0/lla, GA 30307)
Sun, evening shadows, mist
that drifts to rain:
the food is ready and we join hands.
It's only the clear day's light
refracted through the wet nights
that makes this Rainbow on the
ground.
Our circle makes a hole in the
ground spirit rising like water in a well,
falling like the light on a po11d,
the round earth and the rolling sky
joined
in a circular kiss ...
The Circle makes us Whole.
Oraw,ng• b)I Ray Ramcs
Poems wriuen by Stephen Willg at tire
16th a111111ol Rainbow Garhering, Nanw/,a/a
National Forest, Kataoh Province, J11/y,
1987.
~ti1nfl )durnat pnqe IS
�In Council With All Beings
;,· , -,r,~ :: •. 3TE
by Lee Barnes
Human(un)kind's ability to council
with All Beings is limited by our human
egos, our historical fall from Oneness-WithAJJ. Several "en-Lighten-ments" have aided
my personal path towards council with All
Beings, including accumulated personal
experiences and insights from several books.
Council comes to me when I rest my
active brain and allow thoughts from All
Beings to enter my mind. (Term this as you
may - telepathy, insight, second-sight, etc.)
We humans have not evolved in limbo from
All Beings; rather, we have become
insensitive and unconnected from our
relations with the great Webs of Life which
sustain us.
From long experience, I realize that my
thoughts (and deeds) do not remain restricted
within my bony skull - we can and do touch
other Beings with our thoughts. managing to
interconnect, apparently without regard to
time or distance. Time, mauer, and space
appear to be complex illusions created by our
physical and spiritual perceptions, historical
and modem cultures, mammalian senses, and
personal experiences.
l totally accept the iraditional beliefs
that all things (All Beings) a.re alive and
interconnected. We can relate to the other
Beings of the world with either an expansive
or contractive "attitude." With an expansive
"attitude," we can expand our consciousness
and encompass All Beings within ourselves.
A series of physical and spiritual
experiences while hiking over 4000 miles in
Katuah forests (and in other regions) has
auuned my personal council with All Beings.
Usually after about three days in the forest,
away from modem "civilized" life, I find
myself more in tune with the "real" world. l
more closely follow changing day-lengths;
more carefully realize the moonlight's effect
on animals; better understand the words in
the wind; hear the many voices in falling
waters; feel the energy of metamorphic and
igneous boulders; and recognize the
individual tree within the con1ex1 of the
forest.
I am an unashamed tree-hugger, for
trees, especially the forest giants ("wooden
Grandfathers") do share energies, and focus
Earth energies (although l have felt
"indifference" from some trees... ).
I have (infrequently) attuned with
animal energies by watching hawks soar
above, and suddenly becoming "one" with
them, glicling over the valley. This was not
empathetic daydreaming, but rather I was
there in the sky, soaring on wings! I have
shared the scene of the land through the eyes
of another, equal Being!
A specific experience that occurred
within a guided group workshop influenced
my insight into council with All Beings.
During an early morning circle and council
based on guidelines from the book Thi11king
Like a Mountain: Towards a Cou,rcil of All
Befogs (by John Seed and Joanna Macy,
1988, New Society Publishers), I was
Xatuah Journnt pnge 16
greatly moved and led 10 a greater
appreciation and communication with All
Beings.
Tllillking Like a Mountain is an
inspiring collection of meditations, readings,
and most imponan1ly, a guide 10 interspecies
communications, which has led humans to
greater empathy and union with All Beings.
The workshop is usually led by a facili1a1or
who guides individual participants 10 "voice"
their (telepathic/etc.) thoughts from
whichever Beings enter their minds.
Typkally in these guided workshops,
specific Beings are allowed to voice their
cries and frusira1ions wilh human destrUction
of their environment and 1be lack of human
care about their council. In this particular
circle, a "Talking Stick" (brought by a
reacher and missionary from African cultures)
was passed and used 10 designate each
individual speaker. ln council, we heard from
several Beings · circling hawks, lowly slugs.
and even the voice of the Mountain bcnemh
us. 111ese Beings were in anguish, voicing
their ~uffcring at the hand of modem human
"civilizations" - spoiled waters, fouled air,
and their pained existence due 10
human(un)kind's actions.
This council would have aroused great
disgust towards our human selves, except for
the positive counsel offered as 10 how to
rcconnec1 with All Beings. While each
instance of this method is unique, depending
upon the specific seuing and the different
panicipants, it remains a powerful personal
experience.
We two-lcggcds muse seek better
council with the universe and with All
Beings. We must open our hearts to council,
reduce our wasteful over-consumption, and
halt the destruction of our fragile planet.
Live simply; use only what you need;
recycl~ and in all decisions think how the
next seven generations of All Beings will be
affected. Give thanks 10 the water spirit.~:
thanks to green spirits; thanks to the living
soil spirits! Give prayer and thanks to All!
And then you may learn through council witl1
AH Beings.
I encourage all of the two-leggeds,
especially the city-shocked brothers and
sisters, 10 go simply into the the depths of
your existence, leaving your egos (and every
restrictive training) behind. and 10 seek open
and unrestrictt.'<I council with All Beings. Be
open 10 new insights and experiences: be
rcspec1ful of all other Beings (whether,
stone, fire, water, air...); and offer thanks for
council with the rest of Creation.
Voice prayers, offer thanks, and
continue 10 seek council with All Beings.j - '
#
Drawing by Mich11CI Thompson
Ho.
Sum,ncr, J 992
�STEVE MOON
·1
,
"
SHELL ENGRAVINGS"
The Southeastern Ceremonial Complex, a distinctive
culture of the native First People, flourished from the east
coast to Texas between 500 and 1600 AD. The culture was
marked by mound building and elaborate rituals and
ornamentation. Among the primary items produced were
carved ceremonial drinking vessels and gorgets (chest
ornaments hung around the neck) made of shell. Designs
were often engraved on the concave or inner side of the
shell, which is naturally smooth and glossy. They were
sometimes rose tinted. These anifacts are now highly
prized by collectors and many of the old mounds have
been looted by avaricious grave robbers.
Steve Moon is an artist and a defender of the native
grave siteS. Descended from a Cherokee-Shawnee
great-grandmother, he is proud of the native branch of his
bloodline and works in the spirit of the ancient native
artisans. He creates museum-quality reproductions of the
old shell engravings and also creates original designs
based on traditional motifs.
"I just sit around and things come to me sometimes,"
says Steve. "I don't know why, but things pop into my
mind, and 1 draw them on the shell and carve them.
"It's like closing your eyes and letting the tool do the
work. There's really no way to explain it. I just go down
into the shell until the color looks right, and r don't go any
further. Sometimes rcan control the color all the way
around.
"I may pick up a shell and it will look like an
ordinary mussel shell; another time I will be able to
acruaJly feel with my mind down into the shell.
The shell gorgets and drinking bowls found in old
grave sites were ceremonial objects carefully placed by the
body during burial.
'They are sacred objects,'' says Steve, "and it's
wrong for people to dig into graves to go after them. The
old people were put in their graves to rest. They were not
put there to be excavated.
"On my father's side, 1 had some ancestors who
served in the Civil War. I would be real mad if someone
went to Flat Shoals Baptist Church and staned digging
them up 10 get the buttons off their coats or something.
"In Spiro, Oklahoma during the l 930's, grave
robbers dug up a burial site. They were taking stuff out by
the wheelbarrow-load to sell to the private collectors.
When they found out that the State of Oklahoma was going
to stop them, they packed the central burial chamber full of
powder and blew it up. The chamber was made of cedar
logs, and it had preserved cane mauing, textiles, even
textiles made from woven rabbit fur. All of it was blown 10
smithereens.
"I've talked 10 looters who went in with burlap bags,
and I've talked to looters with doctor's degrees. What's
the difference? They arc doing the same thing.
'The bowls and ornaments from the ancient mounds
were grave goods. They were not lying around in a
plowed field. TI1ey were taken off a skeleton. I think they
should be left alone."
For Steve, this is a hean-felt commitment. Ile offers
10 donate his work 10 collec1ors who will acc~pt
reproductions in return for replacing shell artifacts in their
original burial silcs.
Steve Moon's reproductions and original carvings
arc things ofhl!auty. They shine with a luster and a depth
that photographs cannot convey. Their varying textures
satisfy the hand that touches them. They truly are
representations in tangible form of the spirit that moves
Steve Moon 10 his creative work. the spirit that inspires his
sense of mission.
Stev,· Moo11 can /,c co11tacte,J at
Rt. 1, Box 256; Cm,011, CA 30520.
-DWA'
~
Original from Moundville,
Alabama.
Carved in the shell of a lightning
whelk.
Originals with this design were
found in Tennessee, Missouri
Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Carved
in the shell of lightning whelk.
Original from Carthage, TN.
Carved in the shell of a lightning
whelk
Orig111al from Spiro, OK. (The
design y, as also found at sites
across Tennessee, Alabama. and
north Georgia ) Carved in Mankillcr
pearl shell.
�visiting my grandparents occasionally.
"MEDICINE TRAINING"
(PARTII)
These are the words of a traditional
Cherokee medicine person.
My gr.mdfather would direcl my
training by saying, "You need 10 go spend
some rime with this guy. You need to go see
him."
I would go sec that person. and he
wouldn't even know I was going 10 show
up. would have no idea at all why I was
supposed to be there. I would show up, and I
would jusl stay 1here for awhile. I would
learn just by being there. It w~n·l at all
structured, like lhis guy had Course Three for
me or something, but after awhile l could tell
when they were aclually going out of their
way to teach me something. Some people
were more theatrical than others, and they'd
make me do crazy things.
The strangest one was lhe chicken
house. J had gotten 10 where I thought I was
real special. I felt that I was really imponant,
thal everyone ought to bow and scrape and
just be honored lhat I was near them. J was
making an ass oul of myself, and. ahhough I
never recognized il, everyone else did. And
my grandpa 1old me il was time 10 go stay
with a man named George. He said that l
would have to stay there for awhile.
When I got to George's, I asked him,
"Where am I going 10 stay?" and headed
toward the house.
He said, "Hey! C'mere."
And I looked and said, "What d'ya
want?"
He said," You can't stay in the house.
We've got lots of guests, and lots of people
come by, and we need room for them. We
should give 'em the best we have. You stay
there."
Xatuah Journat page
to
And he pointed toward a funky old
sway-backed chicken house that had a
patched-up roof and was about to fall down.
r just looked on past it. All f could see was
lhc rhododendron thickel behind it, but I
thought maybe he had ano1her cabin or a
building back there.
He said, "Righi there. Goddamn
chicken house. Yeah,"
"Chicken house?"
He said. "Yeah. Lislen. that's all I can
do."
We walked over there. ll was about l5
feet long and about 10 feel wide, with big
cracks between lhe boards, and chickens
running all about
He said, "These chickens are renl
1mponant lo us, we get eggs and meat from
them, so I want you 10 use that pile of old
lumber out in back, put up a partition, and fix
up a room for yourself in the chicken house."
I just couldn't believe it. A person of
my caliber, my standing, in these conditions!
Then I thoughl to myself, "They're trying 10
teach me something," but it was nol until a
couple of months Inter that I actually realized
what it was.
Nobody lold me I was egotistical. I
found out myself that I was egotistical. r
found out after r had dug tons of chicken shit
out of there, put up a wall, split shingles,
fixed the roof, got lice. I was absolutely
inundated by lice. Sol made lye and covered
the whole chicken house with it to kill all the
lice. I fixed that chicken house up beuer than
it had ever been before. Heck, I didn't have
anything else to do.
In lhe process of fixing up the chicken
house, I became the world's greatest expert
on chicken conversation and habits. No one
knows chickens any beuer than I do. I spent
more than a year in that chicken house,
I did chores and helped out, and rhat
was the way I paid for my keep. Then people
started asking me 10 doctor - small things like
wounds and scrapes. After awhile, though,
they would ask me questions like, "Johnny,
he's off someplace, do you think he's okay?''
And I'd say, "Well, I need to think
about this.'' And J staned to give them
advice.
I had seen the other men do it. 1 had
seen Owl do it. I had seen how lhey lalked lO
people and consoled them.
I soon learned to separate true
knowledge from knowledge that you pick up
just by hearing things. True knowledge is
something that you intuitively know from
inside. My grandfather would call it "true
knowledge magic."
Knowledge that you hear on lhe side like you might have heard some other people
lalking about how Johnny was al some
whorehouse or in the county jail - thal klnd of
knowledge I call "side knowledge." And I
knew how Owl took that information and
used it to make himself more powerful. He
said that he only used medicine in one percent
of his work. He said information is much
easier to come by. He said that the more
knowledge, lhe more magic, and the more
power you have, lhe less you use it.
When the elden; who had been training
me thought I was prepared, they sem me out
10 spend time alone in lhe woods. When I
relurned, they beld another nnming ceremony
and gave me my true name, my medicine
name, my spiritual name, that l never have
told anybody.
It was done at a campfire way out in the
mountains, at sunrise on the new moon, a
beginning time.
We rook the black drink, vomited, and
then we plunged in the creek. They collecled
the woods and set the fire, smoked
everybody who was 1here, then they sang
songs and did different things.
Then my true name was whispered in
my ear, and I walked to each corner and the
elder called the relatives. They would come 10
me, and I uttered my new name in my mind.
It was hard lo remember, and I had to get
used 10 it.
These were men who had hand-raised
me. They were all of lhe same generation.
They were all old. I think the youngest
Sumrm:r, 1992
�pi:rson of th:it group was .50, and he was ai
I think that in anybody's hfe there is a
the bouom in the pecking order t)f age. I le
~en!ie that things arc se1 out for you. The
\\ns a fc1d1er and .i carrier.
people who raise you have cenain
They were very spiritual in the sense
expec1a1ions of you, and if you have a
that they followed the t.rndition. They lived
loving, caring. nurturing, mutual son of
everything that they believed. They had their
relationship. you want 10 do everything in
own son of reality, like they would leave
your power 10 meet their expcc1a1ions.
food for the Little People here and there, and
You might have long fingers, so mama
they talked 10 the spirits regularly. They
thinks you ought co be a piano player, so she
would all be holy people compared 10 the
drives you to the piano. If she goes about it
Cherokees of today, but they weren't like our
in a good way, you might end up to be a
Hollywood concept of a medicine man at au.
concen pianist. But you may have been belier
They were not what the anthropologists
suited 10 be a plumber than to be a pianist.
called "priests." They were a different group.
You could go on until you are 50 years old
The "priests" and famous medicine men lived
and srill playing in honky-tonks before you
closer 10 town. But these old people were all
realize that the piano is not your calling.
members of the Katuah Medicine Society. I
received a lot of my understandings about
Katuah from them, things that l am not ever
at liberty to talk about.
Because they were in the society, they
considered themselves better than most
people. They were actually arrogant about
tha1. They considered themselves the true
Ka1uahs, and there's probably pans of me
that still feel a lirtle smug, because I grew up
,-: - with that cenainty.
They had signs. Back then, everybody
~
wore a little feather in their hat. But the
\ \
~ )
Karoah people would take the marrow out of
1'
::,J\..... '•
the feather, so that when they walked, the
(
.r,,.,
feather would make a fluttering motion. That
-\.
was a sign.
\.,
\\~.
Another sign was a linle silver snake.
Owl said his snake was made by Sequoyah.
It could have been. Several 01hers had little
\.
silver snakes. They frequently wore old suit
coaLS, welfare clothes donated by white
people, and would carry the snake under the
lapel. When Karuah Society people from
Olclahoma would come, I would see old Owl
lift his lapel for the briefest second and let ii
fall back. And the other people would make
an acknowledgment with their eyes without
winking or doing anything obvious. I can't
tell you how they did it, it just was
I
acknowledged.
'
Then, without any other invitation, we
would go back to the creek. and soon four or
five of these people from Oklahoma would
just show up I.here. They'd talk and smoke
pipe and do Katuah ceremonies together.
This would go on all night. I would
usually fall asleep, because I was young
then. But l am amazed about how much I
learned by just hanging out.
"Be invisible," grandpa would say. "Be
invisible."
When I look back at the good and the
bad in my life, I always feel incredibly
fonunate and content. Despite the pains and
sufferings that everybody goes through in
Life, I have aJways believed that I have
affected my own destiny more than most
people do. Sometimes l interfered in the
process, and other times I just let the process
happen to me. 1 give credit for that to the fact
of my growing up experiences, all the things
I learned from that strong circle of elders.
If the spiriLS had not had another
intention for me, I probably would srill be
living near my childhood home among the
offspring of those old people who raised me.
I would either have been an alcoholic or
struggling inside the system.
'-I ·)
i''\,-,
~mmcr, 1992
Drawing:, by Troy Sc,ILlc:r
Jn my case, my grandfather saw ~omc
physic.11 signs and m:1de an interpretation
based on the sign5 and his knowledge. But it
was still someone else's in1erprc1.1rion.
Back when r was 10 years old, my
grandfather taught me how 10 carve little
animals out of soft basswood. I can
remember that l was fascinated with that for a
year or so. Then I went on to other things.
That was the extent of my early carving
career. The figures I made were crude, but a
seed was set for something 10 come.
The seed lay donnant until a few years
ago when ! saw a carving on a shelf in a
house I was visiting. I picked it up and held
it. It didn't feel right. It seemed
disproponionate and out of shape.
The man said. "Can you carve
anything?"
I said, "I used to fool with it when I
was a kid."
After I left the house, I said to myself,
"I can make something better than that."
And so I made a bear. It was 001 very
good, but it still was a little bener than the
figure I had seen. I fooled around making
different kinds of animals for a year,
experimenting with different styles and
expressions. The animals I made then aren't
anything like the animals I carve now. They
were somewhat similar in design, but not in
quality.
I went through the whole process. A lot
of the techniques I learned were already
known by people all over the world. I
probably reinvented the wheel several times
over. But I also developed a couple of ideas
that, as far as I know, no one else has
thought of.
And when J finally made an animal that
looked like it was alive, it just blew my mind.
I said, "Look at this!"
The next one I made came alive in my
hands, 100. ! said, "Look at this! 1 did this!
Mc! No one else! No one set me down and
taught me 10 do this. No one told me."
Now I am staning 10 get thunder from
my carving. Thunder is when other people
acknowledge your ability, and it's absolutely
wonderful.
But what has made all the difference is
that r feel an inward drive and detcnninarion
10 do this that I have never felt about doing
anything else. I have been detennined 10
accomplish other goals before, but this is
purely an expression of myself. II is a force
coming from inside of me. This was not/
preordained by anyone; this is the real
-:
person.
Xatuah Journat JIOIJC 19
�BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS
The j9b of t ~ government o(ficials is to
protect the health or citiuns and or the environmenL
At best. they have displayed an attitude or unconcern
about their responsibilities. Al worst, they have
wilfully misled lhe public about a matter of grave
danger. Such disregard or Ille lives lhey arc supposed
10 protccl is unconscionable. This 1s a Sillllltion thnt
needs to be thoroughly investigated at both the state
and county level. Such flagrant irresponsibility must
not be allowed to conunue.
Nanni World New, Service
The Burlington Industries CIIIJlCI plant at the
hClldwaa.ers of lhe Little Tennessee River in Rabun
County, GA is closing iis doors. That is bad news
and good news.
The plant employs about 425 people in Rabun
and Macon Counties. The plant closing is bad news
for~ people who will be summarily dismissed
and left wi 1h no means of li vclihood in an
increasingly competitive job marlccL
However, &ho Burlington pbnl has long been a
major polluter of lhe Liu.le Tennessee River, and Ille
factory's demise will mean beuer heallh foc lhe river's
aquatic ecosystem.
'"The plant has been a severe, but not an acute,
polluter," said aquatic biologist Dr. William
Mcl.amey. '"There have been no fish kills, foe
111s1811CC, but cit tensive sampling of both fish and
insect populations have shown that the plant has
definitely had a negative effect on the river."
If another company buys lhc Burlington plant,
it will be regulated by stricter environmental laws
than lhosc in effect when Burlingion staned
diacharging into the river. Also, a newly-initiated
citiun's monitoring group will be traclcing lhe wat.er
quality al lhe planL
"We will continue to lake samples above and
below lhe Burlington plam until there is no
noticeable difference between them.· said Mcl.amey.
As long as our industrial system operates
environmentally destructive means of production, Ille
closing of worlcplaces will be at once bad news and
good news.
RAPE PREVENTION
Natural World Newi Scrv,cc
For the first time in the Southern
Appalacluans, a federal lawsuit has been filed on
behalf of biological diversity, challenging the Land
and Resou= Manngerncnt Plan proposed for the
Cherokee National forest by lhc US Forest Service.
Representing a blood coalition of conservation
groups. the lawsuit nled by the Southern
Environmenl3l Legal Center (SELC) contcstS the
Forest Service practice of below-cost timber sales.
The suit also contends that Ille Jogging progrnm
outlined in the pbn would do urepruablc domagc to
native habitat and result an a corresponding loss of
biolog,ical diversity in the Cherokee.
D:ivid Carr or the SELC rcporis that the
CWTCnt plan opens up 60% of lhe national forest to
logging and ro:ld construction • much of it on steep
slopes and mac=iblc terrain. By FOfCSI Service
estimates, there arc presently 80,000 acres of
potential wilderness in the forest; more than half of
this vital lnnd b:lsc is open to desccr.mon under the
plnn.
By promoting rood building and cle:ucuumg,
the Forest Service 1s practicing t.hc ecooom1cs or
extinction. Peter Kub)', regional director of the
Wildcrnc!..s Society, note~ lhat the Chcrolcc Plan
threatens the extraO(dinary natur.il diversity or the
foreM. Kirby points out that tl1e Cherokee Nauonal
forest 1s home to 1,000 ~pccie., or flowering plants,
400 species or vcnebr-.uc,, and appl'oxm1atdy 13.S
sp<lC IC$ of (hh,
"[Ilic fore:,1 plan) calls for the logging of over
one-hair of the cove h:lrdwood forcsis. an ccol<'lg1cal
treasure trove in the Southern Appalachrnn,; he said.
The new Fore.,t Plan wuuld also va.,tly
mcn:..1~ rood density (which already exceeds lc(:111
guidelines) providing OC.CC.'i.~ for o greatly mclC:l.<cd
amount of commcrci.il and recn:;itional :ict1vi1y - not
to mention illegal poaching.
Th~ Asheville Citizen-Tunes and Green Line
- ~ r s provitkd ,nfor""11ion for this ortk~
USFS TO STOP APPEALS
Nanni World News Service
BUNCOMBE LANDFILL SCANDAL
Nanni World News
Environmental sleuihs from lhe Blue Ridge
Environmental Defense League blew the cover olT
what was apparently a conspiracy of silence among
Sl8tc and local governmental officials about leaking
contamination from the Buncombe County landfill.
In October. 1991, investiga10rs from the
Environmental Protection Agency sent a rcpon io
Buncombe County saying th:11 u:st results showed
"elevated coneentmtions or numerous volntile organic
compounds and metals" in lhe groundwater around the
Buncombe 1.nndflll.
TheAshcvll/c Citiun-Timu reponed that
monitoring wells showed six to 3S times Ille legal
limit of live indUStrial solvenis - tnchlorcthylcne,
benzene, dichlorelhane. methylene chloride, and
dichloropropane. Water quality cxpen Richard Maas
of the University of North Carolina Asheville told the
newspaper lhat the contamination levels were "higher
than several Supcrfund sites in the area. In my
experience the.~ levels are surprisingly high."
An estimated l,125 people living within four
miles of the landfill site drink wnter from wells. Yet
neither the State nor the county government made any
public announcement about lhe landfull lenk or
possible hazards to residents' drinking water.
At an April 10, 1992 press conference,
BREDL activistS dlSJ)layed papers they had dug out or
state liles 1n Raleigh that proved that the l:mdlill wns
leaking. This W$ the first word given to the public
that anything wa~ amiss.
Why did government officials not inform
residents about the groundwater conUlmination1
County Manager Steve Metcalf blamed 11 on
M.uvin Waddey, who w:is Director of County
Engineering Service:. al the time. MclCOlf srud that he
ju.~t pas.scd on Waddcy's assurance that there were no
problems at the l:andlill. W:lddey has conveniently
moved out or ~cue.
Stale hydrologc.t Bob Lufty said that the ,utc
h.id not informed anybody of lhc trouble< because of
undcNtnffing. He wW Grun Line ncwspapcr that 1hc
st.1tc hrul a two-person hydrology \taff to monitor 150
landlills, Half or thc.sc on: leaking wor;c than
Buncombe's. he said, and the re.,idcnts of those
commumues do not know nbout the danger.;. either.
Now the ch~rn1cals arc moving toward the
Fn:nch Broad R111i;r. 'The C,11:en-lim,•., stated lh:n
l.ulty s:ud lh:11 lhe subl,unccs would reach the nvcr,
· 1,c diluted and evcntually dcSU'oycd."
llle solvents 111110l11cd are deailly and per:;islCIIL
It may be hundreds of yc;tr.; before they nre
·eventually de.woyed."
The US Forest Service has chosen to sell more
and more of the last remaining virgin and old-growth
fOl'CSIS to the timber industry. But concerned citizens
have bad the right to challenge lhese sales through an
adminis11'8ti..e appeals process.
Many people have fe:irs that to continue
ovctCUlting our forests will mean irreparable
ecological harm. The appeols process has helped to
bring some measure of accountability to the
management policies and practices of the Forest
Service.
However. on Morch 20. 1992, Agriculture
Secretary Edwnrd Madigan announced that the Forest
Service was proposing to eliminate the appeals
process. In ltne with the Bush administration's
announced plruls to eliminate "unnc.cded" federal
regulations, these appeals were deemed too time
-cor.swning and costly, and it was decided that lhey
would be replaced wilh a toothless •30 day
pre-decisional notice and comment period.·
The Forest Service is trying to ignore the fact
that most of the appeals filed have resulted in
improved dccisons, better management or the fOtcSts.
and often citposc inodequat.e environmcnllll analyses.
TI1e agency seems to think that any decisions it
makes should go unchallenged, and the public should
have little or no voice in how Ille Mlional foresis arc
managed.
ForesL~ arc more than vettical logs. It is insane
to continue to cut our last few old-growth stands of
timber and destroy native habitat communitlcs to feed
the ever-hungry saw mills. The Forc.,;t Service often
needs IO be remanded or this.
PROTECTING
AQUATIC HABITATS
Nmural World News Service
April 23. 1992, the Nonh Carolina Wildlife
Resources Commission (NC WRC) held a public
hearing in Boone, NC to consider a proposal
origill3ting within the agency to dc.~ignatc 33
wawrshcds m IO of Nonh Carohnn's miuor river
ba.~in.~ as critical habitat for species of mollusks and
fish endangered m the Slate.
The plan would offer protection a.s "High
Quality Waters" 10 portions or the New. Watauga.
Little Tenncs,;ce, Johns. and Linville nvcrs and the
Warrior Forl; 111 the mounlaln area of the si;uc.
Env1ronmcnt:1I acti'lsts present at the hc:iring
IO support the mca~urc, commented that 11 was a
pl~surc IO appear at a hC'..mng to compbmcnt the
m1ua11vc of a ,1a1c ngcncy tn\lC.'ld or nJ1P(Xing iL
llic comment J);nod on tl11! WIIJhfe
Comm1ss1on's proposal extends until July I. Lener.;
of suppon may be sent m:
North CtJro/1fld ll'i/dlife RcJo:,ru; Commimon
512 N Salisbury .St.
Raleigh. NC 2760-I
..
.
S11111111cr, lll!IZ
a
6 t
t
I
I
8
�.,. ..
• WOLF' FLUNKS PILOT TEST
Na.tural World News Service
One of the four led wolves (Canis rufus)
released in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park
in November, 1991 was recaptured and penned,
according to Park spokesperson Bob Miller.
Red wolf Male (#219) was recapwrcd in
JanWIJ')' because he showed undue tameness towards
humans, and because he caught and killed a chicken in
Cades Cove and several domestic turkeys just north of
the Park. The livestock owners were reimbursed for
their losses from an indemnity fund created
specifically for such contingencies.
Male #219 may have been a poor choic.e for
release s:inc.e he had spent seven years in zoos, where
he had become unnaturally tame. He was selected
because he was sterile 10 ensure that a bl'eeding
population was not established in the Park prior to
the completion of the iniual study. He w :J most
likely spend the rest of his life in captivi•y.
Two new adult wolf pairs arc cum:ntly being
acclimated to the area by being held in large pens for
the next six months, and may be released in the Park
in November.
Members of the IVesttr11 North Carolina Alfiance gagged by the US
Forest Service. The Alliance prot,:sted removal qJ the Forest Service's appeals
process at a press conference held outside the USFS Ashevitte offices on April
Phoio Laura Dcaton/WNCA
17.1992.
ONE H O NEST MAN
N.i1ural World Ncv,,s Sen ice
When Dr.William Reid signed on as
oncolog1st (cancer specialist) at tlic Mcthodi!il
Medical Center in Oak Ridge. 1N early in 1991, he
knew little about the production procc.-.scs al the
Department of Energy\ nuclear weapons plants and
less about the nuclear politics of Oak Ridge.
But he did know a sick p:iticm when he saw
one, and he saw four Cll'iC.'> of a rare kidney c:inccr, an
unusual concentration for such a small popul3tion
sampling. I le also saw a ~ignificant number of people
exhibiting auto-immune system disorders. Exh of the
p:mcnts wilh kidney disease h:id ~n exposed to
·major radiauon." Dr. Reid rcponcd. and the p:itients
with auto-immune deficiencies showed "n consistent
p.,ucm of blood irregularities."
In August, 1991 Reid approached Dr. Daniel
Conrad, the medical director for Martin-r-.1:uiCU3
Energy Systems, the priw1c conlJ'3clor for virtually
all the opcrauons at the Oak Ridge Rc.'iervauon,
1uking for access to c.lal.l about pos.~ible metal toxicity
al the Oak Ridge plants.
"Th<.,rc are no problems wuh Mattin-Marictl3
employee~." Reid was told 1111d 11,~1~ ahruptly shown
out of the olfice.
The young doctCII' wa~ surpnsed ut the
brush-ofr he n:cc1ved from Conrad, t>t11 he was more
surpnsc-d ,;everal months btcr m December, 1991
when he w1Ls called before a medical review board at
his 1nsu1uuon for "treuung pauent~ 100
aggressively," •spending too much money in the
treatment of cancer patients." and :illcgcd complaints
of incompetency.
A<; a rcsult of the review, Dr. Reid WIL~ served
ummcr, 1992
an ultimawm: either to pack up and leave Oak Ridge
or have his name entered on the national medical
black list known as the "National Pr'.icutioncr Data
Bank for Adverse Information of Physicians and Other
Health Pracutione11>."
Since the review hearing. the hospital has p:iid
to have another physician monuor all of Dr. Reid's
cancer ueatments.
Instead of caving in lO this blatant blackmail,
Dr. Reid filed a lawsuit challenging the allegations
agamst him and comc.~ting the consmutionaluy of
the National Pr'dctitioner Dalll Bank.
"Tilesc actions arc a ~ham," said Lewis Lcvm,
Reid's attorney, of the hospu.1J's measure.~. "The)'
were perpetrated again.,1 Dr. Reid only aft.er he refused
to be intimidated by threats."
And in the te.lt of I.he lawsuit, Levan st:ucd,
"He (Reid) opposes the prcvuilmg lct-them-d,e
attitude toward cancer puticnts. lie oppo5es dcni.31 of
treatment even when 11 1s nOt fully covered by
insurance payments. He oppose.~ those who refuse to
seek the c.auscs of bi7.arrc patterns in the quality and
quantity or cancer seen in Oak Ridge.•
The lawsull goc, on to say, "The physicians
and hospi111I who benefit from 1he generosity of tlJC
Martin-Marietw health c:irc pl.ln 11.ant him to lc:ivc.
1hs p31icnts want him to st:ly. •
Reid reports that he has nxc1ved many
fate-night pl1one tj1lh from anon>mous supporters.
Other caller.; have offered mfonn:iuon lo help llllCk
down people suffcnng from health problems clue to
radiation and heavy metals tox1C1l)·, His work· and
the late-night lips. have shown results. Dr. Reid has
found pockets of 1mmuno-supp,cs~ive disorders in the
Oak Ridge area and even downstream as far as
Kingston. TN.
A NOTHER ONE
FOR THE GOOD OL' BOYS
NawnJ World News Service
Yet another example of govcrnmenrav
bureaucratic arrogance and insensitivity: the North
Carolina Dcpanmem ofTranspocuuion (NC DOT)
decided in May to postpOne public hearings scbcdulcd
in May on the 1 Transponation Improvement
992
Program (TIP).
While this mecis the leuer of the law requiring
public hearings, it keeps citizens from having any
input on 1992 transponation priorities - in effect
canceling any value the hearings mighl have.
Without public hearings, citiuns arc
effectively blocked out of the decision-malcing
process. This becomes even more dist.urbing when
one realius that lhe Board ofTransponation iS
appointed by Governor Jim Martin on the basis of
political favors. It is the plum of state political
appointments. Noticeably missing from the Board of
Transpoltlltion arc tranSit advocateS, individuals with
rail background. environmentalists, and
reprc.senrativcs from communiLy groups,
neighborhood associauons, and minorities.
Perhaps the reason lhe DOT has decided to
dispense with public hearings is that the importanl
decisions have already been made. Journalist Barry
Yeoman has produced a thoroughly researched s1udy
publi.shed in the lndependem thal shows a close
relationship belween the sources of large political
contributions and where highway construction
projects are built in the Srate of North Carolina
Do you want the NC Department of
Transportation to hold public Juuuings? Write to:
Larry Goode: ChiefEngiuer (Programs); NC DOT;
Box 25201; Raleigh. NC 27611.
Reid ha.~ nlso received support from the 03k
Ridge Envll"Ollmcntal and Peace Alliance (OREPA),
which has accumulated experience in dealing with the
authorities and tmcl.ing tOxiC emissions nt the Oak 1
Ridge Rc...crvntion.
Stc,·e Smith ofOREPA and the Foundation
for Global Sustain1bili1y. said, "This is the first lime
a medical doctor within Oak Ridge ha.~ stepped
forward 311d begun to identify :idvcrsc h~th cffCC1S in
and around the Oak Ridge facilities.
"When Dr. Reid first saw these pntu:ms
emerging, he was acompletely di~inten:.stcd observer.
He had no axe to grind with the DOE. He had no
conccpuon of what he was getting mto when hc
~tarted work 111 Oak Ridge."
Under pressure from the St:ltc of Tennessee,
the DOE 113.S funded a panel of health e.\J)CttS to study
cxpo:;urc to radiation among people Ii ,·ing around the
Oak Ridge facilities. Dr. Reid has been appointed to
that P3ncl, and will reveal hi~ tull fi11ding.q in the
cour:.c of that invcsllgnti()n.
Hiscao;e i, also under scrutiny by Sen. John
Glenn's Government Affairs Commmcc and Rep.
John Dingle's lnvcsugauon Subcommlltcc m the US
I louse of Rcprc.'iCntJllvc.~. A rccC11t anicle in 1,me
magazme c•uvmg H11ppdy ~eat a NuclearTr.ish
Hc.ip," 5/l lfl2) ten1'ring on Dr. Reid nlso called
aucnt.ion to the situation al Oak Ridge.
Now thai the hd of secrecy 1s orr I.ht\ lode
history 01 the Oak Ridge Reservation, 11 seems likely
that dccJ)CI' probing will n:~ cal more c:uimplcs of
abu!iC of the health of hum:ins 11ml the envllQnmcnL II
L~ startling lO think that tl1is whole furor began
because one person v. 1th true compa..sion entered
unawwes mro the heart of the sordid nuclCJr we.1pons
industry. It shows the pov.er ol one honcsl man.
XGtuoh Jounmt pnqe 2 1
�REGION O'RAGIN' ,:
,. ..
•,
Nanni World News ServiClC
April 21st brought not only a healthy dose or
rain io 1.he region, but also a healthy dose of reality people in K:m1ah are outraged with the US Forest
Sc,vice! As p:in of a national Earth Firsll effort
honoring John Muir's birthday. protCStS organiz.cd by
the environmental grollP SoulhPAW and il.S cohorts
in Asheville, NC, Atlanlll. GA. and Oevel:md. TN
were among lhe more than 30 prou:sts held
ruitionwidc.
Activists at the Forest Service Regionnl
Hcadquaners m Allant.a mllied behind a 4S f00t banner
that read: "Environmenlol Assessment of the US
Forest Service- Finding of No Significant lnl.Cgrity."
Twenty-five dcmonstraoors gathered outside lhc
Cherokee National Forest HeadqumterS in Cleveland.
while in Asheville 50 people chanted and hollered
ouLSide the Pisgah/Nanlllhala National Forest offices.
In each city, the message rang ou1. loud and clear:
decision-making proc:essc$ which destroy thousands of
aaes of habitat come from little cubicles inside
concreie and Slecl office buildings.
//'you'd liu to wim your frusuaJions with IM
Fores, Service in a concerted effort, conJJJcl
SowhPAW: Box 3/4/; Asheville, NC 28802.
SENATOR WAFFLES
Nau,,al World News Scrvia
SenalOI' Terry Sanford is threatening lO give in
the mauer of
the Fontana road, the famous "Road IO Nowhere" in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Palk in Swain
County.NC.
Sanford bas ptOp0.5td legislation I.hat would
include aSl6 million payment to Swain County and
allow consuuction of the comrovcrslal road. The road
would destt0y the possibility of wilderness
design:11ion for the southern end of the Parle and open
the isolated area up IO possible (ulllrC developmenL
Sanford stalTer Alan Thornbwg said 1h31. the
Senat0r "just wanLS to pol lhis ITlllller behind us. He
is willing lO do w~ver lhe county commissioners
dcs1te in lh is local issue.•
Sanford apparently does llOl undel'Sland that it
is not jost a local issue any more. The s111tus of
several thousand acres of h3biw and an imp0Clllllt
wildlife migration routc are at stalce, and there are
many visilOrS co the Parle who each year apprcciatc
the qmet and rcl:ll.ive isolation of the north shore of
Lake Foruana.
Sanrord's move seems LO be an election year
ploy to brcalc Helms' enclave or powct in Swain
County. That he would scll out I.he future of a critical
habitat area for a palll}' handful of VOies shows a
skewed sense of values.
lO Senator Jesse Helms' inll'BllSigcnce in
To con1ac1 Stlllltor Ttrry SOft[ord abou, his
proposal, write him QI 716 llart Senate Office
Building: Washington. DC 20510.
WE PAY FOR CLEARCUTS!
Nlllnl World New• Serv~
Once again the U.S. Forest Servicc has issued
a report stating the amount trutpaycrs pay tO subsidize
timber sales on North Carolina na11onal foresLS. In
1991 U.S. citi7.ens paid $2.4 milhon ID order lO have
roads buih and plOIS of national forest land clcrucut to
the state. Even though less limber was harve.~ted in
1991 l.h:m m 1990 (there was a loss or S2 million in
1990), we paid even more to keep Congress nnd the
timber IDlcrestS happy.
Xnt(iari lournnt ,.,- r, l Z2
nmm lf ll
f •
If •r 6
t
=
• ~-WHEELERS ~AT POR&ST
Nanni World New, S<tvicc
All-terrain vehicles (ATV's) are a pcoblem in
lhe region's national forcsLS. In lhc view of the US
Forest Service. the desires of different human inteteSt
groups lake precedence over protcetion of the rorcs1
ecosysiem. Thus, ATV joyriding is seen as a
legitimate "mulitple use· of the forest, and the little
bull-bouncers are permitted whetc no mot0ri2cd
vehicles should be allowed co chum.
Case in point: lhe Wayehutta (locally
pronounced •worry-hut") Creek watershed or the
Nanlllhala National Forest in Jackson County, NC is
riddlcd witlt A TV irails. Sixtccn miles of old logging
roads have been given over t0 the mud-slingers for
their fun.
But that is not cnoogh for the wheel jockeys.
Now the Forest Service is considering a plan to add
20 more miles of ATV trails, pcneuating two more
water.iheds.
Internal combUSlion engines, especially
obno11iously loud ones over four knobby-treaded tires,
are incompatible witlt deep forest habiw needs. The
acres that woold be impacted by the noise, debris. and
massive erosion from ATV's are needed much IIIQle
desperalCly by wild animal and plant life as
homespace.
or
However, Uie ltanquillily lhis JX)rtion of
wild land is tltrca1encd. Adjnce.n1 lO the city uact is
the CliITs of Gla.\sie development, a 1,000 acre golf
rcson. The Cliffs wants to buy 134 acres of 1bcciLy's
propeny 10 expand their domain. The Greenville City
Council was agreeable to the sale. but when local
conservation groups he:lrd of the proposed transaction,
tltey unilCd in vehement opposition. The local
Bartram Group of the Sierra Club described the
property and revealed the details of the sale in a
televised press conference. The land had never been
inventoried, said the group, and lhey insisted 1h31. a
sludy of lhc area be done before any sale was
considerod to dcterminc if it was habilat for any rare
or endangered species.
The TV broadcast provoked a flood of letterS
from local citizens apposing the proposed sale. Under
I.hat pressure, the city council bacud off. TI1ey agreed
to inventory the 134 acres proposed for sale.
Moreover, they have decided to study the biology of
the whole watershed to consider a mnnagemcnt plan
for the entire traeL The city might still try to sell tho
area when the study is completed, but public pressure
has proved co be a powerful LOOI.
The Highlands Ranger District is scliciting
commurls on the proposed A7V trail expansion.
Write them 01: Rt. I, Box 247; Highlands. NC
28741.
BUYING BAD AIR
Namral World New. Scrvice
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is
baying 10,000 cons of coxic nitrate and sulfaie
compounds rrom the W l ~ Power and Li&hl
Company co release inlO lhe air over the Tennessee
Valley and the Soulhcrn Appalachians.
Docs that sound LOO bimrre to be true? Not at
all. Under a clause or the much-toulCd Clean Air Act
or 1990, companies that are in •over.compliance"
(companies that exceed the minimum smndnrds for air
cleanliness set forth in the act) can seU "pollution
credits" to polluting companies who don't want to
clean up their operations. This provision is a
safeguard bw11. into the law ID see that the air does
not get cleaned up beyond a minimal level apparently on the theory lhal if air geLS too clean iL is
bad for business.
Money can buy off the legal system, but it
cannot bring dead lJ'eeS back to life. nor can it make
polluted air any hcallhicr for those organisms who
have lO breathe u. "Pollution crcdiLS" may make TV A
think that it has license tO pollute, but 11 will only
worsen lite situation in the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park where 96 plant species ore already in
doclinc from niuogen•gcnerrucd owne and other
atmospheric pollutanl.S.
The grealeSl irony may be that rai.epaycrs
puchasing power from TV A will now know tltn.t,
instead of investing in air pollution controls, they ore
buying themselves an extra helping of air IO~ichy.
Comnu!nls may be stnt 10 the Ttnntssu
Valley Aulhoriry; Norris. TN 37818.
GOLF DESERT OR WILD WOODS?
Nanni World New. Service
The City of Greenville. SC own.~ 25,000 acre.\
of land in nonh Greenville County. The ll'3cl is a
rugged and beauuful alC.'.l at the foot or the Blue Ridge
CSClllplll(nL Bought bad ID lhe l 920·~. lhe land has
not~ a bulldo1,er or a chain saw in 60 years.
i4
D
ACTIVISTS RALLY FOR CLEAN
AIR
N11unl World News Service
A raucous crowd of about 50 people and one
coswmed bear demonstralCd beforc the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park's Suga.rlands VisilO( Center
in GatJjnburg, TN on May 18. 1992. This time the
activists or the group SolllhPA W were not protesting
government actions, but ~ galhcrcd IO support lhc
Dep:inmcnt of the Interior's policy of opposing any
new insl.allations within 120 miles of the Great
Smokies lluu would add lO air pollution -particularly
low-level ozone - in the Park.
Signs welcomed curious visitors lO the "Great
Smoggy Mouniains" and decl3rcd "We Support the
No-zone!• The dancing beat grophically demonslt3llld
what happens when wildlife take on overlo:ids of air
pollution. Atlanl.8 folksinger Robert Hoyt serenaded
the Monday morning crowd with copical songs about
the state of the environment and our society.
The Soul.hPAW ac11v1s1.S wcce JOined by 20
eighth grade s1udcn1.S in the KARE (Kids Agamst
'Recking lhe Environment) Club at Bridgepon School
m Newport, TN. The studcnl.S, who live in the
watcrShed of Ilic Pigeon River, knew lin;tband about
lite effects of waler pollution, but came 10 learn what
air pollution docs co C(()~i.tems. They m:ide tl1c
connections quickly and were soon parudpat mi;
cntltus1asucally in 1.hc dcmonst.111tion.
Su mm.er,
){192 uu
�The first building constructed at
Sycamore Branch was the community center.
It had a large kitchen and dining/meeting area
upstairs and ample bathing and laundry
facilities downstairs. The next project was a
complex that came to be called "the
apanments." These were twelve good-sized
rooms, each with a couple of sleeping lofts,
arranged in two tiers going up the hill above
the river. Many families lived for several
years in the apartmenrs while they worked on
their houses. Today the community rents
them out to young couples, the elderly, and
visitors.
The people decided that most of the
houses were to be built in a cluster near the
community center. These houses were built
by the homeowners who organized
themselves into a masonry crew and a
carpentry crew. Some homeowners hired
replacements for themselves because they had
jobs that would not allow for the necessary
rime off. These clustered homes were
connected by a common water, electrical, and
sewer system. They were arranged and
landscaped for maximum privacy, set into the
hillside, and turned a little this way or that so
that each home could have a small private
garden. There were many outdoor decks and
patios. Another eight homes were built in
various places around the property. These
homes were simple and designed to be
low-impact, most of them lacking in
conveniences.
There was widespread unemployment
as the old international economy collapsed.
Many families who lived at Sycamore Branch
lost their livelihood and the community
started businesses to help. Soon after
forming, the village started a cooperative that
owned and ran a sawmill, a woodworking
shop, and managed the community's garden
and kitchen. People could belong to the
cooperative that ran the garden and kitchen or
they could buy meal tickets. Many people
from outside the immediate community
bought tickets and some joined the
cooperative. Members of the cooperative are
currently required to work 14 hours each
week. In practice, about one fourth of the
people chose to work these hours
themselves, one fourth chose to pay, and half
chose a combination, doing farmwork during
the planting and harvest seasons. This
arrangement allowed some people to make a
liveli.hood almost entirely from farm or
kitchen work.
The Village Cooperative kept a small
herd of cows and ran a small dairy that also
A LOOK BACK
by Will Ashe Bason
processed milk from local farmers. A village
bakery supplied fresh bread that was sold
locally. Tofu and tempeh were made from
beans that were obtained in trade from a
community in a neighboring county that had a
better season because of lower elevation.
Twelve acres of blueberries were cultivated
and most of the berries were dried and sold.
There is a blueberry festival at harvest rime,
and the entire community helps with the
picking. One hundred fifty acres were planted
to a mixture Lhal included chestnuts, black
walnuts, black locust, and bramble fruits,
and this has proved to be a very valuable
asset over the years, with chestnut flour
becoming a major source of income. Many
local farmers and landowners planted blight
resistant chestnuts that were supplied by the
village and brought tons of dried chestnuts to
the sheller and mill.
Toe village woodworking shop
produces drums, harps, dulcimers, guitars,
and flutes. These products have gradually
gathered a fine reputation among musicians
far and wide, and the shop employs about
one third of the people in the village.
Sycamore Branch was of vital
imponance to Floyd County during the
economically unstable rimes of the late '90's
and the primary years of this century. It
helped formulate the plan for the
decentralization of the county's schools and
social services. The community has set up
four small band saw mills in various parts of
the county and organized a crafts collective
that markets area crafts on a mail order basis
through the satellite communication network.
The community has provided blueberry
plants, nut trees, shiitake mushroom spawn,
and vegetable StartS at low cost (and
sometimes free) to local farmers.
Sycamore Branch gave technical
assistance to many local communities that
were creating their own power systems after
the breakdowns of the late '90's. They
powered several other villages directly and
gave assistance 10 many more. There were
many economic refugees in the late '90's,
and Sycamore Branch offered a plan by
which these folks could mostly house and
feed themselves. They were influential in
Habitat for Humanity's decision to build
ecovillages with their own economics instead
of isolated homes. The community produced
a video series tilled "The Owner-Built
Village" which was used by thousands of
new cormnunities.
The goals of Sycamore Branch, as
stated in their by-laws, included not only
being of service to the larger community in
Floyd County but also reaching out on an
international scale. This was accomplished
through a sister community program that
linked the village to other small communities
around the world. Especially close tics were
made with the Mayan village of Yonin.
Young people from the communities were
exchanged every year and sometimes older
folk would go down for a year or so.
Sycamore Branch marketed xylophones,
weavings, and dried fruit from Yonin.
Sycamore Branch has cooperated from
the beginning with the UN's efforts lo set up
international community-to-community
trading and cultural contacts. The village has
for years sponsored a team ofteehnicians
who work to help upgrade poor communities
by providing better water sources, waste
treatment, and health care. Villagers from
these communities are trained to run the solar
satellite link and to access weather, health,
and technical information in their own
language. This gives them access to world
markets within the limitations of the
distribution system. There is an emphasis on
self-sufficiency and the development of a few
trade items that can be transponed to the
nearest world irading center for shipment to
irs ultimate destination through the UNPS
network of freight dirigibles, trains, vans,
and donkeys.
The village of Sycamore Branch was a
leader in the move by small communities to
take over the economic role of the
corporations. We now take it for granted thar
small communities work together
economically for their common betrermcnt.
and we forget that there was a rime when this
was an unusual pattern. The breakup of the
corporate economy in the '90's left a vacuum
that was naturally filled by small
communities. The pauems developed in
Sycamore Branch and similarcommuniti~#
were a vital part of this process.
fr
Reprinted/rem Tek:iah newsleuer,
which is available from the ln.sritwe for
Sustainable Living; Windswept Fann; Rt. 1,
Box 35; Check.VA 24072.
Will Ashe Bason is a farmer and
visionary who lives in the Floyd County,
Virginia community.
Mountain Counsel
Blackberry bushes, heavily leaved,
Bow as I approach;
Offer bounteous gifts
Deep black, soft and sweet.
Yet remind me of the need
To pick with gentle care
Or else be pricked by thorns
That spring from everywhere.
And so it is with friends.
- Taylor Reese
DnlWUl& by Rob Mcs11ck
Summa- , t 992
Xatoofl Journa!
JIQ9C 23
�BUlTERFLY
In a lazy larval state
I ate
Everything
Fresh and green
That lay before me
Until I could consume
No more
DRUMMING
Dear KaJuah,
This is the sound of Nonh Carolina. ll
is the voice of Kilmer Forest - it is the New
River Gorge - it is the Haw River - it is ML
Mitchell and the Black Range. Little
Santeetlah Creek and the French Broad River
also speak here.
I am Native Choctaw-Scot-Nonh
Carolinian and l dare speak in their names.
From the mountains to the coast, I see areas
rendered unrecognizable due to overdevelopment and misuse. It huns - the street
lightS that ruin night vision, the litter, the
washed out sides of previously pristine lakes
due LO motor-boating. This is not the state I
grew up in. What was attractive then is now
the money maker of the day.
Why do those who come here to "get
away from it all" need LO "bring it all" with
them?
Back LO Nature? My family raised me
that way - my grandfathers and greatgrandfathers fanned • a Choctaw greatgrandfather was a proud man in his
community here in the Piedmont I still have
the land he farmed.
At age 37, I still practice what my
ancestors left to me - a guardianship of
property and the knowledge or how to do it.
I love this state, but not what it is
becoming. It needs help, and l feel we are
losing.
Last year I was a volunteer for the
Kituwah Festival here in Asheville and will
be there agnin this year. I would also like to
work wherever possible for your staff on
representing Katuah Journal - it has a place!
Thank you,
Nancy Odell
Dear KaJuah,
While I have enjoyed the Journal more
than I can say, I have not sent in my
subscription renewal because J feel you could
help me a bit more than you have tried lO in
the past.
My Llfe's goal is to help re-establish
the American Chestnut in the mountains, and
to that end I've been trying to locate acreage
on which to do this. I wortc with devotion on
anything undertaken, but my problem is lack
of money for purehasing the size acreage or
farm needed to plant, nunurc, and monitor
these seedlings to maturity. I sincerely felt
there must be, among your readers, someone
intersted in seeing this tree again reclaim our
forests: some who may not have the time or
inclination to do the work needed, but who
may be financially more able and who would
be willing to help. I would gladly give full
accountability for any funding offered.
I looked at Land last Saturday near
Spruce Pine. Bui I would need some
$26,500 to acquire it. along with giving some
inherited fine jewelry 10 make up the
difference. I'm willing to give everything I
have, bu1 cash is something I don't have,
unfonunately, and tha1 is what sellers wanL
Truely. l felt your interest in this was as
deep as mine. l am not some scam artist,
simply a person with a limited amount of
assets that will gladly give for the finacial
help l need. Some of these assets are quite
exciting, for instance, r have an original
printing of the very first meeting of the
Continental Congress (authenticated by the
old books department of UNCC); an original
copy of Washington's Farwell Address and
many very old deeds, etc. l'm not wanting
something for nothing, you see. I have quite
endless energy and much determination. This
determination would go into the raising or the
chestnut If you do wish to help me get
started (I'm looking at land from the Spruce
Pine area west through Madison Counry),
you will be proud of what l'II accomplish.
Fat and sleepy
I slep1 deeply
Safe from a hungry world
Alone in my own
Silk cocoon bed
That trembled and twirled
Suspended by threads
From slender limbs
Overhead
Waiting
Until the warm suns
Of summer come
And I summon the courage
To emerge
Transformed and renewed
Wings brightly-hued
To carry me
Free
• Rebecca Wilson Hicks
Sincerely yours,
Dorothy Dickson
113 Autumn Lane
Harrisburg, NC 28075
!f\ "he. 5UMe Y-
-th e -fiowe.YS
b\,oOM f- he beo.Y"
w i 11 'rOMe
VJ ; f\
'f"'e 5qVi1TelS
1 e ()\ t WQ'f K
°'WO\ifi "~
Wi "t e r
Cold
+or
C\
T\d
We+her
l'llolobyR.-lyBall
tre r 5
P\ in re~ Of
Jee cl ".f'or
the bi ue
TS v\ nJ
--fo'( -r~e
crow
-t~erf
Cor Y\ Pl , n teu
0-f +1'.o.-1-·
J
(poem by Tiyo)
age 9
Dear Karuah,
I'd like to subscribe to your journal,
finally. We love it most abundantly cover to
cover. Couldn't bear to slash the graphics on
#34, so I send this sheel of paper wilh this
message.
Beyond the garden, consensus decision
making, and bioregionalism, my interest and
vocation arc renewable energy systems and
sheller. Our house is off the grid and soon
our income will be, tOO. Please conac1 me if
you ever do an issue on renewable energy in
Ka1uah.
Blessings 10 ya'II Star and Otter
Summer. 1992
�Dear Kanwli,
Thank you for the flood of pleasant
!Demories evoked by your Spring, 1992
issue. As I pored through your pages, I could
see my father pointing out things as we
walked through the woods. I learned of wild
onions, greens, mushrooms, persimmons,
and beechnutS. Berries grew abundantly
where I was raised - strawberries,
blackberries, raspberries, and gooseberries. I
was fortunate enough to live close to a small
wooded area, an ecosystem all its own. To
this day, I can tell an Oak from a Maple from
a Birch from a Willow, etc.
'
I'm still fascinated by the life forms in
even a small creek. The fish, crawdads,
leeches - I even learned to make suckers into
a very fine substitue for salmon/mackerel
patties.
Thank you for bringing it back when
I'm ready to see the deeper meanings of the
Earth's give-and-take relationship with man.
Keep up the good works, Mr. Messick.
Stay on the Path,
Jeff R. Zachary
Dear KaullJh,
This is still the best bioregional rag I've
seen! Thanks for keeping me in touch with all
the real news from home.
Gene Dilwonh
Dear Friends,
I send to you all my thoughts of peace
and well being... I hope that this Jen.er finds
you all enjoying happiness and good health!
I appreciate all your hard work in
producing Ka1uali Journal and including
Stil-Llght in your calendar of events. ll helps
to keep us before the public eye. Thank you!!
I am writing to comment on your
recycle logo on the Spring, 1992 issue:
"Recycle or Die." Recycling in and of itself
and one hundred percent population will not
solve our problems and create a sustainable
economy. Recycling is at best a stop gap
measure, something easily understood and
do-able by the masses. Until we stop
consuming and u111il we stop having so 1111Jny
babies (especially in the more afj111e111
countries) we will continue 011 our collision
course with exrinc1io11 as a species as we use
up all our nomral resources.
I agree that we should continue to
reri:ind people to n;cycle because it helps, but
crying wolf and usmg scare tactics hns never
wo~ked. people only do that which is in
their own selfish best interest. .. a sad
commentary on human nature, but the truth.
Just a few thoughts ...
Your Friend and Brolher,
Leon Frankel
Summcr, 1992
Dear Ka11W1,
Well, they've done it to us again! Praise
be to the "Gcxl Squad" for overiding the
couns and sentencing more forests out west
10 lhe saw? The sponed owl may be
protected, but only by the edict of loggers
and the Almighty Gospel of the U.S.
Congress. r thought there was supposed to
be a balance of power between the three (to
name but a few) branches of our government.
Where is the justice in taking a case to coun
and then have the "Gcxl Squat" (sic) come
and say "Praise the Lord. we gonna Lord it
over every forest we can"?
Constance Birch
From the Groun d Up
"You gotta start from the ground up ... "
- That's what they've always said
- and lhat's it in a nutshell
- where civilization's gone wrong
"If you don't have yo~ feet on the
ground...
Then where are you?
How do you get sustenance without roots?
"We're all going so fast we're gonna crash"
- where?
- on the ground?
The Ground?
We've put that in the hands of
MEGA CONGLOMERATE
ii-?tJ~~Wo.MILLIONAIRE,
20TH FLOOR HEADQUARTERED farmers
- Who probably won't touch the
ground
even when they die
But are buried up to lheir necks
in their financial statementS
- the only thing they care about
And speaking of lhe ground...
From the Earlh's point of view
it must think we're made of rubber
for that's all that touches it when we move.
We're Gods of power...
We have bulldozers to move
mountains.
A river can't flow
without our permission
We've gOL landfill expens
- like our mission is to fill the land
"Landfill"
- like a free lunch for the Eanh!
(ns if it liked the encrees)
Many of the Earth's peoples
worship Jesus, a man's
creation of the universe
(or Gcxl, if you will...)
Who gave unceasingly
of beauty and healing...
even as he died slowly and painfully
in the hands of the Earlh's people.
If such as he were still alive
would we try 10 save him?
Or, would we treat him
as we do her, lhe Earth?
Dear Karuah,
I read awhile back the article on the
!-,ETS sy~tem and sent for the preliminary
mformanon. lam real interested in seeing one
get sra.rted in the Karuah region in rural
mountain areas. At this time I have not the
time, energy, and resources 10 start one by
!11YSClf - l wonder if you know of other
interested persons you could put me in touch
~th who have the whole study course who
might let me borrow it.
In the meantime I am starting a simple
bancr networking newsletter in this local area
(Bryso~ City, Sylva, Franklin). Perhaps you
would like a ,~·rue:-up for the summer journal.
The Spnng issue of Kauiuh Journal is
by far the most interesting one to me in a long
time - great articles intended for the already
some~hat informed. Erbin Crow's pissing
poem 1s a real gem.
Airin Green
P.O. Box 382
Whittier, NC 28789
Dear Karuah,
I have enjoyed recieviog your paper,
but there is one matter of deep concern l
have. I have noticed several times in recent
years the theories of Buckminster Fuller have
been mentioned in a positive light, as if he
were a worthy mentor for ecology-minded
people (see John Ingress in Spring 1992).
I recently went back and looked a1
Fuller's opus Critical Path (St Martins,
N.Y., 1981), and was alanned to find it was
even worse than I had remembered. In the
preface he introduces lhe notion that human
beings are so smart we can easily provide
an "unprecedented higher standard of living
for all Eanhians," and claims that "four
billion billionaires" would be a worthwhile
and admirable goal. Can you imagine how
shredded to ribbons the Earth's ecosystems
would with "billions of billionaires," a
concept Fuller warmly endorses throughout
his book?!
The rest of Fuller's thesis is well
known. High technology is the savior we
have been waiting for. lo the future, humans
will live packed in floating cities, space
platforms, nnd so on, in fully automaied,
controlled environments. On page 297 he
claims "lhe power of the Amaz.on warershed
will be harnessed and considered by
designers as an integrated moving assembly
line."
On page 251 he gets so carried away
he proclaims that man has now taken on "lhe
competence of Gcxl."
I could go on with such examples, but
perhaps the point is made. I disagreed with
the late Ed Abbey on some things, but in his
evaluation of Buckminster Fuller, l lhink he
was right on lhe money. ln the meantime
there are lOLs of other writ tings on technology
out lhere worth reading, such as Lewis
Mumford, Jacques Ellul, or Jerry Mandcr's
new book.
Best Wishes.
Bill McConnick
• Breeze Burns
Xorunfi Jottn«i( p09c 27
�Jury Nullification:
Democracy at Work
M ost of us have noticed that our rights
arc being whittled and chopped away as
surely and relentlessly as our foresis. But
there is a little known right which can be a
defense against an offensive government.
II is a right we have because we are
entilled to a jury trial. The Fourth Circuit
Coun of Appeals in U.S. v. Moylan (1969)
put it this way: '1f the jury feels the law is
unjust, we recognize the undisputed power of
the jury to acquit, even if its verdict is
contrary co the law as given by a judge, and
contrary 10 the evidence."
People on a jury have the right to free
people from laws they wouldn't want
imposed on themselves. The right and the
responsibility.
Jury nullification, as this almost-secret
right is known, goes way back. Back to
ordinary men. Some of the ordinary men
were the 12 who served on William Penn's
jury in 1670. The British king proved beyond
a doubt that Penn was "guilty." He had
broken the law against preaching a religion
other than that of the Anglican church in a
public place.
But the jury didn't wane to punish
William Penn. They thought it would be a
beuer idea to punish the law itself.
The king's agent was furious and tried
co convince them that the law was more
imponant than their conscience. The judge
did his convincing by imprisoning the jurors
in the Tower of London until they agreed to
convict Penn.
But pubUc opinion - possibly related to
the expense of imprisoning the jurors - forced
the judge to let them go, and to admit that a
jury had the right to decide not only whether
someone has broken a law, but whether the
law is just.
The right of jury nullification bas
consistently been upheld in British and
American courts. According to Alan Sheflin
and Jon Van Dyke in law and Concempory
Problems 43, No. 4 (1980), 'The repeal of
(prohibition] laws is traceable 10 the refusal
of the juries 10 convict those accused of
alcohol traffic."
And Hagbard Celine points out in
Trajecl()ries newsletter that "the anti-pot law,
the silliest of all our drug laws, could not
survive in a nation with at least 70 million
pot-heads, if juries knew that they had the
right of nullification."
So what's happened?
Back in the 1890's, the U.S. Supreme
Court was about as freedom-loving as our
current robes. They upheld Lhe right of jury
nullification - but simultaneously ruled that
Lhe judge not only doesn't have to tell the jury
Lhey have this right - but can prevent the
defense attorney from telling them that they
have ii!
power.
Only Maryland has a state constitution
which requires a judge to inform the jury that
they may acquit if the facts prove a defendant
technically guilty but the jury believes the law
is wrong. (Lots of states, though, have
elected judges.)
There is a movement in many states to
pass Fully Informed Jury (FU) Amendments
to state constitutions. For more information,
you can write to FUA; Box 59; Helmsville,
MT 58843.
Jury nullification is a secret that needs
to be told. I asked my son if he knew his
rights as a citizen. He looked at me and
exclaimed, "Mom, I'm in school."
Isn't the power of juries a fundamental
part of how democratic government - of the
people - works?
I wonder what would happen even
without an amendment if people knew that
juries have the right to judge not only people,
but laws? If the people knew the power of
juries, and the power we would have a
grassrootS movement - towards democracy?
I am indebted to Robert Anton Wilson
and Trajectories newsleuer (Vol. /, No. 8;
Awwnn /990)/or m11cli of the infonnation in
1/iis article. Trajectories covers many spheres
of interest. Write to them clo The Pennanenc
Press; Box 700305; San Jose, CA 95170.
- by Karen F/etc71er
All juries have the power 10 nullify any
law, but any government judge can do
everything in her or his power to prevent
them from knowing that they have this
I:
Reprintulfrom IM AuJumn, 1991 ,ssue of /.
green light, Mwsleuer of the Cumberland-Grel!II
Bioregional Counril; 2513 Essex Place; Nashville
TN 37212.
The Story of the Man Who Wanted to Become Moss
He tried very hard
he wore himself like French lace
and went to the core of cells
where the green lives
and pulled out chlorophyll
trying to reinvent his structure
to take in the sun
When he kissed his mother
that lay in the moss
When he washed his belly
that lay in the moss
When he sat outside himself
that lay in the moss
lay in the moss
lay in the moss
in the moss
in the moss
the moss
moss
moss
- Jenny Bitner
Sumtm:r, 1992
�BOOK REVIEW
BEYOND THE LIMITS:
Confronting Global Collapse
Envisioning a Sustainable Future
In I971 , a book was published called
The Limits 10 Growth by Donella and Dennis
Meadows and J(lrgen Randers. It was a
landmark in ecological thinking in many
ways, causing many people 10 debate and
question the whole idea of unlimited growth
in industrialized societies. The notion of
growth as a cure for economic problems is
deeply ingrained in many people, and this
book questioned the very basis of such an
assumption al its root.
By using the Systems Approach to
problem solving and taking a long look at
trends in escalating human numbers and the
subsequent pressures put on the Earth's
resources, these three scientists proclaimed
that if present trends continued within the
next one hundred years there would be a
steep decline in lhe ability of human societies
to sustain themselves. This catastrophe could
be changed, they argued, by creating a kind
of steady-state where human populations and
material needs would level off and a new
balance achieved between binh and mortality
and between extremes of wealth.
It's twenty years later, and these same
three folks have been working on the
Systems Approach regarding the choices we
have in creating a future that does not depend
on growth as a means of propping up our
economies. Their new book, Beyond the
Limits, states clearly that human societies
have already moved beyond the limits of
what ecosystems of the Eanh can handle. Il
does not make excuses in order to go lightly
on industrialized countries. It radiates respect
for the diversity of life in the world and
offers some much-needed perspective about
the human place in it. The authors are deeply
moved by the severity of the problems we
face, and yet in many ways they offer hope
by providing paths we can follow to ease
away from the trend toward collapse and
simmer down into a mode of human
economy that actS within the limits of Eanh's
sustainability.
I find that it is much clearer to use a
Systems Approach with thorough
explainations of feedback, exponential
growth, overshoot and collapse, and
planetary sources, throughputs, and sinks
than the ambiguous notions surrounding
human carrying capacity (as seen for instance
in Issue #28 of Kat(wh Journal). Human
beings are not exempt from limitS to material
growth or the perils of overpopulation by any
means, yet it is high time we recognized that
we have exceeded many of the regulatory
limits 1hat exist for other mammals and that
we clearly have the capacity to overshoot this
carrying capacity at any time.
Cultural knowledge may not be enough
to restrain our frenzied pace, but it can offer
us some of the wisdom necessary co pull
back and keep from overstressing life support
systems. Whether we will paractice this
wisdom remains to be seen. yet Beyond The
limits offers some hard-earned distilled
knowledge and should be read by those
interested in learning how we can panem
human societies within limits. We humans do
have the potential to be effective problem
solvers. Unfortunately we rarely choose the
right problems to solve.
Beyond The Limits is pub/is~ by Ch,!lsea
Green Publishing Company: R1. I 13, Box 130: Posl
Mill.f. Vf 05058. Please ccn1ae11km aboui ~
,P"
informtUion on the book.
Rob Messick
B~byJll!OIITucllct
"I
told
the
Prograns to encourage
self and Earth awareness.
celeblollon. kinship ond hope.
• Youlh Camps • &;hool Programs
• Family Campa· Tead!o, Training
• Community Programs
• Camp StaIf Tra111lng
• Ouldoof Program Conwtt,ng
Look. Y1111 Ill ill l ltld ISklnQ mt ti help kAI
• Oonch ot Pffllll down tlltlt I don I k"°"
Md I"m 11n ~ I did kMw u..m 1-lclnt
wt/I ti ~1111 ti their dNIJII forgd l l
TIii
an,_ 11 no
F«av11 no•··
-'Naly~lbon ..,_
Don ·t Pay Taxes for War
Fo ntnrm11.1on ,if'ld o, ,1 c.;i,
PO. Bo• 1300
Gotti'lburg. T
e<Y'lessee 3n38
615-436-6203
National War Tax R
esistance
C
oordinating Committee
PO Bo~ 774 Munroe, ME 04951
1
2071525-7774
Summer , 1992
la'O!\: •nrr 1 ,t -
REGIONAL RADIO
Featuring Crossroads music, NPR news and music
programs, regional news and information
concerning health, education, government,
recreation, and the environment.
WNCW • FM P 0. Bo" 804 Spind.ik•, NC 28160
(704) 287-8000
�(cootinuo,d from P"&C SJ
and decorations were very sunilar. They
carried out the same kind of sun worship. I
think they were priest-ruled.
The Louisiana nibes showed that
influence strongly, and there is much
evidence of that among the Creeks and
Cherokees, probably more among the
Cherokees. Because of that influence, we had
a priest society for awhile. We became more
sophisticated and more warlike and gathered
up more territory and more people.
But the priest society among the
Cherokees became so arrogant and so
barbaric that the people rose up against them.
I think it must have been about the time
when the clans dwindled from 14 to seven.
The revolt centered in the Katuah village. The
priest society was ovenhrown.
After that episode, the spiritual
functions of the nibe became more
decentralir.cd. There were ceremonial
medicine people, song keepers, and the
chiefs of the ceremonial grounds. There was
a medicine man who could give hunting
formulas, and that's all he could do. Another
one who could give fishing formulas. And
women who lcoew how ro deliver babies, and
soon.
The medicine people still had influence.
but they were not almighty. There were
,
definitely people who shone among those
groups, and they gathered some degree of
power, but that was because of ability, not
because of their office.
The people also gave more power 10 the
village councils and balanced the influence of
the clans within the villages. so that no one
clan became dominant. Thus, it came about
that when the white people came, they found
us to be a loose federation of villages, more
lroquoian in our government than most of the
tribes around us. But our power was
growing. I think that if the white people had
waited 100 or 200 years they would have
dealt with one or two governments in the
Southeast. We were definitely influenced by
the Iroquois.
As it was, we were eventually forced
by bitter expenence to adopt the white man's
system of choosing one civil leader who had
ultimate power. Then we got chiefs like John
Ross, who passed a law saying no Cherokee
could sell land. Until that time. each village
acted on its own, and we were overwhelmed.
/
In spite of his droll pen 11ame. Bear
Wirh Runs is a full-blooded member of the
Cherokee cribe. He Jives in quiet a,umymity
offthe Cherokee Indian ReservaJion.
FREE CHEROKEE
from Ahwi Brown
What is a Free Cherokee? That's an
honest question, and ru try ro give an honest
answer. Most often a Free Cherokee is a
person with a family legend about an
"Indian" grandmother or grandfather. While
these legends persist in famiUes throughout
the land, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
has made it virtually impossible to enroll
these Free Cherokees on federal rolls. The
Free Cherokees are seen by many of these
Xotuah JPurnat page ao
people as a way to go "home." We do not
seek BIA recognition or any other benefit not
available to other citizens. We do appeal to
our BIA "approved" cousins to join with us
in keeping our heritage strong and in
resurrecting Tsalagi as a spoken language.
It is the hope of this Free Cherokee that
the more affluent of the Free Cherokee people
talce advantage of the current recession and
low interest rates to acquire land parcels in
the Cherokee homeland, Katuah, with the
intention of establishing Tsalagi kibb1uzim
within the borders of the homeland.
To explain the meaning of the liebrew
word kibbwzim: the Jewish people used this
same method to reacquire their ancestral
homeland. It took them about 100 years to do
it. I hope we can beat that!
. . This idea may sound crazy, but so did
Z1on1Sm 100 years ago. J reel that this is an
idea whose time has come. I release it to the
Ancient Red.
Allw18rown
Chic.kamaugan Band of Fru C~ro/cus
19/SBudleySt
Clialtunoogo. TN 37404
Summer, l 992
�:BUN M-OU'.NTA.'L'.N
(b. 1979 • d. l 992)
It was over a dozen years ago that a
man named Jerry staned cooking small
batches of tofu in the back of a food co-op in
downtown Boone, NC and distributing it
around town. This effort was passed on to
others who tried to expand the tofu, tempeh,
and sprout market to the rest of the state. The
soy dairy was small, but it had a wide
distribution within North Carolina. A series
of owners found it difficult to manage, and it
was passed along until John Swan bought the
business in 1987. He sought to make Bean
Mountain into a viable business by moving it
from the slowly dilapidating building it had
been housed in for years to a new building in
Weaverville, NC.
The hope was that with bcner access to
distribution routes and better facilities, larger
contracts could be gained and the business
would nourish. We have recently learned,
however, that Bean Mountain could not
make enough money to survive in today's
market.
Bean Mountain tofu and tempeh have
been legendary not only in the southern
mountains but also in many towns in the
piedmont. h will be sorely missed by many
people.
Hats off 10 you, John Swan, for your
gal/am effons to revive this most useful of
services to the community. Thanks also to the
men and women who put in their sweat and
blood 10 keep it going. May the memory of
all that good food linger in our hearts forever.
- Rob Messick
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN
BLACK BEAR
REHABILITATION AND
RELEASE CENTER
Or. Michael Pelton, a wildlife biologist
from the University of Tennessee who
specializes in black bear research, frequently
receives calls from people who have found
orphaned bear cubs. Panicularly in the spring
when cubs are young and inexperienced, they
are at risk if they are separated from their
mother by poachers, free-ranging dogs, a
flood in their den, or any of a number of
other causes.
Until now, there have not been
adequate solutions for this situation. But a
dream long held by Dr. Pelton seems about 10
mnterial ize.
Under the auspices of the Dragonette
Society for the Preservation of Endangered
Animals, work is proceeding on the Southern
Appalachian Black Bear Rehabilitation and
Release Center. a facility specifically
designed to renccustom and relocate
orphaned, injured, or starving black bears
into the wild. The Center is certified as a
non-profit organization and has established a
board of directors. Backers have donated a
site for the project in Townsend, TN near the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Architect Tom Caldwell volunteered his skills
to draw up a plan for the facility, and the
Oragoneue Society is now preparing for a
fund-raising effon toward a $350,000
construction budget.
The institution's primary focus would
be 10 temporarily house and r.reat bears in
order to re-establish 1hem in the wild as
quickly as possible. "We want to do what we
can in a confined situation to enhance the
possibility of survival in the wild," said Dr.
Pellon.
Bears would be held for their protection
only with as little contact with humans as
possible. When they become strong, healthy,
and acclimated enough to function in their
natural habitat (a maximum of six to eight
months), they would then be released 10
remote areas of the mountains or possibly in
black bear reintroduction projects, like the
one proposed for the Big South Fork area in
Kentucky.
The Dragonettt: Society
for the Preservation ofEndangered Animals
Box669606
Mariella, GA 30066
to"'°'ifka. IOO'U
~t\~S
\ I
,-o &c>~ , a04
by Rob M,
..
0$.icl;
v
( 7041 69~1
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Union Acres
Rob Messick
Rt. 8, Box 323
Lenoir, NC 28645
't
lllll • &.234
t1<nc1enonw,..,..c;ie1)!1
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Get a set of 10 assorted
folding cards with
artwork as seen in
Katuah Journal.
Send $11.25 ppd to:
/•j
i
- - Acreage for Sale - Smol.y Mountain Living
with a focus on spiritual and
ecologie11I values
For more informalio11:
Contad C. Grant at
Route 1. Box 61/
Whittier, NC 28789
(704) 497-4964
whole earth
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�JUNE
12-22
AMONG THE TREES
Katuah Rainbow Tribe Solstice
Gathering. Somewhere in the national forest.
sisters and brothers will gather 10 create a
magical village of love and light. Location to
be announced. For information, write to HO!
Newsletter; Box 5455; Atlanta, GA 30307; or
call Atlanta Rainbow Light Linc at (404)
662-6112.
€V€0t'S
BLACKSBURG, VA
Soc1e1y for Conservation Biology Annual
Meeting. Symposia on biodiversity issues. Contact
DepL or Fisheries and Wildlife: VPI & SU;
Blacksburg, VA 2A061
27-7/1
HOT SPRII-.GS, NC
"Jndcpcndcncc Week 7.en Holiday." wilh
Genlci Snndy Stewart. Medi1ation rcU'C3t held in
s1lcnce, culminating ma walk up lhe moum.am.
Pre-register: S225 includes lodging and vegan meals.
For info on lhi.~ and other rctreais, contact Soulhcm
Dharma Retreat Center: RL I. Box 34-H; Hot
Springs, NC28743. (704) 622-7112.
27,7/4
IS
FULL MOON/
STRAWBERRY MOON
19
ASHEVILLE, NC
• AFSEEE's Vision for N:lllon:il Foresis in
the Southeast," a public meeting with Jeff DeBonis,
founder of the Associalion or Fo~, Service
Employees for EnvironmcnU!I Ethics.
7 pm at Humanities Lccwre Hall, Univers11y of
North Cnrolinll • Asheville. For info, C31I Dr. Gary
Miller, UNCA. (704) 221-6441.
28
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
"Sunday m the Park," a moveable reast of
emenninmcnl, will be at Lake Tomahawk today at 2
p.m. Performers will include Jerry Read Smith, Lisa
Smilh, and Bonnie Blue's puppcis. For info on this
and other Sunday evcnis, call Quali1y f-orward. (704)
254-1776.
JULY
(INTER)NATIONAL
Day of Action for the 07.one layer. Don a
"radiation suit" and demand a ban on CFC's and
HCFC's NOW! Picket your nearest EPA office.
Local eoniacc John Johnson (615) 26S-67t3
ContincnUII comacc Rhys Roth (206) 943-7259
l
3.9
19-21
WILLIS, VA
"The New Dance." an exploration of
changing sexual identities with Dan Chesbro. Friday •
workshop for men and women IO hcal old wounds,
restore Ille balance of power and shnre our spiritwll
oneness. SaL, Sun.• a l'CIICal for men wilh music,
bodywon:, ceremony. Indian Val~y Rctrcat: RL 2.
Box 58; Willis, VA 24380. (704) 789-4295.
ASHEVILLE, NC
·wise Woman Tradition: Apprentice
W~." will explore herbal knowledge and women's
wisdom. For info, contact WhHewolf; Box 576:
Asheville, NC 28802.
LINVILLE, NC
371h Annual Highland Games and
Galhering or the Sc«lish Clans 01 MacRae Field
beneath Ornndfalher Mo11ntain. Scottish games,
dancing, uilidh, bagpipes, more. For information.
call Orandfalher Mountain Highland Carnes 01 (704)
898-5286 or write to Box 356; Banner Elk, NC
WASHINGTON, DC
First National Carrying Capacity
Issues Conference. Discuss the basic issues
underlying the CWTCnt environmental crisis
with leading thinkers such as Gaylord
Nelson, Herman Daly, Anne Ehrlich, Garrett
Hardin, Hazel Henderson, and others. $100.
Carrying Capacity Network; 1325 G St. NW
(Suite 1003); Washington, DC 20005 (202)
879-3044.
20
SUMMER SOLSTICE
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
Naturali51. nnd Educa1or Week is for
anyone who wanis 10 team more abou1 lhc outdoors
nnd pass lhc knowledge along. Hiking, natural
h1~tory, music, swunming... and Free Tune! Spce111I
gucs1 will be Doug ElboU, storyu:ller/ naturalisL
Prc-rcgisu:r: S200 includes lodging and meals. For
more info about this and other programs, contact
On::11 Smoky Mounlllins lns111111e at Tremont; R1. t,
Box 700; Townsend, TN 37882. (615) 448-6709.
22,27
"'1tt'1afi JournnC. pa9(" 32
18-19
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
"Great Pandas in Chma and Wildlife in the
Smokies" wilt use field lrips in lhc Park lllld group
discussions to mnlcc ecological, cultural and
conservation comparisons be1wccn Chinn and lhc
Smokies. For info about lh1s nnd olher courses,
con13e1 Smoky Mounlllin Field School: 600 Henley
Su-eel, Suite 105; Knoxville, Tn 37902.
1-800.284-8885.
18-19
SWANNANOA, 1'C
Anciem Sw Walke.rs" class led by Page
BryanL Included will be 1hc m:iking or a stnr bundle,
a Stnr Dance, 111lditional Native American siories nnd
sky watching. Pre-register. $85. For info about lhis
and other programs, eon1.1c1 The Earth Center. See
7/11.
19-25
SWANNANOA, NC
"Old-Time Music nnd Dance Week" of the
Swannnnoa Onlhcring 01 Wnrrcn Wilson College.
Weck-tong instructional workshops on old-time liddle
and guitnr, clogging and conu:i dancing, siorytelling,
and more. Ralph BliZ7..ard and lhc New Solllhem
Ramblers, David Holt, Don Pedi, and others. S220 +
Sl40 meals 311d lodging. Sec 7/12-18.
20
ASHEVILLE, NC
"Planetary Acupuncture: Power
Points and Sacred Sites and the Healing of
the Earth." Breath-taking sUdes and spirirual
insights by anthropologist/photographer
Martin Gray. 7 pm at Laurel Auditorium,
Asheville-Buncombe Technical College. $10.
9-12
28604.
19-21
W-ESSER, 11.C
ACA Open Canoe Nolionnl
Championsb.ips will feature racers from nll over the
U.S. in slnlom and wildwau:r courses on the
Nanlllh3!3 River. For info on these and other
whitewater evcnis. eoniact Nam.ahala Ou1door Cenu:r;
41 Hwy 19 West; Bryson City, NC 28713. (704)
488-2175.
15-17
10
BLACK MOUNTAJN, NC
Robert Hoyt, a radical voice for a New
Soulh, and The Billies, rhythmic harbingers or
post-mdusuial living, play 31 McDibbs; I 19 ChClT)'.
For more info, call (704) 669-2456.
MARSUALL, NC
"Toolmaking for Woodwoiters" is a class
for lhosc intuesled in u-aditional woodwor1cing
lechniques requiring IOOls no longer commercially
available. SIUdcnts will team IO mnke and modify
IOOls, including forge work, uiught by blacksmith
Frank Turley. Pre-register. S390 includes meals and
camping. with donn aceomodalion available. For info
on lhis and olhcr woodworking workshops, conU1c1
Counuy Workshops; 90 Mlll Cree.le Road: Marshall,
NC 28753. (704) 656-2280.
20-24
SWANNANOA, NC
Full Moon Lodge is a monlhly eveni;
begins 111 noon. Fo, info abou1 panic1pa1ing m
the sweat. conU1C1 The Earth Cenier. 302 Old
Fellowship Rood: Swannanoa, NC 2377g_
(704) 298-3935.
11
12-18
SWANNANOA,NC
"Scouish/Bluegrass Week" oflhc
Swannanoa Orubcring 01 Warren Wilson College.
Week-long instructional workshop on Scottish and
bluegrass music styles with Brian McNcill, Z;in
McLocd, the Lynn Moms Band, olhcrs. $220 + $140
meals and lodging. Wnu: The Swannano:i Gntbcring;
WWC: Box 5299: Swannanoa, NC 28778.
14
PULL MOON/UUCK MOON
Summer, t!l92
�.:!0-:!6 WILLIS, VA
Seventh Annual Women's Wellness
Weck. Sacred spat:c and mual, movement.
sound, storytelling. more with Jane
20
Avery-Grubel, Katherine Chantal, Louise
Kessel, Ise Williams. and mhcrs. Conmct
Indian Valley Retreat; Rt. 2, Box 58; Willis,
VA 24380_ (703) 789-4295.
-pericarp
--seedcoal
UUNCO\IBE COU:O,.TY. NC
Organic SmaU Farm Tour w1fl provulc an
orponunity to soc orgnnic producuon technique,,
green m.murcs and pc$! control~ on working farm, m
the al'l!a. Sponsored by Carolina Farm S1t:w:udship
Ass«ia11on. For info, call Allison Arnold :it (704)
255-5522.
FRANKLIN, NC
Cnmping. canoeing. rafting. hiking. first
aid instruction with a small group of bomcscboolcrs
in the Nnntaha13 Mountains wilh the Hcadwntcrs
Homcschoolcrs Outdoor Camp. S275. For more info.
contact He.id waters at (704)369-6491 or write lO 68
Lakey Creek Rd.; Franklin. NC 28734.
23-29
ASU1'; \'ILLE, NC
Broom Making Workshop. Go tic one
on with instructor Cnrt~n Tuule. For info on this
and other craft workshops, contact Folk An Center:
Box' 9545; Asheville, NC 28815. (704) 298-7928.
21-23
CULLOWII EE, NC
•1..nndscaping with Nauve Plants"
conference will offer lcc1urcs Md worbhops by
landscapers and horticulturists. Pre-register: S50
+ meals and lodging; rcgislCt separately for optional
field trips on 7(22. For info, call Sue DcBord at
West.em Carolina University. (704) 227-7397.
23-2S
23-8/2
SEPTEMBER
Fmuru: 2. -Cn•lot1rn dc11tato, Amoricnn ch•olnul: lonld·
ludinol ~ectlnn throu~h " nut, I.H x.
WF,STERN NC
Folkmoo1 USA brings folk dancers and
mus,cinns from Hungary, Jamaica, Belgium. MCllico.
Moldova, Panama. Sardinia. Ponugnl, Taiwan and
Uzbcldst:111 to perform m various locauons in Kauiah.
For schedule and price information, contact Folkmoot
USA; Box 523: Waynesville, NC 28786. (704)
457-2997.
CELO COMMUNITY, NC
RSVP Summer Celebration. Picnics,
tubing, hiking, dancing with Katuah's homegrown
pc:icc networking journal. For trove! directions or
more info, call Joseph Heflin a1 Rural Southern
Voice for Peace. (704) 675-5933.
7-8
ELIZABETHTON, TN
Appalachian Folk Medicine Symposium
will include lcc1urcs held al Sycamore Shoals Staie
Historic Sile in Elizabethton, lllld demonsr.rations and
hikes at Roan Mounlllin Siate Parle. For info. contact
Jeff Wardeska. Roan Mountain Society;
4 Bingham Court; Johnson City. TN 37604.
(615) 929-4453.
FULL MOON/HARVFSf MOON
12-20
AUGUST
12
WESTERN NC
River Week celebrates the French
Broad River in four WNC counties.
Community events will include a canoe trip,
raft race, hotdog kayaking, river safety
course, and riverside concert. To avoid- being
left high and dry, get a schedule from the
French Broad River Foundation. (704)
252-1097.
25-26
13
FULL MOON/
GREEN CORN MOON
The nrc.1'5 oldest
and targc..t natural
foods grocery "
Kalmia Center, Inc.
FRENCH BROAD Fooo Co,op
Sylva, NC
(704) 293-3015
Custom tilling, organic fertilizers, kelp meal,
colloidal phosphate & many more products
and services for abundant gardening and
healthful living.
(JOI)
.........
..
255-7650
your comnru1'1ly
groury,1ou
._.,., ...,.,., ......... .... .. ,,,...
,... ,...,
"'-
811/k Herl>s, Spices, & Grains
Vitamins & Supphwents
W11eat, Salt & Yeast-Fn•e Foods
Dairy S11bstit11ti:s
Hair & Skin Care Products
Beer (.-f Wine Making S11J1plies
200 W. King St, Boone, NC 28607
(7(») 26-1-5220
r;f diu
W
WHOLE FOODS
VITAMINS
ORGANIC PRODUCE
160 Broadway
Asheville, North Carolina
Open 7 Days a Week
Monday - Friday 9 am - 8 pm
Saturday 9 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm
Summer, 1992
t
·,.
~
NATIVE FLUTES
Two styles mode of cedar or walnut
woods in the traditional manner
Hawk Littlejohn
Sourwood Farm
Rt. 1, Box 172-L
Prospect Hill, NC 27314
(919) 562-3073
Sam!JMush
Herb Nurse.~
WREATHS •POTPOURRJ
• HERBS • TOPIARY
Complete Herb Catalog - $4
Describes more than 800 plm1ts from
Aloe to Yarraw
Rt 2, Surrett Cove Road
Leicester, North Carolina 28748
Phone for appointment to visit
(704) 683-2014
�HJGHLANDER CENTER is a communily-bascd
educational orgnnization whose purpose is 10
provide space for people 10 learn from each olher,
and lO develop solutions 10 environmenllll
problems based on lhcir values, experiences, and
aspirations. They also pul oul a quarterly newsletter
called Highlantkr RtportS. For more info contacl
Highlander Center. 1959 Highlnnder Way; New
Mankct, TN 37820 (615) 933-3443.
FAMll.IES LEARNING TOGETHER exisls in
North Carolina as a ne1work or homeschooling
families who offer infonn:n.ion, experience, and
encouragemcnl 10 each olher. &nelilS of FLT
membership include a quarterly newslcllCI, fumily
di.roclory, fnmily galhcrings twice a year, media
resource file, and much more. If you would like 10
learn more about Ibis o~n group please contacl
Tnsh Sc11Cnn or Doug Woodward :ll (704)
369-6491 or write 10 68 Wey Creek Rd.;
Frank Im, NC 28734.
PIEDMONT BIOREGIONAL INSTITUTE· For
those who live m lhe Piedmonl area, there's a
b10reg1onal cffOfl well underway. Join Us! We
would appreciate any donation or time or money 10
help mee1 opera1ing expenses. For a gift or S25.00
or more, we will send )'OU a copy or John Lawson's
journal, A New \foyage to Carolina. Also come
fmd out about the Lnwson ProjccL PBl; 412 W
Rosemary S=t: Chapel Hill, NC 27516;
Uwha.nia Province. (919) 942-2581
THE ALTERNATIVE READING ROOM is an
unconventional library; free and open 10 lhc public.
Our coltecuon intereslS include the environment,
social :ind political issues, the media ond peace. We
have.over 200 mag3.1.ine substripiioos. The book
and video collccuo~ also emphasii.e the
cnvlltlllment and political concems. Books and
videos can be checked OUL A video player i~
available for watching films in the ~ng room.
Localed UJ 2 Wall SL (#114): Asheville, NC
28801 (704) 252-2501. MoQ/Wed/Fri 6-Spm.
Tuesffhur I-Rpm · Sal/Sun 1-6pm
A VIDEO ABOUT LAND TRUSTS has been
produced by lhe umd Trus1 Alliance 10 explain in
lay 1erms whal a land lfUSI is. 2.7 million acres of
land have been saved by non-profit land 1rus1
organi7.ntions in America This video docurnenlS
lb.is movemcm's successes. Cost is 521.00 for
individual and Sl4.50 for LTA members (include
S4.50 for posmgc). Con!3CI: The Land Trust
Alliance: 900 171h SL NW (Suite410);
Washing10n, DC 20006 (202) 785-1410.
~Jli,~ J~~'[.'IOL P0:9.': ~
HAWKWlND EARTH Rl:.NEW AL COOPERATIVE
is a 77 acre wilderness retreat located on Loolcou1
Mounmin Parkway in northern Alabama. Easy
access. safe family camping, year round weclc:end
programs featuring Native American cldc:G and
Eanh teachers from around lhe world. S1r0ng
spiritual foundation wilh Earth Renewal emphasis,
membership discount co-op. There is no chnrge for
Native American ceremonies; reservations required
for all vis11S, please. Childcnre o(lell avnilllble.
Write: P.O. Box 11: Valley Head, AL 35989 (205)
635-6304. For qU3flerly newsleuer and program
updates send S 10.00.
NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONlALS - including
handcrafted Native American ceremonial supplies.
Drums, cuslOm pipes, medicine bags, swee1grass,
sage, fcalhcrs. rawhide raules, IObnccos. pipe ~ .
native flutes, and more! For free calalog send 10:
Box 1062-K; Cherokee, NC 28719.
GOOD EARTH ORGANICS in Asheville has a
network-mruketing plan which can provide a
substantial prut·time income. (Full time in 18-24
months). This is needed in any area, no !raining
required. We provide !raining and all assistance
needed to get you slllrted in your own business.
Contact Good Earth at (704) 252-7169.
UFETIMES .re AGES· a new release from Bob
Avery-Grubel, full of new age vocal music
exploring I.he mystery of life . lyrics included. On
casseue only: send SI0.00 plus Sl.00 for shipping
and handling 10: Bob Avery Grubel; RI. I, Box
735; Floyd. VA 24091.
BEGINNING CHEROKEE LANGUAGE BOOK·
supplemcnuxl wilh 1wo casscues. Sll'CSSCS alphabet
& proper pronunciation. The first textbook written
for use in teaching and learning 1he Cherokee
language. (346 pages). S39.95 plus $5.00
shipping. analog also available wilh mpes, books,
pipes, dance slicks. drums. feathers. furs, buffalo
products and more. Crafl supplies also available
(please specify). Send S2.00 10 the Muskrat Trader,
Box 20033; Roanoke, VA 24018.
COHOUSING COMMUNlTY being formed in lhe
Asheville area. ResideoJS organu.e, plan, and design
a coopc:rntive community where individual homes
cluster around n common house wilh shnred
facilities-· laundry, workshops. children's room,
dining room, etc. Opportunities ror energy
efficient, ecologically sound land use. Inquiries
inviled. Coouict: John Senechal: P.O. Box 1176:
Weaverville, NC 28787 (704) 658-3740.
LAND SURVEYOR seeks land conscrvW1Cy,
community land trust. and other alternative
community and green proJccts. Licensed in LA,
ME, NC, NH, TN. Contact Rantbll Orr. RI . 3,
Boit 345; Sneedville, TN 37869 (615) 2n-0416.
HEADWATERS helps both individu:ils ond families
dcvcl0p their outdoor ~kills wilh an awurcness of
lhc value or our nmural world. We offer a diver.ily
of experiences, rncluding family advcnwrcs,
Homc!ilChoolcrs Outdoor Camp, mstruclion m
kayaking, canoeing, backpacking. bicycle touring,
nmwc ph01ogrophy, and wilderness rafung. For
program mformalion, COlllllCt Trish Severin and
Doug Woodward nt (704) 369~91 or wntc 10 68
Lakey Creek Rd.; Franklin, NC 28734.
ETHER IC ANALYSIS • most complete rcpon on
chak.ras and emouons as Ibey an:: effecung your
being. Include.~ pcrsooalii:cd Gem Elixer 10 balance
Auric Body. Mail five hai~ (plucked from your
head), name, address, and S55.00 10: Dawn: Rt. 3.
Box 9; Llncsvillc, PA 16424.
MAGICAL HERBS • planlS, books, and fTCC
newsletter. Send 10 Wi7.ard's Way; 75 Broadway;
Asheville, NC 28801.
Alternatives ...
The Dir«1 of ln1enrional Communities is lhc prodory
uct or two years of intenS"ive research, and is lhe most
comJ]fdlensive and accura1e dircc10ry available. fl documenlS lhc vision and lhc daily life of more lhan 350
communities in Nonh America, and more lhan 50 on
olher continents. Each community's listing includes
name, address, phone, ond a description of the group.
Extensive cross-rercrencmg and indexing male.es themfonnation easy 10 access for a wide variety or users. Includes maps. over 250 additional Resource listings. and
40 related aruclcs.
328 pages
8-1/2xl I
Perfcclbound
October 1990
ISBN Number:
0-9602714- 1-4
$16.00
Add $2.00 postage
& hnndling for first
book, $.50 for each
additionnl; 40%
discount on orders
of 10 or more.
Alpha Fann. Deadwood. OR
(503) 964-6102
RSVP SUMMER CELEBRATION - July 25-26th at
I.he home of Rum! Southern Voice for Peace in lhe
Cclo Comrnuruty. Picnics, 1ubmg, fishing, hilang,
dancing, fine food and music! Fnmily Cun for
childn:n or all ages. Mark lhe date on your calendar
now! Call Joseph Heflin at RSVP ror information
and schedule or weekend even is (704) 675-5933.
• Webworking costs: There is a
charge of $2.50 (pre-paid) for each
Webworking entry of 50 words or
less. Submit entries for Issue #36 by
August, 15th 1992 to: Rob Messick;
Rt. 8, Box 323; Lenoir, NC 28645.
(704) 754-6097.
.
Summer, 1992
�BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE
t
ISSUE FOUR-SUMMER 1984
Water Orum • Water Quality· Kudzu - Solar Eclipse
- Clearcu1ting - Trout - Going 10 Water - Ram
Pumps - Microhydro - Poems: Bennie lee Sinclair,
Jim Wayne Miller
ISSUE FIVE· FALL 1984
Harvest· Old Ways in Cherokee- Ginseng· Nuclear
Waste - Our Celtic Heritage - Bioregion:ilism: Past,
Present. and Future - John Wilnoty - Healing
Darkness - Politics or Parucipa1ion
ISSUE SIX· WINTER 1984·85
Winter Solstice Earth Ceremony - Horsepasture
River - Coming or lhe Light - Log Cabin Roots·
Mountain Agriculture: The Right Crop - Willirun
Taylor - The Future or lhe Forest
ISSUE SEVEN - SPRlNG 1985
Susia.inable Economics - Hot Springs - Worker
Ownership - The Great Economy - Self Help Credit
Union • Wild Turkey - Responsible Investing Working m Ille Web of Life
ISSUE EIGHT· SUMMER 1985
Celebration: A Way of Life- Ko1uah 18.000 Years
Ago - Sacred Sites - f'olk Arts m lhc Schools· Sun
Cycle/Moon Cycle - Poems: Hilda Downer •
Cherokee Heritage Center - Who Owns Appalochia?
lSSUE NINE· PALL 1985
The Waldcc Forest - The Trees Speak • Migrating
Forests - Horse Logging - Starting a Tree Crop Urban Trees - Acom Bread • Mylll Time
ISSUE TEN - WlNTER 1985·86
Ka1e Rogers· Circles of S10ne • Internal
Mylhmaking - Holistic Healing on Trial • Poems:
Steve Knauth - Mythic Places · 111e Ukterui's Talc Crystal Magic - "Dreamspcuking"
ISSUE THIRTEEN· FALL 1986
Center For Awakening· Elizabeth Callari - A
Gentle Death - Hospice - Ernest Morgan· Ocaling
Creatively with Death· Home Burial Box - The
Wake. The Raven Mocker - Woodslore & Wild·
woods Wisdom· Good Medicine: The Sweat Lodge
ISSUE FOURTEEN· WlNTER 1986-87
Lloyd Carl Owle • Boogers and Mummers - All
Species Day - Cabin Fever UniVCISi1y • Homeless
in Katuah - Homemade Hot Waw • S1
ovemaker's
Narmtive - Good Medicine: Jnu:rspecies Communication
The Chalice and the Blade
ISSUE TWENTY-SIX· WINTER, 1989-90
The Ecozoic Era - Kids S:iving Rainforest - Kids
Treccycling Company· Connict Resolution -
,
~UA~OURNAL
35
PO Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748
For more info: call Rob Messick at (704) 754-6097
Name
Regular Membership........$] 0/yr.
Sponsor.........................$20/yr.
Contnbutor .....................$50/yr.
Address
State
City
Summer, 1992
If
ISSUE FIFTEEN· SPRING 1987
Coverlets· Woman Forester - Susie McMahan:
Midwife - Alternative Contraception - Biosexuality •
Biorcgionalism and Women • Good Medicine:
Malrinrchal Cul111re - Ptarl
ISSUE SIXTEEN· SUMMER 1987
Helen Waite - Poem: Visions in a Garden - Vision
Qucsl - First Flow - lni1iaLion - Leaming in the
Wilderness - Cherokee Challenge - "Valuing Trees"
ISSUE EIGHTEEN· WINTER 1987-88
Vemncular Architccture - Dreams in Wood and S10ne
- Mountain Hoene • Earth Energies • Earlll-Shehcred
Livmg • Membrane Houses - Brush Shcltcr.
Poems: October Dusi,; • Good Medicine: "Shell.Cr"
ISSUE NINETEEN - SPRING 1988
Pcrelandra Garden· Spring Tonics· Blueberries·
Wildflower Gardens - Granny I lcrbalist . Flower
Essences - "The Origin of lhe Animals:• Story •
Good Medicine: "Poww-" - Be A Tree
ISSUE TWENTY· SUMMER 1988
Prc.c;crvc AppamchiAII Wilderness. Highlands of
Roan - Celo Community - L'llld Trust • Arthur
Morgan School - ZOning Issue - "The Ridge· •
Farmers and lhe Farm Bill - Good Medicine: "Land"
• Acid Rain - Duke's Power Play - Cherokee
Microhydro Project
ISSUE TWENTY-TWO· WINTER 1988·89
Global Warming - Fire This Time. Thomas Berry
on "Bioregions" - Earlll Exercise - Kor~ Loy
McWhirtcr. An Abundance or Empuness - LETS·
Chronicles or Floyd. Darry Wood - The Bear Clan
ISSUE TWENTY-THREE· SPRING 1989
Pisgah Village. Planet An. Green City. Poplar
Appeal· "Clear Sky"·" A New Earlll" - Black Swnn
- Wild lovely Days· Reviews: Sacred lond Sacred
Sex. Ice Age - Poem: "Sudden Tendrils"
ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR· SUMMER 1989
Deep Listening - Life in A10mic City - Direct
Action! - Tree of Peace - Community Building Peacemakers - Ethnic Survival· Pairing Project·
"Baulesong" - Growing Pc:icc in Cultures - Review:
I
Phone Number
Zip
Enclosed is$._ _ _ _ 10 give
this effort an extra boost
Developing Creative Spirit - Birth Power - Magic of
Puppetry - Home Schooling· Naming Ceremony.
Mother Earth's Classroom - Gardening for Children
ISSUE TWENTY-SEVEN - SPRING. 1990
Transformation. Healing Power - Peace to Their
Ashes - Healing in Kauiah - Poem: "When Left to
Grow" - Poems: Stephen Wing • The Belly • Food
from the Ancient Forest
ISSUE TWENTY-NINE - FALl./WlNTER 1990
From !he Mountains 10 the Sea - Profile of The
L1ule Tennessee River - Headwaters Ecology· "II
All Comes Down Lo Water Quality" • Water Power.
Action for Aquatic Habitats· Dawn Watche:s • Good
Medicine: The Long Humnn Being - The North
Shore Road - Katu:lh Sells Ou1 • WatcrShcd Mop or
Ille KlllWlh Province
ISSUE THIRTY - SPRING 1991
Economy/Ecology - Ways 10 a Rcgencrauve
Economy - "Money is the Lowest Form of Weallll"
• Clarksville Miracle - TI1c Village • Food Movers Lifework - Good Medicine: "Village Economy"·
Shellon Laurel • LETS
ISSUE THIRTY-ONE - SUMMER 1991
Dowsing - Responsibilities of Dowsing· Electrical
Life or the Earth • Kaluah and the Earlll Grid - Call
of 1he Ancient Ones - Good Medicine: "On
Aggression" - Time 10 Take the Time to Take the
Time. Whole Science. Tuning Tn
ISSUE THIRTY-TWO - FALL 1991
Bringing back the Fire - A Bi1 or Mountain Levity Climax Never Came - "Talking Leaves": Sequoyah·
Walking Disianec - Good Mc.dicinc: "Serving lhe
Great Life" · The Granola Journal • Paintings:
"Mountain Stories" - Songs of the Wilderness
ISSUE THIRTY-TiiREE- WINTER 1991-92
Fire's Power - What Is Natural • Fire and Forge The First Fire • Hearth and Fire in Ille Mountains ·
Good Medicine: "The Ancient Red" - Midwinter
Fires: poems by Jeffery Beam - Litmus Lichens
ISSUE TI-URTY-FOUR • SPRlNG 1992
Pnradisc Gardening - CommuniLy Sponsoccd
Agricut111rc • Eluting Close to Home· Native Foods
• Cover Crops· Kou1ah Cultivars • The Web of
Life: A Kaniah Almanx - Good Medicine "Med_icinc
Training" • Poems by Allison Sutherland
Back Issues:
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page'35
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
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The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
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journals (periodicals)
Language
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English
Type
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Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 35, Summer 1992
Description
An account of the resource
The thirty-fifth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on councils and consensus in governance and making decisions for the future. Authors and artists in this issue include: Caroline Estes, Joyce Johnson, Rob Messick, Bear With Runs, Lucinda Flodin, David Wheeler, Stephen Wing, Lee Barnes, Will Ashe Bason, Clear Marks, Karen Fletcher, James Rhea, Rhea Ormond, Ray Barnes, Michael Thompson, Troy Setzler, Taylor Reese, Rebecca Wilson Hicks, Jenny Bitner, and Ahwi Brown. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1992
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Consensus by Caroline Estes.......1<br /><br />Decision-Making Process by Joyce Johnson.......4<br /><br />Problems with Consensus by Rob Messick.......5<br /><br />Tribal Council by Bear With Runs........6<br /><br />Elda by Lucinda Flodin.......9<br /><br />The State of Franklin by David Wheeler.......11<br /><br />Where the Trees Outnumber the People by Stephen Wing.......14<br /><br />In Council with All Beings by Lee Barnes.......16<br /><br />Steve Moon: Shell Engravings.......17<br /><br />Good Medicine.......18<br /><br />Natural World News.......20<br /><br />A Look Back by Will Ashe Bason.......23<br /><br />Are Bioregions Too Big? by Rob Messick.......24<br /><br />Practices for Full Self-Rule by Clear Marks.......25<br /><br />Drumming.......26<br /><br />Jury Nullification by Karen Fletcher.......28<br /><br />Review: Beyond the Limits by Rob Messick.......29<br /><br />Events........32<br /><br />Webworking.......34<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
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<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
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Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cherokee Indians--Social life and customs--History
Consensus (Social Sciences)
Tennessee, East--History
Folklore--Appalachian Region, Southern
Cooperation--Virginia--Floyd County--History
Human ecology--Religious aspects
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
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English
Type
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Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
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<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
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Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
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<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
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PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Acid Deposition
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Black Bears
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Community
Earth Energies
Economic Alternatives
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Geography
Good Medicine
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Katúah
Plants and Herbs
Poems
Politics
Radioactive Waste
South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness)
Stories
Transportation Issues
Turtle Island
Villages
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance
Wilderness
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/d6750f94c0a18f40bca5af30e17a5990.pdf
5e1986979bd6644b0725bad9148dd445
PDF Text
Text
ISSUE 36 FALL 1992
$2.00
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WORKING WITH WOOD
�PO Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
New Address Inside!
Postage Paid
Bulk Mail
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
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Printed on recycled paper
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
�Using Wood...............................
Appalachian Logging.....................
4
by Lee Barnes
Old Logging Days.........................
7
by Frank Hodgin
Working the Woodlands.................
9
by David Wheeler
Wood Products and
Western Nonh Carolina..................
10
by Dr. John Wade
13
USING WOOD
Logging with Horses.......·-···········
15
'Thi! ecoMmic base ofthe area is rapidly changing from agriculture
and primary industry 10 service-related indJAS1ry. especially tourism."
Natural World News.....................
16
Invasion of the Giants....................
19
Depletion for Dollars......................
by Harley Wessman
by Nancy McIntyre
• The Dra!I Land and Rcsouroe Management Pl.an
for lhe Nanlahala-Pisgah National Forests
by Buzz Williams
From Industry to Endeavor..............
20
by David Wheele.r
Pioneering A New
Human/Nature Relationship.............. 21
by Robcn T. Pershcel
Forest S1ewardship Programs...........
22
by Jesse Jones
Ecological Foresay for
Renewable Forest Values.................
23
by Leon S. Minckler
Drumming..................................
25
The Chair in the Tree......................
27
by Tucker Windover
Reading the Grove........................
29
by Charloue Homsher
Events.......................................
32
Webworking...............................
33
Drawing by Hope Walker
f'a(L, 1992
Fanning and logging were the
traditional mainstays of the mountain
economy. Working with the land was for a
long time the only way to live in the remote
mountains. Isolated from the national
economy more by poor transportation
routes than by distance, the white
mountaineers lived independently, each
family deriving their own living from the
fields and forests of their inherited cove
lands. The fields grew food; the forests
provided additional food sources, as well
as a source of wood. The white mountain
folk almost literally built their lives out of
wood. As well as fuel, it was also used in
the making of shelter, tools and utensils,
storage containers, and wagon bodies. 11
was even necessary in the manufacruring of
the leather that harnessed the horses.
The arrival of the railroads changed
all that. A flood of ou1side capital rode into
the mountains on the rails and the primary
objec1 of the corporate desire was the wood
growing on 1he mountainsides. Many
mountain people drew their first paychecks
at the logging camps that sprung up in the
hills at lhe tum of the century. The logging
boom was in lhe voracious style of
capilalism that characteriz.ed that era - it was
short and intense, and lhen it was over. The
great trees were gone and so were lhe
timber barons with their paychecks.
But the lives of the mountain people
were irrevocably changed. They were
integrated into the cash economy and could
not go back. Many people left the
mountains to follow the logging companies
to the Pacific Nonhwest; others migrated to
the Piedmont to work at the textile mills.
Logging continued, but it was once again
small operations cutting primarily for local
use. The fanning lifestyle persisted into the
1940's, but once the region was opened to
the flow of cash and goods, people
increasingly preferred to buy food with
wages than to scratch the ever more
crowded hillsides for their living.
Another transportation breakthrough
brought another influx of oucside money
and culture and tightened the bonds that
held the region into the dominant national
economy. The construction of the interstate
highways opened the mountains to throngs
of people attracted by the region's natural
beauty. People came 10 visit, as tourisls and
second-home owners, or they came to live,
like the many retirees and professional
people who found it was much more
pleasan1 to live in the mountains than in the
crowded cities.
Service jobs, taking care of the needs
of the visitors and the well-to-do new
arrivals, rose sharply and are stiJI climbing.
Employment in service occupations is th.
e
dominant factor in the region's economic
picture. Farm employment has dwindled.
Most of those who call themselves farmers
now work the land only part-time and make
the bulk of their living at wage jobs. About
the same number of people are employed in
the wood products industries as were 30
Drawing by Rob Messick
(continued on page 3)
"4tuah JournaC page 1
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MAST HEADS THIS ISSUE:
Sherman Bamford
Becky Barwick
Charlotte Homsher
Steve Lee
Pegi
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COVER: by Rob Messick ©1992
PUBLISHED BY: Kat1mh Journal
PRINTED BY: The Waynesville Mowitaineer Press
EDITORIAL OFFICE THIS ISSUE: Billy Home and Gardens,
Asheville, NC (love that basil!)
WRITE us AT: Kanmh Journal
Rt. 8, Box 323; Lenoir, NC Katuah Province 28645
TELEPHONE: (704) 754-(IJ97
Diversity is an imponant element of biorcgional ecology, both natural
and social. In accord with this principle Ka1uah Journal tries to serve as a
forum for the discussion of regional issues. Signed articles express only the
opinion of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of the Katuah
Journal edil.OlS or staff.
The Internal Revenue Service has declared Katuah Journal a non-prolil
organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All
contributioos to Katuah Journal are deductible from personal income mx.
Articles appearing in Ka1uah Journal may be reprinted in other
publications with permission from the Katuah Journal siaff. Contact the
journal in writing or call (704) 754-6097.
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Heather Blair
Jesse Jones
Rob Messick
David Wheeler
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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Here,
in the Katuah Province
of these ancient Appalachian mountains
where once 1he Cherokee Nation lived in freedom
between the Tennessee River Valley and the Eastern Piedmont
between the Valley of the Roanoke and the Soulhem Plain
on this Tunle Island continent of Mother Ela. the Eanh
Here,
In this place we dedicate ourselves to remembering our deep
connection to the spirit of lhe land.
We bring this connection into lhe being and the doing of
our daily lives
When the land speaks, we listen and we act
We tune our lives to the changes, to the seasons
We respect the limits of the land
We preserve, defend, and restore the land
We give thanks for all that is good
Harmony with the land is no longer an ideal; it is an imperative.
The land is a living being. She is sacred.
As the land lives, so do we.
As the spirit of the land is diminished,
our spirits are diminished as well.
'LNVOCA.'JWN
Oh, trees,
Dear sisters and brothers,
We stand here
To honor you.
We acknowledge our kinship to you.
We are because you are.
You are a part of us,
And we are a part of you.
We revere your life-giving gifts,
Your beauty and your chemistry,
Your stability and flexibility.
We cherish your life
And feel blessed to live with you.
Karuah Journal sends a voice...
with articles, stories, poems, and artwork
we speak to the spirit of all the living, breathing
inhabitants of these mountains
in hopes that we, lhe human beings,
may find our place in this Great Life.
The Editors
KATUAH JOURNAL wants ro comm1111icare yo11r tltoughts
and feelings 10 the other people in the bioregional province. Send
them to LIS as leuers, poems, stories, arricles, drawings, or photographs, ere. Please send your contribwions 10 11s at: Kafliah
Journal; Rt. 8, Box 323: Lenoir, NC Karuah Province 286-15.
OUR NEXT ISSUE will be on "Bio-visions" or graphic art
representations of what the bioregion is and what it could be.
Images will be the language of this issue. Your contribution is
requested. Deadline is November 15th, 1992. Send to Rob
Messick; Rt. 8, Box 323; Lenoir, NC 28645.
THE SPRING ISSUE will be dedicated to sustainable
tourism and transport, including green alternatives to uavel. The
deadline is February 1st, 1993.
OUR LAST ISSUE will be an index to the 38 issues of
Katuah Journal, and a listing of bioregional organizations.
'.Katimh Journa! pti9e 2
f'aU:, 1992
�(c:ontinUc4 flOltl pqa I)
years ago (and to a great extent they arc
members of the same families), but the
relative percentage of those working with
forest products has shrunk as the region's
population and employment in other sectors
has increased. Today the land-based
occupations have faded from their former
prominence in the regional economy.
The rapacious timber barons arc
gone, but the logging companies still arc
often seen as the villains in local national
forest land use controversies, as logging is
the primary on-the-ground activity
destroying the old growth forest and
degrading native habitats. Logging
frequently causes environmental damage on
private lands as well. At best a logging site
is messy and ugly for some years after the
wodc is completed, but poor silviculture
and careless cutting practices can leave a
poor mix of unhealthy ~ . compacted and
eroded soil, herbicide poisoning, and silted
creeks.
However, we cannot simply wish away
wood use, one of our primary land-based
occupations.
Mountains, forests, rocks, and clear
running water are what exist naturally in this
place. If we arc going to grow a society that
is bioregional, tied closely to the land and
based on natural cycles, it will be nourished
on food grown in our own fields and
orchards. If we arc going to build a regional
economy here, it will be built - like that of the
early white mountain people - largely of
wood. We must restore these "primary
industries."
Our central challenge in finding our
place in any region is: can we live in a good
relation with the land? In the Katuah
bioregional province, this increasingly comes
back to us as the question: working in a right
way, can we use wood?
In this issue of the Katuah Journal we
look at how we arc using the mountain
hardwoods. We will examine the wood
products industry working in the upland
forests today, partly to gain a better
understanding of a powerful force in the
region's economic and political landscape,
but also to sec what changes we must make
to create a beneficial and harmonious forestry
that could be of benefit to all.
The first school of forestry was
founded here in the Southern Appalachian
Mountains. It would only be right for the
Southern Appalachians to be the place where
we start over and create another school of
forestry practice, this one based on the
region's native vegetation and natural patterns
of growth. Such a field - or forest - of
endeavor, done rightly, could be of positive
ecological benefit to the bioregion. It could
also be a paradigm for a healthy society.
"Putting down roots" is the first
prerequisite of biorcgional consciousness.
When we arc really here, truly aware, we live
with future generations in mind. The trees
grow from 150 to 500 years in age, or five to
16 human generations. Thinking in those
terms would cenainly transfonn our
relationship with the land.
To people measuring their lives in this
time frame, it would be absurd 10 degrade or
destroy their - and their descendants' - natural
TaCL, 1992
Phoro by Rob Messiclc
life suppon processes for the sake of
shon-term gain. They would be as unlikely to
"high-grade" the forest (cut the best trees and
leave the inferior stock) as to pave it over for
another shopping mall. To these people, it
would also be patently obvious that they
should defend the life web from all hann,
whether it be the insidious intrusion of
atmospheric pollution or disruptive activities
. by their fellow humans.
When we arc really here, truly aware,
we also see the breadth and depth of
relationships that keep this land alive.
Biodiversity, this is called. The trees arc not
the forest, but they arc the greatest plants that
grow there. It takes a balancing of myriads of
lives, many of them great, many more of
them infinitesimally small, to create each
living tree.
An ecologically realistic viewpoint
would see each tree as a culmination of these
dynamic relationships. Tall buckeyes and
stout beeches are not isolated phenomena that
can be divorced from their surroundings.
They are integral partS of their life
community, and true forestry nunures the
health and balance of the whole community to
promote the health and growth of its trees.
We can learn from true foresters what
they learn from the trees: stand tall, grow
slowly, develop strong roots, be open to both
rain and sun, be green, be of service.
Gregory Bateson, who combined
careers in biology, anthropology, and
psychiatry and is thought by many to be one
of the great thinkers of the 20th century, was
fond of retelling this story from England:
"New College, Oxford, is of rather late
foundation, hence the name. It was probably
founded around the late 16th century. It has,
like other colleges, a great dining hall with
big oak beams across the top. These might be
eighteen inches square, twenty feet long.
"Some five to ten years ago, so I am
told, some busy entomologist went up into·
the roof of the dining hall with a penknife and
poked at the beams and found that they were
full of beetles. This was reponed to the
College Council, who met in some dismay,
because where would they get beams of that
caliber nowadays?
"One of the Junior Fellows stuck his
neck out and suggested that there might be on
College lands some oak. These colleges arc
endowed with pieces of land scattered across
the country. So they called in the College
Forester, who of course had not been near
the college itself for some years. and asked
him about oaks.
"And he pulled his forelock and said,
'Well sirs, we was wondrin' when you'd be
askin'.'
"Upon funher inquiry it was discovered
that when the College was founded, a grove
of oaks had been planted to replace the beams
in the dining hall when they became bcetly,
because oak beams always become bcetly in
the end. This plan had been passed down
from one Forester to the next for four
hundred years: 'You don't cut them oaks.
Them's for the College Hall.'"
"A nice story. That's the way to run a
culture," Gregory Bateson would comment
. ne F.Alitrrs
New Colugutory q/lQlff wllli pm,tissionfr- /
~Nes1 Whole Eanh Catalog (1980).
x.at.i&ah Journal pMJe 3
�APPAL?\CHr~N
,
by Lee Barnes
The original forests of the Southern
Appalachian Mountains contained the greatest
diversity of hardwood trees on the con?nent.
The majority of the Southern Appalachian
trees are hardwood species, with interspersed
stands of softwoods, primarily hemlock and
pine.
These forests occur in natural
associations: Upland Hardwood Forest
(oaks, hickories, and other species), Cove
Hardwood Forest (yellow poplar, ash, red
maple, basswood, and other species),
Oak-Pine Forest mixtures, Boreal Hardwood
Forest (Birch, beech, sugar maple and
associated species), and high-altitude
Spruce-Fir Forests, which occur in almost
pure stands at elevations above 6000 feet.
The Spruce-Fir forests are currently under
rapid decline due to insect attack and
atmospheric pollution.
Prior to the twentieth century, the
American chestnut was a dominant species in
the mid-elevation forests. In 1909, American
chestnuts were estimated to compose an
average 27% of the trees in the entire
Appalachian forest. As late as 1925, 43% of
the trees in Buncombe County, NC were
chesmuts. Following the introduction of the
chestnut blight in the early 1900's, chestn~t
trees were eliminated during a 30 year penod
as a dominant forest canopy, timber, and
important mast tree (one producing wild nuts
of acorns). While chestnut root sprouts and
seedlings are still occasionally seen in the
forest understory, lhese only grow for 10-20
years and then die.
Historically, Native Americans used
wildfires to modify the forest by clearing
shrub tinderstories 10 increase habitat and
browse for game animals, especially deer and
bear. Fire was used to clear harvested com
fields of weeds and insect pests, and to return
nutrients to the stream-bottom fields.
Forest trees provided the native
inhabitants with edible fruits and nuts,
medicinals and ceremonial and construction
woods. Th~ natural properties of individual
woods were well known and utilized by the
Indians. For the Indians, each tree, each plant
had its parpose - its blessing. Several types
of wood were sacred to the Indians, and were
not cut or damaged except for ceremonial
uses. Ceremonial prayers, gifts, and thanks
always accompanied the "taking" of plants
and animals. The noted
anthropologist James Moody recorded many
of the uses and rituals associated with plants
native to the southern Appalachians, noting
that eastern red cedar was the most.sacred
tree to the Cherokees.
European settlers entered Western
North Carolina forests in large numbers
between 1790 and the 1820's. The dense
forests were considered as a hindrance by the
Xatt'.uin Jou.rnaf; page 4
early settlers who needed sunlight for their
domestic crops. Small fields were prepared
for planting by killi~g the trees by_ "~rdling,"
cutting through the mner layer of livmg cells
all around the trunk. First season crops were
often planted between the leafless girdled
trees, which were later cut for household
fires or burned in field-side piles.
The first settlers had only hand tools
such as falling saws and falling axes, and
perhaps, a broad axe for trimming and
making rough boards. Early homes were
built of logs or rough timber, with sawn
lumber used primarily for coffins. The
surrounding forestS provided.the settlers with
wood for fuel. timber, utensils, bowls, and
baskets. The settlers quickly learned from the
Indians which woods were best for particular
purposes. Metal tools were rare and .
expensive, so many of the parts for sunple
tools and machinery were made from wood.
The original forests provided abundant"mast
for free-ranging hogs and game animals. Hog
and bear meat was best in the fall after the
animals browsed on the nutS and acorns,
particularly chestnuts, scattered on the forest
floor.
After clearing lands for homestead and
agricultural parposes, the early settlers
"high-graded" (cut the best of) the more
valuable hardwoods for their own use and the
local market. Woods such as black walnut,
butternut, white oak and cherry were cut and
dragged out of the forest by oxen_ and ho~es.
The most desirable trees, those with supenor
characteristics (size, straightness of trunk,
freedom from excessive lower branches etc.)
were cut first from the forestS, with no
thought to the loss of gen~tically s~peryor
seed-parents. This early ~1gh-grading 1
_s
believed to have resulted in a decrease 10
genetically superior or "select" trees, while
inferior trees were often left to release their
seeds to create the next generation forest.
Logging and lumber production in the
Southern Mountains was accomplished using
only hand tools until the late 1700's, when
small-scale water driven "sash" or "gate"
saws were introduced. These, too, gradually
became obsolete after the introduction of
steam-powered circular saws during the latter
pan of the nineteenth century.
Wood was dragged from the forest by
horses, sometimes along constructed "pole
roads" made of small diameter poles laid
across the path. Logs were also "b~ooted,"
rolled and tumbled down the mountains,
which was very damaging to the understory
plants. Later, the horse dragging technique
was modified to include specially constructed
V-shaped troughs or water-driven flumes.
Horses were used to start the downward
momentum of the logs, but were hitched so
that when sufficient momentum was gained,
they could step aside onto "side-out" paths,
and the logs would continue sliding down the
mountain.
Many logs were floated out o~ the .
mountains along streams above wh.tch special
"splash-dams" were constructed. The dams
were built to entrap sufficient water to be
quickly released through special flood-gates
to flash-flood cut logs down streams where
they were collected behind floating booms
and then fed into sawmills. The splash dam
technique was inefficient and very destructive
to plant and animal life in the stream bed.
But a shadow was looming over the
mountains. Industrial progress was at hand.
By the 1860's, the great forests of the
northern and middle Atlantic states had been
felled to build and fuel the rapidly developing
Yan:, 1992
�t;OGGING
COUl'IU)' Joraboro Museum. Washington Co1tt1ty TN
East Coast cities, and large commercial
steam-driven sawmills were slicing up the
virgin forests of nonhern Pennsylvania. They
were expanding into West Virginia by the
1870's. By the turn of the twentieth century,
the original forests in Maine and the Great
Lakes states had also fallen before the saw.
In 1855, the North Carolina Legislature
granted a chaner to the Greenville and French
Broad Railroad Co. (GFB RR) to consm.ict a
rail line into Western Nonh Carolina. Actual
track laying from Greenville, SC to points
nonh and west began in 1873. The line
reached Asheville Junction (then named
"Best") in 1880, 10 years after the
completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.
The imponant timber and pulp town of
Canton, NC was established in 1883
following the extension of the railroad from
Asheville. A new age of technology had
arrived.
Timber interests had spent the last
decade buying up lands in the mountains.
Now they lost no time in connecting their
properties to the main railroad lines.
In I 873 Ephraim Shay of Ohio had
invented the Shay engine. This railroad
engine had horizontally mounted, gear-driven
wheels which allowed greater traction to pull
heavy loads and climb slopes of nearly 60°.
The Shay engine was reported to be able to
pull itself back onto the tracts following
minor derailments. This unique gear-driven
engine was soon nicknamed "Sidewinder."
With the introduction of the Shay engine,
railroads could now access huge are3S of the
mountain forests which had previously been
closed to logging. The narrow-gauge logging
railroad lines were never safe. Train wreaks
were common, and were widely reponed and
photographed. Many lives were lost due to
:fa[L, 1992
run-away engines and major derailments. But
they enabled timber barons to make fortunes
in the mountain coves and hollers.
To cut the logs coming off the little
trains, the well-financed timber companies
also installed large steam-driven band saws,
which were capable of producing over 100
thousand board feet of lumber per day. Once,
long ago, two men had typically sawn 100
sawn board feet in one day and
water-powered mills had produced 1,000
board feet per day.
The late 1880's saw the beginnings of
the US Forest Service. The US Division of
Forestry was created in 1881, at the urgings
of forest specialists Charles Sargent and
Gifford Pinchot, by President Grover
Cleveland. The first "forest reserve"
(predecessor to our current national forests)
was established in 1891. The Organic
Administration Act of 1897 defined the
purposes of the forest reserves as "securing
favorable conditions for water flow, and to
furnish a continuous supply of timber for the
use and necessities of the citizens of the
United States." In 1911, the Weeks Acl
authorized federal funding to acquire
"forested, cut-over, or denuded lands within
the watersheds of navigable streams..." The
first national forestland in the east was the
Pisgah National Forest which was
established in 1916 from the land holdings of
George Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt's widow sold
the denuded land for $5 per acre, after
previously selling the timber rights for $12
per acre.
Several associated railroads and logging
companies co-developed in the Appalachian
forests in the early 1900's. Numerous
northern and foreign-financed logging
companies quickly established themselves in
the Southern Appalachians including
Suncresl, Crestmont, Bemis Lumber Co.,
Ritter Lumber Co., Little River Lumber Co.,
Scottish Carolina Timber and Land Co.,
Champion Fiber Co., and dozens of smaller
companies. Their output was tremendous.
An estimated 1 billion board feet of lumber
were cut by the Little River Lumber Co. at its
Townsend, TN mill; 200 million board feet
by a Ritter Co. mill at Proctor, NC;
Champion produced 5 million board feet a
month at Sunburst in Haywood County, NC;
and The Perley and Crockeu Lumber Mill
near Black Mountain, NC cut 250 million
board feet. Wood too small for lumber was
generally used for pulpwood - especially the
softwoods, spruce and white pine.
Champion Fiber Company's Sunburst
community boasted the largest double-band
sawmill in the region. Buih along the west
fork of the Pigeon River above Canton, NC,
the company town consisted of the sawmill,
houses, pose office, schools, churches, and
had rail passenger service lo and from
Canton. Interviews with retired workers from
that mill repon thal between 140,000 and
160,000 board feet of sawn lumber were
produced daily during typical work days,
with a one-day record of 250,000 board feet.
The mill burned once in the early i 920's and
then was completely destroyed by a massive
fire in 1925, along with most of the railroad
bridges, logging camps, and the surrounding
mountainsides.
Not only were the forests and
mountainsides forever changed by the
industrial logging, but so were the
mountaineers, who in the three or four
decades of the logging boom grew
accustomed 10 steady employment and living
a more contemporary lifestyle in the newly
consm.icted milltowns. The mountaineers
were introduced to electricity, phones,
regular health services, community theaters,
motion picture theaters, barber shops, and
even soda fountains.
During this period, a unique private
School of Forestry developed. The Biltmore
School of Forestry, founded by Dr. Carl
Schenck, was the first organized school of
modem forestry in the United States
(informally founded in 1898 prior to the
nation's first Forestry School at Yale
University). Dr. Schenck based his lectures
on forest management upon his experiences
as a student in European forestry and his
hands-on experience as the Chief Forester of
the Vanderbilts' Pisgah Forest. Schenck was
brought to America by George Vanderbilt to
manage his newly acquired 125,000 acre
forest. Schenck was a student of Sir Dietrich
Brandis, one of the first modem European
foresters, and succeeded Gifford Pinchot as
Chief Forester at the Biltmore estate when
Pinchot left to guide the political changes
(continued on next page)
:K.ati«m Jou.mat page S
�were cut, the industrial timber interests set
out for the west coast to continue their
rampage. For decades after the boom was
over, timbering in the Southern Appalachians
was canied oo by small, local logging
operations who picked over the scraps of
forest the big companies had inadvertently
missed. Through natural growth and the
stewardship of the public lands by the US
Forest Service, the forest is returning. Now it
faces another crisis as it nears economic
maturity once again.
ln summary, our region's current
publjc and private forests have been greatly
modified by humankind, resulting in
woodlands greatly changed in composition
and character. Our philosophies on forest and
wood-use must be expanded to encompass all
the values of the forest - sustainability,
lum1?Cr, habitat, species diversity, water
quality, recreational and spiritual values.
Historical destruction and modification of the
original forests have resulted in our present
forests which continue 10 be damaged by our
over-consumption and lack of empathy with
the forest's inhabitants.
Photo US National Archive
(continued from page 5)
needed to establish the United States Division
of Forestry.
Through trial and error, Dr. Schenck
discovered that modem forest management
D?USt be unique to each specific forest and
cucumstance. He continually not.ed that
forestry techniques were lightly linked to the
availability of inexpensive transportation.
Schenck was the first teacher to link
classr~m ~eo!Y with hands-on, practical
expenence tn different forest settings, and
took great care to establish and monitor
e~erimental management techniques on
different forest plots. He realized that forestry
manage!Dent must include not only timber
producnon but also mineral, wildlife (hunting
and fi_shing) and recreational (hiking,
c~pmg) management. Early studentS of The
B_
ll~ore Forest School were soon widely
clistnbu1ed among the Forest Service and held
leadership roles in developing forestry
programs for the state universities.
About 1914 the steam-driven, "Clyde
Overhead Skidder" was developed. This
machine consisted of a reinforced. stationary
tower-boom with huge cable reels connected
to a movable double cable trolley system.
Mile-long, 2 inch thick cables could be
positioned to "skid" four or five logs up to
40 feet long nearly one mile through the
woods to a loading area where they could
then be loaded onto railroad cars for
transpon to nearby sawmills. The
steam-powered McGiffert Log Loader was
capable of loading huge logs onto train cars.
and even had the ability to "lift iLSelf by the
bootstraps." Huge areas of forest were cut
using these machines, which carelessly
wreaked havoc upon small crees and other
vegetation in the drag-lanes. It was reported
that one skidder remained working at the
same site on Sam's Knob above Sunburst
for two years.
While huge quantities of timber were
>Cat.uah )ournm page 6
removed using overhead skidders, these
foreslS were often later scarred by huge forest
fires, _often started _by SJ?arks from the heavy
machinery, or by lightmng, or deliberately set
fires (caused by displaced bootleggers, it was
sometimes said) which raced through the
slash left behind the logging operations. The
massive grassy balds in Shining Rock
Wilderness Area, along the Blue Ridge
Parkway above Canton, are the result of
skidder logging followed by a great frre in
1925. There are reports of fires burning
continuously for three weeks. One logger
stated that "they burned up more timber than
they ever cut." The great fires of the
industrial logging period influenced to this
day the plant and animal associations found
in the Southern Appalachians.
When the last stands of the great trees
We must see our southern forests as
more than a timber base in order 10 realize
th~ir full value. Our remaining public and
pnvate forests are not just timber and mineral
resources. These forests are the biological
reservoirs of the land. Woodlands are the
lungs and kidneys of the planet, producing
oxygen, and cleansing the air we breath and
the waters we drink. The forests are our
region's greatest biological asset. They need
to be managed for the benefit of all species.
The living forests shelter us all. They must
provide for our need for wood, but they must
also proteet the biological diversity which can
never be replaced. The sustainability of o ~
forests is everyone's responsibility. ~
Lee Barnes is a botanist and an avid
backpacker who has hiked over a thousand
miles in the Smokies, including over a
hundred miles along trails which were once
railroad grades (although he prefers trails
through old growrhforests ).
�OLD LOGGING DAYS
by Frank Hodgin
When I was young we lived on
Canoogcchayc Creek in Macon County, NC,
My daddy was gone, and my mother took
care of us children. She never took a job. She
just took care of the house and helped us in
the fields. We all worked. There's no mistake
about it. We all had a job.
After school, we'd go to the corn field
and work there until dark. If we got behind in
the hoeing, I would stay home from school
for a day or two and get caught up. That's the
way it went.
When I was about 14 years old, I
swapped our mule for a horse, swapped that
horse for a yoke of cattle, and went to work
in the woods. I got a wagon, and I hauled
telephone poles, "acid wood" (wood like
chestnut or red oak from which tannic acid
was extracted to use in tanning leather - ed.),
and pulp wood. I had to haul it eiiht miles.
The other kids and I would go up into
the mountains, cue a load in one day, get it on
the wagon, and bring it home. The next day I
would drive it into town. I'd get back late in
the evening and the next day we would cut
another load, unless we had quit a few days
to work a crop. That was how we bought our
coffee, sugar, and the other linle things we
needed.
When I turned 15 years old, I went to
work for a man who had bought a boundary
of telephone poles on the government
property up in the mountains above our
house. l was making $1.25 for 10 hours of
work a day. Lord, I thought I was making
money. The owner had three yoke of cattle,
and not long after I started working for him,
the man who was driving cattle for him quit.
He let me try driving 'cm, and those cattle
and I got along real well together. I got in
some tight places, but I never let one of his
animals get hun, and I got his telephone
poles out. He had a man doing the cutting,
and that man would help me rig 'cm. I drove
them out to the main road, where they were
loaded onto a wagon and hauled to the station
where they would put 'cm on railroad cars. I
could make two trips a day, carrying five or
six poles in each load.
When I was 17 years old and of pretty
good size, the Blackwood Lumber Company
started cutting timber here. My brother and I
went to work for Blackwood. We worked for
them for years. I worked for the company
longer than he did, off and on. I worked
through to the back end of "Canady" (Little
Canada - the headwaters of the north fork of
the Tuckasegee River - ed.), and all over
Rough Butt and Piney Mountain.
We stayed in their logging camp back
up in the woods. It was a big camp with 75
or80 men.
Most of the time I drove a team for 'em,
skidding logs. We'd get up at 5:30, feed the
horses, put the harness on 'em, and at 6:00 a
gong rnng for breakfast. At 7:00 the camp
foremen turned us out into the woods.
We worked all the time. If you didn't
work, you didn't stay. We worked
differently than the way they do now. There
weren't any coffee breaks. We worked from
7:00until 12:00. We had until 1:00offfor
'FPCL, 1992
lunch, and then we worked until 6:00 that
evening.
It usually took about an hour to get
back to camp. We would cat supper, and then
the teamsters had to water their horses, curry
'em down, and put in plenty of hay. We
Counuy of lhc Atchives of Appaltchia. ETSU
didn't have time to relax or do anything after
supper, we just went to bed, because at 5:30
the next morning they rang a gong to get the
teamsters out of bed and back to the barn
again.
They always turned us loose at 4:00 on
Saturday. They gave us two hours off on
Saturday, and we didn't work on Sunday.
It took a whole day to travel to Macon
County, so we would usually stay at camp
for a month or six weeks at a rime before we
would go back home. Lacer on, I got
married, and we moved to Caney Fork. Then
I would walk home through the mountains
every weekend. There were trails all through
these mounuuns then.
In the camp, we lived in long wooden
shacks. They had double bunks on each side
for the men to sleep in. The kitchen was built
off one of the shacks. It was a long building
with two long tables running the length of it.
Most of the time the tables was just as full of
men as they could be.
They had good cooks, and whatever
you wanted to eat, they had it on the table.
For breakfast, they had ham and eggs, and
biscuits. They'd have flapjacks, and they
made gravy every morning. They'd make
fried 'taters, and that gravy would go over
'cm, and there was applesauce on the side.
They had peaches, they had jelly, and all
kinds of meats on the table. It was good
food, but it cost $1.00 a day. Of the $3.00 I
made every day, I bad to pay $ LOO for
board. That left me $2.00 in wages. Of
course, if we stayed in camp on Sunday, we
still had to pay for board, so when I stayed
over, I made only$ 1.00 for my work on
Monday.
At lunchtime, if we were close enough
to the camp we would go back for lunch. But
up on Caney Fork, when we were away from
camp, they would load the lunch on a railroad
car and a "cookie" from the kitchen brought it
out and set it all out in the woods - just like
we were having a picnic. After everybody
had eaten, he would gather up the dishes, and
1918
after they had loaded the car, he would set all
his equipment on the back and ride out. Or
perhaps he would walk out, because they ran
those trains fast, and sometimes they would
jump the track. It was dangerous driving one
of those narrow-gauge trains. If one went off
the track, it would tear up creation.
Sometimes I drove oxen. Sometimes I
drove horses. I'd drive six of them - three
yokes. The biggest log I ever skidded was a
14 foot log that had 2700 board feet of
lumber in it. It was bigger around lhan I was
tall. There used to be some big timber in
these mountains.
I usually hauled a seven-log rig. I'd set
the logs up in a line behind the teams. The
front log had two J-grabs on it, so that if the
logs started to run, you could turn your
horses out of the road, the spread hooks
would slip off, and the logs would go on by.
Sometimes they'd leave the road, and it
would be a time getting 'em back on if the
ground was slick and icy. They'd get all
tangled up, break loose, spread all over the
mountain. That was some "rough doin'."
I have seen it foul up - logs. horses,
and all - and go over the bank. That didn't
feel good when I saw what happened. It hun
the horses. Some of 'cm got skinned up
pretty badly. Some of 'em would get
crippled, and they would have to kill 'em. Of
course the company didn't care, they had
insurance on 'em.
I've been in lots of close places. A lot
of times the logs would crowd me against a
(continued on next page)
X.Otuc:an Journot pOCJ", 7
�(continued from page 7)
tree or a rock cliff. I had just one chance
then. We wore cork boots (with sruds on the
bottom - ed.), and I'd jump up on a log and
jump off on the other side. Then when I got
past the bad spot, I could cross back.
It never got too rough to slow down. It
didn't matter how deep the snow was or how
thlck the ice was, we went out just the same.
The foreman would turn us out on a rainy
day just like on a good one. We could come
back in if we wanted to, and he
Most camps weren't as big as ours.
Camps usually bunked 30-60 men. There
weren't just timber cutters and teamsters.
There were a lot of other jobs to do. Back
then, they didn't have a bulldozer to make the
roads, they made 'em with manpower. They
took picks and shovels and dug 'em out The
men who worked on the roads were called
"road monkeys." They all had manocks and
shovels. Where there was rock, they had to
blow it out with dynamite. They had one
crew that did the drilling and the shooting.
Cowtcsy of the Arcluves ol Appal&ehia; ETSU
wouldn't say anything about it; it was his job
to turn us out, but if we wanted to work, that
was up to us.
It never got too muddy or too slick to
haul the wood out. The railroad would run in
any kind of weather. I skinned logs many a
time when the road wasn't anything but a
sheet of blue ice. It was dangerous. Back
then, 1 was young, and didn't pay any
attention to it, but looking back on it now, I
can see those dangerous places, and it makes
me tremble sometimes to think of some of the
places I got into.
I drove cattle and horses nearly all my
life. I've been in some of the roughest places
a man can put a team, but I never did get one
hurt l guess 1 had enough practice at it. I
followed 'em for years. I've worked some
real good horses, and I've worked some that
were as mean as they could be. Of course, if
I got of one of those bad teams, I wouldn't
stay long. I'd just move out. I'd go
somewhere else, or I'd stay out a day or two
and come back and get a different team.
I'd haul the logs out of the forest to the
narrow-gauge railroad where they would pick
'em up. The narrow-gauge train pulled about
five cars, and it would bring the logs down to
the top of Indian Camp Branch, where there
was a big skidder. They called it the "drop
out machine." It would book to one car at a
time, and lower it down over a waterfall to
the main line. They would unload the wood,
give a signal, and the skidder would pull the
empty car back and book onto another load.
The wood went down the main line to
East LaPone, at the bonom of Caney Fork
where it joins the Tuckasegee River.
Blackwood had two band mills down there.
Each of them would cut 30,000 feet per day.
That took a lot of logs.
Xotiuih Journat p~ B
Back at camp there was a saw filer who
stayed at the saw-filing shack. In the
evening, the cuners took their saws to the
shack, and the next morning he gave them
sharp saws to take out. There were cooks,
and one feller caUed the "lobby hog" who
would make up the beds in the morning and
would get the wood in and keep the fires
burning in the winter. He would get up early
in the morning and build a fire to get
everything warm before the men got up.
They would generally run about five or
six sawing crews. They would cut those big
trees with that old cross-cut saw, the "misery
whip." That's some rough work.
Back then they just took the best
timber. It had to be number one material.
They would get two logs off some trees, but
most of the time they would just cut one good
log off and leave the rest to rot That's just
the way they logged back then. They wasted
more timber than they cut.
They liked yellow poplar and what they
called mountain oak. Of course, they would
cut everything big enough to make a log white oak, black oak, basswood, maple,
whatever it was. There were a few white pine
trees and a linle hemlock up that way, but the
yellow poplar and the mountain oaks would
bring more money than any other kinds.
Working in that big timber was
dangerous, no mistake about it Sometimes a
man would get bun, and every once in a
while, a man would be killed, but not often.
It was usually somebody who didn't
understand how a tree was going to bust We
had a few killed.
Someone cutting that oak timber had to
know just how to put a lead in it and how to
saw it. Otherwise, it would " slab up," break
off way up high, and part of that tree would
head straight for the ground. If a man wasn't
out of the way, it was just too bad.
Three men worked on each cutting
crew. One man did the "chipping" and the
"measuring off." The other two didn't do
anything but saw.
Almost every tree leans just a little. The
chipper had an axe, and he kept it sharp as a
razor. He would cut a big notch in the tree
right under that lean, 10 or 14 inches deep in
a big tree, and then he would stand back and
keep watch while the others began sawing
behind the notch and cut the tree down from
behind.
When the tree hit the ground, the
chipper measured off the logs they could get
off it, and the cutters would saw them off
while the chipper started chopping a lead in
another tree.
People were killed by falling limbs,
too. Sometimes while they were cutting a
tree, a dead limb would come off and would
catch somewhere high in the branches. If
they were lucky, they could go cut another
tree, and it would come loose and fall. But
they couldn't walk off and leave a tree.
Eventually they had to go back and get it. The
chipper would watch out for the cutters while
they sawed the tree and got out. Sometimes,
though, it wouldn't be five minutes before
the dead limb would fall, and the cutters
would have to dive out of the way. People
got killed that way, not getting out from
under a limb.
They had a timber foreman, a road
foreman, and a foreman in charge of the
whole camp. The big bosses stayed down in
the company offices at East LaPone, where
the mill was. There's very little down there
now, but East LaPorte was a mill town back
then. There were more than 100 houses for
the people who lived and worked there. The
houses went up to the top of the ridge.
They had a store down there, but they
also had commissaries all up Caney Porlc for
the working people. We would buy goods
with scrip notes that the company issued.
They would give us as much scrip as we
wanted and then take it out of our checks
down at the the main office.
The commissaries had groceries, tools,
shoes, boots, clothes - anything a person
wanted. It was like a general store. They
weren't more expensive than the Sylva
Supply store in town. They were just about
like any of the stores.
Logging has changed a lot since my
time. They don't do it now like we were
doing it. It used to be an old cross-cut and
"get 'em the hard way," but now it's all done
with bulldozers, skidders, and chain saws.
Chain saws started coming in during
the forties. I bought my first chain saw in
1951 or 1952. Early on, some of 'em
worked, and some of 'em were mighty sorry.
Most of the early ones were two-man saws.
They were big ones. They worked pretty
well, but they were hard to carry through the
woods. We used that kind until the
companies put out the one-man chain saw.
They were heavy when they first came out,
but the loggers still thought they were bener
than pulling on the cross-cut all day. They
have improved on them a lot since they first
staned making them.
Things have gotten a little easier,
anyway. Those old loggers, they sure had a
time.
~
1'aU, 1992
�WORKING THE
WOODLANDS
by David Wheeler
Western North Carolilltl is abour 76%
forest. What we do, how we manage these
f oresrs - or how we mismanage them determines our destiny. We can't drill for oil;
we can't catch sabrwn; we can't grow wheat.
Forests are what we've got.
- Charles Woodard,foresrer
Looking out from over a high cliff in
Katuah Province, one's vision moves across
sweeps of green-mantled mountains flowing
out to the horizon. Trees in such number and
such variety are seen in few other places in
the world. It is clear that lhe natural growth in
this bioregion is forest. If left to grow, the
old hills would be covered almost completely
with a bewildering variety of tall trees and the
wide diversity of other plant and animal
species associated with them. Great and
small, each species contributes to the health
of lhe forest and makes it what it is.
We are positioned between the warm
Gulf air currents to the south, and the cold
Canadian air currents to the north. The land
climbs more than 5,000 feet in elevation
change. In some parts of the region rainfall is
40 inches per year, while in others it is more
than 90. The wide variety of influences
causes a wide diversity of species. More than
140 species of trees are known here. There
are, of course, all grades of sites, but on
good sites many species of trees find their
highest expression in the Blue Ridge.
In 1901, H.B. Ayres and W.W. Ashe
were sent by the federal government to
inventory the Southern Appalachian forest.
Of the area around the Great Smoky
Mountains, they wrote:
"The forests are chiefly of hardwoods,
with a large amount of coniferous growth
around lhe higher summits and in the deep,
cool hollows. On the drier slopes, and
especially on the south sides, oak and
chestnut form the greater part of the timber,
with some black and yellow pine on the
ridges. The timber in the hollows is more
varied and the stand is heavier, poplar, birch,
Jinn, and buckeye being associated with the
oak and chestnut. The finest and largest
bodies of spruce in the southern
Appalachians occur here, along the crest of
the ridge and the north slope... "
Just as the trees are a central feature of
the ecology of the area, they have also
historically been a central feature in the lives
of the people who lived close to the land.
And if we are to re-establish a balanced
habitation of this area once again, our
relationship with the trees will again be a
primary fact of our ex.istence here.
Seventy percent of the Southern
Appalachian lands are still in forest. Some
people hazard the guess that more land is in
forest now than 100 years ago when each
family had to clear off the acres they needed
to grow all their own food. Many of the trees
growing in the mountains are hardwoods.
f"aU, 1992
Photo US National Archive
Since the loss of the American chestnut from
the forest canopy, yellow poplar is the most
common species, though it does not dominate
the region as the mighty chestnut once did.
Sixty-four percent of the region is
considered "timberland," which is technically
defined as sites that would suppon timber
utilization. By US Forest Service estimates,
there are 16.7 billion cubic feet of "growing
stock" (trees that are of a size to produce
sawtimber) in the region. There is an
estimated 54.6 billion board feet of
sawtimber growing in the region according to
the latest Forest Service surveys. With the
mild climate, abundant rainfall, and dark
forest soils, this bioregion is well situated to
produce quality sawtimber. For the region,
that is a blessing and a curse.
For as long as they have been here,
people have used wood from the forest trees sometimes carefully, sometimes in a manner
that was wantonly destructive. The forest is
only now recovering from the onslaught of
industrial capital which ravaged the area in
search of precious big timber at the turn of
the century. The timber barons looted the
region both economically and ecologically,
and when their plundering was done they fled
with their wealth to pillage elsewhere.
The timber industry of today is making
a positive economic contribution to the
region, but often at the expense of
environmental integrity - an expensive price.
Logging and roadbuilding in the national
forests penetrates into the last old growth
stands left in the mountains and cuts t0 the
bean of the last great habitat area left in the
southeastern forest zone. Papennaking pays
some of the highest wages in the region, but
the Champion mi11 in the town of Canton is
killing the Pigeon River with a toxic effluent
that contains the deadly chemical compound
dioxin.
According to latest Forest Service
surveys of the region, the industry is
annually cutting 747,520,000 board feet (bf)
of sawtimber, 1,851,000 cords of pulpwood,
and wood for manufacturing 24,332,000
board feet of composite board. Wood is also
cut for poles, fence postS, and a resurgent
firewood trade. According to North Carolina
State University's College of Forest
Resources, the value of the timber cut in
western North Carolina alone equals
$129,231,000.
This timber, according to Bureau of the
Census figures for 1988, supported 51,354
employees in lumber and wood productS,
furniture, and paper-making occupation's in
the region. This was 7% of the employment
in the whole region.
High-grade hardwood sawtimber from
the Southern Appalachian forests goes mostly
to making furniture, lumber, facing veneers,
and ornamental moundings. Some is
exported overseas, largely to foreign
furniture plantS. Lower-grade hardwoods go
into the inside layers of plywood, flooring,
pallets, railroad ties, and mine supports.
Chips from small or poor quality trees are
used in making oriented strand board and
pulped for paper, paperboard, and coated
stock.
(continued on page 11)
:K.cituan Journat PCMJe 9
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with employment and earnings in the lumber fon:ed
to zero. Lumber was chosen since it provides the raw
material for fumilUIC and paper. Furniture and paper
were not forced to zero values in the Model
This is a well established Slalistical teehnique
for answering "what ii" types of questions as the one
posed here, but it should be in no way taken to mean
that the author advocates the elimination or the
lumber industry in any way.
•
On average, lOl3I earnings in the region would
decline by over one percent if the lumber industry
were losL Disposable per capita income would decline
by almost as much. The most affected industry would
be paper with losses in earnings and employment in
lumbt:r on other industries as captured by the Model,
Lotal employment in manufacturing in Western North
Carolina would decline approximately two pcrcenL
While these losses may not seem great, they
are the stuff of strong recessions if comparable losses
were to occur at the national level.
br" ,f:,n,i,'\ qv Ilg, ri->ti! bl"JI ?Ir,:>.,.,,.,..,.,,,
Wood Products and Western North Carolina
by Dr. John Wade
(about 200) over this time period. (In other words. the
increase in fumilUrC (300 jobs) and lumber (400.jobs)
arc more than offset by the losses in paper industry
jobs.)
A beuer picture of job trends in these throe
wood products industries can be had by looking at the
relative position of these industries to the toial
picture in Western Nonh Carolina, as seen in
Figure 2.
Figure 2 shows the disparity in job growth
in the wood producis industry (lumber, furniture and
paper combined) and agricultural occupations with the
rest of Wesiem North Carolina.
The numbers used in the graph do not represent
actual numbers of jobs. Rather. the sectors have been
indexed, so they all sharc a common starting point in
1969 that is set equal to one. This is done so that
change in the different sectors can be pictured on the
same graph.
·
Total employment in Western Nonh Carolina
and employment in the service industry is much
greater than in agriculture and wood producis. For
example, in 1988 there was a total of slightly over
400,000 jobs in the region of which 16,240 jobs (or
4%) were in the wood products industries.
The values on the vertical axis show the
percentage change in employment over time.
Employment in the service sector has grown by
almost 70 percent between 1969 and 1988. Toial
employmenl has increased by about 55 percent.
In comparison, wood products jobs have been
quiie stagnant, evidencing no growth during this time
Depanmenr of Economics and F'JNl'IU,
School ofBu.rincn, Wcsran Carolina University
The trend of the~ few decades towards
growing environmenial awareness in the United
SUIICS has engulfed Western Nonh Carolina and made
some of iis lnldilional industties controversial. An
excellent example is in the wood producis area whose
lumbering practices have come wider increasing
scrutiny from environmentalists. Here we take a
two-fold look at the wood producis industries (which
are comprised of the lumber, fumitwe and paper
industries). F'USl, historical data for employment &om
the WNC Ecooometric Model at Western Carolina
University and which is fwided by Tennessee Valley
Authority is presented to place these industries' role
in Western North Carolina economy in perspective.
Second, simulations from the Model arc used 10
answer some what if type of questions such as what
impact does lumber have on the Western North
Carolina economy?
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
Figure ] depicts employment in the three
wood products industries in Weslern North Carolina
Io all three, employment is quite cyclical or sensitive
to downturns in economic activity, although paper is
somewhat mOR stable than its wood products
couoterpans. Although paper employment is stable,
it shows a Sleady decline in jobs from over 5700 in
1969 to slightly more than 4700 jobs in 1988, a loss
of approximately 1000 jobs. The loss of jobs in
paper is economically significant since jobs in the
paper indusuy are some of the highest paying
manufacturing jobs in the area
In fact, none of the wood i-ooucts industries in
Weste.m Nonh Carolina could be characterized as a
growth iodusuy as far as number of jobs is concerned.
The entire group experienced a slight loss in jobs
CONCLUSJONS
Wood products are a significant pan of the
Wesiern North Carolina economy, although their
importance is slowly diminishing as fastu growing
sectors of the regional economy continue to expand.
The regional economy bas already been hun by the
loss of jobs in the paper industry which arc among
the highest paying in manufacturing.
The source of dala for lhis article is lhe Western
North Carolina Economclric Model maintained by
Professor Wilk al We5tem Carolina Univemty under
conlJ'aet &om lhe T"'11\C$SCC Valley Aulhority. The
Model cons.isl$ of over 80 equations designed lo show
lhc interrelationships among seciors in Western North
Carolina Ind between seciors in Wutem Nonh Carolina
and lhc TVA md nalion.aJ economics.
The UNWlCC of Edward Su=u is grarefully
period.
"WHAT IF?" CONSIDERATIONS
aclcnowledgcd.
The views md conclusions in !his article do not
nccasarily rellect lhosc of lhe TVA.
The Western North Carolina Econometric
Model can also be used to answer "what ii" typeS of
questions. To further ascertain the value of the wood
products industries to Western North Carolina, the
Model was used to simulate the regional economy
WNC EMPLOYMENT
For lhe pwposcs of lhis article Western Nonh
Carolina is defined u the fiftu:n counties of Nonh ..,~
Carolina in lhc Tcnnasee Valley watershed.
fr
INDEXED WNC EMPLOYMENT
FURNITURE, LUMBER & PAPER: :1969-1988
BASE YEAR 1969
1.1·~-----------------------,
1.o+-- - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - -7"--i
1.5•-+--- - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - - --:7':~--1
1.4.l----- -- - -- - - - ---------,,....,11:-----1
1.3+-- - -- -- - -";p;'e:.i!i::::~~~=--- ----l
1.2+ - - -- --
---1iil~~~~-
=----=:::::::ra,;:----I
+--- -~~~--1--~ __.,l!l:::ll!~~ ~---=-'""=-..llb.--Di
1.1
0.9·+ -
..?:::.;,j:.......::..__
_ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
--1
0 .81.J......-.--,---,--,--,----,---,,--,-,---r--.--..-----.---,--,.--,---r---.--.-'
1969
1972
1975
1978 1981
YEARS
Figure I.
Xat-1'.iah Jou.mat pQCJe 10
1984
1987
1--
1972
SERVICES
1975
1978
YEARS
1981
1984
1987
- - TOTAL EMP. ---- WOOD PRO. -e- AG~I.
Figure 2.
1-"0U., 1992
�(continued mxn page 9)
Nearly 50% of the furniture
manufacturers in the United States and the
same percentage of the hardwood plywood
and veneer manufacturing operations are
located within the five states that include the
Katuah bioregion. Much of the
furniture-making activity is concentrated on
the North Carolina piedmont. That location
was chosen because it was close to the
mountains, which supply 65% of the
industry's raw materials, but still on flat land
and accessible to major trade routes.
Columbia-Carolina Corporation located
a plant in Marion. NC specifically to gain
access to Appalachian yellow poplar for
plywood manufacturing and now uses 28
million board feet wood per year. AFG
Industries in Knoxville employs a large
workforce making wooden containers.
The Champion International plant in
Haywood County is a major purchaser of
pulpwood in itS area, and there is a Bowater
Southern paper plant in McMinn County, TN
and a Mead Company paper plant in
Kingspon, TN. Federal Paperboard and a
large Westvaco plant in Covington, VA
utilize pulp to manufacture paperboard.
Abitibi-Price Corporation makes hardboard
siding at its Roaring River plant in Wilkes
County, NC and Weyerhauser Company
turns out more than 50,000 board feet of
oriented strand board per day at its factory in
Elkins, NC. Most of these companies are on
the periphery of the Southern Appalachians
and draw only part of their raw materials
from the mountains.
The smaller sawmills like the large
operations for the added markets that they
create for lower-grade material. Sawtimber
companies, for example, do not like to cut
puJpwood; but if they have to cut it, they
want to be able to sell it. Charles Woodard,
director of the industry group the MuJtiple
Use Council, said, ''When we heard that
Columbia Carolina was building a facility,
everybody said, 'Hallelujah!' because they
came for exactly what we were having a hard
rime getting rid of - the low-grade poplar
lumber."
It is obvious that the pulp and chip
sectors of the forest productS industry are
dominated by the industrial giants. Reducing
wood to biomass and processing it into
productS is a question of moving huge
volumes of material efficiently. This is a job
best suited for large-scale, automated,
energy-intensive machinery. The investment
is substantial, and a high degree of regularity
is required. This is the scale of economy at
which the giant, centralized corporations like
to keep their operations.
Most of the smaller, independent
companies cut and process sawrimber. This
is less complicated and does not require large
investments in sophisticated technologies.
Sawtimbcr is still an important component of
the mountain wood economy, and the wood
products industry still retains much of its
traditional autonomy and independence in the
region. Of the 521 lumber and wood
products companies listed for the Southern
Appalachian region in the Department of
Commerce's Counry Business Pa11erns, 66%
employ less than 10 people, 92% employ less
than 50. A small logging operation requires
less capital than most business operations,
J'tlft, 1992
and even today a small contractor can bid a
timber sale and then ca1J up friends and
family members to help cut it There still are
part-time sawmills back in the hills that start
up operation when the price of lumber is
good, sell a bit, and then cease operation
bought out by larger fums.
"It's just like anything else. Those who
do a good job, keep up with the technology,
and keep track of market trends are going to
do alright.
"There probably some people who can
Counesy Jone.sboro Museum, Washington County TN
when the price goes down.
The mountain forest produc1s industry
seems to be generally in good health. There is
stiff competition among furniture company
buyers for Appalachian hardwood, and no
company seems to have an undue advantage
in setting prices. The timber industry in the
mountains is itself quite decentralized. Most
sawmills, for instance, are small to
medium-sized by national standards. Many of
them are family-owned. A sawmill that
supports l 00 workers is viewed as a large
operation in the Appalachians. For instance,
among the biggest buyers of timber stumpage
east of the Great Smoky Mountains are the
Parton Lumber Company, T & S
Hardwoods, and WNC Pallet. Parton
employs 75 workers at the mill and works 80
loggers in the forest. T & S has 54
millworkers and 50 loggers working on
contract WNC Pallet employs 120 people at
their mill at Candler. AJthough they are
independent and fiercely competitive among
themselves, the Appalachian loggers and mill
owners arc cJannish and as a group wield
considerable economic and political power in
the region.
But changes arc happening within the
forest products industry. Dr. Larry Jahn,
associate professor in the Department of
Wood and Paper Science at Nonh Carolina
State University, says:
"There are still many small,
independently-owned mills operating in
Nonh Carolina. However, th.e trend over the
last 10-15 years is that operations which are
inefficient or which don't adapt to new
technologies either go out of business or are
cut just for the local market and be successful
at it, but the business has become more
sophisticated. Operators have to keep tabs on
what is happening, always be looking for
market niches, and must keep a constant
awareness that they are dealing in an
inrernational market and must be producing
the best product that they can. Because it's
much more competitive than it was years ago.
h's a tough business. It's very competitive."
Loggers, too, arc feeling the same
pressures.
"It talces so much invesunent in this
modem, mechanized equipment, the little
feller can't afford to get into it. They are
pressed to move a certain volume of wood,
because insurance and mechanization costs
are putting them in a real bind," says Frank
Norris, publisher of the market bulletin
Timber Mart South and a veteran forester of
50 years experience.
"It's becoming more sophisticated all
the time. It's surprising how many
loggers...the wife runs a computer and does
the bookkeeping for 'em. They don't do it off
a paper sack anymore.
"They have to go further for wood, and
to run the highways now they have to have
better trucks. So their costs have gone up
quite a bit.
"They're being squeezed between their
costs and what they can get for their product,
so they're going to have to be more efficient
or more of 'em will go out. Both of those
things are happening. That's the reason you
see fewer of 'em in it There's quite a few
less than there were 20 years ago."
(continued on next page)
X.cu:uah ) O\U'nCIC
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(continued (mm page 11)
Other changes are going on outside the
industry that also affect its future. One of the
most influential of these changes is in the
growth of the population in the region and the
shift in its composition. Currently, most of
the growth in population is the result of
in-migration from outside the bioregion. The
newcomers bring with them new attitudes
and different ideas - including different
occupations and different approaches to land
use.
One of the strengths of the independent
operators has been that, since the depanurc of
the early timber interests in the 1930's, forest
products work has been locally controlled.
The people working in the industry today arc
not the offspring of the timber barons, but arc
much more likely to be descendants of the
people who worked for them. In fact, the
timber industry has become a bastion of
economic support for the local people of the
region. If the industry were to die, a lot of the
local culture would die with it.
Today, the strength in this stabiliiy
may turn out to be a handicap. The regional
economy is changing. As the graph on this
page shows, regional employment is rising.
The rise in employment in the service
occupations is on the same curve, which
suggests that it is this sector which is driving
the upswing. But while total employment and
employment in service jobs arc rising, the
number of people working in the wood
products jobs is holding steady. And while
workers are more likely to be operating a
band saw than pulling a crosscut saw in the
woods, they arc likely to be members of the
same families who have traditionally worked
with wood. Thus, while employment in
wood products jobs is staying even, their
percent of influence in the changing economy
of the mountain region is declining.
"This change is oocwring panJy
:l(otuah JournaL p<M)e 12
because of the changing mix of
population ...Fewer people are working in
agricultural jobs; more are employed in the
government, service, and retail trade sectors.
The number in manufacturing has increased
slightly in the last decade, but it is a much
smaller percentage of the total number
holding jobs. There is now less employment
in jobs dependent on forest products, such as
wood, than in the past. Tourism, however, is
an increasingly irnponam pan of the
economy," wrote the authors of the Draft
land and Resource Management Plan/or the
Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests in 1985.
Another aspect of the change in the
region's population profile is the change in
land ownership. The newcomers arc buying
ll_P the land. Unlike the timber and pulp
• 'c3rporations on the coastal plain who own
their industrial forests, the mountain sawmills
cut mostly on other people's land. In the past
the landowners were fanners who depended
on their woodlots to provide extra cash and
so were glad to have them cut as soon as they
were of sawlog size. Now people arc moving
in who wish to escape from the industrial
madness to a forest retreat. They arc
well-to-do and want trees, not stumpage
payments. This is sure to tighten the supply
of timber in the region.
What about the future? The agreement
is unanimous that over the long term the
demand for hardwoods, and thus their price,
will only increase. High-grade sawtimber is
especially desired.
In the broad outlook. conditions are
quite advantageous for the forest products
trade. Locally, however, forecasts are that the
amount of forest products operations that the
region can suppon will shrink somewhat.
And the shrinkage will take place in the
number of the smaller companies that do not
have strong financial backing.
The corporate style of operation is not
suited 10 the mountains - or anywhere in the
natural world, for that matter. The smaller,
more flexible timber companies have the
potential for working in a way that is much
more appropriate. The only question is
whether the people in forest products
occupations arc willing to adapt to the
changes that are currently taking place.
Replacing local people with newcomers
who embody the new corporate attitudes is
no solution. Working with wood offers a
cultural reference point and a way local
people can keep their place on the land. But
exploitative attitudes toward the land,
particularly when tranSlated into exploitative
ways of working in the forest, will no longer
suffice. It is not sustainable to support our
species' life at the expense of the life of the
land. Let us hope we can learn the lessons of
ecology and put them to work. We want
people to develop, not tum their backs o~'#
their ties to this place.
fr
J'Alt, 1992
�Jj'
! 'J,1
DEPLETION FOR DOLLARS:
THE ECONOMICS OF CHIP MILLS
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The chip mill issue can be framed as a
question of how to utilize the Tennessee
River Valley region's forest resources to the
best advantage of its residents.
One option is to maintain the health of
the established hardwood industry by
keeping out the remote chip mills. This
existing option can be characterized as an
environmentally acceptable and sustainable
system whose market demand is based
predominantly on regional economics.
A second option, that of bringing in
remote, high capacity chip mills, can be
characterized as a mechanized, unacceptable,
and regionally non-sustainable system whose
marlcet demand is based essentially on global
economics.
Backlf'OUDd
To understand the chip mill issue it is
essential to understand the forest products
industry structure and the resource base upon
which it depends. There are basically two
divisions of the industry: the solid wood
segment - which requires a continuous
supply of mature trees to supply lumber for
manufactured goods; and the paper segment •
which requires a maximum volume of wood
fiber to manufacrure paper products.
In order to insure a continuous supply
of mature trees, the solid wood segment uses
the environmentally sound practice of
selective harvesting in which only the older
trees are harvested from a site, and many
middle-aged and young trccS are left for the
next harvest in 15 to 20 years. The selective
harvest method can be abused by "high
grading," a practice in which only the best
trees are taken and no cull cuts are made to
insure that commercially valuable species will
be available for the next cuL
On the other hand, chip mills, in order
to obtain maximum fiber volume at minimum
cost for the paper industry, generally use the
environmentally degrading clearcutting
method, clearing all protective cover from the
land. If reforestation is planned, it is done
with bulldozers and herbicides to insure that
f'aU, 1992
the new crop of commercial trees are
"released."
All chip mills are not the same. There
are chip mills associated with sawmills and
manufacturers which process mill and facrory
"residues" so that they can be utilized as
"residue chips" in the manufacture of paper.
There are "whole tree chippers" which can be
carried from site to site and process whole
trees. And then there are high capacity chip
mills, sometimes called "remote" or "satellite"
chip mills, which are set up to supply a
primary facility (pulp or paper mill) that is in
another region or country. These "high
capacity chip mills" are the chip mills that
have applied to the Tennessee Valley
Authority (IV A) for permits to locate along
the Tennessee River at South Pinsburg, TN.
Any further mention of chip mills will refer to
these remote, high capacity mills.
High capacity chip mills cost
approximately $3 million to $5 million,
excluding site preparation. They have a
mechanical life expectaney of three to ten
years, depending on how heavily they are
used They generally employ eight people or
less. Advocates of chip mills usually try to
claim that new jobs are created by log
harvesting employmenL However, it is
documented in both North Carolina and
Alabama that much of the harvesting
employment already exists and is occupied
supplying established regional industries.
Because of the high volume contracts, the
lower handling costs, and the high value for
the commodity on the world market, loggers
and haulers often abandon existing industries
and go to work for the chip mills.
Harvestin& Impacts
Comprehending the purpose, the
nature, and the amount of tree consumption
by the chip mills is essential to decision
making because the region already has a very
large manufacturing economy based upon the
hardwood resource.
The fundamental purpose of the chip
mills is to supply fiber for pulp and paper
mills ourside our region. TVA estimates that
landowners will be paid a $1 to $4 per ton
"stumpage" price by the chip mills for their
timber as it stands. Following estimates by
Charles McGee in the article "Low Quality
Hardwood Stands," this is not enough to pay
for reforestation. High grade hardwood
timber is noc likely to regenerate without
management costs. ff the owner is not willing
to reinvest funds the resulting stand will
likely be suitable only for use as pulpwood.
Trees are harvested and delivered to the
chip mill (for $18 per ton in my Alabama
study area), and then chipped and sold for
around $23 or $24 per ton. At that point the
resource will be gone from our region with
little value added. A ton of hardwood chips
brings approximately $122, delivered to
Japan.
Contrast this "regional chip mill
resource return" with our established,
value-adding hardwood industries. The
landowner is first paid a stumpage price for
the timber, the logs are delivered to a mill
which saws them into rough lumber; the
rough lumber is made into finished lumber,
marketed, and transported to a manufacturing
facility where it is made into a wood product;
this is then marketed and transported to a
wholesaler or retailer, who markets it one
more time. Value is added at each stage of the
process.
It should be obvious that when
compared to the established hardwood
industry "multiplier" for employment, the
chip mill employment "multiplier" becomes a
tremendous employment "reducer." It is also
obvious that there is no value added in the
region.
Another point is that the chip mills are
going to utiliz.e a much greater amount of
wood than has been previously estimated.
TVA stated that each mill would consume
300,000 tons of chips per year per mill.
However, Steve Loveland of Georgia-Pacific
Corporation in an article entitled "South
Atlantic Chip Supply," said, "Any chip mill
(continued on nCJ1l page)
xawah Journat poc,e 13
�(continued
fro;;. ·page 13)
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can double or ttiple irs chipping ourput by
adding shifts and can be virtually run around
the clock, seven days a week if necessary."
This Statement shows that the figure on
which TV A is basing its calculations is a
minimum figure. Acrual production for one
chip mill could easily be three times that
much if economic conditions warranted. In
other words, if TV A chose to permit only one
chip mill, it alone could consume as much as
TV A's predicted level for three chip mills.
Another factor that skews predictions of
ecological and economic impacts is that the
chip mills are committed to providing a
steady volume of chips regardless of local
prices. There is a large capital investment
involved in each of the mills, and many of
them are owned by paper mills or are under
binding "take-or-pay" supply contracts,
meaning that they have to pay cash if they do
not meet agreed-upon supply quotas. This
artificially-maintained production depresses
the price of residue chips produced by
sawmills in the region, and is also
inconsistent with wise resource and
environmental management.
Chip mills can also serve in a secondary
economic capacity: that of liquidating the
regional resource into readily available capital
for transnational corporations that are
sttuggling to keep their heads above water in
troubled economic times. In simpler terms,
the chip mills are to provide ready cash to
their troubled corporate parents by trying, as
rapidly as possible, to tum trees into money.
This is particularly devastating to the
established regional industries and the local
environment. The chip mills do not care if
"the regional resource"is liquidated because
their mechanical life will essentially be over
by the time the trees are gone.
The Boise Cascade Corporation is one
~xample. Like most of the paper and pulp
mdustry, before the recession hit Boise
Csacade made large capital invesnnents to
increase their capacity. Now the corporation
is saddled with high interest payments in the
face of a decreased market demand.
Furthermore, due to the tremendous amounts
of chip exports from the Nonhwest 10 the
Japanese, they are being squeezed by chip
prices in their operations in the Pacific
Nonhwesr. (Condensed from The Value
Line). In fact, according to the December,
1991 PaperandPu/p, Boise Cascade
suffered a "$32.6 million loss in the second
quarter" of 1991, and third quanereamings
sank "to a $49.4 million deficit."
As a solution to their predicament,
Boise Cascade plans to sacrifice the region's
hardwood forests, upon which many local
people have depended for decades.
Many foreign nations have a labor
advantage over the United States on the open
international market. The United States
maintains its competirve position because of a
superior supply of resources. It is clearly a
good economic strategy for foreign
companies to cur as much pulpwood as
possible. If they can use much of the United
States' resource, the United States will be
that much more vulnerable on the open
market By chipping our trees, foreign
competitors are improving their long term
X-citiuih JouTna£ page 14
I
exporting market position. American
business and government should be thinking
ahead. Our competitors are.
tnnuence of Market Conditions
Developments in the regional and world
markets helped 10 create this confrontation in
the Tennessee River Valley between
established regional wood producrs industries
and transnational corporations.
The first was a rise in the domestic
demand for hardwoods. Because of a
slowdown in the growth of softwood trees,
overharvesring, an obvious supply of cheap
hardwoods, and the development of new
technology for using hardwoods in the
making of pulp, the paper companies staned
using a significant amount of hardwood chips
in the mid-eighties. (The current mix is
approximately 31% hardwoods and 69%
softwood.)
The overseas demand for hardwoods
has also boomed. Several deepwater ports,
like the Pon of Mobile in Alabama, invested
heavily in chip exporting facilities during the
1980's. The federal government also invested
$2 billion of the taxpayer's money 10 build
the Tenn-Tom Waterway to create a direct
route between the Tennessee River and the
Gulf. It is ironic that the foreign corporations
would be much less competitive with our
regional industries if the government had oot
subsidized their transportation system.
Also during this time many
well-meaning foresc industry people decided
that they needed to "create" additional
markets for our low-grade hardwoods by
developing expon markets. They should have
known better than to think that they could
tamper with the market without creating
serious repercussions in the existing
hardwood economy of the region.
This confluence of trends adds up to a
radical market change which today could
devastate the resource base upon which the
sustainable, labor intensive, value-adding,
regional hardwood industries of the
Tennessee River Valley depend.
Nature of the Chip Mil! Harvest
The nature of the chip mill harvest is
symptomatic of the market demand that
drives it. The original intent behind the chip
mills was to create a market for low-grade
hardwoods. However, clearcutting for the
chip mills takes all the hardwoods - poor
ones, deformed ones, plus the well-formed
young trees that would have grown up to
make high-grade sawtimber.
If extensive areas in the Tennessee
Valley are clearcut, as they have been _in
Alabama, it will be at least 70 to 80 years
before any hardwood sawtimber matures. No
one seems concerned about what will happen
to the small local operators in the meantime.
On a more immediate note, the low-grade
sawmills and pallet makers find themselves
shutting down or operating at a loss because
the world chip market demand has driven low
grade timber prices out of their reach.
A sawmill owner in a nonhwestem
Alabama county, where chip mill resource
depletion has occurred and the sawmills have
been shut down, said ruefully that any
sawmill owner would be committing
economic suicide to allow a hardwood chip
-
mill within theit ~ .
A visit to the areas of Alabama already
clearcut is probably the most convincing
economic or environmental argument that can
be made against the permitting of the chip
mills.
Competition for the Forest Resource
Does our region have plenty of
hardwoods to spare? AU the numbers
presented by TV A say that we are growing
twice as much as we are harvesting. But there
is also the question of availabiliry: all the
growing trees are not available for industrial
consumption.
How much of that volume is actually
available for harvesr after figuring in
operability factors such as steep slopes and
year round water problems, and landowners
who do not want to sell their limber? Thomas
R. Reed of Champion International
Corporation in his article "Industrial
Perspective on Hardwood Use," said that
roughly 50% of the hardwoods are available.
This estimate is considered high by some
observers. But TV A neglected to do any kind
of availability discounting. They assumed in
their calculations that all the hardwood trees
in the region were available.
The regional hardwood industries
already depend on those growing trees. The
bottom line is that although we may be
growing a lot of hardwoods, we are not
growing enough to supply the existing
hardwood sawmills, the existing regional
paper mills, which are increasing their use of
low-grade hardwoods, AND the remote chip
mills who are here to harvest the hardwoods
of the region for the rest of the world.
The domestic paper companies are large
and well-financed and will probably survive
the crisis, but the small milling operations,
which employ roughly 85% of the Valley's
forest products workers, will inevitably be
sacrificed for the chip mills that will siphon
off the region's wealth for huge transnational
corporations.
In terms of the eovironmeotal impact,
or the economic impact oo tourism, the
region will be trading the incredible scenery
and diverse ecological community that
accompanies a selectively harvested, mature
hardwood forest for a pulpwood lot
checkered with constant clearcuts. If one
considers aesthetics as imponant, the impact
ori southeastern Tennessee is going to be
devastating. The scenery will be a politician's
nighnnare: graphic evidence of a bad decision
that gets worse, and becomes more visible to
the public, with every passing year. ~
- Harley Wessman
lnforma1ion for this article was provided by
Robert Mitchell. coordinator of the Tennessee Valley
liardwood Alliance. a coalition of small hardwood
lumber manufacturers whose livelihoods are
threatened by the chip mill operations that are seeking
permits to operate in the Tennessee River Valley.
Contact the TeMessee Valley Hardwood
Alliance; clo R.C. Mitchell; 2850 McCa//ie Ave.;
Cha11anooga, TN 37404.
For more information on how to stop the chip
mill invasion, c<>ntact T.A.G.E.R.; Box 764; Souih
Pi11sburg, TN 37380.
1"aU, 1992
�LOGGING
WITH HORSES
by Nancy McIntyre
"It's a win/win solution," says Jason
Rutledge. He is talking about horse logging,
a low-impact and sustainable timber
harvesting method. Environmentalists call for
timber harvesting to stop on public lands.
The timber industry pushes ro cut marketable
trees and to harvest them in the cheapest way,
preferably clearcurting. Logging with draft
horses offers another choice that addresses
concerns of both groups.
Conventional timbering requires
building logging roads, often at public
expense - roads that are large enough to
accommodate tractor-trailer rigs and which
damage the environment. Horse logging
needs no road building and leaves minimal
disturbance, even in steep or remote areas.
Rutledge describes horse logging as a
superior technology, "an evolved approach
that marries science to culture."
He goes on to say that "cUITCnt horse
logging is a modem effort that employs
specifically-bred heavy draft horses that are
harnessed with nylon components and work
in multiple hitches with several teams in
tandem like the Budweiser Clydesdales,
except that I use horses of the Suffolk Punch
breed. The teams pull a steel log arch, which
has high flotation pneumatic tires that provide
front end suspension of long tree stems. This
log extraction technique, along with
directional felling, creates extremely low
environmental and visual impact."
Environmentally Sensitive Logging
Company, started by Rutledge and based in
southwestern Virginia, has harvested over
200,000 board feet of timber from national
forests in Virginia. Using "real horsepower,"
Rutledge and his parmer John Thornton have
removed trees from the Jefferson National
Forest by the single tree selection method.
Defined as balanced, uneven-aged
management, this least-damaging,
sustained-yield harvesting technique cuts a
few peak trees per acre.
Tree age, species, site, soil type, grade
exposure, remaining growth, and wildlife
habitat are among the aspects considered in
tree selection. Rutledge explains that "this
method of harvesting closely imitates nature's
own selection process. Each tree is
recognized as part of the interconnected
whole. Top wood from cut trees and some
trees of undesired species are left lying on the
forest floor, while desired species remain
standing in varying ages and become
dominant in population and size." He adds
that the Forest Service and agricultural
colleges have many expens who can mark
timber for this type of harvesting.
"Modern conventional logging
equipment does too much damage to the
environment to go into the forest on a 10 to
20 year harvest rotation to remove a few peak
trees per acre. With horses you can do this,
and everyone wins something," Rutledge
emphasizes. "Tunber is harvested without
clearcutting, and there is never removaJ of
den treeS or the total destruction of the forest
canopy. Therefore, wildlife habitat is
preserved while the forest is still contributing
to immediate human needs of building
1-"aU, 1992
materials, furniture, paper, etc.
"A healthy forest is maintained and
helps to protect water and air. yet jobs in the
logging business continue, and forest
products still enter the manufacturing
channels, though coming in smaller loads
from smaller tracts and smaller operators.
With horse logging, there is less ground for
resistance and appeals from environmentalists
and a bener opportunity to avoid below-cost
timber sales. Governments in other parts of
the world have already recognized the
extensive knowledge and teach others,"
Chaffee says.
Rutledge offers formal instruction and
apprenticeships, but cautions, "Logging is
one of the most dangerous occupations in the
country."
To learn chain saw use, he strongly
recommends the Soran Erickson Game of
Logging School, sponsored by the Stihl
Company. (Inquire with local forestry
deparunents for this nationwide instruction.)
"Such instruction can save lives, countless
Counesy of lhc Archives of Appalachia, ETSU
benefits of animal-powered skidding
techniques and have chosen this timber
harvesting method for a portion of their
timber removal."
"Draft horses have other uses in the
forest," Rutledge adds. "My first Suffolk,
Forest Spring Red Samson, and his brother
Forest Spring Bill, under the steady hands of
Mr. Thornton, recently pulled materials deep
into the national forest for the consauction of
a rest area and overnight shelter on the
Appalachian Trail."
David Chaffee of Pittsboro, North
Carolina, a commercial airline pilot and
farmer who also breeds Suffolk Punch
horses, says, "All you have to do is take four
photographs. Take one of an area just logged
by horses and another six months later.
Compare them with photographs of an area
timbered with large equipment, now and six
months later. You're going to see erosion
with the conventional timbering using large
machinery.
"In regard to jobs,"Chaffee continues,
"horse logging involves more people, noc
only the Joggers themselves, but also those
raising draft horses and raising feed. These
are internally-generated jo~s. whereas with
conventional timbering, the heavy equipment
is made outside of the United States and the
energy is imponed. Jobs in the timber
industry can be sustained by logging in a
different way."
Chaffee has twice stayed at Jason
Rutledge's farm in Floyd County, Virginia to
work with him and learn horse-logging skills
for use on his own land.
"Jason seems very willing to share his
hours, and many bills," Rutledge says.
Jason Rutledge is writing a book on
Beginner's Use of Draft Horses for the
Twenty-first Century. In articles recently
printed in The Small Farmer's Journal and
The Draft Horse Journal, he tells that he
was raised by his illiterate grandfather "who
was a hoss trader and, without an outline or
agenda, taught the dignity of what a
welJ-tended pair of work animals could do
for a man who would work too."
Jason adds that he is "determined to
maintain the dignity of work animals and
working man."
Rutledge describes himself as an
environmental actualist who has spent most
of his life working toward the restoration of a
cultural ethic or stewardship.
"This ethic of planetary stewardship has
to translate into everyday life and, for most
folks, into the economic reaJity of making a
living. Faith is the bridge between belief and
action, and I'm going 10 cross that bridge/#
with a horse!"
fr
For further infonnation:
Environmentally Sensitive Logging Company
Jason Rutledge and John Thornton
2050 Blue Ridge Turnpike
Fincastle. VA 24090
Nancy Mclntyre lives on a beauliful ridge-top
farm in Floyd County, VA. She is an energetic clean
air and water activist and recently spent time
educating people to the harmful effects of chemical
biocides as part of the Agricultural Resources Center/
Pesticide Education Project.
�ROADTHREAT
AN APPEALING ISSUE·· ··
N--1 World Ne... $erYice
N--1 World Ne... S.-,ice
The Forest Service decision on the abolition
of limber sale appcalJ bas noc been released 11 press
Lime. In the inlerim, Congress has gouen involved
with the appeals question.
On July I, Sena10r Wyche Fowler (D.QA)
introduced a bill co-sponsored by Pat Leahy, Al Gore,
and Olhm that guaranu,cd the right to appeal Forest
Service decisions. This bill passed in the Senate by a
margin of 57-38. The strength of the Fowler bill
indicaics that the,e is support for the appeals process
as a chcclc against poor decision making.
Laier in the summer, however, Larry Craig
(R-ID} inuoduccd a v.akencd substitute for the
Fowler bill The Craig measure was passed
successfully early in August Under Craig's bill, the
lime limit for filing appeals and for the Forest
Servtce ~iuon of appeals would be shoncncd to
30 days apiece. It would force appellants to travel to
the vicinity of the forest to make their case. The
Craig bill would also require appellants to make
comments in order to have s&anding. These appear to
be minor changes, but the biU is in1e11lionally vague
on many points. For example, the,e is some question
as to whether or nOI the person who reviews the
appeal can be the person who made the initial
decision, thus creating a conflict of inrcrcst
The changes proposed by the Forest Service
are far-reaching and go beyond appeals. Acconting to
the Sierra Club Legal Deteme Fund, the new appeals
regulalions would eliminale the right to know about
and comment on sates of lllllds affCCICd by insects
and diseases. The lwldling of insect• and
discae-relatcd sales has been subject to abuse in the
past. In addition, the proposed changes would make it
impossible even IO team about limber sales if one
does noc sub!lcribe IO a variety of small newspapers.
These and other consttaincs would make it much
harder to conuibule meaningful comments or even
stay informed about activities in nearby lllllional
On May 21, the Virginia Transpor1alioo Board
announced the prefen-cd IOULC for U.S. RL 58, a new
fow--tane that would spai the southwcaem edge of
Virginia between Maninsville and Cumberland Gap.
The route would bisect the ML Rogers
National Rccl'Cllion Area along Corners Crcett. a
cascade-filled IIOUl Slmllll Pond Mountain and
Hurricane Mountain. The Mount Rogers area is
home to a number of rare animal species, including
endangered mussels, rare salamanders, bog turtles,
gray bats, and northern flying squirrels.
Funher east, the Virginia Department of
Transportation (VD01) would have Rt 58 cross the
Blue Ridge Mountains berwcen Meadows of Dan and
Stuart, Virginia, an area that Includes two waterways
that are eligible for scenic river status.
Highway consuucuon will destroy ll\3lly
homes and farms along the way. Some cilizens
con1e11d that the project will be the death knell for
downtowns in small communities along the way.
In order to respond to the threat to the ML
Rogers area (and perhaps 10 ocher threatened areas),
the Mountain Heritage Alliance has been formed.
Members have begun a national letier wriling and
petition drive. The group wishes 10 arrange a
meeting with VOOT since VDOT has recently met
with backers of a popular but desuuctive altcmalive
passing through the highlands around Straight
Branch, Whiietop l...aurel, and Grems Cove Creek.
The group will iqe VDOT 10 IOUIC the highway
along existing highways 1-77 and 1-81. They cite a
Virginia Depanmenl of COllltlValion and Recreation
recommendation against the highway and the findings
of a Virginia Tech cconomiSl who predic1ed thal few
CCUICllJlic baldiU would be derived from the road.
forests.
At the same time the Depanrnent of
Agriculture is lobbying Congress to end judicial
review of Forest Service decisions. Secretary of
Agriculture Madigan told Congress. "We could
manage bencr if we were free from the inletference of
the caur1S [and] we urge Congress IO do that
expeditiously." A few such bills have appeared before
Congress but they have been unsuccessful so far.
BAN CHIP MILLS
Narura1 Wotld News Service
Residents of the Tennessee Valley spoke
overwhelmingly against pcnn1ts for chip mill
facllities along the Tennessee River during two
summer public hearings. SpcaJc.crs asked that TV A
, stop Donghac, Channel Ch1p/P:lrker Towing, and
Boise Cascade from construcung loading clocks and
facilities along the upper Tenn-Tom Waterway, which
TVA comrols.
They told TV A th:11 the ini.cnsive clcarculting
associated with chip manufacturing would result m a
decline in the biodiversity and hardwood
manufacturing economic base of the region.
TV A omcials repon th:11 they are "swamped
with tcuus· responding 10 the permit issue. The
baule may have just begun, however. Boise Cascade
Company announced shonly after the hearings I.hat
they would open a chip mill without a pcnnit and
ltUclc the chips overland to port.
For more information, contaet TAGER; Box
764; South Pittsburg, 1N 37380.
Xatuah )ouma£ PQIJ"- l 6
CLOSING IN ON CHEOAH
NIil.ira! World News Service
In a decision notice released lasl month,
District Ranger Glen McConnell announced plans to
log the Checab Mountains again. Over the past live
years, the lofty mountain range that surrounds
Checab Bald has seen more than its share or
roadbuilding, road-indllccd landslides. and clearcutling.
Exrensive logging bas tatm its toll on the forests
around Oicoah's Shell Stand Creek, Stecoah Gap,
Simp Oap, Grassy Gap, Wesc, and lower sections
of Ben Creek. McConnell now plans to penetrate
further into the wa&cnhcds of Bert and Franks Creeks
to the southwest of Cheoab Bald.
According 10 the environmental assessment for
the Ben Creek Timber Sale, the Forest Service would
build 1.2 miles of roads and harvest limber on more
than 300 aaes. Even-aged logging is the silviculrural
method of choice for most of the sale unit
Activists an: concerned that the limber sale
will cause further fragmenlalion of habiw in an area
· thal is prime black bear babirat Over one thin! of the
stands robe cul are over 100 years old.
Fragmentation is also a pocential threat to the
cerulean warbler and the goshawk. IWO Endangered
Species Act candidates likely 10 be found ll the Bert
Creek site. SIUdies have shown Iha the cerulean
warbler needs at least 1600 acres of contiguous forest
Other rare species at risk include the Indiana bat,
East.cm wood rat, and hellbender. An additional issue
of concern is the possible occurance of pyrue, a
substance that produces a dangerous acid when leached
out or a roadcut or log landing by rainwater.
Oak decline, a phenomenon that causes a
die-off o{ malllre oaks due to drought, infcsta.tJOn, and
other su-esscs, is the pretext for the sale. but acuv1stS
say the Stands are quite healthy. They claim that few
loggers would bid on the umber if they had to share
the full costs of F.S. 208 and other access roods built
at LUpayer expense a few years ago.
During the late 1970s, the RARE D Study
recommended the Chcoah Bald area as one of the
prem ier road.less areas in the Southern Appalachians.
lt has since been opened to developmenL The arc3
still has tremendous beauty and tremendous wildland
potential One has only to loolt out from the high
ridges above Ben Creek to the Great Smokies in the
distance to see what the future could hold.
To procest the Ben Crnek Tunber Sale, write
Glen McConnell, District Ranger; RL '· Box 16-A,
Robbinsville, NC 28771.
In order to become part of the national petition
drive 10 save ML Rogers, write: Gary Stemp:
Mountain Heritage Alliance; Rt 3, Box 589;
Marion, VA 24354.
TRANSREGIONAL POWER
Nwral World News Service
Attempts to build a high-voltage powerline
through West Virginia and Virginia have hit a snag.
Appalachian Power Company (APCO), a subsidiary
ofthecoal-fued giant, American Electric Power
(AEP), asked for a pcnnit to build a 765 kilowatt
powcrline Crom southern West Virginia to a
substation outside of Roonokc, Virginia, but it hns
been forced to withdraw its applicauon with the We~l
Virginia Public Service Commission until an
acceptable environmental impact statement is
p!'Cllll'Cd.
Elsewhere, in a hearing before the Vi.rgini3
Utility Commission, expcn witneSSCS for Citi.zcns
for the Preservation of Craig County (Virginia) said
that APCO should not be given the right of eminent
domain for a transmission line built solely for the
purpose of ~ling off unusable excess power at a
profiL The powerline would transfer power from the
Midwest to the urban crescent of CllSLCm Virginia.
Opponents say that the powerhne would cul
across the Jefferson N31J01131 Forest between
\.1ounuun Lake Wildcmcss and two wilderness areas
several miles to the east They claun that the
powerline will pass through hundreds of ocres of
forest and farm land, lowcnng real CSlllle vallleS and
conl8lllJll8lJllg springs with herbicides along the v.;3y
They worry about the health effects of
elecu-omagnetic fields, citing recent medical research
on the subject
J"aCL, 1992
�APdH &a'iler'f.~'•-tiftini envuonmenl3l
siewardship reicon1. Many residenlS or the Southern
Appalachians remember APCO's effort to dam the
New River in Nonh Carolina. A few years ago,
Appalachian Trail club members discovered dw
APCO had built an unapproved access road lhrough
the Appalachian Trail corridor. The club concluded
that APCO was unable IO - g e their own utility
corridor, so it reached an agn:anent with thc utility to
manage pan or the power corridor themselves. In lhe
meantime, APCO has begun a million dollar program
promoting thc use or elecll'ic heal pumps.
The figbl against the powertine has reached lhe
national level U.S. Represeniatives Nick Rahall
(WV) and Frederick Boucbcr (VA) have sponsored a
bill that would pro!CCI federally-owned land along lhe
New River, blocking access to one of the only
f~ible rou1CS. The bill ha1 had sll'Ollg suppon in
the House or Reprcsenwives. Hearings on the issue
will begin SOOD in thc SenalC.
Wrice Cilil.cns to Preserve Craig County; Box
291; New Casile, VA 2A I 27 and lhe National
Commilltle for thc New River, Bluestone Project
CommiUtJe; Box 103S; Athens, WV 24712.
Also wrice your legislalorS.
DECISION ON BIG IVY
Nlhlnl Wodd News Savice
In I.ale July, Ranger Paul Bradley ol the
Toecane DiSlricl or thc Pisgah Nllional Forcsi. issued
a decision oo the controversial Sugarhouse Cove
Timber Sale, proposed for thc Big Ivy arca in
BU1100111be County, nordleul of Asbeville..
Big Ivy is III an:a oC unusual circumneutral
soils, rare planl communities, and excellent examples
of old growth foreaa (see Ka,/Jalt JollnlOl 134), and
lbe proposcd sale was bigbly CClllll'O¥a1ial. Bradley
was leaning IOWll'd a decision 1h11 would have
deVll.1Ulled a unique roadies., area conraining in:es
measuring four feet in dialnder and examples of many
rare plant species. ScienlislS and IIClivislS r.niliar
with the sea rushed to ils defense, informing the
Forest Service that die proposcd logging and road
building would resull in unaccq,18blc damage. The
eovironmeulal group SoudlPAW initialed a teuer
writing campaip that brougb1 hundreds of lcuers and
petition signaiurcs opposing the sale. Womansong, a
choral group from Asbeville, 1111g for the forest
outside die Forest Service otricea. garnering media
coverage for Big Ivy.
In response, Bradley scaled back his logging
plans for the waaenhed. He eliminal.ed four of thc five
areas scheduled IO be cut and reduced the timber sale
volume by 80%. The remaining sale unils are in an
abandoned homcSICad, an area that is already relatively
degraded. Surprisingly. the Forest Service
~ the Sugarhouse Cove portion, after
which the limber sale was named, as a Rcsean::h
Natur81 Area. The analysis process resulted in
designations of large pans or Big Ivy as either old
growth habitat or as "unsuitable for umber
producoon."
Bradley dampened a poccntially explosive
si1ua1ton. Many cnvirorunenl31istS feel lhal the Bag
Ivy wau:rsbcd should be scqucsu:rod as a biological
rc.o;crve. ActivistS are divided as to whclher to nppcal
the timber sale or to turn !heir aucntion to other
assaults on Kaluah's biodiversity.
JUSI lhree weeks lalcr, Bradley allayed coocems
that his districl might llOI meet its timber wgel by
issuing a decision to log another scelion of lhe
Toccanc. The sice is near Seven Mile Ridge along lhe
Blue Ridge Partway.
1'cdl, 1992
1-26 HEARING HEATS UP
Namnl World News Service
Oo Joly 21, more than a hundred area citizens
packed Mars HiU Elcmenwy School to give the NC
Deparuneot ol Transportation (001) officials their
views oo the proposed Inu:rswe 26 segment between
Mars Hill, N.C. and die Tennessee border. Although
opponents of the project were in thc minority, they
represented about half of those speaking. One of lhe
most moving prcserualions was a slide show by
Bruce Oarlt showing whole moumainsides
deliberalcly logged. deooded. and gouged away on the
Tennessee section of the project, which has been
underway for more than a year.
To dace neither of the SlalC DOTs have fully
considered the impaa or the projecl beyond swe
borders or oulSide the immediate project area despi lC
the fact that the projecl would increase tralfx:, cause
displJlcemcnt, and destroy CICCS)'Slel!IS lhroughou1 the
• region.
Area citizens warned lhe DOT of the pol.Clltial
for erosion, runoff, and wucc disposal problems
associaled with large-scale "cul and fill" operations.
They said lhal the project would disturb wedands and
black bear migration corridors along the way.
They suggested thal DOT explofe alremative
uansponation sys1CRIS like freight uains and mass
transiL networts before it embarks on a COSIiy projecl
that the swe and federal governments, both in debt.
canno( affonl.
One speaker ciled a tcuu lhal the DOT sent to
Monce Cunningham ol thc WNC Alliance. The
1cucr said lhal U.S. 23 is 1101 dangerous enough to
justify mating expendilurea for Ind sand trapS and
other safety improvements that Cunningham
suggested.. In spice or this the DOT proposes
spending nearly a q11111er of a billion dollars on a
four-laae projec1 tbll will have no al«y benefilS
until it is completed n1111y years bc:nce. The,e and
other glaring inconsislmcies ha"VC 1od many citizens
to believe that the DOT is • agency that plays by no
rules except ilS own.
WORKING FOR ALARKA
Nanni World News Service
Efforts are Slill underway to pr0ICCI the Big
Laurel ttact in Swain County, a piece of land also
known as AJaita Laurel. The Trust for Public
Lands, a foundalion dial buys land and uansfers ii to
government agencies. is hoping that ii can facilitate
the purchase or the trac1. Officials II the 1JUS1 say
!hey want people from Nonh Carolina to decide how
bes1 to use the Big Laurel lJ1ICI. The llUSI has
negotiated an option to buy the land.
Local rcsidenlS have used the Alarka Crcelc
watcnhed for horseback riding, camping, picnicking,
SCOUl outings. and hunting for generations.
According to resident Carl Queen, most or the people
in the area "would like 1 see it kept in the pristine
0
Sl3ce that II is in.•
The 2,080 acre traet contains a spruce bog. a
wetland along Alarka Crnck, and a hctbacoous bog.
The red spruce forest in Big Laurel is arguably lhc
soulhcmmost on lhe continenL It is unusual because
11 has no1 shown any decline, as m Olher locales. and
ii appears to be expanding in10 an area lhal was
previously logged.
Bag Laurel is also known for populations of
brook uou1, pigmy salamander, and other rare ~ies.
The Natural Hen1age Program has yet 10 do a survey
of lhe area. According to Dr. William McL.amey,
lhe area is I crucial mign11ory corridor. It is ~ible
to descend from Big L.aurel at 4,600 feet to the LiUle
Tennessee Gorge, then proceed to Wesser Bald on the
olhcr side, and remain under foresled cover throughout
lhejoumey.
Shape Notes
This little curl of smoke shows where some wood was.
From thick tree trunk right down to tiny twig
all
gave up this cycle's shape
to keep those beings in the cabin warm.
Now this gray smoke stains the blue sky.
It floats
up
up.
Maybe someday
in a different cycle
those beings in the cabin
will do some singing, some shape changing
for the wood.
Julia Vansclow
Mutat Aliquid Ergo Sum
(For Dylan-September, 1989)
More often, now, the fog at dawn
seeps deep into the hollow;
creeps up the rodcy Eastern slope
with a silent hint of Fall.
It settles over everything,
so near and distant hills are out
of focus, dreamy, and hushed.
1ne first few leaves are spinning down;
the Walnut's dropped its fruit.
I hardly remember Spring at all
when Summer's so dose to Fall,
but Winter's hazy memory
sits chill on the still night air
that drips and drops a sparkling sheen
in the haloed morning sun.
1ne last of Summer's fullness fills
cicadas, crickets, tree frogs,
until late morning melts the shade,
dissolves the rainbow dew
The Goldfinch canary yellow is dimmed.
The last of the Hummingbirds
are migrants navigating South.
It's a lime we know there are no words
that thought can fonn in mouth
to really sing the song that sings
the music of change, the IIWQTtneSS of things
Frank Vogel
Drawing by Michael Thompson
x.atilah Jownat
JJQ9"- 17
�Natural World News
THE FOREST PLAN IS OUT!
SPECIAL REPORT
The US Forest Service bas just released
its proposed Draft Suppleme111 (() the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (DS-FEIS)
for the Nantahala and Pisgah National
Forests Land and Resource Management
Plan.
When the original plan was released in
1987 there were four appeals of its
provisions, and the Chief of the US Forest
Service remanded the plan back to the region
for changes, specifically those concerning
questions about old-growth forest areas,
clearcutting vs. uneven-aged managemen1.,
protection of unroaded areas, below-cost
timber sales, and protection of biodiversity.
The proposed amendment is
controversiaJ, arousing opposition from both
environmentalists and the wood products
industry. Public comment will be received
through December 16, after which a new plan
will be developed.
The draft supplement describes the
amendments to the Forest Management Plan
and how the various alternatives were
developed, giving more details concerning
the affected environment and environmental
consequences. The lengthy document is the
result of much work, but it falls short of
addressing public concerns about the
mismanagement of the public forests.
In the short "Highlights" of the Plan,
rhe Forest Service statements appear to offer
positive solutions to environmental concerns,
but further investigation of the "fine print"
does not support this initial impression.
Much of the discussion focuses on the
allowable sale quantity (ASQ) of timber to be
cut each year. The ASQ has always been a
ceiling for timber cutting, with the actual
timber targets falling well below that level.
For instance, the present ASQ is 75 million
board feet per year, but the agency actua!Jy
cut onJy 55 million board feet in the past
year.
In the draft, the annual ASQ in the
Forest Service's alternative is reduced by an
impressive margin, from 75 million board
feet to 45 million board feet However,
subsequent statements by Forest Supervisor
Bjorn Dahl assure industry representatives
that the amount of timber actually cut wouJd
not fall very much, because "45 million board
feet is not that much below 55 million board
feet," intimating that the ASQ is no longer
going to be the ceiling, but the target for each
year's annual cut
(CHAGRIN IS IN)
trees are left standing on the site only to be
removed in a second cut 15-20 years later.
The Western North Carolina Alliance, a
citizens' group which has vigorously
opposed clearcutting in the national forests, is
bitterly disappointed by this move. Members
point out that they have consistently
campaigned for uneven-aged management of
the forests for years. Shelterwood cuts, like
clearcuts, are a form of even-aged
management. which yields a stock of trees
that are all of the same age. To Alliance
members, the agency's change is simply a
change in rhetoric. "Shelterwood is simply a
rwo-stage clearcut,'' observes one member.
Only a very small pan (about 12%) of the
total acreage 10 be cut would be logged by
single tree or group selection to produce true
uneven-aged management.
To lessen the problem of below-cost
timber sales that has plagued the agency in
past years, the Forest Service promises
timber interests that they will offer more
lucrative sales containing large sawtimber
trees and fewer sales containing pulpwood
(undesirable trees that bring a low price).
These custom-tailored sales still would not
turn a profit for the government; at best the
Forest Service could promise only that they
might break even.
Figures elsewhere in the draft show
that the Forest Service plans to increase the
profitability of their sales by increasing
environmental costs. Despite earlier
assurances, only 3.3% of the national forest
lands would receive additional protection
from road construction and logging. Some
44,000 acres of unprotected roadless areas
(called "semi-primitive, nonmotorized areas")
and nearJy 45,000 acres of land inventoried
as possible old-growth would be opened to
logging under the preferred alternative.
Instead of treating below-cost sales as a
signal to improve forest management by
saving old-growth and potential old-growth
habitats, the Forest Service is using
below-cost sales as an excuse to sell those
areas off!
The Wilderness Society also noted that
the Forest Service showed that their interest
is not in stopping below-cost timber sales by
putting into the timber base over 100,000
acres of land which would not tum a profit,
according to agency analyses.
Much effort was made to identify and
inventory old-growth stands, but the criteria
for determining old-growth presence were
vastly oversimplified. In the draft
supplement, the mere presence of trees older
than 100 years indicated old growth. And the
old-growth inventory was an empty gesture;
while 133,456 acres were identified as old
growth, only 5% of the total forest acreage
wouJd be reserved for "future old growth
values."
Wood products industry representatives
are expressing great concern about job
losses, lower profits, and potential changes
in logging techniques. However, the draft
supplement estimates that the preferred
alternative would offer only 100 less "jobs''
(actually hourly equivalents) than the number
offered in the original plan.
The new draft supplement shows that
the Forest Service has indeed changed and
become more skillful and sopb.isticated in its
management techniques - it has changed its
techniques of managing numbers and
manipulating language to more skillfully
cover the fact that out in the forest, it's
business a.s usual!
• by Lee Barnes and David Wheeler
Copies of the Draft Supplement to the Final
Environmental Impact Suuement of the
Nanlahala-Pisgah Land and Resource Managt!mellt
Plan can ~ st1e11 al most public libraries ill westt1r11
Nor1h CarolillO or may~ reqllt!sted by phoning (704)
257-4200.
Send comments ~fore December 16. 1992 to
Nantalrala!Pisgah Planning Team; Na1io110I Forests ill
North Carolina; Box 2750; Asheville, NC 2 ~
.....-::::::==:::::-.___
The draft supplement proudly
announces a significant reduction in the acres
of national forest to be clearcut annually:
from the 4,500 acres called for in the original
plan to 1,500 acres, one-third of the original
amount
Substituted for clearcutting was the
shelterwood method, which in the preferred
alternative would be practiced on 2,320 acres
of the forest. Under this method, part of the
Xatuah Joumat p09e 18
Drawing by Timbcrly Ashe
:fa{!, 19112
�INVASION OF THE CORPORATE GIANTS
by Buzz Williams
Like many others who have chosen to
make my home in the province of Katuah, I
am keenly appreciative of the incredible
beauty and diversity of the native
Appalachian hardwood forest. But after
living here for some time, one soon becomes
aware that these forests, which are the
cornerstone of our ecosystem, have been
severely impacted by the human presence.
For me, the fulfillment of finding my "sense
of place" has been tempered with a kind of
sadness when I think of what we have lost.
But to lament over the past is certainly
not productive; nor is the popular notion that
further degradation of our environment is
necessary for the well-being of our species.
On the contrary, recent scientific studies tell
us that the maintenance of healthy ecosystems
is more than simply leaving a bener place for
future generations - it is the key to our future
survival. We are learning that a healthy
economy is dependent upon a self-sustaining
environment.
Aldo Leopold stated it this way: "...a
system of conservation based solely on
economic self-interest is hopelessly lopsided.
It tends 10 ignore, and thus evenrually to
eliminate, many elements in the land
commurury that lack commercial value, but
that are (as far as we know) essential to its
healthy functioning." Leopold's extension of
our concept of ethics to include the protection
of all plants and animals, what be called the
"third element," must now be embraced if we
arc to prevent the further degradation of our
forests.
After devastating the Southern
Appalachian forests, the big timber
companies moved to the Pacific Northwest.
They acquired huge tracts of territory, and the
timber supply from that area was instrumental
in meeting the increased lumber demands
during World War II and the decades of
prosperity immediately following.
During those years, the US Forest
Service became increasingly timber oriented.
From 1950 to 1968 timber harvest volumes
from our national forests increased from 5.6
to 12.8 billion board feet. Several theories
have developed as to why the Forest Service
has so willingly become an ally of the timber
industry, but the most plausible seems to
center on a process called "logrolling."
The timber industry financed and
helped to seat CongressionaJ legislators who
won positions on strategic subcommittees
which govern Forest Service activities.
including budget appropriations. These
lawmakers have been in office for long
periods of time and have built up strong
concentrations of power in the halls of
Congress. Their close connections to the
timber industry are not hidden. Sen. James
McClure (R-ID) went straight to a seat on the
board of the Boise Cascade Company upon
his retirement from the Senate. The press
statements of Sen. Mark Hatfield (D-OR)
read almost exactly like industry statements
from the corporations in his state. This year
Senate Majority Leader Tom Foley (D-WA)
effectively stopped consideration ofH.R.
1-"all, 1992
1969, a bill which would have outlawed
clearcutting in the national forests.
Power such as this has brought the l!S
Forest Service into line with the policies of
the timber industry.
Pacific Nonhwest. Io addition, the
Appalachian hardwood forests were
recovering from previous over-cutting. With
recently-developed technology that allowed
the use of hardwood fiber for making paper
products, the Southeast was once again ripe
for pluckin~. Cheap land and non-union
labor costs m an area closer to their markets
were further inc.entives to the timber giants to
move south.
As early as the 1950's, Georgia Pacific
Company was already buying up land in the
South. In 1982 it moved its headquarters
from Portland, Oregon to Atlanta, Georgia.
Others followed. The Forest Trust recently
reponed that since 1978, seven of the largest
timber comparues in the Pacific Northwest
had increased their mill capacity in the South
by 121%.
They are coming from other directions
as well. Bowater Corporation, the largest
newsprint producer in the country,
announced in Marcb,1992 that it would move
its corporate headquarters from Connecticut
to Greenville, South Carolina. In
Chattanooga, Tennessee, local conservation
groups arc currently fighting applications for
barge permits by three chip mill companies
which would produce over 1.7 million tons
of green chips per year. One of the
companies, Donghae, is based in Korea, and
all the companies plan to expon their chips
directly to the Far East (see page 13).
The addition of these powerful
competitors for timber in the Southeast is
In 1990 the fate of the threatened
spotted owl became the focal point of the
battle to save the remaining 10% of the
ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest The
timber industry screamed that protection of
the owl would cost thousands of jobs, but
investigative studies found that they were
using the spotted owl issue as a smokescreen
to cover their own activities. One study found
that, even before the owl was listed, 26,000
timber-related jobs had been lost to
automation in Washington and Oregon, and,
further, that between 1980 and 1989 the
practic.e of log exporting had cost 19,200
timber workers their jobs.
Closer scrutiny of the timber industries
revealed that they were making huge profits
at the expense of their employees and the
loggers who supplied the mills. Their
long-term strategy was obvious: they had
overcut their private lands, just as they had
done in the Southern Appalachians, and were
now liquidating their timber "assets" to
produce the capital to relocate to the
Southeast, which had begun to recover from
earlier exploitation and was out-producing the
Pacific Northwest.
Acre per acre, the southeastern coastal
plains were producing about 1.7 times as
many board feet in a 65 year period as the
Dnwing by Michael ThompsQn
(continued on p,tgc 26)'
Xatuah Joumat page 19
�FROM INDUSTRY TO ENDEAVOR
.:Forestry is the one area where the
inappropriateness ofboth large-scale
technology and the slum tenn prof11 motive is
most apparent. For this reason, it may be an
ideal place to begin to tlUn the tide."
- Robert Brothers
Timber extraction as it is presently
accomplished is a primary cause of ecological
degradation in the Karua.h bioregional
province. Given that a land-based economy
in the forested mountains will depend heavily
on the use of wood products, how much
wood can we use and how can we use it in a
beuerway?
Changing the way we think about the
land and our conceptions of our role in the
bioregion would change our relationship to
the land and the way we use the products of
the land. New definitions and new values
would lead to new institutions and new ways
of working.
The first and most basic recognition is
that we are pan of the natural oommunity and
that the needs of the natural community must
come first Aldo Leopold, a forester who
truly cared for the natural world. stated it
thus: "We abuse the land because we regard it
as a commodity belonging to us. When we
see land as a community to which we belong,
we may begin to use it with love and
respect."
In the Katuah Province, this means first
and foremost that the public lands are held as
a bioregional reserve, inviolate from logging
or other intensive commercial use. It must be
understood that all the forestry proposals that
follow are for the lands surrounding and
buffering the bioregional reserve, and that the
reserve proper is to be left as habitat for the
native plants and animals, wild and free
forever. In its proper place, a buffer zone
which includes large areas of sensitively
managed timberlands would be a positive
ecological benefit, extending the forest cover
and protecting the core habitat area from
disturbance.
Even outside the core reserve area we
must constantly remember that "the land is a
community to which we belong," and that
forests are complex and heterogeneous life
communities. In the upland hardwood forests
in particular, industrial forestry is not an
appropriate practice. We must change the
model of forestry 10 one that follows a
biological panern rather than a panern of
mechanical_production.
Forestry is not farming. It is, as the
local wisdom puts it, "living off the increase"
of the natural forest community. Recognizing
this, !t is clear that sustainable forestry does
not Sllllply refer to the number of growing
trees, but concerns the integrity of lhe forest
community as a whole. Continued
sustainability of the forest requires that
biomass be returned to the soil to maintain
soil fertility and site quality.
The Institute for Sustainable Forestry in
Redway, CA bas defined sustainable forestry
as "forestry that can safely be practiced while
X.ntuQft. Jou.mat p1i9e 20
by David Wheeler
ensuring that the forest's needs are met
before any biomass is removed in the form of
harvested trees." Silviculture would then
mean, as it is supposed to, the art of caring
for aforest; not "growing trees" as it is
currently defined.
A Southem Appalachian Sustainable
Forestry Association, designed on the
California model, could promote this
awareness. Like its western counterpart, it
could draw on a wide variety of experience to
devise standards for ecologically produced
lumber and other forest products. Trained
and accredited logging ooottactors and
foresters could be given eoological
cenification for timbering practices that are
both ecologically and eoonomically sound.
The group would also do public education,
research and development of sustainable
forestry practices, restoration forestry, and
research on marketing, value-adding
processing, and wood product ideas.
At present, the greatest hindrance to a
sensitive forestry in the Karuah Province is
the notion that the land is a oommodity for
speculation. Rising land prices and increasing
fragmentation of landholdings are
discouraging private landowners from
becoming involved in forestry.
If the land market will not support
forestry, the only solution is to remove large
areas of land from the market. Non-profit
farmland and forest mists allow habitation
and use for land-based activities, but free the
land from oppressive tax burdens and protect
it from the threat of development This
arrangement would offer a strong economic
incentive to those who wanted land for use
and enjoyment rather than for speculation.
~nother neces~ conceptual change is
to revise our ooncepnon of a demand-driven
market to one that is based on the ability of
the forest to provide. Measures to moderate
the use of wood products (not including the
substitution of plastics or other synthetics for
natural materials) could help to lessen the
demand. Companies could also utilize the
wood that is available more efficiently and
more C(:Onomically by ensuring the highest
value uses and creating new ways to use
pieces that might otherwise be wasted. At the
other end of the process, consumers could
help to lower demand through the re-use and
recycling of wood.
"Adding value" is another key concept
that could change the face of the timber
business. Supplying the furniture industry
seems appropriate for the bulk of the timber
cut in the mountains, but the growing export
market threatens to draw timber- away from
the region. It would be of the greatest benefit
to the regional economy to emphasize wood
products rather than wood as a raw material
for a faceless global market
Specialty products - hand-crafted wood
furniture, wood carvings, boat lumber,
musical insttuments, wooden toys and gifts,
etc. - offer opportunities for creative
entrepreneurs and support small shops that
employ only a ~w people each. individually,
they seem to be inoonsequential, but studies
in the Pacific Northwest are showing that the
cumulative economic impact of specialty
shops is substantial.
Another key word that oould SJ)C1ll great
changes in the region's timber trade is
"cooperation." Small loggers could oombine
to sell their products. They oould thus reach
bener markets and sell their wood for highest
value. By pooling their capital, they could be
more competitive and stay better informed
about market conditions. They could also
cushion expensive bonding guarantees and
equipment repairs. By lightening the money
pressure, they could afford to do a bener job
in the forest.
If the cooperative owned a sawmill,
they oould eliminate cheating at the scales,
could pocket the increased value of their
product, and could provide work hours
during periods when they could not go into
the woods. Such ventures would be prime
targets for community eooaomic development
efforts.
Another approach would be to organize
landowners into cooperative groups, as forest
management is organiz.ed in Switzerland.
Lislott Harbens, a forester of Swiss
extraction, said, "I know of two or three
cases where larger landowners are
considering pooling their resources and
employing somebody to do their work for
them"
The changes listed above foreshadow a
wood products market that is oomprised of
smaller businesses that are more decentralized
and more individualiz.ed. In light of present
Ta(t, 1992
�~
•
L
by Robert T. Perscher
~
~
I'
• •
.._
r.. ,1
f
I
~~
•
..._ Pioneering a New Human/Nahµ'e- Relationship
~-
- ~
(Thefolwwing is uzlunjrom a report
commissioned in 19')() by the New England Section
of1he &>ciety ofAmerican Foresters as part of ti~
process ofdrafting anew tnis.sion stare~ntfor the
group.)
The ex.isling forestry doctrine focused
on wood production no longer serves our
profession, society, or the Earth. The
profession, therefore, needs to develop a new
doctrine/philosophy embracing a land ethic
and philosophy of ecosystem managemen1.
This approach necessitates a reassessment of
the adequacy of our ex.isting scienllfic
foundations.
Our mission must be expanded to the
widest possible cooteitt: the preservation of
life on Earrh.
As foresters we are charged with this
mission because we have accepted the role as
stewards of what is perhaps the most critical
30% of the Earth's (land) surface. Our
srewardshlp responsibility includes some of
the most exuberant eitpressions of nature: the
trends, this seems to be the direction in which
the industry needs to move in the Southern
Appalachians to be mon: sustainable over the
long term and more regionally responsive.
These changes would be only part of a
necessary ongoing social and economic shift
in the n:gion. Any economy, particularly in a
forested area, that is growing faster than the
trees can grow is moving too fast. An
economy that kills its biological suppon
system with toxic chemical pollutants needs
to find new methods of production. Any area
in which the local species cannot find
secluded habitat is overpopulated and
overdeveloped. These ills are obvious when
our society is compared to the forest, the
self-supporting, biological model for growth
in our region.
A sustainable forest products trade will
not be attained immediately. The transition
stage is critical. We can take immediate steps
toward a more sustainable forestry:
1) Invest in the growth of high-grade
hardwoods. This move appears risky in
terms of the present economic climate. But
the present economic climate is notoriously
short-sighted, and long-term trends appear to
justify this investment
Landowners, however, do need to be
educated about the value of improving timber
sites and stands, as welJ as more careful
logging in order to attain a sustained yield.
2) Provide tax relief for timberlands.
Land that is currently being used for
agriculture or forestry should be assessed at
lower rates than development propenies.
"Highest use assessment," in which land is
assessed according to the most expensive use
to which it could be put (usually
subdivisions), virtually assures that the land
will be put to that use.
At present rates of interest., the only
method that pays in the short term is to
climax ecosystems of a green and .flowering
world. They tend to suppor!_greater stocks
of bi?mass and harbor a grea~er number of
species than any other ~logic!'1 zone.
~orests play a ~Jor role ir· planetary
recycbng of Carix?n, mtrogen anc.l o~g~n.
They help detenrune temperature and nuofall.
They constitute the major gene reservoirs of
our planet, and they are-the main sites of
emergence of new species.
Life on_ Earth as we know it, human or
non-human, IS dependent on our forests. And
we, who call ourselves foresters_. are the .
protectors of the ecosystems which make this
incredi~le l~gacy of ?iversit)'. (>?SSibte. Ir [that
protccnon] 1s our ulumate llllSs1on and, as
such, must define and embrace all that we do
as professionals.
To fulfill this expanded mission we
must rise to the challenge of recreating our
relationship with the forest. We must now
establish, as nearly as possible, a direct
contact with our place within nature and
begin to make our forest management
decisions from that place. To accept this
quickly clearcut all the young trees in a stand
before they have had a chance to make their
full growth. In the long run, careful and
ecological logging that produces a sustained
yield will pay off, but the initial returns are
lower as the landowner improves the site and
conditions the growing stock. Long-term,
low-interest government loans or a capital
gains tax differential for income on timber
produced by ecological methods would help
to make those methods competitive with
industrial forestry practices and would make
timber investments more competitive with
other long-term investments for private
owners.
3) States need to train and certify
loggers. Two states in the bioregion are
taking hesitant first steps in this direction.
~~
- ,..
challenge means that each of us must refuse
t.o iux:ept.the least common dcno,;ninaror the
loweit level of awareness of the forest that all
membc;rs of our society can agree to, for this
stifles change and persona) expansion. We
must be willing to move beyond th.e
comfortable and generally accepted doctrine
the profession still clings to and forge a new
_relationship that will permeate all levels of the
profession.
-.
To accomplish this change wemust
draw on the elemental energy within each of
us _th~t originally drew us to this profession.
Wuhin the SOlll"Ce of this energy some of us
will find a fierce compassion and a true
affection for the entire forest ecosystem.
These are the fundamental fotees that will
now drive our profession. The old doctrines
of profit, fiber production, and primary
loyalty ro employers will not disappear, but
will be subsumed and integrated in their
rightful place within the far more expansive
vision of preserving life...
•
Excerptedfrom the April, 1991 issue of1"4
Journal of Foresuy. th4 publicauan of the Society of
American Foresters.
~
Tennessee is one of several states that
has received funding through the federal
eittension service to start pilot logger
education programs. Two one-week
instruction courses run by the University of
Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service in
cooperation with other groups and
government agencies will provide training in
ecological principles, best management
practices, forest management, and safety
practices.
The North Carolina Forestry
Association is also considering
co-sp0nsoring training workshops for
loggmg contractors with the state Division of
Forest Resolll"CCs. Attendees would receive
certificates of training and their names would
be made available to landowners inquiring
about responsible loggers.
4) Forest workers must defend the
forests.
Said Dr. George Weaver, head of the
Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and
Fisheries at the University of Tennessee,
"The forest products industry, like anyone
else who has a stake in a resource, has to be
responsible for maintaining and perpetuating
that resource." Although he was speaking in
a different context, his words ring true.
Foresters should be some of our strongest
environmentalists. Trees are pan of the forest
community (or ecosystem); it is only logical
that to protect the trees, one protects the
forest that produces them.
In the mountains, foresters and loggers
should be vigorously "protecting the
resource," in particular from the dangers of
atmospheric deposition and the pressures of
continuing land development.
Forest scientists in the piedmont areas
are already concerned that atm0spheric
pollution might be affecting the growth·of
softwoods there, and several studies have
tested that connection. Other studies have
(continued on page 22)
:Fa£!, 1992
:Katuah )ournat p09e 21
�{continued from page 21)
documented a connection between
atmospheric pollution and spruce decline in
the high-elevation coniferous forests. A clear
cause-and-effect connection has not been
conclusively proven between atmospheric
deposition and Fraser fir die-offs, oak
decline, dogwood blight, butternut blight,
and hemlock decline. However, there is a
common suspicion that pollution is implicated
in the widespread and severe forest die-back.
Other ecological macro-events, such as the
gypsy moth invasion, global climate change,
and the orone hole, are going to affect the
condition of the forest, and foresters need to
feel responsibility for these issues as well.
. Aldo Leop<>ld spoke of our relationship
with th 7forest m terms of "love and respect."
Todar It would seem incongruous for a
prominent ~orester to use such tenninology.
What pracncal value could notions like "love"
and "respect" have in forestry? Upon
reflection, however, it can be seen that these
are of the utmost value. They are, in fact, the
very f~undation of a forestry that is truly
sansfying and truly sustainable.
The First People had been living in
these mountains for 2,000 years of unbroken
OC<:upation when they were discovered by the
w~te settlers. Eve_n though it had supponed
the1r culture for millennia, the forest still
stood with a grandeur that awed the whites
who centuries ago had sacrificed the
'
European forests as "resources."
There were - intentionally - less of the
native people inhabiting the mountains, but
that was not the sole reason for their
longevity as a people. Their culture was
based on love and respect for their bioregion
and the other "nations" or species that shared
the land with them.
They directly addressed the spirits of
the other beings tllTough song. Before
hunting they addressed their prey in song,
and after making a kill, they performed a
brief ritual and offered a song of thanks.
Recently the environmental group
SouthPAW caused great amusement in the
timber industry because they suggested in a
Forest Service timber sale appeal that singing
to the trees be used as a forest management
technique. The group protested that the
puiyose of their proposal was, of course,
sanncal. They wanted to show that, whatever
loggers thought of singing to the trees, it was
preferable 10 the destructiveness of
clearcutting.
However, the South PAW proposal, so
gleefully ridiculed in timber trade
publications, hits directly home. Unless we
have that sense of love and respect for the
forest and the trees, well communicated by
singing to them as the hunters of old sang to
their prey, we wiJI not be able to develop a
truly sustainable way of using wood in the
Southern Appalachians.
The day yet may come when loggers
stand before a tree and, either silently or
aloud, offer thanks for its life. We will know
then that we are in balance with the forest and
that we are well on the way toward a
long-lived human culture here in the southern
mountains.
~
Rick Parrish of the Southern
Environmental Law Center is
investigating the possibilities for
initiating a Southeastern Institute
for Sustainable Forestry. All those
interested in supporting this effort
may contact him at 201 W. Main
St. (Suite 14); Charlottesville, VA
22901 (804) 977-4090.
Forest Stewardship Programs
#
Two new programs offi:J help 10 landowners
who wish lO mana11c their Corests wisely. The Forest
S1ewardship Program helps landowners to devel~
s1ewardS.hip management plans for their folCSiS. The
Siewardship Incentive Program offors financial help
10 enable Jandowntrs to carry out stewardship plans.
Bolh programs wc,e created by the federal Fann Bill
of 1990. and are supervised by SJ.ate forcsuy ai:encics,
so they vary slightly from state to siate.
Federal and sta1e forestry assisl311ce 10 pi:iva1e
landowners is not new. What is new abont the Foresl
Stewanlship/lncentive programs is the increased
emphasis on non-timber val~. the degree 10 which
these programs seek IO enable private landowners to
~cvc:lop and implement c0111prehensive plans to
conservu wide range of land values, and the dcgteC of
commitmel)L requ~ o! landowner.: participating in
I.he programs.
The new programs ~led in past from the
growing controversies over public Jan4 managemt111
in the US. The public lands cannot meet all of our
needs for wnber, wildlife (including non-game and
endangered spocics) habitat, ~igh quality water nows,
recreation. and beauty. Much or~ mosl potcnliaUy
productive forestJs he.Id by priv.io landowners. This
land could be bcuec managed. ~stewarclsbip
-progrnms arc predicated on the bcijef lhat ll\ally
privalC landoW!MJ.S will take good ¥ ol their f01C$1S
it'they are given educatiollll, ,echnlcal, a,'ld financial
help,~ some.recognition.
.Landowners owning forested l!ICtS of Oan 10
to 1,000 a~ m a y ~ in ~stcwar~
programs;tQ ~ allllldo"1'tf mukt.naati:
some senous comm~:
•
eqdgrsing tJfc
).)'Sign the •sie~ip aieecr
s t ~ i p ~ti;! pledge tO Collow lbeir
.slO'l¥8[~ip plan.
~L Z) Commit co improving at lc:&9l dne ol rou
I"' ,d vp categ()qi:s ( wildlife_. soi.1/wAJet: timli<:r,
'.&
a,e
f ~ ) and ~ n Ql'Pf1'{cct (l«ber
values,
~) ~ i t ;t~d land w)Lfiin the tract~
Sl~ship.1118118~t.
'
41 Actively patficipate in sLe'IYirdsblp jlr.n
develQl)llleru.
5) Abide by S1ale and (edc,:al JaW$ affcttin1
for~ activities.
,
In exe1iangc, for IIJ¢ sicw~blp comrnitmellt,
Jhe atate will~ ~wnci, il'I clcveloping a
st~dship plan lbat reflCClS thcu- desires fur thcit
land. The plan would bedc-vel()pCd either by
g(lvemment l1)SOIJroC' mQMgers or by private
consuhanis, tunded through the: Stewardsllip l1*:nlive
Program.
°Tht" foreSUtef,'lltdship program.,; lll'O in &licit
in(ancy, and it is diJTieulr tojudge wha{ the loilg-torm
lmpaet,w1II be. &tate foresters in TCMe$SCC, North
Carolina, South Carol:i'na, and G ~ reportlhat 110
10 l!ID sm-warw:liip plans ha~ been ~l&ed in each
of lhesc sillies, and more are bcing-prcparc(1.
-Je~JontS
For /'/l(Jre informacio11 on 1/te;Fote,-1
Stewardship Pro_grams1n your arta. contacr-yowr stare
Jor.estry dBenq,
f"n(t, 1992
�,-- -.~
·----··
ECOLOGICAL FORESTRY FOR RENEWABLE FOREST VALUES
by Leon S. Minckler
First, what is forest management?
Traditionally, it has meant an array of
practices designed to produce the most and
cheapest timber products. The Society of
American Foresters describes silviculmre as
the science of "growing" forests.
Unfonunately, this concept is widely
prevalent.
However, true forest management must
encompass the whole forest ecosystem,
including all its biological and physical
factors. Forest management also needs 10 be
sensitive to the preservation of the natural
rhythms of the earth and the environmental
and spiritual values desired and needed by
mankind. The key word for forestry should
be ecology: an awareness of the
interconnections of species, site, climate, soil
and soil organisms, water, topography,
stress factors, and biological diversity.
The real "products" of the forest include
commodities and non-timber environmental
values. The first objective of forest
management must be the sustainability of the
forest ecosystem itSelf. This is known as
"land ethics." It's not a new concept, but it
appears to be one many in forestry profession
have drifted away from.
Toe land ethic means that we do not
"own" the land and waters. Instead, in a very
real sense they own us by making life itself
possible. The adulteration of natural
processes and the overuse of natural
resources impinges on our basic needs and
desires and gradually renders the earth
unlivable. Thus, forest managers can no
longer afford to separate environmental and
long term economic concerns.
ON THE VARIABILITY OF FORESTS
Ecological forestry is composed. of the
following treatmentS: weeding, thinning,
improvement cutting (fSI) and final harvest
or regeneration cutting. When used
sensitively, these practices are compatible
with land ethics and can be implemented to
attain biological diversity, aesthetics, water
recreation, wild.life habitat, and spiritual
benefits.
Most foresters make timber production
the prime objective of their forest
management operations. Often, these
foresters are only concerned with maximizing
immediate economic returns. Unfortunately,
many industry and public foresters confuse
short-term profits with long-term sustainable
economic returns and therefore ignore
environmental valoes.
How much is six inches of topsoil
worth? How much is two weeks of forest
recreation worth? Can aspects of Jove and
enjoyment in a natural landscape even be
tranSlated into dollars?
We have reached the point in our
industrialized society where these so-called
amenity valoes must be thought about by the
people who manage our forests to achieve
these multiple values? Well, there is no one
way to manage all fo~ts. This should be
f"af.t, 1992
obvious, but contemporary production
forestry has taken a different path:
clear-cutting or single-dimension, one-shot
forestry.
The relationship between a patient and a
doctor is a good metaphor to illuminate the
way a forester should approach the
management of a forest ecosystem. We must
study and evaluate the forest's vital signs - its
hydrology, productivity, and climate. We
must think long and hard about the forest's
internal structure and how we want the forest
to appear now and many years into the
future. We must decide what we want the
forest to provide. And, most importantly, we
must carefully consider how to preserve its
longevity and natural health.
Forests are heterogeneous, not
homogeneous. Forests are vibrant and
diverse, not streamlined plantations. Forest
type, climate, elevation, aspect, past history
(natural and human), soil-site, age class, and
ecological interconnections are just some of
the variables that distinguish each forest from
another.
CLEARCUTTING
VERSUS GROUP SELECTION
"Good silviculture emulates nature, but
on a different scale." The ecological truth of
this statement is borne out by long experience
in the woods. By the practice of managing a
forest for multiple objectives. By the careful
cultivation of the environmental and
commodity values of the ecosystem.
My experience is mainly with the
management of central, southern, and
Appalachian mixed hardwood forests and I
will focos on them; however, these same
principles apply everywhere. Western and
southern conifers, and pioneer species like
aspen, poplar, and mid-west northern pines,
have different ecological characteristics. They
each have different ecological requirements
and different responses to disturbance.
Therefore, our silvicultural treatments must
be individually tailored. Simply put,
clearcutting does not emulate nature in the
mixed hardwoods. These forests are naturally
uneven-aged and highly diversified. They
contain a wide range of species, age and size
classes. They grow in a variety of site
conditions.
Group selection, however, imitates
natural mortality and windthrow. Oearcutting
advocates argue that clearcuts replicate
wildfire bum patches. This statement is
questionable in the arid West and almost
irrelevant in the humid East where large,
high-intensity forest fires rarely occur.
More problematic is the fact that the
nature and species composition of completely
clearcut stands cannot be accurately
predicted. On some sites pioneer species may
regenerate. On other sites regeneration may
be dominated by coppice sprouting from the
root systems of the harvested trees. Still other
sites may be entirely covered by maple or
tulip poplar seedlings spread by the wind
from a single source tree.
In the end, however, clearcutting means
conversion. It means that the species
composition of the regenerated stand will be
greatly altered by the end of the next rotation.
It means the stand's native diversity and
internal structure will be simplified and
streamlined.
While clearcutting may seem to be the
cheap way to go, its long-term costs are
excessively high. In order to control
composition and growth, clearcut stands
most be entered several times. Investments
must be made for intensive forestry, fire
protection, and intermediate cuttings.
Moreover, the end product of clearcutting is a
homogeneous forest with few large,
high-quality trees.
In the East, the Forest Service, and
some other land managers, seem to be
moving away from large clearcuts toward
smaller patch cuts where two to five acres are
harvested. Some may call this "group
Drawing by Pegi
(continued on next page)
Xatuah Journat
~ 23
�(continued from page 23)
selection," but in reality patch cutting is just a
variation of clearcutting. Control is by area
and the sites are cut without regard to tree
size, species, or stand condition. This is an
entirely artificial technique with no basis in
ecological concepts. Wide-spread application
of patch cutting will result in very peculiar
forests.
THE PRACTICE OF GROUP SELECTION
Group selection is based on the same
general concepts as single-tree selection.
However, group selection is always
combined with stand improvement cuts and
efforts are consciously made to make small
openings for new regeneration. The key
word for the practice of group selection is
flexibility.
In preparation for group selection
management. an inventory of the stand is
made and trees are classified as growing
stock, financially mature, low quality,
undesirable species, high risk,
unmerchantable culls, and wildlife trees. The
growing stock (rotation potential) trees, from
saplings to immature sawtimber and special
wildlife trees, are left behind to grow. The
others are cut or killed. Foresters base the
size and spacing of the harvest opening on
the condition of the forest. not mechanical,
pre-determined patches of area.
In general, shade tolerance, the ability
to reproduce in the limited sunlight of the
understory, is greater for northern
hardwoods: American beech; birch; maple;
and hemlock. Appalachian and central
hardwood species (oaks, hickory,
yellow-poplar, ash, and cherry) exhibit an
intermediate level of shade tolerance. Often
they require more sunlight for successful
regeneration than the northern species, but
they will regenerate and grow vigorously in
openings that are at least as wide as the height
of the swrounding residual trees. Larger
openings, one and a half to two times the size
of the surrounding trees, produces better
early growth.
It is better to make detenninations of the
opening widths based on the heights of
swrounding trees, rather than arbitrary
acreages, because it provides a more accurate
means of measuring how much light is
received and how large an opening will be
required for adequate regeneration.
The novel structure and ecological
character of eastern mixed hardwoods makes
it easy to create openings in one or two
cutting cycles that favor the regeneration of
native, site-adapted species. After harvest the
whole forest, including the regenerated areas,
is then subject to intermediate treatments,
such as weeding, release, thinning and stand
improvement, for example, scarification of
openings on good sites by tractors can result
in abundant yellow-poplar regeneration if
seed sources are or have been present
THE KASKASKIA EXAMPLE
In my experience as a research forester
on the Kaskaskia Experiment Forest, in
southern Illinois' Shawnee National Forest,
the worst of the forest's thirty-eight
compartment's was a twenty-one acre tract of
"poor farm woodland." It was a central
hardwood forest with a history of two or
three partial cuttings-- mostly what we now
call "high grading" with no stand
improvement
If this stand had been clearcut in 1952 it
would have yielded 3048 board feet of
sawtimber per acre. However, instead of
clearcutting this tract, as many contemporary
production foresters no doubt would
recommend, we chose to apply a series of
ecological group selection and improvement
cuttings.
Drawing by Michael Thompson
In 1952 and 1959, group selection
volume cutting on the tract yielded a total of
1762 board feet per acre and killed
sixty-seven cull trees (five inches in diameter
breast height and larger) per acre.
By I967, the forest- now a diverse
mix of oaks, hickory and yellow-poplar-was a fully stocked stand of good growing
poles and small sawtimber. Fifteen yea.rs
after the first intensive group selection and
stand improvement treatments, this poor farm
woodland tract contained 3167 board feet of
sawtimber and fifty-nine good growing stock
pole trees five to ten inches in diameter per
acre. Obviously, the role of in-growth was
very imponant
I returned to this stand in 1988 to find a
beautiful forest of mixed hardwoods.
Diversity was high and quality was unusually
good because the poor trees had been
eliminated.
The differences between a silvacultural
clearcut and the intensive group selection
from the original stand are easy to calculate.
Clearcutting would have yielded a total of
3048 board feet per acre and would have had
no market for the many five inch to ten inch
diameter poles trees cut
Intensive group selection, on the other
hand, yielded 1762 board feet ofsawtimber
per acre harvested in 1952 and 1959 and left
behind by 1967 a volume of3167 board feet
of sawtimber per acre. The total volume for
the fifteen year group selection was 4929
board feet per acre (1881 board feet more
than the cleaicut would have produced), plus
many healthy saplings, and living and dead
wildlife trees.
After forty years, the differences
between the two alternative treatments in
terms of non-timber environmental values
would be astonishing. The group selection
cut stand will provide a tall canopied, diverse
forest, while the clearcut will be covered by
twenty-five to thirty foot tall saplings and
poles. The group selection stand will be
managed as an uneven-aged forest with
volume and diameter distribution controls,
while the clearcut will be managed as
even-aged stand with area controls.
In the long run, clearcutting mixed
hardwood forest ecosystems seldom can be
justified for amenity, environmental, or
timber values. Let me emphasize again that
different forest ecosystems should not be
treated in exactly the same manner. But
foresters must make a choice. They can
follow ecological laws and care for the
creation or they can disrupt the ecological
trends of the forest ecosystem for quick
profits and ease of operation.
The best regional example of this type
ofcareful forestry is Walton and Dee Smith's
Waldee Forest in Macon County, NC (see
report in Katuah Journal #9).
Leon S. Minc/cler is a consultant in
tnvironmental fortstry from Blaclc.sburg, Virginia.
Dr. Minckler spent 33 years with the Forest Service
at four eastern Forest Expuimtm Stations doing
research in the silvicuiture and ecology of hardwoods.
ExcerptedfromForest Watch magazine.
Nov.-Dec., 1990. Forest Watch is published by
Cascade Holistic Economic Consultants (CHEC):
3758 SE Milwaukie; f'ortland, OR 97202.
I
1
1'"a££, 1992
�DearKatuah,
I was musing the other day on the fact
that billions of people refuse to see that we're
all one big group, and the verse ~mposed
itself which, in tum brought to Ol.l.Od the
inte~ined lines which should represent our
goal of coming together, of a common mind,
to begin to heal Ela, Mother Earth.
I'm an incurable optimist- it will happen,
sooner or later, when enough caring people
wakeup.
Keep on the path,
Jeffery R. Zachary
DRUMMI NG
What the Big Trees Say
Come. Don't be afraid. We were
once small and skittish too. Now we
have lived so long, stretched our arms
so high, loved intensely our own piece
of land, loved it so much that we stay
fiercely, intimately attached to it,
never leaving. Fidelity is an important
value in our community. Stay true to
your lovers, the sky, the sun, the
Earth. We watch over the young
things, bearing our leaves, giving
them time to grow before we sprout
our spring. We don't let young things
grow too fast - we shade them from
the sun after a while. We know that
growth, the best kind of growth
happens slowly.
We grow just the way you do our hearts expand year after year as
our trunks get wider. That's the real
growth, you know. Our roots mix
more with the Earth while our tops
stretch more toward the sun. We span
and measure the distance between the
sun and the Earth, between the
darkness and the light.
The gift we bring you is the gift of
growing beyond youth, the gift of
being in one place so long that your
heart spreads wisdom wide, each_ year
encircling more and more. We bnng
maturity, a sense of deep belonging to
an environment. We bring the
courage to stand strong and alone as
individuals, yet work together with
the other plants, animals, rocks, soils
and trees in our community. We can
teach you how not to become stunted
jn your growth, how to seek out the
light places where the sun lets you
grow. When you cut us down you
remove that wisdom we hold for you:
Maturity, Depth, Growth, a Widening
Heart.
Susan Klimczak
Dear Katuah,
Only just recently have I ~me aware
of your flourishing ex_istence - picked you up
on a table at the Tunle Island Bioregional
Congress V near Hunt, Tens - didn't meet
the folks who brought you there. Then a few
days lacer I met one Billy of the Billys (of
"Billy Home and Gardens, Ashevi~e") - but
just briefly. Issue #34 was a hum~ger sustainable agriculture is a hot topic on my
personal agenda. Articles by Bane, Hollis,
Barnes, et al really cut to the core of the
matter. I'm excited to imagine how much
more material you have coverd with a similar
depth of understanding and presentation.
I want to take you up on your offer of back
issues - find check enclosed. I'd like to bob
with the ripples you're sending across the
pond.
Truly,
Hal Strickland
Johnson City, TX
Drawing by Jeff Zachary
ran:.
1992
Dear Katitalt,
Is prescribed burning really best for our
forests? I question this. What is the real
answer?
Sam Booher
• Is prescribed burning best for our
forests? That is still very much an open
question. A careful reading of Karuah Jour_
nal
#33 will reveal that it appears that the species
composition of today's forest has been
influenced by excessive human-caused ~s.
particularly in the wake of the greatloggmg
boom.
For species such as Table Mountain
pine, that is not such an i?'1pon~t
.
consideration. One of their specific ecological
functions is to recolonize areas burned by
fire. But how about oak trees? There is .
accwnulating evidence that their presence 1s
somehow linked 10, or at least encouraged
by, fire. If fire were removed completely, ii
might inhibit the presence of oaks
considerably. Since the loss of the chestnut,
oaks are a critical mast producer; many
(continued on next pagcl
�}ccrlllnl*I fmm pea• 1S)
wildlife species, including black bears,
depend heavily on acorns for their livelihood.
Until the chestnut returns. we need to
mainmin the oak trccS, and it might require
fire to do it This is just one prominent
example among many.
So, while we all lOYC the feel of deep
humus developed under a long-standiJ?g
grove of old-growth trccS, we cannot issue a
blanket condemnation of fire and its role in
the forest. Naturally derived or not, the forest
may have come to depend somewhat on fire.
We may have to utili2.c fire 1 make a .
0
ttansition to a more narural system. It 1 also
s
possible that we will have to maintain it
indefinitely.
.
What is narural? A provocanve
question. There probably is no final answer.
READING RESOURCES
LOGGING
Books
raw stumps jut up
through layers of autumn,
!
Bwuon, Barry, and Malinda Cruu:htidd, eds.; The
Great Fou st: An AppalachiDII Story (The
Appalachian Consortium Press; Boone; 1985)
whole~han$
in potential falling
throufl' live limbs
sttairung to break,
board-length ttunks
cut clean of appendages
lie in parallel murder
wounds Japing
from chain teeth
Clary, David; Timber and the Forest Service
(Univeisity Press or KllrlsM, Lawrence, 1986)
de Steigucr, J.E.; L.W. Hayden; D.L. Holley, Jr.;
W.G. Luppold; W.G. Manin; D.H. Newman;
and R.M. Shelfield; Southern AppalacNOII
Tunbtr Sru.dy, (US Forest Service,
Soulheasicm Forcs1Expcrimcn1 Station,
General Technical Report SE-56)
Susan Parker Weatherford
-OW
Eller, Ronald. D.; Miners, Mil/hands, and
I THINK OF THOSE
Mountai~ers: /ndu.srriallzation of the
Appalachian Souih, 1880-1930 (University or
Dear Karuah,
Hello and Thanks! Please keep me on
I think of those who have lost the luck
your mailing list. I read both issues from
They will never sec again,
cover to cover. I am in the process of
How the hours dwindle down to so much dust
simplifying my life. I wan_t to.live i!' hru:mony
And the evenings arc stow and labored
with nature and your pubhcanon will bring
Like a dying man's breathing,
me much needed information along with a
How the morning comes tacking promise
sense of connectedness with others of like
With sunshine hidden behind clouds.
mind.
l lhink of those who have tried to break
The life-long spell of neglect;
Thank you,
I think of the conquered,
Blessing and Light
The ones who sought the prize and were lert,
.
MacClarlc
Solitary performers, reciting thei r lines to an audience of air.
..
Tennessee Press; Knoxville: 1982)
Fri12, Edwo,d C.; Clearcutting . A Crime Against
Nature (Eakin Press, Austtn, 1989)
I
Hllrris, Larry 0.: Tht Fragmented Forest: ls/Md
Biogeography and the Preserwmon of Biotic
Diversiry (Universi1y or Chicago Press:
Chicago: 1984)
Jackson. Laura E.; Mo11111au1 Treasures at Risk. The
Fuiure ef the Southern Appalachian National
Forests (The Wilderness Society, Washington,
DC, 1989)
'
Leopold, Aldo; A Sand CounJy Almanac (Od ord
University Press; Cambridge: 1949)
(continued &om peg• 19)
causing political and economic friction . ~ nee
again, as in the Pacific Northwest, the big
companies are victimizing the small
operations which are more dependent on the
national forests and are caught in the squeeze
between greater competition for timber and a
growing concern for sustainable forest
management
As they did bef~ the large~
companies are employmg scare tactJcs by
lhrearening massive job reductions and
making accusations that conservation groups
are advocating socialist control of privllC
lands. Their aim is to use these claims to
detraet from the true issue: that new scientific
evidence is showing that current forest
management of both public and priva1e lands
is not sustainable and lb.at swiu:hing to a
more natural form of management. such as
selection silvicuhure, would create new jobs
for smaller companies while at the same time
protecting our native ccosysaems.
Fonwwely, we in the Southeast have
an advantage against cuporatc effons to
divide our people. For ~ l e , in T ~
an alliance rl 40 hardwood timber comparues
has organized to fight the
chip
mills. Indications are that the
communities are realizing that if we are to
ldcqualely proccct our forests we must
accomplish tw0 things: we must embrace a
new land ethic, and we must support our
neighbors in the timber business who along
with the environment have been the real
p=
~JoumaL
palJB28
victims of bad management policy. We must
push f~r posi~ve incentive~ for our local
industnes until they can adJust to a form of
forest management more compatible with our
environment
I
Minckler, Leon S.: WoodlaNI Ecology:
Envirorrmtlll4I Forestry for the Small
l.aNwwnu. (Syracuse University Press;
Syracuse; 1975)
Perlin, John; A Foru t Jouniq: TM Role ef Wood in
In conclusion, we must listen to the
words of Leopold, who once said, "~n
ethical obligation on the pan of the pnvate
land owner is the only visible remedy for
these situations."
Stated another way, the key to good
forest management, w ~ it be~ ~blic
or private land, will ulbmalCly be individual
involvement The evidence of past abuse and
the conclusions drawn from recent scientific
research combine to support the case for a
revision of policy based on a shift in values.
We must change our priorities from a focus
on short term commodity output to an
emphasis on sustainable commun~ : The
remedies we use to correct these policies
must include choosing the wisest I ~.
treating our land with respect, and abstaining
from oven:onsumpcion. The choioe is a
matter of ethics.
Buzz Williams was formerly employed
as afortst technician/or the US Forut
Service but lost his job wlten lte protested
excessive timber salu. He is now working as
rite Southeastern Program Director efthe
Association of Forest Service Employees f or
Eff'llironmelllDl Ethics (AFSEEE).
,
tht Dtvtlopment ofCivilizalion (Nonon:
1989)
Robinson, Gonion: T/te Forest a1ld tht Trtts: .4
Gllidt to Excellent Forestry (lsland Press;
1988)
Schenck. Cart A.: TIie Birtli ef Forutry ilt "1Mrica ·
TIie Biltmore Forut School 1898-1913 (The
;
Appalachian Consortium Press; Boone; 1974)
Sloane, Eric; .4 Rtvtmice f or Wood (Henry Hoh &
Co., l990edilion)
Te,cll, Hugh and Bedlel Jr. High School Eighth
GradeClals. SoNJ1110:ValleyofthtMoon: •
Sut&btust (historical interviews with former
woatas • the Sunburst Lumber Co., 1978)
Articles
Brothers. Robert; "Respectful Forestty," in In
Con/Ul, Winter, 1984
·ean Foresras Romance a Land Elbie?". theme of
April, 1991 issueoClheJollTMl efForestry.
L...-------------Falt, 1992
�THE CHAIR IN THE TREE
There is a special advantage to working
with green wood in doing joinery, the
assembling of the chair. I use mortise and
tenon joints. The mortise is simply a hole
partway through the vertical post and the
tenon is a tongue on the horizontal rung that
fits into the hole. I put the rungs into a small
1ciln for a couple of days to get them bone dry
befOl'C I make the tenons. To form the
tenons, I have a cutter that works on my
brace. The ten0n cutter is matched to my drill
size to give an extremely close tolerance. It
forms a tenon that is oversiud by about
1/U)() of an inch.
I make the mortises while the post is
still green. Green wood shrinks as it dries, so
after the pieces are joined the mortises dry
around the tenons and lock them into place.
That makes a tighter joint than anything that
can be done with kiln dried lumber.
Assembling the chair can be tense, but
it is satisfying. I use a rawhide mallet ro .
1moclc the pieces into place. It's a fine feeling
to watch all those pans that I made
laboriously one by one come together to
become a whole chair.
I protect the finished chair frame with a
few coats of tung oil. I like the natural colors
of the different woods, so I don't use any
stains. The chairs darlcen slowly and evenly
as they age.
by Tucker Windover
I live now in Madison County and I
have been working wood for nearly two
years. For me, interest and somc~s
inspiration come from the wc:><x! 1~lf - from
walking in the woods, from sphnmg
firewood. or from seeing a fine table or
cabineL Different woods have their own
smells and textures. When you become
curious about wood, and begin
woodworking with a ttcc, you can never be
sure exactly what you are getting into. Any
piece of wood could contain hidden knots, a
twisted grain, or a beautiful curly figure.
There is wide variety, even within the same
species, so you can't know what to ex~.
The cha.irmaking process stanS with
finding wood in the fo_rcsL ~u~ting wood
reminds me of fly-fishing - n gives me an
excuse to be out in the woods. I find myself
wandering around looking for tn:CS, or
sometimes just wandering around. I
remember those moments as I go through the
process of buil~g ~ chair. -ro ~p that
connection in mind 1 very sansfying.
s
Like any logger, I am usually looking
for trees more than 14 inches in diameter. I
search for oak and hick<X')'. Occasionally I
have found ash in this area, but I have never
used iL Black walnut is always a nice
possibility, if you can luck into iL
I don't saw the logs into boards.
Instead, I split the log into four even sections
or qlWterS with wedges and a sledge
hammer.
Every time I open up a log, I feel
anticipation as I drive in one wedge after
another until it spliu apart. Ideally tl';C log.
splits into two perfect halves. Sometimes n
snaps open with a sharp "crack!," and.the
two halves roll apan as ncally as opemng a
book. Sometimes I fight and tear and cuss
and finally have to haul out the axe to get the
stubborn log to spliL So~ are hopes and
disaPt>Ointments. I never know what
experiences lie inside a given ~. and I n~
know bow many chairs a log will make until
all the pans are shaved down to their final
sizes. Finding good chair legs and rungs in a
log is tricky business.
To get my "rough stock" (wood which
is roughly the siz.e of my finished chair
pans), I split the quarters by a process called
"riving," which is carefully CO!'trolled
splitting. Trees such as oak, hickory, and ash
arc called "ring porous woods" aDC;1 are the
easiest to split this way, due to their pattern
of annual growth. Their spring and early .
summer growth consists of large-por:ed. airy
cells. while their late season growth 1s dense.
The ttcc thus becomes a wrapping of
well-defined strong and weak layers.
Splitting along these layers is controllable and
reasonably predictable.
I ming this rough stoelc to the shaving
horse - a low bench with a jaw that grasps the
wood just below the c~ lev_l of someone
c
sining on the horse. The Jaw is opened and
closed with a foot treadle. With the stoelc held
Falt, 1992
steady in the jaw, I carefully shape out the
chair pans with a drawlcnife and a
spokeshave. A spokeshave is a small to0l
that has a mounted blade with a handle on
either side. It is designed especially for
working rounded surfaces. lt was first used
to make wagon wheels - hence its name.
I work the wood while it is still greeg.
Wood is much softer when it is green and
thus men suitable for working with hand
tools. I measure and mule my pieces. but I
also have to rely on my hands and my eyes.
To get a really fine finish on my chairs. I use
a finely tuned spokeshave. Sandpaper
abrades wood. To get a clean finished surf~
on wood most chainnakas use a lcecn-cutbng
hand plane or spokeshave. A good
spokeshave can cut a shaving that is thinner
than tissue paper. It is simple in design. but it
is a remmbblc IDOL
Wood shaved by hand has a texture
which 1alhcd wood lacks. It sometimes
rcuins curves or pccutiarim that are
reminiscent of the ttcc's original growth.
There might be a tiulc knot, a little bit of
twist, or a wormhole.
Different woods feel different in your
hands when you arc working th~ They
give differently under the drawknife. Some
are troublesome and can be a challenge ro
shave down to a clean surface. Red oak can
be very coarse, while hickory shavings tend
to be more even and smooth.
You can 1eam to recognize green woods
by their smell as well as by their feel. Walnut
is a favorite wood of mine. It has a
wonderful smell It's greaa to have a ~e of
walnut shavings in the shop. Red oak lS
sometimes called "piss-oak" because of its
smell. But it never bodlcn me. I like bow
wood smells.
Hickory bark is my favorite ma1eria1 for
making chair seats. The bark must be
harvested in the spring or early summer. At
that time of year, when ~ is rapid growth
and lots of moisture in the tree, the bark is
tender and easy to wark. I choose a sapling
(CClllliaad cm Mlll pap)
�~continued rrom page 27)
make any sense.
I recently saw a videotape of an old
man from Switzerland, a cooper. He was
obviously a master craftsperson. Although he
had great dexterity and technical expenise,
what impressed me the most was how
completely this man was absorbed in his
work. While he was working in his shop, he
was in his place. This clement of
crafunanship - this combination of
composure and concentration - is what work
is about. If that element of lhe craft is
lacking, lhen our labor is incomplete. Fine
craftsmanship requires complete attention.
But to achieve lhis level of attention, a
woodworker needs to understand - to see and
to experience - the whole process of lhe
object he has wrought, from the forest to the
finished piece.
There are times when I feel at home
with my work. Of course, some days it just
feels like hard work. But there are other days
when it is sweet, so sweet, to listen to
and shave off the outer bark, exposing the
inner bark, which is quite pretty. I score lines
one inch apan the length of the tree with a
jackknife, and peel off the inner bark one
strip at a time. I use this inner bark to weave
the chair seat.
Any woodworker learns quickly that in
order to make a living, the hand tool must be
dropped at some point and the electric
powered tool needs to be used. The process
of building a single chair is simply too labor
intensive. For myself, however, I am not
sure how to define the line where handwork
drops off and machine work begins.
Machines make production many times
easier and faster; but what good is there in
having so many cheap mass-produced
objects? The real concern is: to what extent
have machine tools improved crafrsmo.nship?
Here, we need to understand what
craftsmanship really is, which is hard to do
because there are so few craftspeople around
any more. To find someone who can take
clay or glass or wool and turn it into
something that is beautiful and functional as
well, that is a truly wonderful thing.
Machines have not made better craftspeople;
they have eliminated them, which does not
sh,viog, ,,.., off <he
woode/
~
Drawing by Hope Walker
Plwto by Elmu Holl
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Taft, 199rz
�Reading the Grove
by Charlotte Homsher
These are some of my observations on
how to study trees in a grove with an eye to
recognizing che invisible forces at work. In
order co find a grove, the first thing you have
to do is gee off the main trail. Hiking trails are
almost always arbitrary cues that slice across
the forest. Exceptions to this are the Indian
trails which were the original animal runs or
bison trails. Trees do eventually
accommodate the presence of the artificial
trails, but this is a process that can take
several generations of human lifetimes.
To get to a grove, I recommend
walking barefoot to minimii.e the impact on
the forest floor and also to stimulate one's
sensual awareness by immediate, direct
contact with the earth. Finding a magic grove
is something like searching for morel
mushrooms. It requires quiet observation,
stealth, and perseverance. The object is to
find a grove where the trees have no
particular relationship with humans but are
primarily connected in a group with each
other. A grove is defined by specific physical
boundaries which may be water, rock
formations, or an abrupt change in
vegetati9n. The shape of a grove is usually
circular.
I can most easily recognize a grove if I
am looking for a nature spirit home or
settlement. To some there may be a question
of whether the nature spirits created a grove
in a particular way to accommodate
themselves or whether a certain panem of tree
growth attracted the nature spirits. I think it is
co-creation of both the trees and the spirits or
of the visible and the invisible. I do recognize
a grove as having specific character which
changes even a few feet away. A grove
supports more variety of life than the trees
immediately outside the grove.
lfl want to understand the relationships
of trees to each other in a grove, I need to
stay very quiet and observe as a detached
outsider. The tree itself is an interface of
superimposed spatial realities. There is
energy at every level of the tree, from the
deepest taproot all the way up the trunk into
the canopy and above the crown. These
energies can be felt, or seen as color and/or
shape. Those who can see nature spirits
describe this creative energy as a variety of
spirits which live on one tree. (I am thirucing
particularly of Geoffrey Hodson who
watched nature spirits change shape and size
as they fluidly dissolved in and out of the
solid mass of the tree.)
Auras of trees blend with each other.
Mature trees have expansive auras which
bathe nearby younger trees in their light. l
believe this is a generational nourishing and
teaching process in which the older trees
influence the younger trees.
Like people, trees can take on a
predominate level of energy which can be
defined as chakra level or specific role
playing. Native Americans referred to trees as
the Standing Men because, like us, trees
ThC£, 1992
stand upright between heaven and earth. A
grove is a family group of separate beings
that at the same time creates the one Standing
Man represented by all the trees playing
different pans to make the whole.
What I call the grounded tree is
analogous to the grandmother or grandfather
and may be the oldest, largest tree. Much like
the function of the feet of humiµ1s, this tree is
particularly adept at bringing earth energy up
through the roots and trunk and making this
earth nourishment available to the plant life in
the immediate vicinity. It helps in the
nourishing process as does the binhing tree,
the mother tree. The seeds from the mother
tree are particularly potent. There may be
more nature spirit activity around these trees,
especially of the kind of nature spirit
interested in seed saving and propagation.
The mother tree supports an abundance of life
of every kind. Birds and forest animals are
attracted to the mother tree. Moss and growth
of all kinds will be abundant on the trunk.
The boughs of the tree may extend to
neighboring trees in a nesting kind of way.
Unusually lush patches of wildflowers or
many sapling trees will grow close to the
mother tree.
The beauty tree is particularly graceful
in form and is a joy and inspiration to all the
other trees. The speaker rree is the
communicator and the mediator. It
understands the language of many life forms
and relays information. Of all the trees in the
grove the speaker tree is the one most likely
to speak to humans. If one spends a long
enough time under a speaker tree, the tree
will begin to influence one's thoughts. It has
listened to the stories of woodland animals
and migrating birds. It knows about the
health of its species and about trees in other
parts of the world.
The spire tree is the tree in the grove
most resp~>nsible for bringu'!g in the cosmic
energies. It is usually the talfest tree. It has
the most far-reaching view. It helps open up
the species or the grove itself into
inter-dimensional reality.
The reaching bough trees are the good
neighbors, the loving trees. They intertwine
their limbs with nearby trees and twist their
trunks toward their neighbors. They extend
the wannth and comfon of their being to the
other trees.
Not every grove will contain all these
types of trees. This is only an indication of
the outward form of what I think is an
awareness of trees for each other. Young
trees do not have enough character to have
assumed importance in the relationships of
the grove. But if a mature tree is destroyed,
then a younger tree, even an understory tree,
can be groomed by the nature spirits to
replace the old tree. If this happens, the
characteristic traits of the mature tree will
begin to manifest in the smaller, chosen tree,
which may be of a different species. I·know
of one grove in which several prominent
"trees" are actually old-growth
,,#
rhododendron.
p
Drawing by Pegi
�The North Carolina
American Chestnut
Foundation
If the American Chestnut tree is to once
again compliment the mountains of the
Katuah bioregion, your help will be needed.
This is not a hybrid tree. Planted here on a
half-acre of land are some forty-seven true
American chestnut seedlings. But they
cannot grow on such a limited piece of land.
They need many acres on which to spread
their magnificence; where both human and
animal can enjoy their fruits.
This is a hypovirulent strain, and
therefore blight-resistant. Such trees usually
survive attack by the fungus Endotlua
parasirica. These seedlings have come from
old trees that have resisted the virus. By
constant checking and proper nunuring, we
may re-establish this tree in our moutains.
Will you help? These seedlings must be
transplanted into their permanent home no
later than February or March of 1993. They
are three year old seedlings. and doing just
fine now, but they will need land to mature
on. Money (for more trees and help in
bringing them to maturity) is needed and so is
a great deal of acreage. The more land
available, the more of these special trees can
be grown, and the more the land and wildlife
will gain.
Are there old farms no longer being
fanned for whatever reason? ls their acreage
unused? Are there landowners who have no
children to leave their land to, who would
rather see it go to something beneficial to the
Earth and the many animals for whom the
chestnut was a staple food? Would you be
interested in supporting the chestnut rather
than have your land go to the State where,
too often, wealth or political power, permit
clear-cutting and destruction instead of
caring?
This work is not for profit. Do you
remember as a child the beauty of the tree,
and the unmatchable flavor of chestnuts
cooked in an iron skillet over an open fire?
That beauty and the joy of chestnuts can be
shared with today's young people, and
tomorrow's. We must have a deep and
abiding faith that God will touch the hearts of
those who can help this effort to allow these
trees their full potential. If you want to help
and be a part of this worthwhile goal,
generations to come will be forever grateful.
Dorothy Diclcson
The North Carolina Amtrican Chestnut Foundation
l l ] Awumn lane
llarri.sonburg, NC 28075
(The North Carolina Amtrican ChestnUJ Foundation
is not offiliattd in any woy wirh the American
Chestnut FoundallOn.)
RARE SPEOES NEED HELP!
The Biodiversity Legal Foundation
(BLF) is calling on grassroots environmenral
activists with a strong biological interest and
legal orientation to develop comprehensive
reviews of the biological status and
distribution of inadequately protected rare and
endangered species in the East. Information
cpllected in these status reviews will be used
to develop and implement effective
administrative, legal, and public education
programs on behalf of the species or
subspecies.
These are all species that the
Biodiversity Legal Foundation considers to
be biologically threatened or endangered. but
that have not been added to the official list of
federally protected species under the
Endangered Species Act
Species of special concern requiring
priority status reviews in the Appalachian
states include:
Brachymenium andersonii
Cy/indrocolea andersoni
Psoralea macroplcylla (scurf-pea)
Solidago plumosa
lesquerella perf
orata
(Spring Creek bladder pod)
Lesquerella sronensis
(Stones River bladder pod)
The Biodiversity Legal Foundation
conducts biological research to identify
species that are in need of protection under
the Endangered Species Act and provide the
necessary documentation to press petitions
before the US Fish and Wildlife Service for
endangered species status. BLF staff will
cooperate in the development of conservation
and recovery plans for petitioned and listed
specie:s or will develop legal actions to
compel federal and state agencies to comply
with the laws intended to protect natural
diversity, as is appropriate.
Contact:
The Biodivusiry ugal Foundation
Boz 18327
Boulder, CO 80308
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The Dirt1ctnry of lntt-ntional ConfJ,wnlllt!. is lhe prod·
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uct of two years of intensive research. and is lhe most
comprehensive and accurate di.rectory available. It documcnis lhe vision and lhc daily ltfc of more lhan 350
communities in North America, aud more lhan 50 on
olher continents. Each community's listing includes
name, address. phone. and a dcsc,ip•Jon of lhc group.
Extensive cross-rcfcrcnr,ni; and mil'-• ing makes lhe infonnation easy to access for., wide vancty of users. Includes maps, over 250 atldit.ional kesourcc listings, and
40 rclared articles.
Programs to encourage
self ond Earth oworeness.
celeblolion. kinship ond hope.
Covi~ffiN'i·1·11·~~
Perfcctbouud
• Youth Camps • School Programs
• Famlly Camps· Te&cher Tra,n,ng
• Community Program•
• Camp Slaff Training
• Outdoot Program Consulting
Octobu I990
ISBN Number:
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Featuring Crossroads music, NPR news and music
programs, regional news and information
concerning health, education, government,
recreation, and the environment.
WNO/II· FM P.O. Box 804 Spindolc, NC 28160
(704) 287-8000
,=-on, l 992
�TRANSFORM
Transportation in NC
The Four Directions:
Native Literary Magazine
The Snowbird Publishing Company of
TelJico Plains, TN is owned by Native
American Indians and publishes works by
native people.
Now !he company is offering The Four
Directions American Indian literary
Quarterly. The magazine will make available
the poetry, short stories, anicles, historic
narratives, and artwork of the native peoples.
Tt will also fearure commentary on issues
facing the native tribes today: education,
health, women's issues, thefts of native
artifacts ("professional" as well as "amateur),
and environmental issues. The first two
issues of The Four Directions Literary
Quarterly are now on sale.
Snowbird Publishing Company is
owned by Joanna and William Meyer of
Tellico Plains. Joanna is Cherokee/Navajo;
William is Cherokee/Creek. Between them,
the two have much experience in writing,
editing, and publishing, as well as working
in native communities on issues of concern to
the native people.
William has been assistant editor and
reporter for the American Indian Historical
Society and its newspaper Wassaja. He was
also editor of publications for fndigena, Inc.,
an international organi7.ation of native peoples
based in Berkeley, CA. With Burke
Armstrong, he co-founded American Indian
News Team, the first national Indian news
agency.
TM Four Directions A=rican Indian literary
Quarterly is available for $21.00 for four issues from
Snowbird Publishing company; Box 729; Tellico
plains, TN 37385. CaU (615) 546-7001.
POWER TO THE PESSIMISTS!
"What's happ'nin'?"
Here's how to find out - what's cool
and what's not, what's drab and what's hot.
lt's Power 10 the Pessimists, a rare glimpse
into the mind of (some ot) today's young
people, freely offered by the students
themselves.
The mystery publisher of P llJ the P is
identified only as Monrovia, thought to be a
student at the Mountain Heritage High School
in Burnsville, NC. The stapled newsletter is
all '90's - xerographies, paper gra.fitti,
poems, personal (very!) statements, random
decorative art pieces (doodles), and lots of
tenth grade wit and wisdom This paper even
has "sensitive boy poets!" - and you thought
they were dead!
Young people will want to check out
Power to the Pessimists as valuable
communication. Older people will relish,the
perspective it offers on the world as the
coming generation sees it. (So, obviously,
it's a publication for everyone.)
Entertaining and insightful, P co the P
is.. .is.. Js... fresh! And definitely worth
picking up on.
Contacl Power 10 IM Pessimists al:
1890 Hannah Branch Rd.
Burnsville, NC 28714
(IL's only $5.00 for one year - bu1 !hey deserve
better lhan lhaL)
Spurred by a recent series of articles
published in the North Carolina Independent,
a group of North Carolina citizens gathered
on the lawn of the state capitol in Raleigh
September 10 10 announce the formation of
the NC Alliance for Transportation Reform.
The group consists of individuals from
many different backgrounds. Some members
are veteran road-fighters who want to protect
their yards or neighborhoods from intrusive
projects. Some are people who see our
automotive lifestyle as one that the natural
world cannot afford. Others believe they
should not be paying the high tax rates that
come with unneeded highway projects.
The statewide group proposes that the
the current system of political favoritism be
replaced with <?ne that gives o~ary ci~ens,
environmental1sts, planners, pubhc transit
advocates, and the scientific community more
authority. Transponation Reform would
abolish the Highway Trust Fund
(transponation funding would be subject to
the same rules and budget procedures as all
other state projects), and it would require the
DOT to use environmental standards that
meet or exceed federal regulations.
The group will target gubernatorial and
legislative candidates during the 1992 election
and it will ask the two candidates for state
auditor to commit to an in-depth performance
audit of the DOT. For more information,
write: N.C. Alliance for Transportation
Reform; Box 1002; Chapel Hill, N.C.
27514, or call western North Carolina contact
Rusty Sivils at (704) 258-8737.
Drawing by Hope Walker
1492-1992:
NEW VISIONS
NEW ALLIANCFS
Wbile many ,cc the issues ofColwnbus'
invasioa u SOO )UIS in lhc past. llw:rc
by ~ob Messick
Get a set of 10 assorted
folding cards with
artwork as seen in
I<atuah Journal.
Send $11.25 ppd to:
Rob Messick
Rt.8, Box323
Lenoir, NC 28645
Tact, 1992
arc about 1.4 million original North
~ among us loday. They Olce •
wide range or life and death issues lo
which newer Americans ue o'14I blind.
1491,1991.- NEW VJSJONS, NEW ALLJ.
AJ.K:ES provides insights Ullo lhe Europe
from ~b Columbus Jmmcbed bis Y(Tj·
ages, a mon: realistic portrayal of North
American histoiy followmg lhe European
mvasioa. and ccamplcs of lhc battles Native AmcritaDS musl still f'3hl lod3y. 30
pp. S4 each. Sl.SO for IS or more.
ENERGY rooLS ·l·lfMJ~G, WAWDS· MtD ICIN€ BAGS
C.RYSTALS•TI\Ll<INC:i STICl(S • DRU~.S •
MEDI C.INE STAFFS•SiONES ANO MO~
ASHEVILLE. NC
704-158- tt'l~I
Return to:
Mobilization for SUrvival
328 Flatbush Ave., Suite 155
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Drawing by Michael Thompson
'.K.atuah Jou.mat page 31
�events
'l
WAYNESVILLE, NC
Meditation Retreat gives you the
chance IO spend the weekend with your reflective
self. Leon Frankel, resident managet of Stil-Light
Theosophical Retrea1 Center, will offer instruction
in basic breath-awareness meditation toclmiques.
Pre-register: $40 plus meals and lodging. For
more info on this and other programs, contaet
Stil-Lighl, Route I, Box 326, Waynesville, NC
28786. (704) 452-4569.
ASHEVILLE, NC
Reading the Inner Tree is a short
course on tuning into tree energy. Learn to
recognize special trees and magic groves with
facilitator Oiarlotte Homsher. Pre-register. S35
for beginners' two-session class on Ociober 3 and
IO. Advanced class will be Octobu 24, and cost
$25. For more info, call (704) 253-5917.
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
Southeast Light Linlc '92 is a regional
network gathering for those involved in planetary
uansformation. The agenda includes large and
small cucles to share ideas, resources, visions ...
no workshops! Pre-register.$115 includes meals
and lodging. For info, contact Anne Gillis, 4311
Harvest Hill Road, Memphis, TN 38141. (901)
761-3435 or (901) 362-8431.
27-29
CHEROKEE, NC
Cherokee Fall Festival at the
Ceremonial Grounds. Traditional dancing and
costumes, dance competitions. For info, call (800)
438-1601.
6-10
30-11/1
WESSER, NC
10th Guest Appreciation Festival and
Used Equipment Sale will include music,
mini-courses and general family fun. For info on
this and other events, CODll!Cl the Nantahala
OuldoorCcntcr, 41 Hwy 19 West., Bryson City,
NC 28713. (704) 488-2175.
NORRIS, TN
Tennessee Fall Homecoming is a
celebration of traditional mountain culture at the
}fuscum of Appalachia. Music, crafts and
demonstrations of rural life skills, in addition IO
the Museum's regular exhibits. For info, call the
Museum at (615) 494-7680.
7-11
SEPTEMBER
18-30 WASHBURN, TN
Intensive Pennaculture for the
Southeast is an intensive course offering
practical training in the design of
agricultural ecosystems with the diversity
and long-term sustainability of the natural
world.Course will be held at Narrow
Ridge Farm and will focus on strategies
and techniques for the Katuah bioregion.
Contact: Chuck Marsh; Box 1488;
Highlands, NC 28741 (704) 526-3535.
ASHEVJLLE, NC
"Kituwah" - the second annual
iniertribal Native American culrural celebration.
Drumming and dance competition, traditional crafts
sale, juried fine ans show and an educational
program for kids will all happen at the Asheville
Civic Center. Admission: $5-10. For mo.re info, call
(704) 252-3881.
SWANNANOA,NC
Drum andRanle Making Wodcshop
with Hawk Hurst. For more info about this and
other programs, contaet the Earth Center. See
10/10.
23-25
3
ASHEVILLE, NC
WNC Alliance Annual Membership Meeting is
open IO the public as the Alliance marts its lCllth
anniversary. Agenda includes workshops and
legislative update. Pre-register. SIS includes
lunch. For info, contact the AlJjance, 70 Woodfin
Place, Asheville, NC 28801. (704) 258-8737.
3
1 7-JS
NOVEMBER
6-8
10
SWANNANOA, NC
Dance for the Ancestors will
follow the monthly Full Moon Lodge at
the Earth Center. All-night dancing,
singing and drumming to honor the Native
People, five hundred years after
Columbus. Families are encouraged to
come. For more info, contact the Eanh
Center, 302 Old Fellowship Road,
Swannanoa, NC 28778. (704) 298-3935.
~
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
Appalachian Crafl Jubilee will
provide an oppornmity IO learn traditional
mountain craft techniques in basketry, pottery,
weaving and other crafts. Pre-register: $100
includes meals and lodging. For info on this and
other programs, contac1 Great Smoky Mountains
Institute at Tremont, Rt I, Box 700, Townsend,
TN 37882. (615) 448-67()()
7
SWANNANOA, NC
Full Moon Lodge begins at noon each
month, followed by a shared meal. cau the Earth
Center for more info. See 10/10.
24-27
CULLOWHEE, NC
Mountain Heritage Day is a
celebcation of the music, dance, crafts and folklifc of
Katuah. Shape-note singers, gunsmiths, storytellers.
quilters and others will be on hand, in addition to the
Mountain Heritage Center's exhibits. For more info,
contact the Center at Western Carolina University,
Cullowhee, NC 28723. (704) 227-7234.
26
11
FULL MOON/
HUNTERS MOON
10
FULL MOON/
BEAVER MOON
DECEMBER
HELEN, GA
Falling Leaves Rendezvous will
offer serious instruction in the ans and
lifeways of indigenous people. Skills
include making fire by friction, stallcing
and tracking, tool making, plant
identification. lnstuctors will be Darry
Wood, Snowbear, and others. For info,
contact Bob Slack, Jr., Unicoi Stare Part,
Helen, GA 30545. (404) 878-2201.
15-18
2-6
HOT SPRINGS, NC
From Confusion IO Enlightenment is
the title of a meditative retreat led by Thubten
Chodron. an American Tibetan Buddhist nun.
Pre-register: S 150 includes vegan meals and
lodging. For info on this and other programs,
contact Southern Dharma Rcireat Center, RL I,
Box 34H, Rot Springs, NC 28743.
(704) 622-7112.
S-6
OCTOBER
JONESBORO, TN
20th Annual National Storytelling
Festival will feawre the best yam-spinners and
tall-tale-tellers from all ovet. For info, call the
National Association for the Preservation and
PerpctuAtion of Storytelling at (615) 753-2171.
2-4
Drawing by Rob Messick
16-18
NEW MARKET, TN
STP School is a periodic weekend
gathering designed to "benefit members of
grassroots groups currenlly working on concrete
environmental issues." This session will focus on
environmental litigation. Pre-register: cost is low
and negotiable. For info about this and other
programs, coniac1 the Highlander Center, 1959
Highlander Way, New Market TN 37820.
(615) 933-3443.
GREAT SMOKIES PARK
Winter Highcountry Camping in a
backcountry shelter. For info on this and other
field COl11'SCS, contact Smoky Mountam Field
School, 600 Henley Street., Suite 105, University
of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37902.
(800) 284-8885 or (615) 974-0150.
9
FULL MOON
ralC., 1992
�GOOD EAR1H .ORGANJ~ - in Asheville has a
nctWOrk-~eting p~-wh)ch can provide a
substantial part-time income. (Full time in 18-24
months). This is needed in any area, no training
required. We provide !raining and all assistance
needed to get you started in yoor own business.
Contact Good Earth at (704) 252-7169.
RAW. CHEMICAL-FREE HONEY • with comb or
withoUL Tulip poplar and Sourwood honey from
the foresis of Patrick County, VA. No chemical.
no white sugar, no heal - ever. Strained through
cheesecloth and packed in glass. Limited quantities.
Call or write for prices and availability. Wade
Buckholts - Bull Mountain Beelreepers; Rt 2, Box
1516: Stuart. VA 24171. (703) 694-4571.
WISE WOMAN TRADmON • herbal healing
workshops with Wh.itewolf. • Sept 12-13:
Campout and weed walks, Waynesville, NC.
• Sept 29 • Oct 4: Apprentice Week near Atlanta,
GA. • Nov. 6-8: Fall Rootwork Weekend in NC
mountains. Root digging, medicine-making, inner
journeying. Sliding scale, work-exchange. Wolf,
P.O. Box 576; Asheville, NC 28802.
TI-IE ALTERNATIVE READING ROOM. is an
unconventional library; free and open 10 the public.
Our collection interests include the environment,
social and political issues, the media and peace. We
have over 200 magazine subscriptions. The book
and video collections also emphasize the
environment and political concerns. Books and
VCR's can be checked out A video player is
available for watch.ing films in the reading room.
Located at 2 Wall St. #114; Asheville, NC 28801
(704) 252-2501. Mon/Wed/Fri 6-8 pm - Tues/Sol
I0-6pm - Sat/Sun l-6pm
BEGINN1NG CHEROKEE LANGUAGE BOOKNATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONIALS • include
handcrafted Native American ceremonial supplies.
Drums, Custom Pipes, Medlcine Bags, SweetgraSs,
Sage, Feathers, Rawhide Raules, Tobaccos, Pipe
Bags, Native Autes, and more! For lice catalog
send to: P.O. Box 1062-K; Cherokee, NC 28719.
TREE PLANTERS NEEDED - Men, Women,
families. Hare! work (much done for paper & timber
co's.) for great pay. December through March in the
Southeast Mobile camper rt.quired (pick-up with
camper, trailer, van, bus, etc.) Send resume to:
Eclcerman Forestry Service; RLI, Box 290-D:
Wam:nsville, NC 28693. (919) 385-6838.
BACK TO THE SOURCE - is an advenwre in the
spectacular beauty of our remaining wilderness and
is the highest quality baclcpaclcing guide service
available. We specialize in small group, minimal
impact journeys into the most remote wildlands in
America. For a brochure write: Back to the Source,
Lee Mercer; 361 I White Ave; Baltimore, MD
21206. (410) 426-6016.
- - life's n=essitiesfor less - -
FRENCH BROAD Fooo
supplemented with two cassettes. Stresses alphabet
& proper pronunciation. The first textbook written
for use in ieaching and learning the Cherolcee
language. (346 pages) $39.95 plus $5.00 shipping.
Calalog also available with tapes., books, pipes,
dance sticks, drums, feathers, furs, buffalo products,
and more. Craft supplies also available. (please
specify). Send $200 to the Muskrat Trader, P.O.
Box 20033; Roanoke, VA 24018.
HAWKWIND EAR1H RENEWAL COOPERATIVE
• is a 77 acre wilderness retreat located on Loolcout
Mountain Parkway in northern Alabama Easy
~ . safe family camping, year round weekend
programs featuring Native American elders and
Eanh teachers from around the world. Strong
spiritual foundation with Earth Renewal emphasis,
membership discount co-op. There is no charge for
Native American ceremonies; reservations required
for all visits, please. Childcare often available.
Write: P.O. Box 11; Valley Head. AL 35989 (205)
635-6304. For quarterly newsleuer and program
updates send $10.00.
• There is a charge of $2.50 (pre-paid) per
entry of 50 words or less in Webworking.
Submit entries for Issue #37 by November
15, 1992 to: Rob Messick; Rt. 8, Box 323·
Lenoir, NC 28645. (704) 754-6097.
•
Co,op
Kalmia Center, Inc.
90 8u.TMOR£ A ~
00WIJTOVIN AsHEv!ui
Sylva, NC
(704) 293-3015
('104)
yr,,,r ammumity
Custom tilling, organic fertilizers, kelp meal,
colloidal phosphate & many more products
and services for abundant gardening and
healthful living.
255-7650
.....,.,,.,,.,_,,...
groary stare
..... ~F--,•t .... •lpm. ......,.laa D f llffi.
rl :Thu
W
WHOLE FOODS
VITAMINS
ORGANIC PRODUCE
160 Broadway
Asheville, North Carolina
Open 7 Days a Week
Monday - Friday 9 am - 8 pm
Saturday 9 am - 6:30 pm
Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm
fnll, 1992
NATIVE FLUTES
Two styles made of cedar or walnut
woods in the traditional manner
Hawk Littlejohn
Sourwood Farm
Rt. 1, Box 172-L
Prospect Hill, NC 27314
(919) 562-3073
Sa"'!)' Mush
Herb Nursto/
WREATHS•POTPOURRI
• HERBS • TOPIARY
Complete Herb Catalog - $4
Describes more than 800 plants from
Aloe to Yarraw
Rt 2, Surrett Cove Road
Leicester, North Carolina 2874S
Phone for appointment to visit
(704) 683-2014
�D ear Members of Katuah Journal,
After nearly 10 years of service to the Karuah
Bioregional Province, the Katuah Journal
newspaper will be ceasing publication in the
summer of 1993. We have not been able to find
enough people able to take long term
responsibility for a project of this scale on a
volunteer basis. While we are stopping the
journal, we will keep the non-profit organization
"Karuah" alive in order to have the.option of
carrying out future bioregional projects.
The Board of Directors for the Karuah
organization will consist of: David Wheeler, Rob
Messick, and Lee Barnes. We will meet at least
once a year to keep track of organization business
and to discuss future options. Any member who
has project ideas or is interested in
participating in this process should write us at:
Karuah Futures; Rt. 8, Box 323; Lenoir, NC 28645
or call (704) 754-6097.
The winter issue of Katuah Journal #37 will
be on "Bio-visions" or graphic art representations
of what the bioregion is and what it could be. In
the spring we will publish an issue devoted to
alternative transportation in the Karuah
bioregion. The final summer issue will contain an
index to the Katuah Journal, a listing of other
bioregionally-oriented organizations in the
province, and tie up loose ends.
Thank you for your generous support of
Katuah Journal over the years. Without your help
the paper would not have been as vibrant or as
vital as it has been . We d ecided to end the
tradition of publishing the journal with some
measure of strength, rather than watch it slowly
fizzle out. If you have comments or suggestions
for the future, we w ould like to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Katuah Journal Staff
/1 I would like to order issues: #37 (Winter 1992-93) "Bio-visions"
#38 (Spring 1993) Alternative Transportation
#39 (Summer 1993) Index & Resources
Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
For a total value of $7.50
Katuah Journal Rt. 8 Box 323 Lenoir, NC Katuah Province 28645
Issue #39 of the Ka Mah Journal will contain a
resource guide to groups and organizations devoted to
protecting and restoring the natural world in the
bioregion and working to sustain the web of life and our
human economic and social systems in Katuah.
We have postulated the following categories of activity:
Regional Economy
Health and Healing
Appropriate Technology
Appropriate TranspoTtation
Councils &: Decision Making
Peace Issues &: Conflict Resolution
Xatuaf, Jour naC page 34
Shelter
Education
Agriculture
Spiritual Life
Natural Ecology
Drawing by Rob Messick
Town _ _ _ _ _ State_ _ Zip _ _ __
The success of this project will depend on your
participation. Please send us information about your
group and other groups that are working in your area.
Offer other categories, if you like. Use additional sheets
of paper if necessary.
Give name, address, phone number, a one
paragraph description of their work, and possibly a brief
quote expressing their purpose. Enclose a copy of the
organizational logo, if possible, and any photographs or
drawings of group activities or the products of their
work. Please also enclose your name, address, and phone
in case there is a need for follow-up contacts.
Submissions must be received by April 31, 1993.
Mail to Katuah Journal; Rt. 8, Box 323; Lenoir, NC 28645.
rau.,
1992
�··:KAT UAH
KON FU S\ON :..
b-:,
Rob MessicK
BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE
ISSUE THREE-SPRING 1984
Sustainable Agriculture. Sunflowers· Human
Impact on the Forest - Childrens' Education·
Veronica Nicholas: Woman in Politics· Little
People • Medicine Allies
ISSUE FOUR· SUMMER 1984
Water Drum· Walef Quality. Kudzu · Solar Eclipse
• Clearculling • Trout • Going IO Water • Ram
Pumps· MicrohydJO. Poems: Bennie Lee Sinclair,
Jim Wayne Miller
ISSUE FIVE· FALL 1984
Harvest - Old Ways in Cherokee. Ginseng· Nuclear
Waste - Our Celtic Heritage - Bioregionalism: Past,
Present. and Future - John Wilnoty - Healing
Dnnmess - Politics of Participation
ISSUE SlX • WINTER 1984-8S
Winter Solstice Eanh Ceremony - Horsepasture
River - Coming of the Light - Log Cabin
Mountain Agriculture: The Right Crop - William
Taylor - The Future of the Forest
ISSUE SEVEN - SPRING 198S
Sustainable Economics. Hot Springs· Worker
Ownership-The Great Economy - Self Help Credit
Union - Wild Turkey • Responsible Investing Working in the Web of Life
lSSUE EIGI-IT • SUMMER 198S
Celebration: A Way of Life- Katuah 18,000 Years
Ago· Sacred Sites - Follc Arts in the Schools - Sun
Cycle/Moon Cycle - Poems: Hilda Downer Cherokee Heritage Center. Who Owns Appalachia?
ISSUE NINE - FALL 198S
The Waldee Forest - The Trees Speak • Migrating
Forests - Horse Logging - Slllrting a Tree Crop •
Urban Trees • Acom Bread - Myth Time
ISSUE TEN- WINTER 198S-86
Kate Rogers. Circles of Stone . lntcmal
Mythmaking - Holistic Healing on Trial - Poems:
Steve Knauth - Mythic Places - The Uklena's Talc •
Crystal Magic - "Dreamspealcing•
ISSUE THIRTEEN - FALL 1986
Center For Awakening • Elizabeth Callari • A
Gentle Death • Hospice. Ernest Morgan • Dcnling
Creatively with Death· Home Burial Box - The
Wake· The Raven Mocker - Woodslore & Wildwoods Wisdom • Good Medicine: The Sweat Lodge
ISSUE FOURTEEN· WINTER 1986-87
Lloyd Dr! Owlc • Boogers and Mummers· All
Species Day - Cabin Fever University· Homeless
m Kmiiah • Homemade H01 Wa!Cf • Stovcmakcr's
N:ur.:ilivc • Good Medicine: lntcrspCCics
Communication
We have limited 11umbers of
particular back issues. Order back
issues soo11 lo insure availability.
There are no more entire sets of
KatuahJournal available. The near
complete set of back issues will be
diminishi11g as limited copies sell
out.
rtiCL, 1992
ISSUE FlFTEE.N • SPRING 1
987
Coverlets· Woman Forester - Susie McMahan:
Midwife • Alternative Contraception • Biosexuality •
Bioregionalism and Women • Good Medicine:
Malriarchal Culture • Pearl
ISSUE SIXTEEN • SUMMER 1987
Helen Waite • Poem: Visions in a Garden • Vision
Quest • Fll'St Flow - Initiation • Learning in the
Wilderness - Cherokee Challenge • "Valuing Trees"
ISSUE EIGHTEEN· WINTER 1987-88
Vernacular Architcclure. Dreams in Wood and Stone
• Mountain Home · Earth Energies • Earth-Sheltered
Living • Membrane Houses • Brush Shelter Poems: Octo~r Du.sic· Good Medicine: "Shelter"
ISSUE NINETEEN· SPRING 1988
Perelandra Garden • Spring Tonics • Blueberries •
WildO.ower Gardens • Granny Herbalist • Flower
Essences - "The Origin of the Animals:• Story.
Good Medicine: "Power• • Be AT~
ISSUE TWENTY· SUMMER 1988
Preserve Appalachian Wildcmess - Highlands of
Roan • Celo Communily - Land Trust - Arthur
Morgan School • Zoning lssue. "The Ridge" •
Farmers and the Farm Bill • Good Medicine: "Land"
• Acid Rain • Dulce's Power Play • Cherokee
Microhydro Project
ISSUE TWENTY-TWO· WINTER 1988--89
Global Wanning • Ftre This Time. Thomas Berry
on "Bioregions" • Earth Exercise . Kore Loy
McWhirter • An Abundance of Emptiness· LETS •
Chronicles of Floyd • Darry Wood - The Bear Clan
ISSUE 1WENTY-THREE • SPRING 1989
Pisgah Village - Planet Art· Green City. Poplar
Appeal • "Clear Sky" · •A New Earth" • Black Swan
• Wild lovely Days • Reviews: Sacred !And Sacred
Su, Ice Age - Poem: "S udden Tendrils"
ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR - SUMMER 1989
Deep Listening - Life in Alomic City • Direct
Action! • Tree of Peace • Community Building •
Peacemakers· Ellm1c Survival • Pairing Pro.,ec1.
"Baulesong• • Growing Peace in Cultures • Review:
The Chalice and the Blade
ISSUE 1WENTY-SIX • WINTER, 1989-90
The B:oroic Era· Kids Saving Rainforest • Kids
Treecycling Company· Conmc1 Resolution Developing Creati vc Spirit • Birth Power • Magic of
Puppetry • Home Schooling • Naming Ceremony Mother Earth's Classroom • Gardening for Children
ISSUE TWENTY-SEVEN· SPRING. 1990
Transformation • Healing Power • Peace LO Their
Ashes • Healing in Katuah • Poem: "When Left LO
Grow• • Poems: Stephen Wing • The Belly • Food
from the Ancient Foresl
ISSUE TWENTY-NINE· FAU/WINTER 1990
From the Mountains to the Sea · Profile of The
LlUle Tennessee River • Headwaters Ecology • "It
All Comes Down to Water Quality" • Water Power.
Action for Aquatic HabitaLS - Dawn Watchers • Good
Medicine: The Long Human Being • The North
Shore Road· Kaulah Sells Out. Watershed Map of
the Kaliiah Province
ISSUE THIRTY· SPRING 1991
Economy/Ecology • Ways to a Regenerative
Economy· "Money is the Lowest Form of Wealth"
• Clarksville Miracle • The Village • Food Movers Lifework - Good Medicine: "Village Economy" •
Shelton Laurel· LETS
ISSUE THIRTY-ONE· SUMMER 1991
Dowsing • Responsibilities of Dowsing • Electrical
Life of the Earth • Katuah and the Earth Grid - Call
of the Ancient Ones • Good Medicine: "On
Aggression" · Time to Take the Time to Take the
Time - Whole Science • Tuning In
ISSUE THIRTY-TWO · FALL 1991
Bringing bac.k the Fue • A Bit of Mountain Levity •
Climax Never Came · "Talking Leaves": Sequoyah .
Walking Distance • Good Medicine: "Serving the
Great Life" · The Granola Journal · Paintings:
"Mountain Stories"· Songs of the Wilderness
ISSUE THIRTY-THREE· WINTER 1991-92
Fire's Power - Whal Is Natural • Fire and Forge •
The First Fire - Hearth and Fire in the Mountains •
Good Medicine: "The Ancient Red" • Midwinlef
Fires: poems by Jeffery Beam • Litmus Lichens
ISSUE THIRTY-FOUR· SPRING 1992
Paradise Gardening· Community Sponsored
Agriculture - Ealing Close 10 Home· Native Foods
• Cover Crops. Katuah Cultivars • The Web of
Life: A Katuah Almanac - Good Medicine "Medicine
Training• • Poems by Allison Sutherland
ISSUE THIRTY-FIVE· SUMMER 1992
Consensus • Problems with Consensus. Tribal
Council - Elda • The State of Franklin - Regional
Rainbow • Steve Moon: Shell Engravings • Good
Medicme "Medicine Training rr·. A Look Back
Back Issues:
Issue# _ _ @ $3.00 = $._ __
Issue# __@ $3.00 = $._ __
Issue# __@ $3.00 = $,_ __
Issue#_@ $3.00 = $._ _ _
postage paid $._ __
Name
Address
City
State
Zip
Near Complete Set:
(3-10, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26-27, 29-35)
postage paid @ $50.00 =$,_ __
Katuah Journal Rt. 8, Box 323 Lenoir, NC Karuah Province 28645 • (704) 754-6097
'.Kati.ulfl Jourrn:1( pnge 3S
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 36, Fall 1992
Description
An account of the resource
The thirty-sixth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on wood and its role in mountain life: logging, wood products, and forest stewardship. There is also an announcement that publication of the journal will cease in 1993. Authors and artists in this issue include: Lee Barnes, Frank Hodgin, David Wheeler, Dr. John Wade, Harley Wessman, Nancy McIntyre, Buzz Williams, Robert T. Pershcel, Jesse Jones, Leon S. Minckler, Tucker Windover, Charlotte Homsher, Rob Messick, Julia Vanselow, Frank Vogel, Michael Thompson, Susan Klimczak, Jeff Zachary, Susan Parker Weatherford, Mark Anderson, Hope Walker, and "Pegi." <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1992
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Using Wood.......1<br /><br />Appalachian Logging by Lee Barnes.......4<br /><br />Old Logging Days by Frank Hodgin.......7<br /><br />Working the Woodlands by David Wheeler.......9<br /><br />Wood Products and Western North Carolina by Dr. John Wade.......13<br /><br />Depletion for Dollars by Harley Wessman.......13<br /><br />Logging with Horses by Nancy McIntyre.......15<br /><br />Natural World News.......16<br /><br />Invasion of the Giants by Buzz Williams........19<br /><br />From Industry to Endeavor by David Wheeler.......20<br /><br />Pioneering A New Human/Nature Relationship by Robert T. Perschel.......21<br /><br />Forest Stewardship Programs by Jesse Jones.......22<br /><br />Ecological Forestry for Renewable Forest Values by Leon S. Minckler.......23<br /><br />Drumming........25<br /><br />The Chair in the Tree by Tucker Windover.......27<br /><br />Reading the Grove by Charlotte Homsher........29<br /><br />Events.......32<br /><br />Webworking.......33<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Forest products industry--Appalachian Region, Southern
Forest management--Appalachian Region, Southern
Logging--Appalachian Region, Southern
Animals in logging--Appalachian Region
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Book Reviews
Earth Energies
Economic Alternatives
Electric Power Companies
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest History
Forest Issues
Forest Practice
Habitat
Katúah
Katúah Organization
Poems
Reading Resources
South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness)
Stories
Transportation Issues
Turtle Island
Western North Carolina Alliance
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/8b28bad70c563af988d313aa9367f9f6.pdf
8097a88c117a588a76a65bf9c99a6059
PDF Text
Text
URNAL
ISSUE 38 SPRING 1993
SUSTAINABLE TOURING
$2.00
�������TOURISM DEVELOPMENT:
Mountain Culture, Mountain Lives
by Michal Smith
I am Michal Smith, a writer, editor and
researcher. I presently live and work in the
state of Kentucky. Since the mid- 1980's I
have specialized in workplace studies,
including case studi~ of employee
involvement processes in the manufacturing
sector for the U.S. Department of Labor and
the United Nations, a study of the safety
implications of the petrochemical industry's
growing reliance upon contract workers for
the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, a regional economic
development study for the state of Texas, and
a study of the impact of tourism
development. which I am here today t0
discuss.
Specifically, my testimony is based
upon a study, conducted from 1988 to 1989,
of the impact of t0urism development on local
people, particularly rural women, who
routinely form the backbone of this industry.
The study focused on rural counties in 12
southeastern StalCS, including North
Carolina. h concluded that the presumed
"opportunities" associated with tourism
development are marginal and minimal.
In fact, people who live and work in
JCot.uah ~naL JX!9e 6
1\1 1 u nuoc ,, w,:,Ju
1
tourism economies suffer the ultimate irony,
contributing tax dollars to help promote and
support an industry that has done litde,
possibly nothing to improve their quality of
life. They have watched hotels, restaurants,
highways, shops and amusement parks
consume their communities while "human
infrastructure" -- meaningful jobs, training,
health care and child care - has suffered the
consequences of government neglect and
indifference.
Funded by the Ford Foundation, its
Aspen Institute Rural Economic Policy
Program and the Economic Development
Administration of the U.S. Department of
Commerce, my study included a selected
county-level comparative analysis of Census
data from 1970 and 1980 and a case study of
Sevier County, Tennessee, home of
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, perhaps the
most successful rural tourism development in
the southeastern United States.
The 84 rural counties examined in the
study were selected based upon 1970 and
1984 employment data reponcd in Colllll)'
Business Patterns as compiled by the U.S.
Bureau of Census. These counties were
identified as having experienced high
employment growth in the hotel indusay,
which is clearly associated with the
expansion of a tourism or travel industry.
Twenty-three of the "high-growth" counties
identified experienced hotel industry
employment growth in excess of 500 perccnL
Broadly, I found that beyond the small
pool of management and short-term,
male-dominated construction industry jobs,
tourism economics are sustained by food
servers, maids and retail clerks. Traditionally
held by women, these jobs almost invariably
offer minimum wages, no benefits and
virtually no opportunity for advancemenL
Among the study's findings about these
84 booming rural tourism developments
were:
• Uncmploymentcontinued to rise
steadily from 1970 to 1984 in virtually every
county identified by the study.
- Women continued to experience
higher unemployment rates than men in rural
tourism counties in spite of the indusay's
heavy reliance upon a female labor force.
- While overall poverty rates declined
for families in general in the counties studied.
poor families headed by women increased
������������������������������
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. <br /><br /><span>The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, </span><em>Katúah</em><span>, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant. </span><br /><span><br />The <em>Katúah Journal</em> was co-founded by Marnie Muller, David Wheeler, Thomas Rain Crowe, Martha Tree and others who served as co-publishers and co-editors. Other key team members included Chip Smith, David Reed, Jay Mackey, Rob Messick and many others.</span><br /><br />This digital collection is only a portion of the <em>Katúah</em>-related materials in the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in Special Collections at Appalachian State University. The items in AC.870 Katúah Journal records cover the production history of the <em>Katúah Journal</em>. Contained within the records are correspondence, publication information, article submissions, and financial information. The editorial layouts for issues 12 through 39 are included as are a full run of the Journal spanning nearly a decade. Also included are photographs of events related to the Journal and a film on the publication.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
This resource is part of the <em>Katúah Journal Records </em>collection. For a description of the entire collection, see <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah Journal Records (AC. 870)</a>.
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
The images and information in this collection are protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.) and are intended only for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes, provided proper citation is used – i.e., Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records, 1980-2013 (AC.870), W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Researchers are responsible for securing permissions from the copyright holder for any reproduction, publication, or commercial use of these materials.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1983-1993
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
journals (periodicals)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, Issue 38, Spring 1993
Description
An account of the resource
The thirty-eighth, and final, issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on sustainable tourism and transportation that is environmentally and culturally responsible. Authors and artists in this issue include: Marcus L. Endicott, Michal Smith, Lee Barnes, Patrick Clark, Mark Schimmoeller, Billy Jonas, Renee Binder, Charlotte Homsher, Douglas A. Rossman, Robert H. Rufa, David Cohen, Brownie Newman, Jasper Carlton, Danielle Droitsch, Stephen Wing, Jan Adkins, Elizabeth Howard, Denise K. Simon, EarthStar, Wade Buckholts, and Rob Messick. <br><br><em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, later simplified to <em>Katúah Journal</em>, was published from 1983 to 1993. A quarterly publication, it was focused on the bioregion of former Cherokee land in Appalachia. The early issues of the journal explain the meaning of the Cherokee name, Katúah, and why the editors wanted to view the world through a bioregional lens, rather than political boundaries. A volunteer production, the editors took a holistic view in tackling social, environmental, mental, spiritual, and emotional topics of the day, many of which are still relevant.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1993
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Toward Sustainable Tourism in Southern Appalachia by Marcus L. Endicott.......1<br /><br />A History of Tourism to Southern Appalachia by Marcus L. Endicott.......4<br /><br />Tourism Development: Mountain Culture, Mountain Lives by Michal Smith.......6<br /><br />Camping & Touring Through Katúah Forests by Lee Barnes.......8<br /><br />Bicycle Touring in Katúah by Patrick Clark.......10<br /><br />Unicycle Revolutions by Mark Schimmoeller.......12<br /><br />The Bicycle Band: Appropriate Road Mode by Billy Jonas.......12<br /><br />Poems by Elizabeth Howard and Denise K. Simon.......13<br /><br />Sustainability of Whitewater Recreation by Renee Binder.......14<br /><br />Sacred Lands by Charlotte Homsher.......16<br /><br />Cherokee Mythic Sites by Douglas A. Rossman.......17<br /><br />Napping by Rob Messick.......18<br /><br />Why Travel? by Robert H. Rufa.......20<br /><br />Natural World News.......22<br /><br />Drumming.......24<br /><br />Events.......32<br /><br />Webworking.......33<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
<em>Katúah Journal</em>, printed by The <em>Waynesville Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable tourism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Outdoor recreation industry--Appalachian Region, Southern
Bicycle touring--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sacred space--Appalachian Region, Southern
Tourism--North Carolina, Western--History
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Appalachian Region, Southern
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Appalachian History
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Community
Economic Alternatives
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Geography
Habitat
Katúah
Katúah Organization
Pigeon River
Poems
Politics
Reading Resources
Sacred Sites
South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness)
Stories
Transportation Issues
Turtle Island
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance