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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
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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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o The 011..igina.f. 1n.6.tJw.etion <Li.Jr.eet that
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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
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I ~~~~e.~~~~~ri11!e.t~~~~~~f~~~~
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.6ac.11.ed pl.ac.e...
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p---
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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1
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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/0af6f876cd851df118a0e27b06bd6952.pdf
5453315bc90cf3f65463f81f56c5674a
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 2, Winter 1983-1984
Description
An account of the resource
The second issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on various topics such as black bears, the Pigeon River pollution, effective political involvement, and bioregional citizenship. Authors and artists in this issue include: Martha Tree, J. Linn Mackey, Snow Bear, Marnie Muller, Chuck Marsh, Kathryn Stripling Byer, Sharyn Jayne Hyatt, Gayle Knox, Chip Smith, Van Wormer, and Joseph Chapman.<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
1983-1984
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Black bear--Appalachian Region, Southern
Water--Pollution--North Carolina--Pigeon River
Political participation--Appalachian Region, Southern
Pigeon River (N.C. and Tenn.)
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
<p>Paradise Polluted<br /> The Pigeon River Story.......3<br /><br />Charlie & Russell<br /> Bear Hunters.......4<br /><br />There is Another Way<br /> by Snow Bear.......5<br /><br />Katúah Under the Drill<br /> Western North Carolina Alliance.......6<br /><br />Good Medicine<br /> Spiritual Warriors.......8 <br /><br />How the Humans Came to Be.......9 <br /><br />Council Meeting.......11 <br /><br />Our Mountain Woodlands.......13 <br /><br />Alma <br /> Poems - by Kathryn Byer.......14 <br /><br />On Becoming Politically Effective<br /> on Bioregional Level.......20<br /><br /><em><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em><br /></em></p>
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 Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Bioregional Definitions
Black Bears
Geography
Good Medicine
Katúah
Permaculture
Pigeon River
Politics
Stories
Turtle Island
Western North Carolina Alliance
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/2548901c8e81db0f1dc689fd56cb5e8b.pdf
491885735eda5ab93680a5efa814bbe1
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 4, Summer 1984
Description
An account of the resource
The fourth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on topics such as water quality, hydropower, forest management, the 1984 Cherokee reunion in Tennessee, and the 1984 solar eclipse. Authors and artists in this issue include: Sam Gray, Robin Williamson, Michael Heron, Thomas J. Harshbarger, Jerry West, Margaret Kerr, Thomas Rain Crowe, Bennie Lee Sinclair, Clyde Hollifield, Paul Gallimore, Richard Hotaling, Avram Friedman, Jody Segal-Friedman, Jim Wayne Miller, Marnie Muller, J. Mackey, Chuck Marsh, and Robert Zahner. <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.
The Waterdrum by Sam Gray.......1 <br /><br />Living Trout: Living Water.......3 <br /><br />Trout An Article by Jerry West.......4 <br /><br />Streamwatch.......6 <br /><br />The Annular Eclipse of the Sun.......8 <br /><br />"Lord of Springs" poetry by Bennie L. Sinclair.......9 <br /><br />Waterpower.......10 <br /><br />Homemade Electricity.......11 <br /><br />Clearcutting Part II by Robert Zahner.......12 <br /><br />Living with Kudzu.......14 <br /><br />"Shapes" by Jim Wayne Miller.......16 <br /><br />Good Medicine: Going to Water.......18 <br /><br />Voice of the Turtle: N.A.B.C. Report.......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
Water quality--Appalachian Region, Southern
Forest management--Appalachian Region, Southern
Small scale hydropower
Kudzu
Cherokee Indians--History--20th century
Solar eclipses--1984
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 Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Bioregional Definitions
Cherokees
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest History
Forest Issues
Forest Practice
Geography
Good Medicine
Katúah
Katúah Organization
Poems
Reading Resources
Stories
Water Quality
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/3e9189ae1600329a1984e9503b662c4a.pdf
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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 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/c82c3f935775ed3110b8fcfeafafa78d.pdf
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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 6, Winter 1984-1985
Description
An account of the resource
The sixth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on topics such as Cherokee mythology and art, Winter Solstice ceremonies, log cabin history, mountain farming, and the Horsepasture River. Authors and artists in this issue include: Steve Nelson, Barbara Reimensnyder, Martha Tree, Drew Langsner, Thomas Rain Crowe, William Taylor, Gogisgi/Carroll Arnett, J.Ed Sharpe, B. Oldham, Chuck Marsh, Marilou Awiakta, Chip Smith, and David Liden. <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
1984-1985
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
<p>Wintertide by Steve Nelson.......1</p>
<p>Closer to the Fire by Barbara Reimensnyder.......3</p>
<p>Creation of the Moon and Sun: A Story by David Wheeler.......4</p>
<p>Winter Solstice Earth Ceremony by Amy Hannon.......5 </p>
<p>European Roots of the Appalachian Log Cabin by Drew Langsner.......7</p>
<p>The Mind and Work of William Taylor.......8</p>
<p>The Old Man Said: A Poem by Carroll Arnett.......10</p>
<p>Soaring Bird, Eagle Killer: A Story by J. Ed Sharpe.......11</p>
<p>Mountain Agriculture by Chuck Marsh.......12</p>
<p>The Coming of the Light.......15</p>
<p>Prayer of the Poet Hunter: A Poem by Marilou Awiskta.......15</p>
<p>Turning Our Differences into Strength.......18</p>
<p>Children's Page.......19</p>
<p>Environmentally Speaking (Horsepasture River) by Chip Smith.......20</p>
<p>The Future of the Forests by David Liden.......21<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 mythology
Winter festivals--Appalachian Region
Cherokee art
Hill farming--Appalachian Region
Water quality--North Carolina--Horsepasture River
Log cabins--Appalachian Region--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)
Agriculture
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Cherokees
Children's Page
European Immigration
Fire
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Good Medicine
Katúah
Permaculture
Poems
Stories
Turtle Island
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/4d450fedff98db51d827ad2d6b6eb05e.pdf
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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 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/cb0662a1107e02a736e92f90cdc2f90f.pdf
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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>.
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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
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Title
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<em>Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, Issue 11, Spring 1986
Description
An account of the resource
The eleventh issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on community planning for a sustainable future: what, why, and how. Floyd County in Virginia is highlighted as an example of a progressive community. Authors and artists in this issue include: Judith Hallock, Marnie Muller, J. Linn Mackey, Tom Hendricks, Rob Messick, Will Ashe Bason, Jane Avery-Grubel, Katherine Chantal, Judy Cox, Rob Yard, Cotton, Colleen Redman-Copus, Michael Red Fox, and David Wheeler. <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.
Why Community Planning.......1<br /><br />Digging In: A Model.......2<br /><br />Cities and the Bioregional Vision.......6<br /><br />Recycling: Garbage in Transition.......7<br /><br />Community Gardening.......9<br /><br />The World Village: A Poem.......10<br /><br />Seeing the Future Village.......10<br /><br />Floyd County, VA.......12<br /><br />Gasohol.......14<br /><br />Two Bioregional Views.......15<br /><br />Earthquake: The Nuclear Supplement<br /><br />Natural World News.......18<br /><br />Good Medicine: Visions.......20<br /><br />The Children's Page.......21<br /><br />Review: Foxfire Games.......23<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
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Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Subject
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Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Community life--Appalachian Region, Southern
Community development, Urban--North Carolina, Western
Radioactive waste disposal--Appalachian Region, Southern
Community garden--North Carolina--Asheville
Floyd County (Va.)
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" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a>
Spatial Coverage
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https://www.geonames.org/4759449/floyd-county.html
Coverage
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||||osm
Floyd County (Va.)
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" rel="noopener"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a>
Format
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PDF
Journals (Periodicals)
Agriculture
Alternative Energy
Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Book Reviews
Cherokees
Children's Page
Community
Education
Good Medicine
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Katúah
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Recycling
Turtle Island
Villages
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/2eba56fdc00beaa31e7ec2362fbd5f28.pdf
b4508265c38b24f4f7d519e688f43aca
PDF Text
Text
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ATUAH
$JOO
ISSUE XV
SPRING 1987
Wo.men's Voices !
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COVERLETS..................................................................................... 1
POEM: ·MY MOTHER'S eves·..................................................... 5
LISLOTT HARBERTS: FORESTER............................................... 6
SUSIE l\AcMAHAN: MIDWIFE......................................................... 9
RESOURCES FOR WOMEN..........................................................10
ALTERNATIVE CONTRACEPTION ............................................... 11
BIOSEXUALllY................................................................................12
BIOREGIONALISM AND WOMEN ................................................ 13
POEMS..............................................................................................14
GOOD MEDICINE: MATRIARCHIAL CULTURE. ........................15
PEARL ...............................................................................................16
NATURAL WORLD NEWS.............................................................18
A CHILDREN'S PAGE.....................................................................21
KAlUAH - pagc 32
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�ISSUE XV
SPRING 1987
We, as women, live in a time
of uncertainty, and crossing
through this time often feels like
fording a river.
The bank looks far away, but
when we reach it we may find that
the cold, rushing water has
purified and cleansed us. We, as
women, are making those
crossings.
As well as being an uncertain
time, this is also a time of choice
for us. Pausing to reflect sometimes seems weak or indecisive,
but this time may be necessary
for making our choices.
Let us take time to listen to
our inner voice. Let us choose to
fill our cup full oflove, and let the
blessings of that cup spill over and
fill every other part of our lives.
It is imperative during this
time of making crossings and
choices that women support each
other. We need to listen to one
another, to continually take soundings. Where are we in the process? How are we doing? Where
are we going? Our inner musing
is sacred. Harmony arises as we
join our voices together in true expression of our heart's song. In
this time, women's voices need to
be beard.
Women are being born and
waiting to be born. In the release
of this energy of our transformations, we help to heal the world.
That is our success.
Francis Goodrich And Coverlets
COVERLETS:
WOMEN AND THE HANDICRAFTS
REVIVAL CHALLENGE THE
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
by Jan Davidson
By 1895 the coming of the railroad had already
brought the industrial revolution to the doorstep of the
Appalachians. It began a decades-long migration that lured
many families from their mountain farms to the fact.Ory gates
looking for a place in the new social order.
To observers during that period, it seemed that it
would be just a matter of time until every vestige of the rural
arts would disappear. Before that time people were thought
to be well-rounded, achieving individuals if they were able to
make everything for themselves - not necessarily well, but
able 10 do it for themselves. AU of a sudden those people had
become obsolete.
One hundred miles away from the heart of the
Appalachians in the North and South Carolina piedmont
were modem, automated textile mills where children eight
and nine years old worked 13 hours a day making and
weaving thread. The mills would send people into the
mountains to recruit families to work for them. They would
find a mountain shack, one almost falling down, and tell the
man of the family, "You're being left behind, buddy. You'd
better get in line. Come down here, and we'll fix you up in a
company house with electricity, indoor toilets, and good jobs
for you and your entire family."
Even now if you go look up the roots of families in
Gaffney, Gastonia, and Greenville, SC, you will find that if
you go back a few generations, a lot of them come right out
of the hills.
It was during this time that a woman named Frances
Goodrich moved into the mountains near Asheville, NC. She
was what mountain people call a "fotched-on woman". She
was from Binghamton, NY of an old and wealthy New
England family. She had attended the Yale Art School and
(continued on p. 3)
KATUAH - page 1
Sprin) 1987
�• JV\Tgi-H ,
.....
. . !U1i:J:CiilH:tdW l1li!:lt6'l1lMl#l4.itli il#l#1@f4U:@l 1tM#jM¢I......._
EDITQRIAL STAFF nus ISSllB:
Scott Bird
Michael Red Fox
Judith Hallock
Rob Messick
Marnie Muller
Tad Poles
Chip Smith
Brad Stanback
Martha Tree
David Wheeler
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Will Ashe Bason
Chaquoia Mahaney
Kay Byer
Manha Overlock
Sylvfa Fox
Kathleen Mclaughlin
Julie Gaunt
(love and oookies)
Tom Hendricks
Raven and Minne
Kala
Emile Sawyer
Oliver Loveday
Sara Jane Thomas
..... and the light of children and Star Crystals
EDITORIAL OFFICE
THIS ISSUE:
Globe, NC
WBITEUSAI:
KlWBh
PRINTED BY:
Sylva~
Publishing Co.
Sylva, NC
TELEPHONE:
(704) 252-9167
Box 873
Cullowhee, NC
Katuah Province 28723
Speciat thanfts to ttichaet a.n4 ~on.n.i.e
Li.ebhout for thei.r i.n.va.Lu®Ce cissi.sta.nce to u.s.
The Internal Revenue Service has declared .Kalllab a non-profit
organization onde.r section 50l(c)(3) of lhe Internal Revenue Code.
All contributions to Kaliiah are deducn'ble from personal income i.ax.
JRV0CllT:l0R
Here in the southern-most hean/an.d ofthe 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 Jiving within the
natural scale and balance of universal systems and laws. We
begin by invoking the Cherokee name "Katftah'' 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 1ha1 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 continuing evolutionary process.
We seem to have reached the fulcrum point of a "di> or
die" situation in terms of a continued quality standard of life
on this planet. It is the aim of this journal to di> its part in the
re-inhabitation and re-culturation of the Katiiah province of
the Southern Appalachians. This 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.
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/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 ~
will grow to serve the best interests of this region and all its
living, breathing family members.
- The Editors
KATUAH-page2
: -· £~ing 1987
�COVERLETS (continued from p. I)
been to Europe. She was very much a lady of her time. She
was single, had no particular interest in raising a family, was
very smart, and very much of an achiever. What was a
woman with all these characteristics to do in the 1890's ?
One answer for that time was to do good works: be a
missionary, a social worker, a charity volunteer. The other
answer had to do with art - a nice, proper, rich girl was very
much involved with iL So Frances combined the two in her
life.
She came to Buncombe County, NC in 1890 to set up
a settlement house. An important model for her work was
Jane Addams' Hull House in Chicago. This was a new idea,
a very popular idea, and by 1890 most of the big cities in
America had at least one settlement house.
The first one had been started in London in 1884 when
Oxford and Cambridge students organiud a settlement house
in the slums. In that early manifestation of the idea, it was
almost as if they thought that by placing a person from an
upper-class background in a slum neighborhood, the effect
would magically transform the neighbors.
The model for a settlement house was a storefront in a
poor neighborhood where volunteers opened the door and
hung out a sign so that people passing by would see it and
drop in to get information on nutrition, sanitation, children's
education, money management - basic life skills that the poor
people did not necessarily have. In the absence of any
government social agencies, these settlement houses did a
tremendous amount of practical good.
In the settlement house movement handicrafts and
social work were already tied together. To support this aspect
of their work, the early social work volunteers drew largely
on the writings of John Ruskin and William Morris, two
Englishmen who were the spiritual godfathers of the
settlement house movement and the arts and crafts revival.
Ruskin and Morris proposed the movements as antidotes to
the demeaning life industrialization had brought to workers
and as a statement of the ennobling virtues of handwork.
Ruskin had warned that people were becoming little
more than parts of machines, and that they enjoyed no
creativity or satisfaction in theii labor. His disciple Morris
had early denounced the poor quality of machine-made
goods, and the brutal industrial system that produced them.
In time, be offered an alternative, setting up a workshop
where high-quality, well-designed items were made using
old methods of handwork. Ruskin himself had sponsored a
revival of the handmade linen industry in Langdale, Englamd
in 1885. According to Morris, "The beauty of handicrafts
comes from this: that the workman has control over his
material, tools, and time.
The followers of Ruskin and Morris called themselves
the Arts and Crafts Movement Their interest in old hand
methods of manufacture had led them to pay special attention
to those parts of rural England where, as in Appalachia, the
Industrial Age bad not yet prevailed.
The idea of the intrinsic value of handwork was a very
old one, but it was given a new expression here in the 19th
Century as the evidence of the evils of industrialization
became obvious.
(continued on p. 4)
Coverlets display, 1935 - the photo has been marked to identify patlems for sales plll]lOSeS.
Top row, from left: SL Anne's Robe, Blooming Flower.
High Criclc, Zion Rosie, Dogwood. Bottom row: Whig Rose, Rattlesnake, Pine Cone, Three Roads Trail, Double Chariot Wheel
KATIJAH - page 3
Spring 1987
�The Lealhuwood family. Coverlets were prized posessions and were ofien
used as baclcdrops for fonnal family phocographs.
COVERLETS (continued from p. 3)
Frances Goodrich began the first rural settlement
house in a cove near Asheville, NC. She was also
instrumental in initiating what is now called the Appalachian
handicrafts revival.
Being a progressive, educated woman, it is likely that
she was aware of Ruskin and Morris and the theoretical basis
of the arts and crafts movement, but as she later told the
story, the importance of the coverlets woven in backwoods
cabins by the mountain women came to her as a sudden
revelation when a neighbor woman brought her a
fifty-year-old coverlet for a gift in 1895.
Frances, with her artist's eye, was aware that this was a
very fine piece of work.
She knew that most of the women in the area had
looms around the house that were not being used. Her first
thoughts were:
"Could we produce the coverlets at a moderate cost?
And if so, could we find or make a market for them? At that
time there was in this country no general interest in such
handicraft, and little demand for hand-woven fabrics.
'The coverlet made a journey north, and the admiration
it received made me believe that if we in the cove could
produce the like, a market could be found It was surely
worth a try, and in the trying we would at least have a good
time." (Frances Goodrich, from Mountajn Homespun. Yale
University Press, 1931)
ON OLD BARN LOOMS
The weaving tradition extended back to Ireland where
weaving fine linens from flax was a very important cottage
industry for the women of lower-class families.
When the Scotch-Irish settlers came into the
mountains, they began to raise sheep to supply wool for their
clothing needs and built the old "barn looms", which were
large and heavy but serviceable, to weave cloth for their
families. It was on these looms that the techniques for the
"overshot" coverlets, an authentic New World art form, were
developed.
In the old Appalachian cabin culture wool was
processed at home, and the yarn was dyed with colors from
native plants, such as mullein, goldenrod, Joe Pye weed,
rock tripe lichen, the bark of chestnut oak and apple trees,
onionskins, and marigold flowers. A few "boughten" dyes
were also used: indigo, madder root, and cochineal being
among the most popular and most available.
The coverlets were woven from homespun, white
cotton yarn across which the colored woolen yam was
"overshot" to create the vibrant designs that carried names
like: "Pine Cone Bloom", "49 Snowballs", Governor's
Garden", "Star and Cross", "Sun, Moon, and Stars", "Lee's
Surrender", and "Cat Tracks and Snails' Tails". By the
I820's machine-made cotton had already begun to replace the
homespun, but sheep were a usual part of the livestock of
mountain farms to within living memory.
Draft patterns passed down from mother to daughter
within the family gave diagrammed instructions on how to
KATIJAH- page 4
set up the loom, push the pedals, and alternate the colors.
The coverlets were made for he.irlooms and were often
in a mountain girl's dowry when she went off to be married.
To the old mountain people the coverlets symbolized beauty,
warmth, and kinship. They originally had no commercial
purpose whatsoever. But during the handicrafts revival they
began to be made as something to be sold out of the region
that came to represent that region to the rest of the world.
Whether for good or ill, this made a definite change in the
relationship of the weaver to the piece of work and of the
piece of work to the land. The old coverlets stayed right in
the family. The coverlets made for Frances Goodrich went to
Chicago and New York.
One detail that exemplified that difference was the
seam between the panels that were sewn together to make the
coverlets. In most of the coverlets made before 1895, the
seam is not closely matched. After 1895 most of the coverlets
that were made for sale as part of the Appalachian handicrafts
revival had peifectly matched seams.
There were a couple of reasons for that. For one thing,
the eqwpmenf became better. One of the advancements of the
handicrafts revival was that during the 1920's the
cumbersome, old barn loom was replaced by a well-built,
streamlined loom that was smaller, lighter, and easier to
operate. The women could run a more even beat on these
looms, and the patterns came out more even.
A second reason was that the ladies who were leading
the handicraftrevival told che weavers, "Match the seams."
It seems very quaint to some people that the mountain
women needed someone to point that out to them. The real
reason behind that, however, was in how they thought of it.
A Yankee woman thought of a coverlet as a bedspread, and
or course she wanted it to look like a single piece of cloth.
B\lt the mountain women thought about it as a thing that was
taken apart at the seams once every year or two so it could be
W!lshed in the creek in a basket and spread across some
bushes to dry. Then the coverlet was sewn back together,
and if the middle panel looked like it was wearing out, the
pieces were switched about so that the wear was distributed.
The idea, after all, was to keep it clean, keep it in the family,
keep it forever, and use it
:
When Frances Goodrich gave her reasons for working
td begin the handicrafts revival, bringing money to the
people was about the third item on her list She thought of it
first of all as a way of bringing some color to the "drab
lives", as she described them, of the mountain women. That
attitude itself may have shown some cultural centrism.
Mountain women generally maintained a stoic demeanor, and
th~y certainly were not as expressive in their clothes and
personalities as people at an urban art school.
Frances Goodrich did not necessarily have a concept
of folklore in mind either. Although she recognized the
woven overshot coverlets as an old tradition, she was not so
m·uch interested in preserving that craft as she was in
px:oviding the women an activity.
But her Allanstand marketing operation, which first
worked from a rural location outside of Asheville and later
moved into a storefront in town, did provide money for the
(continued on p. 25)
COVERLETS is an exhibit of an authentic
mountain handcraft featuring 40 pieces woven
between 1840 and 1940. Special attention is given
to the mountain handicraft revival of the 1890's
with photos and documents from several of the
WJ:>men key to beginning the movement.
The exhibit will be at the Mountain Heritage
Center in the Robinson Administration Building on
the campus of Western Carolina University,
Cullowbee, NC through July, 1987. Visitors are
welcomed from 8-5 on weekdays.
"Weaving Wednesday" with demonstrations
on band looms by volunteers from the Smoky
Mountain Fiber Arts Guild is rrom 1-4 on
Wednesday afternoons.
A nine-projector, multi-image slide program
"New Threads in Old Patterns" accompanies the
exhibit.
Spring 1987
�MY MOTHER'S EYES
Mother, with your
Falcon's eyes,
I saw today in
Cullowhee an
Eagle which circled
Overhead and
Dipped its wings
In perfect freedom.
t•
Mother, I was alone,
Walking on a
Mountain path.
Mother, I was
Alone and saw
An eagle dip its wings and
,,,__
. ---
Draw a circle
Around the way
I traveled as if
My path was in the
Sky and, child of
Your falcon eyes, I
Saw the earth with
Eagles flying high.
Mother, its wings
Were dipped in
An azure sky.
Patricia Claire Peters
KATUAH-page5
~ing
1987
�-
-
- -
......
- .. -
~
..-....
LISLOTT HARBERTS
A Woman Who Cares For Forests
Llslott Harberts
by David Wheeler
It was summer when we first visited Lislott Harberts
why her forestry operation, FOREST CARE, was
making such a stir among people who knew something about
trees and about the timber industry in the Appalachians.
I remember that when we met her on the job site, she
came striding down out of the woods so confidently and with
such a wide smile, that when she drew close I was surprised
to see that she only came up to my chin. I also remember
that mostly what we saw of her for the rest of that visit was
the back of her green work jeans and the enormous chopping
knife strapped to the back of her belt, as we hurried up the
hill, listening to a description of the work in progress.
Ms. Harben's FOREST CARE company is different
from other forestry consulting firms in the Statesville, NC
area: the business of FOREST CARE is not to extract the
maximum profit from tree-cutting operations, but rather to set
up long-term relationships with landowners to create healthy
forests that are at once beautiful and profitable on a sustained
basis.
to find out
"We have carefully chosen the name of our company:
FORES!' CARE. In our complex English language the word
"care" has two meanings: the primary one carries an
emotional connotation. We at FOREST CARE care about
forests. The second meaning turns the feeling into action:
because we care, we have become 'caretakers'.
'Two basic rules make up the credo of FOREST
CARE. Rule one: WORK WITH NATURE. Forestry can
be defined as manipulation of living trees. Every species,
every grouping of trees follows certain biological rules. By
learning about these rules, we can encourage nature to do
what she is already inclined to do. We can induce natural
regeneration, improve growth, modify species composition,
and get her generous cooperation.
"Rule two naturally follows rule one: DONT
MANHANDLE NATURE. If you throw a si/vicultural
tantrum, expect to be spanked, because the lady has a way to
fightback!
"Don't expect trees to play roles they are not meant to
play, or they will go on strike. Shade-intolerant species
cannot regenerate in shade. Slow-growing species cannot
KATUAH - page 6
compete with fast starters. Shade-seeking trees sulk in full
sunlight.
'These seem like very simplistic rules, yet they are
conrinuously overlt>oked in routine industrial for est
managemefll."
The two points that set FOREST CARE apart from
other logging operations are, first, the differing goals of the
company's management policy and, second, the skill with
which they are carried out
Ms. Harbens relies largely on selective cutting
techniques to bring a forest stand to a long-term state of
health. She will use clear-cutting on a site that has been
"high-graded", where all the best timber has been removed.
leaving only the poorer species and smaller trees to propagate
a forest of inferior quality, but clearcutting is only done on a
site that needs a completely new start to produce high-quality
trees. The determining factors in the work of FOREST
CARE are the needs of the land itself and the management
goals of the landowners.
"Don't expect trees to play roles
they are not meant to play or they
will go on strike. "
"If a private landowner wants to manage a forest and
has ruled out a clear-cut, aesthetics is almost certainly an
important consideration in his or her management decisions.
'There is nothing more gratifying than to look at a
quality tree. People see those trees, and, yes, they know
there is money in that kind of timber, but there is also so
much pleasure in the aesthetics. That is a non-dollar value
that is very real in small woodlot managemem.
"We try to keep a realistic sense ofbusiness. Slow, caring
Spring 1987
�work tends to cost more than production-oriented logging, at
least up front. Stumpage prices that are qumed in any given
area are based on clearcutting, because that is the rowine
procedure in our region. We tell landowners not to expect
selective cutting for the same stumpage price. However, if
they opt for the more costly approach, they can be almost
sure that it is a good investmenl, since it is likely to lead to
improved quality in their timber.
"When we are called to a job, we submit our plan in
the form of a proposal. We tell che landowner: 'This is whac
we can do for you, this is what it will cost you, and this is
where le will be different from a standard job; plus you will
have a lovely place to walk in, you will have wildlife, and
srreams that were clear bejore will be clear after the work is
done. Then it is up to the landowner to make the decision."
Ms. Harbens is of Swiss descent, and so bad a deep
love and respect for trees instilled in her since childhood.
But she did not begin her forestry career until she was
already into middle age, and she and her husband wanted to
begin to manage pan of the forest on their own propeny.
"/got started because we could not find services for
our own land. We had forest land, and we knew what we
wanted done. We engaged a consulting forester who made us
a management plan and put all these approaches in, and we
said, 'Exactly whac we had in mind! Now would you please
get the loggers in and let them srart?'
"He said, 'Oh, there"s nobody who could do that!'
"At that point my husband said, 'look, the kids don't
really need you any more, so why don't you see if 'Y.f}JLCan
get this project done.'
"/ spent the next two years in the forest with the
logging crews, observing, learning, supervising, arid
participating where I could. The men showed me how to
hook up a log, how to drive a tractor, why to do this, and
why not to do that. We also tried new things together. I
learned abow good logging and bad logging, good clear-cuts
and bad clear-cUts. I realized that one ofthe biggest problems
in the logging world is that loggers have never really had any
basic skills training. And if you do not have the skills, you
cannot plan a job."
FOREST CARE got staned, as Ms. Harberts put.s it,
because "the neighbors looked over the fence and said
That's what Y& want."' Now FOREST CARE has two and
sometimes three logging crews working regularly, mostly on
custom forestry jobs for small landowners. The work is
coming in steadily, and Ms. Harbens says she has been able
to keep her crews working even during times when other
crews have been idle.
Llslott Ha.rberts is very aware of the contradictions of
her position as a middle-aged, former housewife working in
Lislott Harberts is very aware of the
contradictions of her position as a
middle-aged, former hou sewife
working in what is traditionally a
very masculine domain.
what is traditionally a very masculine domain. "At first
loggers thought it was preposterous. 'What? Work for a
woman who can't even speak English?"' Ms. Harbens
laughs. But she herself sometimes wonders how she came
to be out in the woods dealing with the pressure of work that
is physically demanding and requires const.ant responsibility
for estimating and decision-making. She often reflects on
bow strange it is that she should be one of those bringing the
message of responsible forest management to the
- continued on next page
Lislott Harberts:
ON SUSTAINED YIELD
"It's not that no one knows what good
forestry is. It's all there in the books. It's just
that it's not being carried out. FOREST CARE
does nothing that bas not been practiced before,
but some of our practices are not commonly
available in this region. Our goal is simple: we
want to help landowners become the kind or
stewards they would like to be.
"The ability of a site to deliver sustained
yield is very much a question of the size of the
tract and the species of trees involved. A tract of
several thousand acres can easily provide a good
continuing yield, but it would be hard to get 50
acres of oaks to produce a regular income poplars and white pines, perhaps; oaks, no.
"Sustained yield is also a question or timing.
It often means postponing immediate gain for a
greater gain in the future.
•••• •
"Deciding what techniques to use depends on
the condHion of the site and the goals of the
landowner. Everyone wants to get a good stand of
quality trees on their land, but what is the best
species for that particular site?
"The landowner also may have other ideas in
mind than just selling timber. Often with small
KATUAH - page 7
landowners aesthetic and recreational factors
figure strongly in any plan. We recently did a
stand that was being managed strictly as a wildlife
stand. A wildlife biologist was the first one on
the site. It was interesting. His management plan
suggested almost exactly what good forestry
would have demanded.
•••••
"I consistently am telling landowners that
planting trees is not the same thing as forest
management. If a landowner wants a particular
species of tree, and the soil is right, then he may
want to plant it. But usually it is much better to
start with the natural habitat and ask, 'What will
do well here? Let 's find out and help those
species a long. '
" Planting trees is an uphill fight. It is a
constant struggle to maintain the life of those trees
for the first 8-12 years of their existence.
" Yellow poplar, for instance, is a very
promising species for a timber tree in the future
that is very much maligned right now. There is no
need to plant poplar trees. Given parent trees and
some exposed soil, they seed themselves very
easily.
- continued on next page
Sprin;J 1987
�Llslott H11rberts
Appalachian foothills.
But, considering it objectively, is it so strange that a
woman should be especially qualified to work among the
trees? The new forestry (Llslott Harberts would simply say
"good forestry") requires, first of all, a rapport with naiure
and a sense of the needs of the non-human forest
community. The key to achieving a sustained yield of timber
on any forest site requires an attitude directed toward
fostering a healthy forest ecosystem in all its diversity rather
than demolishing it for immediate profit. The field technique
that fulfills that attitude is to regard each site, even each tree,
as individual and unique and to prescribe the particular
treatment ~ctated by each unique situation.
" That tree will need to come out,"
she said at one point, "and it's going
to fall right into the kindergarten
where all these young sprouts are
coming up."
Ms. Harberts speaks of the trees in her charge in a
highly personal way. As we went through the woods, she
said, "There's a cripple, poor thing," and she would speak of
"these gentlemen over here" or "Santa Claus over there".
"That tree will need to come out," she said at one
point, "and it's going to faJI right into the kindergarten where
all these young sprouts are coming up."
Drawing on her European heritage, Ms. Harberts is a
capable, exacting business-person, yet she loves the forest
for its beauty and brings a delightful sense of humor to her
work. She is a very refined person, yet, like the loggers she
ON SUSTAINED YIELD
continued
"Poplar is by nature one of the best-formed
trees, and it has a tremendous growth ra te. It can
be used for framing. The furniture industry favors
it because it takes any kind of color stain. It is
also the easiest species to manage for valuable
veneer wood.
•••••
"Selective cutting can be done only when
there is saleable timber in the stand. Otherwise, a
cut is a "timber stand improvement" (TSI) cut. A
TSI brings little if any income to the landowner,
but if I come into a mess, I will not tell the
landowner, 'I will take out your good trees.' I
say, 'Let's leave your good trees and take your
bad trees. You will make less, but you r good
trees wiJJ get better.'
"TSJ is a big investment for the landowner,
but in a promising stand it is a good investment
that will pay off many times over as the lot is
continuously managed over time.
"When we do have conditions for selective
cutting, there are many different ways to select.
Some tree species lend themselves to single-tree
selection. With white pines, for instance, we can
create wonderful effects where in a single stand
the grand-dad, the middle aged t rees, the
teenagers, and the babies are all growing together,
and this balance can be perpetuated. T his is the
classic uneven-aged management system.
It's
possible with white pines because the you ng ones
enjoy t he gentle light that is filter ed through the
shade of their parents, and they will take the place
of their elders when their grand-dad is taken out
by selective logging.
"Selective cutting with hardwoods is tricky
and the results are not seen so fast. One of my
KATUAH- page 8
works with, bard work in the woods satisfies something
very deep and basic within her. She is highly disciplined she has mastered the technical aspects of her calling
completely and has an impeccable knowledge of the forest
trees, their habits, and their needs - but she is also flexible
and learns from each new situation she encounters in her
day-to-day experience.
"A big problem in rhe timber industry of this region is
thar the loggers are over-financed and over-equipped. In this
area a cracr.or works better than a slddder for the smaller jobs.
But fo~ a larger job one of the smaller skidders - say, a
Franklin 134, a John Deere 450, or even a 500 - work fine.
A machine any bigger than that would be 100 hard to
maneuver for our type of work, and the job would actually
go slower because the operawr would have 10 be Sfl awfully
careful.
'Tracwr-1.oatiers serve our purpose much helter llwn a
truck with a knuckle-boom loader, because 1hey are so much
more mobile. Jf you don't have big jobs, il's a real project
moving a knuckle-boom from one site 10 another.
'We IUJVe a flying crew 1hat can leave one job and be a1
work again a1 ano1her si1e in two hours. When you have a
lot of big dinosaur equipmem, 1here's no way you can do
1/wt. Jfyour equipmem is big, you need a big job.
"/ 1hink it's bes1 10 buY the fines1-grade equipmen1.
/i's cheaper in the long run, because the good equipment will
hold together and produce, produce, produce, and you avoid
a fol of repair bills and down-lime, which can get very
expensive.
"We do not do subsidized logging. It is my
responsibiliry to see that/, the loggers, 1he landowner, and
the sawmill all make some ITl()ney. With my kind of crew
- continued on page 26
crews bas just finished selective cutting in 110
acres of hardwoods. This was one of the most
challenging jobs we have done. It took a year,
and we took out a million board feet of timber.
"We used two k.i nds of selective cutting at
that site. If we saw a mature poplar within a good
distance of two younger poplars, our very skilled
loggers wouJd take that big poplar out between the
younger trees. But there were other areas where
all the trees were big oaks with lopsided crowns
that had not been harvested 40 years ago because
they were worthless as timber trees. Literally,
taking two of these trees out made a one-quarter
acre opening in the forest canopy. This was not
big enough to provide ample light for young oaks
to grow, so we had to enla r ge these cuts to
three-quarters of an acre. Then a slow-growing
species like oak would have enough room to
regenerate. That was also a selection, but it was a
group selection.
"If understory trees are not in the way of one
of the 'stars', then leave them. These trees are
'trainers' for the next generation of the dominant
species. Ideally, we want to arrange it so that the
crowns of the best trees are unencumbered by
competition, but their trunks ar e protected.
•••••
"There is a tremendous need to educate
landowners about selective cutting - about the
methods, the cost picture, and the benefits. But if
it could be d one we could expect to see
far-reaching chan ges in the timber industry. A
well-developed p rivate timber-producing sector
would relieve a lot of pressure on the Forest
Service and would set an example that would help
change the forestry practices used in the national
forests. Conceivably we could, over time, move
gradually back into selling high-quality hardwood ~
timber."
pt'
Spring 1987
�- · .. .a. -
a• .. - ... _
-
...- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .
�W®mm<em 0 m IR<e~®lllllf<t~
<C~IDft~ll'
In response to the needs of women in its area,
the YWCA of Asheville, NC has set up a Women's
Resource Center. It is a place to share and exchange
information as well as to fmd out about resources
available to women. The Center offers one-to-one
peer suppon, educational seminars and the
opponunity to join an existing group or form a new
one. As a meeting place for all women, the
Women's Resource Center is a welcome asset to the
community. Topics of interest include: single
women parenting; juggling work and parenting;
traumatic birth experiences; employment and
widowing. Members and non-members alike are
welcome at no charge. Suggestions and input are
invited. For more info, contact: Ann Von Brock,
YWCA, 185 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC/#
28801. (704) 254-7200.
I'
Until fairly recently, the problem of domestic violence
has been very effectively "hushed-up". It has been
traditionally dismissed as an individual or family problem to
be dealt with privately. This is changing thanks to a
sisterhood of domestic violence programs which have sprung
up across the U.S. Some courageous women, often having
escaped a battering situation themselves, started providing
shelters for their battered sistm. These first sheltecs became
models for later programs.
R.E.A.C.H. of Jackson County, NC is one of the
local groups in mountain communities that are reaching out to
abused women. Mountain women, who may be affected by
geographic isolation and economic stress, face increased risk
of domestic violence. Also, there is an increased incidence
of abuse in the "bible-belt" area
Already, in the few years of its o.-ation, R.E.A.C.H.
has supported hundreds of women in their process of
empowennent. It has become a major resource for women in
breaking the cycle of violence in an area where they
previously suffered in an absence of support.
Frequently, different forms of domestic violence occur
in one family. Furthermore, the self-perpetuating nature of
family violence means that children who grow up in a violent
environment will continue the pattern as adults.
How many more women need shelter or suppon and
do n()( seek it? They face economic, social, and
psychological obstacles in leaving the men who beat them.
They may be immobilized by fear, anger, guilt, or even
doubts about their own sanity.
KA TUAH - page 10
We live in a society which tolerates and to a large
extent encourages violence. This is a major cultural flaw.
Domestic violence is a symptom of a widespread disease.
It's time for men and women together to re-assess our
culture's propensity to violence. There are peaceful societies
where children grow up to love peace. We can surround our
children with loving and affectionate environments.
Conflicts can be negotiated without the use of violence.
Domestic violence can be relegated to the pasL Let's choose
peace in the home now.
There are about 20 domestic violence programs in the
Katuah area. For more information about the programs,
contact:
Georgia Network Against Domest.ic Violence
250 Ga. Ave... SB
Suite 367
AtWu.. Ga. 30312
404.524-3847
Norlh Carolina Coalition A&ainst Oomestic Violence
POBoxrn
Conc:onl. NC 28026-0877
704-786-9317
T - T u k Fon:e On Family Violence
PO Box 120972
Nashville, TN. 37212-0972
615-242-8288
Virginians Against Domestic Viol~
POBoxS692
Richmond. v &. 23210
804-780..3SOS
West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Fam.ily Refuge Service
~YWCA of wi-ling
Chapline SL
noo
Wheeling, WV 26003
3044IS-6334
graphic: Swain Co. SAFE. inc
Spring 1987
�IR~~ a7 !~ lh>®®lk~?
....~mm~ $llll!!~$~®1D~ ~a
W®mm~m 0 $ ~ftllll~a®~ ~
ffi®~®lllllr<t®~
lllft A~lU
A rich selection of Women's
Studies courses are available not only to
students at Appalachian State University
(Boone, NC) but also to anyone in the
wider community...women .and men.
Courses include such topics as: Sex Roles
In Cross-Cultural Perspective; Woman As
Image & Image-Maker; and Appalachian
Women: Myths and Reality.
Since 1979, ASU has offered
students the opportunity to elect a minor in
Women's Studies by taking an
interdisciplinary program of co~ taught
in various departments across campus. In
addition to the Women's Studies Minor,
other opportunities both academic and
non-academic are available including
academic and professional advising; a
speakers' bureau on topics related to
women; and non-academic services
available on and off campus.
An informative newsletter is
published six times yearly by the Office of
Women's Studies which lists events,
classes and resouroes. For more info on the
newsletter or the programs: Office of
Women's Studies, 107 D.D.Dougherty
Library, ASU, Boone, NC 28608/
Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside of Her Susan Griffin
Eartli Wisdom Dolores LaChapel/e
Always Coming Home Ursula LeGuin
In Search ofOur Mothers Gardens Alice Walker
Goddesses In Everywoman Jean Sltimcda Bolen
Fai Is A Feminist Issue Susie Orbach
Spiders And Spinsters Marta Weigle
Moon, Moon Anne Kent Rush
Women's Mysteries Esther Harding
Our Bodies, Ourselves Boston
Womens Health Collective
mid many others...
.. .,..· ·.• ··.•
.
Just before the first frosts make the
leaves tum, the Queen Anne's Lace comes
into perfect harvesting condition. The
umbels are brown, folded up, and dry, but
the seeds are not yet scattered.
Plants growing like this in close
proximity to our doorstep and in great
abundance are saying, "Use me. Use me
often."
Herbalist Susun Weed has shared the
information with us that Queen Anne's Lace
(or Wild Carrot) is possibly the best
contraceptive there is. Apparently Indian
women in the Far East have been using
Wild Carrot seed as the preferred method of
contraception for ages. In her book, ~
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearin&
Year, Susun mentions these hairy little
seeds as a morning-after contraceptive. The
directions she gives are to talce one
teaspoonful the morning after a fertilizing
intercourse and continue for five days.
Queen Anne's Lace seeds work by making
the inner wall of the uterus slippery so that
no egg will implant. How beautifully
simple!
Since writing her book Susun has
learned of a group of white women in
Alaska who have been using Wild Carrot
seeds with great success for eight years.
They were eating up to half a teaspoonful of
the seeds everyday. They woul4 sprinkle
the seeds on their food and keep a bowl of
them sining on the table so they could take a
few seeds each time they walked by. Two
of the women decided they wanted to have
children while they were using this method,
so they simply discontinued using the seeds
and conceived promptly.
Hall women knew about this method
and would put the method into practice,
what a blow to the drug companies it would
be! Who would want to cal their pills and
suffer the dreadful. side effects (one of them
being the draining of money from our
pockets) any longer?
A very dynamic resource for
accessing women's music is
Ladyslipper's annual publication of the
most comprehen.;ive Catalog and
Resource Guide of Records and
Tapes by Women. This exceptional
annotated me catalog offers recordings by
an expansive variety of female musicians,
writers, comics and composers.
Ladyslipper is a regional,
non-profit. tax-exempt organizatioc
involved in many facets of women's music.
Begun in 1976, its main emphasis is to
heighten public awareness of the
achievements of women artists and
musicians and to expand the scope and
availability of musical and literary
recordings by women. To contact
Ladyslipper, P.O.Box 3130, Durham, NC
27705.
graphics: Rob Messick
KATUAH - page 11
am .,.,.,
,,
- Ise Williams
Spri.rv; 1987
�H ealing Our H earts
H ealing The Earth
The Promise of Biosexuality
"The flowering of human
sexuality is the untapped resource
for the evolution and healing of
the Planet."
The nature of my experience as a human being has
been such that I have spent a lot of time looking for deeper
meanings in my experience, and looking for the events or
feelings which give meaning to iL Probably the most
"disturbing" and enlightening type of energy I have worked
wilh consistently over the years is sexual energy. Over the
last several months, I have come upon information and
experiences which have allowed me to integrate my sexual
expression with my devotion to the earth. I call this
integrative sense "Biosexuality".
In a nutshc!L it is "experiencing the erotic energy of
the earth". It is also getting outside of the ego boundaries we
feel trapped in, and feeling our sexual energy as a flow,
rather than a "drive". While I have not been able to clearly
define what "sexual energy" exactly is, I know it when I feel
it, and I experience somewhat the same energy in erotic
encounters that I do when t am intensely involved with the
natural world. This experience has led me to conclude that
this energy is one that flows in, around, and through us,
which we can tap into and channel.
There has been a lot of information published by
cco-feminists on how the oppression of nature is linked,
philosophically and literally, to the oppression of women. I
acknowledge this work, and owe a debt to these writers.
What I am striving to do is to derive inspiration for healing
the earth from our experience in healing our separation from
our sexual natures. Western "rational" patriarchy has tried to
teach us that the earth is our enemy, and that our bodies are
dirty. The contradiction of either one of these false concepts
must lead inevitably to the contradiction of the other. This
process should be acknowledged and expanded upon, and
we will gain much wisdom and joy thereby.
These understandings about sexual energy, which is
the force which keeps life activated, are little known or
investigated in the Euro-American cultural reality. Various
ancient disciplines explored these energies, and the work of
Wilhelm Reich and Carl Jung did a lot to open up these
hidden matters. In the current era, as we get in touch with
our own feelings as well as ancient wisdom, there is much to
be done.
The basis of "Biosexualiry" is a holistic sexuality,
which strives to transcend ego boundaries, extending
throughout the body and beyond. It requires that one be
willing to look at the hidden parts of the psyche, and explore
the mysteries of the erotic. As a man, I can affirm that these
are difficult and important steps on the road to spiritual
liberation. Quoting Edward Whitmont, "The new holistic
consciousness perceives human existence as an aspect of a
unitary, cosmic organism. From that perspective, conscience
is an inherent potentiality which underlies existence, rather
than a quasi-accidental byproduct of man-made culture."
The legend of the Cirail includes a motif in which the
Goddess has been ignored or despised, and the land is
barren. It is the quest of the Grail Knights to encounter the
Goddess, and affirm her power so that the land may be
fruitful again. This is a very powerful metaphor for the
present ecological catastrophe facing civilization. A key
ingredient in healing the wrongs perpetrated in the name of
human sexual expression is the respectful validation of
female sexuality. We see this happening today in changing
panems of sexual expression, as well as the validation of the
Goddess through earth r ituals and scientific
acknowledgement of the Gaea Hypothesis.
The Feminine Principle must be restored to its pince of
power in the human psyche. The key element is not the
oppression of women, but the oppression of the feminine in
both men and women. The imponance of feeling values
must be restored to us all, and the sovereignty of women
needs to be respected in human affairs.
Our sense of alienation is created and bolstered as pan
of the patriarchal worldview. We experience a.lienation from
our own bodies, and alienation from nature. Young people
are frequently taught to fear both the earth and their own
feelings as evil, dirty, or poisonous. We are taught to fear
the destructive forces in nature, and to dread the
changeability of the weather, and our own (or another's)
emotions. We try to control that which we fear, and will
destroy that which we cannot control. This concept of
"power over" lies at the root of all oppressive power
relations, both among humans, and between humans and
other life forms.
We learn to separate all our experience into "good" and
"bad", black and white, life and death. If we see these as
opposites rather than as pans of the same thing, we are split
apan from our deeper nature; our minds can deny our bodies,
our thoughts can conquer our feelings. When we accept
death as a natural part of the process, we may truly begin to
live our lives. The denial of our sexual natures and the desire
to control nature are both attempts to gain power over death.
This is a needless effort; we cannot control death, but we can
accept our whole experience in all its beauty and power.
As we become aware of our animal/erotic selves, we
can use sexual energy as a bridge between action and feeling.
We are often unable to allow our work and emotional life to
be in harmony. They seem like two different things. Jn
erotic expression, action and feeling arc blended, and we
have a chance to experience this blend.. We can get used to
feeling our emotions and creatively acting on them. We can
learn to acknowledge our feelings without becoming their
prisoner.
The healing of the split between our emotional and our
acting selves is pan of the healing of the rift between the
"spiritual" and the "political" in our transformational work",,#
This is at least one of the promises ofBiosexualiry.
,ltY
graphic: Rob Messick
KATUAH - page 12
Spring 1987
�Bioregionalism/W estern C ulture/Women
Bioregionalism begins to tap the very heart of the
Western historic tradition by re-asking the question: "Whal
is our place in t he uni verse?"
Bioregionalism does this by squarely challenging the
error of hierarchical thinking as it looks at:
• the historic dogma of the male God's dominion (read
oppression ) over the heavens and the human (white) male's
dominion (oppression) over the Eanh
• the secular, ptolemaic system of anthropocentrism whereby all
of nalllrC revolves around lhe human race
• the more "liberal" concept of benign (read pa1ernalis1ic)
stewardship whereby humans "t.akc care or the Earth.
As if that was not enough in itself, bioregionalism has
also begun to challenge the very innards of historic Western
tradition by examining the error of body/mind dualism ..
This dichotomy has been woven into the very fabric of
Western culture for hundreds of years, and it will be difficult
to realize all the ways it has affected and lobotomizr,d us.
However, bioregionalism, with its emphasis on
in-corporating (literally) the sensual, the spiritual and the
mental in our relationship with our Earth means that healing
is occurring - that mind and body are beginning to grow
together once again. Praise to all of us in our efforts toward
this healing, for it is wi th this healing that our Earth will
become less tormented.
Another error of thinking underpinning Western
culture which bioregionalism challenges is the "trash your
homeplace... there's always a new frontier" mentality.
In light of bioregional self-criticism, I ask that we all
regard these errors of thinking in depth, in order to see how
they affect not only how Western culture relates to the
Earth bat also how it relates to the female. In the interest
of bioregional self-criticism, I suggest that we explore in
earnest how these two areas are vitally intertwined and
how, in order to deal with the treatment of Earth,
we must also deal with the treatment of Women.
Hiera rchical T hinking
For thousands of years we have been assured that God
is male; that the human male has dominion over the human
female; that the human female came from the human male;
that the human male has dominion over the female and
children; that the human male has dominion over the female,
children and animals, plants and the Earth itself. This
opinion has been the basis for overt physical, political,
spiritual and psychological oppression for centuries. Finally,
a number of males today have begun to "catch on" (many
females have known for quite some time), to realize that by
this system they too are entrapped. They have begun ·to
realize the perverseness and pervasiveness of this system, ~s
some people in the white population have begun to get a
glimmer of the oppression directed towards peoples of color.
Still, realization is only a first step. Pervasiveness is
insidious when it comes to actually changing an age-old
system.
Body/Mind Dualis m
By historically divorcing 'mind' from 'body', Western
culture was able to do away with a number of truths. This
KATUAH - page 13
by Marnie Muller
was accomplished by drastically reducing the human powers
of perception and declaring them to be false. Our perceptions
(not deceptions) had told us that the Earth was alive, that we
were pan of this functioning process...that che food we ate
and the air we breathed united us with this intimizing
process...that our children were born of this process...that
the Eanh turned from this process. Stars beckoned us.
Waters lapped us. Sunlight fell on us. Music/sound pulsed
through us.
Western culture untied us from this "process" - from
sensual reality. (By 'sensual', I mean all the aspects of our
being which allow us co experience fully, with all our
senses, the creation around us.) Western culture began to
emphasize mind and 'spiric' and to denigrate the sensual.
The sensual became "other'' - it was a source of enticement,
temptation, of sin, blame - something to be suppressed.·
Because the culcure was dominaced by male patriarchal
concepts which identified the male with 'mind', the female
was then identified with 'sensual', 'flesh', 'dark'. With
suppression came oppression. Objectificacion and use of the
female and objectification and use of the Earth occurred.
Perception of the full presence of the female and of the full
presence of the Earth was obscured because of this
objectification.
T he Homeplace
In bioregional thought, the homeplace is sacred. In
Western culture, it is the place "to get away from"; the
homeplace is the place where chores need to be done, where
children are, where the elderly need to be cared for. In a
wider context, the homeplace is boring, should be used up so
that new frontiers can be moved towards. At best, it is used
as a retreat.
Throughout cultural history, the female is associated
with the homeplace. It is here where we, as bioregionalists,
most need to look. Whether male or female, we need to
allow our homeplace to be resacralized. Our shelter (whether
nomadic or stationary) is our place from which we go out
and to which we return. It is our membrane - something to
be cared for, nunured with energy, loved. Sometimes we
have a shelter with someone else - a partner or friend.
Sometimes we have children - sometimes we have elders
with us - in our shelter. It is a place to be in, ~o relax in, to
prepare food in, to repair when necessary. It is situated in a
wider place - a homeplace of Nature - a place to know ...to
find out about water, animals, plants, trees, soil, wind
currents, seasons, migration patterns. Reconnecting with
our homeplace allows us, in a safe way, to begin
reconnecting with our inner selves. In tum, we Lhen connect
or reconnect with other humans.
In addition to Western culture's treatment of the Eanh
and of the female, we also need to look at Western culture's
treatment of the child. Our homeplace will not become
"breathable" again until we do this. Western culture treats
the child as though s/he is not really all the way there. It is as
though the culture's bounds of reality have become so
narrowed that no longer can the full presence of the child be
acknowledged. Within the child's psyche there is so much
crossover between the 'sensual' and the 'conceptual' that in
order to acknowledge and rejoice in the full presence of the
child, we as a culture would have to "un-atrophy" our
powers of perception and reincorporate the 'sensual' into our
lives. A step in our own healing process is to recognize and
nurture in children the gifts of "being" we are attempting to
reclaim for ourselves.
As we bioregionalists truly begin to locate ourselves in
the universe, let us, as females and males, begin to locate
ourselves in relation to each other. Then we can mutually
begin to work together on an equal basis to reform the values
of our human culture as it affects ourselves and ou~
homeplace Earth.
/:'
,,#
Reprinted wi t h pe rmiss ion from Raise The Stakes,
Planet Drum, Summer, 1984.
gnphicby Ta1aAndres
Spring 1987
�Graphic by Anne McDonald
MOTIIER MOON
by Linda Mathis
Mother Moon I have come
for your embrace. I begged
long and hard for the
Wind to bring me. My insides
Are in turmoil from the
pulling of the tidal wave.
The smell of the forest
fem has made my senses
drunk. My fingers have
raked the face of the great
rock cliff. Take my blood
Mother Moon. A sacrifice to
You. Wrap your white feathered
arm about me. Your helpenhe
Wind has chapped my skin.
He teased me saying my tears
Were biner like crab apple
and too salty to the taste.
I have tried so hard, but
the first night you were only
Quarter-moon. The Wind held
my wrists and hissed no...
Witches Moon. I tried to
sleep. Again I tried to find
You. The Wind had left me
And I had hope, but you chose
to stay behind the clouds.
Now at last I have found you,
Mother Moon, shining white
and Wise. The Wind laughs around
me. Hear your daughter, strengthen
me. The dirt between my fingers
is cold and hurts, the ground
under my body hard and uncaring.
Warm me with your beams of
star dusl Help your daughter,
Mother Moon.
- by Linda Mathis
/
Meditation
I entered the Medicine
Wheel and sat facing the North. I spoke my intention--to sing for the Eanh, for the people in my
life, and for myself. I sang to find our way home. I sang for illumination. I sang for ease in the
world and with each other.
My vision staned in the west when a strong male Native American Helper sat to the west
slightly behind me. The deer spirit came next and my song choked for her, because I hadn't
expected to be so honored by her prese.nce, and because I felt touched by her muteness.
My song had two sounds, one in the South which was feminine, and one in the North which
was masculine. As I moved around the circle my song blended into one sound and I could no
longer remember the first song.
I approached the East and felt no one occupying that space. Regardless, as I began to sing in
the East for whoever needed it, I felt a strong Native American Grandmother Helper move in. I
had felt her presence earlier over my shoulder, but she was reluctant to reveal herself then. As I
sang my song in the East, again my voice choked. This time I was literally moved into my own
hurt femaleness-the part of me that had felt silenced, as a child, in schools during my hospital birth
experience, and living as a woman in a "man's world." I felt the hurt part of me that had kept my
words in, thinking that I could protect others from their own pain. I felt the part of me that has
been untruthful and afraid to fully believe in my own power.
I changed the song in the East. I sang out my grief, and with my Grandmother attending me, I
was eventually able to sing my song out strong. My Grandmother and I exchanged
communication. I was given a direction to affirm.
I can say anything I want to. I must. I am cheating myself and others if I do not speak what I
am directed to. My Grandmother lives in me. I am her. She is me. I am healing the male/female
in myself. I am balancing those shields.
Colleen Redman-Copus
KA1UAH - page 14
~
,P-:..J
Sprir¥J 1987
�This is a transcription ofthe views of a traditional Cherokee
medicine man concerning the Cherokee matriarchal culture.
The Cherokee culture is matriarchal and probably comes
originally from our Iroquois ancestry.. because no other
southeastern tribe has a matriarchal culture. The matriarchal
culture with the Cherokee worked probably different than
other matriarchal cultures. We got our clan from our mother,
all of our lineage comes through our mother. An example,
the clan was almost Ii.kc your last name as far as
identification, etc.
In this culture, the women owned all the property, the
house and most of the stuff in it -all but the men's personal
stuff. Men preferred to have female children because their
lineage came through the female. A man couldn't exist
without a woman in the culture, he had no home ; if a conflict
came between them, the woman would throw the man's
personal possessions--his tools or his weapons, whatever he
had, out 1.11 the yard and he had to go home to his mother. If
his mother wasn't alive, he would go home to one of his
sisters and if he didn't have a sister, he didn't have a home.
So there probably was a little more 'harmony' in the home in
those days.
We also used to have an official and sort of unofficial
office..we had what we call "The Beloved Woman" or "the
Beloved One" and it was a woman that was chosen by
natural consensus from all the people.. based on the kind of
person this woman was. She was always helping and
sharing and giving and loving and wise in what she did and
made wise decisions and all the people would choose her to
be the Beloved Woman and she was in that position all her
life 'til she died. And the kind of influence she had over the
people was in several different ways. During the time there
was any conflict in our tribes, any captives that were brought
into the village -she decided what happened to them; if the
chief in the tribe decided to go to war, her influence was so
sttong that she could cause that decision to be changed.
I know that a lot of us ln.dian people are looking for our
ttaditional ways. Some of us think that perhaps we have to
go to extremes and wear buckskins and all that son of stuff.
That's not our traditional way anymore in a sense. The
buffalo arc gone and the freedom we had of moving around
the earth on the land like we did is all gone. That was a
different time. But we can look back at our ancestors and we
can see good things, useful things. One of these is the
matriarchial system. It seems to me that where there is a
sttong matriarchal culture, there is less conflict with our
neighbors, less war.
Women, it seems to me, arc not as 'aggressive' as men
and they mollify that aggressiveness. I think it is important
that women really look at themselves and try not to go into
cxttemes. They arc egg-carriers, and they are nurturers and
'taker-carer-of-ers'. And from the very existence of humans,
they've probably been in this role. So what I am saying,
women can be a nurturer and a taker-carer-of and still
express their natural talents as human beings--doctor,
lawyer, whatever.
I think if one studies that ancient matriarchal culture as
I have been describing, I think you'll find that women had
value--trcmcndous value. They had pride and dignity and
they didn't have to go to extremes and feel uncomfortable
about their womancss and their moon lodges.
Politically, we've always had women that were in high
positions within our tribe. During war, numerous accounts
of white people in battles with Cherokee describe that
afterwards they found many women painted and dressed as
warriors. Throughout our history we've had famous women
as warriors.
We arc what we arc and we should find the best of
what we arc... And the negativeness of myself as a male,
such as aggressive behavior, these are the sort of things I've
learned 10 lessen by observing women's ability to
instinctively know how to nurture and to take care of and
show outside affection.
Due to the extremely strong influence on the Cherokee
people, the matriarchial system has broken down. There's
sttong signs of a matriarchy still there. It still isn't as I
described it before because a patriarchial culture has enforced
some of their ways on them.
And I had to teach myself and work hard to pick up on
these qualities which I think are very desirable. And probably
if we had more of these qualities we could interact with not
only individual people but with individual countries. That's
1 l(
I
KATUAH-page 15
all.
')
Spring 1987
�EFFIE (1901-1918)
Come a day ~e now with the sumac burning fiery
on the mountain, and the poplar yaller,
I think on Effie and our time back yonder,
before the Kaiser's War where life was simpler,
us playing Jack in the Bush and singing songs,
or kicking the stick going 10 school,
till our high tops was scuffed,
and we got fussed at for iL
Effie and me was like sisters only bener,
for we was agreeable always and shared our thoughts,
and giggled and cried at a heap of things together.
And at the proper age, Effie turned to womanhood,
filling out, and hiding behind the privy door
at times 'till my womanhood come, too.
Then we ogled the boys and always combed our hair,
and pinched our cheeks for color.
We sneaked on face chalk and sported sooty lashes that run,
and laughed while we swished our sateen skins and flirted.
Then, the boys went across the waters and died in the war,
sometimes before our leners come, us feeling romantic
and not understanding sorrow, then, until
Effie come down sick and wasted before my eyes, in pain.
And time on end I sat and held her hand,
her singing, and giggling, and crying, not herself.
And no more'n a year gone by, Doc Allen come
and shook his head, sad.
'There ain't no manner of hope," he said,
and I watched her go, at fall-time, holding her hand,
and couldn't cry Ii.Ice the rest when Effie laid in her box.
And folks whispered and said it was onnatural,
but I said, "Leave her go, for Tdon't want Effie back
to hurt no more."
It's been nigh onto sixty year, since Effie left,
and it's been hard sometimes.
But I've bad her remembrance in my heart.
And after Carl and me married, later, come us a little girl,
and her name was Effie.
And I loved her, too.
Pearl
from the book by PATRICIA SHIRLEY
young and strong, while my tears run,
and Ma called, "Pearl, I need you!"
I stayed too long, till Aunt Juncy Ball,
dark and spiteful, come and whispered
in my ear, "If I was you, Pearl,
I'd get to Will's Holler before my man
didn't need me no more."
and I said, "What do you mean, Aunt Juney?"
And she said, "I've said my say."
Brother Pleas carried me and my babies
to Will's Holler after I'd kissed
Ma goodbye, her crying.
And I waited in my own house till the cock crowed,
for Carl who come Sll'Ong and handsome
through the door and stopped short, saying,
"What are you doing here?"
And I answered, "I can come home, if I choose,
I reckon, and were you with another woman?"
And Carl scringed and owned up.
"You were long gone, and she didn't mean nothing,
Pearl, but I was lonesome."
And I turned away, bitter, when he reached to me.
And I said, "Don't never touch me no more."
And Carl got down on his knees and vowed
he'd never look at another woman all his life.
It tore me up, as I couldn't hardly stand
to sec him cry, and I said, "I'll think on it,
but tell me who the heifer was."
Carl didn't want to but allowed
it was Iva Belle Gibson over the ridge,
that no account female who was easy with the fellers.
And I said, "Ain't you a'feared of the disease?"
And Carl said he was too strong for that
I put him off, and he worked in the fields
like his life dependod on it And soon I took
LIFEAINT ALWAYS FAIR, 1923
Go ahead and cry, girl.
Tears help when the pain bums deep,
and you'd as soon die as not.
You ain't the first whose man broke
her trust and wants it back
lilce nothing ever happened.
But you can build from mistakes, girl,
if you put your mind to it.
II ain't easy. I know.
My nightmare come before ever your
daddy was bomed, when Pa died.
With Pa in the ground that day,
I longed to go home with Carl
and lean on his strength.
But Ma plagued me to stay and comfort her.
So with a little'un on my hip and a knee-child
a'holt of my skirt, I watched Carl ride away,
KATUAH-page 16
my babies and went over to see Iva Belle Gibson,
and found her sitting on the porch with
a red ribbon in her yaller hair and a red dress,
and I said, "Iva BeUe, that color suits your kind,
and if you look at my man again in your lifetime,
I will put a stob through your hean
and call the devil up to burn you in hell!"
And Iva Belle looked scain and said,
she wouldn't, as she didn't want no curse.
And I said, "Do you have the disease?"
And she swore she hadn't never, so I left her
on that porch and went home.
And Carl begged me again to forget, and I said,
"I'm still thinking on it." And he said,
"Don't put me off too long, Pearl, for I treasure you
and won't never stray again."
So it was time to balance the partS for what come next
and believe in the Lord that things work out
to make us strong, and I quit thinking on it,
and took a chance on Carl,
geuing your daddy on the heels of iL
Carl kept his word, and we never talked it again,
but times I thought of him sharing
with Iva Belle Gibson what was rightfully mine,
and it was hard to take.
Life ain't always fair, girl, and I knowed
I'd remember it always, but you build from mistakes,
if you put your mind to it.
You got to lean on your faith.
Spring 1987
�THE SIMPLER LIFE, 1926
Ways have changed since Carl and me made crops
for a living on that steep ridge in Will's Holler,
with weekend farmers now-a-days planting a row
of this and a row of that, fertilizing and spraying,
turning bits of soil with little tractor-plows,
in their spare time from a job in town.
As they look back to "olden times," envying folks
that simpler life.
I recollect most, in that past time, the younguns
and me putting in the crop one year, Carl laid up
with shoulder and leg broke from cutting wood.
and he couldn't do nothing much to help.
And Carl cursed and beat his good fist agin the wall,
while I hitched Sal to the turning plow and snaked
rows around the ridge top, Herman and Ben rolling
the destroying rocks into Hope Creek.
And I kicked the plow at ever turn, letting the mule
drag it back into place, for it was the fourth month
of carrying Carlie in my belly,
and the going was hard.
TIIlNGS, THEY WORK OUT, 1924
Law, Hallie, I've been where you're at.
I recollect when there was just a handful of meal
and a tad of long sweetning between us and nothing,
with four hungry younguns to feed.
It was bad, me laying big-eyed of a night,
with the fifth one kicking at the knot in my stornick.
to say there was more to come, and I cried.
But I couldn't fault Carl when the com
warshed off the scrabbly ridge side in Will's Holler,
along with the garden stuff, down into Hope Creek,
while the cow died that year.
Carl, he didn't sleep much neither but tromped oatSide
of a'night worrying, working bone-tired of a'day
so we'd survive.
Ma come, sometimes, with food to help us through,
while Carl's head bent in shame that he couldn't provide.
And once I said, "Ma, we're pore as Job's last turkey,
with no letup in sight, and I'm near loony
with it all. Ma. what're we going to do?"
And Ma. she said, "Things, they work out, Pearl.
What you've got ain't no better or worse than most folks,
sometimes. It's hard! But your daddy and me,
we went through bad times and come out stronger
for the fight. Pearl, the Lord and Carl won't let
you down, and come later, that baby will be your delight."
Ma. she patted me and said, "Things likely won't come
as you pictured, Pearl, but they'll work out."
Next day, Carl come and said we was going
to the coal camp, while the baby got bomed and seed money
got saved for next year's crop.
And his back was straight and his head up, while he said.
"It won't be much, Pearl, but we'll eat all right."
And I went, for the Lord and Carl was doing their part,
when Carl, he'd always shunned t.he mine.
My little one was bomed in that dirty town,
with Ma helping out, and I said, "Ma, you're smart,
and I'm calling this one Will Hope,
for he needs his piece of home."
At planting time, Hallie, we was clawing at the ridge again,
then routed mulish weeds in com rows, while eyeing
new potatoes and coming beans in the garden patch,
and tracking our good milker down the holler by her neck-bell.
And like Ma said, your Uncle Will Hope was my delight.
We'd got through a terrible bad time,
but I fell a deeper strength for whatever come next.
The Lord don't give all good things, Hallie,
else we'd not have room to grow.
You place your faith in Him and do your best.
Things, they work out.
KAlUAH-page 17
I dropped com we'd shelled on a winter's night,
Herman and Ben covering it with the scrabbly soiL
And when the com pushed up, we hoed from daylight,
sometimes stopping to blow in a fence comer, going
on again, 'till shadows was as long on the ridges.
And at the row's end, we'd leave the babies to play
on a quilt, or maybe in the sled, for its sides kept
them from the ground and outen harm.
And Carl, clumsy, would sharpen our hoes, while
the boys and me routed the weeds, row by row,
around the ridge, backs tired and callouses hard,
readying to lay the com by and take a little rest.
Our last day out, we hoed and joshed in fun, at times,
Carl minding Effie on the porch, while Jesse stood
in lhe sled, throwing kisses at his ma, corning along
the row.
When I heared him giggle, saw him duck, to stand again,
laughing, there come me a feeling along the ridge,
and I run, yelling, with Herman and Ben behind,
Carl lurching offen the porch in fear.
And the ugly thing coiled to strike again, while Jesse,
he hung over the sled box singing, "Pretty."
But I hit first, cutting it plumb into with the hoe,
chopping till Hennan said, "You can quit, now, Ma."
And he flung it down the ridge like the evil rocks.
And I cried, holding Jesse, while Carl cursed some more.
Herman got hisself the rattlers to save, and then
we went back and finished our job, praying for
a tolerable rain that didn't warsh the soil, and for
a good crop to trade on younguns' shoes and whatever
else we needed through another year.
That was our simpler life.
I know my people.
for through time they've
handed down their stories
~lives through the stories of her life and the lives of her
ancesU>rs. fJ:flJ:1 is a tapestry of Appalachian life and history extending
from 1732 to the preselll.
The book is available for $5.50 postpaid from: Seven Buffaloes
Press; P.O. BoJC 249; Big Timber, MT 59011
~1987
�MSD: "SLUDGE CAN FLY"
MSD Boan1 oCDircctors
P.O.Box 8969
Natural World News Service
NATURAL
WORLD
NEWS
THE BATTLE IS LOST, BUT.....
Natural World News Service
The administrative appeal filed by the
Western Nonh Carolina Alliance (WNCA)
to change the clear-cut prescription for the
Little Laurel timber sale on the south side of
the Cowee Ridge above Franklin, NC was
flatly turned down by the US Forest Service
(USFS) at the national level.
The appeal procedure on that suit
exhausted, the WNCA has conceded the
sale, as the group does not have the
resources for an expensive civil coun
action. The group will carefully monitor the
Little Laurel clear-cut, both to be sure that
proper logging practices are adhered to and
to analyze the effects of the clear-cut
technique on a typical section of
Appalachian hardwood forest.
In turning down the Little Laurel
suit, the Forest Service refused to consider
the validity of other forest management
techniques other than clear-cutting and
even-aged forest management Therefore the
WNCA feels that it would be wasted energy
to initiate suits on upcoming USFS timber
sales in the Greens Creek and Terrapin
Mountain areas.
The group's Forest Management Task
Force is, however, considering a challenge
of the USFS 15-year management plan for
the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.
Clear-cutting is the predominant
management program in the plan, and the
Alliance feels that shelterwood cuts,
proposed for some areas as a compromise
measure, arc unacceptable, as they are only
"delayed clear-cuts" that still lead to
even-aged forest management, which is
inappropriate in the Appalachian hardwood
forest community.
The WNCA also plans to step up irs
edcucational campaign about the forestry
methods used on public lands, analyze
practices on private lands, and try to reach
small landowners to initiate selective cutting
and uneven-aged management on
individually-held forest tracts as a
demonstration to the Forest Service and to
the public at large of the method's aesthetic
and economic benefits and i1s long-term
viability.
For more information on the WNCA
Forest Management Task Force, contact:
Taylor Barnhill
101 Beech Glen Rd.
Mars Hill, NC 28754
KA11JAH- page 18
Despi1e widespread citizen concern,
Buncombe County's (NC) Metropolitan
Sewerage District (MSD) has announced
that it plans to build a sewerage sludge
incinerator to bum solid waste generated by
irs treatment facility. So far, no adequate
environmental assessment of various sludge
disposal options has been prepared,
although such an assessment is required by
law.
MSD responded to the need for an
assessment with a short, inadequate
document, stating that incineration would
have no environmental impacts. In fact, the
scrubbers planned for the incinerator will
not remove particles smaller than one
micron which contain the heaviest load of
heavy metals and dioxins. MSD does not
have an adequate plan for disposing of its
hazardous scrubber water. Also, MSD plans
to place the ash from the incinerator, which
will contain high concentrations of heavy
metals, in its existing lagoon. How safe is
that form of disposal? Full environmental
and economic assessments of all the sludge
disposal alternatives are needed in order for
MSD to make an informed decision.
Local citizen groups are calling for
MSD to compost its solid wastes and sell
the compost as a soil amendment for use on
non-food crop plantings. As an added
incentive, Buncombe County is open to the
possibility of setting up a co-composting
facility with the MSD.
Citizen input is particularly needed at
this time. Citizens groups are
recommending that a letter be sent to EPA
with copies to MSD, the NC Natural
Resources & Community Development
Depanment (NRCD) and elected officials.
EPA, Region IV
Harold Hopkins. Chief
Facilities Construct.ion Branch
Waw Management Div.
345 Courtland St, NE
Atlanlll, GA 30365
Asheville, NC 28814
Siephanie Rici:uutlsoo
NC Dept of Natural Resources &
Community Development
Consll'Uction Grants Section
521 N. Salisbury St.
Raleigh, NC 27611
For more info: Citizens for Clean ~ir.,#
(704) 628-1636 or (704) 658-0294p
EPA PROTECTS PIGEON
from Gary Davis, Knoxville. TN
The US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has issued a draft of a permit
for the Champion Paper Co. to continue to
operate on the Pigeon River in Haywood
County, NC. The EPA draft toughened the
standards for water color, one of the most
controversial water quality factors, saying
that the river must not be occluded more
than 50 color units 0.4 mile downstream
from the plant.
The pennit did not revise water
temperature requirements, but controlling
the water color would require recycling of
the water from the bleaching process, which
would effectively cool the water as well.
The Champion Company is expected
to appeal the terms of the EPA permit. As it
does each time compliance with
environmental regulations is required, the
company is loudly proclaiming that it will
have to shut down all its operations in
Haywood County if they are forced to bring
their plant operations up to an acceptable
standard
/
Spring 1987
�"They've Got Us Surrounded
.... And They're Closing In"
On the one hand, nuclear pollution. On the other, potemial disaster.
Karuah is surrounded by a nuclear noose of present dangers and planned
radioactivity sites. And the cord is being pulled righter about our throats.
1987 and 1988 will be years ofdecision for the mountain province.
Low-Level Waste Dump
The MRS
Oconee I, 2, and 3
On February 5, 1987 Frank Scanlon,
deputy attorney-general of the State of
Tennessee, submitted an appeal to the US
Supreme Court contesting a ruling in
December by the Sixth District Court of
Appeals that gave the US Department of
Energy (DOE) legal pennission to continue
the process of installing the Monitored
Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility in east
Tennessee. The MRS would handle
high-level radioactive nuclear wastes,
storing them temporarily and re-packaging
them for "permanent" storage in a nuclear
waste suppository. The MRS is presently
slated to be constructed at the site of the
defunct Clinch River Breeder reactor near
Oak Ridge, TN.
Tennessee officials contend that the MRS
should be halted because the DOE violated
the law by not informing the state and its
citizens before moving in to begin work on
the facility.
The Supreme Coun will rule in the late
spring or early summer on whether or not it
will bear the case. An injunction issued by
a lower court prohibiting the DOE from
continuing siting activities on the MRS will
remain in effect until the Supreme Court
gives its final verdict.
In the meantime President Reagan has
included $58 milJion in the budget he
recently sent to Congress for funds to begin
construction of the MRS. Debate on the
MRS will now begin in the national
legislature.
The DOE is not relenting in its search for
a first round nuclear waste suppository in
the west, but it is meeting passionate
opposition in the designated areas, and its
construction timetable is threatened. The
agency has already contracted to take reactor
wastes from private utility companies in
1996, and it wants the MRS to ensure that it
will be able to meet that deadline.
Residents of Katliah need to oppose the
MRS facility with every means at their
command. If the plant is installed, the
results will be devastating for the
Appalachian Mountains:
1) The high mountain forests downwind
of the plant. already dying from atmospheric
pollution, will be burdened by additional
toxic radioactive contamination. In the
event of an accident, the mountains will
receive the full brunt of the effects of any
radioactive release.
The crucial decision point in the
question of whether the state of Nonh
Carolina will stay in the Southeastern
Low-Level Nuclear Waste Compact will
come during the current session of the NC
State Legislature. The Compact is a large
game of Russian roulette in which eight
southeastern states have come together to
put all of their low-level radioactive waste
(LLRW's) for the next 20 years off on one
of the member states. If the NC State
legislators elect to stay in the Compact,
direct action by the citizens of the state will
be required to avert the siting of a low-level
waste dump in North Carolina that would
otherwise have to accept 32 million cubic
feet of radioactive wastes over the next 20
years.
Five sites on the North Carolina
Piedmont are among those deemed
"suitable" to handle the wastes.
These wastes are termed "low-level"
radioactive wastes, but because of
inadequate containers, careless handling,
and "disposal" by burying in shallow,
underground trenches, they are at least as
dangerous as high-level radioactive wastes.
.. It would be an ecological and financial
disaster for North Carolina to accept the
wastes of all the states of the Southeastern
Compact. To date, all facilities where
low-level wastes have been stored have
experienced severe leaking and
environmental contamination. All the sites
except the Barnwell site in SC have been
forcibly closed, leaving clean-up bills in the
millions of dollars for the taxpayers of each
state to pick up.
Shallow-trench burial has been proven
ineffective and should be banned. Yet it is
the disposal method of choice despite the
threat to the physical and genetic health of
nearby human and animal residents and
plant life.
Visible from the top of Whiteside
Mountain near Highlands, NC, the Oconee
I, 2, and 3 nuclear reactors sit in the lake
district of northwestern South Carolina.
These plants were designed by the
Babcock and Wilcox (B&W) company to
the same plan as the ill-fated reactor at Three
Mile Island that suffered a partial meltdown
in 1979. In 1980 the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) stated that eight B&W
nuclear power plants, including the Oconee
I, 2, and 3 generators, would have to
undergo safety modifications to prevent a
repeat of the Three Mile Island accident.
Yet today, due to negligence or
indulgence on the part of the NRC, the
Oconee plants are still in operation, their
basic design problems unchanged, despite
accidents at each of the reactors. While they
arc operating, the three nuclear power
stations constitute a significant threat to the
lives of all living things in their vicinity.
The Union of Concerned ScientistS
(UCS) last February filed a formal petition
with the NRC listing these conditions and
demanding that the eight plants in question,
including the Oconee reactors, be
immediately closed until the necessary
changes are made.
"The unique B&W design makes the
reactors extremely sensitive to even minor
failures,"said Robert Pollard, USC safety
engineer and former NRC official.
"Something as tiny as a blown fuse could
send a B&W plant into a tailspin that could
lead to a major accident with a large release
of radiation."
In 1
979 the Oconee 3 plant lost its
integrated control system. In a B&W
reactor, this could lead to serious
consequences, but fortunately in this
instance the situation was brought under
control. Other accidents have occurred at
each of the plants, underlining the concern
of the UCS that the plants be brought up to
minimum safety levels before a serious
incident occurs in the course of normal
operation.
The NRC has taken note of the safety
problems existing in all the B&W reactors.
They set two deadlines, first in 1984 and
again in 1986, for the built-in safety hazards
to be rectified, but hedged on both deadlines
when they expired. Why the NRC is not
fulfilling its responsibilities is not known,
but it is clear that while the NRC may be
watching out for somebody's interests, it
(conlimM!d on pqe 20)
(continued on page 20)
(continued on pqe 20)
Shaded areas rqweun1 po1ettliaJ dump siles
for IC1W'-levtl 11MCkar waste ill Nonlt CtuoliM..
Spring 1987
KA1UAH - page 19
; ,
• ·~ l
�MRS (continued from page 19)
2) The mountains will become the neck
of a funnel of radioactive waste pouring into
Oak Ridge from the east and southeast.
Unmarked 1rucks and trains carrying the
highly volatile and dangerous wastes will
begin moving daily through the KatGah
province. The steep, winding transp<>rtation
routes and unpredictable weather of the
mountains will make a catastrophic accident
very likely.
3) An MRS in Oak Ridge would be an
open invitation to the DOE lo implant a
deep-shaft nuclear waste repository in
Katuah.
The second-round waste
suppository has not been forgotten by the
DOE. It has only been delayed for the sake
of expediency. The close proximity of the
second-round repository site called the "Elk
River Site" by the DOE near Asheville, NC
and the Great Smoky Mountains National
ParJs would make it almost cenain that
Katuah would be designated the eastern
dump for the nation's nuclear trash.
Contacc
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense
League
PO Box 808
West Jefferson, NC 28694
or
Western Nonh Carolina Alliance~
Rt 1, Box 304
·
Zirconia, NC 28790
LOW-LEVEL WASTE
(continued from p:ige 19)
Transponation of the wastes also poses a
danger. It is estimated that one 1ruck per
hour will roll through the countryside
carrying hazardous material to the dump
site, endangering the lives and health of
living things all along the route.
Despite the obvious dangers and
disadvaniages of a low-level radioactive
waste dump in the state, NC legislators have
proven reluctant to demand that the state pull
out of the Southeastern Compact. This is
because the large utility companies in
eastern NC and throughout the southeast
have been exerting powerful pressure
behind the scenes to ensure that the state
government offers no resistance to the
Compact idea.
The campaign to pull out of the
Compact is being led in the state legislature
by Rep. Joe Mavretic in the House and state
Senators Charles Hipps and "Bo" Thomas,
who will introduce bills into the current
legislative session.
"I think the best option is for Nonh
Carolina to build its own facility, to go it on
its own or with one more state, maybe
South Carolina or Virginia, to work with
us," said Hipps at a meeting with members
of the Western Nonh Carolina Tomorrow
last February.
A strong popular movement to break
away from the Compact has arisen among
voters. A petition circulated by the group
"Citizens for a Choice on Nuclear Waste"
now stands ready to be presented to the state
legislacure bearing 9,000 signatures of
residents who wish the state to leave the
Compact. Work begun by the Western
Nonh Carolina Alliance in Polk County has
resulted in community meetings in
opposition to the dump that have drawn
hundreds of participants.
If North Carolina accepts the waste,
responsibility for the long-term effects of
the highly toxic waste products will be out
of the hands of the utilities and far from the
area where they are produced and
consumed. This helps keep up the
companies' profits and their media image
and masks the actual costs of producing
nuclear power.
In NC 87% of the LLRW's by volume
and 97% by curies (radioactivity) are
produced by the utility companies from the
generation of nuclear power. If the state
broke away from the Compact and made the
utility companies in the state assume
responsibility for their own wastes, only a
small facility would need to be built by the
state's taxpayers to handle hospital and
other low-level radioactive wastes.
NC residents need to make their needs
and feelings known. The only way to get
the sheepish legislators to act is to make
sure they realize that supporting the
Compact idea would be political suicide.
NC state residents need to demand Lt.
Governor Robert Jordan, House Speaker
Liston Ramsey, and their legislators to:
0
1) leave the Southeastern Compact
2) ban shallow-trench burial of low-level
nuclear wastes
3) require utilities to manage their own
wastes under state regulation.
4) begin phasing out nuclear energy in
the state in favor of more benign sources of
power.
For more information, contact:
Western Nonh Carolina Alliance
Rt. I, Box 304
Zirconia, NC 28790
or Citizens For a Choice on Nuclear Waste
POBox653
~~
Dillsboro, NC 28725
~
»MIL£ AAOtUS ""OM
I
.
-
<>COHEE UNITS •-3
I
·-
OCONEE 1, 2, and 3
(continued from p:ige 19)
certainly is not watching over !he interests
of those who live in the vicinity of the three
Oconee reactors.
Local residents are urged to join the UCS
petition and write to the NRC to request that
the Oconee plants be immediately shut down
because of their dangerous design
deficiencies.
Write: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
1717 H SL NW
/~
Washington, DC 20555
~
I LISTEN
I am a child of the mountains;
For when a whippoorwill calls from the
darkened Blue Ridge,
I listen.
And when I sit on a mossy rock next to the creek
And see a Cooper's hawk skimming the pinetops.
His cry as clear as the sky,
I listen.
And I listen to the ttain whistle moaning through
the valley
And the echoing rumble that makes me pull the
bedclothes close to my chin;
I am a child of the mountains and
I listen.
Julia Nunnally Duncan
KATUAH - page 20
Spring 1987
�A CHILDRENS' PAGE
T re_°'\- TYi e_
wor\ d .tQ''\'j
.,-
As a young girl, if you could do
or give something to this world,
what would you give?
!
(
/
o
0
~p D
:;
Annie, age 7 years:
1 would give love, and I would
tell them to treat people equally.
Drawings by Hannah Freed
Serena, age 5 years:
I would give love.
Abby, age 9 years
.
I would give a giant healing
crystal to the world.
~~
--
Leila, age 9 years:
I would let the world live, like the people who
are building highways, I would just leave it alone.
Samala, age 7 years:
I would give things to poor people, things that
they didn't have.
Hannah, age 12 years:
I would try to clean up this world and treat the
world nicely so that it doesn't become trashy and go
to waste. I'd also build houses for the poor so that
they could have the same amount of money as
everybody and live so people are so that there are
no wars.
KATUAH - page 21
We welcome original drawings, stories, poems, ideas or
comments by individual children or groups for !his page. The
children are our teachers! May their thoughts and dreams
enlighten us!
,
Spring 1987
�·r.
Trillium Cove
1·
- ,'"'\ I
DRUMMING
LETTERS TO KATUAH
precious, perfect day
- a jewel clear 'midst sand and stones,
we plucked it from
the swift stream
passing by,
my cider friend and I.
white trillium stars
lighting still coves,
our rising spirits
from blue sleep ascended
the feast
of forest verdure sweet.
KatU'.ah,
Thank you for the letter and information you sent I
very much appreciate your concern and help. I am in touch
with another person who was active in the Allegheny
Watershed group, but it seems that this bioregional sparlc is
inactive for now. I am encouraged and will be contacting
both the Kindred Spirits Journal and the community
publication you provided.
I know there are many people like myself who are
searching for a better way of life. I know for myself, I often
feel a sense of despair and alienation living in the midst of the
dominant culture. I sometimes wonder if I am the only one
who hears the birds, the animals, all other life forms cry out
at the senseless and callous exploitation of the earth and its
life, for the gross profit and material greed of humans. Then
I read a joum.al like Karoah and somehow I feel better, I feel
at least a sense of hope, that I am not alone, and that my
beliefs and struggles are not totally crazy. It is of the utmost
importance that people who believe in bioregional approaches
to living somehow make contact with each other. I know the
frustration I feel at not being able to find other beings in the
Allegheny-Monongahela watershed to join together in
building a better life. We arc all pioneers in re-inhabiting
Turtle Island and need the support of each other. For
myself, I know that to continue to remain within the
modem-humanized industrial culture will soon destroy me.
It has already taken its toll. I don't know where or how, but
I must establish a closer relationship with the earth. I must at
least try. Your journal has given me much courage in this
struggle. Once again thanks for being there.
Most sincerely,
Ed Lytwak
30 Seanor St
. Jeannette, PA 15644
NOVA
After sixty years Rebecca tired of inventing
new qualities for stars. They grew fewer
as the city brushed her small frontyard, and those
few couldn't carry all her dreams in their sagging
tracks. So, ooe day when those old constellations
left for the other side of the world, she found
the deepest dry well in Harrodsburg, Kentucky,
shinnied down from the noon heat for
a new set of stars she could name
without mythology: the magnolia tipped
a careful question,
caring to soften the distance
of our years
I asked, "ls every Spring forever new?" as through newborn, greening eyes
our road ribbon'd
the passing majesty,
our hearts leaning homesick
toward the Mother
of all
hungry life.
shining his reply
from ancient, young eyes, as o'er the highway
our feelings unfurled like new leaves,
each mile beguiled by pale quiltings
of woolly hills
and valleys plaid,
"Oh, yes! Spring is eternally new!" eJCulting, we agreed
for its purity of promise,
for its tender, supple life,
for its pouring
and molding
to shape our dreams.
- Donna VanLear
Dear K.anl.ah.
I have been working 10 hours a day, seven days a
week, and I haven't had time to answer your letters promptly
or anything else.
The computer factory I work at (UNISYS) is being
closed due to merger of Sperry and Burroughs. Actually it
was a hostile takeover. Anyway, about 2,000 people will be
unemployed in Bristol. My job is being transferred to
Winnipeg, Canada, and as soon as they get a "clean room"
built there, I will be laid off. The other jobs are going to
Nogales, Meltico and Israel. The Canadians and Mexicans
are here now for training and are quarreling over which one
will get our test equipment
Last m<inth we shipped 15.9 million dollars worth of
computer products to customers, and the president of the
company wants one year of surplus to buffer the transition,
but it looks impossible to me. I don't know where I will be
working next, but perhaps I will have time to distribute some
v~ .r.~ i..·
.c.IWIJiUl s.
I will try to come to the Spring Gathering, if I don't
have to wodc then.
Blessed be,
Bia.kc Lawson
Bristol, TN
in dazzling dew; the red pair of possum eyes
met with headlights on the backroads; the north
quadrant, its promise changing with every hour, she
named after herself and the small things in her path.
- Marcia Hurlow
KATUAH - page 22
Spring 1987
�Dear Kanlah,
I write concerning a movement to create a 65,000 acre
MORE WILDERNESS!
wilderness area on the Virginia, West Virginia line in George
Dear Karuahans.
We dream of the day when large populations of the
Gray Wolf, the Eastern Cougar, and Yona, the bear, again
roam the wilds of the entire Appalachian Region. When the
Appalachlans are able to support healthy populations of these
and other indicator species, they should be able to support
healthy populations of all native micro-organisms and plant
and animal species. For this to happen, we need a large,
contiguous Wilderness uniting Florida with Maine and the
Maritimes, using the great Appalachian Trail as the
"backbone."
We are currently working on such a proposal for the
Earth First! Journal and Katuah which we hope to publish in
May. We need your advice and assistance in identifying core
Wilderness areas (existing roadless areas and wild areas
which ought to be quickly returned to a roadless state).
These areas need not lie directly on the AT; wild corridors
linking the core areas to the AT must also be identified.
Which areas in your region should we include in the
general proposal? (Think Big.) Which areas will need
Wilderness Recovery plans? What steps will be necessary to
reintroduce native species driven to or near extinction in
recent centuries (i.e., the Chestnut)? How can we recover
private lands in your region? What roads should be closed
today? In a few years? In the long-range vision? We need
descriptions of local bioregions. Are there special features of
the geology and ecology of an ecosystem which caU for
preservation? What are we overlooking? We especiaUy need
the guidance of Native Americans, Poets, Artists, and
Musicians.
Please send copies of letters to both Jamie and Roland
(who is designing a Wilderness Recovery plan for the
Appalachians).
In Wildness,
Roland A. Knapp
Jamie Sayen
Rt. 2, Box 433-A RRl, PO Box 132-A
North Stratford, NH
Frostburg, MD
21532
03590
Washington National Forest. This new Shenandoah
Wilderness would be the largest contiguous wilderness in
the Southern Appalachians. Perhaps more importantly, for
the first time a river valley with more than a large creek in it
will be completely protected by the wilderness system.
Many eastern National Forests, like George
Washington, are slowly dying because thousands of miles of
roads are being built along every stream bed. The biological
diversity and carrying capacity of the Forest are dropping as
more of the delicate riparian zones are invaded by roads. To
complement this pattern, our wilderness system is designed
to protect small islands of land that are usually too infertile
and dry to support the full range of a forest plant and arlimal
spectrums.
The designation of Shenandoah Wilderness is
definitely needed and entirely attainable. But the efforts to
create at least one large wilderness in the Appalachians are
approaching a major hurdle. The Forest Service is in the
process of finalizing plans to reconstruct a road through the
heart of the proposed wilderness area. The reconstruction of
the North River Road will do irreparable damage to the
primary waterway of the area, the North River.
If prodded by numerous letters the Forest Service
might slow down long enough to consider the benefits of
not rebuilding the North River Road, which was destroyed
by floods a year ago. It is the only major forest road in the
section proposed to be wilderness, so its closure would open
the door 10 wilderness designation.
Please write to George W. Kelley, Forest Supervisor,
George Washington National Forest at Harrison Plaza, POB
233, Harrisonburg, Va. 22801, encouraging him to study the
positive and negative environmental impacts of rebuilding or
not rebuilding this road. Letters to Virginia's Congressional
delegation would also help.
H you are interested in getting more involved in the
designation of Shenandoah Wilderness, write me as well and
I will send you some more complete infonnation.
"No compromise in the defense of Mother Earth."
John Hutchinson
c/oOAlnc
1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036
Dear Kattlah,
Thank you for your comments on creating a "new
grammar" and for your dedication to using inclusive
language in Karuah. The continued use of "he" and "him" as
the standard is one of the subtle ways we continue to be told
that the male is the nonn and the female is the deviation.
Thank you for doing your part in the evolution of our
language as it changes in respome to our changes.
Sincerely,
Glenda Neel Pender
Nature's Cellar
Dahlonega, GA
SWEET WILLIAM
Sweet William cut his plough into the earth,
Sweet William flared a thousand shades of pink,
The first my cousin, second it gave binh
To color as would make the dogwoods blink While one farmed in these hills for sixty years,
The other spread its wild-flower unde. foot r
They both are part of Appalachian tears ...
Where one's dug deep, the other's taken root
-John Grey
(DRUMMING continued nelll page)
KATUAH - page 23
Tata Andres
Spr.in; J.987
�I
DRUMMING (continued from p. 23)
lHE MOUNfAIN IS A WOMAN
1.
Dear Katiiah
You look at the evemng ridge;
it is a pan of you now,
Hearing that your next issue will be aboor women I
wrote down these thoughts. I hope there will be room for
them in that edition:
and wonder how
these things can happen.
"Woman lam
Spirit I am
I am the infinite within my soul
I have no beginning and I have no end
all this I am"
...we always chant to end the meditation in our women's
group.
''Woman I am." Yes. But what docs that mean? What
docs it mean to be a woman? Katherine's question "When
do you feel most like a woman?" had started me pondering at
the last meeting. Unable to come up with an answer right
away, we had decided to observe ourselves as "homework".
When do I feel like a woman?
As mother of a four month old, nursing and mothering
arc prime occasions. And the pregnancy, of course. What
couJd be more womanly than that? But I was 38 when my
son was born. Had I not felt like a woman before? Looking
back on my life (in those precious moments when he is
asleep) I realize I spent much time proving that I was a
non-typical woman. Woman as I saw her then was a weak,
submissive being, whose interests were restricted to
household matters, whose conversations were boring, and
who defined herself mostly by adopting and rendering her
husband's tastes, ideas and views. I did my best to turn out
the opposite. I pursued a career, participated in intellectual
discussions and chose hobbies where women were not
usually found.
Men were the scale I measured my worth on. I had to
be as good, daring, intellectual, skilled as they were.
After years of emotional healing I have enough
self-esteem today to know my worth as a person.
But as to my womanhood I am still puzzled, confused,
uncertain. The man-oriented history of our civilization is
frustrating. The perfectly masked female faces and girlish
bodies in magazines and films, offices and shops are
depressing.
I lack role models.
My body is the body of a woman. But what about my
mind, my soul, my spirit?
I am not alone in my search for identity within the
female. Most of my friends share these feelings.
We have been estranged from our essence for so long.
We need time. Time to ourselves. And space and
togelhemess wilh other women. This is how lhe idea of a
Women's Wellness Week was born last year: a week for
women to be together and explore !heir bodies, emotions,
spirits. To reconnect with their special female power and to
nurture those who usually do most of the nurturing for
Dreamers often do
The moon is as proud and distant in its rising
as her smile
this moon lifts proud
and brooding
somewhere inside of you
Drifting as siJent
and as singular
as Bu the owl
2.
Her daughter has touched you
She is heaJing,
she makes you bleed.
She has a boy,
her dreams are rcaJ.
The mountain is a woman
Once I made poetry
now I will make songs.
- Donald Morton
The Hawk Wjnd
There comes a day in the Spring of the year when
Eanh and Air interact to create a special wind, a wind that
allows the hawks to ride aloft on their great spring
migrations. This same Hawk Wind affects the soul of Man,
instilling in him - for at least this one brief day - a wanderlust
that will not let him rest. This intense longing defies
description, but once the Hawk Wind has claimed you, you
will never forget it.
The Hawk Wind is rising in the West,.
And with it I must rise,
Or be forever bound to Earth
While in this earthly guise.
@ Douglas A. Rossman
others.
We want to do all this again this year and have fun
together at Indian Valley Retreat in August. It would be
wonderful if many of you could join us for this special event.
Or maybe organize a wellncss week of your own.
I hope that all women will sometime be able to answer
the question "What docs it mean to be a woman?" with "It
means to feel good."
Michaela Schmidt
c/o Indian Valley Retreat
Willis, Va.
1UAH - page 24
Spring 1987
�COVERLETS (continued from p. 4)
mountain weaving women and did have an effect on the
conditions of their lives.
handicrafts revival was cenainly of economic benefit. It also
had a big effect on a woman's position in the family in the
cases where she provided the only source of cash and her
work enabled the family to stay on their land.
By the mid-1920's the mountains were dolled with
schools, co-ops, shops, and settlement houses. But Frances
Goodrich's dream of creating a market for mountain crafts
had only been partly realized. In a 1928 meeting of mountain
volunteer workers in Knoxville, TN, Olive Campbell
proposed to Lucy Morgan that a guild be formed. ln
December of that year another meeting wfls held in the
weaving cabin at Penland that led to the founding of the
Southern Highlands Handicraft Guild in 1931.
Frances Goodrich offered the new organization the
facilities of her Allanstand shop. Almost as soon as the guild
was formed, it began its long involvement with the Great
Smoky National Park and later with the Blue Ridge
Parkway, providing items for sale and demonstrations of
traditional crafts.
In the mountains there is a continuum that remains here
to this day. It consists of two overlapping traditions: the
pioneer cabin culture that is 200 years old and still survives
in some ways, and the craft revival tradition that is already
100 years old and is an individual as well as an intellectual,
social, political, and economic movement. These two
traditions blend together, and it is impossible to draw a clear
line between where one Stans and the other ends. Even today
new things are being discovered and other things revived.
Back in 1895 people were pessimistic about the furore
of the old, rural, mountain traditions. Today we can better
realize the resilience and adaptability of the mountain ways.
Mountain people are practical. They were never attached to
tradition for tradition's sake. They have always been eager to
find a better way to do things. But mountain people cling
tenaciously to the old ways "if it suits 'em" to do so.
MAINTAINING MOUNTAIN CULTURE
Lucy Morgan and Olive Campbell represent the second
generation of the Appalachian handicrafts revival. Lucy
Morgan was a native-born Appalachian woman who
founded the Penland School of Crafts in the early I 920's and
Fireside Industries to help mountain women market their
craftwork. Olive Campbell founded the John C. Campbell
Folk School in 1925. These second-generation revival
leaders had slightly different goals from their predecessors.
"First, I wanted to promote a revival of mountain
handiwork. Second, I wanted to add to their meager incomes
while not forcing them to leave their homes," said Lucy
Morgan.
In her work she was always conscious that in helping
mountain women get cash for their work, she was helping
them to achieve a degree of independence that they had never
had before.
She appreciated that mountain women were breaking
into the modem system by means of some of their oldest
trades.
''Thoughts danced through my head nights and days,"
she wrote in later years. "My mind wove fanciful visions
while my tired. sore fingers were weaving tangible materials.
I saw innumerable women in modest mountain homes,
happily engrossed in weaving beautiful homespuns in
delightful old designs, their worries vanishing and their
hopes brightening for their children's futures.
"I saw the education of countless mountain children,
even college educations, being clacked out on home looms in
the coves and valleys and along the slopes of the Blue Ridge
and the Great Smokies." <Gift from the Hills, by Lucy
Morgan with LeGette Blythe, Univ. of NC, 1950)
The mountain economy was largely outside of the cash
economy - particularly during times like the Civil War and
the Great Depression. The men could feed their families from
their farms, but, shon of leaving home, there were few ways
for them to bring in any cash. During the Depression the
Jan Davidson is locally well-known as a musician who
plays traditional mountain mu.sic, bw he is also curator of the
Mountain Center in Cullowhee, NC. He, his wife Nanette,
who calls a lively square dance, and their son, John Neil; ~
live in Webster, NC.
p
Landlines
~ mu.1(
Orac(es -
C6u~, <"1)5tc.Ur.,
Custom Mapping and
T
Geographic Information Management
yl~•r)Q wnls, l~rods
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A ndrew W. Feonslem
CnrtOQropheT
T...,e
108 Chu•ch Rd.
A.h..mo NC 28804
(704) 254-9551
/
PruviJm11 Pcnanal ~rvlu
Fllhn11 Yc•n Boole Needs
In Speciallz.etl Acids
701-26+ 5866
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601 Ca1t1p f((IOt'~c:L
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Books Q.,J
Things L~- ··
l08 Blowing R..ick RQad
8unM, Nonh Carolina 28607
GARY HEMSOTH
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Tho powotM GOLDEN EAGLE
ria.1 alloYe 1111 tluo Ri<ftt mltlis lull
.o1.. dos1111. h•ftd.scr....., ... r.
~~:,Ts Of 100'1. PRESHRUNK COT·
Colon:SilYor.fcrv.wi.•tc
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Lon1Slttv1T: Adull·Sl4-00ppd.
All designs, except Golden Eagle, also available
in sweatshirts. Feather or tracks imprinted on
sleeve.
ULTRAVIOLET PURIFICATION AND FILTERING SYSTEMS
SOLAR PRODUCTS· WATER ANALYSIS
RANDALL C. LANIER
704-293-5912
..-----------·-----·--·------·
!
:
MIO! Ordtr To: Rl<lc• Runner H•M•I•
1033°h81ls1mlld.. Waynuvillt,NC 28785(7041456·3003
O MuttrClrdHo. _ __ _ _ _ _ __
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O VISElp.D•~------Name _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
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Lona Sitt•• Includes d•ialled prom ot tuther
on slttvt. S..trsfaction auurtd
orrtlllmlortull refund.
_
_ _ _ _ __
:
FRIEDMAN &
.HWY. 107
RT. 68 BOX 125
CULLOWHEE, NC 28723
8
DESIGN, INC.
ENERGY SYSTEMS
THAT PAY FOR THEMSELVES
'':
• Pt\on•- - -- -- -- - - - - - - - -
1
:JChtck her> tor rR££ COl0:~~~:~=~:;,~;.';.~~:~11 Gnphi<s.
PO 80Xe57
OIUSllORO. NC 29125
KATUAH - page 25
Sprin;J 1987
�using this kind of equipnumt, we can all go home with
money in our poclcets."
Feminine qualities would seem to be excellent assets
when supervising work among the webs of a complex life
community. It requires a sensitive hand to create a scene of
beauty while keeping the books balanced. Compassion is
needed to keep the life processes of a place in mind while
trees are dropping and bulldozers are moving across the
forest floor. And it takes a calm mind to clearly discern the
line between purposeful production and wasteful destruction.
"With my kind of crew using this
kind of equipment, we can all go
home with money in our pockets."
"When I got into this business, I didn't know anything
about logging. I was so disgusted IJy the clear-cutting issue,
that I wished I could do forest management without having to
deal with loggers. Needless to say, I soon found out there
was noway.
"So I first hired two men. I was told they were
excellent loggers. They came in at the given time, 7:00 am,
they tUTned on their saws, and off they went. They worked
for an hour without looking up, and trees were flying in all
directions. I thought, This is great. Within a day this will
all be cut.' But then I realized that all that material had to
come out. Unless you stop at the right moment, it becomes
rather complicated, and you have to climb over a lot oftimber
to pull the next piece out.
'This was the beginning of my learning. I told
myself, 'We need a plan. In order to know haw to finish,
we need to know how to start.'
·so I read some boo/cs and consuilld with some
penple experienced in harvesting, and 1111/lde a plan. I taught
the loggers. I said, '/nstead of felling everything left and
right, go a little bit more slowly and/ell them in rows. Then
between the rows will be spaces we can plant.•
"Now, every time we do a cut, we have a plan.
"loggers at the sawmill are like washerwomen at tire
public fountain. Wiren they get together, they yak. Tire
loggers all know who is cutting what for whom for haw
much. They know it all. And now I'm beginning to have
loggers who call us and say, 'I would like to work for you.'
I've had several crews I've worked with. Some could
change their ways, others couldn't. We say, 'We'll give it a
try, and if you find this is not the way you can work, then
that's too bad.'
The men who work with me are very responsive. I
love them. They work hard. But I mark every tree, I lay out
every foot of the skid trail myself. I always let them know
that 'mama is here'.
Seeing Lislott Harbens' excitement when she is in the
woods or talking about her work, observing her relationship
with the forest, and watching her chaoning, yet utterly
competent manner of doing business, it makes one think it
would be good to see more women earning degrees in
forestry school or going out into the woods to tend the rrees.
FOREST CARE may be contacted at 437 Walnut
Street; Sta1esville, NC 28677 or aJ (704) 873-5344 or (704)
872-1930.
Uslott Harberts has said, Hf would love to /rave a
FOREST CARE <XJmpany up in the high mountain area. It
would take an enterprising person with the rig/it
qualifications. It would take an initial investment, but we
would lend our name to the enterprise, if an entrepreneur
would be willing to subscribe to tire guidelines and standards
/
that we have set up for our company.
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· continued tromi>&&e9
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"veil" is a membrane which sometimes envelopes the infant's
head at birth and is refened to as a "caul" in medical
tenninology).
When cars got more common, Susie remembers
stepping out of a car to go deliver a baby and sinking waist
deep in snow.
But weather never stopped her from helping those who
needed her. Lawrence was obviously behind her all the way,
for when she was away delivering someone else's child, he
kept their 11 children at home.
Susie said she was lucky she never had to deliver a
baby so small it had to be incubated. Back in those days, the
incubator consisted of a basket filled with wool to warm the
child, said Susie. Her babies were always five pounds or
larger, and the largest she can recall today was 12 pounds,
one of her daughter's children.
The Morgan twins (Harold and Carroll) stick out in
Susie's mind even today, because she had to fight so hard
and long to keep the babies breathing. Luckily she had some
help that day. While she breathed life into one baby, she said
the other one would stop breathing. She'd hand the breathing
child to her helper while she breathed life back into the other
one. For over half an hour Susie continued to breathe into the
infants until they began to breathe on their own, putting them
into wann water to help stimulate them.
"Th. ir mother tells 'em even today they'd better be
c
good to me because I saved their lives," said Susie with a
laugh.
Doc Nichols, and Little Doc Nichols. She said often Doc
Wilkes would stay until she could get there, and he would
then leave mother and baby in her capable hands. Susie
recalls the good doctor telling his patients, "I know Mrs.
McMahan can do as good as I can," before he left
When trials arose during a binh, Susie had to use her
instincts to save lives. After walking four miles out into the
mountains Susie thought a baby was not going to get born
because it was crossways. She got some help and held the
mother up on he.r head so she could tum the baby. The baby
was born safe and sound.
Often the families slept on bed ticks made out of tow
sacks and stuffed with cornshucks. If the baby was born
before she arrived, she often had to fish the infant out of
cornsbucks.
Susie had all her children at home, most delivered by
other midwives. When a doctor was available, she would use
him.
As a midwife, probably some of Susie's proudest
births were her own grandchildren, many of whom she
helped to bring into the world. Today Susie has 123
grandchildren,
great-grandchildren,
and
great-great-grandchildren.
uld Susie dretired asdahmid.walife in 1966il, whedn whomen
co
get to octors an ospll s more eas y, an s e was
no longer needed as desperately as she had once been.
"I thought I'd done my duty," she said. And no one
could argue with that statement!
,.~
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Reprinted with permission from The Sylva /h.rJJ.JJL. Sylva,
NC
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KATUAH - page 26
Spring 1987
�MARCH
23-25
CREA T SMOKY MTNS
"Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage". Auto
and walking tours to view the diverse vegellllioo or
the park in spring. Coniact Park Headquarters;
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
24
ASHEVILLE, NC
"LATINO·. highly acclaimed.
fcnturc-length film shown during Central Americn
Week. 7:30 pm. Humanities Lecture Hall,
UNC·A~ S2.SO
25
26
ASHEVILLE, NC
Acid Rain Panel Discuss1on.Wcnoca Sicmi
Club. Uniwian Church. 7:00 pm social: 7:30 pm
program.
ARDEN, NC
"Dreams" with Adrienne Quinn
<Dreams· Seem Mcssaecs [rpm Your Mind).
Creating and interpreting dreams. 9 am • 4 pm.
Love offering. Unity Center: Airpon Rd. (704)
684-3798
27-29
25-26
FARNER, TN
"Wild Foods, Earth Medicines" •
identification, preparation, cookery. Meals. bunks.
Pre-register: Pcppertand Fann Camp (sec 3128-29)
JOHNSON CITY, TN
10th ·Annual Appalachian Studies
Conference. "Rememberance, Reunion, & Revival:
Celebnuing A Decade of Appalachian Studies". Info:
Helen Roseberry; East TN Siate University: P.O.
Box 22, 300A; Johnson City. TN 37614 (615)
929-4392.
30
BOONE, NC
Paul Winier Concert. Farthing
Auditor1um, Appalachian State University.
SYLVA, NC
Gurney Norman, Appalachian prose
writer~ pjyjnc Rjghl's Trip>. reading from
has works :it City Lights Bookstore. 55 E. Main
St.. 7:30 pm
30
DUBLIN, VA
"LEAVING EGYPT" · The Rood.side
Thca1tc Info: (606) 633-0108
28-29
1-3
27
MAY
FARNER, TN
Caving Expedition with Snow Benr.
Instruction in snfety, geology, cave
formations.Pre-register: S6S includes meals,
equipment. Pcppcrland Farm Camp; Sw Rouie;
Farner, TN 37333
FARNER, TN
KATUAH SPRING GATHERING at
Pcppcrlnnd Farm Camp. Sec announcement next
page.
10
28-29
WILLIS, VA
"Natural Vision Improvement• with
Michaela Schmidt. Indian Valley Holistic Center;
Rt 2 Box 58; Willis, VA 24380. (703) 789-4295.
KNOXVILLE, TN
"Fundraising Workshop for Grassroou
Orpnil.ations" with nationally acclaimed consultant
Kim Klein. 9 1111-4:30 pm. $35. To rcgisicr (before
3(1.7): Community Shares; 517 Union Ave (Suite
203): Knoxville, TN 37902.
(615) 522-1604.
APRIL
SWANNANOA, NC
WATER FOR LIFE/ STREAMWATCH.
Siatewide gathering or citiicns concerned with
improving rivers .t streams in NC. Speakers,
workshops, activities for teachers. recreational
activities, ac. Info: Environmental Sllldics, Warren
Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC 28778
2
WILLIS, VA
Couples Workshop with Tom
Williams. Indian Valley Holistic Ccnl.CI' (see 3128)
2
BRASSTOWN, NC
Homesteading Workshops. John C.
Campbell Folk School: Brasstown, NC 28902.
(704) 837-2n5.
10-11
3-5
FARNER, TN
Spring Camping Trip into a virgin
hardwood forest. Wildflowers. foraging, tracking
with Snow Bear (see 3/28-29).
3-5
HOT SPRINGS, NC
"Tilc Mystic Journey Retreat". Southern
Dharma Retreat Center; Rt. I, Box 34 H; H0t
Springs, NC 28743.
(704) 622-7112.
4
SWANNANOA, NC
3rd Annual WNC ENVIRONMENTAL
SUMMIT. A look at key environmenlal issues,
problems. solutions, and strategics. 8:30 am-5:00
pm., Kiuredge Center, Warren Wilson College.
Registration $5. Info: Environmenlal Studies,
Warren Wilson College, Swannnnoa. NC 28n8.
9-10
FARNER, TN
"Earth Skills Seminar" • staying
warm, dry, and well-fed with what the forest has to
give. Pre-register: $50 includes mcab, lodging.
Peppcrtand Farm Camp (sec 3128-29)
15-17
19-25
SW ANNA NOA, NC
"Swannanoa River Awareness Weck" with
Clean Streams Day, benefit square dance, etc. Info:
Joe L..acltey, Environmental Studies.. Warren Wilson
College, Swannanoa, NC 28n8.
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
1987 BLACK MOUNTAIN SPRING
MUSIC FESTIVAL. Claudia Schmidt. Trapezoid,
Tuin, The Folkiellers, Golden Rod Puppets,
Braidstream, more. S30 for the weekend. Wriie:
P.O. Box 216: Black Min., NC 28711.
• continued on next p1ge
10-12
WAYNESVILLE, NC
"The Sounds of Spring: A Silent
Meditation Retreat". Stil-Light Theosophical
Rctrea1 Center, Rt I Box 326, Waynesville, NC
28786. (704) 452-4569
~@(MJ~ft ~f!.IUJO~ ~~~
RECLAIM YOUR PERSONAL. POWER AT A NURTURING MOUNTAIN RETREAT
CHl.DCARE AVl>U8.I:
AUGUST 17 - 23
$285
HERBALIST, SUSAN WEED; BODY WORKER,UBBY OUTLAW
CAROLYN MOORE, M.D.
INDIAN VALLEY RETREAT
RT 2 BOX 58, WILLIS. VA. 24380 (703) 789--4295
KATUAH - page Tl
Spring 1987
�22-25
WILLIS, VA
Vision Quest with Dan Goodp:ith. Indian
Valley Holistic C.entcr (see 3128)
24-30
BRASSTOWN, NC
"Native American Week" at John C.
Campbell Folk School. Baskets, pouery, weaving,
woodC3t'Ving. (soc S/2)
7-13
30
NC~
ALERT!
19-21
GREAT SMOKY MT'NS.
"Geologic Evolution of the Great
Smokies•, "Spring Wild Edibles". and • Animnl Life
in Smoky Mtn. Sueams•. Smoky Mountain Field
School (see 4/4)
~31
HENDERSONVILLE, NC
NC Chapter Siemi Oub Annual
Meeting. Kanuga Conference Center. Regisuntion
fee. Info: Shirl Thomas (704) 885-8229.
BRASSTOWN,
JUNE DANCE WEEK, includes English
Country, Scouish Country & English Garland
Dancing. John C. Campbell Folk School (see 5/2).
The IRS has proposed regulations to
change the definition of lobbying. If
adopted, these new regulations could
d r astically affect what tax-exempt
organizations can do. The changes would
also be retroactive affecting the ww and
~ status of 501 C4 and possibly some
50 I C5 organizations.
THE IRS IS ACCEPTING
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THESE
PROPOSED NEW RULES UNTIL
APRIL 3, 1987.
Direct your comments to:
WAYNESVILLE, NC
• Flower Essences: Archetypes of
Consciousness". Stil-LighL (see 4/10}
21 SUMMER SOLSTICE GATHERING
and Seed Camp for National Rainbow Gathering.
Rainbow Family of Living Light: Box 1097:
Newport, TN 37821
23-24
JUNE
6
GREAT SMOKY MTNS
"Forests and Trees of the Smokies".
Smoley Mountain Field School
(see 4/4}
SWANNANOA, NC
ALTERNATIVE FARMING FIELD
DAYS. Sponsored by Carolina Fann Stewardship
Assoc .. Keynote: Dick Harwood, fonncr director of
Rodalc's Farm Research. Includes workshops,
displays, field trips, etc. Info: Ian Robertson,
Warren Wilson College, Swnnnaooa, NC 2877g.
(704) 298-3325, ext 256.
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Aucntion: CC:LR:T:E-154·78
Washington, DC 20224
For more infonnation: contact your local
Sierra Club or Harvard Ayers, Blue Ridge
Sierra Club, 205 Anne Marie Drive, Boone,
NC 28607. (704) 264 4367 or 262-2295.
Join
a Circle
of
PEOPLE
WHO CARE
Cost if pre-registered by April 15:
Katiiah Spring Gathering
$20.00IJ.ri<
$10.00chlf
Cost al carll>:
"working for a viable future for the
Southern Appalachian Bioregion"
Friday evening
May 1 thru May 3 Sunday afternoon
PEPPERLAND FARM CAMP
wor1<shops on:
Communities, Herb and Tree Identification
Dowsing, Nukes, and Bear Action
Crystal Circle, Childrens' Activities
KA TUAH - page 28
$16.00 camping
$20. ()() ~
$12.00 chl:1
All money received pays for food and camp costs.
This Is a not·for-prof1t event.
Name - - - - - - - - - - - - Address - - - - - - - - - - - Phone
Enclosed is _ _ __
adults and
_ _ Camping
in payment for
children.
Bunk
Please return to Katuah:
Box 873: Cullowhee, NC: Katuah Province: 28723
For more Info, phone: (704) 586-3146
Spring 1987
�cefEBWO~
APPALACHIAN PATCHWORK - Mountain talcs
and songs by the Appalachian Puppet ThC4trc.
Cassette tape $7.00 from: Appalachian Puppet
Theatre, 3SS Cedar Cteelc Road. Black Mountain,
NC 28711 (704) 669-6821.
DRUM WORKSHOPS - for children of all ages.
Lherapeutic massage • Relaxes lhe body &
mind ...Call Martha for more info at (704)
252-2420.
CUSTOM CELTIC HARPS - A'CoW't Bason;
Travianna Farm; Rt. I; Check, VA 24072.
"AS WE ARE" - Women's music by Pomegrunatc
Rose, a four-woman group playing lively original
music. Cassettc tape available for $9.00 ppd. from
RL 2, Box 43S; Piusboro, NC 27
IN DEFENSE OF SACRED LANDS • Support the
rU'St Amendment lawsuit to stOp forced relocation
of lhe Dineh (Navajo) people. Buy a sacred lands
sweatshirt or long-sleeve T-shirt. SO/SO sweatshirts
- $20 postpaid, in grey, red. turquoise. 100% couon
long sleeve T-shirts - SI 5 postpaid, in black, forest
green, lavender. sii.es: S-M-L-XL Crom BMLDiOC;
2501 N. 4th St; Flagstaff, AZ 86001.
WINGED HEART HOMESTEAD - 283 acres in
Indian Valley district, SW Virginia. On lhis farm
we wam to start a selC-reliant communi1y of
families emphasizing orpnic fanning methods and
creative persooaJ and spiritu:il growth. Cootact:
Mulawir; Rt HC-67, Box 171; Alum Ridge, VA
24051.
MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS - herbal salves,
lincturcs, & oils for birlhing &. family health. For
' brochure, please wri1.e: Moon Dance Farm; RL I,
Box 726; Hrunpcon, TN 37658
OAK LEAP WORKS - band-crafted futon
mattresses, :i:abuton floor cushions, yogamats, and
buckwheat hull pillows: standard 4 custom size$
available, to suit your needs. Write or call for our
free brochure: Oak Leaf Works; Star Route, Box
43: Aoyd, VA 24091; (703) 763-2373.
FAIRGLEN FARMS oCfers organic, biological
fertilizers for farm and garden. Send SASE for price
list. Biologically-grown produce to sell? We are
intcreSled in acting as coopc:rative ma.dceting agents
with other growers. Write: Route I, BOA 319;
Clyde. NC 28721.
COALITION FOR ALTERNATlVES TO
SHEARON HARRIS (CASH) - is working to
proiect the N.C. Piedmont from the Shearon Harris
nuclear reactor and a low-level nuclear waste dump.
Now, more than ever, they need financial support
and people's energy. CASH; 237 McCauley SL;
Chapel Hill, NC 27514.
DRUMS - Custom handcrafted ceramic dumbeclcs &
wooden medicine drums. Call Joe at (704)
258-1038 or David at (704) 253-2846, or writc to:
Joe Robens, 738 Town Mountain Rd.; Asheville,
NC 28804.
ORIGINAL WATERCOLORS - Nina Anderson;
Box 888; CUllowhce, NC 28723; (704) 293-5670.
THE CENTER FOR NEW PRIORITIES - now
open, in Asheville, NC, for all groups dedicated to
working towards genuine, life>orient.cd, change for
the community. Office space, small meeling s113CC,
and kitchen facilities are available. For more
information, call (704) 254-4714 or write the
Center, S4 Starnes Avenue, Asheville. NC 28801.
The Center apprecia.t es donations. largCl or small, to
help with iis upkeep and activities.
FARM WANTED - young family seeks
owner-financed, low down payment (SSOO or less)
small acreage (10 acres or less) in lhe N.C.
mountains for home, gardens, fruit tree, and peace.
Also, we would appreciate info on jobs and/or job
offen in the area. We are young. hard-wating and
dependable. Please write Mr. cl Mrs. Jorge
Veluque:i:; 174 Countrywood, Cleveland, TX
TI327.
CUSTOM WOODWORKS &
HOME
IMPROVEMENT CO. - tables, cabinets,
bookcases, house repair. Gerald Ashe; (704)
497-9834: Whittier, NC 28789.
KA1UAH • page 29
PERMACULTURE ASSISTANT- "For five years
now I've been doing research and trials on
Permacnlturc candidate species for the interior
Soulhcastem Highlands. I need to find an
apprentict/research assistant. preferably one with the
potential to become a partner and/or eventual
successor. Gardening and writing experience would
be useful, but 1 will IJ'8in anyone with a sincere
interest." Adam Turtle; Nobody's Mountain;
Livingston, TN 38S70.
INDIAN VALLEY RETREAT - 140 acres in Blue
Ridge mountains with facilities availnble to rent for
groups or individual retreats. either guided or
unstructured. Send for information and seasonal
calendar of healing, transfomuu.ive events to: Indian
Valley Holistic Center; Rt 2, Box S8; Willis, VA
24380.
0.INCH RIVER EDUCATIONAL CENTER offers
counseling for individuals, couples, groups. Also
classes in personal growth and body awareness. P.O.
Box 993; Abingdon, VA 24210.
CREEKSIDE PRESS • Assistance for authors and
poets in editing, computer services, and submitting
manuscripts for publication. Lori Ward Hamm:
P.O. Box 331: Abingdon, VA 24210.
FARM FOR SALB • 43 acres, Calhoun C1y. WV;
S room older house, deep well. 30+ apple trees,
indoor hot water and bath, outdoor toilet, FREE
NATURAL GAS, hilltop, 1/4 mile well-maintained
access road. Allan cl Carol Freeman, (704)
264-S726. $30,000.
PEPPERLAND FARM CAMP - a unique summet
camp experience for children 6-16 years. Adventure
trips, riding, Indian lore, swimming, more.
Delicious vegetarian meals - special diets
accomodaled. Also seeking counselors and staff. For
info: Pcpperland Farm Camp; Star Route; Farner.
TN 37333 (704) 494-2353
FOUR WINDS VILLAGE - health and spiritual
retreat; home for children in need. For visiling info.
write: Box 112: Tiger, GA 30S76.
Sprin:J 1987
�MORE
cef€BW
OR/5efg
APPRENTICESHIPS - offered in large. organic,
market garden business and home subsistence/
preservation garden. Gardeners have eight years
experience teaching organic, biodynamic-Frcnch
intensive, labor intensive gardening. Housing.
Contacc Bob and Sandy Gow; Rt. 2, BOJC 51;
Zionvillc, NC 28698. (919) 385~.
"CELEBRATION SPACE: Songs 10 Celebrate
Life" - A cassette tape completely produced,
pezforrned, and recorded by members and friends of
the Floyd County community IO 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
$10.00 IO the Floyd County Community Hall
Project; Rt. I, Box 735; Floyd, VA 24091.
TWO PAPERS - "How 10 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
24060.
TECHNOLOGICAL
APPROPRIATE
COMMUNICATIONS - low-tech, economical
telephone systems for the alternative community or
farm. 2·100 phones. automatic or human-assisted
systems available. Write: TAC; PO Box 936;
Gatlinburg, TN 37730
ARCHITECTURAL ADVJCE AND DESIGN:
Adam Cohen; Rt. 2, Box 217; Check, VA 24072
DAYSTAR ASTROLOGICAL SERVICE - natal,
transit, comparison charts. Very accurate. Only
$3.00 each. Chris and Will Bason; Rt. 2, Boit 217;
Cbcck, VA 24072 (703) 651-3492
SOCK-A-DOOZ PUPPET PETS - Walk 'cm, talk
'cm, make 'cm fly. Wag their tails, you can try.
They will love you, hug you if you're blue. Now
PUPPET PETS can be your friends loo.
Handcrafted by Bonnie Blue; P.O. Box 65; Genon,
NC 28735.
ASREVll..LE I BUNCOMBE COUNTY SOLID
WASTE ALTERNATIVES PLANNING
WORKBOOK: A design for handling solid wastes
in any urban context. SIS from Long Branch
Environmental Education Center, Rt. 2, Box 132;
Lcices!Ct, NC 28748.
~OBS CONCERT - Music and stories about
Martin Lulher King, Rosa Parks. and other
champions df peace & courage. for information and
boo\.ings, contacc Meg Macl..eod. 160 Aint St.,
Asheville, NC 28801 (704) 2S4-64S4.
ELACHEE NATURE SCIENCE CENTER dcdicaled to the undcrslanding and appreciation o( the
natural world. For membership or visiting info,
write P.O. Box 2771; Gainesville, GA 30503.
WEBWORKING is lice.
Send subm~sions IO:
.
K.a.tGah
P.O. Box 873
Cullowhce, NC
KatUah Province 28723
THE SECOND NORTH AMERICAN
BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS was a
continental gathering of biorcgionalists held
in August 1986 on the shores of Lake
Michigan. The NABC II Proceedings, a
90-page quality paperbound book, conUlins
reports and resolutions from seventeen
committees, highlights and texts of panels,
workshops and presentations on such
subjects as eco-feminism, pennacuhure,
native peoples and people of color,
economics, and spirituality, as well as
biorcgional an, poetry, and photos. The
publication is an anractive and
comprehensive current statement of the
bioregional movement.
Price is $10 each plus $1.50 p&h.
California residents add 6% sales tax.
Wholesale prices available. Alexandra Han/
Proceedings; Box 10 IO; Forestville, CA
95436. ln Canada, contact Christopher
Plant, The New Catalyst; POB 99; LiUooct,
BC VOK IVO Canada.
Al ARTHUR MORGAN SCHOOL 24 students and
14 staff learn together by living in community.
Curriculum includes creative academics. group
dccision.maJcing, a work program. service prOJCClS,
extensive rield trips, challenging outdoor
experiences. Write: 1901 Hannah Branch Rd.;
Burnsville, NC 28714.
FLOWER ESSENCES - Harmony with Nature &
SpiriL Gentle emotional suppon during transi!JOllS,
specific issues, relationships. Opens
communications. Self-adjusting, non-toxic,
awareness "tools" for improving the inner qll31ity.
Correspondence to: Elaine Geouge, c/o Patchwork
Castle, Celo, 3931 HWY 80 So.. Burnsville, NC
28714
STIL-LIGHT THEOSOPHICAL RETREAT
CENTER - a quiet space for personal mcdlllltlon.
group intcracLion through study and community
work, and spiritual seminars. Contaet Leon Frankel;
RL I, Box 326; Waynesville, NC 28786
..
CIBlllNI&SIE
ACUlPllJ~C1'1U!ilE
AMP
lllIIE!il!OILOG 'W
CILlIMIC
NATURAL FOOD STORE
& DELI
We now have. u.tVtA.ive. monthly
~pe.cial..6, wi.th a di66t1te.tit
SUPER SPECIAL EACll
160 Broadway
Asheville, N.C. 28801
(704) 253-7656
MALAPROP'S
BOOKSTORE/CAFE
342 MERRIMON AVE., ASHEVILLE. NC
704 -258·901 6
BOOKS -
CAROS -
wmc
RECORDS
61 HAYWOOO ST ASHEV1ll.E. NC 28801 70l·25<1-873ol
KATUAH ·page 30
Open 7 Daya A Week
Where Broadway
Meets Merrlmon
And 1·240
9:00 a.m. · 6:30 p.m.
Monday • Friday
9:00 a.m · 8:00 p m
Saturday
Sunday
1:00 p .m. • 5:00 p.m
Spriz¥J 1987
::.
�KJl.Jimh. wants to communfcate your tlwuglits and feelings to the other
people in the bioregional province. Send them to us as letters, poems, stories,
drawings, or photographs. Please send your contributions to us at: Kmlmh,· Box
873; Cullowhee, NC ; Ka/Uah Province 28723.
In the summer we will be considering an and music, gardens and growing,
and the process ofinitiation that ta/res place as we move through our life stages.
Medtrlnt'-' ."'111tes
Please send your ideas for futme themes for K.!uiiah.
BACK ISSUES
ISSUE 1WO • WlNl'ER 1983-84
Yona - Bear Huniers - Pigeon River· Anolhct Way
Wilh Animals - Alma - Becoming Politically
Effective - Mounlllin Woodlands - Katiiah Under the
Drill· Spiriwal Warriors
ISSUE THREE· SPRING 1984
Suslainable Agriculture - Sunflowers • Human
Impact on the Forest - Childrens' Education •
Veronica Nicholas:Woman in Politics - Lillie
People - Me<licine Allies
ful I color
T-s6irts
In the traditional Cherokee Indian
belief, the creatures in the world today arc
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
arc KilWi, the lightning, the power of the
sky; Utsa'nati, the rattlesnake , who
personifies the power of the earth plane; and
Yunwi Us<fi. "the little man", as ginseng is
called in the sacred ceremonies, who draws
up power from the underworld.
Each is the strongest power in itll 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 Kawah 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 arc available now in
all adult sizes from the~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 Katllah."
To order, use the form below.
ISSUE FOUR • SUMMER 1984
Water Drum - Water Qualiiy - Kudzu - Solar Eclipse
- Clearcuuing - Trout - Going to Water • Ram
Pumps - Microhydro - Poems: BeMie Lee Sinclair,
Jim Wayne Miller
ISSUE FIVE· FALL 1984
Harvest ·Old Ways in Olerokee - Ginseng • Nuclear
Waste - Our Celtic Heriiage - Bioregionalism: Past.
Present, and Future - John Wilnoty - Healing
Darlrn~ ·Politics of Pani<:ipation
ISSUE SIX· WINTER 1984-85
Winter Solstice Earth Ceremony • Horsepasture
River - Coming of the Light - Log Cabin Roots •
Mounraln Agriculture: The Right Crop • William
Taylor - The Future of the Forest
ISSUE SEVEN - SPRING 1985
Sustainable Economics - Hot Springs • Worker
Ownership • The Great Economy - Self Help Credit
Union • Wild Turlcey - Responsible Investing Working in the Web of Life
ISSUE EIGHr - SUMMER 1985
Celebration: A Way of Life - Katllah 18,000 Years
Ago· Sacred Sites - Folk Ans in the Schools - Sun
Cycle/Moon Cycle Poems: Hilda Downer Cherokee Heritage Center - Who Owns Appalachia?
ISSUE NINE· FALL 1985
The Waldee Forest - The Trees Speak - Migraling
Forests • Horse Logging • Staning a Tree Crop •
Urban Ttt.es - Acom Bread - Myth Tune
KATUAH: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians
Box 873; Cullowhee, NC; Kanlah Province 28723
For more info: call Mamie Muller (704) 252-9167
Regular Membership........$10/yr.
Sponsor..........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
Name
Address
Enclosed is $
to give
this effort an extra bOost
City
State
Zip
I can be a local contact
person for my area
Area Code
KATUAH-pue31
Phone Number
·-
- - - - - .. =---"'--•• --
ISSUE TEN - WINTER 1985-U
Kate Rogers - Circles of Stone - Internal
Mythmalcing • Holistic Healing on Trial - Poems:
Steve Knaoth - Mythic Places - The Uktena's Tare Crystal Magic - "Drcamspcaking"
ISSUE ELEVEN - SPRING 1986
Community Planning - Cities and the Bioregional
Vision - Recycling - Communily Gardening- Floyd
County, VA· Gaoohol - Two Biorcgionat Views ·
Nuclear Supplement - Foxfue Games -Good
Medicine: Visions
ISSUE THIRTEEN· Fall 1986
Center For Awakening - Elizabeth Callari - A
Gentle Dealh - Hospice - Ernest Morgan - Dealing
Creatively with Death • Home Burial Box • The
Wake - The Raven Mocker • Woodslore and
Wildwoods Wisdom • Good Medicine: The Sweal
Lodge
ISSUE FOURTEEN· Winter 1986-87
Lloyd Carl Owle - Boogers and Mummers - All
Species Day - Cabin Fever University - Homeless
in Katiiah - Hommade Hot Water - Stovemaker's
Narrative • Good Medicine: Interspecies
Communication
Back Issues
Issue#_@ $2.00 $_ _
Issue#_@ $2.00 = $_ _
Issue# _ _@ $2.00 $_ _
Issue#_@ $2.00 = $_ _
Issue#_@ $2.00 = $_ _
CompleteSet(2·11, 13-14)
@ $18.00 =$_ _
=
=
T-Shirts: specify quantity
color: tan
s__
~
L_ _ XL_ _
@ $9.50 each............$_ _
TOTALPRICE=
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
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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: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</em>, Issue 15, Spring 1987
Description
An account of the resource
The fifteenth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on women: Francis Goodrich's settlement work, Lislott Harberts' Forest Care business, midwife Susie McMahan, the Cherokee matriarchal culture and various resources for women in general. Authors and artists in this issue include: Jan Davidson, Patricia Claire Peters, David Wheeler, Angela Griffin, Rob Messick, Ise Williams, Marnie Muller, Tata Andres, Linda Mathis, Colleen Redman-Copus, Martha Tree, Patricia Shirley, Gary Davis, Julia Nunnally Duncan, Donna VanLear, Marcia Hurlow, John Grey, Donald Morton, and Douglas A. Rossman. <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
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Coverlets.......1<br /><br />Poem: "My Mother's Eyes".......5<br /><br />Lislott Harberts: Forester.......6<br /><br />Susie McMahan: Midwife.......9<br /><br />Resources for Women.......10<br /><br />Alternative Contraception.......11<br /><br />Biosexuality.......12<br /><br />Bioregionalism and Women.......13<br /><br />Poems.......14<br /><br />Good Medicine: Matriarchial Culture.......15<br /><br />Pearl.......16<br /><br />Natural World News.......18<br /><br />A Children's Page.......21<br /><br /><em>Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer.</em>
Publisher
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Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Women-owned business enterprises--North Carolina, Western
Coverlets--North Carolina, Western--History
Midwifery--North Carolina, Western
Ecofeminism
Patriarchy
Matriarchy
North Carolina, Western
Blue Ridge Mountains
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina--Periodicals
Language
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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 Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Children's Page
Community
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Forest Practice
Good Medicine
Katúah
Pigeon River
Poems
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Recycling
Stories
Turtle Island
Water Quality
Western North Carolina Alliance
Women's Issues
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/7e7d24eb4270ddd2fe219a5da68fd1f1.pdf
f88274a18bcfefc1226b5e712085a2fb
PDF Text
Text
laueXVD
Fall 1987
$1.00
BIOREGIONAL JOURNAL OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
THE MOUNTAIN BLACK BEAR
�(uTiJAR,
P.O. Box 873 Cullowhee, NC Katuah Province 28723
Note new address, inside!
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Postage Paid .
Non-profit Org.
Permitt12
Cullowhee, NC
28723
�The Life and Death of Bear #87.... 3
Glady and Tire Pisgah Bear Project
Bear Story...... ......... ................. 6
bySam Gray
Issues (and a Few Answers)
for che Black Bear:..................... 8
An lmerview
with Dr. Michael Pelton
The Challenger: ......................... 11
The Wild Boar in the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park
cougar...................................... 12
a poem
Good Medicine: .......................... 13
"Finding Allies in the World"
"Me and My Walker Hounds"...... 14
by Robert McMahan
"Smells Like Money to Me:" ........ 16
a report on Champwn l lllUnlJJional
by Jay S. Geru
Bear ................. ........................ 18
THE BLACK BEAR IN KATUAH
Exactly four years ago this autu!IUl,
Katua/1 began publishing. Our first issue
spoke to the sacredness of these mountains
and to the journal's intent to explore how
we humans could better understand our
relationship to this region and how to more
sensitively inhabit this place we call home.
Because the totem spirit is the living
soul of a region's natural life community, in
the second issue of the journal, we
searchingly asked "Who is the totem spirit
of the Karuah region'? Which is the species
most closely connected to the spirit of these
IDOWltains?"
The black bear,
called Yonah by the Cherokee,
answered:
"/am a mountain in my body.
Dark like the hills at midnight.
Fur covers my back
As the darkjirs clothe rhe ridges.
l am massive.
Rock is in my bones.
My growl is the thunder,
voice of the mils...
a poem /Jy Scott Bird
Green Politics in Katuah .............. 19
by Richard Harrison
Natural World News ................... 20
Modem Science Restores
Ancient Indian Maize
Prt>tecting Our Mountain Werlands
DOE Hot Meals Program
No Problem with Tobacco
Showdown ar Flat Creek
NC Legislators Want Dump
Peregrine Nesr Discovered
Turtle Island Talking.............. .... 23
Al.ookatPeaceNer
Old Galaxies:............... ............. 23
a poem by Michael Hockaday
Drumming: ............................... 24
Letten to KatllQh
Littering: The Same Old Story ..... 27
/Jy Michael Hockaday
Fa11 Calendar of Events ............... 28
Webworking....................... .... .. . 30
So in that issue we began our quest co
meet one of the most ancient inhabitants of
these moumains--the black bear. The cover
of the issue displayed Martha Tree's
powerful drawing of the black bear spirit
gazing up at the vision of the golden eagle.
Within the pages of that second issue was a
story-myth of the role that bears played in
creating the human race and there were tales
of encounters with the animal world by
Snow Bear. Also there was a story about
the exploits of two old bearhunters, Charlie
and Russell, now both passed on .... and
other black: bear lore.
Now four years later, we find
ourselves coming full circle. Again, we are
asking "Who is the Black Bear?" and "What
is our relationship to Yonah?" In this issue
we are investigating in particular the future
of the black bear here in southern
Appalachia and the chances of its survival
Concern for the survival of the black
bear is not just an isolated case of kindness
to a single animal species. The health of the
entire Katuah bioregion is reflected io the
health of the black bear. What is at stake is
the present aod future existence of the
bear's forest habitat -- the old, spreading
trees capable of providing nuts and space to
den; the herbaceous plants that grow up in
their shade; the fertile soils rich in leaf-mold
and teeming with micro-organisms that
suppon their growth; the clear running
streams that spring up among their roots;
and all the other creatures that depend on
and at the same time create the conditions of
the climax growth stage of the Appalachian
forest This is the balance that the mountains
have been growing toward for millenia.
The bears were not put here to be our
teachers; the welfare of the human race is
immaterial to them. But if the humans
would humbly respect and learn from
Yonah, the black bear would show us that
the conditions of the climax forest are in the
long run the best living conditions for us all.
The life of the black bear is not only
closely linked to the spirit of the land, but,
as the Cherokee legend in this issue's
"Good Medicine" column indicates, it is
also joined in some deep and mysterious
way to the spirit of the human inhabitants as
well. Feelings about Yonah run deep, andlike any deep feelings-they are complex and
inextricably mixed with emotion. TI1e bl:ick
bear takes many forms in the minds and
emotions of humans....
..... Yonah as rhe mother bear, the
Great She-Bear of the night sky, a cult
figure in ancient times, the spirit of the great
Mother Earth, massive in stature and a
bountiful provider, warm and comforting,
yet quick UJ anger and ferocious in her rage.
.....Yonah as a funny, playful clown
wlw entertains the tourists as they motor
through the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, drawing them out of their
cars to cadge snacks and goodies.
.....Yonah at the heart of the chase,
the hunt, the annual tracking of wildness by
the domestic llllmans.
..... Yonall as the shadowy figure,
dark and savage, that takes shape in our
fears just outside the safe boundaries of the
setrlement clearing. waiting to maim tile
unaware and steal tire fruits of civilized
living ...... Yonah, the medicine animal,
who, like the land, sleeps away the winter
in a cave or a hole, dreaming powerful
dreams and returning with knowledge from
the underworld within the heart of the
mountains.
.....Yonall as the wise one who can
show how to live close to rhe true spirit of
these mountains.
The black bear may take any or all of
these forms within the human mind io our
quest to know this ancient creature. Like
any proper spirit, Yonah is elusive and
impossible to pin down.
But if we are to continue for long here
in these mountains, we need to look inward
and touch outward to learn the wisdom that
the black: bear holds.
.
-·~
- The Editors
pr
�fi,ATUAH,
EDITQRIAL STAFF nus ISSUE:
Scott Bird
Mamie Muller
Rob Messick
Michael Red Fox
Martha Tree
David Wheeler
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Judith Hallock
Sylvia Fox
Jeff Fobes
Anne Muller
Arjuna
Cover: Blue Mountain Printmakers
New Sharon, ME 04955
Back cover drawing: Laurie Pierce
EPITQRlAL OFFICE rms ISSUE:
Worley Cove, Sandymusb Creek
The Southern Appalachian Bloregion and Major Eastern river systems
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
PRINTED BY: Sylva Herald Publishing Co., Sylva, NC
TELEPHONE:
(704) 683-1414
WRITE US AI:
K1JJW1h
Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
Here in the southern-most heartland of the
Appalachian mountains, the oldest mountain range on our
continent, Turtle Island, a small bw growing group has
begun to taU 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
natural scale and balance of universal systems and principles.
Within this circle we begin by invoking the Cherokee
name Kattiah" as the old/new name for this area of the
mountains and for its journal as well. The province is
indicated by its nanual boundaries: the Roanoke River Valley
to the north; the foothills of the piedmont area to the east;
Yona Mountain and the Georgia hills ro rhe south; and rhe
Tennessee River Valley to ti~ west.
The editorial prioriries I or us are to co/leer and
disseminate information and energy which pertains
specifically to this region, and to foster the aware11ess rlwt rhe
land is a living being deserving of our love and respect.
living in rliis manner is a way to insure the sustainability of
the biosphere and a lasting place for ourselves in its
co11tinuing evolutionary process.
We seem to lwve reached the fulcrum point ofa" do or
die " sitttation ifl tenns of a qua/iry standard of life for all
/i11i11g beings 011 this planet. As a voice for rhe caretakers of
this sacred land, Katiiall, we advocate a cemered approach to
the concept of decentralization. It is oiu hope to become a
support system for those accepti11g the challe11ge of
sustainability a11d the creation of harmony and bala11ce in a
total sense, here in this place.
We welcome all correspondence, criticism, perti11ent
information, articles, artwork, etc. with hopes that Kauiah
will grow to serve the best interests of this region and all its
living, breathing members.
H
Diversi1y is an imponant elcmen1 of bioregional ecology. bolh
n:uural and social. Jn line wilh I.his principle. ~h tries IO serve as a
forum for I.he discussion of regional issues. Signed articles express only
I.he opinion of I.he aulhors and are not necessarily I.he opinions of I.he
KatUa/J edil°" « slalT.
- The Editors
the other galaxies...
You open the way.
In the last issue of Kattlah, we mentioned that with this
current issue, we would be changing from our traditional
newspaper formal to a new magazine format
As you can see, we are in the process of reconsidering
the wisdom of that change. We would appreciate your inpu1
as well in this decision. Would you rather have a more
durable, but more expensive maga1ine format or a less
durable, but less expensive newspaper format for Kari/ah?
Please share your ideas, suggestions and preferences
with us. We appreciate your feedback.
The lnicmal Revenue Service has declared KJJtilnh a non·proli1
organilnlion under section SOl(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All
coniribuuons IO KillHPli are deductible from personal income l!lX.
�THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BEAR
#87
by David Wheeler
"Poachers Tune In On Sleeping
Bears" declared lhe page one headline in lhe
Asheville Citizen on the morning of January
17, 1987. Poachers had shot and killed an
older female bear in her winter den site in a
hollow cree within the confines of the
Pisgah Bear Sanctuary below the Blue
Ridge Parkway.
The bear was number 87 of lhe bears
who had been radio-collared for radio
telemetry tracking by members of The
Pisgah Bear Project, a research program
being carried out by Nonh Carolina State
University (NCSU) scientists and students.
The radio collars emit a sustained signal that
is tracked by directional antennas to plot a
precise location of the animal to give a
picture of its range area and its daily
movements.
People all through the mountains
were shocked and angered that the poachers
had located the helpless bear by monitoring
the signals from her collar. When the
poachers found her location, they had
climbed her tree and shot her between the
eyes while she was asleep, and then had cut
down the tree to rettieve her carcass. People
were particularly outraged because Bear 87
was about to give birth when she was
killed.
"Glady" was the name The Pisgah
Bear Project researchers had given Bear 87.
At the time of her death she had just turned
11 years old - a remarkable age for a bear in
a region where few bears roam the woods
for more than six years before they are shot
Glady had been trapped and collared
in June of 1984 and was well-known to the
staff of The Pisgah Bear Project, who had
"Glady" was the name The Pisgah
Bear Project researchers had
given Bear 87. At the time of her
death she had just turned J1 years
old - a remarkable age for a bear
in a region where few bears roam
the woods for more than six years
before they are shot.
monitored her movements almost daily since
that date. In the subsequent two and
one-half years of contact, she had been
recaptured five times and had provided a
wealth of data on her habits and
movements. In the June previous to her
shooting she had been caught, measured,
and released. She was 125 pounds in
weight, 148 centimeters (58.25 inches) in
length, and 79 centimeters (31 inches) in
chest circumference at that time.
Glady had lived the life of any wild
sow-bear for the first eight years of her
life. ..She was one of the two cubs born that
winier of 1976 in the warm darkness of her
nwrher's den, and rhat small space was all
she knew for the first four nwnrhs of her
life. Jn the <kn she nursed and grew from
one pound to four or five pounds by rhe
rime her nwrher climbed our of her den
bringing her cubs with her.
Even beneath rhe rrees, the lighl of
rhai April sun mu.st have been intensely
bright to Glady's young eyes. Her mother
continued ro stay near the den site for
another monrh, nwving little and gradually
beginning to eat rhe tender young grasses,
branch lertuce, and squawroot (Conophilis
americano) C()ming up through rhe leaves.
As rhe spring progressed, Glady and
her sibling followed their mother down to
her spring range area, and, as food became
more abundant, their mother put on weight,
and rhe cubs continued to grow and gain in
StTengrh.
That first summer was a tklighr for
rile young cubs. They stayed close to rheir
- continued on llCll page
Phoio: NC Wildlife RC50un:es Commission
KATUAH- page 3
FALL 1987
�._....___....,._...,. ·=-- .. ........... - • --.-... - ... -·· _._....
mother and are buckberries under the tall
trees, blackberries from the choked jungles
along the open streambanks, and then
browsed the open hillsides and forests for
the succulent moL1ntain blueberries. They
also raided yellowjacket nests for their
larvae, and ate ants and grubs from rotten
logs their mother tore open with her long
claws.
Once they watched from the groL1nd
as their mother robbed a bee tree, slopping
ow globs of the sticJ..y honey and delicious
larvae, oblivious to the stings of the enraged
bees And, if they \Vere lucky, they would
occasionally find carrion th.Ill was not too
spoiled lying in the woods.
Mother ta11gh1 them to climb trees, to
hide, and to wait motimilessfor her return.
Tirey developed short. powerful legs 10
climb the mountain slopes and, although
their eyes were never very useful, their
noses became keen and sensitive as they
became accustomed to the seems of the
forest.
Then in the fall, they joined their
mother in gorging themselves on ripe acorns
and hickory mus to build up fat to insulate
and feed them during their winter den time.
The cubs contented themselves with
scooping acorns up from the ground with
their front paws and dextrous lips, but their
mother often went high into the oak trees,
bending and cracking branches to bring the
acorns, rich in protein and oils, within
reach.
Dllring this time the cubs and their
mother were moving almost constantly,
While male bears sleep lightly.
often lying on the grou11d with
011/y a laurel thicket or broken
brush for cover.female bears put
more energy into finding a warm,
secure den and sleep deeply,
stirring little duri11g rheir whole
rime of dorma11cy.
using every possible minme to fortify their
bodies to endure the winter's fast. The
young bears were tired and, when at tire
beginning of November the food supply
declined and their mother started for tire
high country to find an isolated den site,
they were glad.
They did not enter the den
immediately, but for one month they
lingered in the vicinity ofthe den site, eating
what they could find, b111 not going far to
forage for food. Finally, however, their
mother showed them how to ingest a fecal
plug of old leaves and twigs to stop
elimination, and they followed her into the
den. Their first year was over,
While male bears sleep lightly, often
lying on the Rro1md with only a laurel
thicket or broken brush for cover, female
bears p11111wre energy into finding a wann.
secure den and sleep deeply, stirring little
during their \\ihole time of donnaney.
Tiie small family of bears did not
leave their den to defecattJ or urinate during
their four-momh denning period. By a
miracle ofphysiology not duplicated in the
animal world, bears recycle their 1-.aste
water through their kidneys a1ul mrn the
nitrogen from urea waste compounds back
into protein.
So, although Glady was gaunt and
disheveled 1\'lren size emerged from the den
in the sprinR. the remarkable metabolism
and amazing endurance of her species had
brought her through the wimer with no
unus11al stress. Yet she was h11ngry,
grumpy, disoriented, and in no mood to
appreciate tire beauties of spring in the
mountains. 8111 as food magically appeared
in the forest, she grew in strength and
confidence. She became eager for another
year of roaming the slopes with her mother
GLADY'S RANGE
(South and cast or Mt. Pisgah. straddling lhe Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah N:irional Forest)
KATUAH - page 4
FALL 1987
�and hu sibling.
Glady thoughl the summer to come
would be a repetition of the last, and so she
was dismayed when in late June their
mother drove the two cubs away with fierce
growls and threats, when an amorous male
bear began to move close to her feeding
area.
The two yearling bears stayed close
together for companionship during that
summer and fall, but they separared into
individual dens ar the onset of winter.
Glady was on her own then, but she
stayed close to the familiar areas of her
mother's home range. She saw her mother
several times. but as long as it was not
mating season, her mother did not seem to
mind her presen~. It was two or three more
years before Glady went into estrus, but as
soon as it became evident that she was
sexually ma11ue, another large male began w
stay close to her and eventually mated with
the young sow-bear.
Glady continued to roam her range
and feed during the summer and the fall,
while, unknown to her, another unique
adaptation was taking place within her
body. The two fertilized blastocysts that
were to be her first cubs did not implant to
the uierine wall, but instead floated free in
the uterus while blueberry season moved
into acorn season, and Glady began intense
feeding to gain weight for her winter
dormancy period.
The acorns were plentiful that year,
and as Glady moved uphill to la11guish in
the vici11ity of her den site, the blastocysts
implanted themselves to her uterus and her
cubs began to grow inside her, perfectly
timed to emerge within her den in the dead
of winter.
I/Glady had notfoundfood enough
to bring her up to a weight that would
support reproduction and /actarion, through
the "delayed implantation" process, as it is
called, she would have passed the fertilized
blastocysrs and terminated her pregnancy
with little trouble and at a very slight
physiological cost.
Although she did not know she was
pregnant, Glady took unusual care in
picking a den site that year, and finally
found a tree of wide girth with a decayed
core and an opening, small and safe, high
up the trunk.
Glady bore two cubs in the den thaJ
winter, although she was hardly aware of
the fact. Even their insistent nursing did
little to disturb her winter sloth. But when
she awoke again that spring, she found she
was the mother with two cubs looking to
her to introduce them to the world.
So life continued for Glady lhrough
good yC3l"S and bad until June of 1984 when
Dr. Roger Powell of the Zoology
Dcpanmcnt of NCSU and other members of
The Pisgah Bear Project research group
caught her in a leg snare trap baited with
odiferous sardines.
The project was three years old al the
time, and Powell and his crew were
trapping, collaring, and releasing bears in
the Pisgah Sanctuary with several specific
KATUAH-page5
objectives in mind. Telemetry studies were
providing data on the bears' movements and
range areas. Trapping operations and the
co!Jars were also aiding in collection of
information on monality and reproduction
statistics, to be used in evaluating the bear
sanctuary and in drawing up guidelines to
help determine state management policies
and set hunting regulations. Simultaneously, bait station surveys (sec p. 9)
were providing population indexes, and
work had begun to determine exactly how
much food for bears the forest does
provide, which will shed additional light on
the findings about the females' home range
areas.
The study has also shown that
almost half of the human-caused
mortality among the study
animals has been a result of
poaching.
Now, although the study is not yet
completed, some results are beginning to
come clear. The bait station surveys show a
population decline in the sanctuary from
levels in the late 1970's. The decline seems
to have halted, "and," cautions Powell, "that
technique gives only a rough index, so I
would hesitate to say how significant that
decline is."
The study has also shown that almost
half of the human-caused monality among
the study animals has been a result of
poaching.
"1be Project has been in the press a
lot lately because Glady was shot in her
den," says Powell, "and our findings on
poaching have been what the press bas
emphasized. There is no question that we
have documented poaching in the Pisgah
Bear Sanctuary, but there's a lot more to the
Project than evidence of illegal hunting.
"From the habitat work that graduate
student John Zimmerman is doing, for
instance, we're getting to the point where
we should be able to predict bear use habitat
and develop models for what is good bear
habitat here and what isn't. That could be
very valuable to the Forest Service and the
Wildlife Resources Commission.
"We arc also developing a probability
curve that will tell us for a bear of any given
age what the probability is that it will live
longer. I feel good about our reproduction
data - it appears that the standard litter size
here is between two and three cubs - but
we're still missing some critical
survivorship data on cubs and yearling
bears, so we can't say for cenain whether
survivorship is greater than or less than
reproduction."
The Pisgah Bear Project's best work
has been in what it has found out about bear
spacing patterns and social organization.
The study has determined that although
female bears elsewhere often guard an area
to protect food sources, there is apparently
no territoriality in the Pisgah Bear
Sanctuary. By following the interactions of
neighboring females, masters candidate
Peggy Horner demonstrated this by
showing that they used the same areas at the
same time without conflicts. Project
members are now considering the
hypolhesis that male bears define their
territory, not by food avaiJability, but by Lhe
availability of females.
"What the bears appear to be doing is
predicted by most behaviorial and ecological
theories," says Powe!J. "But these theories
were mostly developed for smaller creatures
with shon life·spans, like hummingbirds
and anolis lizards, which give a lot of data
in a shon time. Bears have different time
spans, but they appear to be working on
basically the same rules. Thar's exciting to
me. That means we don't have to rethink a
lot of our behavioral and ecological theory."
S incc food availability is a basic
factor in the female bears' social
organization, The Pisgah Bear Project is
also measuring food production levels to see
how they compare with levels in other study
areas and what behavioral effects derive
from this. This is done by loeating marked
study sites in different areas of the
sanctuary, which a.re then visited regularly
by Project workers and every bit of food
material of three major indicator food
species (squawroot, berries, and acorns) arc
gleaned and weighed.
"The habitat here is tremendous" says
Roger Powell. "When I get out there and
actually sit down and pick berries at one of
these sites, I'm impressed by how
productive they are, and I can sec how, if
you found a good berry site and ate berries
all day, you could get faL"
'That's why I was enraged when I
found out about Glady's killing.
Had she been killed legally, I
would have been sorry, but I
would have accepted it. But to
have tracked her down by radio,
inside the sanctuary, inside her
den absolutely enraged me.
There's no sense to it."
Until the time of her death, Glady
played an imponant pan in the NCSU
reasearch. Erran Seaman, a graduate student
working with the project team, said, "Bears
can live on toward 20 years if they're not
disturbed. However, Glady was the oldest
female we knew of in the sanctuary. They
simply don't survive to live out their full life
span. We don't have many that ate over five
and one-half now.
"That's why I was enraged when J
found out about Glady's lcilling. Had she
been killed legally, I would have been
. continued on page 25
FALL 1987
�Bear Story
by Sam Gray
She was nuzzling and pawing at a spikenard
root as big as her face when she first heard the
hounds. Hunger was not the motive for grubbing in the dirt. She'd
eaten well for the past month. The aroma was the thing. A
discreet peace and a clear mind were hidden there in the array of
smells released from the bruised starch of the rhizome.
Reluctantly, she raised herself up into the October dusk to
KATUAH - page 6
FALL 1987
�listen to the baying orison coming to her from
another world. She could make out two separate
packs of dogs and an indeterminate number of
hunters. They were way down the mountain,
working back and forth across cold traces, getting
their bearings. Some of the voices were familiar;
old hounds that knew her ways, ancient choruses
that cried, "We've come." There were young,
strong voices too. It would be a long race.
She left the aromatic peace of the spikenard,
made her way into the violence of the night. She
moved upslope and to the northeast, leading them
away from the tree where her cubs were perched.
Her body and mind were quick and clear - water
moving among stones. By the time she sprang from
the upper timber into the wet grass of the Old Field
Bald at the summit, her strategy was shaped. She
paused in the shadow of a laurel clump to pant and
listen.
111e bald was lambent and still, except for an
owl cruising among the ash trees hunting rodents.
From the clangor in the distance, she beard an old
hound announce fresh scent. The other pack had
diverged and was moving to the west. She snorted,
sighed, and plunged down the north slope, gaining a
deeper darkness and in moments a tiny rivulet that
offered a quick drink and possibly some effacement
of her trace.
Further down, the creek was joined by a
tributary and between the two streams was a
quarter acre of doghobble bushes. She leaped into
them, using her body to plane down the entangling
mass, gain a foothold, and leap again, until she had
crossed it and stood panting and listening. The
dogs would be an hour getting through it.
On previous chases, she bad, from this point,
worked her way around the massive side of Cold
Mountain, weaving back and forth from stream to
doghobble patch to boulder field until the dogs
were beaten flesh. It was her mountain.
Tonight, however, something or everything
was different. Something beckoned downslope and
to the west. She had gone but a little way in that
direction when she pitched forward, tumbling
among rocks and moss and mud, moaning
uncontrollably. The bear had been struck down by
an insistent, sharply certain knowledge that reached
her across the great heart of connectedness: her
cubs were gone. By what wings or winds !his
message had come to her cannot be told, but it was
the truth. For at that moment, under a tall tree a
mile away, a man, exulting in the certainty that she
was elsewhere, was triumphantly holding aloft in
each hand a squirming, mewling bear cub, grasped
by the nape of the neck, bathed in torchlight and
terror.
With a single thrash and roll of her body the
bear massaged her anguish into the moist earth
beside the watercourse - and quickly left it there.
The game was changed. Before the capture of
the cubs, her strategy was determined by the need to
protect them, even sacrificing herself if necessary.
Now she must survive to breed again. And in
another place. For nothing held her to Cold
KATUAH-page7
Mountain now.
For the remainder of the night the bear moved
with unobstructed intention and speed down the
great slope of the mountain. At first light she was
lumbering along a gentler slope miles from the
dogs. the hunters, and the pain. Ahead of her were a
few apple trees, a meadow, an ancient fence, and
beyond these, indistinct in the morning mist, the
outlines of a cabin.
It was his habit to rise early and in good
weather to sit on the porch to watch the light gather.
For half a century, be had done this in all seasons,
liking best to sit in autumnal silence, reading the
sun's progress among the hickories, red oaks, and
maples of Lickstone Ridge - the leaves taking the
light inside themselves and then giving it back,
changed and revalued. He was an old man sitting
alone, lost in early light and dreams, when he saw
something moving out among the apple trees.
His first thought was, "It's Trudy." Trudy had
gotten up early, before him even, and was out there
in her old black coat picking up the last of the
apples.
He slowly and unwillingly Jet go of this notion
along with the brief joy it had borne him and forced
himself to acknowledge that it wasn't Trudy. She
had been dead now for over a year. The form
emerging from the mist was not his wife, but a
bear, and it was coming closer.
The bear covered the ground between them
quickly and darted under the cabin at a point where
the sills were raised on rock pillars two feet from
the ground. The unnailed puncheon floor inside the
cabin began to rumble and raise as the bear moved
around underneath. The old man stood in the
doorway and watched the tremors until they ceased
and everything was still. The thrum of cicadas,
jarflies, and gnats pulsed in his ears. He felt strange
- alive, but unsteady. Ile turned, groped for his
chair, sank into it. The dreams in his head began to
swirl together, and the images superimposed
themselves on each other and over the mountain
landscape before his porch.
He opened his eyes. Two men were standing at
the bottom of the porch steps. One of them was
calling out his name:
"Quill, Quill! Wake up, Uncle Quill!"
A haze suffused everything and through it, as
if from a great distance, he recognized bis
neighbor. Vance Callahan, along with bis son, June.
The old man struggled to his feet, and, leaning on a
post for support, stared blankly down at the
apparitions below.
"We been huntin' bear all night. We're
roundin' up the dogs now. You seen any, Uncle
Quill?"
The old man continued to stare, then cleared
his throat as if to deliver some oratory. But all he
said was. "No. No, I ain't."
Vance Callahan said something the old fellow
couldn't quite make out, and then the two figures
were gone.
The old man continued to lean against the post
and stare out into the warm October afternoon. ,
FALL 1987
�ISSUES (AND A FEW ANSWERS) FOR THE
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BLACK BEAR:
An Interview with Dr. Michael Pelton
by Paul Gallimore and David Wheeler
indicate that just prior 10 that time few bears
were seen anywhere. They had been killed
up to the most remote areas. The historic
sites were Bone Valley up Hazel Creek and
under Thunderhead Mountain on the west
side. But it wasn't too many years after
1934 that the black bear population began to
climb. The black bear population in the Park
has been in the range of 400-600 bears for
many years, and this breeding nucleus
supplies the surrounding national forest
areas.
Dr. Michael Pelton has been studying
the blac/c bears of the Guat Smoky
Mowttains National Park. and the Cherokee
National Forest/or 17 years as part of his
job as professor in rhe Department of
Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries at the
University of Tennessee. In the course of
his research he has trapped, tagged, and
released more than 1,000 bears. He has
helped to develop research methods that are
now standard techniques in s111dyi11g bears
and other mammals worldwide. He is an
iruernationally-k.nown authority 011 bears,
and travels to o ther countries to advise
research efforts.
In talking with him, he is relaxed and
friendly, a person appreciative of wildlife,
who just happens to have an extraordinary
knowledge of the creatures of the forest
around us.
Katuah: We've heard an estimate of
2,000 bears in the Southern App:ilachian
Mountains. Did that come from you?
Pelton: That is a rough estimate that
we came up with when we were puuing
together the Tri-State Black Bear Study back
in 1978. It's based on a combination of
things: what we know about actual
population density in the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, bait-station
surveys, and kill data.
Historically, state game and fish
commissions have taken the number of
bears reponed killed during hunting season
and assumed that number is 20 percent of
the population, and as long as the sex and
age ratios stay about the same, they assume
everything is in a steady state.
When the Park was set aside in 1934,
the repons I get from those early records
KATUAH - page 8
I say 400-600 bears, because they
have dramatic population fluctuations
depending on the hard mast (acorn and nut)
situation. A crop failure sends the
population way down, but then all the
females are ready to breed the next year, so
that with a good harvest, it soars right back
up. It's a boom and bust cycle.
Last summer during the drought
everyone was concerned about the mast
crop. We all thought it was going to be
serious, especially following the poor mast
crop of 1984, which set the stage for a
tremendous number of cubs to be born in
1985. That whole generation was in
jeopardy, but the shonage never developed.
The harvest was spotty, but it wasn't
disasttous, and a lot of young bears should
have left their mothers and dispersed this
summer.
Kat fiah: It seems that if the times
were hard for the bears, the percentage
taken during the hunting season would go
l!J2 instead of remaining steady. That would
make kill data an unreliable estimate. It
would seem that they would need to have
some hard figures to actually know what is
happening to the population in the region.
Pelton: Estimating population is
complicated. There are a lot of variables.
The sex and age ratios have been holding
steady, but it would be good to know more
than the age srructure and the kill data to be
able to tell what's actually going on. People
who work with populations can take age
structure statistics, and they can prove to
you that a population is heading toward
extinction; then the next minute they can
prove that the same population is expanding
fantastically.
Censuses arc tough. That's what we
tried to do for so many years in the
Smokies: capture/recapture using various
techniques, anything we could think of to
count bears. It was a very intense research
project on a small area. It's totally
unrealistic to talk about doing something
like that on a regional basis even one time,
much less year after year.
Ideally, I would like to do what they
are doing in Pennsylvania: there they trap a
lot of bears - a good percentage of the
population - in the summertime, and then
when the hunter kill data comes in during
the fall, they compare the ratio of
tagged/untagged bears. They feel like they
are right on in terms of the bear population
in Pennsylvania.
The bait station index is the best
method we have right now (see sidebar).
It's rough, but it gives us more information,
and it's a feasible method that could be
carried out throughout the whole Tri-State
bear range.
We've gotten good correlations
between bait station results and what we
actually know about population density in
the Smokies. For instance, for a long time
we figured that the density of bears in the
Cherokee National Forest was one-half that
in the Park for a lot of reasons - road
access, higher than usual poaching, and so
on - and when we got in some bait station
data, it indicated that the bait station talce
was about one-half what we were geuing in
the Smokies. It told us what we thought
we'd find out.
A friend of mine Died the bait station
technique out in Idaho, and it correlated
very well to what we found in this area.
They're using it in Michigan and are
very optimistic about it out there. Georgia
Died it in the Chattahoochee National Forest
for three years, and they are now going to
make it a permanent part of their
inanagernentprogram.
It's a general index, and it works very
well, if you don't expect more from it than
that.
Katuah: When you say the Tri-Staie
area, what does that encompass?
Pelton: It's basically the same as the
area known as the Blue Ridge
physiographic province (Katuah) in the
states of North Carolina, Georgia, and
Tennessee. The bear range is basically the
federally-owned lands in this area. The
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a
focal point for this range. We can call an
area a discrete range as long ns there are
connections between its various pans, and
the Park is connected to all the major
national forest areas surrounding it. But
there is a very definite line of human
habitation between the Cherokee National
Forest in Tennessee and the George
Washington National Forest in Virginia that
cuts those two bear populations apart
The assistant head of the wildlife
department in Virginia called me last year to
see about meeting at the state line to discuss
reconnecting the national forest areas by
means of wildlife corridors or conservation
easements.
FALL 1987
�Katiiali: Wouldn't corridors make
bears more liable to poaching pressure by
concentrating their numbers in a narrow
saip of land?
Pelton: This is a new idea, and I
don't know exactly how wide a corridor
should be to protect bears in this kind of
country
South of here we've seen black bears
dispersed down hardwood corridors along
riverbanks that are just a few yards wide.
They are very vulnerable in th:u situation.
The best survival habitat is~ of cover,
and the wider the corridors can be, the
better.
I don't have much hope for anything
outside the federally-owned lands. The rest
is gone. Down in Louisiana they are
reclaiming some abandoned farmland and
putting it back into bear habitat, but I don't
think that will be the case in Southern
Appalachia. Once the second homes and the
strip developments are there, they're there
forever.
K atua/1: Is the region approaching
its carrying capacity for bears?
P elton: I can't speak much for the
North Carolina side of the mountains, but
from what I can tell in the Cherokee
National Forest. it's not near the carrying
capacity.
The mast production there cenainly is
not optimal. A lot of these forests arc 40-60
years old now after being essentially wiped
out during the '30's, and they're just
beginning to reach mast production
capability, so there's room to grow there.
Wit h more control of illegal hunting
activi ries. the density in the national forest
could approach that in the Park, which is
approximate!y one bear per 1,000 acres.
K at fiah: What do you think arc the
cumulative effects of human habitation on
the bears?
Pelton: "Cumulative effects" is a
specific term for a relatively new idea tha t
has already been applied to the grizzly
s.ituacion our west. It means to take all the
bits and pieces of impact and put them
together to see how they fit in terms of an
overall effect on the species you arc looking
at.
They are doing that in a very
sophisticated way for the grizzly, and a
Forest Service employee is going to develop
a cumulative effects model for the
Chauahoochee National Forest as a case
study for the Southern Appalachians. That
will involve him looking at all the
population parameters he can dig out of our
data base and adding up all those factors:
roads, timber management, number of
people, bunting, and so on.
Essentially, he is going to t.alce each
of those factors and index it with some son
of value system that is weighted in terms of
its assumed impact.
Pe lton: I don't think it's going to be
that sophisticated. This is just a one-person
project.
My personal concerns are, first,
sustained, long-term mast production, and,
second, access and how that's used.
My first question is: is the clearcut
technique setting into motion a situation
where they are going to be perpetuating
non-mast-producing species for eons of
time?
If there is a marginal cove hardwood
setting where there was a good oak
component, and it is clearcut , then that oak
component is lost forever, either because it
is replanted in white pine, or because it
comes back in poplar, and they return in 60
• 80 years and cut it again when the poplar
is large, but the oaks haven't had a chance
to get started.
f ve been ta.king the Forest Service to
task for that. They argue that the oaks reach
maturity in 80 years and start downhill after
that, and that they need to be cut at that
point. rm not convinced that the data would
support them on that, particularly with white
oak, which is the most important one. I'm
not a forester, but from all the data that rve
been a ble to dig o ut, they do not reach
maturity until 120-150 years, when they arc
reaching peak acorn production.
O ur second poi nt is that the trees
should be allowed to sustain their peak for a
c:untinued on nCXI page
TENN.
N.C.
s.c.
GA.
BLACK BEAR RANGE IN THE "TRI-STATE REGION"
(Source: Tri-Stntc Block Bear s1udy, 1978)
KATUAH-page9
BAIT STATION SURVEY
K at uah : Will it take atmospheric
deposition into account?
The bait station survey was developed
as a relatively inexpensive method that is
easy to implement and provides a standard
data base of relative density, distriburion.
and activities of the black bear that could be
easily implemented throughout the whole of
Katuah.
The bait, three panially opened cans
of sardines, is hung at least 10 feet high in a
small tree, so that it is necessary for a bear
to bend the tree over to get at the cans.
These stations arc spaced a1 one-half mile
intervals along routes selecte d to
systematically cover the chosen sample area
at the density of one bait site per mile. Baits
arc placed during the month of July, when
bear activity is highest.
The s lope; aspect, ele vatio n;
oversto ry and unders tory vegetation ;
d istance to the nearest road; timber
c::= -
..,.ne....t; nmal past.
1u4
disllDce to die
1lle
or bear
sanctuary
bat,
boundary are noted for
each bait site to aid in analysis of bear
habits. movements, and habiw preferences.
Each bait station is revisited five
nights after it is set. Marks of tampering arc
very clear, and the percentage o f baits taken
is used as a comparative index value to give
an idea of the bear population in different
areas over the course of time.
The more widespread the usc of the
bait-station method and the higher the
degree of consistency that can be achieved
in its usc, the more value it will have as a
research technique in the Southern
Appalachians.
The bear range in Tennessee and
Georgia is being monitored with bait-station
surveys c onducted by the Tennessee
Wildlife Resources Agency and the Georgia
Depanment of Natural Resources. The
National Park service carries out surveys in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Isolated surveys are being done as pan of
research projects in North Carolina bear
sanctuaries.
An annual, region-wide bait station
survey is immediately possible and
dcsircable as a means to provide uniform
data among the differe nt p o litical
jurisdic tions and agencies of Ka tuah.
Coordina ti o n by a n i ndepe nde nt
organization or the US Fish and Wildlife
Service could enhance the value o f such a
survey.
All that is lacking is a committment
from the US Forest Service and 1he NC
Wildlife Resources Commission to make a
region-wide black bear management swvey
a reality.
~
FALL 1987
�• oonunucd rrom pm·ious page
period of time to get the best mast crops. So
I've been pushing them to increase the
rotation time to 120-150 years.
There is also a problem regenerating
oaks. foresters just haven't been abk to
work that ouL Some of them are certainly
interested, but all they have been able to do
is to go into a stand before they cut it and
see if there's enough advanced regeneration
(oak saplings) beneath it so that there will be
some oaks coming back. If they cut too
early the oaks will be out-competed by tulip
poplars and other sun-loving, pioneer
species.
"It would help immediately
also the effect of gener:il use of the ro:id
forcing individual be:irs to shift their home
range to another are:i.
A be:ir chooses :in area for a home
range because it's a good habitat :irea. :ind if
he has to shift it over. he will either have to
shift over to land that is not as good for
habitat or he will push another bear over to
poorer land. The more marginal the
situation, the more vulnerable the bear
becomes.
I've said before that road
development should be restricted where
there is more than one-half mile of road per
square mile of forest.
Kai1ial1: But gating roads would
if the Forest Service defined its
job as more than just timber
management. Like the Park
Service and the state game and
fish agencies, they need to play a
tripartite role in managing the
forest: biological management,
enforcement, and information/
education."
"MARK TREES" MYSTERY
For many years naturalists have
speculated on the meaning of the trees found
in bear habitat area that have been
purposcfulJy scarred with clawmarks. As
;
yet, no one has been able to decipher the
meaning oflhe "mark trees".
Marie trees are not randomly scattered
through the brush. They arc always on a
trail and usually on a ridgetop along a very
distinct game trail. Any species of tree may
be marked. They are always live· although
sometimes a tree may be killed by extensive
marking. The marks arc definitely made by
bears. They are always head-high, and
sometimes bear hairs can be found caught in
lhe b:irk of rough-skinned trees.
The marks can be vertical or
horizontal, but arc most oflen horizontal ns
differentiated from the venical marks they
leave \\hen they are climbing a tree.
There are several theories as to the
meaning of the m:irks. One thought is that it
is females and males signalling to one
another during the breeding season.
Another idea is that the marks signify
the dominance hierarchy among the males,
panicularly during the mating season when
they are competing for fem.1lcs.
They could also be territorial markers
placed by an adult female to warn away
other females from her range area.
Whatever the interpretation, the marks
are of great imponancc to the bears. Tree
marking appears to be highly ritualized.
Some trees are marked once and never
marked ag;1in, while others :ire marked year
after year. But if a tree is marked repeatedly,
the bears - even different bears - wiJI walk
in the same footprints to get to the tree.
Trappers used to take advnntage of this and
set their traps around a previous footprint
close to a mark tree. They knew that if a
bear returned to the tree, he would follow
the cJ<.isting footprints and be a sure ca~
help.
Pelton: Cenainly, unless they use
that road to make a clearcut.....
It would help immediately if the
Forest Service defined its job as more than
just timber management. Like the Park
Service and the state game and fish
agencies, they need to play a tripanite role in
managing the forest: biological management, enforcement, and information/
education.
They don't do much enforcement.
For example, they only have one man on the
whole southern Cherokee National Forest.
One person can't do anything in an area like
that.
They also don't do much educating of
the local people about what the forest means
and how it serves them. In the northeast
people are more accepting of bears. Up
there if a person killed a bear out of season,
he'd get reponed. People would gee irate
about it! Here you don't see that. It's a
long-tenn educational problem. People need
to learn about the animal.
The Forest Service has not been
fleJ<.ible enough about alternative
silvicultural methods that might be
applicable in cenain areas. They tend to
generalize and say that they don't have the
time or the personnel to try some other
alternative Conn of cutting.
The second concern is roads. We are
finding that road density may not be as
imponant as how the road is used by
vehicles over time. There are two effects of
roads. There's the direct effect of hunters
using that road to kill a bear, and there's
- Mike Pelton
KATUAH - page 10
FAI.t 1987
�Attirude is very imponant as well. In
Vennont, the Forest Service didn't have any
trouble getting their mar.agemcnt plan for
the Green Mountain Forest accepted. There
they staned out on the right foot. Their
approach was to question, "What's unique
about this forest, and what docs it provide
that won't be provided any other way?"
The black bear was one resource they
mentioned. Another was large saw timber
grown on a long rotation. That just isn't
available outside the national forest
anymore. We have the opponunity to
provide that as well
Vermont also has some very strict
land use and zoning laws. I saw them in
action, and it's impressive. When anyone
wants to do anything to change the land,
especially above a cenain elevation, they
have to appear before a board and justify
their planning, even if they own the land.
Pel ton: A lot. ....I have a lot of
respect for the animal, more and more as
each year goes by. I am constantly amazed
at what it is capable of doing.
There's a special relationship between
humans and bears that has existed through
time. There's a theory floating around that
says it is because of the bears that we are
here. As far as we know, the only place in
the world where there hasn't been ttaccs of
pre-historic bears is in central and southern
Africa. and that's the focal point of the
development of primates, and the thought is
that had there been bears there, the primate
species would never have been able to
develop and evolve as they did.
Bears were always imponant to the
early culrurcs, but even in the present, there
is an instinctive attraction that people have to
the animal. Perhaps it's its human-like
characteristics. I don't know what.
Today I think people are drawn to the
bears because they are symbolic of our
remaining wild lands.
Katuah: The black bear has been a
major pan of your life for the last two
decades. From your long experience with
them, what have they come to mean to you
personally?
Resource Reading on the Black
Bear:
-The fragmented Forest, Larry D. Harris
(Univ. of Chicago Press, 1984)
- The Sacred Paw: The Bear jn Nature,
Myth. and Literature. Paul Shepard and
Barry Sanders (Viking Press, 1985)
- The World of the Black Bear, Joseph V.
Wormer (Lippincott, 1966)
- Mammals of 1he Grea1 Smoky Mountains
National Park, Alicia and Donald W. Linzey
(Univ. of TN Press, 1971)
- The Mammals of Nonh America, E.R.
Hall (John Wiley & Sons, 1987)
- Bear Crossjn~s: An Antholoc of Noah
American Poe1s, Anne Newman and Julie
Suk, eds. (New South Co., 1983)
- The Tri-State Black Bear Study (by
university faculty and government agencies
in TN, NC, and GA - available from the NC
Wildlife Resources Commission; 512 N.
Salisbury St.; Raleigh, NC 27611)
THE CHALLENGER:
THE WILD BOAR
IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
NATIONAL PARK
There is competition between the black bear and the wild
boar ... The stiffest competition is in years of a poor mast
crop, for then both species are trying for the same acorns.
In the early 1900's George Gordon
Moore, a wealthy English businessman,
decided to entenain clients by creating a
game preserve in the area of Hooper's Bald
in the Snowbird Mountains. He built a huge
enclosure of split chestnut rails and brought
in a variety of big game animals - bear,
buffalo, elk, and the European wild boar.
The game park was a miserable
failure. The fence broke down, the animals
escaped, and vinually everything was shot
in the open woods .....exccpt the wild boar,
and they have been in the mountains ever
since.
Boars (Sus scrofa) are shy and
secretive, so they are not often seen by
humans, but they are impressive-looking
animals. Average adult weight is 120-150
pounds, but individuals close to 300 pounds
have been captured. Their long tusks are
vicious-looking and can produce terrible
wounds, but boars are generally shy and
avoid humans whenever possible.
The wild boar species is native to
Russia, eastern Europe, and western
Europe. In their native territory their major
predator was wolves, which had already
been exterminated from the Appalachians
when the boars were first imported. A
bobcat or occasionally a bear will kill a
young piglet, but otherwise they have no
natural predators in the mountains.
After their escape, the boar population
readily naturalized itself in rhe
Appalachians, and in time the animal
became a high-profile big game species in
both Nonh Carolina and Tennessee. People
from all over the country came to bunt wild
boar in the wild mountains.
At that time it was still legal to
free-range domestic bogs in the forest. The
two breeds had a lot of contact, and at one
point hog cholera almost wiped out the wild
strain. The two strains are of the same
species, so they interbred freely. Even in
1973 ttappers caught two or three black and
white spotted boars - the sign of mixed
breeds. None of those have been caught
lately, so it is assumed that the domestic hog
characteristics have been eliminated.
Inevitably the wild boars moved into
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The first sightings were on Parson's Bald
and Gregory Bald at the west end of the
Park. The Park administration immediately
recognized the threat from the wild boars
and began a trapping program to catch the
animals using hogwire enclosures.
It was a futile effort. The hogs spread
eastward, and now the entire Park is
occupied by the species, although they favor
continued on next page
KATUAH - page 11
FALL 1987
�- continued Crom P&&C 11
the western end.
On the Tennessee side of the Park
hogs can be removed by trapping or
shooting by a special team of hunters.
They can only be trapped on the Nonh
Carolina side of the Park. In 1986 over
1,100 wild boar were trapped or shot
within the Park boundanes. Officials
have no guess whether that is 10% Or
90% of the boar population.
Whether or not the wild boar can
be eliminated from the Park is no longer
in question. The Park is a huge area over 500,000 acres - of which a large
pan is only accessible by foot trails, and
a large pan of that can only be reached
by climbing cross-country through the
thickest kind of brush. These
inaccessible areas harbor a breeding
nucleus of boar that multiplies
exponentially in years of a good acorn
harvest And immediately bordering the
Park, the Nonh Carolina and Tennessee
wildlife agencies are developing and
promoting the wild boar as game
animals.
Wild boar do an incredible amount
of damage wherever they go. Their
rooting can tum over great areas of the
forest floor as if it bad been tilled. They
are a great threat to the many endemic
varieties of plants that are found in the
Great Smoky Mountains and exist
nowhere else in the world. There are
rare plants here that are in great jeopardy.
Wild hogs will root up
salamanders. They will wallow in the
only water sources at the higher
elevations and silt them and foul them,
so that the water is undrinkable. They
spread diseases to other wildlife species.
The damage they are creating is serious,
and much of it is permanent
There is competition between the
black bear and the wild boar. In a direct
confrontation a grown bear will kill an
adult boar, but these occasions are
infrequent
The stiffest competition is in years
of a poor mast crop, for then both
species are trying for the same acorns.
Bears have an advantage in that they can
climb into the tops of the oak trees and
feed on the acorns before they drop.
Bears arc also safely in their dens
during the cold winter months, while the
boars have to continue to forage for food
in all weather. To make a dent in their
population levels, the best time to hit
them is at the end of a hard winter. They
are in poor condition then.
The wild boars' biggest advantage
is in their remarkable reproduction
capacity. Under the best conditions
female bears, when they become
sexually mature at three and one-half or
four and one-half years of age, can have
only two or three cubs every other year.
Female hogs become sexually mature at
six to eight months of age. After that
time they can have two litters of four to
eight piglets each year! The boar
population is dramatically affected by the
acorn crop. In a poor acorn year, rhey do
not reproduce, but when the acorn crop
is good, the boar population
mushrooms. In that kind of situation the
piecemeal control being practiced in the
Park is not effective.
.
- Mike Pelton
KATUAH - page 12
cougar
thick velvet fur rippling
bone muscle sinew moving
eyes sharp clear piercing
you pulse
through the dense night air.
lithe fluid lean
slipping through pathways
known only to your kind
you stalk life itself
in the still luminous forest.
/#
fr
gn(ilie: Martha Tree
poem: Mamie Muller
�Finding Allies in the World
We have been told that the Indian people native to Turtle
Island saw the world differently than the Europeans do. They
saw the world as a spiritual place, where Spirit took shape
and existed in the many forms of the Creation.
We have been told that the Indian people believed in
power, and they sought power, but the power they sought
was spiritual power and not power over others, such as the
white people seek.
We have been told that every rock and tree, every bird and
every animal, each living thing in the world is an ex:pression
of some aspect of the spiritual energy of Creation. Each
entity has its own spiritual personality, so to speak. The
native people saw some of these personalities as particularly
good and desireable, and they would seek out these spiritual
beings and ask their help for the tribe and the people so that
they could get along in the world. They called these beings to
become the spiritual allies of the tribe.
We have been told that an individual could also seek a
spiritual ally to strengthen some pan of his character and
balance his personality. Preparation was an important part of
this. Just because someone wanted an ally, it did not mean
that the ally would come. First that individual would go to a
medicine person. The medicine person would give them
medicine to attract the ally - a feather, some hair, or perhaps a
bone from that animal. And the medicine person might give
that individual some advice on what to do and how to act and
give that person a song with which to call the desired ally.
Then the seeker would go off alone into the forest and fast
and pray for that spirit to come.
Sometimes, we were told, an ally comes to someone
without that person even asking. A Cherokee man in the
generation of our grandparents' parents was knocked into a
river by a bear, who then pursued him into the water and
slapped him down several times and clawed him. The bear
went away leaving the man with scratchmarks and bruises,
but did not kill him. The medicine people in the mans' village
told him that Yonah had chosen to be his ally and would help
and protect him. The medicine people said that it was
apparent the bear had followed the man into the water to be
sure he was marked. Always after that the man was called
"Man-Who-Bear-Knocked-1nto -Water". One does not have
to be mauled to realise the presence of a spirit ally, but people
today are so domesticated that some have allies and are not
even aware of it.
We were told that once a connection with the spiritual
realm was made, that people then spoke to their spirit allies in
a tone of command. The Creator, and the Sun, the Moon,
and Fire (which is the power of the Sun on Earth), are
primary Jl9Wers, and these were always asked very politely
to share their power. But other spirit beings were told what
was needed, not arrogantly, but in a way that ex:pected their
cooperation.
We were told that even Kanati, the lightning, must
sometimes be taunted and mocked before he will bring rain.
Someone could speak to him in such a way, saying, "Kanati,
you are considered a great power, yet there you sit, while I.be
humans and all living things here below stand in great need
of rain. Ha! ls this the best you can do?" But when speaking
to Kanati in that way it is a1 ways wise to stand in a place
where one can take shelter quickly.
KATIJAH-page 13
We have been told, however, that although it would not
work to beg a spirit ally for its help, one must always thank
an ally sincerely for coming and lending its power. And
nothing is given for nothing. A human must always serve an
ally and think well of it to keep the spiritual connection
strong.
Yonah, the bear, we were told, is a spirit representing
great physical srrength and endurance. The bear is strong in
the ability to survive, because it can eat almost anything. It is
also moody, and its temper is ferocious. In its build and its
appearance, the bear shows it is closely related to the
mountains. And since the red wolf, the elk, the panther, and
!he woods bison are gone from the mountains, Yonah is the
last symbol of animal strength remaining here.
But, we were told, a spirit does not need to be large and
physically strong to be a powerful ally. The dragonfly is a
very small creature. It is not fierce. It is very delicate and
beautiful, but the dragonfly is a very strong power in the
world.
We have been told that the golden eagle is a strong power
both in the physical body and in spirit. The eagle could fly so
high into the sky that he would disappear from the sight of
those watching from the ground. When he returned and sat
on a branch, he had such a regal look about him that the old
ones would say,"Surely, he has spoken with the Creator."
But, we were told, the Cherokee people did not consider
the bear to be one of the str0ngest powers in the mountains,
because they knew where the bears came from.
The bears, it is said, were once humans, a clan of the
Cherokee tribe called Ani-Tsa'guhi. One boy among them
would spend a lot of time in the forest, until one day his
mother noticed that he was starting to grow hair all over his
body.
"Stay in the village with us," she begged. "You spend all
your time in the woods. You hardly eat with us anymore."
"I am going to go to the forest to live all the time," the boy
replied. "There is plenty of food to eat there, and I like wild
food berter than com and beans. Why don't all of you come
with me? There is enough for our whole clan to eat."
The clan met in council, we were told, and they decided to
go with the boy to live in the forest. He told them that first
they must fast for seven days. So they did that, and after that
time, they went away from their village.
We were told that on their way, they were met by a group
of messengers from the other villages, who had come to beg
them to stay in their homes. But the Ani-Tsa'guhi could not
be persuaded. In fact they were already starting to grow hair
on their bodies.
"We are going into the forest to live forever," said the
Ani-Tsa'guhi. "There is plenty for us to eat there. But when
you hunger, come into the forest and call us, and we will
offer our bodies to you that you may eat our flesh. Do not be
afraid to kill us, for we will live forever."
And we were told that the Ani-Tsa'guhi taught the
messengers the proper songs and told the messengers how to
call them. Then, singing and dancing, the clan went away
into the forest. As the messengers started back to their
villages, they turned around for one last look, just in time to
see the last of a line of black bears disappear into the trees.
Therefore it is said that Yonah, the bear, is Cherokee, but
is not Cherokee. The bear is considered a brother, bur there
are stronger allies, like Fire and Water, and the trinity Kanati~
rattlesnake, and ginseng, living in the mountains.
#-
Tlu!se words are spoken by a traditional Clu!rokee.
FALL 1987
�"ME AND MY WALKER HOUNDS:"
An Exposition on Bears and Bear Dogs by Robert McMahan
When I was seven years old, my daddy
would take me hunting. He didn't force me to go. I went
because I wanted to go.
I'd say, "Daddy, you goin' bunting tonight?"
"Yep."
"You care if I go with you?"
"Nope."
Well, I'd go with Daddy. He'd lay out aJI night
long. I'd make it 'til about midnight. They'd always
cook a hot dog or fry some bacon on a stick about then,
and I'd stay up for that, but lhen I'd go to the sleeping
bag.
As I got up to 10 or 12 years old, I got to listening
to what they were listening to: the dogs. I got to be able
to tell which dogs were leading, which dogs were
behind, how long it was going to take this dog to catch
up, or how far ahead lhat dog was from the pack.
I started possum bunting when I was
14 or 15 years old. I'd borrow a certain
redbone hound dog from my uncle. I lived
in the very last house on the paved road,
and I'd walk down to my uncle's house on
lhe highway, borrow that dog, and walk
back up to the top of that mountain. I
enjoyed doing that. I caught some possums
using a .22 and a two-cell flashlight. Most
of the time that little two-cell flashlight
wouldn't shine more'n three or four limbs
up on the tree. If the little possum wasn't
there, I'd grab my dog and go. l didn't pay
no attention to walking three miles in lhere
to that tree.
Finally I got enough money to buy
my own dog. A good dog cost $50-75.00
back then. It made it real big for me to know
that !hfil dog belonged to~I started out bear hunting with an
older man namedWade HaJl. I was about 22
when I first went out with him. The whole
first year I hunted, I never saw a bear. We
- oonlinued on ne.<tl page
KATUAH - page 14
FALL 1987
�had some good chases, and we had some
good times, but the bear just didn't show.
I start breeding and training Walker
hounds in L976. The United Kennel Club
(UKC) recognizes six breeds of hunting
hounds: blue tick, English, redbone, Plort,
black-and-tans, and Walker.
Walkers are making their mark in the
bear hunting world. They're coming along.
The reason these Walker dogs are
coming along is that people are breeding
them carefully. They're wanting to get the
best. and they'll go where they have to to
get the best. But anybody with a hound dog
will tell you, you can breed the best to the
best. but your wodc is still cut out for you,
because you still have 10 train that dog.
You're going to wear out a lot of shoe
leather to make those pups into bear dogs.
There are different things to look for
in a dog. Myself, I'm looking for a good,
medium-nosed dog. I don't want a real
cold-nosed dog that can trail a track two
days old. Sometimes that pays off: I've seen
it happen that a dog will start on a cold trail
he could just barely smell, go over the
ridge, and a bear will be laid up there. If a
bear gets in an area where there's mash
(mast), he'll stay there 'til the mash is gone.
But you can waste a lot of time that way,
too.
I also want a dog that'll go when I
tum him loose. I don't want one hangin'
'round my feet. He's got to go 'ti! he
strikes.
The mouth is another thing. I like a
dog to have a good bay mouth when he's
trailing or running and just "hammers every
breath," as I call it. That way I know right
where the bear is at. And when he comes
into the tree (trees the bear), he needs to
change over to a good, hard, chop-mouth
sound. You can tell when a good one does
tree.
Color is imponant too. I don't want
no ticks in a Walker. I like big spots. If I
find small spotS about the size of a quarter
all over the dog, that tells me that's not a
pure-bred dog. What's color is color, and
what's aint, ain't.
Before I go out there and breed to
someone else's dog other than my own, I
just about have to see how M's bred and
raised his dog. I have to see what that dog
does when it trees a bear or a coon.
One thing to get straight: the dogs are
the main factor in bear hunting. The greatest
pan of the sportsmen in this area, all they
want is to hear their dogs run, hear a good
race, and see a good fi_ght The grea[er pan
of them is not interested in killing a bear.
We carry a rifle. We're legal - we don't
believe that's illegal - but killing 1he bear
isn't the main thing.
To get a good gun dog, now, you do
need eo gee him on a bear kill. You kill one
to him, because chat really perks a dog up.
He feels like he's accomplishing something
then. He's got a taste of what he's supposed
to be doing. But you don't have to kill every
bear that a dog gets after. You could take
one bear a year for a pack of dogs, and that
pack will go in next year and run you
anol.ber bear.
Some people say. "You get more
game from a bound dog." Well, that's not
true. We hunt with our dogs, because that's
KATUAH- page 15
what's important 10 us. I don't see any :;pon
wha1soever in still hunting. That's why I
don't deer hunt. You go up there early of a
morning, get behind a tree, and sit there
about two hours, and wait on a deer to
come up. That deer doesn't even know
you're there. He's grazing, and you stick
that gun barrel out from around that tree,
you shoot that deer, and he's a dead deer.
He never knew what hit him.
I could see doing it for I.be meat, but
in this area here there's nobody who has to
depend on deer meat or bear meat to
survive. There's no point in going out there
and just shooting it.
1lle way we bear hunt is in a group.
It takes at least seven men who get along to
make a good group. l could go bear hunting
by myself, but more than likely I'd be
fighting a losing battle. I couldn't stay up
with the dogs, because when a bear is
jumped, he'll turn and run. An
averaged-sized native bear, a 100-200
pound animal who's been born and raised in
these mountains, can run eight to ten hours
or even longer. There's no way one man
could stay up. But if you've got a good
group of seven men, you get someone on
one ridge, one on another, and one on
another. There might be three dogs after the
bear, and then when he comes my way, I'll
turn my dogs loose to see what they can do.
.....you could tap Sam on the lzead
with your foot, and everything in
him would just rattle. He was
broken ruJ. to pieces.
When a bear is jumped up and
running, he might be a mile ahead of the
dogs, but they can run him then with their
heads down. A bear hunter can tell every
one of his dogs by its bark. The whole rime
he's listening to the chase, he's got that
sound down pat He can tell which dog is
which, and he can tell what it's a-doing.
You can't tum a young pup on a
track, because there's so much other game
in these woods. You loose the well-trained
ones first. Ihu'll stay on the bear. But if
you go ahead and tum out 15 dogs, you're
gonna have 10 that don't even know what
they're out there after. They're going to be
ahead of your dogs trailing the bear, and
they're going to jump a deer or whatever,
and - wham! - there's a big blow-up.
You don't want more than seven dogs
on the chase up to the point where they stop
him. Then you turn your young dogs in on
that. That's the way you make bear dogs.
I've known limes when somebody
saw a bear cross the road, and ~body
got excited, and J<Ymbody jerked their dogs
out. Ir didn't take that bear l 0 minutes to get
tid of che dogs, but it took us three days to
find chem. Not one dog got after the bear and we'd~ 1hat bear!
You can put as many dogs as you like
on a bear that's 75 pounds and up, and
they'll never kill that bear. That bear's
gonna take care of himself, he's dangerous,
and he'll kill a dog.
Everybody's got their own opinion
about breeding and raising dogs, but I
believe that if you're going to get a bear,
you've got to have dogs that'll fight.
You've got to have dogs chat'll nip at his
heels and let him know that they're there
and not be scared of that bear in no way.
If you have dogs that'll fight that
bear, that bear's gonna have to do one of
two things: he's either going have to run
and get the bell out of there, or he's going to
have to get into a tree.
A bear will kill a dog - he will, there's
no doube about it A bear'll slap a dog, but
his intention is 10 get the dog pulled into
him, to get a mouth hold on that dog. If he
gets a mouth hold on that dog, that's a dead
dog. You can make it up for that dog, he's
gone.
We turned out one last year named
OJ' Sam - as good a dog as I've ever seen
turned after a bear. He was an English dog,
and while I've been acquainted wi1h some
dogs that were as gQQd as that one. but as
far as being any better, they're hard LO find.
This wasn't but an averaged-sized bear, and
we turned Sam and the rest of the dogs on
it, and in 15 minutes that dog was dead.
What happened that panicular time
was that we turned the dogs on one bear,
but a bigger bear had crossed this other
one's path going another direction. The
bigger bear didn't run; he wailed for the
dogs, and by the time we made it up to
there, you could tap Sam on the head with
your foot, and everything in him would just
rattle. He was broken all 10 pieces.
Personally, in my opinion, a bear's a
beautiful animal. If you are out in the
woods, and you happen to see one, chey
look real pretty just because you so very
seldom get to see one.
But once you put the dogs on a bear,
it's different. It's a fact of me saying, ''l'm
going to stop you," and him saying, "No,
you're not." If I win the battle, I've got him;
he's mine. Then he's not so good-looking. I
mean, he looks good, but not near as good
as he was standing somewhere all alone, no
dogs, up there.
But if he kills or injures one of my
dogs, when we finally get enough dogs on
him to get him stopped, he's not
good-looking at all.
Once a good dog gets on the trail of a
bear, he'll be there. He'll be there 'ti! he just
totally gives out. When a dog like that gives
out, he'll be two days before you find him,
unless you know tight where to go gee him.
because he's going to go out there
somewhere and lay down. I'v.: carried
several out of the woods. Even afeer two
days, they'll walk four or five s1eps and fall
down, walk four or five steps and fall
down. It wasn't that the bear hu·: them in
any way, it was just 1hat the dog I 1d, as the
old saying goes, "busted a gut."
When a bear is shot, we Lake it to
someone's place, Clarence Hall's or maybe
mine, and we lay him ouc and chop him up,
and we take the meat and put it in10 liule
piles, one for each man who's hunted wilh
us. Each pile has the same amount of each
part, and we put those in freezer bags, and
carry that meat home. I like bear meat in the
fall of the year, but I don't like it frozen too
much. Several people down here call me
every year, asking if I've got any bear meat.
If I've got it, they're welcome to it. le does
me good 10 see them eat it.
- continued on page 26
FALL 1987
�Onphic by Rob Messick ~
"SMELLS LIKE MONEY TO ME"
by Jay S. Gertz
The campaign to get Champion
International Paper Company to clean up the
Pigeon River is not a new one. This
long-term crisis has currently been reheated
by a groundswell of opposition
downstream, fanned by recent federal
concern, and fueled by Champion's
incendiary ultimatum: 'We cannot afford the
pollution controls necessary to clean up our
wastes, and we will close down rather than
clean up!"
By putting the people of Canton and
Haywood County under the fear of
widespread joblessness and the subsequent
spectre of economic collapse, Champion has
amassed quite a constituency of vocal
proponents. Many residents believe that the
environmentalists, the citizens of Newpon,
TN, and all others who just happen to want
a clean river in their backyards are
black-hearted scoundrels pushing poor,
little, old Champion to the brink of
bankruptcy and ruination.
Nothing could be further from the
truth. Champion International, a huge,
multinational corporation based in
Stamford, CT, does have the resources and
power to return the Pigeon River to its
former crystal clarity. For Champion to bold
the citizens of Canton economic hostage in
this matter is patently unfair.
Champion's claim that they cannot
meet their own clean-up costs tarnishes their
corporate image and philosophy. It is also
KATIJAH - page 16
Other industries and
individuals now see the
Pigeon River as a potential
resource again, not only in
economic terms, but in terms
of its former g Lory as a
free-flowing, living stream.
ironic, because Champion Corporation was
a major factor in crearinft the economic
structure prevailing in Katuah today.
Champion Fiber Co. came to the
mountains as the brainchild of Ohio-based
industrialist Peter G. Thompson in 1905. At
the height of the timber boom, Thompson
and other nonhem industrialists purchased
400,000 acres of steep forest land, built a
pulp plant on the banks of the Pigeon River,
and began construction of a mill town,
which he named after Canton, Ohio.
Thompson showed great foresight in
his undertaking. He shrewdly profited on a
rural, unindustrialized area with an
abundance of timber, a constant source of
water for pulp processing, and a cheap and
unlimited native labor supply. By 1914 the
Canton mill employed 1,000 people, and the
population of the surrounding area had
jumped from 400 to 8,000.
There was not a diversity of interests
in the new company town of Canton. As in
the other towns that sprang up ar that time,
the single-interest economy was dominated
by the controlli.ng industry in the area, the
timber interests.
In Haywood County, Champion
become the guiding force for the entire
locale. Following the pattern of industrial
development then current in Appalachia, the
company controlled the jobs, the political
system, and the surrounding natural
resources.
The people of Haywood County were
hard-working members of an isolated,
agriculturally self-sufficient, indigenous
mountain culture. Like other mountain
people, many of them sold their land for
ready cash and forsook the hardship of
farming the difficult terrain for the promise
of steady work and wages.
This migration to the mill towns and
industrial centers denoted a turning point in
mountain life. It marked the beginning of
the modem era, in which mountain people
gave up their independent ways and became
a part of the cash economy.
By 1930 the Champion operation in
Canton was the largest in the United States.
Today Champion International is the founh
largest company in the forest products
industry. They are ranked as the 86th largest
company in the world. Their sales in 1986
FALL 1987
�topped $4.3 billion. Champion is the
second-largest private landowner in the US
with 6.5 million acres of timber. They also
own oil and gas fields with reserves of 2.5
million barrels of oil and 2.2 million cubic
feet of gas. From mills in the United States,
Canada, and Brazil, Champion produces
3.3 million tons of pulp, 815 thousand tons
of newsprint, and 2.5 million tons of paper
annually. Champion's six chief and 15
executive officers receive $6.25 million per
year with additional incentive compensation
of$2.8 million annually.
Canton and Waynesville's 2,300
Champion also uses 43 millio11
gallons ofthe Pigeon River daily.
This constitutes 90% of the total
stream.
Champion employees contribute a mighty
share to the wealth of that international
giant. They make one-third of the country's
total of coated papers (including duplicating
paper and most of the nation's dairy-type
containers). In 1982 the Canton mill used
2,162 cords of wood and 956 tons of coal
per day to make 1,620 tons of paper and
board per day.
Champion also uses 43 million
gallons of the Pigeon River daily. This
constitutes 90% of the total stream. The
wastewater is extremely discolored by
tannins and filled with other organic
compounds. This "din". although not
dangerously toxic, renders the Pigeon River
unfit not only for aquatic life, but for
commercial and domestic use as well.
Champion Fiber was once the sole
lord of a tremendous mountain fiefdom. The
Pigeon was its personal river - itS chief
resource, its sewer, and its ttansportation
system. Other industries and individuals
now see the Pigeon River as a potential
resource again, not only in economic tenns,
but in terms of its former glory as a
free-flowing, living stream.
Prior to 1900, the Pigeon River was
as pristine a mountain stream as one could
find in eastern North America. One could
see the bottom through ten feet of water.
Bass were prevalent, and upriver the
speckled trout were plentiful. Sun perch,
borneyheads, mullets, and hogsuckers
could be caught by the string in a matter of
hours. Mud tunics and muskrats could be
trapped by the water's edge. Other riparian
species lived by the Pigeon in great
numbers.
Now highly-colored tannins and other
compounds enter the Pigeon at Canton.
From this point on into Tennessee, the
Pigeon River no longer has the natural
vitality necessary to suppon typical aquatic
life. The sparkling clarity of the Pigeon bas
given way to a murky, smelly, and
sometimes foamy brew.
Above Canton the Pigeon River is
designated a Class A-ll trout stream, and the
water can be used for drinking or food
production. Below Canton the river
supports some atrophied "garbage" fish,
like carp, goldfish, and suckers. The
municipality of Newport, TN finds the
Pigeon so noxious, that although the river
flows through their city, they get their
drinking water from the French Broad, six
miles away.
The Southern Appalachians of the late
1980's are home to a greater variety of
corporate interests and economic livelihoods
than ever envisioned by the early timber and
mineral barons. One of them is the
recreational industry, which includes
fishing, hunting, camping, hiking,
white-water rafting, kayaking, etc. A study
recently published by two professors at
Walters State Community College estimates
the direct recreational benefit of a clean
Pigeon River at $7.3 million per year. This
does not include a projected increase in
agricultural use or productivity along the
river. or new industries. or a rise in real
estate values or development
Yet the river cannot be any sort of
asset to anyone, as long as Champion views
the Pigeon as its own and refuses to clean
its wastewater any further.
Champion lntemational, with annual
assets in excess of $6 billion, claims it
cannot afford to clean up the Pigeon River.
Over the past ten years, Chamfion has
earned $1.28 billion, paying $62 million
just to stockholders. If Champion spent $60
million in colorant removal, their projected
earnings would be reduced by $7 .8 million,
which is only a loss of 8 cents per share.
Champion's corporate philosophy is
summed up in a document entitled l l i
Champion Way. According to this
document, "Champion wantS to be known
as a company which strives to conserve
resources, to reduce waste, and to use and
dispose of materials with scrupulous regard
for safety and health. We taJce panicular
pride in this company's record of
compliance with the spirit as well as the
letter of all environmental regulations."
In the mid-1960's Champion did
begin instituting pollution abatement on the
Pigeon. At that time only sludgeworms
could live in the river. Gradually other
life-forms returned to the water, but not in
vast numbers or in the great variety of
former times.
Champion no longer
provides the only source of
livelihood in these mountains, and
they can no longer dictate a single
use for the river.
Today, Champion's North Carolina
wastewater permit docs not meet up with the
stricter federal standards of the Clean Water
Act, and Champion claims that it is
economically impossible to bring the river
up to legal standards.
For Champion to claim that a fouled
river is necessary to its business operations
should be an outrage to all the citizens of
this region. Presently existing waste
handling technology could reduce the color
pollution by 95-99%, and with 23% profits
last year and 40% profilS projected for this
year, Champion can cenainly afford to be
cleaner.
Another statement from ~
Champion Way points out the vast gulf
between the corporate ideal and the hard-line
stance of the Canton management:
"Champion wants to be known as an open,
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED
FROM CANTON'S PLIGHT
Despite financial headlines
proclaiming a bull market on Wall Sacct and
a rosy financial picture, the national
economy has been sluggish throughout the
1980's. Champion Paper Co. has
maintained a dominant place in the national
financial picture by a drastic streamlining
program begun in 1983. Shut-downs and
layoffs arc pan of that program. They have
laid off27,400 employees nationally in five
years. They have divested huge scgment.s of
their industry, such as brown paper
packaging, envelopes, cardboard boxes, a
distribution network, and an insurance
company.
Andrew Sigler, Champion CEO,
plans to "meld remaining business and
boost return on equity from single digits
into the top quaner of US industry." The
only way to grasp this potential 16% leap is
to cut costs and raise productivity. The
company intends to save $400 million (or
10% of its costs) annually.
This may explain the company's
bard-line stance on the Pigeon River plant.
The Canton mill is already 79 years old, its
rate of return is dropping as newer plants
with more modem technology arc built, and
it is obvious even to the plant management
that it has outgrown the river that feeds it
Champion will very soon, perhaps already,
be faced with a choice of expensive
modernization at the Canton mill or closing
the plant and moving to greener J>3StureS.
The decision, in fact, may already
have been made. Champion will finish
planning on a state-of-the-an mill in
Halifax, NC in 1989. They could decide to
close down in Canton and write off the
capital loss in corporate wees.
In that situation, they could only win
by taking an uncompromising stance on
pollution abatement. They would either
force the EPA to knuckle under and
maximize profits from the last days of the
Canton mill, or they would provide
themselves an excellent cover under which
to pull out of Haywood County: it would
then appear that it was the EPA and the
"damn environmentalists" and not the profit
motive that caused them to leave.
Whether Champion chooses to
squeeze Canton or to leave Canton, the
outlook for that mill town, whose whole
livelihood depends on the outmoded
Champion plant, is bleak. Hindsight, of
course, is 20/20, but it is obvious now that
Canton should have begun years ago to
diversify itS local economy, preferably with
smaller, locally-owned businesses. It is also
in times like these when the value of a
strong agricultural sector is clear.
Hopefully other towns will learn from
Canton's plight. The temptation is great to
give over to large outside business interests,
when it seems that they have the power to
make local residents pan of the American
Dream. But the end result is inevitably
economic peonage. The giant corporate
interests do not come here to give money;
they come here to taJce it, and they will stay
only as long as their profit interest is served.
In these times it may seem like
bucking the economic tide, but stability in
- continued on nexl ~&•·
- continued en MJCI page
KATUAH-page 17
FALL 1987
�continued from prcv ious page
1ru1hful company. We are committed to the
highest standards of business conduct in our
relationships with customers, suppliers,
employees, communities, and shareholders
In all our pursuits, we are unequivocal in
our suppon of the laws of the land, and acts
of questionable legality will not be
tolerated."
This sta1ement from a company that
threatens 10 sink an entire region inio a
depression if its excessive profits margins
are not upheld.
Champion no longer provides the
only source of livelihood in these
mountains, and they can no longer dictate a
single use for the river. Champion must
begin to accept the variety of commerce and
the multitude of changes that have come to
the mountains in recent years.
If Champion would uphold its values
of corporate excellence, it must stand by
words like these: "If change has a most
valuable lesson to offer, perhaps it is that
we need not be victims of it, if we can
accept it as an opportunity to grow and
achieve. In this sense, we believe that the
best companies are the ones with operating
styles flexible enough to make necessary
changes ..... " (from the Champion
International 1986 Annual Repon)
~
-wntinued from previous page
the long run is best maintained by making
decisions locally about the land, its
resources, and the economic sustenance that
is based on them. Perhaps now it is again
time 10 reclaim part of the mountain tradition
of self-sufficiency disrupted by the arrival
of industrialism to Appalachia.
The days of an economy based on
subsistence farming are past, but the more
people who move into locally-based, basic
production, such as producing food or
finished wood products; or who serve the
need for healing that draw people 10 the
mountains; or who pioneer new, more
appropriate occupations, the less
catastrophic will be the corning changes in
Haywood County and elsewhere.
Canton and its individual residents
would do welJ to de-emphasize their
dependence on the Champion plant before
the Champion company does the same.
Local governments and far-sighted banks
who would like to keep 1he local area
functioning and in1ac1 could begin now to
inventory local resources and opportunities
and begin making money available for
training and business loans to put the
Canton economy on a firmer footing. An
inventory of goods and materials imponed
into Haywood County would also indicate
needs that could be locally filled.
The hope that Champion Paper can
provide continuing security for the area is a
strong one, but in the end a strongly
diversified local economy will best
withstand the ·vagaries of the industrial
economy. Corporate interests are not always
the same as local interests. Champion
Company is a huge business complex and
responds 10 changes in the economic winds
far distant from the Southern Appalachians.
To Champion executives in S1amford,
there are many thmgs more important than
the welfare of a small, isolated mountain
town. To someone who lives here and sees
their job threatened by shifts in corporate
~
economics, there is not.
KATUAH- page 18
Bear
In the core of the thing is darkness
It is our final judgement
While we sleep it paces outside our door
It is the first time It has been around us
So closely. Steaming shit in early morning.
Maybe our private poems will never leave our heads,
Thoughts about confrontations.
Fear of opening that door.
Maybe our pirate poems will leave our books
And enter into our nights
And bring us Interrupted dreams
Of half knowing and fear until we awake
And wonder over ignorance.
It is the current tracking we must be
Concerned with, tables turned.
Hunting signs that read Know Me or Keep Out.
Except for untamed few of us,
We know only edge of mountain forest
Home to the black bear.
The word now is totem
The word out is guns and dogs down
Radios, cages, baiting - unholy
The apparition before us is round
Ginseng, Raccoon, Kanati, Bear, Wind, Earth gathered
With one place empty, Us.
- by Scott Bird
FALL 1987
�/
GREEN POLITICS IN KATUAH
Wlien Ille animals come to us,
askitlg for our help,
will we k11ow what tliey are saying?
When the plants speak to us
iii their delicate beautiful language,
will we be able to answer tllem?
When tlie planet lierself
sings to us in our dreams,
will we be able to wake ourselves,
and act?
-Gary Lawless, Eart/J First!
can developed countrjes contrOI and dictate nctions
to 'underdeveloped' nations. All people, no mnucr of
what sex. color. creed, sexual oricnta~on or heritage
must be empowered 10 have conLrol over the
decisions which nffect their own lives We must live
with a dedication for nonviolence in all aspects of
our lives.
Green panics are growing ~roughout the
world today. Most notably are the West Germon
Greens who during the lasl election won 8.3~ of
the national voie and the same proportional number
or scats in the Bundestag. Other pmies exist in
1131y, France. England, Canada, Cosu Rica, Brazil,
Sri Lanka and Spain.
It was an incredible evening. lhlll night in
Amherst. MassachWICUS siuing with several hundred
other people listening to G:iry rc:id his pocuy. We
had already spent three days and nights discussing
our ideas on wh:it the green movement is and what
is happening in our own areas th:it is 'green'. Gary's
words soothed our spirits and connected us all with
our most fundamental belief-th:it we must live in
harmony with all of nature.
We have to develop a new p;irodigm for our
world, one which follows a love and understanding
for our role within nature as equals tO all other
species, not as dominntors. We arc not, as our
indus1.rial society purports, doing 'battle with'
nature. As we recognize this fact. then we can see
better how to reorder our lives nnd rcl::uionships
with each other and the planet. This new paradigm
must begin in our own local communities and
regions, be it Katuah, the 01.nrks, or wbcrcvcr.
During the I950's the civil rights movement
began as a struggle by the peoples of color to
empower themselves and take their n:uuro.I and equal
place in a white dominated and contr0lled society
and to change th:it society. This movement later
IJUnsformcd into a celebration or peoples' or color
bcrilllge and history and contribution to our world in
freedom and oppre,sion. Later an lhe sixties. the
emphasis v.'35 on community control. anti-war,
feminism; and then in the seventies, aw;in:ness of
en\·ironmcntal concerns and problems. l':ow in the
eighties all or these concerns and energies for change
arc drawing together into the grocn movcmenL
Many people throughout the world are
becoming awnrc Ihm specific io;sue activism, though
icrribly necessary, doc.~ not change the root causes
of the problems. Green politics is a holis11c view of
life on Eanh. ft is based on the premise th3t we
cannot pursue growlh for growth's sake without
regard for its impacL It insists on the necessity tO
chnnge our foc11s from quantity to quality of
lifestyle. No longer can men dominate women; nor
KATUAH- page 19
There are now over 75 gnssroot gTCCn
organizations throughout the United StateS. They
are networked togelher under an orgooization based
in Kansas City. Missouri called the CommittteS of
Correspondence. named afru the original grassrooc
movement agnirul colonial rule in America.
As l lhink of my community witlun Katunh
I see many 'green' activities, though they may not
Ten Key Values
Ecological Wisdom
Grassroots Democracy
Personal & Social Responsibility
Nonviolence
Decentraliuition
Community-based Economics
Postpatriarchal Values
Respect for Diversity
Global Responsibility
Future Focus
have been labeled as such. Take, fer instance, the
Stone Soup Restaurant in Asheville, NC. A
worker-owned business, it is celebrating its
tenth-year anniversary this year. 'Thue ue also the
small business incubators located ii Waynesville
and Marion, NC which provide a location and
technical small business assisiaace to infant
businesses for two years each. After this time the
businesses move out into the community and new
'babies' move in. The Self-Help Credit Union is
another example. This organimtion h!lp<; employees
buy businesses which are closing, as well as sun
new ones, throughout the state.
The Swnnnanoa Valley Project 1s a case or
local people taking contr0l of the direction of their
community's growth and doing som~thing positive
to unite them all. Through meetings with the local
residents, they found what people liked about
Swannanoa; what they didn't like: w~nt they wanted
to change; where the investments of the people were
used by the banking institutions whether within or
out of the area; where did their community's garbage
and waste go; and where do the valley's youth go
when leaving school for good. This gave lhc people
of lhe Swannanoa community a power to move in
ways which they could truly affect their area's life.
After reluming to Katuah from the
conference in July, I helped tO set up an initial
meeting to sec who in the area was interested in
green politics. Over SO people auended from all
around this area - Brevard, Hendersonville,
Asheville, Madison County, NC. Since then we
have organized a group called lbc Western Nonh
Carolina Greens which has adopted the JO key
vat ues or the Commiuees of Correspondence as its
philosophical foundation.
At our August meeting we filled out a
questionaire to find out each person's views and
ideas about how they would want the regional
organization IO be involved politically, i.e. field
Green Party candidates, support 'green' Democratic
candidateS, or present green positions on specific
issues IO the voters and traclitional candidaies. There
was overwhelming interest in working on
cnvironmen131 issues as well as presenting a 'green'
position on local issues. Other interest arens are:
organizing a town meeting or open forum with
minutes being submitted 10 city/county
government; promoting voter registration/
participation, particularly people of color; assisting
local government and group recycling efforts; giving
auention to low-income housing with a view to
appropriate residential development in order tO
avoid growth which forces people out or their
ncighbolhoods and communities; and adding support
to ongoing community groups and organll.ations.
Monthly meetings are planned as well as
separate 'green' value study groups. Times and dates
will be announced in the Western Carolina
Coalition for Social Concerns Calend:lr (always on
display at Pack Library in Asheville, NC); on
WCQS: Malaprop's bookstore in Ashe,·ille. as well
as uca newspapers. For more information call
704/2.54-6910 or write:
W.N.C. Greens
P.O. Box 14-1
Asheville, NC 28802
Next Meeetlng: Sept 30 (see calendar p.28)
Thi.r article was wriuen by Richard llarri.fon
who has returned from a national grun
conftreru:e which took place this swnmer (see
Katilah Jssiu XVI). I/ere he shares his report
with us as it relates to our bioregion.
FALL 1987
�PROTECTING OUR
MOUNTAIN WETLANDS
NATURAL
by William 0. McLamcy, PhD
WORLD
NEWS
MODERN SCIENCE RESTORES
ANCIENT INDIAN MAIZE
For thousands of years the Cherokee
Indians have had a distinctive variety of
maize, or "com" as it came to be called by
the European seulers. Ii was derived from
the Harinoso de Ocho strain of maize found
in northwestern Mexico, and it has long
been a scientific mystery how the variety
made its way to the Appalachians without
leaving a trace of its passage between
Mexico and the eastern mountains (see
Krufuill. #3).
In 1981 Dr. William Brown, retired
president and general manager of Pioneer
Hi-Bred International Inc. of Des Moines,
Iowa, the world's largest producer of
hybrid com seed, was visiting his friend Dr.
H. F. Robinson, former professor of
biology and at that time chancellor of
Western Carolina University in Cullowhee,
NC. During that visit, Brown noticed that
some Indian farmers on Lhe Cherokee Indian
Reservation in Cherokee, NC were still
growing the old flour corn, although it had
been contaminated by cross-breeding with
varieties of commercial yellow dent com,
commonly grown for s1ock feeding. The
two decided to collaborate on a project to
restore the Cherokee white flour corn,
develop an improved, pure seed, and give it
back to the Cherokee fanners for their own
food supply and for distribution as ground
meal outside the reservation.
The project was begun in 1982, and
the first two years were directed at making a
basic improvement in the Cherokee flour
com. Test plots were planted and seed that
had the characteristics of the original maize white kernels free from indemations, or
"dents" - was selected from the harvest.
The second stage of the program was
begun in 1984 and is almost completed. The
objectives of this pan of the project are to
purify the seed by eliminating all of the
characteristics not found in the original
Indian maize and to improve the yield.
Brown and Robinson are working to derive
flour com with shorter stalks; more ears of
com per stalk; ears with eight or ten rows of
kernels; and com free of tillers, or extra
stalks. Taller com, or stalks weakened by
tillers, may fall over and rot. The native
Indian maize typically grew on stalks much
taller than modem hybrid varieties.
Among the techniques used by the
scientists was the creation of "selfed
one-generation" plants. In this process, the
silks of a forming ear of com are dusted
with pollen from the same plant, a kind of
forced inbreeding to help eliminate foreign
characteristics.
KATUAH - page20
Plantings in fields in Cullowhee and
Bryson City were harvested last fall, and the
superior 10 percent of some 200 tested
plants was saved to provide seed that was
planted this spring to create the superior
variety of flour com. The seed from that
crop will be harvested this fall and will be
given in carefully measured quantities to 20
Cherokee farm families for planting in
1988.
Thus, after five years of work,
Brown and Robinson will be able to return
to Cherokee farmers a seed that will produce
Cherokee maize in its historic white,
smooth, flour kernel form.
The Cherokees will be able to grow
the maize for their own use as cornmeal,
hominy, and grits, as they have
traditionally, and it can also be ground into
meal for commercial sales. The scant supply
of it now available stays in demand at a
premium price. The appeal of the pure com
meal could make it an important product for
tourist sales.
And for the scientific world and the
rest of us, the result will be the preservation
of a locally-adapted species of native Indian
maize that can continue itself here in the
Appalachian Mountain region.
(Source: Western Horizon: May, 1987)
One of the least appreciated resources
in Karuah is our wetlands. While we do not
have environments as extensive or
immediately impressive as the floodplain
forests, cypress swamps, or salt marshes of
the coastal plain, our own mountain bogs,
pocket swamps, and beaver ponds are
important pans of the uplands ecosystem
and all the more precious for their scarcity.
And they are under the same pressures as
the lowland swamps - mainly dredging and
filling for "development."
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
states that anyone who wants to do any
modifications of a wetland area must first
get a permit from the US Army Corps of
Engineers. lf that seems to you like setting
the fox to guard the henhouse, your
instincts are sound. In fact, no agency of the
federal government has a worse overall
environmental record than the Corps.
On the other hand, to make any sense
at all out of our dealings with the
government, we need to understand that it
does not function like an ecosystem. !1 is
often at cross purposes with itself. From a
practical point of view, what matters is lo
identify the good individuals and the useful
offices.
Recently, a two-acre swamp just
upstream from my house came under
assault by crews using bulldozers. chain
saws, and fire. It was a spot I have to pass
on the way to town, and I have delighted in
watching the maples be the first trees to tum
red in the fall or scanning the edges for
colorful or unusual birds - redwing
blackbirds, yellow warblers, and perhaps an
occasional teal.
I would prowl the edges noting where
the deer (so scarce in this pan of the
mountains) had taken advantage of the
protection of the thick growth and had
found a small, dry spot in which to bed
down.
During spring and summer evenings
the frog concert would entertain me as I
went past, and I would sometimes see the
muskrats and beaver who lived in the
vicinity of the marsh.
The tiny swamp even offered
downstream residents like myself a
modicum of flood protection.
Local rumor had it that this delightful
lµ'Ca, so full of natural life, was destined to
be a trailer park. I wasn't happy about this.
Since I knew the law, I phoned the Corps
Regulatory Branch in Wilmington, NC to
report the situation.
I was dubious abouc what the result
of this action would be, but, to my
amazement, a biologist from the Corps was
on the scene within two days time.
While my reaction was not fast
enough, nor the law tough enough, to save
all the swamp, the owner was forced to
modify bis plans and the habitat hangs on.
More importantly, that visit was the
beginning of a series of Corps actions in the
mountain area that are enhancing the
prospects for the survival of our mountain
wetlands. In some cases itll has been
removed and landowners ordered to carry
out restoration work; in other cases filling
has been prevented.
FALL 1987
�Neither the law nor the agency are
perfect. We have much better control over
filling than ditching. Small projects are
sometimes exempt. There are questions of
interpretation, and the answers have not
always made me happy. Nevertheless,
contractors and developers in Karuah can no
longer claim ignorance of the 404 permit
process.
So we have a tool to use. One of its
limitations is that all of North Carolina is
administered from the Corps Wilmington
office some 400 miles away. With this in
mind, a number of people in organizations
in North Carolina have been trying to get the
Corps to establish a regulatory office in
Asheville. If you would like to help, write:
Col. Paul Woodbury
US Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 1890
Wilmington, NC 28402
Tell Colonel Woodbury that our
wetlands need protection, that it is the
Corps' job, and that you are not sarisfied
with the service we are getting. Suggest
they open a permanent regulatory office in
the mountains.
Not all of Katliah is in North
Carolina, but the situation is similar in other
states. The bulk of the Corps' traditional
work - the damming, dredging, canalbuilding and ditch-digging for which the
Corps is so infamous - is in lowland areas,
and so are their offices.
Before residents of other states call on
the Army Corps of Engineers to intervene in
I.heir local sicuations, they might want to
check with local conservation groups. The
regulation branch in Wilmington, I am told,
has a good reputation for dealing with
conservation issues, and I am certainly
impressed with the integrity of the
individuals l have dealt with. Other district
regulation branches may be equally
conscientious, but I do not want to be
blamed for loosing the proverbial fox into
anybody's henhouse.
Ecologically, our high-elevation
wetlands are our most critical habitat. They
are imponant stopover points for migrating
birds whose flyways pass across the
mountains. They are home for endemic,
marshland plant and amphibious species that
are found nowhere else.
Other animals pass through the
micro-marshes, some feeding on the rank
growth, others preying on the smaller
animals, and all taking advantage of the
protection afforded by the swamplands'
dense cover.
If you see what looks to you like a
wetlands violation, call Bob Johnson at tfie
Wilmington office at (919) 343-4641.
If you want to learn more about this,
ca1l me at (704) 524-8369.
Oraphic by Rob Messick
D.0.E. HOT MEALS PROGRAM
Natutal World News Sct"icc
Natural World News has recently
learned that the US Department of Energy
(DOE) has finally come up with a solution
to the bothersome nuclear waste crisis:
we're going to eat it!
The vehicle for this dramatic
breakthrough is the Byproducts Utilization
Program (BUrP). This seemingly
innocuous scheme is the cover under which
the doebo1s plan to recycle nuclear waste
into the private sector. An early plan was to
resurrcc1 "low-level" contaminated metallic
hardware from nuclear plants as
dinnerware. Now the doebots are planning
to irradiate food with cesium 137 to help the
food industry control spoilage organisms
and give fresh food a longer shelf life.
Developing cesium 137 food
irradiation facilities (there arc plans calling
for 1,000 such facilities) would serve the
DOE in two ways:
First, if the doebots are allowed to
create an artificial market for Cesium 137,
then they can put pressure on Congress to
repeal a 1982 ban on the hazardous
reprocessing of civilian spent fuel rods,
which have accumulated in dangerous
amounts in temporary storage pools at the
nuclear plants. Congress originally
institu1ed the ban to prevent circulation of
the material to keep i1 secure from terrorists.
Secondly, reprocessing would
allevia1e the waste problem by reducing
radioactivity up to 55%, thus encouraging
the use and production of more nukes and
more waste, and would generate plutonium
enough to satisfy the Pentagon's appetite
well into the 21st century.
The food irradiation plan is being
continued despite knowledge of potential
health hazards as cited in the Congressional
Record, S1788, February 4, 1987: "The
application of ionizing radiation alters or
damages food cells. It also creates reactive
chemical intermediates known as free
radicals, which react with food constituents
to fonn potentially new compounds in the
food called 'radiolytic products' or RP's.
Some of these compounds, called 'unique
radioly1ic products' or URP's, formed
during radiation exposure are no1 known 10
exist previously in foods."
In the US House of Representatives,
Rep. Doug Bosco has introduced "The
Food Irradiation Safety and Labeling Act of
1987" (HR 956). Senator George Mitchell
has introduced a companion bill in the US
Senate. The two bills would stop food
irradiation plans until safety studies are
completed and contain strict labeling
regulations for irradiated food products.
Unless you would like to be served
up a plutonium/cesium 137 economy, you
might want to write your Congressional
legislators and express your support of the
bills.
Cesium 137 - all you care to cat!
BURP!
NO PROBLEMS WITH TOBACCO
Nanni World NeWl Savice
"We do not have a problem of
pesticide use on tobacco," said NC
Agriculture Commissioner Jim Graham, as
he announced that an NC Department of
Agriculture (NCDA) task force of inspectors
has been specially trained to detect the use
of herbicides (particularly Dicambra and
2,4-D) on smoking and chewing tobacco.
The toxic herbicides kill the tobacco plantS
prematurely and yellow the leaves, making
it appear that they have been cured in the
field. The herbicides are highly poisonous,
and their use is illegal on tobacco and food
plants.
According to a report in the
Agricultural Review. the official publication
of 1he NCDA, the specially-trained
inspectors will fan out to every
tobacco-producing county in the state to
stamp out any traces of illegal herbicide use
on tobacco bound to domestic or foreign
consumers.
The inspectors will visually check
tobacco crops for signs of illegal herbicides
and will pull leaf samples for lab analysis.
Offenders, who endanger the health of
consumers and the reputation of the North
Carolina tobacco product, will be hit with
strict penalties, Graham promised.
Commissioner Graham also sent
letters to all of the major domestic and
export tobacco companies to explicitly
assure them that the North Carolina tobacco
crop is uncontaminated with poisonous
chemicals, and that there is no problem in
the North Carolina tobacco fields.
- NATURAL WORLD NEWS continued
K.ATUAH- page 21
®Xt
page
FALL 1987
�- NATURAL WORLD NEWS continued
SHOWDOWN AT FLAT CREEK
NalUnl World News
The signs appear all around the Flat
Creek Community on billboards, telephone
poles, and motor vehicles:
STOP VULCAN QUARRY!
Vulcan Materials Company, a national
corporation
headquartered
in
Winston-Salem, N.C., has leased 99 acres
and plans to blast 400 feet into the Eanh to
mine the granite substratum below the Aat
Creek Community. The angered community
residents are not going to let it happen.
Vulcan says there is enough granite
to work. three shifts a day at the quarry for
55 years. How does that weigh against the
risk to the health and well-being of Aat
Creek, its watershed, and its people?
Aat Creek itself would suffer. Any
water that leaks into the 400-foot-deep pit
during quarrying operations would be
pumped into Aat Creek. That water would
be laden with sediment, wastes, oil,
chemicals, hydraulic fluids, and other debris
from the mining operations.
Vulcan is required to maintain only a
75 feet buffer strip between their operation
and the waters of Flat Creek.
"Seventy-five feet? That's the same
as for my septic tank!" declared an irate
residenL "What do they think they are doing
here?"
The ground water beneath the Flat
Creek watershed would also be heavily
impacted. A letter received June 24, 1987
from the North Carolina Dept of Natural
Resources and Community Development
listed four impacts a quarrying operation
could have on ground waters around the
site:
1. When the overburden above
bedrock is stripped away, the water storage
for the underlying fractured rock aquificr is
removed. This can affect the flow of water
in nearby wells and springs.
2. The blasting of bedrock can disrupt
the flow of water in the fracture system
supplying bedrock (drilled) well sand
springs.
3. Dewatering the open pit could
lower the water-table in the vicinity.
4. The exposure of fractured bedrock
in the quarry can result in contaminated
water entering and contaminating drilled
wells in the vicinity.
Constant blasting and the noise and
dust from the cavalcade of trucks and heavy
machinery will affect the two hundred
homes and the two schools that are within
one half mile of the quarry site.
Vulcan already operates a quarry in
Enka that blasts six days a week. The noise
and the residues of the blasting dust are
impossible to conttol. The new Enka High
School, only two years old, is already
starting to show cracks.
Vulcan Materials Company has leased
the 99-acre propeny in Flat Creek rather
than purchase the land. Leasing relieves a
company from any liability if water, air,
propeny values, etc. are negatively affected
by their panicular use or misuse of the land.
A public meeting was held at the Flat
Creek Elementary School August 6 in
response to the announcement of the quarry
plan. Over 600 concerned citiz.ens ancnded.
KATUAH - page 22
For an area such as Flat Creek to
become a "community'', a petition has to be
submitted bearing the signatures of at least
20% of the citizens. Within four days 60%
of the people of Flat Creek had signed a
request for community status, and within
one week Flat Creek formally became Flat
Creek Community· a voice united.
The concerns among the Flat Creek
Community residents arc valid and
immediate. With threatened water and air
quality, daily explosions, increased traffic
flows, and potential lowering of property
values, it seems safe to say that Vulcan
Materials Company would be more
responsible and wiser 10 choose an area that
offers less risk to humans and the
environment than within the Flat Creek
Community.
NC LEGISLATORS WANT DUMP
Nlllnl World News Service
The North Carolina General
Assembly bas decided, at least for the time
being, to remain a member of the Southeast
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact and
to receive all the low-level nuclear waste
from the member states for the next 20
years.
In both the House of Representatives
and in the Senate motions to table
withdrawal legislation won overwhclmi_ngly
by margins of 66-32 and 39-IO respecuvely
during the last days of the session. Most of
the western representatives voted for
withdrawal.
The three weeks of the legislative
session saw an intensive campaign by paid
utility company lobbyists to influence
legislators. Their cffons apparently had
effect, as the legislature passed RB 35,
which calls for a Siting Authority that is not
accountable to either the public or the
legislature to decide on the location of the
radioactive waste dump.
If there is any positive benefit from
these votes at all, it is that the roll calls
indicate which legislators deserve to retain
their posts and which need to be replaced in
the primary election next May. Then we can
try again next session.
Our work is cut out for us.
For more information, contact:
Citizens Concerned about Nuclear Waste
P.O. Box 653
Dillsboro, NC 28725
or
Ron Lambe, Nuclear Waste Task Force
WNC Alliance
P.O. Box 157
Spruce Pinc, NC 28777
PEREGRINE NEST DISCOVERED
NC Wildlife Reaowces Commission
Thirty years ago the peregrine falcon,
the fastest of the birds of prey, was wiped
out of the Southern Appalachians largely
due to damage from the pesticide DDT.
For the past four years NC Wildlife
Resources Commission (WRC) staff and
volunteers have been "hacking" young
peregrine falcons at several l<?Cations i.n t~e
Katuah province to re-establish the bird m
this pan of its native range.
The program seems to be paying o~f.
A pair of the peregrines have made a nest ~n
the Pisgah National Forest. The female ln1d
two eggs in the nest, one of which hatched a
young chicle, who only lived for three
weeks before dying of unknown causes..
Nevertheless, Allen Boynton, project
leader for the WRC, was exuberant.
"This is the first nesting pair of
peregrines in the state in 30 years," he said.
"All the people in the project arc thrilled."
When biologists learned the sole
falcon chick had died, they quickly sent for
another peregrine chick that had been born
in captivity. When the chick arrived, it was
placed in the nest, a mossy area on a rock
ledge.
"When the adults returned, they flew
aroung the nesting site, looking at the
chick," said Boynton. "The chick staned
begging for food whenever an adult
peregrine would land on the ledge. After a
couple of hours, the birds settled down.
Several days later when I returned, I saw
one of the adults feeding the chick.
"We put the foster chick in to hold the
adults at that nesting site and to give them
experience in raising a chick," said
Boynton. "We'll continue to watch for
return birds, as well as releasing more
falcons in future years."
The peregrine project has released 45
young falcons in the state of Nonh Carolina
in the four years of its existence. The project
is funded by the Peregrine Fund, a national
organization dedicated to re-establishing the
peregrine in its native range, and taxpayers
who marke<l the Non-game W1l<llllc
Checkoff on their state income tax returns.
The US Forest Service and the US Fish and
Wildlife Service have also provided funding
and personnel for the project. ~
FALL 1987
�PeaceNet
In tenns of networking continentally and globally, an
invaluable resource is PeaceNet. PeaceNet is computer-based
communication system helping the peace movement and the
environmental movement throughout the planet cooperate
more effectively and efficiently.
With a large minicomputer based in northern California
connected to Telenet, a common carrier, PeaceNet can
facilitate letting subscribers communicate globally, usually
through a local phone call. PeaceNet is compatible with
virtually any personal computer or computer terminal
outfiued with a 300 or 1200 baud modem.
P eaceNet has more than 1,000 subscribers including
the Coalition for a New Foreign and Military Policy as well
as Earth Island Institute. PeaceNet now also serves EcoNet.
PeaceNet has an electronic mail system which allows one to
send and receive messages to and from the other PeaceNet
subscribers and from Telex and University systems around
the world. It offers easy-to-use tools for posting events on
international bulletin boards, preparing joint projects through
electronic conferences, and finding out the latest information
on environmental and peace issues.
In addition, PeaceNet can provide computer
conferences, like specialized bulletin boards. By using
this conference tool, a geographically spread out
organization can carry on frequent and responsive
communications. Some organizations use it to facilitate
group decision-making and task sharing processes,
long distance. Conferences can be set up in private
fashion for a small group of users or they can be
established as a public resource.
PeaceNet also has databases which provide
easy access to large quantities of information and allow
for custom searching and output (printing) fonnats.
Databases include: lists of speakers, organizations, and
foundations as well as bibliographic, legislative and
project infonnation.
PeaceNet is a non-profit project of the Tides
Foundation, based in San Francisco. So far, PeaceNet
has been funded primarily through grant and gifts.
Soon, though, fees from users will help it become
financially independent. PeaceNet's rates arc extremely
reasonable. Fll"Sl, you pay a $10 one-time sign-up fee.
This gives you a user's manual and a free hour of
off-peak computer time. Then you pay a monthly
charge of $10, which gets you another hour of
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peak hour is $10 and every off-peak hour is $5.
Sometimes, initial fees are waived and sometimes
discounts arc available.
If you are interested in finding out more about
PeaceNet, writeorcall:
PeaceNet
3228 Sacramento St
San Francisco, CA 94 I I 5
(415) 923·0900
,
Oacc it caac to ac j1st after the leans
had catirely flllca ia the forests,
whca cn1 loacsoac whip-poor-wills had goac,
that s1rely it is c111g• jHt to breathe
aad be, or take nothcr's h11d i1 Inc,
sighiag to behold the old Milky Way
dastiag the hcucas with a t&gae woader.
Why do we aeed sach passioaatc delights
whca we may fi1d aew streagth ia elder aightsT
S1rcly te feel preaeditated s11
wara oa yon sh11lders all the S1aaer,
or to gaze 1po1 fresh saow i1 wiater,
is charge enough to wholly fill our days.
So whcace comes the dark mysteries we breed,
huiag to s1ffer, or at least astond
the world, and her followers arouad usT
We hue forgottca what we oace beheld:
that life is what we make ef it: ao more.
Tho1gh sickless cater as ia awcfal forms,
our lowed oacs die eatirely, lcuiag aoae,
aid weights of tragedy 11chor fi1e joys,
of 11 iastaat we may feel sweet gladacss,
seeiag though it fades, that it still eadares.
So wherefore the sad, regrettable maaT
Builg oace drau such sercadipity,
10 time is left to sorrow or coaform.
Each murmur of aatare souads iHiolate.
by Michael Hoctadag
~
•
,.
~
~
'furtlt ls/Olld is tht o/dlnew nativt namt for North Am.:rica
KATUAH - page 23
Old Galaxies
Cnpluc by Rob M~s1d: ~
�DRUMMING
LETIERS TO KATUAH
Persimmon seed, I am ....
let me glisten in the sunlight
to paint you colours,
gold, bronze, amber forever.
let me be free to grow
to bear....
to watch my young sway,
to grow, to bear.
let me not lay
on the cold, damp ground
trample me not
for the Eanh is my food
and the sunlight my wonderment
Dear Katuah,
I am writing you I.his leuer because while visiting wiLh
our new friends Ann and Michael at the Rainbow Gathering
here in neighboring Graham County, we were given a copy
of your paper.
During our visit lo the gathering, my wife and I found
I.hat our love for the mountains I.hat we live in was revitalized
and reinforced by Lhe people's love and respect for nature
and their desire to preserve our planet for generations to
come. They also helped to remind us to judge only a
person's deeds, not his looks or possessions.
My wife and I both work at Mountain Park Medical
Center in Andrews where we live. Some of our co-workers
were quick to judge the Rainbow brothers and sisters by
looks alone, never trying to understand what they stood for
or believed in.
I am 37 years old and can still remember what the
sixties meant. I may have served in the Navy during that
time, but I always believed that everyone should follow their
own hearts and not be absorbed in the masses. We must
remain individuals, yet not do anything to hurt any other
living c reature, no matter how small or seemingly
insignificant they may seem. My wife and I both stop for
animals when driving, getting out and carrying turtles to the
side of the road in the direction that they were heading.
Getting back to why I am writing this, we would like
any information pertaining to groups or activities in this area
that we could attend or help at. We would like to help
preserve our bioregion for all time. Also, please let us know
about subscribing to your journal.
Kelly
(Kelly and Deborah Jones
Andrews, NC)
Persimmon seed, I am....
betraying the man.
Bern Grey Owl
Raleigh, NC
Dear~
Dear Katilah,
Someone showed me your summer issue and I
noticed that your next issue, in the fall, is going to be on the
black bear.
As a bear hunter, I may have something in common
with you. I want to see the black bear population flourish in
these mountains.
Here are some things that concern me about the present
state of affairs: Jllegal hunting. In some areas in these
mountains, poaching is rampant. What we need is good
enforcement of the hunting laws. There needs to be enough
personnel to do this. Illegal hunting doesn't do any of us
legal hunters any good.
Huntini: season in NC. The hunting season here in NC
actually opens too soon(@ Oct 12). You see, female bears
need time to get in their dens; they go into their dens earlier
than the males. For the black bear to reproduce, it is very
important to protect the females during this time. Also, they
may still be caring for cubs at this time, and the cubs need the
protection, too. Other states around here don't start up their
season 'til later. That's what we need to do in NC. Although
it's illegal, I have seen hunters shoot a female bear with cub.
Radjo Collars. Some hunters rely on tracking bears
with radio collars on their hunting dogs. To me, this takes
the sport out of it
.B.fil..l:ill. Although it is illegal, some hunters bait for
bears. The law against this needs to be enforced as well.
Having good hunting laws and the personnel to
adequately enforce them is our best bet in ensuring a healthy
black bear population for these mountains.
anyone, - HELP!
The word has been out long enough about scarab
beetle larvae (see .K_illiiM. #12). After getting sick at yet
another Rainbow Gathering, I'm pissed. The time for
pondering has passed. It's time for Rainbow people to quit
scratching their asses and produce a large enough crop of
these critters to eat all the shits of a gathering. The larvae can
be scooped up at the end and returned home. If it's a very
cold gathering, a few candles in jars should keep their
appetites stirred. The shitters won't fill up, and dysentery
will become history.
If not the Rainbow Family to lead the way of the
future, who? 'Cause the larvae are coming to the world to
clean up one of man's (sic) greatest problems with or without
the Rainbow Family (unless the poles shift first... ..)
I am but one person at a lonely Rainbow outpost, who
can only do so much, like write you and send a few starters
for new colonies.
I kept them alive all winter!
They are ready! Let's go! The time is NOW!
Sincerely,
Corry
M.C.
Rutherford County, NC
KATUAH - page 24
FALL 1987
�The Lessons of the Hunt
"Patience," says the stately Heron
As it stands in the shallows,
Waiting for a fish or frog
To obligingly swim by.
and isn't he
contained in she?
(She wishpered) isn't
he in herand
here and male in
side of female? Isn't man in
woman, prince in princess
God in Goddess? Isn't
Ibis a very narural thing
in a very natural world
Yes! i said
(an excited fool now) Yes!
HE is in HER!
Yes! HEARE
H*E*ARE
"Patience," says the tiny Jumping Spider
As it dans along a vine,
Its huge front eyes alert
For an insect's telltale twitch.
"Patience, "says the coiled Rattlesnake
As it lies beside a log,
Waiting for an unsuspecting mouse
To follow its accustomed path.
"Concentration," says the Heron
As, one slowly moving foot at a time,
It stalks
A shining minnow.
HE*R HER
And i saw this planet as a
veiled cruxible of
pressured light and
She laughed and said
even the Y chroma
some's an
X standing on
one leg and
i laughed too.
"Concentration," says the Rattlesnake
As the mouse scampers closer,
For there can be
But a single strike.
"I see and understand," say I
dr.iwing by Troy Settler
Will Ashe Bason
Check, VA
"And thank you for your gifts.
Now I can tread the inner paths
To seek my own prey, Truth."
e Douglas A. Rossman
- continued from page 5
In his normal tone he resumed, 'The
sorry, but I would have accepted it. But to
have tracked her down by radio, insjde the
sanctuary, inside her den absolutely enraged
me. There's no sense to it. Someone
hunting, even poaching, outside the
sanctuary is likely to pick up transient
males. But invading the sanctuary means a
poacher is likely to get one of the females,
which are the breeding element of the
population."
To protect the other bears, all radio
collars have been removed, except for three
bears the Project team has been unable to
catch. Removing the collars has hampered
the study this year, but Roger Powell says,
"We're fairly confident that we have figured
out a way that we can continue to collect
data that will put the bears in no jeopardy of
poaching - but we're not talking about it yet
"Our project's handling procedure has
one of the best safety records for least bear
injury and monality of any large mammal
study in North America. I feel good about
that. We've put a lot of care into handling
lhe bears promptly and safely, so that it has
minimal impact on them. It seems that all
that care has been worth it."
bears have to live with people. We need to
"Those of us who want to share
the world with other creatures need
to learn as much as we can about
them ....."
learn as much about the bears as we can,
because I've got a feeling that most people
are not ready to immediately stop changing
the world to suit themselves.
"Those of us who want to share the
world with other creatures need to learn as
much as we can about them, because there
are a lot of people out there who don't care.
"We need to get to the good things
and keep them good, before other people get
to those things and change them."
c
..
CD
And, when asked if he thought that
the bears had anything to teach us, he
replied softly, "The whole world does.
"I don't see the bears out there trying
lO change things. They're living with the
world the way it is. It seems that every time
we change it, we mess it up. We're better
offleaving it the way it is."
KATUAH - page 25
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FALL 1987
�- continued from page 15
Every year our club has a bear
supper. Our wivcs'll cook bear meat. They
fix ii about five different ways - baked,
barbecued, stcwed.....any way you like it.
And they make potatoes, bread, coffee, all
the side dishes. It's a fine time, and it
doesn't cost nobody a dime. You can cat
bear meat 'til you can't eat no more.
At the first part of the season when
our club gets together, we take up a
donation. Everybody pitches in $3-5.00,
whatever they can afford. We put that
money in an envelope, and one guy hangs
onto it. If anybody's dog gets hun, and has
10 go to the vet, that money pays for that
dog, no matter who's dog it is. A group of
guys sticking together can 1113kc up that bill,
where one guy can't afford it.
We depend on Forest Service land to
hunt. Bears like to go back into the deep
woods. They always have, and, as long as
there's a mash crop every year, they always
will. For the last five or six years the mash
has been spotty. If you go back deep in the
mountains, you might find a big, bumper
crop of mash on one mountain and none at
all on another mountain. But I believe that
as long as the Forest Service controls that
land, and keeps people from building
summer cottages there, we'll always have
bears. They'll always be here.
The hunters aren't going to destroy
the bears, but the poachers nre something
else again. They arc something the Wildlife
Commission doesn't like; the sponsmcn
don't like them; and the ochers don't like
them either. But as long as there's man and
womnn on the face of this Earth, there's
going to be murders, there's going to be
robberies, and there's going to be poachers.
Hunters themselves are going to have
to protect the wildlife. And they can do that,
because they are out in the woods, and they
can report any violations that they see going
~
on.
l'nwiJona Ptr1Mal S..rv1ct
Fill,,,. You< 8oolt Netds
In 5r«1ahzed fjelJa
--=~
UlTIIAVIOlET PUlllFICATIOH AHO FILTERING SYSTEMS
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RANDAU. C. LANIER
~2
.HWY 107
RT. 68 BOX 125
CUUOWHEE. NC 28723
Chinese
Acupuncture
and
Herbology
Clinic
SCOTT BIRD
GREG BLACK
(704) 683-1414
683-4795
342 Merrlmon Avenue Ashevllle, NC
(704) 258-9016
•.,.(notli«r Small lluslnut Jor IJorCd P£ACe ...
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SHORT SLEEVE T: $10.00 ppd.
Colors: Ecru, White, Sliver,
Se.foam (It. green) Teal
LONG SLEEVE T: $14.00 ppd.
(Includes Paw Print on Sleeve)
Color1: Ecru, Sliver, Teal, White
Satisfaction assured or return for full refund.
Please Indicate size, color,
sleeve length, quantity.
--t<c.,_._ _
l :::I
ICIU ........_M,w . , -.IC-!lO'I-._,
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Introducing the BOBCAT
This full color design Is hand-screened on
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IN ADULT SIZES S,M,L,XL
We •I.a have a line of sweatshirt• and kids T-Shlrts
KATU All - page 26
c~•-..;::=:=:=:=:=:
C WSA
~I
Natural Food Store
& Deli
160 Broadway
Ashevllle, NC 28801
Where Broldway1Neta
Mamnon Ave & 1-240
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Monday-Saturday: 9am·8pm
Sunday: lpm·Spm
(704) 253-7656
FALL 1987
�Littering: The Same Old Story
~
by Michael Hockaday
I think it happened by accident,
but it's hard to decide about some
things. I'd bad it with a bag of fruit
left aging on its own too long. It was
time to go, so I brought it with me on
my morning walk over along the
pastures where the creek doglegs
toward the big oak mountain. I
stopped to toss those too-juicy pears
toward a neighbor's cows clustered at
the far end near the cornfields,
leaving the bag by the wayside. I'd
get it on return. Which I did, and
found myself colJecting bottles,
broken mostly, and cans: glass,
plastic, aluminum. Beer cans were
understandably the worst offenders,
especially Budweiser, the King of
Beer. Obviously Bud isn't wiser, and
I still didn't understand.
How quiet it was late Friday
morning just coasting into the noon
daze .... .leaves falling together in
little groups or spiraling away one by
one. Crickets caroled their tiny insect
syrunphonies, or were they lullabies
being put sleep by the vivid sunshine?
Crows were growing less raucous,
but the bluejays sure were arguing. I
kept on with it, listening and cursing
some.
It was hard not to have bad
thoughts against those who
offhandedly dumped some of their
junk on ~ nieghborhood, this
stretch of public, county dirt road to
boot! But I thought: I too am a
litterer, though I don't break bottles
against treetrunks or creekrocks, or
cast my cigarette wrappers where all
the world will see. Call that pride,
ability? Ignorance? Carelessness?
KATIJAH - page 27
No, I don't litter like I used to . Yet,
as a consumer, I do my share of
littering, for to buy and to throw
away is interwoven.
So there I was collecting
garbage in my own neighborhood,
which seemed at first a little
embarrassing. I'll admit to being
stubborn, but I didn't get it all. And
I'm glad no one drove by. Those
candy wrappers left seasoning for the
last few weeks in the autumn sunshine
had dried, melted, and broken into
slivers that stuck to the blades and
stalks of grass and weeds. I really
couldn't pick them up without being
quite meticulous, and it's true: the
shade of my own front porch was
calling me.
Pausing in the road in the hot
noon light, I remembered why I fear
walking barefoot through these
countrysides, crossing creeks at
random, drying my feet in the cool
shore sand: broken glass, jagged tin.
Sparkling like mica under current,
hidden under soft fall leaves.
Dragging it all back home, I found
out one thing: within an arrowshot of
this old farmhouse I call home, a
large grocery bag had been filled
with that dirty stuff: garbage, junk,
waste. Nowadays our roads are
becoming dotted with more silver,
red, black, orange, and less natural
greens or the clear, plain color of the
dirt of a Georgia country road. Why?
I felt confused and very ignorant. It
is more than a process of becoming
an adult.
A lot of conflicting thoughts
and new questions came and went in
my mind. Was littering a form of
possessing, of exercising the right to
litter the space around you, especially
the place you grew up, the land you
claim as yours? At first I believed the
stuff I carried home was left by
people driving through, or were my
own neighbors littering? Could
someone pay me to do this? Do I want
to be a waste disposal unit? Hello,
Mr. Dumpster. Or free to walk the
woods and forest paths like I did the
first year I arrived from a dirty city,
going barefoot through the upland
meadows, moving casually through
deep grass, not finding any hurt but
vinerash or stonebruise to my naked
soles? And I would love to have those
days again, though the past won't be
reclaimed. But in the present, in
today's world, does it seem too much
to expect strolling barefoot through
these hills, or to thoughtlessly race
and dive into these lakes becoming
clearer, yet thus more poisonous?
Do you know where the
honeysuckle clusters around that
locust comerpost where the roads
meet and the pavement starts? I found
a pile of broken bottles there. And
you know along the creek where the
bitter, purple ironweed prospers in
the low spots - I am finding layers
upon layers of old junk: tractor tires,
glinting slivers of old mirror glass,
red velvet dance shoes dampening to
tatters and dust Old garbage, family
trash. The same old story. Quite
usual. But still I feel a useless,
impotent sense of despair as I see the
simple, local, beautiful places marred
by littering. Society at large won't
solve it. Neither can I. That night I
spent more time gazing on the feather
of the grand Milky Way,
appreciating clear, silver, tremulous
stars. A cool wind stirred and
freshened me.
FALL 1987
�evenrs
3
WILLIS, VA
"Healing the Family in the
Wise Woman Way" - finding and preparing
herbal medicines with Kathleen Maier and
Sherry Willis. Indian Valley Holistic Center,
see 9/19-20.
SEPTEMBER
12-13
ASHEVILLE, NC
RIVERFEST - "C'mon down
to the riverside!" for the grand finale of
French Broad River Week. Call (704)
254-8131 far more information.
18-19
3
ZIONVILLE, NC
"Whole Brea1h Bodywork"
workshop at Polestar Re11eat Center with
Ginny Wright; 604 Mt. Vernon Ave.;
Charlotte, NC 28203
ASHEVILLE, NC
New Priorities Conference on
Peace, Social Justice and the Environment..
3-4
Includes featured speakers, workshops,
panels and fellowship. Sponsored by
Katifah and many other organizations.
Asheville High School. $10 registtation,
includes lunch; childcare $2. Info: (704)
252-3036
Is There a Future for the
Southern Appalachian
BLACK BEAR?
4-9
18-20
TOWNSEND, TN
Tenn. Environmental Education
Association Conference at the Great Smoky
Mountains lnstitu1e at Tremont; Townsend,
TN37882
GREAT SMOKY MT'NS.
"Research on the Wild
Mammals of the Great Smokies" with Dr.
Michael Pelton. $40. Smoky Mountain
Field School; Department of Non-credit
Programs; 2016 Lake Ave.; Knoxville, TN
37996
A Wlldllfe and Habitat Conference
September 29, 1987
WILLIS, VA
"Health and the Human Mind"
- the fundamentals of body electronics with
Richard Lowenthal. $95 + $20 room and
board. Indian Valley Holistic Center; Rt. 2,
Box 58; Willis, VA 24380
21
FALL EQUINOX
BREAKS, VA
Stage productions "South of
the Mountain" and ''Talcs" by the Roadside
Theater. For more info, write: The Roadside
Theatre; Box 743; Whitesburg, KY 41858
22-27
BRASSTOWN, NC
Coker Creek Anists' Creative
Clothing Workshop. John C. Campbell Folk
School; Brasstown, NC 28906
9-11
Owen Confemice Cent.er
UNCA, Asheville. NC
19-20
19-20
STAUNTON, VA
Earth First! Appalachian
rendezvous and action against clearcutting in
the George Washington National Forest Meet
at North River campground, GW NF. For
more info, call Roland Knapp at (606)
259-0252.
Sponsored by:
Environmentlll Studies Program. UNCA
Soul.hem Appalachian Black Bear Fe.dcnltion
Long Branch Environmental EducDtion Center
KAWh.Biorcgio03l Journal
27
WILLIS, VA
"An Afternoon of Personal and
Planetary Healing" - circle on Mother
Mound with Tom Williams. Donations.
Indi~ Valley Holistic Center, see 9/19-20.
30
ASHEVILLE, NC
Green Politics. Regional meeting of the WNC Greens. Montford
Community Center. 7pm More info: (704)
254-6910.
OCTOBER
15-18
HIGHLANDS, NC
"Fall Landscape Photography
Workshop" with Sam Wang - exploring and
photographing fall in the beautiful Highlands
area. $250. The Appalachian Environmental
Ans Center; P.O. Box 580; Highlands, NC
28741
BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
The Black Mountain Fall
Festival. Traditional music, dance, and stories
by Gamble Rogers. the Houseband, Peter
Ostrousko Band, Wild Asparagus, David
Wilcox, Golden Rod Puooets and others. $30
for the weekend. Write: Grey Eagle and
Friends; P.O. Box 216; Black Mountain, NC
28711
16-18
2-4
ZIONVILLE, NC
"Healing Wise," a weekend
seminar on herbal healing with Susan S.
Weed. $125 or daily, includes camping,
meals. Sun.- "For Women Only". Contac1:
Phoenix Productions; Rt. 2, Box 59;
Zionville, NC 28698
25-27
WA YNES VILLE, NC
"Spiritual Astrology: Symbols
of the Self" - using the birthchan as a
mandala to center the Self among the
various roles we play in life. Michael
Thurma.n at Stil-Light Theosophical Retreat
Cen1er; Rt 1, Box 326; Waynesville, NC
28786 (704) 452-4569
25-27
KATUAH - page 28
HIGHLANDS, NC
"Elders' Circle of the American
Indian Council - elders from the Six Nations,
Hopi, Pueblo, eastern and western Cherokee
will speak at the Mountain; 841 Highway 106;
Highlands, NC 28741 (704) 526-5838
WA YNESVnLE, NC
"The Modern Woman and
Spirituality" with Elisabeth Peryam.
Discussion, group work, ar.d worship for
women at Stil-Light. See 9/25-27.
FARNER, TN
"Wild Foods and Medicines"
expedition into the woods with Snow Bear.
$50. Pepperland Farm Camp; Star Route;
Farner, TN 37333. (704) 494-2353
2-4
HOT SPRINGS, NC
"Courage, Kindness. Commitment, and Humor" retreat with Bo Lozoff.
$50. Sou1hern Dhanna Retreat Center; Rt. l,
Box 34-H; Hot Springs, NC 28743
CEDAR MOUNTAIN, NC
Sierra Club "Outing Skills
Workshop" - essentials of backpacking,
knots, food drying, map and compass work
and much more. $20 includes meals. Write for
info before Oct 1 to: Shirl Thomas; P.O. Box
272; Cednr Mountain, NC 28718
17-18
WILLIS, VA
"Introduction 10 Pennaculture"
principles of cultivation with Thelma Snell.
Indian Valley Holistic Center, see 9/19-20.
17-18
2-4
23-25
FARNER, TN
"Primitive Camping Skills" learn to stay warm, dry, and well-fed wilh
what lhe forest has to offer. See 10/2-4.
FALL 1987
�- .. '
21
KNOXVILLE, TN
The Roadside Theatre presents
"South of the Mountain''. See 9n.2·27.
25-29
WAYNESVILLE, !'liC
Good cookin' at Stil-Light! "A
Vegetarian Thanksgiving - The Role of Diet
on the Spiritual Journey." $20. Sec 9n.5.
27-29
HOT SPRINGS, NC
"Medicine Wheel/Mamlala
The Circle of Peace" with Louise Sunfeathcr
and Jennifer Gordon See 10/2-4.
14
Rob Messick
23-25
YELLOW SPRINGS, OH
Conference: "The Self-Reliant
Community" with Jeffery Bercuvicz, director
of Rodale's Regeneration Project; Sue
Jackson; William Berkowitz - identifying local
skills, talents, and capital and using them to
take the community's future in hand. $50 +
$20 accomoclations. Prices include meals.
Contact: Community Services; P.O. Box 243;
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
WILLIS, VA
"Rebirthing Weekend" Michael McDowell. $50. Indian Valley
Holistic Cenier, see 9(1.7
24
W ILLIS, VA
"Healing Old Wounds" rele:ising the past. Tom Williams. Indian
Valley Holistic Center, see 9n.7.
UNICO I ST. PAR~ GA
"Earth Skills Workshop" for
the whole family with Eustace Conway.
Contact: Linda Rigell; Rt. l, Box 1426;
Clayton, GA 30525.
28-29
DECEMBER
7-8
13-15
FARNER, TN
Caving expedition. See 11/6-8.
5-6
SMOKY MT'N PARK
Winter
High
Country
Camping. The Smoky Mountain Field School.
See 9/19-20.
11-13
14
GREAT SMOK Y MT'NS.
Winter Field Botany. Smoky
Mountain Field School, see 9/19-20.
23-25
BRASSTOWN, NC
Fall Dance Weekend. JCC Folk
School, see 10/4-9.
WILLIS, VA
"Trusli ng In tu it ion"
following the inner voice. Tom Williams.
$60. Indian Valley Holistic Center. See 9n.7.
14
RADFOR~VA
"Leaving Egypt" - stage
production by the Roadside Theatre. See
9/22-27.
20-22
CHAPEL HILL, NC
Economics As If Earth Mattered
Conference with Herman Daly and Paul
Wachtel. Center for Reflection on the
Second Law. (919) 847-5819
WAYNESVILLE, NC
"Intuition: Gateway to
Knowing" - "Intuition is not psychic
phenomena.... It is the Soul and its expression
in form" - Joyce Keane. $20. Stil-Light, see
9n.5-27.
HOT SPRINGS, NC
''Tibetan Buddhism: Traditional
Methods for Spiritual Growth" - the Ven.
Tubten Pendey. $75. Southern Dhanna, see
ion.-4.
11-13
BRASSTOWN, NC
18
Olde Follcs Party.
19
Children's Pany. JCC Folk
School, see 10/4-9.
30
HALLOWE' EN (Samhain) the ancient Feast of the Dead.
30-11/1
HOT SPRINGS, NC
''To Leap Like :i Tiger: A Zen
Weekend" with B:irbara Rhodes. $86.
Southern Dhanna, see lOn.-4.
NOVEMBER
1-14
BRASSTOWN, r\C
"Log Cabin Building" course
with Peter Goit. JCC Folk School, see
I0/4·9.
6·8
FARNER, TN
Caving expedition to Cloudland
Canyon. Basic safety. geology instruction by
Snow Bear. Pepperland, sec IOn.-4.
6-10
HOT SPRINGS, NC
"Meditation Retreat for
Women" with Anna Douglas. $112. Southern
Dharmn, see ion.-4.
KATIJAH - page 29
FALL 1987
�STIL-LIGllT THEOSOPHICAL RETREAT
CENTER • a qu1el space for personal mcdiLntion,
group interaction through study and community
worlc, and spiritual semin:lrs. Contact Leon Frankel:
RL I, Box 32.6; Waynesville. NC 28786
CRAFTSPEOPLE -send price listings to Gif1td
/lands of NC, 331 Blake St; Raleigh, NC 27601
(Au'n: Bcm Grey Owl) - unique shop presenting
35-40 craflers' worlcs in Raleigh's City MlrkcL All
aafts considered.
ROCKIN' Willi BILLY B • Do the Dance of tht
Dragonfly or the Rock 'Roll of Photosyntthsis in
the "Music and the Natural World" workshop.
Available for bookings for schools or loc3l groups,
Jan. 29-Fcb. 4, 1988. Great motivation for kids!
Call Ken Voorhis (615) 448-6700.
FUTO~S
by Simple Pleasures • affordably p1iccd
Send SASE for info to: Simple Pleasures; Rt. I,
Box 1426; Clayton, GA 30525 (404) 782-3920
I HA VE ACCEPTED the responsibility to
participate m a powerful and imporunt cetemony to
be condut1Cd in Nov. '87 inside the Great Pyrnmid
in Egypt. I believe this wo1k will help uncarth
ancient and new information crucial to the
well-being of our planeL I h:ive received guidance
Lhm in order to go on this mission. I would have to
be sponsored. Plc.ise send don:itions t0: RL 2, Box
58; Willis. VA 24380 (att: Journey to Egypt) Tom W illiruns..
...AnJ I/it £11r//1 limf
APPLE TREES • grafted old-fashioned and
contemporary. Send 50 cents for catalog: Henry
Monon: RL I, Box 203; Gatlinburg, TN 37738
ASTROLOGICAL
CHARTS.
7-pllge
intcrproLntions of planets in signs and houses with
plancwy aspects. Easy to read. Great gift for the
newly-born. Send SS. name, date, time, and place of
birth 10 Touchstone; Rt. 2, Box 314·K: Vilas. NC
28692
ORGANIC FERTILIZERS, herbs, and
organically·grown, local produce at the WNC
Farmer.;' Market! Look for the Fairglen Farms stall.
units F and G in the wholesale area of the Farmers'
Market; 570 Brevard Rd.; Asheville, NC (704)
2524414
ELEMEl'.'TARY SCHOOL TEACHER, certified,
creative, self-motivated, and organized needed at
Valley School, a parent-governed 11ltcmati"e school
in Monongahela National Forest, WV Resume,
references to: Teri Kutsko; I Kirt St., Elkins, WV
26241 (304) 636-2979
THE APPALACHIAN HERR NEWSLETTER:
explonng the potential for herbs as ca.\h crops m
Appalachia. Subscriptions $12/yr.. Write:
Aopalnchj3n Herb Newslwcr • ASPI; RL 5, Box
423; Livini;sion. KY 40445
LAND TRUST in I.he forming on 57 acres near
Boone, NC ~king famihcs wiLh strong visions and
resources to manifest a peaceful place for our
children to grow in love nnd to survive the coming
of the new age. Paul and Susan Del Rios; RL 2,
Boit 314; Vilas, NC 28692 (704) 297-4937
ROSE AROMATICS • essential oils have been
healing body, mind, spirit, since ancient EgypL A
most plcasa.nt therapy! Dabney Rose; 108 Church
Rd.; Asheville, NC 28804 (704)254-9551
PURE HONEY • unheated and unfiltered. Poplnr,
locust., and sourwood. One of nature's blessings!
Price and ordering info from Jimmy Holladay, the
Beekeeper; P.O. Box 908; Black Mt'n., NC 28711
(704) 669-9788
.. ANQ THE EARTH LIYEP HAPPILY EVER
AEJ.El.· stories from folk U11ditions all around the
world chosen lO help protect all living beings by
bringing the world society a few steps closer lO
peace and respect for au life. Edited by Floating
Eagle Feather. $7.00 ppd. (All profits go to
Greenpeace and the Peace Museum). Order from:
Wages of Peace; 309 Trudeau Dr.; Metaire, LA
70003
ALTERNATIVE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL - At
Arthur MorgJll School 24 students and 14 staff lc:im
together by living in community. Curriculum
includes creative academics, group decision-making,
a work program, service projects, extensive field
trips, challenging outdoor experiences. Write: 190 I
Hannah Branch Rd.: Burnsville, NC 28714 (704)
675-42.62
DRUMS - Custom handcrafted ceramic-dumbecks 8c
wooden medicine drums. Call Joe at (704)
258-1038 or David at (704) 253-2846, or write ta:
Joe Roberts, 738 Town Mountain Rd.; Asheville,
NC 28804.
TECHNOLOGICAL
APPROPRIATE
COMMUNICATIONS • low-tech, economical
telephone systems for the altcmntive community or
farm. 2· 100 phones, a.utomatic or human-assisted
systems available. Write: TAC; PO Box 936;
Gatlinburg. TN 37730
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
PEPPERLAND offers a vericty of outdoor education
for church, school, or civic groups
year-round. We will help you design a program for
your group. Send for information packet to:
Pcpperlnnd Farm Camp: Star Route; Farner, TN
37333
program~
1988 SIMPLE LIFESTYLES CALENDAR •
PhOlos of "CraftSpCOple of App:il:ich1a" by Warren
Brunner and suggestions for simple hvmg for each
day. S6.00 from Appalachia-Science in the Public
Interest; Rt. 5, Box 423; Livingston, KY 4~45.
All proceeds benefit the work of ASPI, n non-profit
corporation.
CHEROKEE INDIAN LANGUAGE classes. For
info, \\rite Robcn Bushyhc:id; P.O. Box 705:
Cherokee. NC 28719
APPLE TREES • Old·timcy and popul.1r
contcmpor.uy varieties on sumdanl, semi·, or dw:irf
stock. Send SASE for prices: Jeff Poppen: Long
Hungry Creek N~; Red Boahng Springs, TN
37150
ARCHITECTURAL ADVICE ANO DESIGN:
Adam Cohen; RL 2, Box 217; Check, VA 24072
SOCK-A-DOOZ PUPPET PETS • Walk 'cm, talk
'em. make 'em Oy. Wag their tails, you can try.
They will love you. bug you if you're blue. Now
PUPPET PETS can be your friends too.
Handcrafted by Bonnie Blue; 78 1/2 Pauon Ave.
(#10); A.~hevillc, NC 28801
FLOWER ESSENCES • Harmony with Nature &
SpiriL Gentle emotional suppon durmg tr.lllsitions,
specific issues, relationships. Opens
communications. Self-adjusting, non-toxic,
awareness "tools" for improving I.he inner quality.
Correspondence to: Elaine Gcougc, c/o Patchwork
Castle, Celo, 3931 HWY 80 So.. Burnsville, NC
28714
DAYSTAR ASTROLOOICAL SERVICE· natal,
transil, comparison charts. Very accurate. Only
S3.00 each. Chris and Will Bason; Rt. 2, Box 217:
Check, VA 24072 (703) 651·3492
KATUAH ·page 30
APPALACHIAN GlNSENG CO. - Stratified seeds,
seedlings, roots. Send for price list to: P.O. Box
541; Dillsboro. NC 28725
WEBWORKlNG is free.
Send submissions to:
Kil.l.uAh
P.O. Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 28748
FALL 1987
�. /¥IDJ1lh wan~s to commtmicate yoiu· thougltts and feelings to the other people in the
b1oreg1onal province. Send them to us as letters, poems, stories, drawings, or
photographs. Please send yo1u contributions to 11S at: Ki:Wklh; Box 638 ·Leicester NC
Karuah Province 28748.
'
'
'
"Home" is shelter....."llome" is the heartll....•"Home" is conun11nity. Share yotu
plans, sketches, and dreams with the others in tlie bioregion in the winter issue ofKm.tklh.
The deadline/or conrriblllions is October 3.
What does spring make you think of? Send your ideas to us for the spring isme.
Mtdfrfnt- Alllts
BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH AVAILABLE
ISSUE lWO- WINTER 1983-84
Yona - Bear Huntus - Pigeon River Another Way With Animals - Alma Becoming Politically Effective Mouniain Woodlands - Katiinh Under lhe
Drill - Spirilwtl Warriors
full rolor
T-snlrts
In the traditional Cherokee Indian
belief, the creatures in the world today are
only climinuitive 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 Kanati, the lightning, the power of the
sky; Utsa'nati, the rattlesnake, who
personifies the power of the eanh plane; and
Yunwi Usdi, "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 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 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 shins, they a.re available now in
all adult sizes from the Kanfoh journal.
"To show respect for this supernatural
trinity of the natural world is to in turn
become an ally in the continuing process of
mnintaining hnnnony and balance here in the
mountains of Kau.iah."
To order, use the form below.
ISSUETHREE-SPRING 1984
Sustainable Agriculture - Su.n nowen • Human
Impact on the Forest • Childrcns' Education
Veronica Nicholas:Woman in Politics - Linle
People - Medicine Allies
lSSUE FOUR - SUMMER 1984
Water Drum - Water Quality - Kudx.u ·Solar
Eclipse· Clearcutling - Trout - Goin& to Wal&¥
Rom Pumps - Microhydto ·Poems: Bennie
Lee Sinclair, Tun Wayne Millet
lSSUE FIVE. FAU. 1984
Harvest - Old Ways in Cherokee - Ginsen& •
Nuclear Waste • Our Celtic Heritage •
Bioregionalism: Past. Present. and Futute -
John Wi!nol)I • Healing Darkness - Politics of
~
ISSUE SIX· WINTER 1984-85
Winter Solslice Earth Ceremony • HcrKp&Slurt
River - Corrung or the Ugbl - Log Cabin
Roota • Mountain Apiculturc: The Ril!lt Crop
- William Taylor ·The Future or the Forest
ISSUE SEVEN · SPRING 1985
Susiainable Economics - Hot Sprinas - Worker
Ownership· The Great Economy - Self Help
Credit Union - Wild Turkey - Re'J'Onsible
bwesting • Working in the Web of Life
lSSUE EIGHT· SUMMER 198S
Celebration: A Way of Life. Kauiah 18.000
Years Ago • S6Cred Sites • Folk Aru in the
Schools - Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle Poems:
Hilda Downer· Chcroku Heritage Center•
Who Owns Appallchla?
lSSUE NINE· FALL 1985
The Waldee Forest - The Trecs Spcalt •
Migrating Foresu - Horse Logging • Starting a
Tree Crop· Urban Trees • Acom Bread • Myth
Tune
ISSUE TEN· WINTER 19&S-$6
Kate Rogers - Cin:les or St.one • lntemal
Mylhmaking - Holistic Healing on Trial •
Poems: Steve Knauth - Mythic Places • The
Uktena's Tale • Crystal Magic •
"Omu-nspcalcing"
ISSUE ELEVEN - SPRING 1986
Community Planning • Cities and the
Bioregional Vision - Recycling - Communil)I
Gadcning· Floyd Counly, VA • Gasohol •
Two Bioregional Views - Nuclear Supplement
Foxfire Games - Good Medicine: Vasicns
ISSUE n«RTEEN - Fall 1986
Center For Awakening· Elizabeth Calllri. A
Gentle Death - Hospice - Ernest MoTgan •
Ocaling Creatively with Death - Home Buri.al
Box • Th" Wake • The Raven Mocker •
Woodslore and Wildwoods WiJdom • Good
Medicine: n...s..-Lodge
lSSUE FOURTEEN. Winier 1986-87
Uoyd Carl Owtc - Boogcn and Mummc:n AD
Species Day - Cabin Fever Un ..cnlty •
Homeless in KatUah - Homemade Hot Wall:r
Stovcmakcis Narrative - GooJ Medicine:
lntmpeci"5 Conummication
ISSUE FIFTEEN -Spring 1987
Coverlcls • Wom:m Forester · Susie McMahan
Midwife - Alternative Contraception •
Bioscxuality - Bioregionalism and Women Good Medicine: Mlllriacharial Culwn: - ~
ISSUE SIXTEEN - Swnmcr 1987
Helen Waite - Poem: Visions in a Garden •
Vision Quest - First Flow - Initiation •
Leaming in the Wilderness - Cherokee
Olallenge- "Valuing Trees•
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------KAJVAH: Biore~jonal Journal of the Southern Appalachians
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province 28748
For more info: call Marnie Muller (7().1)683-1414
Regular Membership........$ IO/yr.
Sponsor..........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
Name
Address
City
Area Code
KAJVAH -page 31
~ess!
t1ot£r.t"'
Enclosed is S
to give
this ejfon an exrra boost
State
Phone Number
Zip
Back Issues
Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $
Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $ - Issue#_@ $2.00 = $ - Issue#_@ $2.00 = $
Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $ _ _
Complete Set (2-11, 13-16)
@$19.00=$_ _
T-Shirts: specify quanticy
color: tan
S_ _ M_ _
L_ _ XL_ _
@ $9.50 each............$_ _
I can be a local contact
person for my area
TOTALPRICE=
postage paid
$_ _
FALL 1987
�
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 17, Fall 1987
Description
An account of the resource
The seventeenth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on black bears: their place and future in southern Appalachia. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Sam Gray, Paul Gallimore, Mike Pelton, Robert McMahan, Jay S. Gertz, Scott Bird, Richard Harrison, Michael Hockaday, Martha Tree, Marnie Muller, Rob Messick, Richard Harrison, William O. McLarney, Bern Grey Owl, Will Ashe Bason, Douglas A. Rossman, and Troy Setzler. <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
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
The Life and Death of Bear #87: Glady and The Pisgah Bear Project.......3<br /><br />Bear Story by Sam Gray.......6<br /><br />Issues (and a Few Answers) for the Black Bear: An Interview with Dr. Michael Pelton.......8<br /><br />The Challenger: The Wild Boar in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.......11<br /><br />cougar: A Poem.......12<br /><br />Good Medicine: "Finding Allies in the World".......13<br /><br />"Me and My Walker Hounds" by Robert McMahan.......14<br /><br />"Smells Like Money to Me": A Report on Champion International by Jay S. Gertz.......16<br /><br />Bear: A Poem by Scott Bird.......18<br /><br />Green Politics in Katúah by Richard Harrison.......19<br /><br />Natural World News: Modern Science Restores Ancient Indian Maize | Protecting Our Mountain Wetlands | DOE Hot Meals Program | No Problem with Tobacco | Showdown at Flat Creek | NC Legislators Want Dump | Peregrine Nest Discovered.......20<br /><br />Turtle Island Talking: A Look at PeaceNet.......23<br /><br />Old Galaxies: A Poem by Michael Hockaday.......23<br /><br />Drumming: Letters to Katúah.......24<br /><br />Littering: The Same Old Story by Michael Hockaday.......23<br /><br />Fall Calendar of Events.......28<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
Black bear--Appalachian Region, Southern
Bear hunting--North Carolina, Western
Black bear--North Carolina--Fiction
Black bear--Mythology
Animals--Poetry
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 Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Congress
Bioregional Definitions
Black Bears
Cherokees
Community
Good Medicine
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Hunting
Katúah
Katúah Organization
Pigeon River
Poems
Politics
Radioactive Waste
Stories
Turtle Island
Water Quality
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/1f2e1b45f5e29afd5e7816d6d6f26b51.pdf
e62be1d7412c88f48ec27a25918ab429
PDF Text
Text
ISSUE 26 WINTER1989-90
CHILDREN
$1.50
�~LJAt-t JOURNAL
P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Postage Pa1d l
Bulk Mail
Permit #18
Leicester, NC
28748
�Coming of Age in the Ecozoic Em .............. l
by Tlwma.1 Berry
Kids Saving Ratnforest................................4
b) Sama/a l/ir.H
Kids' Treccyding Company............ .......... 5
ConOirt Resolution and the Family............ 6
by Ellie Ki,,cade
Developing the Creative Spirit. ...................!i
h\· /.i1uia J1c1mer
The Balloon is a Unicom ............................9
b) Art.1p1ri1 Swdio
Birth Power.................................. ............ 10
b) luc111da Flodin amt .Wanlru Pnk111s
Birth Bonding........................................... 11
b\ Jan \'erJiaexhe
Coming of Age in the Ecozoic Era
The Magic or Puppetry:
An Interview with Bonnie Blue................ 12
by 111omas Berry
by Chriltinll \.forri.w11 uiul Karc11 n mk1m
Horne Schooling..................................... 15
II) 001111 Wnmiward and Trilli Scver111
Ceremony................................................ 16
Trailin/llud
Mother Earth:
The i\atur;1l Classroom.......... ..... .. ... . •IX
111 Sma11 Grie.mwicr
Bmdegradable Diapers............................ 1R
lw Al'l\'a .Ill/ Romm
Resources............ .................................. 19
Gardening Tips tor Children ............ ..... 19
by T<>m )'n1111gblood-Pe1er.e11
\
i\atural World News............................... 20
"From the
Diary of a ~1odem Child".......... .. 24
by Roh Messi< k
Pocket Culture::.......................................24
by \Viii A.1/ie Basm1
Drumming......................................... ..•. 26
Fon:st Rescue:
An Ecological Manifesto.............. 29
Webworking.......................................... .30
We are now at the end of the Cenozoic
Era of the planet Eanh's 4.5 billion year history.
During the Cenozoic time which has been
occuring for the last 65 million years. most all of
the lire fom1s with which we are familiar came
to their foll development. The Cenozoic is nlso
when we humans came into being. I lowever.
this era is rapidly being tcm1inated.
Not only the human, but even more so.
1he functioning or the entire planet is being
altered. The climate, the chemistry of the
atmosphere. 1he wa1er and the soil, our relation
to the sun, all the bio~ystem' of the planet, e\en
the geological structure of the planet: all 1he'e
are being altered in the most extensive
transformation that has ta.ken place on the planet
Eanh in the last 65 millicm years. So extensive
is the d1ssolu11on of the life systems of the Earth
during the past century that the viability of the
human cannot be taken for gr-Jnted.
T he long-term survival of our children
depends on understanding the depth of what is
happening to the planet at present--it is essential
to admit that what b occuring 1s nothing less
than biocide. It also depends on rekindling a
relationship between the human and the natural
world that is far beyond the exploitive
relauonshi ps of the industrial mode. A different
kind of prosperity and progress needs to be
understood which embraces the wlwle Life
community. All our human institutions,
professions, all our programs and acti vities need
to funcuon now m this wider Life community
context.
It is time to evoke the emergence of a new
E.'Uth period which can be identified as the
Ernzoic era. Even now the shift is beginning to
1;ike place in which a relationship or mutual
enhancement between humans and the naturnl
world is being regarded no1 only as possible but
essential to planeiary survival. I low do our
chtldrcn fit in wilh 1his change . .
Hea/1hy £111"irm1me111
Our children need a healthy Eanh in
which to live. A sickened planet is not
conducive to healthy children physically, or to
their emotional or psychic security. Continued
conu1mination of water, soil, air and other life
syMems by unnecessary and unsound
production practices is jeopardizing their future
existence ao; well as that of the planet.
Children need pure air and water and
sunligh1 and fruitfu l soil and all those living
fonns that provide the context in which human
existence can be properly nunured. Only if this
context is kept intact and an appreciation of it is
passed on will we fulfill our obligations to our
children and to the planet.
Membership in the l ife Community
Our children need 10 be able 10 see that
they are members or the whole Life communiiy
of the natural world about them, not just
members of a local or even global human
community. Human society as such is an
abscraction. The only real community is the
entire community of the natural world. No pan
of this integral community has either existence
Dra1< tng by Rub Mo.nick
t 98S
c:ontu1ucd an p. 3
�J<eLlAHJOURNAL
~STAFF THIS ISSUE:
Andy Half-baker
Rob Messick
Marnie Muller
Rodney Webb
Chip Smith
Richard Lowenthal
Christina Morrison
James Rhea
David Wheeler
Heather Blair
EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE:
Stephen Bartlett
Will Ashe Bason
Susan Griesmaier
Michael Havclin
Scott Bird
Jack Chancy
COVER by Zack Brick, age 6, of Floyd Community.
Reprinted from the Blue Mountain School Calendar
(for sale from Colleen Redman; Box 634; Floyd, VA 24091)
THE SOUTHERN APPALJ.CHIAN BIOREGION
ANO MAJOR EASTERN RIVER SYSTEMS
PUBLISHED BY: Kanlah Journol
PRINTED BY: The Waynesville Mountaineer Press
EDITORIAL QFACE nus ISSUE:
Worley Cove, Sandy Mush Ouk
WRITE US AT:
Ka1Wih Journal
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province 28748
TELEPHQNE: (704) 683-1414
Ka/UahJournaJ is on SkYland BBS, Asheville, NC.
For information, call (704) 254-6700.
Diversity iJ an important clcmeot or bioregional ecology, bolh
nalUral and social. ln line wilh !his principle, the Kataah Journal tries
io serve m a forum for lhc discussion of regional issues. Signed aniclcs
express only the opinion of the authors and arc not necessarily lhe
opinions of lhe Kataah Journal edilOl'S a staff.
The ln1U1181 Revenue Service has declared Kataah a non-profit
organiulion Wlder section SOl{cX3) of the lnicmal Revenue Code. All
contributions IO Kataah are deductible from pcrsooaJ income tax.
'LNVOCA.TWN
I think ouer ogoin my smell oduentures,
My fears,
Those I thought so big.
For ell the ultol things
I hod to get
And to reach,
And yet,
There Is only one greet thing The Only thing To Hue,
To see the greet doy thot downs ,
And the light thot fill s the w orld.
- Inuit song
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Here in the southern-most heartland of the
Appalachian mountains, the oldest mountain range on
our continent, Turile 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 natural scale and balance
of universal systems and principles.
Within this circle we begin by invoking the
Cherokee name " KatUtih" 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 Mountai11 and
the Georgia hills to the south,· and the Tennessee
River Valley to the west.
The editorial priorities for us are to collect
and disseminate information and energy which
periuins 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 " situalion in terms ofa quality standard
of life for all living beings on 1his planet. As a voice
for the caretakers of this sacred land, Kat"'1h, we
advocate a cenlered approach to the concept of
decentralization. It is our hope to become a support
system for those accepting 1he 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 thaJ Ka/Uah will grow to serve the best interests
of this region and all its living, breathing members.
-The Editors
~
k)t,nt.er ,1989-90
�Coming of Age in the Ecozoic
E r a-continued from p. 1
or life apan from the other members or the communiry.
We arc awkward at this manner of thinking because many
of our religions as well as humanist traditions carry a cenain
antagonism toward the natural world. But now the refusal to
acknowledge the intimate membership in the corrununity of Earth
is leading to their own destrucrion as well as that of the planet.
The next generation can survive only as functional members of
this larger community. Our children are instinctively aware of this
wider sense of identity. We need only foster I.his awareness.
Earth Literacy
Our children also need to be literate about the Eanh. They
need to learn not only how to read books composed by human
genius but also how to "read" the Great Book of Nature. Again,
absorbing this Great Book is natural to children. Alienation from
this primary educational experience has been, in our generation,
the source of unmeasured disaster to every aspect of human
existence.
A true prosperity requires being able to understand the
language of nature. Native peoples know this language. II is
primarily the language of the Earth, a language of living
relationships that extend throughout the universe. We have here
within this Nonh American conrinent a superb natural setting in
which our children can become Eanh-literate, capable of
undemanding what their world is telling them.
Energy Awareness
Our children need to understand how to function with the
energy of I.he sun and wind and the water rather than with the
energies of fossil fuels or of nuclear processes. Our inabilny to
use these other energies properly has led to a situation in which
the planet Earth is covered with grime and poisons. These toxins
are not only eating away with their acids the very stones and
structures of all the great cities of the world, but they are also
harmful to the planet itself.
The understanding of more benign energy forms and the
skills to interact with them effectively are absolute necessities for
the survival of our children in a sustainable life context. In
addition, it is imponant 1ha1 these energy systems be designed
with sensitivity and a sense of appropriate scale.
Our children also need to understand the healthy limits of
their bioregion's capacity to provide energy and to suppon life.
They need to be encouraged to envision a way of life that can be
compatible with Lhose natuml limits. Helping children get in Lhe
habit of conservation as well as recycling is an imponant step tn
encouraging them to co-exist with the rest of the life community.
Food
Our children need to learn gardening. The reasons for this
reach deep into their mental and emotional as well as into their
physical survival. Gardening is an active participation in the
deepest mysteries of the universe. By gardening our children
learn that they constitute, with all growing things, a single
community of life. They learn to nurture and be nunured in a
universe Lhat is always precarious but ultimately benign. They
leam profound reasons for the seasonal rituals of the great
religous renditions.
More immediately, however, i'> the question of physical
survivaJ. With the ever-increasing loss of soil on which
food-growing depends, with the rising innaiion in the economic
sphere, with the need for food grown in a proper organic context,
and with the crowded situation in our urban centers, the capacity
of our children to grow a significant umount of their o~n food on
very limited areas of Eanh will become an increasing urgency.
Elementary education especially might very well begin and
be developed in a gardening context. How much the children
could learn! A language related to life! Emotional responses 10
blossoming and fruitful plants. social cooper:11ion, death as a
source of life. They could learn geology and biology and
ascronomy. They could learn the sources of poetry and lner.iture
and the ans. They might even be saved from the sterile and
ephemeral world of Atari.
WUller. 1989- 90
Participawry Role
Our children need to be prepared for their role in the
fruitful functioning of the Great Earth itself, the first and greatest
of all "corporations". They need to learn that the underlying role
of all human corporative enterprises is to enhance the functioning
and meaning and value of this primary corporation, the planet in
which we live. If the Eanh becomes bankrupt there is no future
for anything that lives within the Earth.
The remarkable achievement of the Earth in its natural state
is its ability 10 renew itself and all its living forms. There is a
minimum of entropy in the Earth system_ Energies arc cycled
recycled indefinitely. The infrastructure renews itself. No
human process can do this. NeiLher automobiles nor Madways,
nor subway systems, nor fossil fuels, nor railways, n..ir power
plants, nor nuclear generating plants renew themselves_ They
Inst but a few years and then rust away and the resources of the
planet arc no longer sufficient 10 renew them.
A completely different role of the human in relation to the
Earth begins to identify usclf. One which functions in a different
fashion and with different ideals from the highly entropic,
exploitative manner in which our culture functions at present.
Recognizing our intimate membership in the whole Life
community and becoming literate in its wisdom and language,
our role becomes that of dynamic panicipator. ln recognizing this
intimate connecLion, we begin 10 understand and align ourselves
with 1he natural world's capacity to be self-emerging,
self-propagating, self-nourishing, self-educating, self-governing,
and self·hcaling.
Experience of the Sacred
Our children need to understand the meaning and grandeur
and sacredness of the Eanh as revelatory of the deep mysteries
and meaning of the world. Rather than teaching them to disdain
the natural world as unwonhy of their concern. it would be most
helpful if our religious traditions would move toward a stronger
emphasis on the glorious phenomena of the universe about us as
modes of divine communicauon.
In a special manner, through celebration and ceremony,
our children need to observe and esteem the spontaneities of
nature in our own bioregions here in the different areas of Nonh
America; spontaneities that give expression 10 genetic diversity
which is the most precious endowment of the living world.
Without 1he marvelous variety of living forms that swim in
the sea and live and move upon the Eanh and ny through the air,
our own human understanding, our emotional life, our
imaginative powers. our sense of 1he divine, our capacity for
verbal expression; these would all be terribly diminished. If we
lived on 1he moon, our sense of the divine would reOcct the lunar
landscape: our cmouons. sensitivities and imagination would all,
in a similar manner. be through a lunar mode of expression.
So with our children, they are what they are and have such
remarkable expansion of life because of that share in the natural
world that they have here within the Nonh American continenL
The radiance of their surTOundings is even now reflec1cd in the
radiance of our children's countenances.
Sc11se of History
Our children need a sense of their historical role in creating
this coming ecological age. 1hc F..cozoic. This future world is
something that has never existed before within the context of the
whole planeL We are involved in an irreversible sequence of
planetary developments. For the first time an integral form of the
planet Earth wi1h all its geological contours, its living forms and
us human presence has become possible as a vital, functioning
plane1ary whole expressing itself in its unbroken sequence of
splendors tn movement and song and an infinite variety of color
in the sky and throughout the continents.
There 1s truth in the expression--· The Dream is at the heart
of the Action. The greatest gift we can give our children is to
assiM them in their dreams of a planet of pure air and water and
sunlight and soil. where the community of all living beings can:.,;l!I'
~·
nourii.h in the celebration of existence.
A
Thomas Berry noted geologian and awlwr of The Dream of the
Earth (Sierra Club Books, 1988), is presently collaboraring with
physicis1 Brian Swimme on a new book, The Universe Story.
l'lb •'lnoenu Reny
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illus~uon
by Jermain Mosely
Mrs. Woods' science class at
Asheville Alternative School has
been studying forests and
rainforests in particular. We went
to the "Discovery Place" in
Charlotte to see an exhibit on
Rainforests and have studied
about forestry in class and at
Holmes State Forest.
We have learned that if all the
rainforests are destroyed then our
oxygen will decrease a whole lot.
We have also learned that the
rainforests are ancient. They are
very special and important to us.
They give us many products as
well as 1/2 the world's animals
and plants.
Our class is getting together and
making money to help save these
forests So far we have almost
made $300. With that we will be
able to buy 10 acres of land out of
a rainforest in Belize .
Jc.iiWcih Jo1Ul1Q( pllc:Je 4
'
•I
We have been raking people's
leaves in our neighborhood for
$1.50 or more if the yard is really
big. All of the people's yards we
have raked, have given a little bit
extra. One boy in our class raked a
medium size yard with his friend
tor a man and got $30.00.
We have worked very hard on this
project and hope that we will
encourage other people to pitch in.
We put pictures in the halls of our
school. A few nights ago we had a
woman named Mrs. Jeanne
Cummings come to our school to
show some slides of her
'Earthwatch' trip to a rainforest in
Borneo. We had live entertainment
and refreshments that night. It
was very exciting for all of us.
Do whatever you can to help save
the Rainforests, it is important to
all of us and we hope that these
Rainforests will survive.
/
By Samala Hirst
kll-ntcr, 1989-90
�Ph""'' b~ Karen W•tkin'
Hey, all you people out there,
have you heard of the new business Kid's T reecycling Co.?? !!
It all started when our teacher started talking about
how imponant trees and recycling are. We think 1hat
this is a great Saving-The-Trees business and a grea1
class project.
We sell all sorts of recycled paper producls like paper
1owcls. rissuc and 1oilet paper. On 1hc lirst day we
only got two orders. Then we got more and more
orders every day and week. We have $65.00 so far.
Do you know when we get older there won't be many
trees lefl? There won't be hardly any paper. Don't let
1hat happen! We all need to recycle. S1art now at
Kid's Treecycling Co. We are in third grade at
Asheville Alternative School. South French Broad
Avenue. A ... hcv1llc. NC 28801. Ourtcacheris
Victoria Maddux. You can call her in the evening at
{704)- 645-4593. Call now and become a "Recycling ..
Ci1i1en"
-·-hy: llana Craig. l.arJ Weaver, Ken;. Wahcr,\Vill lknnen.
Molly Ru ... h and Alesia Summey.
l./UlU:t, 1989-90
�Conflict Resolution
and the Family
Conn1ct. Every family has it. Household chores,
homework, messy rooms, schedule connicts, ~pace invasion~.
values collisions, power struggles, and scape-goating have all
been long-srnnding and universal sources of stress in 1hc
American family. The quality of family life. though, is
detennined not by \.\hethcr or not a family has conflict but by
what they do with it.
It is commonly recognized that parents have a great
innuence on the overall process of dealing "'ith the inevitable
conflicts that plague families. What is frequently overlooked.
however, is the contribution that children have 10 make in the
conflict resolution process. Children are our greatest source of
inspiration and creativity; they have internalil.ed fe\.\er rules and
limitations and "yes--bu1--tha1 wouldn't work bccause"s and have
a natural spirit of discovery that can set the stage for new and
more expansive ways of thinking.
This article is based upon my own experience as a par.:nt
and as a conflict management consultant and educator. coupled
with the perspectives of my daughter Dana. age 14, and my son
Nick, age 10. We will citplore three imponant variables which
operate to affect an individual\ or a fomily'~ response to conflict:
Spirit, Personality/Well·Being, and Skillfulnes5.
by Ellie Kincade
Spiritff he Spirit of Possibilit)
Spuit is the auitude with which we approach problems and
conflicts, and is the foundation of the process of resolution.
Thomas Crum, author of The Magic of Conflict. makes two
imponant points about the nature of conflict:
ConOict js a na111ral phenomenon. We see it everywhere in
nature - the magnificent beauty of mountains, canyons, beaches
was formed by eons of connict. In our human relationships,
from the intra- and interpersonal through global levels, the
choices we make determine whether the intense energy inherent
in conflict will be a del.tructive force or as Crum says. will be
"the best sandpaper around for smoothing out our lives"
ConOict js noi a comest. Winning and losing are goals for
games. 001 for connict resolution. Resolving connict is rarely
about \.\ho\ right: it's aboul the acknowledgement and
appreciation of differences.
Dana's summary of a positive spirit toward conflict is:
*Trust one another.
,. Approach problem situations with lo\'e. (Y?u can
love someone and be angry at the same nme.)
t.n.rtrt'r',~90
�•Be flexible and willing lO undersl:lnd another's
point of view.
Nick adds:
•Take responsibilny for your own "stuff' and
realize thal whal you do affects others.
•Anticipate your own and others· needs and try to
prevent conflicts from happening.
•Have a sense of humor, even when there are
problems!
Every family has to find its own unique way of
discovering and fo:.tering a spirit of possibility for dealing with
issues. Families who creatively integrate faith, hope. charity. and
love, and playfulness into their everyday lives develop the
flexibility. willingness and perspective to change gracefully and
powerfully over time. They bring this creative power 10 every
conflict or advei;ity they face.
The family who believes that it is possible to find win/win
solulions (rather than win/lose solutions) to their conflicb. finds
them! A fringe benefit of lhis philosophy about confl1c1 1s that
children (and eventually 1heir parents too!) learn that what they do
and say makes a difference, thnt conflicts can be resolved v. ithout
baules and that problems lhat seem "impossible" to solve arc
really just challenges to human flexibility. compassion and
creativity.
Dana defines respect as the wtllmgness to allow each
person the freedom to express their true and unique self.
Affirrmng differences, making allowances, and building on those
differences facilitate conflict resolution. We've grown up with
homogeny as an ideal. Think about the all-American metaphor of
the "melting pot" where cliversity becomes lost ma kenle of drab
glop. Consider, instead. 1he image of a salad where each
ingredient maintains its discrete qualities while adding volume,
texture, nourishment, variety, and beauty to the whole.
Each individual's personality de1ermines their preferences
and style in dealing with conflict. Nick emphasizes that often he
needs space and wants to be left alone when conflict arises; when
he "cools orr· he is better able to talk about it. Dana usually
wants to talk things out nght away, bu1 sometimes wants time 10
think things out alone. She stresses the importance of asking one
another for what we need and being considerate of our different
needs. Individual differences rue, in fact, one of the greatest
resources in problem ~olving. Division of labor conflicts can
often be easily resolved by having family members volunteer for
their "favorite" chore. For example, Dana and Nick bo1h like to
cook: I much prefer the mindlessness of cleaning up afterward.
Dana likes carrying in the firewood and Nick builds and tends the
fire. or cour.;e those preferences and inclinations do change in an
evolving household, so frequent communication and negotiauon
arc a musr.
In a favorite 'Peanuts' car1oon. Sally is complaining, "I
hate everything! I hate the whole world!" Charlie Brown
responds. matter-of-factly. "I thought you had inner peace."
Sally replies. "I do, but I still have outer obnoxiousness!" We all
have outer obnoxiousness. the level and intensity of which is
directly relatec.! 10 our general state of well-being. One's state of
well-being (or lack 1hereof!) may be lhe most significant factor
affecting the individual's ability to respond to conflict with
tolerance, flexibility, creativity and a "Spirit of Possibility."
The three of us agree thnt a bad day at school or work,
exhaus1ion. pressures of upcoming events, or a general sense of
malaise is often the root of our outer obnoxiousness which can
lead 10 conflict. Here are several things families can do to
enhance 1he well-being of individuals and the family unit:
Herc are some fun ways families can develop and exercise
the "Spirit of Possibility":
•Play games like, "There's Not Only One Way 10 Do Anything".
Discover throogh brruns1onnmg the many f>O"-s1h1l111cs m a snuauon.
How many different wa)'~ arc there to m:ike p<1ll<!akcs? To plant a tree?
To w~h a window? Wc"vc ycl IO find an acuvity lhal can he done m
JUSl one way. Make the jOlhl)' or brrunstonnmg commonplace. so tl1'1l
11 occurs more na1urally in connict snuauons.
•Keep 1rnck of "Impossible Things• that happen an the world Read and
d1SCus.s news s1orics, historical evenL~. sporting accomplishmenb.
amazing inventions, ulcs of survival and raniaslic JOumcys, and mo~l
1mporwuly, personal life cxpcncnccs m lhc accomplishment or "The
Impossible". For example:
Remember when ...
..."Nick almost gave up finding a shark's t0olh at the beach-and then
found live!"
·~"Grandma 105t her diamond ring m lhc gnx:cry ~iorc parking 101 and
wcnL b:lck lhat nighl and found 1L"
..."Dana though I she'd never be able to afford her trip to the Soviet
Union and !hen raised all the money for tile lrip by selling hct pocll)
books."
Our true contcmpornry heroes arc ordinary people in ordinary
cin:umslallCCS who occomplish cx1100td1nary tilings.
• Acknowledge. and celebrate seasonal changes and cytlical
llllnsfonmuions, e.g. watch 1hc moon wax and wane. gardcM grow.
birds migraic. cocoons spin and haich. seeds di\-pc.rsc. Notice and honor
developmental changes in ram1ly member;: e.g. have celebrations m
honor or landmark events. bcginnmgs. endings. and annavcrw1cs-·
there's always something IO cclcbrutc, rrom lo<;t w:cth to maJor rites of
passage. American l1'3d1tion I\ lacking in mual. Look to other cultures
and uad11ions and creaic your own! Gncve the losses and welcome the
new growth !hat rollows
Personalil~ Factor~
and Well-Being
(I) Eyeball the week ahead 10 alert one anolhcr abou1 high ~lre5' limes
and ask for cxlr'd supJ10n, e.g. Nack mak<:S school lunches when Dana
has a track meet so she can get some cxtnl rest: Dan3 covers dinner
when I need to prepare for a worlc'\hop. Communic~ning m advance
•Experience and affinn your conna:ledn~ to tile world·•ll·latgc Mike
family dcc1s1ons about what contnbuuons io m:t.lcc 10 commumty and
global service projects. The needs, a~ we look around u•. arc
overwhelming. Learning lO make choice~ aoout how to u<c: our
personal energy and rc~rces 1s a b;i~1c hfc skill for hvang m th" age.
Remember the story of 1hc person at the edge of the '>Ca, tossing
beached si.arfish back mto the occan. A man appro:1chcd und '"I.ell,
"Why arc yoo bothering to do tha11 Then: arc so mnny. Whm d11Tcrcncc
docs it make io save a few?" 11ui person p3uscd. thought. smiled nnd,
tossing ano1hcr \lllffitj\ mto 1hc sea, replied •1t make' a diffcrcnc.: to
that one:
•explore mull1-cuhurnl perspectives by cncuuragmg c~changc~
through pen.pals. ho,11ng mtcmauonal ''i\ltOrs, or travel D.> your
g1fl·shopp1ng lhrough catalog., that \upport collage mdu\trlC\ 1n
,·nrious cuhures around the world. Dana involved our cnurc famil)·.
from C03Sl to coast, in her ci111..cn-diplnmacy trap to lhe Soviet Union
lhis past summer She enhanced our ·spirit or Po~1l>1hty" by making
her own dream come true and ~he created a network of connectedness
bctwc:cn many Sovic:ts and Americans \\ho share the larger dream or
world peace.
&.>Lnte.r, 1989-90
about schedules 1\ connic1 pn:vcnuon!
(2) Milke \tree;,; mnnagcmcnt a family alTair. Take walks. have joint
"temper tantrum'· 10 let off sicam. talk about your drc3111s, give one
anolhcr massag~. have ·,1op-:icuon hug~· (prionty hug> can mltrTUp!
any ac11vi1y, C\cn an argument). Plan healthy menu.' together, hsien lO
music. dance. LAUGll A LOT! llavc nightly snuggles before bed.
Every f;tmily ~ds to discover and invent 1ts own 'tlC'' managcmcn1
plan Suppon one another's mdl\·1du.al \l.l'CSS marugcmcnt programs,
IOO. Dana ruid Nick ga>c me space for mcd11auon, racqlldball, or naps.
Tran.•;pona110n to tllcir 'JX>rb. academic and ~ul cvcnL~ is a pnoruy
for me.
(3) Learn w1lh your ch1IJrcn wmc tools for ccn1ermg. n:laxauon 8lld
sp1r11ual renewal Pra)'Cr. mcd1ta.t1on, visunli1.ation, brealhmg, }Oga,
dance. ~ns. and CCr1ilm man1al JI'\.\ (p:llllCUlllfly the nuid, powerful
and non-v1oleni ans suc;h as a1k1do and T11.1 Cha). arc all ways to
develop a relaxed, Oc.ublc. balanced. aucnuvc, and strong poMllre.
From tl11$ ccnicrcd siate at is easier to move with confidence and care
through life's ngors.
(oontiml<d an~ 23)
�Developing the Creative Spirit
by Linda Metzner
Imagine a warm, lazy summer's day, sky very blue.
You are on your back watching clouds roll by. What do you
sec there in the clouds? How docs it sound to you? Can you
move the way the clouds move?
What are the possibilities? Can your imagination take
you places you've never been before? Are there new ways to
get there?
If we are not utilizing the body-mind's creative
capabilities, we are allowing ninety percent of the nco-conex
--the largest and most recently-developed pan of the brain--to
go unused, an ocean of untapped potenrial. The work of a
lifetime, in tenns of mind evolution, is to make new
connections, to use the heart-mind, the whole brain and the
nervous system, to crave! to new realms on new paths, 10
envision and create ever-greater inter-relationships among
things.
A deeper goal of the teaching of creativity. and of an,
is to offer a starting-point, a vocabulary of the spirit, tools
for climbing through the changing terrain of the mind. The
dilemmas of our lives are dealt with by looking not just or the
problems but with them, around them, inside and outside of
them, and beyond them.
Imagination, "the ability to create images not present to
the sensory system;· involves the creation of thousands of
physical connecting links between neurons in the brain. If the
neurological structures for creative thinking are allowed to
develop in childhood, regardless of the end product of the
imaginative thought, then the resulting system of abundant
connecting links will be available to the adult as well.
Joseph Chilton Pearce, m his book The Magical Child.
speaks about a cenain point in childhood, especially between
the ages of seven and eleven, where vmually any suggestion
can be adopted and utilized by the child, if it is given without
doubt or ambiguity. Wnlking through fire, healing ~·ith the
hands, clairvoyance, many typ;!S of "paranormal" abilities arc
really extensions of creative thinking exhibited by children
given "pennission" to experience them.
Here are a few travel tips for the lifelong journey of
nunuring the creative spirit within ourselves and others:
Play. relax, go slow. New ideas will come from places
that are beyond your conscious control. Make time for
them.
Listen to your dreams, your flashes of insight, your
intuition. Try not to label mind processes as weird or
useless. Don't be shocked if you hear of other sounds,
colors, or beings a child is conscious of. You arc tapping
into a world Edith Cobb calls "common-plus-cosmic".
Give yourself guidelines for creative activities.
AJlow the mind to play with one or two small features,
and explore all the possibilities: a few colors. a few
textures, a musical interval or timbre.
Try to have material that presents ever-increasing
challenges, but stay grounded in past work. In teaching
music, try to stan with the body, with movement. for
every new idea introduced.
JC.Qiiuih
Journat p1t9e 8
"Compe1itions are for horses, not anists" (Picasso).
Don't compare, rate, evaluate or "improve" anyone's
work. Ask the anis1 to tell abou1 ii and get some insight
into her/his thinking.
Have some open rime, some open space, and some
open materials. Keep a box of bright colored papers,
scissors, glue, fabric. markers, pencils; loose clothes for
movement: a variety of sound-makers; typewriter or tape
recorder for stories.
Study and learn. Be aware of how others are taking
new leaps and exploring new territory.
Look for examples in life of an going outside old
boundaries: murals, mobiles, architecture, pantomime,
storytelling. This is the same evolutionary process found
in frogs, flowers, and blue-footed boobies.
Look at how it's been done in other places. In Africa,
animal forms become patterns on cloth; in Bali, girls
dance as goddesses in a trance state; in China, a five-note
scale played on bamboo pipes forms an orchesrra. Other
cultures have already transcended some of the artistic
boundaries that we've inherited in ours.
After working alone, try working with one or two
others. Your ideas may expand synergbtically, way
beyond what you had alone.
Learn simultaneously to respect others' crearions as
you create your own. Sometimes this calls for quiet
listening or watching others, or spending time with
someone else's finished work. What new ways does
he/she open up 10 you?
A mind that craves new solutions, new paths. can leap out
of trenches of conditioning and make miracles happen. This.
after all, is how the Universe 1s being created, even as we
speak!
RESOURCES:
CATALOGS
• Animal Town CoopcraU\'C Ventures
PO Box 2002. S:tnlll Barbara. CA 93102
• Chmabcny Book Scrvice
2830 Via Orange Way Su11.c B, Spring Valley, CA 92078
• Geode Educational ()pllon~
PO Box 106, We.~1 Che.qcr, PA 19381
• Music For Lillie People
PO Box 1460, Redway, CA 95560
• Suzuki Musical lnsuumcnis
PO Box 261030. San Diego, CA 92126
• World Music Press
11 Myrtle Avenue, PO Box 2565, Danberry, CT 06813
SUGGESTED READING
Adams, James. The Cart 01ld Feeding of Ideas. Addison· Wesley. 1986.
Amabile, TCIC.~ Growing Up Creative Crown Publishers, 1989.
Cobb, Edith. The Ecology of lmDgina11on in Childhood Columbia
Umvcrs11y Press, 1977.
Gardner. Howard. Frames of M111d: Tht TMory of Multiplt lnttll1gtncts.
Basic Books, Inc. 1983.
Pearce. Joseph Chihon. TM Magical Child and TM MallU;al Child Matures.
E.P. Dunon, New York. 1977
Piening, Ek.lcchan:I and Lyons, Nick. Educating as an Art, The Rudolf Si.cincr
Mciliod. The Rudolf Si.cuicr School Press. NY. 1979.
Reck, David. TllL Music of tM IVholt Earth. Charles Scribncr'5 Sons, NY.
1977.
~
lmdo Merzner reaches Orff music and co.directs Anspirit, a
srudio of creorive orrs in Asheville. NC. She is a composer 011d
arranger and direcis rlie choral group, Womansong.
H.l~nter, 1989-90
�The :Balloon Ls A. Unworn
These ukas /or cJ.vfik>plrJ.9 c:reattvit!I i.n mlldrcn '""
s!Jared U'ith us from A.rtspu1t, 11 i;reato-e art..s studio 1n
Asm:i•1Jle, NC. 1'!4:mbcrs 1nc{Ulk: 1'frls A.rrwld. (day). 'BarrU:
'Barron (m<wcment), Norma 1Jradky (paper), Vicki.
aadh~UIJ (ft/x:r ), and lmdu 1'f4Urwr (musu;).
Xak.e a sefJ-portrait with pieces of coCored.
paper. Choose the coCors that
you.. IJorr.. as smaU:
' - mmn the most to
or as i.ur9e as ~ou Llke.
1.nter , 1989- 90
�by Lucinda Aodin and Martha Perkins
We need co recognize how imponant it is that women
take back their power· the natural power of creation is ours.
While a woman feels most in concrol of the birthing experience
in her own home, it is most important that she be able to
exercise her power wherever a binh should happen.
Women often do not realize the tremendous reservoir of
power that is theirs to tap into when they are delivering a
newborn. Birthing a child is the most powerful activity that our
bodies can perform, and a woman who can binh with power
will be a better mother and a stronger woman. No matter where
a baby is born, the mother should be able to accomplish it with
the full power that is inherent in the act and with the dignity of
womanhood.
We recently viewed a slide show of binh as represented
in an throughout history from cave glyphs to modem
obstetrics. Traditionally women are shown birthing upright,
strong and confident. A woman helper ·or sometimes a man •
is behind her; a midwife is below and in front of her. Paintings
and drawings from around the world and throughout the ages
of history all depict this trinity of birth... until modem times.
As the picrures draw closer to the present, the woman
sinks fanher and farther back into the images until she
disappears from the picture altogether. In recent photographs of
operating room situations the woman giving birth is not even
visible. She is flat on her back. her whole body draped except
for a gaping vagina, which usually has been cut. She is not
mother or a person, but a thing. Watching those slides brought
home instantly what has happened since our birth power has
been stripped from us.
functions of her body, mind. and spirit, and she is delivered.
She is not giving birth, or delivering her new-born life. She is
being delivered, which implies that she is being set
free ... "Deliver me from this childl" ... who is then taken away
to the nurseries, to the bath, to be re-warmed after its small
body is chilled.
This separation creates much emotional hardship for both
parents and child. But the love of a mother and a father is
amazing. It reaches beyond the hardship and bonds in love
with their child • but childbirth and bonding does not have to
be so hard.
We tend co think of power in terms of its mis-use rather
than thinking of power as being healing and strong. A
woman's birth power is power in its pure sense: power that is
not manipulative, not selfish. Birth power is selfless. Labor is
a series of overwhelming surges of energy, powerful waves.
Binh is a power act. It is one way in which a woman quests for
a vision and finds her pince in this life. In giving birth a woman
must exercise the ultimate strength of yielding. In yielding to
her labor she draws on the energy of the life foroe. Our culture
tends to consider yielding as an act of weakness. But in giving
birth, yielding is the strongest act. h is the strength of the
whole uruversc that brings a baby into chis world.
When birth is a narural act of power, a woman is not
delivered. She embraces the power of her womanhood, yields
to the strength of her body and her spirit, and gives her baby
passage into his or her own life. Watching births we have
learned that a midwife's job is to guide a woman into her
power· to work with a mother, to educate her, and to help her
to use her innate knowledge. It is amazing to watch the change
in a woman as she comes into her power.
Entering a hospiial a woman feels small and
insignificant, like a pebble amid the looming technology. It is
unnerving. The situation is out of her control and her mate's
control as well. Every intervention tells her that she knows
nothing about the procedures of birth and that her instincts arc
not to be truSted. The hospital staff is in command. She is not
IO yield tO the power of birth. Rather, anaesthesia takes over the
We arc successful as midwives when at the end of a
birthing the woman says, "I did it. Thank you for helping me."
If a woman says,"I couldn't have done it without you," we
have not done our job well enough. The mother deserves the
credit. After all, she has done all the work. If someone were to
ask us, "What is the job of a midwife?", we would reply, "To
give back chc power."
.
~t.UA.h
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JounwaC p"'.JS 10
�•
To rcali1.C the binhing power we must first relearn the
birthing process. It is an ancient process, a wise way, and
generations of humaniiy have proven that it works. Then,
anned with our knowledge, we must demand 1ha1 our
institutions change with us. Our hospitals. doctors, nurses, anJ
midwives have to allow us as women to have control over our
own health - no, we as women must take control.
Families will never be srrong until we take back the
power of birth...and until we have power and strength in the
family. we will never truly heal the Eanh.
Lucinda Flodin and Manha Perkins art both motlU!rs a11d
work togetlier as a midwife team in the area s11rrn11ndi11g their
lwmes in the Doe River watershed.
by Jan Verhaeghe
Midwives nuending home binhs know the success of
their calling-the welfare of the mothers and babies in their
care-depends in pan on the special time immediately after
birth. No midwife worth her salt, excep1 in a m.iner of life or
death, would take a b:lby from the mother.
What exactly is binh-bonding? Birth-bonding is the
uninterrupted time immediately following binh when 1hc
mother and baby establish the foundation for their
relationship by re-connecting in every aspec1 of their now
separate lives. The most intense and the most important
period for birth-bonding is the firlit two hours but cenainly
Iasis until the baby falls into 1he deep steep infants experience
St!Veral hour.; after binh.
During bonding, mother and child becollll! linked
psychically in a way that defies our ability 10 analyze the
experience. The newborn is extremely impressionable and
everything that happens during this period leaves a deep
imprinL The natural longing of 1he baby is to re-establish i1s
cquilibrium--to be wann, 10 be held, to suck. to hear a
familiar heartbeat. To be separated from the mother at this
time must leave a la.sung and discressed memory. I believe
bonding is visual, tactile, aural, oral, olfactory, and
hormonal and occurs most easily when the mo1her holds her
baby and interacts wi1h it through the senses during 1hc
sensitive period immediately following birth. The "en face"
posilion--touching and being touched, hearing and being
heard, feeding and being fed. learning each others
smells-are complex interactions that occur with case when a
baby is placcd--and left--in its mother's arms.
The mos1 immediate person to bond wiih a newborn i~
the mother, but it is very important that fa1hers also bond
with their infantS. Fathers who have had 1he opponuni1y to
bond with one child but not with another 1ell 1he same storie_,
as the mothers of these children. Fathers of C-sccuon babies
often are better·bonded with their infants than the mother
simply because a woman who has just undergone major
surgery cannot give her full allention to her infant Siblings
bond wi1h an infant v.ith outsianding positive results as .... ell.
Many well·mcaning physicians and hospnal personnel
feel tha1 a mo1her's holding her baby for a few minuies on
!he delivery table constitutes "bonding". However, true binh
bonding means mother and baby are nm scpara1ed for hours
or even days following 1he birth. While the imponance of
binh-bonding has caugh1 the auention of many hospitals, us
~,it.er,
l 989•90
specific meaning and significance has often become sacrificed to
hospital routine. For citample, the widespread use of anaesthesia
in hospiial binh.s continues to be common practice.
My first three binhs in 1hc 60's were under Demerol
and Scopolaminc, an amnesiac. With "scope;• a mother
"forgets" the birth Cltperiencc and is too drugged to look at her
baby who is also drugged. Twenty-four hours later, I was given
my first look at my baby. I had no memory of the binh, and the
baby seemed a perfect stranger. Having missed out on sucking
during the minutes following birth, the baby seemed not to know
what to do the first times at the breast, and I invariably felt
rejected by each of my babies. I also felt inadequate as a mother.
With each baby, a kind nurse suggested trying again later and
went off to the nursery to give the baby a bottle. As a result I and
many other women often questioned our ability not only to
breastfeed a baby but to care for an infant. Later on many of us
found little satisfaction in raising our young children.
b:lby but to care for an intan1. Later on many of us found
linle satisfaction in raising our young children.
I am fonun:11e to have had another chance at childbinh
and an opponunily 10 experience birth-bonding with two
babies. With these babies or the 70's, one born in a hospital
but with no drugs, the other born at home attended by a
midwife, 1 breastfed with ease and confidence. In addition, I
never felt any alienation from my babies, never knew
post-partum depression, and experienced child rearing as a
joyous and fulfilling experience--in my 40's.
As a result of my mid-life binh experiences. I became
a labor suppon person, childbinh educator. and activist.
Undoubtedly the most important a.~pect of my las! 1wo binhs
was the binh-bonding I had with my babies. Meeting and
observing many mothers and babies over the last eigh1 years,
I am convinced 1hat bonding has a profound effcc1 on how
we parent and on how our children grov. spiritually as well
as mentally and physically.
When I first became nctive with childbinh in the RO's,
I could not help bu1 noiice that mothers who expressed joy
and who had an air of serenity about them as they dealt with
their children were mothers who had drug-free deliveries and
who were not separated from their newborn. ln 1nlking and
corresponding with moihers who had experienced binh
bonding with one child but no1 with another, I found the
same story over and over. There were many more
difficulties of every kind where there was linle or no
bonding. These babies had problems feeding, cried more,
were often unhappy as toddlers. The mothers often fell
rejected by the babies, were frequcnily depressed, and
questioned their abilities 10 mother Where there was
bonding, the opposite was true.
While no one wants a mother to experience any more
pain than is necessary, the use of anaesthesia in whatever form
is 1he factor most likely to prevent bonding. While an epidural
anaesthetic (injected between the layers of the covering of 1he
spinal cord) allows a woman 10 be awake, it canies with it
many risks that make funherintervention likely. With an
epidural, a woman mus1 lie almost motionless for a long time
which compromises the baby's oxygen supply often making a
C-section necessary. Even if she avoids surgery, she has no
control over her body from the waist down and often
experience~ headaches which further inccrfen: with the bonding
process.
Natural childbirth may seem an impossibility 10
women v. ho have been taught 10 fear the experience.
However, with preparation and loving suppon. the great
majori1y of women experience childbirth a:; an exhilarating
even! with binh·bonding the a.\pcct that has the most positive
long-term effect.
Jan \'erliaeghe lives in tlw Hendersonville, NC are.a and
provides c/Uldbirrh prepara1im1 for ho~ and hospilJl/ bin/~
XcltUM )o"-rt1.GL PIMJC
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�The Magic of Puppetry
An Interview with Bonnie Blue
by Christina Morrison and Karen Watkins
Karuah: How did you become a professional
puppetee11 You said it was a gradual process?
Bonnie: J used 10 be an extremely shy,
sensitive, unself-confident person. And going
from 1here 10 an outrageous puppe1eer... you
could ask why such a change?
Kanlah: Was it the positive response to your
gift with puppetS?
Bonnie: I didn't have the confidence to see my
gif1s. ll was playing with children. And by
doing voice exercises, breath exercises, mime,
developing charac1er, realizing what my body
was doing when I was hunched over and
covering my hean. And just grokking those
things, understanding them, made me open
up. That's all. I just got to break my own
rules.
Katuah: And do all those things your puppets
were doing!
Bonnie: Yeah, through the puppets I got to do
them. And I got 10 realize how fun it was to
run around my universe smashing my rules
and "supposed to's." And then I got to see
this whole new person in here that I liked!
You know, self-likin~. It's so much fun
teaching self-liking. Kids like themselves...
they say, "I made rhis puppet and irs great!
Bonnie says it's great. I know it's grear!"
Kau1ah: Do you make your own puppets?
Bonnie: Yes. Snooge was the first puppet I
built. He's a three foot tall abominable
snowman with a 2 year-old personaJity. So he
says things like, "You! Come! Give me hug!
Oh ho, that tickle Snooge; that make me
happy!" (laughter)...That kind of lovable
fella. And the show was a take-off on
Scrooge; that's bow we got his name.
Ka!Uah: How do you manipulate them? On
strings?
Bonnie: I know ... well, I'm glad you're here.
(laughter)
Frog: You know, its a funny thing about
peoplc--thcy'll laugh al anything, won't you?
AHAHAHA!! Oh, look at that- there's a gnat!
Bonnie: No there's not ...
Frog: No wonder I've got a headache...
Frog: Right up thcre ...comc on you liule
guy...(hystcrical laughter) HUSH! You
might sea.re him away! ... bcre be comes!!
(buzzzzz·---slurp!I) 1 LOVE GNATS!!
Bonnie: And the other hand makes your ann
move, and T don't have more hands to rn:ike
your feet \lr'alk.
Katuah: Oh that's great! The kids must go
wild. I bet they can talk to him for hours and
cell him all their feelings...
Bonnie: Yeah, they do. and I.hey wanna touch
him a loL.
Frog: Get their hands in my mouth ...
Bonnie: These arc moving mouth puppets so
they·~ not on strings. I play with Mr. Frog
most often in the classroom- he's a good lap
puppet. Snooge is hard lo put on my lap, but
Frog here...
Bonnie: He does a series, Frog here. He comes
to the classroom and helps me teach. First of
alJ, l teach three forms of character. Physical
character-when they build their own puppets
they think about how we look and our
differences, like hair color, etc. The second
fonn is vocal cbaractcr-nol just talking but
sound effects:
Frog: Hi! (deep, froggy voice)
Frog: .... Nyaat...... ncooow .....secceccuurp! !
Kawah: HL Frog!
Bonnie: And the third form is movcment--how
lo move their hands when they're making it
talk. And within moving character you have
the concept of gravity. For example, you
Frog: Hello...about time I got outta my basket.
);:Q Li4an
l
''
( .
don't let a puppet float because frogs don't
float - they jump up, they come down. So we
do this and he helps me teach gravity. The'
way I do it is he begs me 10 make him walk:
and I say, "I can't, I only have one hand-one
hand's in your head, see?
Frog: Aaarrghhh!!.... But I wanna walk!
Bonnie: I'll make you hop!
Frog: I don't wanna hop. I never liked to hop.
I wanna WALK!!
Bonnie: So then he'll say, "Hey. haven't you
been teaching these kids how to use puppcts7"
And 111 say "Yeah". And he'll whisper to me
-and I love making puppelS whisper cause the
whole class is listcning·--hc'll say...
Frog: ...Maybe a couple of them could help me'
walk ...??!
Bonnie: So we do. A couple of kids come up
and each takes one of his sticks and I say.
"Now before you sum, remember we have lb
exaggerate everything with a puppet. We're
gonna lift each leg high in the air, bringing It
far forward ... "
Frog: Jllicelegs,huh?
Jomrm! pa«Je 12
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Winter, t 989-9l
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�Bonnie: And then down just a linle in front of
the other leg... And then I get them going
really fast and Frog'll say, "Oh this is so
exciting! So exciting! I get 10 walk!" And his
legs are going everywhere and he goes
"AAAHHHHI!" and falls down! Major
crash!... And then he goes:
Frog: .... UUUUHHH ..... .AAARRRGHHH!!
....(painfully pulling his legs up) How long
have you two been walking, anyway? Don't
you know you don't pick up both feet at the
same time? That's hard on the old frog belly...
(J1ysrerica/ laughter)
Bonnie: (to us) Are you alright? h's a
wonderful way to show teachers how 10 use a
puppet to teach a concept.The kids don't even
know they're learning about gravity... they'rc
having fun.
try, even when it comes to folding a piece of
cardboard. Third graders will say, "I can't; do
mine!" And I'll say, "Silliness!, of course you
can! If r gave you a snowy hill and a piece of
cardboard you'd bring it back to me loonng
like a rag!" And then every time, no mauer
what it looks like, I'll say, "Perfect!,
wonderful!, you guys are so good!"
Katuah: Do you stage any productions in your
program?
Bonnie: No, I don't have time. First I do a
demonstration of puppet types. I bring in
shadow puppets, string puppets, rod puppets
and scenery puppets--trccs that talk. And full
size body puppets like Momma and Baby
Dragon.
Ka!Uah: And they're getting their bodies into it,
so it's not just this abstract concept.
Bonnie: According to Dr. Joseph Chilton
Pearce, who wrote The Magical Child,
children ICMn best when rhey use their bodies.
That's why they'll be banging, clicking,
rocking ... and then they're told to sit ~till! But
a lot of rcachers now are using this idea. They
say,"When r reach syllables, we drum!
Katuah: And your kids also make their own
puppets, right?
Karuah· They must love having a puppet to take
home.
Katuah: And do their kids get out of hand when
they're with you ... because they need to let
loose?
Bonnie: No, actually they don't. The thing is
that Lhcy're not very creative - they're afraid to
try. In classrooms where the teachers are
saying "very good," "good for you," "my
class is so great!"-- the kids can't wair. They
Slllrt throwing their voices right away, they're
anxious 10 explore new ground. But where
the teachers are afraid and need to have
"proper" behavior, the children arc afraid 10
Wlnter, 1989-90
Bonnie: I encourage the teachers to follow up.
And after creating and learning to use I.heir
puppet I let each one come up and do
something wilh their puppet for the class. So
they really discipline themselves and focus on
it and create an imaginary friend ... and. you
know?, its not really imaginary anymore.
Katuah: Most kids are taken out of their
imaginations and into "reality" way too soon.
And all the creative potential that's losL..
Bonnie: It's true. The imagination is a preuy
special space. C first learned this watching
mime anists. Totally blank scage and they
create imagcs...pulling ropes, falling in love,
picking a flower. And the audience secs the
flower, a yellow flower and it smells like a
daisy ....
I do a story called "The Fishes' Wishes",
where puppets are by a nver, going fishing
and there 's a troll under a bridge and all that.
And once a 3 year old came up afterward and
said, "How come your feet aren't wet after
standing in that river all that time?" So there's
a magic that goes on between audience and
performer... that realm of imagination where
you can walk without your body and be there
with other people. And it's a place of extreme
pleasure.
Katuah: It's also unportam for kjds to work
through their feelings with fantasy. Like dolls
--it's play therapy. But \\.hen they get past
second or third grade they get messages that
it's not ok to pretend. they're not supposed to
play dolls (especially boys). And puppets give
them that okay.
Bonnie: Yes. They bring in an old sock,
knick-knacks, buttons, lace, etc .. and I
provide the furl) hlllt and moving eyes.
Bonnie : Oh gosh, they love these puppets.
First they glue the fabnc mouth pieces
together, which 1s prcuy challenging, and I
take it as an opportunity to affirm them.
Number one, when you're working with
puppets you cannot fail. Anything you do 1s
brilliant, and the more you do of it, the beuer.
So they make brides, punk rockers, little
girls, a lot of dragons. Then I say, "Go home
and empty your junk drawers!" And the next
day they bring in all kinds of stuff to decorate
them. Fabric, nut shells, boule tops, yarn ...
and we lay a big pile on the table and I insist
that the children do all the choosing.
And some teachers just can't sra11d it. They'll
say, "Red and orange don't match". So I say,
"But it doesn't maucr with a puppet- the
wilder the beuerl Let's see what it looks like."
Its just the "shoulds" we all learned as
children that they're passing on ...
Kaniah: So you leave them t0 create plays on
their own.
Bonnie: 1 think kids are pretty willing to
pretend up until third or fourth grade. Mostly
sixth grade is the oldest age I work with.
People are afraid to try puppets with older
kids.
Kauiah: Why?
When I introduce Momma Dragon I
say, "One of the things we're going to study
is character- physical, moving and vocal
differences". And while I'm doing that I'm
putting her head and hands on and I say, "Has
my physical character changed, by the way?"
And they say, "Yeah!" And I spread my body
out and start breathing really deep and take a
big, slow step. By then they're backing up,
staning to squeal. Then I slowly tum around
and make her look at one of the kids who's
not backing up 100 much. And then I come
forward and swallow that child!
Katuah: Oh my Goddess! You're kidding!
Bonnie: No--the head is so big it could
encompass your whole body. And then she
stands up and says "YUMMM• " And that's
how I begin the program.
Then they stan thinking about what they want
to make, and the second day, we glue the
mouths of the hand puppctS together. Then the
third and founh days we finish the puppets
and the fifth day we do skills ... breathing,
talking, eye contact, gravny, moving. sound
effectS.
Bonnie: In America, people think puppets are
for children ... in the European countries
people know puppets are for all ages. And
puppetry is also fairly new here, whereas it's
thousands of years old in Europe and the
Orient.
I love the origin stories. I know there used to
be puppets of Jesus that opened and closed
their eyes and mouths, and most of these were
burned during inquisition times--and I
imagine so were the puppeteers! And in Java
the puppeteer has been their spiritual teacher
for cons. He goes from village to village and
sets up his scrim and docs a shadow
production for 2 or 3 nights ... and of course
they don't have lights, so they use the fire. In
India and Java they call the veil of the shadow
scrim the "veil of the worlds".
Kauiah : There arc so many ways to use
puppets that most people aren't aware of. I
taught French 10 a kindergarten using a puppet
who only spoke French. He'd tell me he was
embarasscd cause he couldn't speak English
and was afraid the kids wouldn't like him. So
immediately the children said, "tell him we'll
continued on next page
JC:ol.UM Jo14rnoC pcaqe 13
�speak in his language!" And they all wanted to
learn French so they could talk to Giuseppe.
Bonnie: How perfect. I'd really like to work in
the depths of the education system and give
teachers the tools to usc ...altcmatives. Most
are so frustrated with all the paperwork. They
say, ''I used to be able to do art work with the
kids but I don't get to have fun with them
anymore."
gone into ans. And their parents have grown
up with very little ... but through this program
they meet so many different kinds of artists. It
gives them an idea of the world other than
T. V. and their own backyard.
When I first staned "'ith Mountain Ans I was
just going to perfonn and teach abou1 puppets.
And then I gor the idea for having kids make
1he1r own puppets and so much has come out
of it--all the characters- I had no idea.
Katuah: Do you ask teachers to stay in the
room while you're there?
Karuah: Getting the kids involved ... expressing
rhemselve~. Thar's the magic of i1.
Bonnie: I like the teachers to be there and pick
up on it and help our. And I've also had
teachers inhibit the class wnh their "supposed
to's". Especially with the sound effects. That
drives teachers crazy 'cause they've spent all
year teaching the kids not to do those things.
And then I'll say,"Lct's hear your voice. let's
hear it loud!", and the kids arc going wild and
the teacher's looking at the door...(laughs)
But they've got to realize they can let it all
loose. They can take a puppet and be fun and
make the kids laugh and they won't lose
conrrol or respect, they will gain it. If they
dare to share with a child in their realm, then
they've gotten inside and can teach much more
effectively. If they'll go into the child's world
rather than criticizing the child for not being m
the institutional world ...
Bonnie: The primary value is definitely
expression--in every form. in any form--and
the accep1ance of that expression. Self
acceptance: teachers accep1ing their
self-expression, children accepting theirs.
teachers accepting children. and children
accepnng teachers.
At the end of my program when the kids
introduce their puppets 10 the class. every
once in a while I'll get a teacher who'll do it,
too, and the kids love it! They'll say."Wow!.
she made a voice for her puppet"' And I know
the teacher might feel like an idiot. especially
when she's supposed to be a standard in a
group and she's asked to do things that are
real weird and silly. So going through and
daring to feel that sillinesi. and create an
expression--daring 10 do that is. I think, the
greatest transformer. I've seen it first of all
with myself, ho11. brave I've gouen, and I've
seen it with the cluldren.
In 1his process I've taken a close look at life
and how we hold ourselves, the way we look.
our hean area. With a puppet. if the bean's
covered you know how Lllat feels • it's sad.
And with love you're throwing it out. With
anger, you cover it, tum it away. look down
the long nose. I teach those types of
expression.
Katuah: Their world ...
Bonnie: It's not even the teacher's world - it's
the 'supposed to be' world. And they were
taught 11 and they're still trying to be very
good at it. But there are lots of exceptions...
like Mrs. Thompson in Brevard. She takes her
lcids out and teaches them to plant trees and
grow seeds and mke care of animals. She
teaches respect for nature. And she docs ii on
her own.
Katuah: What's your feeling about the
Mountain Arts Program?
Karuah: You're reaching a 101 about human
relations and the self--much more than just
"puppets".
Bonnie: h's wonderful. The thing I love about
it is we're touching the really rural
communities. If it wasn't for Mtn. Ans those
kids wouldn't be gelling hands-on contact
with artists very often.They have strong
spons programs but not a lot of funding has
Bonnie: Teachers will say, "Kids that never
talk have their puppets talking!" Or, "I learned
so much about this child from his puppet and
what it's saying."
Sometimes I see children who might be abused
at home and they'll punch their puppet or the
JC.citiwh Journa! pciqe t 4
puppet 1s very aggressive and wants 10 chew
and bite. So I might say to the puppet,
"What's your name?" And the puppet says.
"None of your business". And I say, ''Well
aren't you glad to have a boy like this?" "No.
I hate him." And I say, "But he sure did a
good job making you. that I can say for sure".
And the puppet gets quieter, softer ... So I
plant a little seed of positive. It's all I get ume
to do but it could be taken so much funher.
That's why I encourage them to hug the
puppet...
Katuah: And make friends with their puppet.
Bonme: Yes. Because they're expressing to
themselves, talking 10 themselves. Another
1hing about problem children ... If you have a
class of twenty-eight kids and one or two are
hyperactive or disruptive, the teacher usually
puts them in the hall because she doesn't have
1ime to deal with them. So I know that child is
lacking love. Love really heals a battered
child. So the disruptive child I find. which
doesn't happen much 'cause with puppets
even those children arc usually pretty
engrossed ...
Karuah: They just want a little more attention
from you.
Bonnie: Exactly. And that's what I give them. I
give them what they wanr. I make them come
up front and hold my hand. I'll pat 1heir hand
or put my hand on their shoulder if they'll let
that happen. And I'll say, "you need to hold
my hand, that way if you don't hear my
message with your cars, you'll feel it from my
energy". I reach them about communication
without words. I'll use gesture and mime and
rouch because the problem children need to be
touched.
Katuah: Do you wish you had more time to
spend wnh each group?
Bonnie: Definitely. It'd be nice to teach
puppetry as a full time cumculum. If you have
a good puppet teacher you can have art and
thearre in the same school. .. and you don't
have to use only puppets. You could combine
creative writing, theatre and an .•. And you
might be doing Midsummer Nigl11's Dream so
conum:cd on p. 28
WLntcr, 1989-90
r
�by Doug Woodward and Trbh Severin
There arc many different reasons pan:nts
might want to teach their children ut home. As
parents, the two of us panscularly want to
nurture in our children the 4u.1lities of love
crcativuy. mdcpendcnr thinking, enthusiasm for
learning, a po~11ivc ..elf-1mage. and a spim or
co-opcra11on (rather than compctiuon) with
others.
As there is no altcmauvc school in Macon
County where we live, we at one point were
seriously considering moving to an arc:1 that
offered a good choice in alternative education
Then we heard mention or homeschooltng and
decided that maybe the quality education we
sought could best be provided right here at
home.
The "social problem" often mentioned in
connection with homeschooling gave us pause.
however. We were afraid that our young one>
might become isolated at home and not have
enough interaction with other children. Our
worries were needless. We found that there
were many other families involved in
homeschooling m our area, and that there were
plenty of activities planned to bring the
homeschoolers together. The more we read and
the more we interacted with other families, the
more assured we were that the "social problem"
of homeschooling was not a problem at all. As
we watched the children interactmg in small
groups, we could not help but think it was a
favorable co.1trast to the usual social experience
found in a classroom of 25 or 30.
If, like us, your family is interested in
homeschooling, you might find that you are not
as alone as you might think at first. Even in rural
Registration
The suuc of North Cnrolina requires that 11 child
be registered by age seven for public, private, or
homeschooling. For informauon on Ille requ1remcnis f0<
regis1ntlion of homcschoolcrs, wmc:
Staie of North C..olma Division or Non·Public EdllCllltOn
c/o Ron Helder, DIJ'CCtor
532 N. Wilmingion SL
Raleigh, NC 27604
(919) 733-4276
The states of Virginia and Tennessee regmcr
homcschool children through the county bonrd$ of
education. Contact your local board for mfonnalioo.
areas the homeschooling population h
significant, and chance~ are that the.re will be a
support group dose by.
Homeschooling support groups can serve
1heir member' in a number of ways. l.c:r's loClk
at the children first ·1 hough it\ true that the
parents can direct the kids toward rradit1on:d
mu~ic cla;scs, sports activities, and classes for
special skills. socializing with other
homcschoolers has benefits all its own. When
families get 1ogc1hcr, the age grouping is vertical
and scattered. not horii.ontal as is found in an
onhodox classroom. A ~ix-year--0ld might learn
1he needs of an infant. share thoughts with a
teenager, and deal with adults on a personal
level r.ither than as authority figures. Harmony,
tolerance, and cooperation are fostered.
Even wuhin the fun activities,
opportunities for learning abound. For example,
our group pressed apples this fall. Children
involved in the ga1hering, washing, chopping,
pressing, and bouling of organically grown fruit
are likely to come away with more than just the
mste of juice in their mouths!
Adult members of a support group always
have their own skills 10 share, whether they use
these skills in the course of earning a living, or
whether these are activities that they just love
doing. And do not forget the emerging skills of
the children. They, too, have something
imponant to teach the adults. if we will listen.
Family activities • planned so that bo1h
spouses can panicipate - are the heart of the
social opportunities in a support group.
Potlucks, field trips, campouts, and service
projects are but a few of these.
On the other side of the coin, mcntorship
Finding Help
for Your Homeschooling Program
Magazines
llomt EdJ<c011011 MogortM
Box 1083
Tonaske!, WA 98855
programs offer a one-on-one growing and
learning experience. Here a child can select an
adult who offers a skill m which he or she 1s
interested. The child makes the contact and
together the child and the adult work our a time
when that skill is being used and the young one
can ohscrve or participate.
Support groups also offer the parents
infoimation to help them get staned and to aid in
dealing with legal requirements. The group can
also provide curriculum help, creative ideas,
workshops, connection to state or national
homeschooling organizations. and plain old
empathy!
We greatly appreciate the nexibility and
choice involved in homeschooling. The
children's love and enthusiasm for learning has
been fostered by studying subjects in which
they are most interested and when the readiness
is there. We srudy subjects in an integrated
manner. always making it "hands on" as much
as possible. If the children become interested in
Indians, we get involved in native dance,.music,
cooking, crafts, st0ries, and more. Since we
continue to be actively involved in bicycle
touring, canoeing, and ,backpacking, we just
take the cllildren along. We can spontaneously
take off on an adventure withowt the hqsS'le of
school schedules. A family field trip is a highly
educational expcriem.:c:! •
Leaming togettier continues to be exciting
and challenging as our falJlily-continues io.make
its own path into eCluca[lpn'. No longer do we
~lk about relocating to anoiher ~a in S8anfh of
an education that fits our children's needs, for
we've found it right here ~t home.
A Bcka Book Publications
Box 18000
Pensacola. fl.. 32523
Calvcn School
IOS Tuscany Rd.
Bnllimorc. MD 21210
Oak Meadow School
Bol 712
Blacksburg, VA
24060
Gr11wing Witlwut Sclwo/111g
2869 Massnchuscus Ave.
Cambridge. MA 02140
The Sycamon: Troe
Ttaching Books and Matt rlals
CoSta Mesa. CA 92627
Rainbow Resource Center
The loc:al library is a good place to begin your
search for aYllllable homeschooling mrucrials. Some local
libraries have worked with homeschooling groups in
pun:hasing books, petiod1cals, and assisting in the
Organlu t ions
National Homeschool Assiocialion
Box58746
Seattle, WA 98138
(SOO) 486-135 I
(S<rvius: o quarterly newsle11u. teoclttng rt-'Ourct
file, homuclwol trove/ directory, tttn·IO•lttn program,
apprtnticeslups and mtntorships for homtschooltrs.
student uchan~, oN1 o 11twslt11tr digest ~rviu.)
k'lnwr, l 989-90
Box 365
Taylorville, lL 62568
2179 Meyer Place
John Holt's Book and Music Siorc
2269 Massachuseus Ave.
dcvelopma11 or vcrucal files on homc.schoolmg.
Cambridge, MA 02140
lnrorma tlonal Book1
Educational Spccuums/
JltNnlSdtool RtDtkr
Bluestocking Press
Box 1014 (Dept. AF2)
by Mad: and Helen Hegener
Ttaclt Yowr Own by John Holl
Pliurvillc. CA 95667
�-If! 1' SUI., J11,,t'J1, Sf
(If/ ye fl1•f -nt•i/e ~ ff, , -Ae"
·Ceremony
/ 6it1 rP'U -Aeor ,,,, e.t
/1t fo r~11r 11'1/t(f (
~I J
Ct1'>Ht.
c'"'J'"' ye, I httf /.rL
1v?Ake 1~~ pt1fh $wt"o'/I, tf,.f ii
fhe br~w 'J' ffte f 'r jf ,
1
ff! f: M~Js, CJ,"Js, ~,>t, y;,,.Jf
fJ/ f' lf,.f
111 ftt.
I /;/II rtsf "'",...;-...,I
/h'/o 1""" >tt/J$f 1ft4J
e '14W '4/e..
On f ye, I iyl"re,,.
Sf,lf
11
/11'1v1
Cini
4 ir
Q
11J4~t Ifs?"#, Sht~"1, tf,.f if '114 r,4d
'!
ifte hnnJ "/ /(,e se<n.J hill
~! ~t
Jf lls Valle~s, 1?.ivtrf, L~s,
1
7fe,~, C/r4'~eJ; 1df
r of 7'e f4rft.
e
/ /,/&/ r,#11 ftear n.e !
/hfo 'f""4r m//{ff ~o au..~ ti '1e~ /,(~
Ohse,,f '/'' I iH>tff.,rc..
"WJii<~ ii~ /'"'It, SmooH,1 f/,o/ if Jn'!J read
-/4t br~w 1 /f,e
tJ,1 hi//
rJ
tk Omalia 1"£an prayer Urtmtm!J introtfucine a
new6orn dsi!tf to tk natural worUf.
Ofun, in cqnttmporory cultuns, tk new5orn is fo~
introtfuutl w tk fiuman cOtlflflunity and to tk tfiviru
orrftr··out not spu.ifially to tk natwTJl ul0rl4.
!Here in tliis urem.ong, tk naturof wo& is atftfresstd
rllrectly in anrwuntin9 tk arrival of tk diilrl into tk
mUfst of tk wfwfe Lift community.
'Ifijs is
Illustration by James Rhea
.t, '
==
........
Q .,,,.
��Mother Earth The Natural Classroom
Early one morning, I sat outside with my
dnughtcr reading a children's ~tory .. h "'as a
story dealing with bircb, habitat, animal
adaptations. predators, and camoullag_c. In the
middle of the story. we nouccd the 11n1est bare!
dan under the eaves of our garage. How did ii
get lhrough? It :.queaked underneath such a
small space. !low hard to believe. More careful
observation ~howed uo; there was indeed a
hidden nest. We could h.'lrcly see the bits of
l\\igs showing through. What a pcrf.:ct
accompanimem far the story we were reading.
It was one of those wonderful examples of
~ynchronici ty. One 1.hat Nature is so famous
for, if only v.c arc patient and obscrvan1
CnOUl!h .
~ If only classroom tC.'lching could h:ivc
more moments like that in science or
environmental studies. In my teaching
experience, I have noticed how attuned to nature
students become when they arc allowed. More
often than not, experiences like that arc reserved
for "field trips," and those occur too
.
infrequently. We are usually forced to bnng
natural science inside the classroom rather than
r.ake the students directly to the Eanh.
Twenty years ago, when l first read Si/enc
Spring, 1 was amazed nt how we were S?
closely intenwined to the Eanh. Why didn't we
pay nuention back when it was written?
Couldn't we have avoided many of our recent
environmental pitfalls? Now, as we enter the
L990's, having had some very harrowing
cnvironmenrol disasters, it is clear that schools
can no longer ignore the imponance of teaching
and providing hands-on experiential
cnvironmenlal programs. Leaming has to extend
beyond the boundaries of the classroom.
For the past three years, I have been
involved with the Nonh Carolina
Adopt-A-Stream Program which is part of lhe
National Save Our Streams Program. The
Strcam Program activities are primarily
bands-on, very environmentally conscious
lessons. Since our school is a five-minute walk
from a stream, we are able to rcgulnrly take
advantage of the opportunity to visit the stream.
The children considered the activities
wonhwhile and fun - and could see that they
were making a difference. The program
integrated well into our second and third grade
cwriculum by including science, social studies,
languuage ans. creativity, and problem-solving
skills.
In order to allow children to realize what a
unique and precious place our Eanh is and to
understand their participation in it, we need to
step outside of our classrooms. Mother Eanh
can teach us about our home, but we need to
make provisions for being th.ere in direct contact
with her. Students need to be outdoors ·
observing, listening, sensing - when Mother
Eanh shares her synchronistic lessons with us.
Second grade .mlllem Quinn \Vardin andpre-kindergarrner Anna Srein cleaning a srream ne.ar rhe_r
1
scltool on Clean Streams Day, 1988.
Photo by Tun Reid
Biodegradable Diapers:
Not What They Say They Are!
It sounds like a dream come true disposable diapers that are environmentally ~fe.
"Degradable is a wann and fuzzy word, hke
organic and natural," said R.A. Denison, a
senior scientist at the Environmental Defcnst:
Fund.
Unfonunately, "These plasucs are being
sold as a way to reduce waste and that is a
hoax," says Jeanne Wirka of the Environmental
Action
Foundation.
A truly degradable material breaks down
into basic constituents like water and carbon
dioxide through natural pr~esses. The n~w
diapers do indeed break down 1mo...smaller b11s
of plastic. But in the dry, oxygen·~tarved
environment of modem landfills, they might not
break down much at all.
"Li11lc is known about what happens
during and after the degradation process to
chemical additives, toxic heavy metals. and
other plastic ingredients," said Ann Beaudry in
an anicle in Motlutring Magazine. And "even the
eventual breakdown inr.o small pieces of plastic
offers no solution to the landfill capacity crises
because the breakdown of throwaway diapers,
disposable or biodegradable, take up just as
much room in the landfill as the original."
Large amounts of human waste arc also
- Susan Schneider Gries~!# deposited in the landfills possibily b!'Ceding
virulent strains of pathogens such as poho virus
fr'
Suggested Rtadint:
which may find 1.heir wny to underground water
SltariJtg Nt111Ut with Children by Joseph Bh3tat Cornell
sources. Toxic chemicals also follow the snme
Keepers oftlu! Earth by M. Caduto
route to the water sources.
Streamwalkingfor Kids by Gwen D1ehn and Susan
There has been a large eco-marketing
Gricsmaict (NC Stn:am Watch Program, 1988)
campaign for single-use "biodegradable diapers"
C!IMtcling people ONl nlJIJVt, Lesson plans. (Great
targeted at natural food stores and environmental
Smoley Mll\S. !nstirute at Tremont, Gre:u Smoky
catalogs, aimed at reaching environmentally
MlnS. National Park. Townsend, 1N 37882)
conscious parents.
Xl••Unh 7ournnt PIUJ'- 111
For four and a half years our family has
"recycled" cloth diapers in the wnshing machine.
You can use 1.hem from one child to the next,
tum them into rags when they're worn out, and
let them truly biodegrade when they're no longer
usable.
Of course cotton production often uses
pesticides, but there is little comparison betw~n
that and the daily disposal of 5 to 15 plasuc yes, PLASTIC! · diapers.
Most kids are in diapers for 2-3 years.
The cost comparison is nbout $84 per month for
disposables, $26 per month for clor.h through a
diaper service, or a one time cost of about $50
for a few dozen cloth diapers if you buy and
wash your own.
"Each family that chooses natura l,
recyclable conon diapers for their child prevents
I ton of waste from entering the solid waste
stream each year," wrote Benudry.
I hope this makes you reconsider whether
f
you want to buy into this fal~e dream o_ the
disposable diapers or the reality of creaung a
healthy environment . Let's stop trying to take
the easy way out.
For more resources and infonnarion on
how and why to use cloth diapers, feel free to
call me at the Traditional Binh and .Natural
Family Health Colleccive; 36 l Sterling St.;
Atlanta GA 30302 (404) 880-9172.
'
- Aviva Jill Romm
"Doubts are Voices on Dcgracbblc Ptasuc: W3SJ.c." NY
Tim(S, 10/25~9
"B1odcgr11dablc Diapers: A Pseudo Soluuon." Ann E.
Beaudry. Molhtring Magam1t, Fall. 1989
•
"The Ethics or Diapering," R.W. Hollis, Motltering
MaglWM. Fall, 1989
~
Wi.nt..er , 1989- 90
�RESOURCES
Tips for
Gardening with Children
Parenting
from Tom You11gblood-Pe1erse11
.\lo1huU1J: \lag;vmc
P.O. Bo~ lo'IO; Santc Fe. NM 87'>0-l
Start i.mall - a 6' x 10' garden can be a perfect ·
size for a liule one.
N11n1inng Tf>d.1~
187 Cao;clh Ave.: San Fmnc1S1:0, C,\ Q-l 11-l
Have fun! I put this toward the top of the list
because remember, beauty b in the c:yc of the
beholdl.'r. This means no garden is perfect, and
it's as much the proceH as ii is the results, for
children.
Education
/'h(' C)t 11/The Chtld., Rulh \fueller
(!'le" Soc1c1y Publishers)
The best garden layout is narrow beds - no more
lhan three feet wide so the children can work
from the edges - and wide paths that can fit two
willing and eager workers.
Ch1ldhodd- l lu. l\'aldorf Pc·r.1{1('Cli>-c, by ~ancy Aldri.h
R1. ::?. Bo~ :!675; We>.iford, VT 05-19-l
Grc:en J~ic/Jcr
c/o Tim Grant: 95 Robcn Succt; Toronto, Onwrio
M5S 2K5, Canuda
What to plam? Whatever the children like toe.at
and nibble. lf that list 1s shon, you can
supplcmem wtth vegetables and flowers 1ha1 are
especially fun to grow. Like cherry tomatoes,
sunflowers, ever-bearing srrawbcrries and
nastuniums. All of 1hese can be nibbled
fresh ..... tmmedia1e gratification is one of the
easiest ways to keep children interested in the
garden.
National Dirtctory of Alttrnative SchocfJ, National
Coahuon of Al1crnauve Community Schooh
R.D. I. Bo~ 378: Glcnmoorc. Pa. 193-l 3
1lorne ~1wn Magaw11:
P.O.Box IOIB: Tona.tj{e\, WA 98855
\1t:rlyn s Pt!n
P.0.Box 1058: Ea~t Greenwich, RI 02818
Skipping Stones
80574 H:11.c1ton Road: Coungc Grove. OR 97424
Our Fwur<' al Stake: A lunugtr's Gwck 10 Stopping the
Nuclear Arntf Rare, Melinda Moore & Laurie
Ol'i<:n, ti tJ/ , (New Soe1e1y Puhfohcrs)
l.111/e Fritnds for Pt!aa
4405 29th Street; Ml. R.1n1cr, MD 20712
Kid'IArt Nt!WS
P.O.Box 27-l: Mt.Sh:lsm CA 96067
Nauonal Home School Assocwuon
P.O.Box 167; Rodeo, NM 88056
American Montcsson Sococty
ISO Sib Ave.: New York, NY 10011
Waldorf lnstilutc
260 Hungry Hollow Road
Spring Valley, NY 109n
Stop War Toys Campaign
C/o Wur Re''-'lCrs' Lcaguc - NE
Box 1093: Norv.•11:h. CT 06360
Who's Calling tilt Sho1.1: /lo" to Re~nd £f/wn·tly 10
Children's Fascina11on Kllh Illar Play and War toys
by N311ey Crls.<oon-Pa1ge and Diane Levin
(New Society Publishers)
Stopping Abuse
Nallonal Child Abuse HOl Linc, l-800-4AC-HILD
National Association for I.he
Educ111ion or Young Children
1834 Connccticul Ave. NW
Wa~ing1on, D.C. 20009
Children's Defense Fund
122 C St NW; Wa.'>hingion. DC 20001
The Nalionnl Association for Mediation 1n Educauon
425 Amity St.; Amhcrs1, MA 01002
Child Welfare League of Amcnca
440 First SL NW (Suue J 10)
Washington. DC 20001
Nnlional Coaliuon or Altcrnouvc Community Schoch
58 Schoolhouse Rd.: Summertown, Tn. 38483
End Violence Agamst lhe Next Gcncruuon, Inc.
977 Kcclc1 Ave.; Berkeley. CA 94708
Changing Schools
Teacher; College 918
Ball Struc l.inivcrsity
Mu11cie, IN 47306
ramily Violence Research Program
Family Rc=h UiboralOry
Univcr~11y of New Hampshire
Durham, NH 03824-3586
Peace and No n-viole11ce
An OutbrC'alc of fi:aci:. Sarah P1nlc.
A "fanual on Nonv1oltnci: and Childrtn.
compiled ancJ edited by SitphanicJudson
(New Society Publishers)
,,li..n t.er, 1989-90
Kidsrights
3700 Progi:c~ Blvd.: Mount Dora. FL 32757
N3UOnal Chtld's RighlS Alliance
P.O.Box 17005; Durham, NC 2no5
National Commiu.ce for the Prevention or Child Abuse
332 S. Michigan Ave.; Chicago, 0. 6060
Get real 1ools. (small ones), not toys for your
children. No matter how young, don'1 waste
your money on flimsy plastic 100ls in toy stores.
Purchase smaller-sized good quali1y tools for
$4-$5.00 from hardware or garden shops.
Have the children wear old clothes and shoes.
I telp the child clean and put away all tools when
finished.
Again, HAVE FUN!
Tom Youngblood-Perersen ls director of
the MAGIC Commu11iry Garden programs in
A!iheville. NC. fie and his wife Berh eat
11aswriw11 buds in their own garden with their
five year-old so11, Evan, and plan to imroduce
the1r newbofll. Campbell, w rhe fun of it, as
well
Childre11's Media
Four Arguments for tht Elimination of Television
by Jerry Mander
Action fat Children's Television
20 Unh·ersity Rd.; Cambridge, MA 02138
Council on lnitrracilll Books for Childn:n
1841 Bro:idway; New York, NY 10023
Lollipop 'PoWCJ Press
30S £.Chapel Hill St.; Durllam. NC 2no1
Much of I.he information for these resoiuces came from:
lloliftic Educa1ion Rt!'oli<"W,
P.O.Box 1476; Greenfield, MA 01302
'Ifuml;s to X/n.!JO'l 'Xlfl9for fufp in cmnpili119 tfiis
resourus listintJ.
/
X4ti4ah ) o'4rnat palJtl 19
�HOSTAGEPANTHERTOWN
FREED
ACTION FOR BEARS BRINGS
RESULTS
Nlllrll World News Savice
Nlllrll Worid News Service
With the aid of the Nature Conservancy and
national politicians, negotialions for a major hostage
release wcre compleled Monday, No~cmber 27 when
6.295 acres of the Panlhcnown Valley in the headwaters
of lhe Tuclcascgcc River WllletShcd were tnWfcrrcd IO the
US Forest Scrvke.
The valley has been the sub.)CCt of controversy
since 1988 when Duke Power Company bought Ille l.r1ICt
as part ol ilS land acquisition program for a high-voltage
11811Smission line IO go lhrough the hcan of Transylvania
and Jackson counties In North Carolina. Much
opposition IO the pawer line cenicrcd lllOWld lhc idea of
"Save Panlhcnown Valley."
Oulte bought the propeny suddenly in 1988.
Ownership of the whole property was a powerful
negotiation IOOI 10 help Duke secure 11S preferred route
for the power line. Once the route was established.
selling the propcsty to the Nature Conservancy was easy
for the ginnl energy corporauon, as 11 only required an
800 acre comer of the land for the tmnsm ission line
right-of-way. The sale softened some opposition 10 the
power line, which 11"ill cause ml1JOT habi1a1 disruption
along its route and spur damaging development in its
service area, nnd gave Duke ihe appearance of being
syrnpnthetic IO cnvironmcnial issues.
However, Panlhcnown is a unique and scenic area
and home IO several rare plant species. IL~ future appcnrs
10 be much more secure. The Forest Service will
temporarily manage the land under a 4-C land
management classification, which restricts use 10
non-motonzod recrcauon and favOlli black bear habil31,
and promised IO preserve its 'ICCnic beauty and unique
geological and biological features. The publrc attention
the valley has received will most likely be a strong
guarantee for lhn1 promise.
A demonstration on behalf of black beats cag
on the Cherokee lndioo Reservation for tourist auraction
bas apparently brought results. The September
demonst.ration, led by PETA (People for the Ethic
Treatment of Animals) and allCnded by 100 maJChers
including many Crom the rcserva1ion, wallccd from
Oconoluf1ce Visitors' Center 1n the Great Smok
Mountains National Park to the infamous Saunooke'
Bear Land, cited as providing some of the wors
conditions for animals among CAhibits tn this country.
Chief Ed Taylor mcl the group and told them no
ID meddle with internal affairs on the reservnlioo and
go home. The response to this was a chorus of shou IS
"We are home!" from many of the dcmonsi.nuors wh
were residents of the reservation. The Chief then told lh
group ihat Indians were tired of outsiders telling the
what lO do, app:ircruly forgetting lhal. the exhibit owners
on whose behalf he was speaking were all while pcopl
who hnd leased space on the rcscrvntion IO cash in on lhe
summer tourist now. Muuenng, Taylor then got into hi
car and retired from lhc scc.ne.
But Taylor was affected by the dcmon~tration.
The following month he brought a resolution into th
Tribal Council thnt wou Id hnve required that bears
kept in "natural habitat areas" on penalty of SI ,000 fo
''iolallon. The Council. however, replaced this rcsolu tio
with one that said the caging o( bears 1s "presenting
problem• and nuthorized the Council 10 invcs1ig:ue th
pol>~ibility of the habitat area.
BENTON MacKA YE TRAIL
After nine years 3 dedicated group of volunteers
has comptcu:d a 78.5 mile hiking trail from Springer
Mountain, Georgia Lo the COhuua Wilderness Arca on
the Tcnncs.'iCC "lllle hnc.
The hiking p:ith is called the Benton MacKaye
Trail after ihe founder of the Appalachum Trail system.
Pans of the trail follow an early fll3n for the Aflll3l3chian
Trail. which was later ch311ged IO ilS prcscn1 route.
The remarkable aspect of the Benton MacKaye
Troll is that it was constructed entirely by voluntcc~.
who have worlccd steadily over a nine-year period to
complete the uaJI through the Goorgia mounuuns. Much
work still needs Lo be done 10 bring the path 10 11s
proposed termination po101 in the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, but trail votun1cers were
jubilant to have completed lhc first ~uge of the route.
Officials of the Southern Region of the US
Forest Service agreed early rn the llllil's hisiory Ihm they
would back the propo:;ed route if the Georglll segment
were completed.
A Tennc.'iSCC chapter of the trail volunlecrli has
been formed IO extend ihc trail nonhwan:t through the
Unicoi MounUlill.\ IO reach the Smokies.
• scurce: article by John llarmon (n 1hr Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, October 14. 1989.
FOREST PLAN REMANDED
Narlnl World News Service
The Chief of the US Forest Service, Date
Robenson, on September 28, 1989 sent back the
bclcllgucrcd Land and Resource f\.lanngemem Plan for the
Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests, saying in panicular
Ihm the plan places too much emphasis oo clC31CuWng
as the method of choice for lumbenng and 3Jso allows
projected umber sates that would fail 10 recover their
CO~ts.
While not spcc1ficnlly outlawing clcarcutting or
any limits on its use. Robcn.o;on dircctcd the N-P
National Forest staffs 10 research altcmauvcs w the
clcarcutting technique and to be more nex1b!e m their
thoi~ of logging methods. His denial Ytllidatcd yc:ITS of
work by conscrvation groups, parucul:irly the Western
North Carolina Allianc~. to convince the Forest Service
to stop 1ts smgle-minded reliance on the clcarcuumg
ux:hnique.
The Chiefs directive also said the rorcst rtan did
not adequately JUstify proposed timber sales Lha1 would
have resulted in the loss of additional tax money IO
subsidi1.e clcarcuts in the Southern Appalachians. In
1987 the Nantahala·Pisgah National Forests lost a total
of S2.5 million in bclow-<:ost limber sales. (l1lc For~l
Service accounung procedure was changed in 1988 lO
make it more d1fficull 10 dctcnmnc the economic swtus
of timber SJlcs 1n indl\·1duat rorc.sts. hut 11 Is csumated
that tosses held steady or rose slightly in that year.) A
rccelll study author11cd by the Forest Service, Tiie
Southern Appalachian Timber Study. documented a
decade-long price drop in hardwood lumber in the
Southern Appalachians. Robcnson's memo duected the
Nauonnl Forests ndm11ustrauve siaffs to incorporate these
more recent figures m their review of timber ~les
policies and umber qUOlaS.
Chief Robertson's remand order showed most
clearly the political nature of the US Forest Service. for
the issues of clcarcutung and below~t salcs that he
dealt with in his administrative order were drawing much
negauve publicity IO the agency. However, the Chief,
white urging caution in the construction of fore.~ roads,
did noc suggest any specific changes in road pohc1e.s in
the N3ntahala-Pisgah Na11onal Forc.,ts. Alw, white he
called for specific plans 10 provide hab11111 for 12
threatened and cnd:lngercd ~pccics, he did not cnll for a
forests-wide roadlcss areas survey IO determine the noed
for wildcmcss areas and undisturbed habnat. as called ror
m particular by the rcgion:ll office of ihe Wilderness
Society. Thc.sc 1s~~ arc as 1mponan1 as lhc clcarcumng
issue. but 11 ~med th31 ihcy were neglected m ihe
Chiefs repon because they had not aroused a vociferous
public outcry ag111ns1 the For~t Service as h3d the umber
policies.
The message is clear; 10 bring chnnge to the
nauonal forests, stir 11 up.
~uing
II
WE BRING GOOEY THINGS
TOLIFE II
Narunl World Ne"'• Service
South of Hendersonville Nonh Carolina, in th
below the East Flat Rock comm unit
where some I 50 peorle draw their drinking water
concentration~ of a canccr·causing mduslnal solvcn
exceed the siatc stnndard by at least 3.500 times
The General Electric lrghting fixtW'Cl> productio
plant in lfcndcr,on County has ~ixu:cn undergroun
Storage t.anks, two waste water trcaunent ponds, and
sludge 1mpoundmcn1 on land owned by the plant. Tw
landfills. a recently reported le:tlcing drain pipe, and
1983 chemical spill arc all contribuung factors to lh
!isling of this s11c by the Nonh Carolina Clean Wate
Fund as one of the 22 WOrsl groundwntcr contaminatio
site.~ in Nonh Carolina.
The Fund has also C!\llmaled ihat 35,000 peopt
in lhe stale arc drinking water w11h some degree 0
contamination. Nonh Carolina has the c;ccond highcs
number of household wells in the United States
(822,000) as there is a ready supply of gruund water
SOlllil of which is working 115 way to the sea from lh~
mountains of the Katuah region. It appears iha1 we Ill'
playmg a dcm11I game of "chemical do-or-dare" wnh
untamtcd war.er, esscnunl to our health and lhnt of lhc
groundwntc~
b~hcre.
A~ one of the "toxic 22" shes of sever
contamination in Nonh Carohnn, General Elcctri
contmucs to release poisons inio the underground wnters
which participate in lhe cyd1c now of water through Lhc
E:uth. It tna)· seem like these chemical ·sotu11ons' are
gone from 'sne', yet when they rc.•wface will G.E. really
be bnnging good things 10 life?
. To register comments concerning G.E.'s
you can ca.II the G.E. coMumer products
IOll·frcc number 1-800-626-2000.
praeucc~.
�PICKENS DISTRICT
FOREST WATCH
Nanni World News 5cr'1ice
WHAT'S H.A.A.P.-ENING??
Narural World News
ELA (Ecological Living Ahemativcs), a broad·
based eco-forum rccenlly ronned in East Tcnncs.'ICC, is
addressing some local problems lhal threaten the Holston
River 00..tjn and area rcsidcncs' heallh. One of the group·~
firs1 ac1ions was an 1nformnuonal demonslra1ion to
promoic press coverage of an upcoming pubhc bearing
concerning a permit rc-issunl for the was1e-wa1er
1tCalmen1 facility or 1he Hols1on Army Ammuniuoo
Plani (H.A.A.P.). located in Hawkins and Sullivan
counties. The plan1. managed by Easunan Kodak,
manufactures RDX, Composiqon B, HMX, HMX·TNT,
RDX-Plaslicv.cr and other spe(:1fteally ordered exple>sive
compounds used m the U.S. and sold on the in1cmational
weapons markc1. The action consis1ed or 15 ELA
members cxh1b111ng signs reading "National Dcfen~ al
Whose Expcn~?" and "Don'1 You Wish You Could Ea1
The Fish?" as well as posters promoung the lime and
d:llc or Ille publt<: hearing. Mcmbcts handed OUl lcallclS
to employees ond mo1ori~1S pa~smg through I.he busy
faciory inu:rsccuon.
!\.lost hearings m Ille o.rca receive small aucnd:ulCe
and liU!e or no public eommenL However. the heanng.
held Nov. 30. auracicd approx1ma1ely 30 people,
indicating the success of the group's action. Al the
beanng, comments were scheduled 10 be limi1cd to
subject maucr rclevan1 lO NPDES Permit #TN0003671
only, relating specifically to water polluuon control
guidelines. Activ1s1S speaking, though, insisted on
citing several problems at the plant which contribuLC 10
water pollution. even though they were not included 1n
the pcnniL
Among these problems is a huardous waste
landfill at the plant that has recently been re1llrflCd to
service. ft is feared that leaching from this area. as well
as other runoff from the 5800 acre plant, could cause
additional accumulauons of 1oxins in the river. Among
the elcmenis seeping from the munilion~ plant are vinyl
chloride, chromium, cyanide and nickel. Some IOxins Ind
heavy metals occur m the daily discharge crtlucn1 in
amounts grca1er than one pound per day; some occur in
ci1cess of 10 and 15 pounds per day. All discharge goes
inlO the HolslOn River which must absorb other wastes
as well. Eastman Kodak's PET plastic factory lie.:; just a
rew miles upstream. On Nov. 15 Easunan cxpcnenced a
"typical" spill loosing 36,000 pound., or acetic acid in10
the Holston. These accumulations, as well as ogncuhural
run-off, together contaminate the river which is the
source or lite Ci1y of Morrisiown's drinking waLCr
supply.
1f you would hke IO register comments on Ibis
and other problems concerning water pollu11on in
Tennessee, wri1e to: TN Dept. or Heallh and
Environment (Div. or Water Pollution Conttol); 150 9th
Ave. North: Nashville, TN 37219, or call (615)
741-7883.
If you would like IO know more about ELA and
upcoming activiues, write to: ELA; P.O. Box 851;
Jonesborough, 1N 37659.
k'i.nur, 1989-90
1
1l
'.'
While the "Up State" may be viewed as ju~t a
smllll comer or South Carolina. it holds a promineni
place along 1he cas1.em cscnrpment of the Soulhcm
Appl3chain Mountain Range. It is 31so home 10 a
growing number or bioreg1onal folks actively involved'"
the "public input" process of the Sumter National
Forest's Andrew Pickens Dislnct.
South Carolina Forest Wa1ch is presently
appealing two comparunen1 plans in the Chauga River
watershed. 1xlscd on the lack of a prcharvcst "hydrologic
survey•. which would have addressed the prot.cCtion or
two brook trout sucams and the conversion or the forest
IO a pine plantation. Additionally. the planned umber cut
was based on a study conducted in the piedmont and not
on steep mountain slopes.
"Those who arc only good with hammers sec
every problem as a ruul." Quoting Abraham Maslow.
Forest Wruch ttca..~urcr Richard Cam eqilamed that the
1985 Long Range Pinn for the district reveals a narrow·
minded approach to muluplc use. "The Plan relics
heavily on the conversion or milled hardwood and pine
forests to pllllltations or hybrid pines plan1ed on ten by
ten foot spacm~ Wildlife received very llUle auenuoo .•
"In order 1ha1 we might co1ribu1e to the
re-educa11ng of the Fores1 SCfVicc, we've done a 101 or
Sllldy on our own. Aside lrom our meetings with the
USFS and private timber interests. our bimonthly
mce1ings host a variety or speakers and lcanung
experiences. We also manage 10 gel out and cruise
management companrnenL~ in the Picltcns Oistr1c1."
For more information on the South Carolina
Forest Watch, wntc:
P. 0. Box 657
we.,tmmstcr, South Carolina 29693
CLEARCUTTING
HAS ABAD DAY
Natural World News S..,.jc.,
Research findings reported at a US Forest
Service-sponsored work.shop in September di.o;putcd the
notion that clcarc:utling provides crucial forage for cen.ain
species of wildlife. The audience at the "Wildlife
Considerations in lmplemcnung the Land and ReSOUtce
Managemcn1 Plan" mccung was addlCsscd by =hers
from various soulhcastcm universities.
Recent work Bl the Univen1ty or Georgia has
shown that deer appear IO be very adaptable 10 a wide
variety or forest types. Contrary to popular belief, deer
depend less on the type of browse found in clcarculS than
they do on a variety of hard mast (acorns and nuts)
provided l'y mature forests. Turkey research 11 Clemson
h:l.s also revealed tha.l 1urkeys make liulc use or clcarcuts,
needing a variety or hard and soft mast.
Similarly, Univcrsi1y of Tenncsscc reseateh ha~
shown that bears make very ligh1 and seasonal use of
forage in clcan:uts. depending more heavily on a good
selection or hard mast. Furthermore. the roads as.<;0eiBICd
with logging have proven IO have a severe impact on
bear populatlon.s. Bears have been found to use rough
woods roads and skid lnlib as they LrBvel in scarth or
forage, but they avoid ~ystcm roads, whether open or
closed to vehicle traffic. Thus, roads affect bear
populations by effectively reducing Ille size of their
range. as well as by providing easier access for hunLCr.>
and poachers.
Representatives from the NC Wildlife
Commission also spoke and indicated their concern
nbouc the effect of the Forest Servicc·s !'03d·building and
harvc.qing practices on wildlife population<.
THE CASE OF THE
DISAPPEARING TRJTIUM
Natural World News SetVice
The US Dcparuncnt of Energy (DOE) has again
suspended 311 commcrciai ~hipmcnts of 1ritium. the
radioacti"e ~ used in nuclear wlll1lc::lds, after significant
quantities of it turned up missing. Tritium is used in
biological and energy research and in making luminous
lights, signs. dials and w:u.ches as weU es being used to
increase the power or nuclear warllcads.
The halt in tritium shipments was 111nounccd in
July or 1989 after an inconclusive search for: five grams
or the element that laboraiory records said had been
shipped to commercial customers. bu1 which buyers said
had never arrived. ln August. the DOE said it would
resume mosi shipmcnis after bilS or the missing malerial
were found. The dcpartmcnt discounlcd the likclihood or
theft at that time. Only a few special shipmenis have
been made since then.
An in1emal lab rcpon said d~pancies in the
shipping records d:lted at least IO 1985. In some cases.
customers reportC<I they h3d received 40 percent ~
tritium lhan they had paid for.
A copy or the confidential July 20 report and
rclalcd Oak Ridge documcnis were obtained through a
legally enforceable request under the Freedom of
Information Act. lnvesLigators for Martin Marien.a Energy Systems, wtuch nms opcr311on:; at the Oalt Ridge
nuclear complex, said in the report that a significan1
amount of 1r11ium had been losL m a lest shipment
bc1 ween buildings. It appeared lhat Ille I~~ amounted to
abou1 two grams. approxima1ely half thc amoun1 used in
a smglc aiomic warhead.
According 10 the conliden1ial rcpon, workers
loaded the Lriuum into a container, which was sent to
another bu1ldmg. There pan of the contents of the
coniamer was unloaded for sampling, then repacked and
scn1 back 10 11.s ong1nal locauon. Thrcc-qW111CrS of the
tritium was lost in that round trip. Leakage and
procedural jXUblcms wcte ruled OUL
Reprcscniative Edward J. Markey (0) or
M3ss3chusctts swd, "You have IO \l/Olldct what kind of
Keystone KOJl!I operntion the Dcpanment or Energy ha!.
down at O:ik Ridge. when they lose more than 22,000
cunes or tntium in a I.Cl;! designed IO find out why DOE
keeps on losing l.nlClt or tritium."
DON'T CROSS
DA GREAT PUMPKIN
Nuunl WorldNcwsSavlcc
The WCSICnl North Carolina Alliance undcrsoc:ml
lhe gTOUp's opposjuon to wide.~ead clcarcu1ting in the
na1ional forests by staging a Halloween day
dcmonsLretion in front or the US Forest Service
headquaners m Asheville. The action specifically
protested a proposed clearcut near thc popular Craggy
Gardens area on thc Blue Ridge Parkway. The clcen:ut
would be in full view or tourisis at the visitor cerucr.
"Even the Great Pumpkin says, 'Don"1 cu1
Craggy.'" rc3d a sign held by young David Gilmour of
the group. The Alliance noted that lhis panicular cut.
which would be 12 acres in $tlC and less than a mile
away from the visitor center, is especially mappropriatc.
(Other acuvists were of the opinion. however, that the
Forest Service should be required 10 do oil their
clearcutting within sight of major IOW'i.\t auractions.)
As a result or the aucntion the Craggy clearcut
has received, the Forest Service is re-evaluating the
!ituauon. lrutcad of allowing the ll'BCt IO be clearcut, the
agency may n:quuc selective culling. which would lca.-e
~ or the trccs standing • or 11 may spare the enure 12
11CrtS. The decision is yet 10 be announced.
JC.at~
, l
Jo\&rnaL p1i9t1 21
...
'
�Natural World News
SPE C IAL REPOR T
ALARKA CREEK
CONTROVERSY
by David Wheeler
The headwaters of Alarka Creek rise high on the
Cowee Ridge, where !he North Carolina counllc.~ or
Swain, Jackson, and Macon comer. The creek\ origins
are on !he Alarka Laurel properly, l1lOtC than 2,000 :icre.~
of IJlnt.I which includes 35 :icre.~ of a unique red
spruce-bog association. The creek runs lhrough 2,000
acres or watershed uninhabited by human bemgs, along
!he way wmbting over the Alarka Falls. once a place for
fasting and p111ying held sacred by lhc native Chcrokcc
people. Until 11 reaches the Alarb Community in Swam
County. lhe wate.rs of lhc croelc are clear and support a
nallll'lllly-reproducing populntion or brook IJ'Oul
However, Alarka Creek is in clanger. The Alarlc.:J
LaW'Cl propcny, owned as an invcStmcnt by a panner.;hip
or land speculators, has been on the market for years.
Only now is a developer showing <iome interest in the
acreage. The identity of the developer is a catefully-kcpl
~ret. but it is known lh:lt plans for the Almb Laurel
propcny include a golf course and a luxury resort.
At the request of William Mcl.amey, an aqu:ttic
biologist living in Macoo County, biologists from the
NC Dcpruuneru of Envuoruncntal Management {DEM)
visited Al:uka Crcd: and ~led the wnu:r.;. Biological and
chemical tcsL:i confirmed that lhe wntershcd met the
stringent standards for qualirica1ion as a state
"OulSlanding Resource Water• (ORW). Streams 11ut
11\CCI ORV/ standards arc lamentably very few. and.
clearly, Alarka Crock is an lllca worlhy of protection.
But omcu1J efforts 10 preserve Alarka Creek have
run Into an ob!<lllCle. There is still resentment in Swain
County towards the insensitive acuons or big
government, which m the mid-1940\ condemned !;ind in
Swain, OSl.CllSibly for the citpans1on of !he Great Smoky
Mountains Nauonal Part, but which in ac1U3!11y lumcd
OUI IO be largely for lhe bencn1 of lhc Tcnnc.'--« Valley
Authority for lhc creation of Fontana Lake.
The focus for 1hc ire of 1his generation of Swam
County citi7.cns is a promise made by the govemmcm i.ll
the time of the land acquis1tOl1$ for a road that would p;is~
on the north side of 1hc lake. now within lhc Park
boundaries. That promi~ was never fulfilled, althoogh
lhc infamous North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms ha,
blocked a bill lhal would have finanC13lly compcnsalcd
the cow11y.
The uprc_o;s1on for 1h1s anger 1s a group called
"Citizens Against Wildemc.~~: which ha.~ a siorcrrom
office in Bryson Ci1y. lhc Swam county _,eat. The group
owes 1l1 existence and probably much of 1L~ crroc11vcncss
to the slrollg wppon of Senator Helms Alway' on the
lookout ror a political situation IO man1pulau: 10 has own
advantage. Helms took the "Ci111.cn~ Against Waldcmc.s"
under his ••mg and has fanned 1hc fires of their
rcscntmcnL The group's baule-<:ry 1s; "We are ltvmg
poorly because 85% of our county 1s under federal
control."
Abrka Creek lw been caughl rn the whirlwind
This ,.."a$ clc;arly revealed when a reprcscmauvc from the
Trust for Pubhc Land journeyed up tO lhe mountains to
look at the an:a at William Mcl..amcy's !QQUCSL
"He thought he was coming up to look at <1 pn:Uy
creek with a waterfall," said Mclarney. "Bui when he
51,.. the area. he said. ilus )!)ould be a national priority
fo •ur organi1.ation!' When he communicated h1~
lin1' "I'' IO the nntional office. they agreed w1lh hi$
II.\
<r.lcnt and gave cooseru 10 the project Bui to make
a lnJnsfcr, they needed sponsorship from some
appropriau: n:itional political figure. such as a senator or
a congressional reprcscn1J11Jve but none was to be found.
The reason: Jesse Helms. So efforts by the Trust for
Public Land to help A!arlca Creek have been stalled:
The Alarb Creek issue came to a head when lhe
DEM held a public hearing on lhe ORW classification 111
the Bryson City courthouse on the evening or November
2. 1989. The district couruoom was p3Ckod. Over 250
people aucndcd the hearing, mos1 of 1hem on short
notice, because the public announccmcn1 or the mceung
h:id nol been published in the county newspaper until the
week before the hearing dale. Mosl of lhe speakers
present were from Swam County, and m~l expressed
strong opposition to an ORW classilicauon for Alnrka
Creek. Regnrdless of the ickology behind 11. local power
is a fonnidablc force and noc to be underestimated.
The proposed development on Cowee Ridge
seemed to be synonymous with economic pro~rity m
lhe mind.~ or most or those who spoke agams1 the ORW
classific:iuon. Several dccned the opinions of "oul'idc~·
from ncighbonng M:lcon and Jackson counties when they
spoke in support or prou:cuon for Alarka. "You're JUst
saying that because !'.iacon alre.ady ha.' six malls." called
a woman from !he audience at one poim.
"!l's very ironic." eommcnlCd William Mct..amcy.
"They were calling people who laved 20 miles away
'outsiders.' while a California developer who ha..,n't even
revealed his name 11nd was rcprescnicd only by 1wo
Georgi.i lawyClS is considered one of lhcir own.
"PCISOllally. I would l\OI favor any ~lution to the
ultimaic fate of the Big Laurel lh:11 would lock Swain
County people out. and a big development would do lh;al
more effoctivcly than nnything else anyone could do. The
kind or people who would frequent that place don't want
locals around Swain County rcsidcnis couldn't afford to
buy a membership. and even If they were w gc1 m !here,
they wouldn'l find whnt they were lookmg for . 1 don't
think any or lhc.<;c people play golf.
"There would be short·lerm jobs building lhe
resort complex and a few permanent JObs taking care or
!he buildings and lhe grounds. Bul by all acounLs 1he
m3m access rood is more than likely going LO go down
!he Macon County side of the mounuun. Until 1t reaches
the Alarka Community. the road into Swnin Cou.nly is
cxuaort.11nari!y ~lcep. A four-wheel drive vehicle can
make ll prcuy casily...whcn lhc roat.l's dry . However, 11
would be a tremendous JOb to put a first-<:lass. paved
highway in lhcn: th:11 would be comrorublc anti snfc ror
expensive car;.
·1 feel SltOngly that lhe economic benefits ror
Swain Counly are being grcally exnggemte.d. Swain
Coumy would receive an addition to their tax base and a
few minimum wage jobs, bul lhen lhey would also gel
all the run-off and all the golf course pcsuc1dcs, and lhe
county would have a 101 of add1t1onal costs for
ma.inu:nance and county service.~.
• Anolher element of irony 1s lhal dcvclopmcnlS
arc rrcqucnlly ralionnlizcd wi1h lhe argumeni lhat
property values arc going to go up (which in lhis cnse I
am sure 1s true), as if that were a good thing. For a
l'C311or or person who has a piece or property and is
interested in selling ii, a rise in property value.~ is a good
lhmg. Bui for an)•onc else who is Uying 10 hold property
or 1s m the market to buy property. a rise m costs is an
unwelcome development These people may not be able
to alTord to buy land or may lose propeny they already
own v.hen the land values go up. The grca1 majority or
people from Swnin who spoke up in favor of
development arc acwally ca.~ing themselves out the door
by calhng for big monc) IO move mto thcll'county."
The hcanng in Bryson City did not tell the whole
story. When they heard of the Alarka Creek dilemma.
other local people, largely from Jackson and Macon
coumies, responded with a massive leuer-wnting
campaign to tho DEM c;ilhng for protection or 1hc
watcr,hcd. Apparently Alarka Creek is well·known and
:ipprcc1111ed as o spccanl place by many people in its
\·icinuy.
There was also $0me reaction 10 1he strong
pressure exercised in Swam County by the Ciuzens
Aga1ns1 Wilderness group. One local woman lOOk lhc
swnd a1 the publu: hC.lling and lCMfully told the audience
to pay aucn11on 10 what they value and be cautious about
what they would lhrow away. It was obviously a great
effort of will for her to male such a swtcmcnl, and she
wns the only speaker m support of the ORW mc:isure
who received applau:;c from the crowd.
111crc were othcn; who did not dare 10 lake 1h:11
courageous suind. Wilhom Mclarney said lhat he
received phone calls after 1hc mecung from Swai n
County nntives who had attended the h.:aring, but felt too
mumidated IO publicly voice support for Alark.a Creek.
"It's a complicated issue." s:iys Mcl.amcy. "The
people of Swain County have real grievances.
parti,ulatly in rcgnrd to Fonwl\3 Lake. Unfortuna1cly,
these gricvanres arc being man1pul3tcd.
"The wider issue to 'TIC. which gives me pause
when I lhmk about it, ts whnt has the greater soc1cly
done lO the...: people 10 create the situation 1hu1 c;cpn:.. \Cd
...
1lo;elf at th;it hcunng?"
~
Or1wmg by Junca Rhc•
�The synergy that 1s created when each family member take!)
responsibility for their own well-being and suppons the
well-being of others, is another resource that serves the process
of resolution when conflict docs arise. And of course, the greater
the level of well-1>¢ing in the household. the less obnoxiousness
and conflict there is!
Skillfulness/ Talking it Out
According 10 Dana and Nick, "talking it out"--and
sometimes over. under. around and through--is the main process
for conflict resolution. There are three aspects to that
communication process: lisrening, Expressing, and
The quality of family life is detennined
not by whether or not a family has conflict but
by what they do with it.
Problem-solving.
lisrening. Although the most powerful communication
skill, listening remains underused by us all. It is still much easier
to give advice, preach, argue, moralize, lecture, or change the
subject than it is to reaJly listen 10 what someone else is saying.
"We listen with our answers running," a colleague of mine said
recently. Reflective or ac1ive lis1ening, on the 01her hand. is
listening with your heart, listening for the unique essence of the
speaker's experience, and letting the other person know that they
have been heard by repeating back to 1hem their message as you
heard it.
It is particularly challenging to lis1en to another person's
point of view in the mids1 of a conflict situation; i1 is, however,
the cornerstone for resolution. Listening acknowledges and
validates (not necessarily agreeing with) the other person's
perspective and encourages important data in the conflict to
emerge.
Expressing. The other side of listerung is expression statements about perceptions, interpreta1ions, thoughts, feelings,
wams, and actions. In conflict situations, it is helpful to state
your experience in a way that gives specific information that can
be clearly understood by the other party. Such direct expressions
arc commonly called "I Statements," (as opposed to accusatory
"You Statements.")
Nick is the resident expert on "I Statements" in our house
these days. His fifth grade class is studying conflict and its
resolution in a Mediation Center program called "Fuss-Busters."
Through the guidance and modeling of a gifted and committed
teacher, the students are learning to express their anger and
frustrations in an "l feel
when, _ _ __
because
" format. The objective of the "I Statement" is
to communicate your feelings in a way that does not put down or
attack the other and engages their assistance in resolving the
conflict. Nick explains that if the other person does not respond
helpfully, then it's time to ask the teacher for help. As the year
progresses, trained student mediators m the classroom will be
available 10 help resolve those conflicts.
Dana reiterates that being assertive and letting your family
and friends le.now what you're feeling and what help you need
from them prevents conflict from building up. Communicating
immediately and specifically and in a non-blameful style opens
the door for positive resolution.
Problem-Solving & Conjlicr Resolurion. Frequently, the simple
expression of feelings or needs and a chance to vent or be heard
dissolve would-be conflicts. Just as often, however, living in
these bus~, high-stress, complicated times, family members need
to put their heads together to solve problems. We've noticed that
unsolved problems become conflicts to become resolved· if
Confl~CtS arc ~Ot fCSOlved, they re-emerge, often growing in
magrutude until .a blow-up occurs, or, worse, family members
separate and distance themselves from one another in an
avoidance pattern.
.
. Consider these typical modes of responding to conflict
snuanons:
I. Competition - "I win,• J get all rrry needs !Mt; you get 110thi11g.
2. Accommodation - "You win," I give ui; you get everything.
3 Avoidance - Neithu of ws geu a.ny1hing.
4 Compromiu - EtUh of ws gi11es a /i11/e fJJld gets a li11le.
.S CollDbor(JliJ)n - "Win - Win,• we wief111t IN probum aN.i
fwJ a crtasive sollllion that sat4fies both of our Mtds.
lollnter, J 989-90
~!though each o~ these a~proaches may be appropriate at
some umc, ~oU:iborauo~ provides the m~st longlasting and
mutually sausfyang soluuons. In collaborauon. the problem is
auackcd - not the people! And what would it be like if the
problem were embraced as an opportunity to fine-tune family
functioning, rather than attacked?
In the process of collaborative connict resolution, a critical
stel? is for ~II concerned to clearly define the problem in terms of
their own interests and needs. After carefully listening to each
person verbalize their side of the conflict. then all can come to an
agreement on the definirion of the problem.
In their book Gerring To Yes. Fisher and Ury recount che.
example of t~o sisters fighting over one orange. Finally, in an
effort to be farr, they compromise and cut the orange in half. One
sister takes her half, peels the orange and cats the orange. The
other sister takes her half, throws away the fruit and uses 1he peel
to bake a cake. Clearly, a far superior solution would have
emerged had they identified what each person's interesis were.
The more accurately the problem is defined in terms of basic
interests and needs, the more easily and quickly it can be solved.
The process of creatively managing conflict, stress and
change in families is a dynamic and continuous one. The more
enriching, supportive, compassionate and fun that process is. the
less resistance we feel coward it. When conflict is approached in a
"Spirit of Possibility" toward healthy change, when individual
differences and personal well-being are protected and honored,
and when families are committed to using the skills of open
communication and problem-solving, conflict becomes a resource
for growth rather than an clement of disintegration.
Ellie Kincade 1s assisrant director of 1he Counseling Cemer ar
UNC-Aslll!ville. She is also a consulranr in t/11! Aiki approach 10
creQlive corf/lier resolutwn. conducring workshops in the fields of
edµcarion and human services.
SUGGESTED BOOKS
Ct11ing 10 Y1.s Roger Fisher and William Ury
TllL Magic ofCofl/liCI Thomas Crum
Parent E/ftctiveness Traimng Thomas Gordon
Swttl D'eamsfo' Lillie Onts: Btdlimt! Fan/IJJks
10 Build Self Estum Michael G. Pappas
RESOURCE ORGANlZATJONS
Childrcn"s Ctcativc Response to Conflict
c/o Fclbwship ofRcconcili.11.IOn
Box 271, Nyack. NY 10960 (914) 358-4601
Na-th Carolina Ccn1e1 for Peace Education
214 Piusboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(919)929·9821
The Eanh.stcwanis Network
cto The Holycatth Foundation, PO Beu 10697
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 (206) 842-7986
The Mediation Cciucr
408 County Court House. Asheville, NC 28801
(704} 2S 1-6089
The Nauonal Association for Mediation in E.ducation
425 Amity Sueet. Amherst. MA 01002
Parents llld Teachas for Social Rcsponsib.ility
PO Box St7. MOtCIOwn, VT 05660
�From the Diary of a Modem Child
How can I find a moral sense
when falsehood lives
protcetcd in governments?
\\'hen playing false becomes the norm
kids begin 10 wonder what's the form?
Our role model> have been S10len
our culture hns been stolen,
corponue bored rooms determine
our feeding, our clo1hing,
tnmsp<>rting, and :;chooling style
A way of gathering in council
has been stolen by govcming images
or faces we never see
Menning ha:; been
~laced
by scllini;,
polling. and man ipulaung ...
Waste bas been accelerated
a~ we consume resources
and spil out the remains
on pi lcs of rock idols.
profiteering religions.
and streams of vidio Ulpc
Is then: any way we can reclaim our live.~
from corporate and industrial wastelands
or pictures that lie,
jobs that don't work, :ind 'inter uiinment'
tha1 teaches escapism a.~ a way of life
that rcsponsibilily is boring·
doesn't move fast enough •
requires too much undeNanding ...
Who is more immature
the grown or the growing?
At times it is in·sensing 10 think and feel hov. much and
how quickly some aspects of human ~ociety are vanishing. It is
as though the forces of our ungainly comple~ evolution arc
usurping our ability to Ulke the time 10 recognize 1he v.onder and
POCKET CULTURES
by Wtll Ashe Bason
When we look seven generations away we first sec ourselves
and our children and then the grandchildren that are on tne Way.
This is where our impact on the future is. I low arc we raising
ourselves and our children and prepanng for our children's children
Now? How can we restructure our lives so as to bener nunure
ourselve:. and our children and our children's children? What sort
of environmcm is best for growing whole and healthy humans?
How do we bring this environmem into reJlilV in Katuah?
Many of us "grew up" in the false commumries of modem
amcrican cities or suburbs. These were and arc cnvironmenL<; which
foster alienation. Almost everywhere is owned hy someone. People
are "at home" only at home! lllc streets arc the only common
ground around, and they belong 10 cars. There 1s relatively dense
population without the community spin1 which would make such
density bearable or even pleasurable. In reaction against this, some
of us have chosen to live in rurul areas. We have tned to isolate
and insulate ourselves from the dominant culture. Our children
don't really underswnd this but they do understand that they want
to be able 10 sec their friends more often then they do now, living at
lhe end of funky driveways at 1hc end of long din roads. Fulfilling
this need usually means school and spons and other activities
which are driving us to drive. But the driving is not the worst of it,
How can we build a new society, one without the faial dis eases of
the old, if we send our children during their fol'TTl.llive yC41l'S to
institutions whose very nature fosters competition, where
s:icredness of place and being arc not even on the graph. Modem
)C"I
uon Jo~r~
pn9~ 24
necessity of simple enduring cultural bonds. Child "forwaroing"
in the context of a dominating culture, or absence of culture, can
be a very unsettling, frustrating, and paradoxical experience. Do
we re-invent human cullurc again to satisfy the need to bring
rights and meaning through the symbols we put into practice? Do
we attempt some kind of symbiosis with a decaying power
structure that needs a dose of creative innovation? Or do we just
open the floodgates and let the grimy warer of predigested images
and infonnation come into our senses without any sense of
becoming in-sensed?
The ad-age of images and sounds coming across screens
and speakers 10 thousands of people each day may seem "cool"
and scintilating but what arc their effects on the long-range
accretion of mind, feeling, and decision for a child? Is it possible
10 create a suppon network that promotes family healing in the
face of squashing pressures from a society that apparently
doesn't represent or value many of the vital aspecb of its own
being? Some of these impon-ances are sustainability, care for
those less privileged. more extensive ecological well being,
relevant work. a sense of the biological region we inhabit as
home, and a healthy supponive extended family.
What is the c:ltect of poverty on families m the Katuah
region (and not just for us SCRUFFIES or Smanemng
C:1retakers, Rurally Urbane, Fueled For Impoverished Ecological
Survival)? What is the real effect of turbulence in 'broken
homes' and 'instant familes' full of conflicting and compromising
inrerests between close relatives and step-relatives on the gcner.il
patterns of society?
Perhaps 1hese questions arc 100 deep, yet these are the
kinds of far-reaching ques1ions often coming to awareness these
days. A major difficulty in trying 10 summon the context in
which our vitals can flourish, wilhou1 being continually
smothered in stress, manifests in the allure of electTOnic media,
and its exrensive computer manipulation of visual and acoustic
"space" that we all share. As this auruo/video gaming sucks in
more and more attention it is essential io realize that it is not a
clear expression of the whole mind of our species. The complex
whole fields of human life encompass far more than movies.
sit·coms, ads. and canoons could ever fuUillingly u:mslate.
Commercial media is IJ'Uely an aucmpt by the few to dominate or
falsify for the many. The right of choice in the means and content
of any particular kind of media hypnotism should be considered~
primarv to essential responsible hum:in freedom .
~•
Corporeally. Rob Messick
American public schools are lhe melting po1 lef1 on 100 long to boil.
They arc tee vec reali1y. At their best. they are only capabk of
teaching the parts. Meaning lcs> lhL~ of wurds and dead f~g.
organ:.. Our children only choose them because we haven t given
them an alternative. We have presumed and pretended that
providing an ahemative to school was mostly a mauer of legality
and academics. In fact tt means providing a commun11y in which
children can find friends as well as intellectual stimulation and
emotional security.
11 is no1 enough 10 m~ulute ourselves from the dominant
culture. We have 10 create new culture. Not another candidate for
dominam culture. but hundreds and thousands of pocket cultures.
Pocket cultures that anfully represent unique hum:in ad:ipiarion to
unique and sacred places. Cultures m harmony with their
environments and thus in harmony with each other. A iangihle
culture of l'C.'.11 relationships between people and animals and plants
and water and din and stone and architecture and real stuff hke that
there and not a culture of tapes and magazme.~ and books and
workshops and videos and seminars and full-Oedge~·n8J'$. etc. The
culrurc that we have built m each other's heads is beautiful and true
and meaningless unless it leads to way of life, which it will.
The world is changing rapidly. Humans arc very. very
numerous and on the move almost everywhere. Everyday we hear
about more refugees and more homeless people. Earth's cities are
overcrowded and choking on their own waste. It is a world of
villages that will emerge from this nigh1marc. A world in which
people once again know their neighbors.!'- ~orld ~ sobered by the
environmental con sequences of our unthmking acuons. that respect
for and worship of nature will once again be no1 the dommant bu1
lhe only religion.
(c:on11nucd on ncxc P•&•)
kllnter, l 989 - 90
�I know lll3Jly people of good ecological conscience who have
bought land and wish 10 have a comm~nir_y. yet insist on living
miles from each other. If a person ts wishing to move 10 one of
these communities. about the fauxcs1 pas one could make would be
t0 pick a house s!~t I~ near 10 a!1 ~i~ting home, ~nd 100 near
usually means vmhin sight of. This 1ns1s1ence on d1s1a~ce seems .
downright unfriendly when J_udged by '!ie Cherokee. T1beun. Thai.
Dogon, Greek. Zulu, or Zuni (to name 1us1 a very few) standards.
There is a very good book called A Pmtern Language by
Christopher Alexander and some ~f his friends: and this l?ook i~
very highly respected among arch11ecrs and designers for its radical
and coherent approach to archi1cc1ural planning. There is a paucrn
called "connected play space"' and the book goes on to cite
information to the effect that there is a direct corm;pondencc
between neurosis and the number of friends that a child has
growing up. Alexander and company used some statistics on family
size and average 11ges of children and came up with the figure of 64
families as the number needed 10 insure that all children would have
a good chance to find friends. They suggest that what children need
is a community of this size in which each home borders on a
continuous play area. In such a place, children would do much of
the work we now call childcare. This is a much more time-honored
and natural arrangement than the pauems we sec non-functioning
around us at present. Children learn responsibility in taking care of
other children. They also generally have a whole 101 more fun
tllnte.r, 1989-90
hanging ar&ind with other kids. Saner and happier kids could help
spread these virtues 10 the older folks.
Adolescents have a compelling need to be around their own
kind, which suits the rest of us just fine. This is sure easier 10 bring
about in a small community than in isolated fanns1eads. Young
people have a terrible SIJ'Uggle just trying to exist economically
IOday. In villages and small communities young people can get
good jobs and sec their friends regularly without the expense of a
car. The ttansition from child 10 adult can be more gradual and
na1ur.t.l 1han the current IJ"Cnd which is usually to move away from
parents and friends who can function as a suppon group. Perhaps a
101 of suicide and depression is related to fear.; of nor being able 10
"make it on one's own'.' In a village or small community \\C: make
it on our own 1oge1her, a much more reasswing and slllblc
arrangemem.
Perhaps future generations will look back at the dominant
culture's concept of land ownership with the same horror with
which we now view slavery. Up until fairly recently most of the
\\Orld's people lived an agricultural village communities in which
some or all of the land was owned or used in common. This
common usage certainly more clearly reflects the basic biological
reality of 1he planer we share. Children growing where some of the
land is ~hared have a bener chance of learning ro see land as an
en111y in it's own right.
�Dear KatUah,
Another excclltnt issue (Fall, 1989) ·But I mu't Like exception with
lhc statement m Pnmck Clark's otherwise Cine arucle on the Eastern
cougar/panther/paint.er. He wn1es: •Although it seems fitting and right for
panthers tO be inh:lbiung the southern mountains. not one official sighting
has been made. Until lhcn, panther ad"ocat~ have no basis for demanding
protection for cougar habita1.0 (p.18)
Wrong. The burden or proof is on the government to "prove" !here nr.:
no pamhcrs. Until then. we must err on the side or lhc cml:ingcrcd cnt1er :llld
manage as though lhcrc arc cougnrs.
Curr.mil)· wildlife managers go by the dictum, •Extine! until proven
ext.anL • We must rever<;e this: "Extant until pro"cn e~tincL • 01hcrwise,
unscrupulous and/or incompetent managers c:in ignore even the best
sightings. awruung the day someone brings in a cougar carcass to prove ther~
1ll'C (oops, wue) cougan here.
No compromise,
Jwmc Saycn
Prt.ltnJt Appoluchian IVildl!l'MSS
DRUMMING
LETTERS TO KATUAH
Yts, wt agru. f hanks. Jamie. ·eds.
Dear Kaui3h.
At first. thank you for sending me a copy of the Katlinh Journal and
the U.N. Charter for Na1Urc.
I agree wilh your "StatemenL or Purpose·'. I enjoyed about all lh.:
Joumal's articles, you're really on the right way; I wish every 81oregions
should have a journal like yours.
Herc in ltaly, the BiOregional Movement is ju.st starting. That's fine.
but I lhink. they're sull a bit humon-ccnu:rcd.
I. as member of lhe Italian Wilderness Association's D1rec11ve
Council. am trying hard to spread an ccoccnuic awarcncSl; among i~
members..
O.K. Happy llllils tO all of you.
Cioo,
Morcul Giuseppe
Mantova, Italy
Dear Folks,
Congratulations on your grc:it "For All Things Wild issue!
I, IOO. am deeply concerned nboul the "Norlh Carolina road binge."
The same insanity grips Virginlll. We need 10 form a coohuon ag:Unst the
most environment.ally dcslIUCtivc clement in technology. (I wrote an article
about it in lhc earth First' Jow-nal, Vol. IX, No. II. 1988).
The on-going and looming cnv1ronmcnuil destruction is truly
pl:inct-shalung and i~ the mojor clement in lhc "grccnhot1~ effect" when the
infrastructure is considered
Unfortunately there seems to be a strong block, e"cn among
cnvironmcntahSlS, r.t. the automobile. We need t0 overcome lhis nnd tach
individual mu.it act to reduce dependence drastically
Tunnies ngoin for a great issue.
Enrlh Firstl
Bob Mueller
Dear Kaltiah,
I have enclosed several pamphlets explaining lhc Na11onal Peace T3X
Fund Bill. This bill 1s designed to allow !hose persons consc1cn1iou.~ly
opposed IO war IO have thc military ponion Of their taxes dirccled toward
peace rclaled proJCCl.S. Over onc-lhird of our 1ru1 dollars arc going for current
military expenses, 10 say nothing or lhe add1tionnJ 19% t0 take Ct11e of past
military expenses.
Fof mon: inform:iuon aboul lhc Peace Tax Fund Bill, please write io:
National Campaign for 11 Peace Tax Fund
2121 Decatur Pt. NW
Wa-.hington. DC 20008
(202) 483-3751
Mrs. llarold Sir.Idler
Dear Ka.Wah People.
I think you JUSt keep geuing better and bcuer! Congrntula11on~ on
puumg t.ogethcr an cons-1stently fine JOUmal.
But I'm upset! I can't believe Kataah of all plaec.,. lhousht 11 wns ok
to pnnt a want ad for "Christions Only." J really gOt goosct>umps when I '1111\
that ad. I wonder why none among you removed 1t from pnnt Did you think
it would offend no one? (Why?)
l~s so out or your charnctcr 10 print something discnmin:itmg "'h1ch
could only be painful to members of our emerging community I'm sure you
won't do u ngain. bu1 I want to let you know how I feel.
Sincerely.
Randee Brenner GoodslJl<h
Thanh for )'011.r kind words for 1~ Kaulah Journal. l\'t fttl that
inc/1Uw11 of 1~ ad is not 11uusarily n11.1 of choracta for ·1\'eb,.·orl11111"
which fr 111tt.ntkd to h('/p connect people cf t~ rtgwn with rach mhu. Thll.S
ii rtfkcu the divusity ofpeople and 111tuc1.11111~ rtgio11.
To i11dicatt that a f1U1ctio11 is "for chrwians 011/y" dot.< not
necessarily co1Utit11.1t discrimlflaJiDn. bw rather Is 1ntt!ndtd to connut
"'.t:mbus cf a s~cijic interest group. • tds
JC.a• ah Journm ptu)e 26
l.ltnlcr, 1989-90
�Hau Kauiah,
I am wriung lh1s lcllcr to you m reference to our ncwslcucr called
'echoes of lhc drum'.
I am interested m pulling 11 m the wcbworkmg section of lhc Katllah
Journal. Bui I wlll explain a liulc about ii before I go any further.
'echoes of lhc drum' 1s no1 your onlinnry ncwslcucr. It is not hke the
of the ocwslcucr~ that only put news in 11. The news thnt we put in the
newsleucr revolves around und1tional teaching or the Ntui\'C American
Indians and lho1r Sacred Red Road. h eamo 11bou1 as a need to be able to get
1r.1du1onal tcachmgs m10 the iron houses (prisons) throughout Tunic hlJlnd.
rcs1
I was a member of the Thunderbml Pmon Alliance. but when I saw
that their goal was ne>I to tench but to become an acthl't sort of group. I
separated myself from thc organi1.a1ion. And followed the mcditmc teaching
thu1 I was brought up in. As a Lakot.a and descendent of several medicine
icachers and trad1uon;ll leaders of my people, I left the radical a' u vi st ways
behind and chose 10 seek a more aauvc involvement in gcmng the trnduional
tcoch1ngs ms1dc the 1ronhouscs. And since money wns a big factor 111 not
being able to buy books frQm publishers. I <;ought a \•isie>n "hlte I was
inside lhc solitary confinement MX"llon of the Staunton Corrccuonal Center.
As I fasted and prayed to Wnkan Tan~a. the vision came 10 me. And m the
vision l saw the Ancestors calling out 10 me 10 tca.:h the teachings of all
indigenous tribes. and not just only the Lakota way,. Because 111-.dc the iron
houses there were more than JUSt Lakol<ls and behind the iron doors. The
vision told me 10 remember bad. to when the drums sounded out with
messages 10 the different villages. To become one with th•· 'ound of lhosc
drums. And Ihm was the bcgmmng of the' ision or which I now follow. And
1hal 1s where the ncwslcucr got 1lS name from. II h called 'cch<X!s of 1hc
drums'.
The hardcM pan afterwards wa.~ to spc.ik to the Eld.: rs and TClKhcrs of
the different tribes, to help me in this end<'.a,·or. And they saw the sUlt'Cfll)' in
whal I wa.~ doing. And th.:y have all come 1ogcth.:r and pro' id~ me 11. ith
teachings I will cnclo'e a copy of the ncw,lcuer. The next part was 10
resolve the issue or nm to wruc each and every warden of the different iron
houses 1hroughout Turtle hland. So I went to the Lihrary of Congress m
request for an I S S.N permit. And u 11.as granted. and therefore clc;mng
another step m getung the teachings inside the iron houses by way or a
ncwslcucr
And from the initial 75 ncwslcncrs that were sent lo 1hc guys and
women 1hroughou1 Turtle hl:md, the ncwskncr has grown to a ma1l111g l"t
of over four-hundred and flfiy now. And 1hc 1mponan1 thing 1s thal 1hc
ocw~lc11er 1s free or chargc. This is in ;icc;ordancc wnh the traditional 1c:11;hcrs
that I have gi,cn my word to, that I would m no way ~II what 1~ given to us
by th.: Grl'lll Sp1nt. And therefore I have done so. And II will be the pohr~
thal th.: newsleucr will never be sold, nor will then> Ile a -.uhscripuon r.i1e ror
ll.
The one message " 1hu1 the ncwslcuer is nQI onl) for 1nmale<. bu1
for ull who wisll to lcum from the teaching th:u arc in the newsletter>,
We don't a.sk for any donation for the ocw~lcncr. we asi.. that 1f
anyone wishes IO receive the ncwslcuer, tha1 lhcy help with the postage of it
We give to all that Wl.'h 11, whether they can aHorJ to send postage or not. It
will not be denied to anyone that wants 11. And our mo1lm1t hst 1s growing
daily. So 1f an)·onc who wishes to rccc1\'C it. they c311 do so by writing the
following people and they will be pul on the mailing li\t.
I.) Thundcrhawk, 157372, Editor
Rt.2Box Ill BIWld, VA 24315-9616
2.) Moonyccn Scay, Publi:>hcr
P.0 Box 860; Vcron;i, VA 2441!2
3.) Zandc Griffith, AsM. Editor, 'echoe.~ of the drum'
R.R. 1; Box 11 l·B: Pamphn. VA 23951!
From v. hat I ha\'c 11. riucn you may lake anylhmg oul of 11 and put 11
the Wcbworkmg scc1ion. Or 1f you choose 10, you may me and wnt.:
nhou11hc ncwslcucr once you have read 11. I will do~e thi' lcuc-r for now.
lllld m clo~1ng I Jlf8Y that th.: Four Wm<;h do grant you the People of Kat~1
Jllany of beautiful 'iOngs of joy. \\'akan Tanl;a ntCI un wclo.
I rClld your wonderful papcr and was cxcucd by it. You arc really
doing a grea1 thing by pubhshmg the kind~ of things you prin1. One
cmicbm: 11.hy nOI prim on recycled p:ipcr'!
Sintetcly,
Lonna Richmond
Kno~villc, Tcnncs.~
Good question! Ont wt've often cn11sidertd. With all our local
pruittr.<, rtcycltd paper would nu:an tlrat 1<-e would havt to bu}' o full roll of
rtcyclt:d new.<print UI an enormous prirt wt cll!lnot anywhere near afford.
Rccytlahlc f'<ll'e.T u tht be.ft wt con dQ riRht now. ·eds.
Dl:ar KatU.lh,
I just had 10 write and express appreciation for your summer '89
issue. It 1s a very thorough message mspinng all who read 11: to act rather
than to ri:act. JOin wilh others for peace, listen mlhcr th.an shove. Welcome
messages to a world or people rc.idy to run if we ,,lightly scno;c a hmt of
bcm!l pushed. And lhcn ...as I looked for your address I saw a book review on
/hr Chaliu arid Tiit Bladt--an incredible book I'm currently rtadmg Some
things ju,1 fall in place, don'1 they!
My heartfelt th:inks,
Brcc1.e Bum.\
Quincy, Florida
in
Visual comments on tefc~·ision by Thom Preston (left)
and Rob Messick (above).
Muakyc Cya.,m.
Thunikrhawk
1t K.Ul®n • 1.1 nDI paqd 27
;r.
''
Jour r '~
ft
�New ELF In Town
For six years Franklin and Susan Sides
have been head gardeners at the Mother Eanh
News demonstration gardens in Hendersonville
in the upper reaches of the French Broad River.
Now they have taken the first steps to distill their
collective experience into a self-published
newsletter that, in their words, "chases the soul
of gardening."
Rather than emphasizing the "how-to"
aspects of gardening, their small publication will
concern itself more with the delights and fears,
the successes and mistakes, the small revelations
and moments of humor that gardening brings.
The Sides are asking for help for their
infant publication. Quotes, shon articles, humor,
poems, prayers, leuers, diaries are all eagerly
solicited.
And, of course, chan er subscribers are
also welcomed. The first issue of this infant
publication is scheduled for March, 1990.
To contact Franklin and Susan Sides with
submissions or inquiries, write them at: Rt. I ,
Box 57; Fairview, NC 28730.
continued from p. 14
The increasingly critical planetary
environmental situation has led many activists,
both young and old, to the conclusion that polite
protestations are not enough ro solve our present
ills and that means of direct action arc necessary
to save life on Earth in all its many
manifestations.
This holds true for the Ka1uah Province as
well. A core group of fifty activists has fonned a
Southern Appalachian chapter of Earth First!, a
continental group known for its srrong stands
and creative actions on behalf of the planet and
all its species. The local chapter has taken the
name Earth Liberation Front (ELF).
The new group is action-oriented. At its
first meeting the chapter decided to make its
initial focus the controversy over cleareutting in
the watershed from which the city of Asheville
draws its drinking water and took 11 field trip out
to the area the following week.
"This is only a beginning," said one
activist, identified only as Roadkill, "The
natfonal forests are being decimated by roading
and habitat destruction, and rampaging
development is taking over more and more
available habitat area. Our goals are to bring an
awareness of the ecological law of 'carrying
capacity' to the human population he~ and to
restore wild habitat hy creating a large biosphere
preserve in the Southern Appalachians that
would be linked by connecting corridors to other
preserve areas up and down the whole
Appalachian Range "
To jom ELF in its effons as pan of Eanh
Fu-st! or for more information ahout the group,
write them at Box 17 I: Alexander. l\C; Katuah
Province 28701.
'-''=
'I $
~~ BARE
.~
..=.,.;
11'
:J
ESSENTIALS
Natural Foods
.~
..
Wine Making
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 K011iali Jmmw/. is now available to ;ill
as conference posters and T-Shins.
The poster. are beautiful. four·color 11" x
17'' renditions of the native species portrJll with
conference information below and are available
for $2.00.
The T-shins arc heavy-duty, all-cotton.
silkscreencd by Ridgerunner Naturals. Only
large and extra-large sizes remain. They are
available for$ l 0.50.
Prices include postage. NC residents
please add 5% sales tax.
All proceeds from the sale of these items
will support rescue actions for native habitat in
the Southern Appalachian forest.
Order fmm· KALANU
Box 282; Sylva, 1\C
Katuah Province 28789
•: Bulk Herbs, Spices, & Grmns
Vicamins & Supplcmcnrs
Wheat, Salt,
& Yeast-Free Foods
Dairy Substitutes
•• Hair & Skin Care Produus
•
I11 200 west Kini! Street. Boone NC 28607
.. \....
~\)-=-
:c
:c
111
__)~
704-264-5220
~·
=4'..
1
124 broadway
ashevJlc. nc
28801
]04-252-8..(04
carolina costume
compa11y
Katuah: Approval - giving 100% approval so
there's no failing involved - that's what's
lacking in our schools and why there's so
much fear. It's incredible when you see how
receptjve kids are to approval • 'cause Lhey
have so much to give.
Bonnie: It's attitudes. As the teacher walks
through that door - how the children respond
as a group is directly related to her attitude.
Directly. I've seen it so many times that l feel
it's an absolute truth. If the teacher is
affirmative and listens to the children and
inspires creativity then the children are eager
to learn.
Teachers all have to take psychology but if it's
not their interest they may nor use it. But
everybody's interested in what's fun and
funny. They say people learn 80% mo~e
effectively when they're laughing! Ev~~ tf
you're not using puppets you l'lln be pos111ve
and have joy in th.: classroom more often than
not.
Katuah: Could you say what you love most
about your work?
Ilonnie: h 's fun' I have a great time. ll's
definitely not something I cho:,;e - the puppet:;
chose me.
/
~
Beer &
Supplies
you could get literature in there, 100. But
there's so much specializing in schools that
you don't get to put things together. And
puppetry puts it together.
I'd like to see the<ltre become a standard pan of
elementary education ... for teachers to have to
take puppetry in order to be educators. I've
created workshops where I teach teachers how
to use puppets in the classroom and Textend
that to counselors and therapists ... anybody
who works with people. I'd like to get rid of
some of the rules and standards and replace
them with imaginative, affirmative attitudes
and teaching methods... then you're right on
the crux of the whole problem in the
institution.
801111ie Blue ca11 he camacted a1
PO Bo.\ lo57.
Asltcville. NC 28802 (7()./) 6./5-9918.
l\10LNTAIN ARTS PROGRAM
C'rc.1w.I 1n I IJ1!3, lh~ Mouniam Mts Progr-dm
(\!AP) ha." 'J'O!Nm.'d hundred' of ani,t·m rc,11kncc
rrogram< for sd1ool • in wc,tcm 1'C. \' isu;il anisl< .
dr~mall\IS, Jugi:lcr'. clo" ns, rn1111~'· mu,1cians,
crafl<Jl<.'Of>l.: and wr111 ""orl. in >ehool\ r11r a wc.:I••11
;i umc, 1yricall> '11<.·nJmg al kasl l\\O week' In a
rnun1v. Rcs1Jcnc1c' i:"c -iudcms an opponuniL}' 10
r:it1ic,1patc m tfifktcnl an forms With \\Or~ing
profc""onJh who ha'c ll tugh lc,cl of energy :inJ
,111hu,,..1.,m for their a.t. An) one intcrcslCJ m ha•mg
.1n ar11s1 1n their .s<. hoot may coma< I a "chool
.1dm1ni,1talor :ind rcq11~,I a 'l.tAP rrogr.un C'urrcntl)·
\IAP 1s .;cr,·mg 14 coun11c' with 27 .ir1""· An"tlrom ;ill d1sc1pllnc\ arc cnrnuragcd 10 a[>f>I). For
inronnouon or to reqllr\l llll ap1•ha111.. n, ""tc \11\P.
no, 11611. Bumw1lk:, ;-;c 21!71.!, (7(>1) f.8~·721'
t.>rntlr . t 989-90
�FOREST RESCUE IN THE KAT UAH PROVINCE
(An Ecological Manifesto for the Southern Appalachian
Bioregion)
These are program ideas drawn from the discussion at the
forest rescue action workshop. "For All Things Wild," held on
Saturday, OcLOber 28 at Warren Wilson College. The workshop
was held on the day following the conference "Restoring
Biodiversily in the Southern Appalachians: A Strategy for
SwvivaJ" and drew heavily on the ideas and analysis presented at
the conference.
All human use wirhin the biosphere preserve area must
conform to the demands of old-growth habita1 10 maintain ample
numbers of all native species. A grassroots initiative will be
needed to bring this issue before the federal Congress.
2) There can be no funher road construction within the
regional biosphere preserve, and we must begin clo~ing exi~ting
roads that in1erferc with the needs of old-growth habuat species.
The context for these proposals is the Preserve
Appalachian Wilderness proposal envisioned by Jamie Sayco of
New Hampshire. Put simply, the PAW proposal calls for a
system of large evolutionary or biosphere preserve areas along
the AppaJachian Mountain Range connected by wide mignuion
corridors to enable the movement of individual species and
genetic information up and down the length of the mountain
range. The preserves would maimain a variety of viable habitat
areas and characteristic ecosystems in protected landscapes large
enough to suppon the largest native carnivorous predators and
diverse enough to maintain all representative native species. (For
a more detailed explanation of the PAW proposal, see Ka11iah
Jour1111/, Issue 20.)
The "Restoring Biodiversity in the Southern Appalachians"
conference clearly demonslTated the necessity for profound and
immediate change. The Appalachian hardwood forest is being
severely compromised by human activities It may soon be unable
to fulfill its integral role in local and planetary life support. We
arc already in a crisis situation, and we need to think .and act
boldly to meet the ecological demands of our time. The current
political and social realities are self-serving and irrelevant due 10 a
distorted world-view which values the continued dominance of
Lhe human species al any cost. To conform to these present
realilies would only lead us further along a suicidal course. A
bold new vision based on ecological reality is required instead.
To correct the imbalance beLWeen the human inhabitants of
these mountains and our natural habitat, and to preserve the
original inhabitants - the native species - we must act. These arc
necessary first steps toward ecological sanity in the Katuah
Province:
l} A// the 3.5 million acres of public lands in the Southern
Appalachian Mountains shall be mandated to be a regional
biosphere reserve. AU inholdings need to be incorporated a~d the
national forests shall be extended to the purchase boundanes to
complete the biosphere preserve area.
'lljaee, '1\!tllngl 'Na@raj,s
T-S HIRTS. SWEATSHIRTS
For ADULTS and CHILDREN
ORIGINAL HAND·PRINTED
NATURE DESIGNS
3) Commercial logging in the biosphere reserve area must
cease. This would not be an undue economic hardship for the
region, as only 10% of the wood cut in the Southern Appalachian
region comes from the areas presently in national forest.
Compared 10 the ecological and social value of a large preserve
area, the dollar value of logging in the national forests is
inconsequential!
4) The Southern Appalachian Biosphere Preserve must be
connected to other natural areas. To this end:
- create a wide, viable wildlife corridor between the
Cherokee National Fores1 in Tennessee and the Jefferson
National Fores1 in Virginia
- re-define all major waterways as aquatic habimt corridors
from the mountains to the sea
- and create a corridor connection between the Southem
Appalachian bioregion and the Florida Peninsula biorcgion.
5) Bring human population lo a level within the ecological
carrying capacity of the bioregion - a size which does not
interfere wi1h the integrity or functions of the natural life
community in the Southern Appalachians.
,
Rather than promote accelerated growth, we must work to
decrease human numbers and impact to bring our species to its
proper level of influence within the region.
6) T ake a leading role in efforts to end atmospheric
deposition/air pollurion that is destroying the Southern
Appalachian forest and contributing to global warming.
7) Change our individual and social consciousness and
lifestyles to harmonize more closely with the natural conditions:#
the Southern Appalachian bioregion.
p
..
- David Wheeler
t!lti11ue At11p1111t/11re
all
Jler/J111D111 t!li11it
CALL or WRITE for
FREE COLOR CATALOG
DE..5 1GNS
by Rob \lessic.k
Jllus1ra11011 & Design
in Pen & Ink and Colored Pencil
Natural Food Store
& Dell
160 Broedw9y
Ashevllle, NC 28801
Wher9 Broedw9y ~
Mmmnon Ave & ~40
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Mond.)'·S.un:lay: lllim-8pm
Sund.y; f ptn-Spm
(704) 253-7656
Wl.ntcr, 1989- 90
~t.Uah )ournGt P'"Je 29
�RECYCLED PAPER! - Directory of products
sources for the sou~ Suggcsacd donation S 1.00
ao Western Norah Carolina Alliance, PO Box
18087. Asheville. NC 28814 (7~) 258-8737.
HOMESCHOOLING FAMILIES gaaher on a
weekly basis. weather permitting, at Lake Louise in
Weaverville, NC on Wednesdays from 11:30 am
until 1:30 • 2:30 pm. We arc a small group, very
mfonnal, and open to anyone who wanas to join us
to exchange energy, infonnauon, ideas. and
playume. For more information, call Alice
Coblcnu (7()4) 6S8-2676.
BIODYNAMICALLY GROWN Com seed.
Mini-pops to giant fillers. Varieue.~ for no-aill
wilhoua hclbicidcs • and fOf compos1 ralher lhan salt
rcnilization. For caaalog please send SASE 10 •
Union Agriculwral lnstituae, Ra. 4 Box 463S,
Blairsville. GA 30512.
MOUNTAIN DULCIMERS • m3de of black
walnua, red cherry. or maple. Tops available in
wormy chestnut. buuemut, swcctgum, o;o~fras.
western cedar, and other woods. ConlllCt: Mize
Dulcimer Company; RL 2. Box 288; Blounaville,
37617 (615) 323-8489.
GREENING CARDS· concspondencc and advocacy
cards for people who care. Onginal an reproduced m
color. (10% of proc;ccds don<lled ao proJCCLS ror peaoc
and jus11ce.) Wriae to Ginny Lentz. LovEanh
™
SEA KAYAKfNG ·Come enjoy peace and solitude
llllvehng wiah lhe rhylhms or lhe sea. Classes. day
trips, overnight aours, cusaom charters.
Kayal;/Sallboat tours 10 lhe Bllhamas. Knyak tours
to Cosaa Rica. For more informntion contaca:
Charlie Reeve:;; Sea Level Inc.: POB 478; Tybee
Island, GA 31328 (912)786-S8S3
Creations: Box 144S: Black MounaaJn, NC 28711.
MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS· habaJ salves,
tincaures. &: ojls for birthing cl family health. For
brochure, please wriac: Moon Dance Fann: RL I,
Bolt 726: Hampton.
37658.
™
SCffiNCE TEACHER, ecologically aware, dcsm:s
land in KatUah, preferably E. Tenn. or W. North
Carolina for evenaual il\Mbiaauon. Mu.~1 lie well
w/ road fronaage. Conaaca: B. Bicmullcr: Soulh
Brunswick H.S.: Mammoch JcL, NJ 08852.
AUTHOR SEEKING RECIPES for wild fOOds
10 comribuaors JR book
upon publication. Recipes needed for fi'lh. game,
wild plants. Thomas K. Squier, N.D.: Ra. I, Box
216; Abcrdc<:n NC 28315.
cookbook. Will give c.rcdia
CONSCIOUS COUPLE & infana, wish 10
learn/wort on organic farm for housing + slipcnd
OR carelake a residence on acreage. Very comm1aed
and sincere. Wana to leave ahc cuy and profcss10ns
to work IOW8rd scU sufficiency. Can rcloc:ue Cllrly
June '90. Open to Options. Please Con13c:1; Dan &
Barb Umbcrget: 347 Sinclair Ave. N.E.; Allanm.
GA 30307. (404) S21-2971
SKYLAND • log on to the computer bulletin board
or the Smokies. Networking. plus new~ on the
environment. natwc photography. giuncs. compuaer
utilities, much more. Conaiiet Michael Havelin.
sysop, (704) 254-7800.
NATIJRAL CHILDBIRTH CLASES 'PCCiali1mg
In Lile Bradley Method. Classes arc small and
include nutrition physiology. consumerism.
parenting skills, and rclaxaaion and labor SUJll'O'I
techniques. For more informaaiOn call or write
Maggie Sachs; 808 Florida Ave.: Bri~tol, TN
37620. (61S) ?M-2374.
"THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT" • a complete
report on our changing cmironmcna for lhc ncxa 60
years. $17.00 po~tpaid, or write for more
information. Lorien House; POB 1112; Blac~
Mountain, NC 28711-1112.
•
PURE SORGHUM - and sorghum based dcsscr~
toppings and chocolates. Handmade m the
Appalachian (OOthiUs. Free sorghum recipe bto.:hure
send SASE. Candy sampler (2-KY Buckeye~ &
2-Bourbon Balls) S2.00 J>Cl'\lpaid. Golden Kcntuc:ky
Products; POB 246: livmgslOO, KY 40445. (606)
453-9800.
X.Oti&ah Jo\4rno! p"'Jl' 30
WANTED: HOUSE TO RENT. Profo..
"S1onal ccllha
and arust with one child are IOOking for a country
house. m lhC SUITOUn<ling A1.hev1llc, NC area from
June I, 1990. Please conuact Ron & Rachel
ClearfielJ: 7800 Colhn.~ Avenue; Miami Beach Fl..
33141 (305) 86S-048 I.
CIRCLES RETURNING • a new cassette by Bob
Avery•Grul>cl' This JS music 10 touch lhc soul and
heal ahe heart. Lynes included. To order send SIO
per casscuc to: Bob Avcry·Grubcl; Rt l Box 735:
Floyd, VA 2400 I
St..~FOODS • fresh. hand-made herbal skin
prepwaaions at '="able onces. Send for price list~
106 E. Ma111 SL. Johnson City. TN 37601
REMEDY FOR rnE COMMON COLD?· I've
found one; it\ natural and 11 works Send S3 and
your SASE to: Heaven on Enrah; 482 Whue Oal.
Cle Rd.; Burnsvlllc, NC 28714.
RENEWAL PROGRAMS· I prov1Jc mdiv1dual and
corporate renewal programs for bus1ncsse~ &
organi1.ations interested m hcahng thcmsclvc~ and
providing cmpowcrmcna 10 oth.:~. Wrote· Kalh1c
Pieper c/o Pieper A~~oc1ntcs: Ra I, Box 238:
Waync.~v1llc, NC 28786.
CREATION SOAP- lund·crnfacd herbal soaps from
the Blue Ridge Mounwn.~. Rose and bvcndet soaps,
mo1>1uri1.mg bar, slumpoo/cond1t1oncr bar. Contnet
Anna: RL I, Box 278; Blowmg RoU, NC 28605
(7™) 262-2321.
YOGA FOR ALL AGES- Ongoint; cla.<;:;C.S m the
Asheville lllC;l, workshops for group~. aml rnvaac
sessions. Give your..clr the s1fa or wellness and
peace. For more 1nfonna11on .:all Bo~ Kelly
(704) 2.S4-8698.
ORGANIC HONEY· Tulip Poplar, Sourwood,and
Wildnowet. From Patrick Counay, Virginia. No
chemicals. no white sugar, no hC11t, ever. Strained
through cheesecloth and packed JR heavy glass
canning J31'S. For a 4-oz. sample of our premium
sourwood and our catalog, send S4 10: Wade
Buckholas & Megan Phillips; Route 2. Box 248:
Stuart, VA 2A 171. (703) 694-4571
STIL-LIGHT THEOSOPHICAL RETR EAT
CENTER • a quiet sp3Ce for personal mediaalion,
group inaerneaion through study, and community
won:. and ~p1titual '1Cm1rnir;. Conmca Leon Frankel;
RL I, Box 326; Waynesville, NC 287116.
MOCCASINS, bnndcruftcd of elkhide in ahc
trlld1lionnl Plains Indian style. W:ucr rc,~iswna,
resoluble, and rugged • gtC<lt for hiking! Children's
and infana sizes available. \'/rue: Blue Feather
Mocca~ms: Box 931: Asheville. NC 28802, or call
Pollick Clark Bl (7~) 2S3-5<};7.
NATURE LOVERS' COMMUNITY • Chrisainns
only. S1000 gives you hfctimc owncl'>h1p righlS on
.S acres. Whole propetty consists of -is acres of
wooded calm and privacy. Write: Gospel Ministry;
P.O. Box 6S4: Clinton, TN 37717.
RHYTHM .6LIVE • Handcrafacd African- Style
Drums, workshops. learning tapes, drumbng_~. and
aacssoncs. Please send SASE IO Rhythm Ahvc!;
SS Phaux Cove Rd.: Weaverville, NC 28787 {704)
645-3911.
NEW AGE · group forming. All mtcrc~aed m
\haring about spirit to spirit commun1cotion,
channchng. v1suah1auon, hc;ihng, chokrns, IMOI,
etc. Emphasis on spmt and our connccaion to
Mother Earth, v1suaH1mg po~11ivc growth and
nurturing Conaact· Thcrc"a Carlson; ?SOI Ruic
Rd .. Knoxville. TN 37920.
WJ:BWORKING 1s free. Send submLssioos to:
Kattlah Journal
P.O. Box 63R
Lc1.:.:,acr. NC
Katllah Province 211748
Wint.er, 1989- 90
�The Kan1ah Journal wanrs ro communicate your thoughts and
feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send them
to us as le11ers, poems, stories, articles. drawings. or pliowgraphs,
etc. Please send your comributions to us aJ: Kati/ah Journal; P. 0 .
Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kati/ah Province 28748.
The Spring 1990 issue of the Ka11foh Journal will be
focusing on "Wellness in the Mountains." We are looking for
information and aniclcs on !hose who contribu1e to the heahhful
quality of life in our southern mountains; especially through
activities which promote self-responsibility and a high level of
wellness as the normal living state.
Issue 28 of the KatUa11 Journal (Summer, '90) will take up
the topic of "Carrying Capacity" and the burgeoning impact of the
human presence and human teehnology in !he mounrains. The issue
will look beyond the last induscrial smoke-cloud and past the end of
real estate, when we apply !his imponant ecological principle to our
own selves.
BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE
ISSUE THREE · SPRING 1984
Sustainable Agricuhure • SunJlowcn • HWTWI
Impact on Ille Fon:st • Cltlldrcns' Education
Veronica Nicholas:Wom1n m Poli11cs • Linle
People • Medicine Allies
ISSUE FOUR · SUMMER 1984
WateT Drum • WalCT Quality . Kudzu - Solu
Eclipse • Clc.vcuuing · Trout • Going IO Waler
Ram Pumps - MICIOhydro - Poems: Bennie
Lee Sinclair, nm Wayne Miller
ISSUE FIVE . FALL 1984
Hll'Vcst • Old Ways in Cherokee . Girucng ·
lofuclear Wu1e • Our Celtic Heritage ·
Bioregionalism: Past, Pre""t, and Future •
John Wilnoty • Healing DatlaiC$S • Politics of
Participation
ISSUE SIX · WINTER 1984-&s
Winier Solstice Eanh Ceremony • Horsepastur<
River • Coming of the Light • Log Cabin
Rooia • MO\llll&in Agiculture: The Right Crop
- William Taylor ·The Future of the Forest
ISSUE SEVEN · SPRING 198S
Sustainable Economics - Hoi Springs • Worker
Ownership - The Great Economy . Self Help
Credit Union - Wild Turkey • Responsible
Invuting • Woricing in lhc Web of Life
ISSUE ElGIIT - SUMMER 198S
Cclcbntion: A Way of Life · KauW. 18,000
Ye«n Ago • S-W Sites • Folk Arts in Ille
Schools • Sun Cyclr./Moon Cycle • Poems:
Hilda~ . Chuobe HaUa&e Cenll::r.
Who Owns Appilachia?
ISSUE NINE· FALL 198S
The Waldu Forest - The Trees Speak •
Mi&ratin& Forata • Hone Louina - Swtini a
TrecCrop • UtbanTrea -AQQQI Bn:.od . Myth
Tmo
ISSUE TEN · WINTER 198S-i6
Kate Rogers • Circles of Sionc • Internal
Mylllmaking • Holistic Healing on Trial •
Poems: Steve Kmulll • Mytltlc Places • The
Uktena's Tale • Crystal Magic
"OrcamspW.ina"
ISSUE TWENTY ..ONE • Fall, 1988
Chutnuts: A Natunl Hwory • Restoring the
Chc:AAut . "Poem or Preservation and Praise"
Continuing the Quest - Forests and Wildlife
Chestnuts in Regional Diet - Chestnut
Resources • Herb Note . Oood Medicine:
"Changes to Come" • Re•iew: Wliuc legmds
Live
ISSUE ELEVEN · SPRINO 1986
Community Pl1nning - Cities and the
Bioregional Vision - Recycling • Community
Gardening· Floyd County, VA - Gasohol •
Two Bioreglonal Views • Nuclear Supplement
Foxfire Games · Ooocl Medicine: Visau
ISSUE TWENTY-TWO · W°U11er, '88--89
Global Warm.ing • Fire This Tune - Thomu
Berry on "Bioregions" · Earth E.xcrc:is4' . Kort
Loy McWhiru:t - An Abundance or Emp<inea
LETS - Cllroniclea of Floyd • Darry Wood .•
TheBIOlltClm
ISSUE THIRTEEN . Fall 1986
c - For Awakening • Elizabelll Callari - A
Gentle Death • Hospice • Ernest Morgan Dealing Creatively with Death • Home Burial
Box • The Wake • The Raven Moc.ku •
Woodslorc and Wildwoods Wisdom • Oood
Medicine: The s.._ Lodge
ISSUE TWENTY-THREE - Spring, 1989
Pisgah Village • Pl111e1 An - Orcen City Poplar Appeal - "CllOllt Sky" · "A New Eulh"
Black Sw1n • Wild IAvcly Days - Reviclwa:
Socred Land Socr«d Sa; Ice "6«. Poem:
"Sudclcn Tc:ndrits"
ISSUE FOURTEEN . Winter 1986-87
lJoyd C.rt Owle • Boogers Ind Mummcn • All
Species Day • Cabin Fever Univonity •
Homeless in Kaulah • Homemade Hot Wat..Stovemalter's Narrative - Oood Medicine:
Interspecies Communic:alion
ISSUE EIOITTEEN. Winter 1987-88
Vamcular Archilecture • Dreams in Wood and
Sione • Mountain Home • Earth Energies •
Euth-She.llcred Uving • Membrane Houses •
Brush Shelter • Poems: Octobu DWJt. • Good
Medicine: "Shell.Cr"
ISSUE FlFTE.E.N • Spring 1987
CoverlelS • Wom1n Forester - Susie McMahan
Midwife • Alternative Contraception •
Bioscxuality • Bion:gionalism 1nd Women Oood Modicinc: MAlriudW Culture - Petarl
ISSUE NINETEEN · Spring. 1988
Perelmdra Cl~ · Spring Tonics • Blueberries
WildOower Gardens - Cranny Herbalist •
Flower Eucnces • "The Origin of lhc Animals:
Siory. Good Modlcinc: "Power" - Be AT"'°
ISSUE SIXTEEN · Summer 1987
Helen Waite • Poem: Visions in a Garden •
Vision Quest - First Flow • lnitillion •
Leaming in the WUclemess • Cherokee
OWJcnp - -Valuing Trees"
ISSUE TWENTY · Summer. 1988
l'luave AppaJacru.n Wildr:mw · HiaJ!landl
of Roan • Cclo Community - l.IDd Trust Anh11r MOf1111 School - Zonin1 luue • .,,,_
Ricl&e" • Farmers and \he Farm Bill • Good
Medicine: "lMld" - Acid Rain - Duke's Power
Play · Chaokee Miaohydro Projoc:t
ISSUE TWENTY ·FOUR - Summer. '89
Deep Listt:rting · Life in AIOmic C"lly - OiftlCt
Actlonl · Tree of Pe.ce • Commuruty Buildlftg
Pcaccmaltcrs - Ethnic Survival • Pairing
Project • "Ba.tllesong" • Growing Peace in
Cullurea · Review: Tltc Clta/iuOlld IN Blatk
ISSUI! TWENTY-FIVE· FALL. 1989
The Gn:at Forest • Resl.orina Old Orowtlt •
Regional Planning • Tunbcr • Forest Roada
Poem: Sparr- Hawk. · A Pl..:e f« Bun •
'7/uu FLU 1/tc RtWi HLaElfl" • l!utern
P1nthcr • Oak Decline • People md Habiw
Wtld S--n.s - Daner Fair
- - - ---- - - - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - - -- ---- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - ~UAtt)OURNAL
P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748
Formo~info:
Name
Regular Membership........ $10/yr.
Sponsor.........................$20/yr.
Contributor.....................$50/yr.
Address
City
call Mamie Muller (704)683-1414
State
Zip
Enclosed is $
to give
this ejfon an exua bOOst
I can be a local contaet
Area Code
loll.mer, 1989-90
Phone Number
person for my area
Back Issues
=
Issue# __@ $2.50 S_ _
Issue# _@ $2.50 = $_ _
Issue# __@ $2.50 = $_ _
Issue# __@ $2.50 = $_ _
Issue#_@ $2.-59= $_ _
Complete Set (3-1 J, 13-16,
18-25)
@
S3s.oo =s__
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 26, Winter 1989-1990
Description
An account of the resource
The twenty-sixth issue of the <em>Katúah Journal</em> focuses on children and parents: their roles in family and in the bioregion. Authors and artists in this issue include: Thomas Berry, Samala Hirst, Ellie Kincade, Linda Metzner, Lucinda Flodin, Martha Perkins, Jan Verhaeghe, Christina Morrison, Karen Watkins, Doug Woodward, Trish Severin, Susan Griesmaier, Aviva Jill Romm, Tom Youngblood-Petersen, Rob Messick, Will Ashe Bason, Jermain Mosely, Marnie Mikell, James Rhea, Martha Tree, and David Wheeler. This issue also features an interview with Bonnie Blue, puppeteer. <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
1989-1990
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Coming of Age in the Ecozoic Era by Thomas Berry.......1<br /><br />Kids Saving Rainforests by Samala Hirst.......4<br /><br />Kids' Treecycling Company.......5<br /><br />Conflict Resolution and the Family by Ellie Kincade.......6<br /><br />Developing the Creative Spirit by Linda Metzner........8<br /><br />The Balloon is a Unicorn by Artspirit Studio.......9<br /><br />Birth Power by Lucinda Flodin and Martha Perkins.......10<br /><br />Birth Bonding by Jan Verhaeghe.......11<br /><br />The Magic of Puppertry: An Interview with Bonnie Blue by Christina Morrison and Karen Watkins.......12<br /><br />Home Schooling by Doug Woodward and Trish Severin.......15<br /><br />Ceremony: Traditional.......16<br /><br />Mother Earth: The Natural Classroom by Susan Griesmaier.......18<br /><br />Biodegradable Diapers by Aviva Jill Romm.......18<br /><br />Resources........19<br /><br />Gardening Tips for Children by Tom Youngblood-Petersen.......19<br /><br />Natural World News.......20<br /><br />"From the Diary of a Modern Child" by Rob Messick.......24<br /><br />Pocket Cultures by Will Ashe Bason.......24<br /><br />Drumming.......26<br /><br />Forest Rescue: An Ecological Manifesto.......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</em> <em>Mountaineer</em> Press
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern
Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern
Puppeteers
Conflict management
Natural childbirth
Child rearing--Appalachian Region, Southern
Home schooling
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 Mountains
Appalachian Studies
Bioregional Definitions
Black Bears
Community
Education
Electric Power Companies
Folklore and Ceremony
Forest Issues
Habitat
Hazardous Chemicals
Health
Katúah
Poems
Politics
Radioactive Waste
Reading Resources
Recycling
South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness)
Transportation Issues
Turtle Island
Villages
Western North Carolina Alliance
Wilderness
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
-
https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/598a93ab849d56cc32fb22505a37f177.pdf
35ca04365bb9bc976cdc8ee253cc5a52
PDF Text
Text
ISSUE 30 SPRING 1991
$1.50
�=·
- ·
=
•
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 •
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To COMMUNITY AND Gooo Fooo
255-7650
~
90 Biltmore Avenue Asheville, :-.:c
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(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
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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 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
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<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
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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)
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/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...
,__,, J
I
f
�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 '•'
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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
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ISSUE 35 SUMMER 1992
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�Drawing by Rob Messick
~UAHJOURNAL
PO Box 638
Leicester, NC
Katuah Province 287 48
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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.
8
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�(continued from page I)
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
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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
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• 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
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=
• ~-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
Q.8"118"
An Alternative
NATURAL MARKET
WHOLE rooos • OULK
FOODS • VITAMINF..S • Hf:R!lS
• FAT FREE FOODS • TAKE
OUT FOODS• SNACKS• NO
SALT, NO CHOLESTEROL
265-2700
823 Blowing Rock Ad
Boone NC 28607
~
»
speaking fpr fhe earfh.
--,
Union Acres
Rob Messick
Rt. 8, Box 323
Lenoir, NC 28645
't
lllll • &.234
t1<nc1enonw,..,..c;ie1)!1
C~t\b~~, M.C.
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
gro~ery
.
·.
.;·,:
..
,,
r,..
~
NATURAL
ALTERNATIVES
FOR HEALTHFUL
LIVING
146 !.'.parkway craft .:<'ntcr • suit<' 11
gatlinburg, tcnncss"<' 37'738
615-436-6967
�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:
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, 26-27, 29-34)
postage paid @ $50.00 = $._ __
Xntuoh )otimitt
page'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>.
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 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
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 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
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
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/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