1 50 13 https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/bd92e4fbc33066336189ab94cb2cebd3.pdf faafa5c5af75e827adb96e85cb965890 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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah Journal Index, 1983-1993 Description An account of the resource This document is a topical index to all 38 issues of <a href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/items/browse?collection=79" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians</a>.   Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians,  later simplified to  Katúah 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. Subject The topic of the resource Bioregionalism--Periodicals--Indexes Sustainable living--Periodicals--Indexes North Carolina, Western Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rob Messick Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993 Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 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 Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1990s 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 https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/cb0662a1107e02a736e92f90cdc2f90f.pdf ef8b9a0b28d5d27d2222512b00b4eb12 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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, Issue 11, Spring 1986 Description An account of the resource The eleventh issue of the Katúah Journal 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. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. 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 Digging In: A Model.......2 Cities and the Bioregional Vision.......6 Recycling: Garbage in Transition.......7 Community Gardening.......9 The World Village: A Poem.......10 Seeing the Future Village.......10 Floyd County, VA.......12 Gasohol.......14 Two Bioregional Views.......15 Earthquake: The Nuclear Supplement Natural World News.......18 Good Medicine: Visions.......20 The Children's Page.......21 Review: Foxfire Games.......23 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. 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 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 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/4759449/floyd-county.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 Floyd County (Va.) 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) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s 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-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/9c9bcfa84bab600d115a13527a96a8e5.pdf ba44c7456e39946ba15dc380372c8e1e PDF Text Text $JOO ISSUE XIII FALL 1986 Will the Circle Be Unbroken ..... �ci u CC~ N 2 wt::-tflM 0 ~ .. . CJ~t-J::N ~a::io~:O ~ a:: N (I) oz~j ~ 0 ::> 2 u M N ,... CIO N THE CENTER FOR AWAKENING.....................................................1 INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH CALLARl.. .................................3 REVIEW: A GENTI.E OEAru............................................................ 5 J-OSPICE...............................................................................................6 REVIEW: PEALING CREATIVELY WITH DEATH ........................7 INTERVIEW WITH ERNEST MORGAN...........................................7 J-OME BlJRIAL BOX. ...........................................................................9 THE WAK..E.........................................................................................11 STORY: "GOOD NIGHT FROM SHADOWS FALL"......................13 POEM: "THE RAVEN MOCKER".....................................................15 GOOD MEDICINE: THE SWEAT LODGE. ......................................16 NATURAL WORLD NEWS.............................................................. 18 REVIEW: WQQOSLQBE AND W!LDWOOQS WISOQM.............. 21 ~ .... s Q ~ w E-t en g ~ A: 0 z tl .. ~ tj ~ g tJ ._ 0 M a u u M ,... CIO en >< t! Q i en .. ' ~ �ISSUE XIII FALL 1986 ,, ~ ... .. --- i\~ Death is an ,l . • .. i~ti,;,ate, integral pan of the whole Life cycle. Not just part of the human experience, it is part and :i parcel of a.ll life -- from the microscopic to the macroscopic. The rhythms of life and death pulse through every chord of the universe...as the exchange of life from one form to another continues and continues. Death, then, is a process to be appreciated and respected ...and even, when held in awe, celebrated. However, in this culture which surrounds us, death is frightening to many ...avoided by most. This culture escorts us past the reality of death and attempts to insulate us from its comings and goings. Only isolated instances "pop" out, every once in a while, and serve as reminders of a greater Truth. The "pushing through" from life to death and beyond...the "pushing through" from fetus to the birthing and beyond...How different can they be...how much the same. This issue is devoted to sharing with each other in a community exploration into death and dying. It is also an attempt to understand how we here in KatUah can together tie the celebrated mystery of death and dying back into our lives and our human culture. A ~- . .. VISIT TO THE CENTER FOR AWAKENING The Center for Awakening rests in fifty-seven acres of rolling foolhills between the Brushy Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains in Boomer, North Carolina. The Center was founded by Elizabeth Callari, R.N. as a place where people can "consciously live and consciously die". Herc, tenninally ill people can come, when their life expectancy is measured in weeks rather than months, 10 receive the emotional, physical and spiritual suppon they need to make the uansirion inro death. Whatever one's belief system, race, sex, age, diagnosis - all arc welcome. The program of care includes music as well as good food, beautiful rural environment, meditation, massage therapy, use of color, imagery, humor, and medication prescribed by the guest's physician. The emphasis is on death as "the final stage of growth" (Kubler-Ross). It is regarded as a natural life experience in which love and caring suppon plays a vital role. A "tour" of the Center includes, first, a visit to the hill where a grove of seven stately trees arc firmly rooted in the earth, beaconing out to the whole vicinity. This is the "male energy" spot, as Elizabeth describes it. Then, a visit to the deeply peaceful Holy Hill where the "female energy" resides. Here a towering oak greets you - it has been snuck with lightning at least four rimes, but the scars seem only to add to its strength and beauty. Coming down from the hill, you see the beginnings of the Gaian gardens which arc being nunured and humored by Herb Appell, a volunteer. He plans to use biodynamic methods which have been so successful at Findhom. A grant from the Broyhill Foundation is helping to develop this project. Next is the old fannhousc where a large butterlly - the Center's emblem - hovers on the second story. This old - conlinutd on page 3 KATIJAH - page 1 Fall 1986 �EDITORIAL STAFF nns ISSUE: Rob Messick Scott Bird Manha Overlock Chip Smith Manha Tree Judith Hallock David Wheeler Mamie Muller Michael Red Fox Brad Stanback EDITQRIAL ASSISTANCE: Tom Hendricks Brooks Michael Jeff Fobes Special thanks to Tom Schulz J. Linn Mackey Sara Jane Thomas IIDITQRIAL OFFICE THIS ISSUE: Asheville, NC PRIN'TED BY: Sylva fu!s!Q Publishing Co. Sylva, NC WRITE US AT: TELEPHONE: (704) 252-9167 KlnWl Box 873 Cullowhee, NC 28723 SUJ1emen1 ofPurpose The ln1emal Revenue Service hu declared~ a non-profi1 oraanization under section SOl(c)(3) or the lniemal RcYCnuc Code. All contributions lo Kl1ftJ.h arc deductible from personal income w. JR\1E>C:lll'l0R Here in the sowhern-most heartland of w ApJXJlachian mountains, the oldest mountain range on our continent, Turtle Island, a small but growing group has begun to take on a sense of responsibility for the implications of that geographical and cultural heritage. This sense of responsibility centers on the concept of living within the natural scale and balance of universal systems and laws. We begin by invoking the Cherokee name HKatllahH as the old/Mw name for this area of the mountains and for its journal as well. The editorial priorities for us are to collect and disseminate information and energy which pertains specifically to this area, and to foster the awareness that the land is a living being deserving of our love and respect. Living in this manner is the only way to ensure the sustainability of our biosphere and a lasting place for ourselves in its conti11ui11g evolutionary process. We seem to have reached the fulcrum poim of a "do or die" situation in terms of a continued quality srandard of life 011 this planet. It is the aim ofthis journal tO <k> itS part in the re-inhabitation and re-culturation of the KatU.Oh province of the Sow/tern Appalachians. This province is indicated by its natural boundaries: the New River vicinity to the north; the foothills ofthe piedmont area to the east; Yono Mountain and the Georgia hills to the sowh; and the Tennessee River Valley to the west. Humbly, as self-appointed stewards with sacred instructions as "new nativesH to protect and preserve its sacredness, we advocate a centered approach tO the concept of decenrralization and hope to become a support system/or those accepting the challenge of sustainability and the creation of harmony and balance in a rotal sense, here in this place. Ever desireless, one can see the mystery Ever desiring, one can see the manifestation These two spring from the same source but differ in name; This appears as darkness. Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery. We welcome all correspondence, criticism, pertinent information, articles, artwork, etc. with hopes that KIHfulh will grow to serve the be.st interests ofthis region and all its living, breathing family members. • The Edirors • The Tao Tc Cbinr (as translated b;y Gia Fu-Feng) KATUAH ·page 2 Fall 1986 �- continued rom p. J homestead has been completely renovated and is where some of the volunteers reside. Then, there is the new modular home where staff person Greg Burazer and his family live. Last year, the Center received a $63,900 grant from the Kate RENOVATED FAR.\1HOUSE AT CESTER B. Reynolds Health Care Trust Fund to help with this building project. On up the hill is a mobile home donated by an individual as a volunteer residence. At the crest of the hill overlooking the valleys arc Elizabeth's home, the Center's office, the shared dfoing area and the guests' quarters - all in one complex. It's a double-wide mobile home with an addition. There is a large deck, bordered by well-cared for garden an:as, laden with flowers. These flowers were put in and cared for by Elizabeth's mother, Hilde Spittler, who is able to come and volunteer at the Center for part of each year. The guest area can accommodate up to three guests which is the total number for which the Center is currently licensed. Outside the guests' quarters is a fenced-in area for any pets that guests may want to bring with them. They arc encouraged to do so. The Center is more than just a place for dying. rt also serves as a place for enriching the quality of life of those living. Weekend retreats are held here by church groups and study groups. Periodically, the Center itself hosts retreats and workshops designed to heighten consciousness. The Center is incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization whose administration is supervised by a Board of Directors. Board members include homemakers, nurses, a banker, a clergyperson, a funeral director, a school teacher, an attorney, a physician's assistant and o ther business and health care professionals from Wilkes and nearby counties. Elizabeth Callari serves as director of the Center and is assisted by staff Shirley Brinks and Greg Burazcr and a core of dedicated volunteers like Abbie Echerd (see photo, next page). Volunteers arc invited to give hours, ~. years in exchange for lodging and meals and the e sfaction of working in such a rewarding environment. There are no charges to the guests or their families for room, meals or for nursing care. They are only responsible for the costs of medicaJ, legaJ, funeral, and personal expenses. Visitors are always welcome to come to the Center, but it is imponant to call or write in advance: Center f or Awakening, P.O.Box 46, Boomer, NC 28606; (919)~ 921-2228. , KatUah editor Marnie Muller visited Lhe Center for Awakening and shares with us these two articles - one on the Center, the other an interview with 1he Center's founder, Elizabeth Callari. (photos by Mamie Muller) CENTER FOR AWAKENING An Interview with Elizabeth Callari Elizabeth S. Callari, RN, is founder and direcwr of the Center for Awakening. Here she tells the story of the Center's growth in her own words: Abou1 ten or eleven years ago, I met Elizabeth Kubler-Ross - actually I was pushed into her path because I had such a fear of death. It had interfered with my life to the point where I could not function. I had experienced six immediate family deaths within a two-year period and there was no one to help me. I began to question - what is going on in our country that we have such a fear of death, that a clergyperson can't talk about it, a doctor cen ai nly can't talk about iL Your friends don't want to talk about it because they don't want to see you in pain and hurting so they choose not to talk about it and pull away. What is goi ng on here that this is such a fearful life experience? Then I spent a week with Kubler-Ross and she helped me get some of these feelings out on the table. I was brought up in a family where your personal feelings, you keep to yourself and you just "be good". If someone dies and you're feeling sad, don ' t cry ...everything's okay. Well, it's not okay. There arc feelings that everyone of us has, no matter how deep or how superficial the relationship is with that person. There arc still feelings that need to be addressed and recognized and you need to be allowed to express them. So afte r I spent a week with Elizabeth she then basically pushed me out the door and said "It's time for you to stan a hospice" and I said, "How do you spell it?". That's how basic it was. I guess th at was a little more than ten years ago... well, the hospice I started in the Tampa Bay-Clearwater area is having its 10th anoiversary...so ten years ago . A group of KA TUAH • page 3 LARGE BELL ON DECK AT CENTER five of us got together and staned that hospicc--the first one in Florida and probably the third in the United States. We were very new at it and didn't really have anyone to go to for guidelines ...so it was a struggle - but it was a wonderful struggle. In 1982, I knew I had to leave Florida but I didn't know where I was going. I had started writing a book and thought "Well, I think I'm going to try the mountains of Nonh Carolina". I had never even been to North Carolina. I - continued on next page Fall 1986 �• continued Crom page 3 we.n t up there and found a nice little house to rent near Blowing Rock and then returned back to Florida. The day after Christmas of that year, I was visiting relatives on the east coast of Florida. Driving back home, there was an incredible rainstorm and a young man pulls out from the other lane and hits me head-on. At the moment of impact, I knew I had a choice -1 could leave or I could stay. And I remember saying out loud, "Okay, God, here I come" and then there was like a switch "No, I'm going to stay." But it was such a profound experience. The next moment, I found myself under the dashboard, almost laughing, saying "I wonder what's waiting for me now". Nothing is coincidence, everything has a purpose. And as confusing as this whole thing was - being there and experiencing paramedics, experiencing curious people, my leg being crushed, my arm split open...going "you know, this is interesting" - it was like I was watching everybody act and react. Finally, I was brought to the hospital and went through all the fear and pain that most people go through but yet inside was very peaceful, very peaceful. A few days later, the doctors said that I probably would not walk again. A few years before that I was told that I had cancer and probably bad only a year to live - and I didn't buy into it. So I dismissed that statement immediately and started to heal myself...with music .. and color and imagery. I still have problems in this leg, but I'm walking! So the next step was getting to North Carolina where basically I wanted to retire - semi-retire - finish writing my book and do mostly lecruring. No more taking care of the individual person who was dying. That was the ego speaking. As a result of the accident, the spiritual pan of me became very real...and I got in touch with h ...and when I was in the greatest pain one night going "Oh my goodness, North Carolina, what am I going to do when I get there? I have this little house in the mountains. It doesn't have a ramp. What am I going to do in the snow? " All this, then my mind became very quiet and I received a clear, audio message - only one - and it was very clear that I was being given an opportunity to do something else...but I had a choice. I had a choice, and they said if you choose to do this work you will get all the help you need. And that was such an incredibly deep cballenge,1 didn't know how I could say 'no'. They gave me the name for this place and the work that would be done. And I simply put it down on paper so it was all written down. The next morning 1 looked at it and I was just amazed. You know, even now, I feel myself reacting to it. So, I made a decision that yes, I would go ahead and start this place which would be called The Center for Awakening and it would be a place where people could live and die consciously. One of the most difficult things I've found in sitting with people who are dying is being there and not getting caught up in their space of "why did I go through life this way? Why didn't I do the things I really wanted to do? Here I am dying and I haven't even lived!" Consciously living and consciously dying is what this center is all about. With the help of some friends, I moved into my little house in Blowing Rock in April and the next day we had a six inch snowfall, which was really interesting because 1 had just spent seven years in Florida and I thought it was wonderful! As soon as I could get out, I mentioned to an acquaintance up there that I was looking for some land. He said that he had just put some land on the market in a town called Boomer. So he took me on this land. It was the first time I had been in a pickup truck and he put me on the tailgate because my leg wouldn't bend enough to get into the cab. He took me on the top of this bill and there were seven trees ... and I knew. I was always asking "please show me some sign" because here I am an urban person, having lived in the big city, coming out here onto land that I know nothing about. So I said "please show me a sign where I'll know without any doubt that this is the piece of land that the work is supposed to be done on." So there were the seven trees and that to me was clear....and the land itself felt very good tome. The next day I came down here by myself and then I talked with the owner about the cost and how to finance it and be insisted that we have twenty thousand cash before we could close on it. l knew I was going to be getting some money as a result of the accident - that's really the main KATUAH - page 4 purpose of the accident because that money helped Stan this place. But, I didn't know where twenty thousand was coming from. That night I got really quiet and the thought came in, "call your brother-in-Jaw". Before my father died, he set up a foundation, some 18 or 19 years ago. The monies were to be used for non-profit organizations that served humanity. I asked my brother-in-law how much money was left in this foundation. He said, "we have twenty thousand dollars." That was the second affirmation for me. I didn't need any more. Seven trees and exactly the money that we needed. So I went ahead and bought the land. I did a Jot of paperwork the first year. I stayed in Blowing Rock because the place was totally neglected here - the old farmhouse bad been used for raising hogs, there was no water, no electricity, and so on. So I stayed in Blowing Rock and did the paperwork in terms of becoming tax-exempt, getting the state's approval to take care of the dying, and everything else you have to do. And then three years ago, I moved our. Two and a half years ago, we opened the doors to take our first terminally ill VOLUNTEER ABBIE ECHERD ASSISTS GUEST AT CENTER guest. And in two and a half years we have cared for founeen dying people. Most of them have made their transition here. One man got well enough and he went back home. Another man who came here specifically to die quickly rather than in a hospital died in four days. Except for him, everyone who has come here has had a period of remission that was not medically anticipated. And I can tell you that that is a direct result of having caring people around you. You change the environment and you'll change the nature of the disease. There's no doubt in my mind. Even though the medical doctors want to argue with me, I don't argue with them. They want to argue with me and say 'that's not possible'. That's fine. I don't have to prove anything to them. I just know that people who have come here have lived quality time that they would not have lived in another setting. Let me back up a little and let you know how we got water here. We contracted with a well-drilling company and they came out with their equipment, which was astounding to me. I had never seen equipment like that. I didn't know what was involved in drilling a well. And they came out and said to me 'where would you like us to drill the well?'. And I said, 'anywhere you'd like'. And he said to me, 'Lady, it doesn't work that way. You're paying us. You have to decide. lfwe choose a place and you don't get water, you're not going to want to pay.' How am I going to find a place to drill the well? So I told them that I would be be back in a few minutes. I drove my car up to that hill with the seven trees and really received some remarkable guidance. I came back down and I said to them, 'drill right here' almost where they were - within a few feet. And I still wasn't sure. You know, the guidance was very clear but I was still very skeptical at that time. I was still learning a lot about guidance - spiritual guidance. So I went back up the hill and I said, 'are you sure?' and I closed my eyes and I saw water gushing, just gushing over a rock ledge and that's when the peace came. You know, I didn't Fall 1986 �OAK TREE AT HOLY mu. understand i~ but I felt peaceful. I had to leave because I had a dentist appointment so I told Jay, who was here at the time, 'I'll call you around 4:30 and let me know if they get water.' They had told me that at 300 feet they would stop drilling. I called him at 4:30 and he said, 'do we have water!'. At 268 feet they hit a rock ledge, they had to change the drill bit, they went through the rock and hit a vein ...and we now have 85 gallons of water a minute.' And that's the way things have been happening! Last year was a year of building. The old farmhouse got refurbished, a new home for volunteers got built This year is a time for developing the staff, time for pulling all these loose ends together and really focussing on what we want to do. I really believe that dying is only one part of this Center. I think birthing and healing is going to be part of it also. So what you do is you welcome in the new soul and tell them you're glad that they're here with us, then you help them stay well, and then when it's time to drop the body, you help them do that - and let them know that they're waiting on the other side for you. And you do it with as much love as you have in your hean. No judging. No judging. no expectations. One of the first things I tell people who come here because they're dying is 'the doctor has said you have a life expectancy of at the most three months. You don't have to buy into thaL' Most of the people who come here have spent their lives allowing other people to tell them what to think, do, everything. They come here and we say to them, 'Here is your autonomy. You're g(>ing to make the decision and we're going to support you in whatever it is you will allow yourself to do.' And I think this is one of the reasons, again, why they go into this period of "remission", for lack of a better word. 'If I want to be a dying person, I can be a dying person. If I am a person who wants to live until I die - really ~. I can do that, too.' So that's the basis for it. Of course the basis or bottom line of everything is unconditional love. If you can give unconditional love. you will receive that back tenfold, as they say. When I came into this community for the first time, I was told by many people here, 'you'll never make it' 'Who are you coming in from a place like Florida... buying this beautiful land and doing something so bizarre. It's not going to work.' And I just stayed in my space and said 'someday'.. .'let me just do what I have to do and then see how you feel about it' And so very, very quietly, I just took one step at a time. And I let them come to me, rather than going out and saying, 'okay, this is who I am, accept me as who I am. I'm not uying 10 do anything to you people.' No, I just did everything very quietly. And so they smrted coming, one right after the other. rirst, they would get as far as the porch. They didn't want to come inside. And then they started coming inside. And then they started bringing me produce from their gardens. And then, they started calling me up in the winter saying,'it's supposed to freeze tonight. This is what you need to do so your pipes don't break.' And it has grown ... We're supported through United Way of Wilkes County. They give us some of our budget money to take care of the terminally ill - not to be used for anything else. Then, KATUAH - page 5 we're supponed through donations. There's a basket there. People drop money in the basket. They send checks. I speak and usually bring back money to the Center as a result of that. I've just written a book and I donated the first hundred copies, that I published myself, to the Center. Now a national publishing company has picked it up, so now it's a "real" book. It's called A Gentle Death (see sidebar), and it's about my experiences in caring for the dying and my own personal experiences that have brought me here. And it's only personal experiences that have brought me here. Nothing else. I wanted to get away from death. I didn't want anything to do with it. So when I went back into nursing, I chose labor & delivery because that's a happy time, that's one of the biggest rewards. The first delivery was a stillborn. And there it was for me to face again. And that's really when I stopped because I couldn't ignore it any longer - that that was the issue. So coming from a labor & delivery nurse to a person who takes care of the dying person has given me this 'whole circle' feeling. The soul gets pushed out of the body in death just as the fetus gets pushed out at birth. The body goes through contractions. just as the uterus goes through contractions. • continued on page 21 A Geotle Death: Personal Careeivine Io The Ieaninally III, by Elizabeth S. Callari, R.N., Tudor Publishers Inc., Greensboro, N.C., 1986, 123pg., $7.95 pp. Death is one of life's most mysterious and intimate experiences. It is not "good" nor "bad" and it is not an enemy, as the medical profession would like us to believe - death simply is an unchanging fact, an experience for awakening. Elizabeth Callari has directed her life's efforts to unveiling the truth about death. It is, as she says, "important to remember that dying is not an illness to be medicated, excised, and cured; it is a process whereby the soul transcends the physical plane for the spiritual one." In this slim, easy to read (big print}, guidebook Ms. CaJlari, an R.N. (Chemotherapy), reveals her personal experiences of overcoming deadly cancer, the denial of her beloved father's death, and the death of her marriage. She explores the three grea1 fears: Pain, Abandonment, and Helplessness, and gently reassures us that there is hope. "What I do as a counselor for the dying is to give love. Without conditions... .! open my heart and learn from the dying." "I leave my intellect outside the door and put my anns around the person I'm worlcjng with and say, 'I've never died before, so I can't imagine how you must be feeling. I'd like to become more comfortable with death myself, and I need your help to do this. Please share with me.' How the doors open! The dying are often our greatest teachers; shon on time but long on the will to speak straight from the heart.'' This healing book is more than a moving collection of death experiences. It is a valuable guide for the "caregiver" to overcome feelings of depression, worry, and anxiety which accompany terminal illness and are often more debilitating than the disease itself. A Gentle Death offers simple rituals and practical techniques to serve simply and with compassion. It outlines methods for survivors to overcome grief and deal with guilt Techniques arc suggested which allow a dying person to keep control of their life and their dignity. There are strategies to provide a total care program for the physical, emotional. and spiritual needs of the loved one. ''This book offers new hope. Rather than experiencing despair at the inevitability of physical death we can be uplifted by the hope of an easy, conscious death for a loved one. "We can share thls hope with others surrounding the dying person and thus be instrumental in their comfort and growth." -MRF blfl' ,P" Fall 1986 �HOSPICE by Nena Parkerson The definition of the word "Hospice" is a community of people with a common goal..... to care for travelers along the way. The first hoSP.i~ w~re organized as way stations for pilgnms m the !U'St ~nuy._In medieval times they funcnoned in maJor European cities as m?"85tic h~tages at mountain passes and nver c:rossmp. In the most modem context, hospice has been defined in this way: "A program providing palliative and support;ive for terminally ill patients and their fanuhes, ....an organiz.ed program of care for people going thrc?ugh !ife's last stati.on. The whole family is considered the umt ~f care, and care extends through the mourmng process. Emphasis is placed on symptom control, preparation for death and suppon before and after death. The Mountain Area Hospice Program, which serves Buncombe County, N.C.• recognizes that the dyin~ and those clo~e to them have special physical, psychologi~al. spiritual, and practical n~s. The ~osp1ce staff provides skilled medical, nursmg ~d counseling care in the warm, supporove atmosphere of the individual's home. When persons cannot be cured, hospice offe~ care... .loving, respectful, tender care. Their primary objectives are effective pain ~n~l. management of other S)'.'Dptoms, allevta~on of loneliness, and pracncal help and adVlce with the business of life that must go on for the families involved. The goal of hospice is to enable the patient and family to retain control over their lives and to maintain the maximum quality of life possible. Hospice can be administered within a facility but the trend is toward home care nursing and suppon. Also, although the program is defined for those with terminal illnesses, cancer patients are the usual recipients. A team of persons - doctors, nurse~. social workers, clergy, and volunteers, 1s committed to these goals and objectives 24 hours a day 7 days a week. No one is ever turned aw;y because of an inability to pay..... hospice is based on need. Patients are usually recommended f~r hospice care by their physician when their life expectancy is no more than six months. Then a staff supervisor and social worker visit the patient in the home to make an initial patient/family ~s~essment .. A staff nurse is assigned and v1s1ts the panent on a regular basis. much like a doctor on munds at the hospital, except the nurse often travels rural roads car:-. The volunteers do whatever they can. Perhaps they might sit with the patient while the primary careg!ver ~andles n~e.ssary business, or they might pick up medicine at the pharmacy, mow the lawn, do errands, read to the patient, or do anything else that might be helpful to the patient and family .. The medical team, clergy, and social worker are prepared for their jobs ~rough intensive education before actually being put to the test through experience. Although the footing of the volunteers is less sure, the remainder of the team is always supportive and tenderly leads the way by a series of 10 classes specifically designed to prepare them for service as part of the hospice program. Patients, family members and staff come to see that all are both strong and weak, givers and receivers, and that strength comes from close bonds created between persons as well as from one's inner resources. Most decidedly, this is a team effort. . In addition to the care given dunng the patient's illness, there is also a bereavement program after the death of the patient At the time of death, a nurse and possibly other team members, visit the home and attend the funeral, wake, memorial, or other appropriate service. Several days later, there is usually a call or visit to give the family an opportunity to revi.ew t~e de~th, .ask any questions that may linger in ~tr llllnds, ~d to assure the family that they did everything possible. This is also an opponuruty for hospice staff to detect any problems the Hospice of Yancy Coun1y 2119 Hwy. 80 South Burnsville. NC 28714 Coniacc Sally L Burrowes Phone: (704) 675-5518 ,,,.......-:: Appalachian Hospice P.O. Box 647 Hayesville, NC 28904 Contact: William ff. Bell Phone: (704) 389-6831 Hospice of Hcndersoo County P.O. Box 2395 Hendersonville. NC 28793 Coniaci: Mary Ocary Phone: (704) 692-6178 Hospice of Ashe Counly P.O. Box 216 Jerrerson, NC 28640 Coniacc Roland Mullinix Phone:(919)246-4542 Home Heallh Hospice CJ. Harris Community Hospital 59 Hospital Road family may have with ~h~ grief process. Periodic calls and/or v1s1ts are made as necessary and at ~ app~priate .time an invitation to the survtvors might be issued to anend monthly social gatherings. The focus of these gatherings is on the bereaved helping each other through the stages of grief although staff will be present. The famUy is assured that even after discharge, they may feel free to call the hospice if problems occur. In a recent newspaper article, one of the staff nurses of the Mountain Area Hospice was quoted as saying, "My personal relationship with G.od extends ~o my patients. Whether 1 sit and pray wuh my patient or not doesn't mean the love of God doesn't flow through my touch and presence." I feel sure that sentiment is deeply shared by all of us. Hospice.... the loving touch, to make the path less lonely. Nena Parkerson is a one-on-one hospice volwueer in Asheville, NC. KATUAH- page 6 Mountain Alea Hospice 40 CbW"Ch Suut Asheville, NC 28801 Coruaci: Judith L. North, RN Phone: (704) 255.()231 Sylva, NC 28TI9 Contaei: Maureen Hydaket Phone: (704) 586-7410 HOISIC>n Valley Hospice P.O. Box 238 Kingsport, TN 37662 Coniacc Barbara Gipe, RN Phone: (615) 246-3322 SL Mary's Hospital Hospice Oak Hill Avenue Knoxville, TN 37917 Conl3CC David Balcer Phone: (615) 971-7531 Hospice of lhe Soulh 993 Johnson Ferry Rd; Bldg. F Atlanta, GA 30342 Conmci: Arlhur S. Boo1h, Jr. Phone: (404) 252-0503 Hamilion Medical Center Hospice P.O. Box 11.68 Dalton. GA 30720 Contact Florence Brem, BSN Phone: (404) 278-2105 Fall 1986 �DEALING CREATIVELY WITH DEATH "THE MANUAL" Dealine Crearively with Death· A Manual of Death ErJucatjon and Simole Burial (Bumsville, NC; Gelo Press; 10th edition, 1984). Dealine Creatively with Death is available for $6.50 postpaid from Gelo Press; 1901 Hannah Branch Rd.; Burnsville, NC 28714 To many of its users Ernest Morgan's book Dealin& Creatively wjth Death: A Manual of Death Education and Simple lkda.l is known simply as "The Manual", attesting to its usefulness and the high regard in which this book is held in its field. This most poignant of "how-to" books presents a topic that is of great practical as well as psychological and spiritual imponance. The theses of the book are that it is empowering and spiritually fulfilling to care for our own dead and that a sensitive funeral process that involves the bereaved as panicipants can do much to heal the wounds of loss and grief. But under the tenns of today's "funeral industry", a family could also save itself from $1,000 to several thousand dollars by following any of the several alternative courses outlined in "The Manual". But the main point of the book, that is emphasized again and again, is that individuals and families should be able to choose the method most satisfying to them to care for the remains and the memory of a loved one. In our culture, the standard funeral is offered as a consumer item, a spectator event, and laws, health regulations. insurance, and advertising work together to back a business monopoly over this segment of our life circle. Funeral homes offer service that is quick, efficient, and as gaudy as the family can afford. The only thing they do not offer is a choice. Ernest Morgan in Pealing Creatively with I2cal.b accepts this challenge. Tastefully, the book first takes up death issues ("Living with the Dying", "Bereavement", "The Right to Die") to provide background to the later discussions of the alternatives available to those who want to panicipate more fully in funeral services. Options presented in the book run from joining a memorial society, which is a group of people organized to encourage advance planning of funerals and to mediate relations with funeral directors, to "simple burial", as a funeral that Is organized and carried out by the family and friends of the deceased has come to be called. The book also touches on the pros and cons of cremation, and gives advice and help in planning a personalized and effective death ceremony. Care of the dying is also discussed, and Morgan speaks of the emerging hospice movement and home care of the dying by family members. Morgan comes out strongly for making an anatomical gift of the body or individual organs 10 a medical school or organ bank, which may offend the spiri1ual sensibilities of some, but generally throughout the book he carefully takes the stance of advising the - continued on p. 9 KATUAH - page 7 AN INTERVIEW WITH ERNEST MORGAN "A human being is part of the whole, called by us the 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself. his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest - an optical illusion of his consciousness. "This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison, to widen our circle of compassion, and to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security." - Albert Einstein Ernest Morgan: I wan1ed to begin with this quotation, because it has been very important to me in reaching an understanding of death and the death process. In Einstein's view we arc each a particle, a thread in the fabric of life. Each particular thread begins and ends, but the fabric goes on, and the individual threads give it color, strength, and continuity. Without these 1breads, there would be no fabric. The threads give continuity 10 the fabric; the fabric gives meaning to the thread. I would like my life to add color and strength to this fabric of life. Then my life will have been a resource, an asset to this process, not just a filler. Through the experience of death we overcome the "optical illusion" Einstein was UllJcing abouL We realize that 'Tm not here very long, either. What's it all about?" And somehow we feel a closer identity with what it's all about. In our daily lives, we tend to take our family and friends for granted. We assume tha1 they will be here permanently. We see everything around us as permanent, and we deal as best we can within this circle. But nothing is permanent. It's all temporary, and the best we can do is to be a part of the on-going lluman life. This will last. And what will last is what we do to enrich human life, the quality of human life, and of the environment., too. That's what really helps to make this life wonhwhile. Katuah: But i1 is hard 10 endure the loss of someone we truly love. What help is there for people who nave to make it through a time such as tba1? EM: My mother died when 1 was a few months old. My dad, Arthur Morgan, was totally devoted to her, and after her death bis affection, caring, and gentleness found other channels, because he transfonned his emotional energy, his grief and his suffering. and reached out in caring to other people. He was a tremendou, ly caring person. and this experience develuped that. I bad a very warm and close relationship with my father. and chat reflect in pan, 1 1bink, on my mother's death. for as my father said, "When someone you love dies, your love for them doesn't d1.:; it gets redistributed." That is a very pos1dve aspect of death. After my mother died, I wao; cared for and raised by my aunt. She dit:d when 1 was in my 'teens, and it was a very hard thing for me. What gave me the most comfon was a feeling of identification I felt with her, which made me feel I could carry on the things I admired most in her life. I spoke of this once in a funeral talk for a young man who had been a close friend. His parents had come to church crushed at the loss of their son, but they wem out almost radiant with this feeling of identily with all the young people in the audience who were inspired to carry on their son's life. This makes death a benefactor. Katiiah: What is the role or imponance of death in our society from a cultural standpoint? E M : As I said in "The Manual", l am strongly commined 10 creative social change, and this needs 10 be rooted in our social and elhical concepts, our philosophy, and our values. Social change is 001 just changing the adjustments of a machine. We are changing consciousness; we are - continued on p. 8 Fall 1986 �- .;ontinued from p. 7 Katuah: What are some of the things a family should remember to have the best kind of ceremony for the deceased'? changing motivation. We need to have a whole new feeling. And nowhere in a person"s life is one more prone to think of values, of ideals, than when there's a death. That's when we are realJy open to creative change. "What am I here for?" we ask. 'What am I doing?" I consider it a rare opponunity. If we can deal with a deaih in the right way, we will find comfon, inspiration, strength, courage, meaning, and the enrichment and refinement of life values. All these qualities arc at the base of social change. If we don't reach inside ourselves and find these qualities at the time of a death, that death is panialJy wasted. Don't let death go to waste. Katuah : It seems that it is most imponant that the living experience a death, to feel it personally when it occurs. Yet we shy away from those who are dying and give tremendous amounts of money to funeral directors to insulate us from the experience of death. EM: That is what 'The Manual" is all about, but one thing it's valuable 10 keep in mind is: everyone needs to know the plans! Get things clear ahead of time. There is no substi1utc for advance planning and having the people adjusted to the idea beforehand. lf you have the idea of doing your own burial, thrash out the idea while everybody's healthy. Get around to visit the county health office, and say, "We want to do this arrangement, and we wanr to dig the grave. What do we need to do?" Find out what the regula1ions ahd what the requirements are. We had a young friend whose mother died. He had her body cremated and arranged for a memorial service. My wife and I went to see him, and when we arrived, he was cleaning house. Well, when you go to visit somebody whose mother has just died and they're cleaning house, the proper thing to do is 10 grab a broom. So we were cleaning house when the mother's two sisters arrived. They were EM: One thing l think is very important is the matter of social involvement. At the time of death, as in a marriage, we want social involvement. This is partly for the support of the bereaved, and partly an affirmation of our social nature. It helps to mature us. If we rorn our back on reality, if we tum our back on committment and on this kind of stress, we arc reducing life to a sort of a game, and upholding a pretense that death is the enemy. Death can be a misfonune when it 1s misplaced or ill-timed, but death js necessary. Jessica Mitford (noted for her investigation of the funeral industry • ed.) once told me jokingly that her position on death was: "I'm against it!" I said, "Don't abolish death, or we'll have to have a government permit to have a baby!" Death is pan of the whole life cycle. It helps us to remember that we are a pan of the whole life cycle. It is importanr that at the time of death the bereaved persons have involvement. Anything that they can do to help with the fun~ral arrangements is good. The more they can do, the healthier it is for them. It's a spiritual exercise and very imponant. But :t's also important not to push people into it, but rather to encourage them. When my wife died, I helped lift the body into the box, I drove the vehicle to the burial ground, l helped lower the box. and I recited one of her favorite poems over the grave. Then, when we bad a memorial service, I talked for an hour and 20 minutes. I wanted to. I needed to. In our culture men don't cry easily, but we can talk, and so I did. We had another service for my wife in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where we had spent many years. At that time I only talked for 40 minutes. I was gaining. I was feeling better by then. Viewing the remains is also desirable for the immediate family. But again, they shouldn't be pushed, they should be encouraged. As for putting the remains on public display and prettying them up to look like they're taking an afternoon nap, I don't think much of that idea. KATUAH - page 8 business rather rhan a spirirual basis, and it still operates on that basis roday. Mosr of the funeral regulatory bo:irds are composed of funeral directors, so they set up regula1ions that are in rhe interests of funeral directors. I'd say that most of the laws regulating the funeral industry are drawn up as much in the interests of the industry as they arc in the interests of public health and safety. That's how it works. Law is a human instrument, and it is subject to human interpretation and enforcement. You can check on a law, but don't be buffaloed by it. Funeral directors don't have to know much about the lav.. but when anything gets our of the ordinary, they are quick to claim that what is happening is illegal. For instance, when some people were fonning a memorial society in Dayton, Ohio, they received a letter from a funeral direcror which said, "What you are doing is strictly illegal." But by accident his secretary had enclosed in the envelope a memo from the director's lawyer which said, "Tell them anything that sounds good." If you want to do a burial yourself and you are a substantial citizen, obviously honest and obviously sincere, and you carry out the details of death certificates, lransponation permits, and any other necessary forms, they will think twice before they begin any prosecution. Katua h : Do you see any changes, beneficial or otherwise, in our society's attitudes toward death, now tha1 it is becoming more acceptable to talk about death and its meaning in our lives'? EM : aggressive women. The first thing they said was: "Where's Marie?" "I had mother cremated, and we're having the ceremony this afternoon," the young man said. "You did what? We wanted to see her!" they said. We didn't let him out of our sight, for fear the women would tear him apan. We took them all out to lunch. and afterwards we went to the ceremony and had a nice memorial. The sisters then left, and everything was fine. But the lesson we learned was to get those things cleared in advance! Katuah: How about legal arrangements'? Aren't they major obstacles in carrying out a simple burial'? EM: OriginalJy, furniture stores used to carry a coffin or two, and people would sometimes buy a coffin instead of making one themselves. Then 1he furniture store man offered to help with the burial. and after a while it became a full-time job and the person who made the arrangements became the funeral director The "funeral industry". as It is call eel ~tarted on a The general tendency in the professions is still to regard dea1h as an enemy and to regard any death as a failure. They feel defeated by death. I have a bookplate that was made in Germany for doctors, and it shows the figure of a woman doctor wrestling with a skeleton. That little picture sums up the whole a1titude to me. The hospice movement has come up fast, and we've made some progress in the area of bequeathal of bodies to medical schools. Fewer of the schools are paying tr3llsponation now. Apparently they're not as desperate as they were to obtain bodies for anatomical study, and I think "The Manual" has had a definite impact on that. On the other hand, one concern I have now is that the forum for death education and counseling is getting increasingly professional. Professionalization is also coming into the hospice movement more and more. Now there are licensing procedures, and to get a license there has to he a team available around the clock. etc.. etc., until they ge1 to where they are in Asheville, where they are working with a budget of something like $80,000 per year. Nonsense! Absolute nonsense! That's our culture cn:eping back in again. The hospice in Yancy County recruited volunteers, trained them, put them in the field, and they went out and helped families. Jn rheir financial appeal last year the organization estimated they saved half a million dollars in hospital costs in 18 months. This was done by the aid of volunteers helping to keep people in their homes. That is a good thing. "The Manual" is to ... I don't like to say "combat" professionalism, but to counterbalance it. lt is a miniature Fall 1986 �encyclopedia for non-professionals. There is infonnation useful to professionals. but the book 1s aimed at the volunteer non-professional. ll emphasizes the idea of family participation and srresses the ideas of simplicity, dignity, and economy. I hope that for some people ii will communicate the positive potential of death, and maybe show that a bereavement, if it is well-handled, can be a creative experience. recorded by D.W. , .# ff' Ernest Morgan, now a continentally-known authority on death and the dying process, lives in the Celo Comml4nity near Burnsville, NC with his wife Christine Ml4ch of the profit from the sale of~ Creatively with Death has gone coward the Artluu Morgan Sc/roof in Celo. A SIMPLE - continued from p. 7 reader's choice rather than thrusting some particular alternative upon us. The result is a highl)' s.eositive, compassionate treatment of a very difficult subject. Detailed points of information are frequently illustrated by stories from the author's own experiences in death situation'S, and the book is supplemented by 65 pages of appendices that are revised and updated with each edition, making this a current and practical reference book. ln recent years a groundswell movement has arisen to reclaim the birthing process from the cold hands of the hospitals and the medical establishment. This has brought important feelings of empowerment to individual women and communities. There BURIAL : has also been much criticism of the "funeral industry", but Pealing Creatively with Death' is the first book to show lay people in clear and simple terms how they can get a hand in the funeral process. This book is a first step in reclaiming community control of our dying as well as our birthing. In its unobtrusive way, Dealing Creatively with Death challenges the taboo enforced by the major institutions of this society that says that death is not to be touched or even to be discussed. Ernest Morgan quietly and effectively does away with the notion that death is the enemy, to be hated and feared, and shows the richness the presence of death can create in our lives if it is confronted face-to-face and accepted with all the attendant emotions it brings. MAKING BURIAL excerpted from Ernest Morgan's book Dealing Creatively with Dr.at h BOXES A large end piece will be left over.This can be used to make an extra top and side of Child Size for possible future use. The following information is intended for families or groups who wish to carry out their own arrangements without a funeral director. Ordinarily, funeral directors expect to provide a casket unless some understanding has been arrived at to the contrary. Inexpensive Plywood Boxes: We offer here instructions for making four sizes of plywood boxes which are inexpensive, compact and easy to build. These boxes are not suitable for body ttansponation by common carrier or for keeping an unembalmed body for any length of time. If used at a funeral they may be placed on a low bench or other support, covered by a cloth (pall). Still Needed: The second side for the Large Size. If the lumber yard has part of a sheet from which this can be cut, fine. If not. a fourth sheet will be needed. [n that case, the rest of the sheet can be cut into spare parts and stored with the boxes for possible later use. Also Needed: Two side scrips of 3/4" lumber for Large Size (5" x 6'4 1/2").Two side strips of 3/4" lumber for Medium Size, (5' x 5'10 1/2"). Two side strips of 3/4" lumber for Small Size (4" x5'4 1/2"). (Side strips for Child Size were included in previous cut.) From the hardware store, get some 7/8" nails, and some 4- and 8-penny box nails and six chest handles for each box. The handles should be of the kind that hang down when not in use and stay in horizontal position when lifted. Don't forget to get screws for these. SIZES Of IUAIAl BOXES Nail a narrow strip to each side piece, flush with the edge and the end, using 4-penny nails. The good side of the plywood should be out. - continued on p. 25 S!o!All SIZE O•lllelt H .. •21 .. ll3W" S'4Yl .. •20Vt"' 21" 11311.. S'4Vt""•'311 .. $'6"121 .. 3'9Vt'"r1SVt"' ,,..,,°".. )'9\11""110l4.. 3'11 ..111 4' I s·w,.. ,,.. nw aJ lot'°' S'4\11 00 119" a1Z\11 00 CHllO SIZE ~3 " 11 .. llf"" all "" I - J'tVt" 114"" a10"" 0 00 0 __ ,,...,. .. 00 ~ Instructions: These four boxes can be made from two sheets of 3/4" plywood and 3 1/2 sheets of 1/4" plywood. Order the necessary parts from the lumber yard, cut accurately to size. Anyone moderately experienced with tools can assemble the boxes. __ ,,_. --- CMGS... . .- .I ! • ; I .. _ I 1)\11" !"10\11' ! Cutting instructions for 1/4" plywood (no diagrams needed): Second Sheet: Top for Medium Size (6' x 21 "),and two sides (5'10 1/2" x 13 3/4"). Cut long way. Two sides for Child Size (3'9 1/2" x 10 3/4"). Cut from end piece. ' ! ,.y,. Chart for Cutting Plywood Sheets: Two sheets of 3/4" 4'x8' plywood, cut as shown in the two diagrams below, will provide all the 3/4" plywood parts needed to build the four sizes of boxes listed above. The 1/4" plywood is simpler and needs no cutting chart, so we have simply explained below how it should be cut. First Sheet (4' x 8'); Top for Large Box (6'6" x 26"), and one side (6'4 1/2" x 15 3/4"). Cut long way. Top for Chlld Size (3'11" x 16"). Cut from remaining end. _ 8 $Ntt 1-----"8'-" \ ll'---- - - l l I - -lJoll• ~! 1 11--~-----l~ Third Sheet: Top for Small Size (5'6" x 21 "), and two sides (5'4 l/2" x 13 1/4"). Cut long way. KATUAH - page 9 Fall 1986 �HOW TO HELP CHILDREN HANDLE DEATH others). When a loved pe1 dies, children learn to mourr.. The mock funeral ceremonies teach rituals and allow the children to work out their feelings and fears. But don't replace the pet immediately as children must learn the deceased cannot be replaced easily. Death is universal, so no one remains unaffected by it. Yet many people believe that children should be shielded from it. But since one out of 20 children loses a parent before s/he finishes elementary school and will inevitably face the deaths of friends and family, there is really no way to hide death from children. Experts are now advising that children be exposed to the concept of death befo re it occurs. Often we think of children as too young to understand the meaning of death. This isn't always true. Children as young as two and a half years old have been found to have some idea of death. Sheltering children often gives them confusing messages; if they do not understand that death is a natural part of the life cycle, then they'll have a greater difficulty in coping with death in later life. How, then, should children be told about death? And how can we, as parents and friends, help the child deal with Joss when it occurs? The following are some practical guidelines that may offer help. Produced by TO UFE, this article is one in a series of articles which discuss how to better deal with grief and loss. The author of this particular article is Patsy Albrecht, (1983). © TOLIFE TO LIFE is a non-profit educational organization in Charlotte, NC which provides support services and counseling in the areas of grief, loss and life enhancement. Founded in 1979 by Alexis Jay Stein and Howard Winokuer, TO LIFE assists individuals in handling those experiences that result in grief: death of someone c lose to you, separation and divorce, loss of employment, retirement, physical trauma, and other circumstances. Through regional and national workshops, seminars, conferences as well as publications and counseling, TO LIFE concentrates on integrating the different dimensions of life--physical, mental and spiritual-which have become fragmented by the experience of loss. TO LIFE, P.O.Box 9354, Charlotte, NC 28299. (704) 332-LIFE. Don ' t be a fra id to men t ion d eath. Disrant friends' or relatives' deaths should be discussed so the child is gradually introduced to the subject. S/he will then be belier prepared to cope with death when it hits closer to home. W hen talkin g a bout death, don 't u se e uph emis m s. Tell the truth. Any beating around the bush can confuse, frighten, or hann the child, because s/he isn't able to understand the underlying meaning of what you say. Consider these examples from a child's viewpoint: 1. Grandpa died because he was sick. "Will l die if I gel a cold? Mommy's going to the hospital--is she dying?" Children can't differentiate between serious and mild illnesses, and can associate all hospital nips and illness with death. 2. Aunt Sarah went to sle®. "When I go to sleep, I might not ever wake up again." Teach with animals. If a child sees a dead bird or other animal, this is a good time to explain what has happened. Pets are also recommended for this reason (and · continued on page 2.S SUGGESTED READINGS ON DEATH AND DYING Than.ks 10 TO LIFE and HOSPICE and CENTER FOR AWAKENING GENERAL READING: Levine, Stephen Who Djes? Doubleday, 1982. Ewens, James & Henington, Palricia Ram Dass How Can I Help? Knopf, 1985. Lewis, C.S. A Grief Observed, Bantam Books, 1963. von Franz, Marie-Louise On Dreams & Death. Shambhala, 1984. Westberg. Granger E. Gooc! Grief, Fonress Press. Kubler-Ross, Elizabeth Death· The Final Stage of Growth, Prentice Hall, 1975. On DeaJh and Dying, Macmillan, 1969. Working It Through. Macmillan, 1982. Iibe!an Book Qfthe Dead. Ollford University Press, 1957. Jampolslci, Jerry Teach Onlv Love. Bantam, 1983, Le Shan, Eda I.earning to Say Gooc!bye When a P;ucm Dies. Avon, 1978. Kushner, Harold S. When Bad Thin gs Happen to Goo!I People Schocken Books, 1981. ~Bear & Co., 1982. Mowatt, Farley The Snow Walker, Little, Brown & C.O.• 1976. FOR CHILDREN: Miles, Miska Annie and the Old One, Little, Brown & Co., 1985 (1972). Craven, Margaret I Heard the Owl Call My Name. A Totem Book, 1967. Saunders, Cecily Beyond All Pain. SPCK. 1983. Carter, Forrest The Educatjon of Little Tree, U. of New Mexico Press. 1976. Moody, Raymond Life Afler Life, Bantam Books, 1975. White, E.B. Cbnc(oue's Web. Harper and Row. 1952. KAWAH- page 10 Fall 1986 �Old women are specialistS in those critical moments when the designs of culture are threatened by a breakthrough of nature binh, illness, and death - momenrs when we are reminded of our animal origins and human limits. Women of advanced age are healers, midwives, dressers of corpses ..... r HE Barbara Myerhojf Parabola Magazine, 113; p.89 The wake, or "setung-up" as it is called in the mountains today, means an all-night gathering to mark the passing of a friend or family member. The custom originated in Ireland long before Christian times. In the great migration from Ulster the Scotch-Irish settlers canied the practice with them into the Appalachian mountains. We can imagine the wild revels auending the death of a wanior who died in battle in Celtic Ireland. This was seen as the goal of life and was eagerly sought after, so while the women would mourn, the men would carouse in genuine celebration, ccnain in their belief that their comrade had auained a place of honor in a better world. Warriors that they were, they were also gathered to watch over the spirit of the deceased to see that no mishaps occurred during its voyage, for the dark spirits were many who would want to steal the soul of a warrior on its journey to the Fields of the Valiant The spirit of the original wakes lived on in the Irish celebrations, moderated and solemnified only somewhat by the Christian church. "The Church was suspicious of the wake. It had strains of paganism, much drunkeness. and frcquenc dancing - and the Church was very suspicious of dancing," said Andrew Greeley in his book That Most Distressful Narjon. , But "that national institution" of the Irish could not be stopped. It was a crue expression of the Irish character. It was "an extraordinary phenomenon," as Greeley described it, "both heartless and reassuring, melancholy and rejoicing, unbearably painful and stubbornly hopeful." The wild ouipouring of emotion at the wake served the family and the community on several levels. For individuals, it was cathartic and eased the pain of a loved one's passing. By coming together in a wild celebration, the grieving was confronted, even accelerated, and not repressed, so the survivors could work through it and resume their everyday lives. It was also an important community event, for at each binh and each death the community grows and changes. The community would instinchvely encll'Cle the family of the deceased and suppon them by creating an environment in which emotions could flow - whether they wanted to cry, pray, drink, dance, or fight. At the time of anyone's death, the "veil between the worlds" is thin, and there surely was an element of bravado in the boisterousness of the wake. It was unspoken knowledge that the community came together to share courage in the presence of the spectre of death. Light, music, and laughter all helped to banish the spirit of the Dark One from the world of the living. T hese times were definitely "breakthroughs of nature" when the briule veneer of civilization crumbled, and the Irish people, who repressed so much in their Jives, would nm tty to hold back the rush of emotions. Death played an imponant role in their lives simply by liberating these feelings. DYING IN THE MOUNTA.INS The wake 1ook on a new importance when the Ulster Protestants transplanted it to the New World. Here in Appalachia, shadowed beneath the forbidding ridges and rugged cliffs of the mountains, death was a real and close presence that made the white settlers feel isolated, vulnerable, and far from home. A1 all critical times the community came together, and a "seuin'-up" was an imponant community function. "The wake was intended to be a gathering of sympathetic relatives and friends in the home of" the deceased, for paying respects to the dead, and to dispel partially the gloom and loneliness that had settled upon the members of rhe family, but it came abou t that the all-night vigil demanded a degree of amusement and restrained gaiety. As time passed, it often became, after a preliminary time of solemnity, a period of song, laughter, games, gossip, courtship, and what-not..... " CNonh Carolina Mountain Folklore and Miscellany, by Horton Cooper) During t he early years of white settlement, caring for the dead was a communitv resoonsibilitv. Undertakers were out of the question then. "Pally" Davis, who lives on Nation's Oeek near Sylva, N.C., remembers how it was: "You don't know what it was like back then. It seemed like folks was better to each other. When someone got ~1ck, they didn't go right into the hospital, like they do now. No! The doctor'd come to their house. They'd stay in their own bed, and people would come over and help cook, and they'd bring some food to cook, and do dishes, and they'd set up with someone. There'd always be somebody settin'-up with them from the time they got real sick until the time they died. "And then people would set up with the body until it was buried. Some people in the neighborhood would dig the grave where the family wanted it, and they'd bring food, and everybody would gather around the family. They wouldn't go to the undenaker's back then. Nobody had the money. "When Daddy passed away, they made him the nicest coffin. It was made of oak - oak or poplar, one - but it was the prettiest thing. Big, wide lumber - like this (18"). And they lined it inside with cotton stuffing and put a nice cotton cloth around it with lace and a little pillow, and when he was all washed and dressed, they put him in iL "He'd had that lumber all saved out for his coffin, and enough for Momma's, too, and so when he finally died, two fellows back up on the hill there (pointing) took that lumber up and made his coffin, and set handles on it, and varnished it nice and, oh, it was the prettiest thing. Much prettier than you can get now at the undenaker's. "Momma lived thirty years after him, and by the time she died, they said that the coffin wood Daddy'd saved out for her had gotten wonny, so they had to get some more for her. "They're buried right over there in the - continued on p. 25 �GOOD MGHT mot1 SHADOWS fill by Turrin Keye Sera Jean Samuels gently laid her fingers to the withered brow, feeling for the pulse that still trembled within the old man. The wrinkled eyelids flickered open, and she looked again into the increasing vacancy which was overcoming the laughter she had known. "I'm going to leave you now, Gran'pa. Is there anything you need?" she asked, trying to find a softness in her voice while increasing its intensity to cut through to the old man's brain. The tired eyes only closed in reply. Thiny-six days. No ooe would have thought it would take so long. But even in death, there was no predicting the old man. Sera Jean tucked the quilt up around him and checked the steaming cauldron of herbs to be sure there was water to last through the night. She pushed the stick fire, piling embers up against the cauldron's belly. It was late September, and she felt no cold at all, but she did not want him to want for warmth. She gathered her things into a basket and backed out of the small srickhouse. She pushed the rickety door shut, being less silent than she wished to, as it flopped badly on its shoeleather hinges. She made it fast against any wandering animals that might bother the old man in the night. She had not believed be would make it through this day. But he had. From where she stood in front of the stickhouse, poplars blocked the view of the far mountains. But she knew the distant ridge lines could be seen from the rick where they would lay his body. Hewn of locust poles, bound with copper wire, there was oo reason why it should not stand for a long time. Longer than the guard they had erected to frighten away birds. The scarecrow had been her mother's idea, but even Gran'pa had not cared to have his body picked over by crows. Sera Jean inspected the dummy, dressed in some of the old man's clothes. She righted the head which had shrugged down into its flannel shin. All be had to offer in his shin sleeve hands was a shon bun round of locust tree with the old man's name burned into it It had seemed no more than fun when Gran'pa had brought her up here almost a year ago and they had spent the most of two weeks clearing the site, building the stick house, and preparing the rick. He had worked with patience and care, but still he had joked about morbidity and poked fun at Sera Jean's youth. Her father had commanded her to help the old mao, mostly to be sure he did not hun himself. She stayed out of school a couple of days and her mother had called it all foolishness and said that it would come to nothing. But, though the old man had presented it as quirkiness, it was obvious to them all that KA11JAH - page 12 he was deadly serious. But then Gran'pa had fallen in the winter, breaking his hip. The old bones had refused to mend. His every movement had become painful and his disposition sour. He chose to die rather than continue toward further dilapidation. No ooe supponed his choice. He stopped eating and became crankier still. But it was not until he began spending every day trying to climb the ridge to his stickhouse, that anyone took his death wish to purpose. Sera Jean and her mother had brought his frail old body there. It bad seemed to Sera Jean that he could not, and therefore would not, stay. But each time he refused her gentle persuasions to come down. He seemed more at peace, there on the ridge, regaining some of his impish laughter. But it was only a brief respite before the old man bad sunk to the level of the sleeping mat in the stickhouse, never to rise again. He ate nothing, drank little, and for the past two weeks Sera Jean had stayed out of school, believing each succeeding day would be the old man's last. It had become an ordeal for everyone. The last of the dying sun winked at her through the foliage of the western ridge, and it prompted her to continue on to her home. She lifted her basket to her bead and staned down the narrow, steep trail that wound its way down from the ridge. She came out in the upper pastures which joined the nut orchard further down. The trees hung heavy, and harvest was not far away. Soon everyone would be up here where there was no one now. There would be basket lunches and calling between the trees, and she would be climbing up the tallest chestnut to put nuts in her shoulder sling and gaze at the ridges in the clearest of fall days. She \\ aS nl\ssing through the lower fields now, where the tr.iii had become a lane and the trickling water had grown into a stream that sang a rhythm for the day's end. The lane brought her down into fields in succession of growth - some recently harvested, some already fuzzy where the winter cover had been planted. Sera Jean turned to see a dark, tall woman coming up the hill toward her, flowing gracefully over the broken terrain on bare feet "Auntie Peg!" Sera Jean greeted her as the woman pulled up before her, flashing her warm smile. "Have you been all day on the ridge?" Peggy asked. "l picked some mushrooms, some greens. But mostly I stayed with Gran'pa," Sera Jean replied. "I'm surprised he's still alive." "I don't know why or how. He seems to get no worse. But I.can't believe he could ever get better." "Perhaps he would not agree with you. It may be hard for him now but I believe he expects things to get better." "Peg, what do you believe about life after death?" Peggy smiled. "Sera Jean, I don't think that's something you need to bring to the power of beliefs. Living things die all the rime. There is stilJ the same here as before. You shouldn't let it occupy too much thought. Just accept what it offers. "I remember," she continued, "when I went to Malaysia as a rural nurse. I spent some time with some of the mountain people, the first I'd ever met. They would wrap their dead in a rauan mat and secure the whole thing into a special tree high on the ridge. They would do intricate things and leave specific reverences to the body, but when I asked what ii all meant, they replied, To get below the smell, as it rises.'" "It sounds like they just wanted to get out of the way." "Well, you may be right. To get in the way of death would be a very foolish thing. And that would get in the way of life." "But it won't ever be the same without Gran'pa." Fall 1986 �Peggy smiled comfort for the girl's anguish. In a voice feminine and strong she asked, "And was i1 ever the same wi1h him?" Sera Jean slopped, puzzled by her aunl's question. "No-o-o ..... I don't know. I don'1 know wha1 you mean by 'same'." "Perhaps you should look more closely then. Think abou1 whar's the same and wha1's differen1, and maybe you can sec 1ha1 what's really imponan1 to you hasn'1 changed al all." "My love for Gran'pa?" Sera Jean wondered about Peggy's question. "Don'1 forget his love for you." "Bui his love is dying!" "Sera, are you no1 alive and well and growing?" The young girl's slale-blue eyes blinked in assent. "Then his love is not dying. His love, your love, are one. Having grown ou1 of the things you have shared. Those things are gone. So is Gran'pa. But you embody it all. Flesh and bone are different. They change • 1hey come and they go like the sun and the wind.They mean almost nothing. But, Sera. wha1 doesn't change? What is always the same?" Sera Jean screwed up her face, feeling close upon a threshold. "God?" she tried. "Love? Life maybe?" "Maybe so," Peggy said seriously. Then a shine of mischief glinted in her eyes. "Maybe not. Maybe chicken soup and sno1." Sera Jean joined with her in reciting the final line of the rhyme they had shared so many times before. Their chant broke up into girlish laughter. "Come 10 supper, Sera. I've dug some sweet po1atoes and Jerrell will build a fire." Sera Jean smiled and looked up at the cabin tha1 Jerrell and Peggy shared 10 see a puff of bluish smoke rise from the chimney and knew tha1 Jerrell was already hard a1 work on the season's first fire. And hard a1 work at being man to woman. "No, 1hank you anyway, Auntie Peg. I'd beuer go on home. I haven't seen much of my own family these days." They left each other wi1h brigh1ness. Sera Jean continued up the trail. She 1urned around a bend of hemlocks to catch sight of the house, old now, grown into the side of the slope, barely, seemingly just barely, not a to1al part of il ..Started by Gran'pa so many years ago, i1 was high up in the cove, dangling on lhe end of a sometimes road, sometimes lane, sometimes nei1her, like a balloon on a string. II was se11led comfonably now after turning over a genera1ion of human beings. Sera Jean s1epped over the worn s1ones, through the doors, and walked the few steps along the stone passage into the kitchen. Felici1y, her mother, looked up from 1he ccmcr table as Sera Jean set her basket upon the big black cookstove. She sough1 1he girl's face for an answer 10 everybody's ques1ion and, knowing her daugh1er so well, voiced tha1 answer back to Sera Jean. "Hmph. He's still alive." Her eyes broke away briefly in priva1e 1hought, bu1 flashed back green and quick and omo everyday. "Well, I guess ils for lhe bes1. You and your father will be all by yourselves for dinner tonight. I'm going over to Marjorie's 10 do a sweat for Elise. If you had come KATUAH - page 13 down sooner, I'd have invited you along. But I can't wait for you 10 ge1 it togelher now. You'll jus1 have 10 keep Duane company." Sera Jean was a1 first a li11le disappointed a1 missing an all-woman sweat for a pregnan1 friend, but she knew that Felicity had only said that to lessen lhe harshness of denying her the chance to go. By the look of her mo1her's light step and the quickness of her fingers, Sera Jean could tell !hat Felicity was feeling young, excited, and ready to excite - girlish in her flaunt, womanly in her bearing. She was dressed in complements, and her countenance was no longer at home, but already out the door, before the public, not telling all, but keeping a reserved depth of femininity. "Sera, I won't be back 'til late," she said, pulling a flashlight from a drawer and tossing it into a shoulder bag. She slung it into place and turned to face her daughter. "You tell Duane when he comes in, would you? Sera Jean nodded as her mother brushed past her, starting down the walk. "There's mung beans soaking and a melon !hat needs to be eaten. Enjoy." The telephone rang on the counter beside Sera Jean. "Oh, damn! Be not for me," Felicity wailed to lhe plants of her greenhouse as she spun to look back at Sera Jean, her multi-colored skirt flowing wide about her calves. "Get that Sera, would you? And, unless il's a dire emergency, I'm gone." Sera Jean lifted lhe reciever as it rang a second time. "Yes? ..... Oh, hello, Mrs. Benson ..... No, rm fine ..... He's still alive, yes, ma'am ..... He's ... he's not at lhe hospital, ma'am .....I..... " Her eyes came up to find her molher's. "Just a minute, ma'am." She pulled the receiver away, whispering to her mother, "It's my teacher. She wants to talk with you." Felicity rook a deep breath. "Alright, I have to be a parent sometime." She dropped her shoulder bag to lhe stone by a diffenbachia plant and stepped near Sera Jean. Felicity coiled against the kitchen counter, brushing against Sera Jean, mother to daughter, as she rook the receiver. Sera Jean reached fingers to touch her. "Hello?..... Yes, I'm fine ..... No. My falher has prepared us well for his passing ..... Well, we're missing her, too, ma'am. She's spending most of her time with her grandfather..... No, I wouldn't say she's taking it hard. I think she's doing very well. My father and she are very close.....He has no panicular ailment. He's just worn out.. ... Yes, that's true, he's not at a hospital. Is there a law that says you must die in a hospital?..... No, we're not doing everything to keep him alive. We're doing all we can to help him die in peace ..... Yes, I think Sera is very important for that. Besides, it's her choice..... Well, I can't say I agree wilh you. I think she's having a learning experience that far outweighs anything she might learn in your school... ..I don't think I'm undervaluing her education. I believe I've got it in proper perspective. And no disrespect intended, but I'm convinced her grandfather is a far better teacher .... .! think Sera has proven herself an adequate student of what your school has to offer and I have no complaints about her deveioproent....J lhink she has lhe ability to choose where she wants to be. I trust her to be responsive every day, and I believe she does well. I don't think it's a mauer of life or death if she misses some school. If she chose to remain out all year, no one would be happier than I.. ...Send the truant officer, and he will be most welcome, but l don't think he will change things ..... Funeral? No, lhat would make no difference eilher..... Where my falher will be bur- laid to rest is no business of yours, ma'am.....Excuse me !hen, but Sera will not be encouraged to do anything more than what she herself feels is right. ....! think I can't add much more to that. Goodnight to you, ma'am" Felicity returned the phone to its cradle. "Well, r didn't need that." The woman, drawing a breath of strength, turned to Sera Jean and pulled her close. She pressed her lips to the girl's forehead and Sera Jean ran an arm around the slim waist, feeling her mother's breast against her cheek. "You be you, Sera." Sera Jean felt warm breath against her hair. "Don't let them push you somewhere you don't wan1 10 go - even if you're not sure there's any be1ter place. Don't let them decide for you. Be the best you can be - but you set the standards. Don't let anyone else do that for you." They were silent for a moment before Sera Jean's mother pulled softly away to retrieve her bag and disappear on sure steps over the worn stones. Sera Jean sank down onto the wooden stoop !hat led into lhe greenhouse. She looked over her mother's garden and out into lhe shadowy cove, dark almost all the way to the top of the ridge where her grandfather lay. There a rising moon had just cast its blue-whiteness into lhe trees. Rising, Sera Jean crossed the kitchen and pulled open the door to the refrigerator. She took from it eggs, red bell peppers, and the soaking mung beans. She thumped the small melon and made a face at the sound. It seemed far from appetizing. She washed the food, took down a cutting board, and was placing a big bowl before her on the table when she heard lhe door open and shut and the tap of her falher's step on lhe stone walk. His voice drifted in, light and out of key singing a little ditty. The tall, drawn man entered between stone and wood. His kind face brightened into a sincere smile when his eyes met hers. "Well, howdy, stranger." "Hey, Duane." - continued on p. 24 Fall 1986 �l;y Martha Lal4Tie Overlock n t e story that follows, I share wit you a persona experience with death and transformation. Through this experience I have learned more about trusting my i111uitille wisdom and my inner voice. This experience may seem surprising and somewhal paradoxical. I believe we are given the information and experiences we need to live life nwre fully. We are always changing .... always growing. Manha l. Overlock The season is Fall.. ... the time of change ..... of iransformation. I was on my way to get license plates for my car when I saw Rick and Troy turning right onto Charloue Street As they passed me, they stopped shon and threw it in reverse. With an intense look on his face Rick said: "Ralph - you remember Ralph? - He's missing! He went out in the woods on Sunday and hasn't come back yet..... PRA Y!l" At that moment my body turned ice cold. I did not hear Rick say another word..... Green light - oh yeah - I reached deep inside my being and prayed with all that I am I prayed for life, for healing, for strength and understanding. My body was cold - so cold.... .I could not get warm. I continued to pray, asking God to help Ralph, to guide Rick and Troy in their search. To comfon me! To wann my body! I was unable to get my license plates because they would not take personal checks. As I drove away from that office I knew that I had 10 go out to look for him ..... I knew I needed to drum. As I walked into my apanment and phoned the office to say I would not be in, my body slowly began to wann up. I changed my clothes and scanned my mind to hear where Rick thought Ralph had gone on Sunday. I heard Town Mountain Road. At this point in time I lived behind the Old Manor Inn. I drove up the back roads to the Parkway. I got out of my car and looked at the gravel to see if I could locate any tracks from Rick's truck. I didn't know which way to go.....Once again, I looked inside and asked "Where do I go?" I knew I had to turn left onto the Parkway. Driving.....driving .....higher and higher. I wanted to be there already! I wanted to be in the woods looking for Ralph .....I wanted to give that which be needed. I was getting nervous and antsy. 1 had not seen anyone I knew and I was already at Craggy-Gardens. I stopped and asked two rangers, who were in their truck, if they bad any information about a missing biker. They said they had heard some news earlier in the morning and called the main dispatch 10 get more details. They told me 1here was a car just past Glassmine Falls that had been left since Sunday. Instinctively I knew it was Ralph's car. 11 seemed an eternity to get 10 that tum-off. As I was driving I reminded my self to remain centered and clear to remain open to giving what is needed. I again asked for strength and guidance. I asked for guidance as never before. There were three men standing around their car talking when I pulled up. I introduced myself and learned that these men were federal and state authorities. I asked them if this was Ralph's car. I did not know with my mind if it was or not because I bad never seen Ralph drive .....in fact, I had met Ralph only twice; once during the Summer Solstice Gathering at Sam's Knob and once at the Nothing but Natural store, just a few days earlier. These men were a bit baffled by me. I could not tell them what Ralph's last name was, where be lives, if that was his car. Yet I knew deep inside that he was somewhere in the woods.....alone. I volunteered to go into the woods and start looking for him and was told that it was necessary to wait for more KATUAH- page 14 ople to arrive, so t at we cou orm organize search parties: that way, everyone would be in contact. l felt frustrated .....I kept praying. I asked that the people get here soon. I asked for patience and trust. I asked for help..... I got the feeling that these men thought Ralph had committed a crime. Soon after I felt this they asked me if Ralph was growing marijuana in the wa1ershed. My heart screamed "NO!"..... my mind calmly answered: "No, I don't think he was growing marijuana." Their reason for asking was that three men were seen coming out of the watershed area on Sunday. The watershed is off limits to hikers. The men who were seen ran back into the woods and the ranger never saw them again. He did see Ralph's car there on Sunday and wondered about the connection. He said he had spoken with some folks who had been hiking on the other side of the parkway. They hadn't seen anyone all day. A long time passed before I felt the au1horities believed that Ralph just wanted to be in the woods. I walked the trail with the ranger who had seen the bikers. We both knew that he wasn't there. We also knew that we had to look at all the options. While we were in the woods, volunteer firemen and Forest Service people and friends were gathering in the parking area. Formal search parties were being formed. Rick and I were in the same group. He could not believe I was there. He asked me how I knew where to go. I told him I bad followed my instincts. The whole experience of walking in the woods was very grounding. In that grounded state I began to truly understand the ebb and flow of life, nature, and my self. I realized that everything and everyone has a purpose and it is my responsibility to participate as fully as I am able. I now understand why it was so imponant (or me to know these truths. When we returned to the parking area we were told that Ralph had been found. He'd fallen from the waterfall. He was dead. "O, Mother carry me. ....A chHd I will always be; "O, Mother carry me.....Down to the sea." One week Later, as friends and family gathered to release Ralph's ashes and to say what they felt they needed to say, I went back to the Parkway to play drums and pray .....to say goodbye. I went to a place where I thought I'd see the falls. It was so foggy that day that I could barely see three feet in front of me. As I lit candles and bumed sage, I asked for clarity. As I played the drums and sang, I asked that my songs be heard. As I listened, I saw Ralph's energy field dancing in the mists. He looked like "electric rain", free and strong. He was seen on the same day in the same form by another friend in Linville Gorge. Months later I returned to the place where our searching began. As I stood in the quiet of the night, under e moon and stars, I listened. I could hear and feel the ythms of life all around me. As I played my drum I felt the ower of transformation sweeping through me. That feeling was so strong I began to tremble. In that moment, I experienced death being a part of life, a pan of the whole. One is not possible without the other.....I respect life and I live more fully; 1 respect death and the Crone does not bring me fear. I did not know Ralph well while be was alive. Our meetings were special and the connection strong. I learn re about myself each time I think of him. I am grateful for all the wonder-filled people I have met through Ralph. And I pray for our ~cc. ~ ~ // Fall 1986 �The shape of all our fears Turns fortune into dust Our dreams into mist Our grisly morlalily Feeding on carrion hatred and disgust Kalanu Ayeli'ski Crunches the skulls of our desires Its haunting cry As ii tucks its wings And dives into the darkness within Congeals the blood Stiffens the limbs And shivers in the marrow of the soul Kalanu Ayeli'ski Darkness that makes light bright THE RA VEN MOCKER When of the Great Mystery Motion was born The world was And because there was There was not; One became two And Kalanu Ayeli'ski Spread its dark wings The Raven Mocker To keep the Balance And give meaning to the au of life In fear the greatest of conjurors Cries out: "Kalanu Ayeli'ski!" the shadow Draws near, ruthlessly, sharp claws Ripping out the truth The dripping heart of the matt~r And with a triumphant croak Holding it l1igh for all to see Kalanu Ayeli'ski Greatest of teachus! Greatest of healers! One day we will all Life itself ordains Peer into the malevolent dark eyes And go shrieking down the blackness That opens into the dauJing glare of manifestation Kalanu Ayeli'ski, through you "We are reborn!" Say "KAH·la-noo KATIJAH - page 15 ah·yell·LIH-sld" (Clltrokle) Fall 1986 �The Sweat Lodge We have been told that when the people of the dominant culture came to this land, they subdued the native people of Tunle Island in a very cruel way. They took away the native people's land, and they took away their culture as well. They tried to make over the native people in their image, acting as if they were doing them a favor. We have been told that when we speak of spiritual things, "Religion" as it is called among those of the dominant culture, it should be remembered that these are things of the hcan and the mind - the only things the native people have left. So when the native people open their heans and speak of these things, it should be remembered that these are very, very sacred matters. If anyone truly respectS the native people and their way with the land, he or she should learn everything they can about these ways and what these ways mean to the Indian people before they try to practice them. We have been told that 10 many of the native tribes of Tunle Island, including the Cherokee of the Katiiah province, the sweat lodge is a sacred thing. Its use is for cleansing and healing, not only for the physical but also for the spiritual self. At the same time it pulls people out of their individualism. Many white people are now going into the sweat lodge, trying to capture that good experience. They wish to come together; they wish to feel pan of the whole. When that experience happens, people feel exhilarated and they wani to hug their neighbors, and they feel good about the spiritual things of the world. But we have been told that that is only the external experience. Much goes into the sweat lodge to make that experience happen. It is more than hearing some rocks and putting them under a cover. There is a lot more to it than many people know, and those people should not take it lightly. We have been told that among the Cherokees, apprentices who were learning to lead a sweat lodge would pull rocks, cover the lodge, dig fire pits, and tend the fire for many years - often 15 to 20 years - before they could "pour water" for a sweat lodge. During that time they were allowed to sit outSidc the lodge and listen to what went on inside and to what was said. Although they learned all the mechanical practices very quickJy, this was to teach the apprentices that there was more happening in the sweat lodge than the mechanical chores of its preparation. We have been told that the fire keeper, for example, fed and cared for the fire in a very sacred manner. The fire pit was used for no other purpose. To the Indian people the fire was a very sacred thing. It was a little bit of the sun upon tbe Earth, and it also attracted the spirits to the lodge. We have been told that the one who "poured water," the person who was to lead the sweat lodge, would lay a spirit trail from the fire, across the altar at the door of the lodge, and into the lodge. That line was not to be crossed. That person would use mixtures of tobacco, cedar, and sage - medicine plants - to mark the spirit trail. He would ask all the spirits to come. saying "We are doing a sacred thing; a sacred happening is happening here tonight, and these tw<>-leggeds are coming to join us all." We have been told that if one was above the lodge looking down at it with a spiritual vision, it would look like a turtle - with the fire being its head, the spirit trail its neck, and the lodge as its shell. If people go across the spirit trail, they cut the trail, and the lodge will not work. We have been told, too, that when the people gathered the rocks to be heated for the sweat lodge, they would not gather just a.ny rock. They would have a sense of which rocks had power, which rocks had people in them. They would bring only these special rocks to the fire pit. When the rocks wCTC heated, they would be laid in a hole in the center of the sweat lodge in a ccnain way. The first seven were dedicated to the directions, with the one in the center being for the Great Mystery. Each rock was "doctored" specially, and laid in its proper place. Everything was done for a reason. The rocks arc special people in the lodge because they are carrying a bit of the sun with them. These are all good things that come together to make the sweat lodge a sacred thing. We have been told that the one who pours the water on the stones is a channel for the spirits and a guide for the other people in the lodge. But at the same time this one should be a part of the group. He or she should know that the power they feel is not theirs alone. It is the power of the Spirit, and the power of the group. ,If they become confused by their own ego, then nothing will come through them. We have been told that the one pouring the water should know when there is something bad in the lodge, and he or she should know how to get rid of it, because the sweat lodge is a cleansing and healing place, and people often carry a lot of negativity in there. Things come up in some people that are dangerous to the others in t.h e lodge. The one pouring water is responsible for the two-leggeds in the lodge, and there is a real chance that one could be badly hun. When someone is ca!Jing the spirits and docs not know what he or she is doing, it comes back on them. Sometimes it hurts people - and not by being burned on the stones, either! The sweat lodge is strong medicine, we were told, and the only thing it should be used for is medicine. People should know that before they come into the lodge. It is not a social function. People should come in there to have a spiritual experience. Everyone who goes into the lodge takes responsibility for what they are doing, and the one who pours water takes responsibility for the energies that they call down. It is a serious thing. �To the Cherokee, we were told, all sacred things happen in fours and sevens. So there are four rounds to the sweat lodge. The first two rounds are to adjust to the place, to adjust to the people, to see how hot it is, and to bring up all the things the people want to be rid of. But the last two rounds are to work with the power of the spirits and the power of the people in the lodge. People should speak out in the lodge and participate! The energy the people put into the lodge is the energy they get ou.t of it. They should try to sing the songs even if they do not know the words. It is the people singing together in unison that caJJs the Spirit, not their voices. We were told that the Spirit Likes singing. The sweat lodge can do good for a lot of people, we have been told. It does good not just for the individuals in the lodge but for the people as a whole, for the sweat lodge is a very powerful thing, and it puts a lot of power behind the prayers that are made. It 1s a velucle tor common voices. When people truly "drop their robes" in a spiritual sense and join their energies freely, there is incredible power. Then it is no longer one person. It is 12, 15, ...20 people, and if they can all move evenly and not be self-indulgent, they can have a Jot of effect upon the planet and the situations we face today. We have been told that the sweat lodge was also used by tribal people in ancient Europe. The Finnish people arc well-known for their use of the sauna, and this practice is descended from a time when it was a sacred cleansing. The German people had a form of the sweat lodge in their culture, and the Jews also used a purification ceremony involving the sweat. The sweat lodge has been a pan of many cultures across the world. It has always been related to cleansing and healing. Even now, the Laplanders that herd reindeer in the far nonh of Scandinavia have a spiritual sweat lodge, as do nomadic Mongolian people in the steppes of Russia. We have been told to remember that native American people are not trying to deny anybody their tradition when they caution people of other races about using the sweat lodge. The sweat lodge is a gift of the Spirit, and it should be t.reAted as such. But the native culture of Tun le Island and of Katilah developed in this way. It is the gift of the native people to talk with the spirits in this way, and that is to be respected. If a Cherokee did a sweat with the Sioux, he would sweat m the manner of the Sioux. That kind of respect was basic. It was a traditional thing. In the same way, a white person should not take a sacred pipe into the lodge without understanding it. fr is the wrong thing to do, and it could be hannfuJ. One does not give a loaded pistol to a child. We have been told that women in their "moon lodge" (during the time of their menstrual period) should not be in a sweat lodge. This is hard to explain to women who come from a culture that considers a woman's flow dirty, unclean, painful, and inconvenient. Women arc very powerful beings, we have been told, and their mosr powerful rime is when the menstrual blood flows. Why else are men so afraid of women? European men have always suppressed women because they have sensed the women's power and have seen it as a threat instead of a sacred and glorious thing. This we are told: we all suck the breast - man, woman, and child. But we all cannot offer the breast. Women are sacred beings. But in the dominant culture women have nor been taught that. They have always been suppressed, and having a period of flow was something inconvenient to men, and somehow it came 10 be considered unclean. lt has been this way for generations. But we were told that a woman's moon time is not a negative thing at all. The reproductive cycle is a very sacred process. Women arc the mothers of everything. Everything comes through the mother. The moon time cannot be separated from ovulation time. During the moon rime, the products of ovulation are discharged. It is a sign that a woman has the power to create life, and it is a very sacred thing. A woman going through this time in her cycle, we were told, is more powerful than the sweat lodge. The lodge is a cleansing, healing process. A woman at this time does not need to be cleansed. She does not need to be healed. She is in a sacred rime - her most powerful and strong rime. It is so powerful that it interferes with the power of the lodge. She nullifies it It is self-indulgent for a woman even to want to sweat at that rime. She should not do anything at that rime. And she should not be interfered with sexually at that time. Perhaps she should go off to fast, meditate, and pray. When she is at her most powerful time, that reproductive spiritual energy should be used for good things. We have been told that one person cannot tell another person what to do, because each one must follow his or her own path and take responsibility for their own actions. But the native sweat lodge must be seen in light of the whole culture within which it grew. To take just one element of the sweat lodge ceremony without being aware of the whole context will lead to misunderstandings and mistakes. Spiritual matters are affairs of the bean. As such, they cannot be told, but must be experienced and felt. If one does not know how to do a sweat lodge, he or she must find a lodge someplace where they know the person is doing it in a spiritual way. lf this is not available, they may take a sauna, take a plunge in the river or creek, and when the time com~ to sweat, then it will be time to sweat. (/ �.... ·······-·········-············:·~./;.> .....·· .: ·········· .... · ...... NATURAL ....···· ........···.·.:::::<-·········.' WORLD :"' .:· NEWS RNER OTTERS RETURN by George Ellison BAD NEWS FOR BEARS N11unal World News Service THE DROUGHT N11unal World News Service Was it because of holes in the Earth's ozone layer reponed over the South Pole? Was it the "greenhouse effect" caused by air pollutants? Or was it simply a fluctuation in the normal weather cycles? Whatever the cause, the drought of 1986 was unquestionably the worst ever recorded in the southeast. TV A measurements show that the rainfall for the past year and for the past two-year period were the lowest recorded in the nearly 100 years records have been kept In the upper Tennessee Valley 71.5 inches of rainfall have been measured in the past 26 months out of a normal 112 inches of rain. Throughout the whole valley only 32.3 inches of rain fell during the past year compared to a norm of 51.7 inches. The worst of the drought occurred this spring and summer. In Asheville during the time between January and July 20, only 11.5 inches of rainfall were measured - less than half the norm of 27 .2 inches for that period. Springs have gone dry in the mountains that had provided water for families for as long as anyone could remember. In Jackson County, on the Nonh Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it was reponcd that 1200 springs went dry and that well-drillers were working o\>c:nime. The dry weather has placed particular stress on small farmers. Already threatened by a poor balance of prices on the farm market and unsympathetic federal policies, for many family farms the drought has been the last, dry straw. Particularly in the Piedmont, farms have been closing out in numbers unprecedented since the Grea"' Depression. · fl KA1UAH- page 18 As many as 200-300 black bear cubs in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are in danger of starving this winter due to a poor acorn crop caused by the severe drought this spring and summer. Black bear cxpen Dr. Mike Pellon of the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee Wildlife Commission repon that acorns and other hard mast, staples of the black bear's diet, arc in shon supply. The mast shortage will cause both adult bears and cubs to roam funher in search of food this fall, tbus making them more vulnerable to bunters. In the mountains, Nonh Carolina's bear hunting season is from October 13 November 22, and December 15 - January 1, making ii the longest bear hunting season in the Southeast. Realizing that an early fall bunting season jeopardizes the female bears, both Virginia and Tennessee have limited their hunting seasons to the last week in December, after most of the females have gone into their dens for the winter. Warburton's 1981-82 study of the Pisgah Bear Sanctuary revealed that of all the bears being monitored there, 60% of them were killed, and 75% of those killed were females. Pisgah Disaict Ranger Art Rowe has indicated that of the 15 bears currently being monitored in a North Carolina State University study, only three are females, and only one is of breeding age. To express your concerns about the survival of the black bear and to request that the bunting season be limited or eliminated. write to: Paul Wilms Dept of Environmental Management NC Dept. of Natural Resources and Community Development Raleigh, NC 27611 For more information, contact Paul Gallimore Bear Action Nerwor:k: Long Branch Environmental Education Center Rt. 2, Box 132 Leicester, NC 28748 Otters were once common throughout North America, but by the late I 800's they had become rare in the streams in western Nonh Carolina and cast Tennessee. By the time of the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934, the otters (or "oners" as they were called by the native mountaineers) had nearly been exterminated from the Smokies. A group of three were reponed in CataJoochce in 1927. One was trapped within the park area in 1931, and a pair was reported on different occasions near Elkmont in 1934. Still another was reported near Mount Sterling in 1936. But the last reliable sighting was made in 1934, the year the park was established. In 1he ensuing years, the indigenous otter population in Tennessee apparently was eliminated. In North Carolina, they have remained relatively abundant throughout the Coastal Plain and sporadic in the Piedmont In a program under the coordination of Jane Griess of the University of Tennessee, 16 river otters were obtained from a trapper operating in the New Bern area for reintroduction into the Great Smokies National Park. They were fitted with radio transmitters, and on March 10 were released in five male-female pairs a1 intervals along Abrams Creek below the Cades Cove section of the park. One of the older females died after release and was replaced with another female. In all, there are about 80 square miles of lowland streams in 18 drainages within the Smokies that are considered potential otter territory. Abrams Creek was chosen as the release sire because it represented the most suitable habitat - pools, long stretches of slow-moving moderately deep water, waterfalls, riffies, and rapids. Griess has been monitoring the activities of the otters on a regular basis and will continue 10 do so until July 1987. They apparently are adapting, using old groundhog boles for shelter a.nd feeding off crayfish, frogs, fish, and snapping turtles. If the project on Abrams Creek is successful, similar reintroductions in other suitable areas of the Smokies could follow. -excerpted with permission from a reporl In the Asheville Citizen I Fall 1986 �LOW-GLOW LOW BLOW Narunl World News S~icc "PINSOUTHERN GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION@IT/ON THE DUMP ON THE CHUMP!" 5Pf0Al $ -JUST CUTOUT THE llAZAl1DQ.IS WASTE o:wrAIWERS Bao,..t. Now il's official. The eight states of the Southeastern Low-level Nuclear Waste Compact have met and have chosen to award Nonh Carolina the honor of being host state for all the low-level radioactive wastes (LLRW's) produced by the member states over the next 20 yea.rs. The Nonh Carolina state government will now begin the unsavory business of finding some county to stick with a landfill that would eventually receive 37% of the nation's low-level nuclear waste. Five sites in the Piedmont are among those under consideration. And a popular movement of citizens is gearing up to sec that some county will not have to eat eight states' low-level radioactive trash. The Conservation Council of Nonh Carolina (CCNC) is calling for a state-wide ban on shallow burial of LLRW's and is demanding that the legislature adopt location standards for radioactive waste disposal facilities. While state regulations call for "engineered barriers" to control the wastes, there is no mention of what these barriers would be, and the CCNC is calling for public definition of this term. The group is also asking the state legislature to require Nonh Carolina's main nuclear waste producers, Duke Power and Carolina Power and Light (CP&L), to take responsibility for their own radioactive wastes. These two private companies, that m1xs~P1~. IU~ATLEfT. 1'l>JU5T 8l.llJl>f()U)I A11t> GO~ /T!.. .. are turning huge profits, produce 97% of North Carolina's LLR W's by curies (radioactive content) and 87% of the state's waste output by volume. State disposal of their radioactive wastes amounts to an enormous government subsidy to encourage the production of nuclear energy and to discourage energy conservation and waste control. The Jackson County group Citizens for a Choice on Nuclear Waste has already begun to circulate petitions calling on the NC Legislature to 'either pull out immediately from the Southeastern Compact or to submit the decision to a binding referendum by the state's elect0rate. "The compact is a poor concept," said Avram Friedman of CCNW, "because it encourages irresponsible production of nuclear wastes. We would like to do away with the compact idea altogether, so that each state will have to become more aware of the effects of nuclear waste generation.'' Contact: Conservation Council of NC 1024 Washington SL Raleigh, NC 27605 for petitions: Citizens for a Choice on Nuclear Waste P.O. Box 653 Dillsboro, NC 28725 ··- BUNCOMBE COMMISSIONERS CONSIDER COMPOST N11ural World News Service ln the past winter the Buncombe County Commissioners were considering mass-burn incineration as the method to handle the county's solid waste (see KatGah #12). They had contracted a $10,000 study to investigate the feasibility of co-incineration of sludge and solid waste. To people concerned about Asheville's air quality and the economics of waste recycling things were looking grim. However, through the effons of Paul Gallimore of the Long Branch Environmental Education Center, the commissioners were introduced to Elliot Epstein, a former researcher for the US Department of Agriculture research station in BeltsVillc, MD. On April 17 Epstein gave a presentation to the commissioners on the "static-pile" composting system he developed and "refuse-derived fuel" (RDF) systems. Both these systems are methods of turning waste into useful and beneficial products. In the static-pile composting method treated sewage sludge and solid wastes are heaped into piles around a framework of KATUAII - page 19 pipes through which air is blown into the pile. This sets up conditions for microbial action that quickly convens the wastes into a soil conditioner rich in organic matter. Refuse-derived fuel systems process waste paper and cardboard into briquetS, pellets, or "fluff' to be burned in boilers to produce steam and/or electricity by co-generation. These materials could be sold to industrial customers, or, according to local engineer Erik Nielson, it would be profitable to build a boiler and sell the trash-produced electricity into the grid. The commissioners were impressed enough with Epstein's vision and expertise t0 offer him $15,000 to study the possibility of developing composting and RDF systems in Buncombe County. Epstein announced the results of his study to a meeting of the commissioners on August 12. They expressed their approval of his findings by extending his contract by $38,000 to do preliminary market research for selling municipal compost and RDF materials and to design a composting plant that would meet the county's needs. The future for waste recycling in Asheville looks brighter indeed. The city could now possibly be the home for the first composting and RDF plant in the southeast.Yet citizen input is still needed on this issue. It is imponant that people encourage the county commissioners in their decision, for, if they proceed on this path, they will be breaking the trail for other urban centers in the southeast. They need to know they are acting with the support of their constituents. It is also imponant that the NC Dept. of Natural Resources and Community Development bold public hearings on the disposal of sewage sludge by the Metropolitan Sewer District Authority, an autonomous agency in Buncombe County regulated by the state and the EPA. This may be requested by writing t0: Nonh Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources and Community Development Division of Waste Management / 512 N. Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 27611 Fall 1986 �NATURAL WORLD NEWS USFS 15 YEAR PLAN Nallll'lll World News Service The US Forest Service has developed a revised 15-year management plan for the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests area. The flood of commentS received when the first draft of the 15-year plan was released influenced the shape of the new plan. "We're in a tough spot," said Larry Hayden, ranger at the Wayab District station who participated in the revision of the 15-year plan."We got a lot of feedback from many different interest groups, and somewhere in there is one tiny point where we can balance all these different demands. We are looking for that one tiny point." The demands of local residents were reflected in a reduced area of timber production, a greater emphasis on non-motorized recreation, better bear habitat, modified logging methods, and new management criteria 10 better protect running creeks. The greatest change was in the area available for timber cutting. Where previously 800,000 acres had been open to logging, the modified plan proposes only 550,000 acres of timber production. This means that 250,000 acres of forest would be taken out of timber production altogether, at least for the duration of the plan. However, timber quotas were not low~red, !Deaning that the areas open to logging wtll be cut more heavily in the next 15 years. The acreage to be cut is set at 7,360 acres, which is acmally an increase over the amount proposed in the original draft. Of this area, 2,500 acres are to be cut by the shelterwood method, whereby 60% of the timber is removed in a first cut, and the remainder is taken out in a second cutting either 10 or 60 years later depending on the management plan for th; particular site. In some areas this is being done to help regenerate the oonhern red oak, a valuable timber tree which has been losing ground in the national forests. In other areas shelterwood cutting would be done strictly to alleviate the ugliness of a large clearcut in an area visible to the public. Only 360 acres of the two national forests are to be cut by the group selection method, in which small groups of trees of both good timber and cull grade wood are removed to favor the growth of the next generation of trees. In the public outcry against clearcutting, most of those who proposed an alternarive had group selection in mind. Allotting only 360 acres could be seen either as political tokenism or as an experiment that might lead to changes in forest management in the future. KATUAH - page 20 Another change for the better was a substantial reduction in proposed road construction. Instead of planning to build 156 miles of road per year from a $5.1 million transportation budget, the USPS now plans to build 40 miles of road per year and spend only $1.2 million on transportation needs. However, the reconstruction of existing roads is to be doubled from the original proposal of 28 miles per year to 55 miles per year. That again reflects the decision that areas already in use will be worked harder, but that less territory will be open to human incursion. The establishment of new directives for a riparian (running creek) management zone was one of the major advances of the new plan. These directives clearly state that trout habitat is to be maintained in the national forests. Specifically, there is to be no logging for 30 feet on either side of a year-round creek, and between 30 and 100 feet l~gging is to be done only by the group selection method to lessen the impact on creek life. This will remove a substantial amount of land from timber production and will do much to ensure that streams are running clear as they leave the national forests. Five areas in the forest, a total of 26,920 acres, are under study as wilderness areas by an act of Congress. The legislature will decide whether or not these areas are to receive a wilderness designation, but in the new plan the Forest Service will recommend that the Lost Cove, Harpers Creek, and the Craggy Mountains areas be set aside as wilderness. Also written into the new plan was a promise that the Overflow and Sno~bird ai:eas will remain virtually u~d1sturbed 1f they are not designated wilderness and left in Forest Service control. Under the modified plan, 75% of the Nantahala-Pisgab National Forests area will be reserved for "dispersed recreation" (not open to vehicles). This is a higher percentage than in the original proposal, but the figure is misleading, because it includes areas that would be clearcut and then closed to traffic. It's not much fun trying to walk across a new clearcut!! However, this does ensure that the bears, turkeys, and other wil~life will have a larger part of the nauonal forest for their habitat free of human disturbance, a very important consideration. There is no review period planned for the revised draft of the ForestS Services 15-year plan for the Nantahala-Pisgab forest. "We've already heard what everyone has had to say, and this modified plan is our best attempt to respond to that, "said Larry Hayden. The completed final draft of the plan and an environmental assessment is scheduled to go to Regional Forester John Alcock September 15 for approval.The public will have 45 days to file appeals once the plan has become official, probably in November. . Despite the USPS plan to pass over a review by the people, it is irnponant for us to make our thoughts and feelings known. A summary of the modified plan and a description of the new management catagories is available from: US Forest Service P.0.Box 2750 Asheville, NC 28802 USFS OPEN HOUSE Natural World News Service The US Forest Service held "open house" presentations on the modified 15-year plan for the Nantahala-Pisgah ~ari?nal Forests on August 7 at the eight distnct ranger stations. The sessions were billed as "informative". Announcements said that rangers would be happy to discuss the P,lao ~d "any concerns you might have , but tt was made clear that the review period was over and the next chance the public will have for input on the shape of the next 15 years in the national forests will be during the formal appeal period after the decree bas already become official. Nevertheless, delegations from the Western North Carolina Alliance went to all eight of the USFS district offices to make themselves heard. At the Wayah District station in Franklin, NC, Clarence Hall of Sylva raised the central area of concern to the WNCA:"Why are there only 360 acres alloted to group selection cutting? That's only a drop in the bucket!" Rangers responded by saying that group selection cutting was economically viable on only the best sites, and that the practice of clearcutting would be modified w~~~ver they c:onsidered it feasible by util1zmg the pracnce of shelterwood cutting. Where a second cutting would be uneconomical at some of the sbellerwood sites, the Forest Service plans to kill cull trees by injecting herbicides to achieve an even-aged stand of young trees. This plan met resistance from the Alliance members who favor all-aged management as being a more natural method of silviculture. The res.idents also objecied to the long-lasting poisons that would be introduced into the forest system and to the fact that the dead trees would be left unused. Rangers also avoided a question about mining and mineral rights under the new plan. "It's always been the law that if mineral rights are privately owned, the Forest Service has to provide access to the mining site. That won't change," said a ranger. "But mining is not a pressing issue anymore " The WNCA members remained skeptical. The residents also criticized the Forest Service for cutting back on road construction and closing parts of the national forest to recreational traffic. The Alliance is in favor of more open roads in the national forests, a sentiment not shared by other environmental groups. "Thirty-five years ago," Clarence said, "I was out hunting squirrels, and I came across some men up on Greens Creek killing trees with those injection hatchets. I begged and I pleaded with them not to do that, but they said that's what had to be done to manage the forest. "Recently at a meeting I talked about that day, and Lewis Kearney, the district ranger, said at that time that killing those trees had been a bad mistake. "I'm afraid that years from now, when ~ of us are g~ne, people may say the same thing about this clearcutting. We don't want to let that happen." The Western North Carolina Alliance can be reached by mail at: P.0.Box 117, Murphy, NC 28906. Fall 1986 �Review THE WIT A~D WISDOM OF RA NGER DOUG Woodslore and Wj!dwooc!s Wjsdom by Doug Elliott (Burnsville, NC 28714; Rt 4, Box 137; Possum Productions: 1986) $7.95 This book is a savory stew of the knowledge Doug Elliott has accumulated during a dec ade of woods-stomping, jungle-jumping, and tidepoo!-splashing throughout eastern Tunic Island and Central America. Woodslore and Wjldwoods Wisdom is actually a compendium of Doug Elliott's greatest hits, as much of the material has been published before. But although you may have seen the classic "How to Use Road Kills" in the ~ Eanh Catalog of years past, and unless you are a regular reader of Wildlife jn North Carolina magazine, much or all of the material in this Ranger Doug reader will be new and fascinating. lt's best, of course, 10 meet and to know Doug and to walk in the woods with him, getting the benefit of his knowledge or the wild, his hilarious stories, his infectious laugh, and the twinkle in his eye. But as an introduction to Doug and whm he knows, Wooc!slore and Wildwoo<ls W jsdom will do j ust fine. He covers a variety of topics from his beloved possums through old-timey apples and the infamous ramp plant of the Katiiah hills. He tells us how to make a rope and a basket from natural materials found in the wild, and talks about herbs, orchids, bears, ginseng, and millipedes. One feature is an introduction to the wondrous underground world beneath the forest excerpted from Doug's book R22!1. And there's more ..... There is little rhyme or reason 10 this book. Its topics are as varied and as far-flung as Doug Elliott's wandering mind. But Doug has a unique and deep perspective on the world, and seeing it through his eyes is always educational and fun. His new book is a wonderful collection of some of the high points of Doug E!liou's literary career, fu!J of woods-sense, common sense, and humor. But ya still got to meet the boy..... \Vood~/ore and Wildwaods Wisdom is avai /able for $7.95 plus $1.00 postage for each copy o rdered f rom Possum Productions; Rr. 4 , Box 137; Burnsville, NC 28714 Also still available is Doug's book B.Juu.s..:.. An Un<lererollnd Botany and Foraeer's Gllkk., an excellent guide co identifying and using the different roots of Katuah's field and woodland plants, illustrated with beauriful drawings. $8.00 plus $1 .00 postage for each copy ordered from Possum Productions. ..-. An Interview with Elizabeth Callari continued from p. S And then there is that period of rest right before you go into labor...and it's very quiet In dying, there's also that period of res t before the work really begins. Twenty-four hours before death. I notice a shift in the person It's usually a hiatus and then, I know, aha, okay now we're really starting. I usually share it with the staff Watch this because this is what's really happening. Notice thar. The last guest who was here - her name was Geneva - that morning that she died, I went in... it was about 5:00 in the morning. I ran my fingers over her arm - which I do a lot - and it felt very strange. I had never felt anything like this before. I thought to myself that her body is just getting rid of the last of the toxins in order for it to be healed. Death is the ultimate healer, you know. And so, I had everybody with the staff touch her ...and feel rhat something was different, very differenr. She died around 3:00 that afternoon. When I go into the room and I feel as though death is coming close, we sran what is called a vigil. The staff comes together those who can, you know - sometimes we are there 24 hours, so we take turns. We pu!J up chairs and sit around the bed, light candles. and then do some meditative reading. Sometimes we read aloud. Sometimes we read quietly. It doesn't matter, they still get the message. If people like to have the Bible read, we read the Bible. You know, whatever their reality is. It all disappears anyway, but whatever they can relate to during that time is fine. So they move into this space in a very gentle way and they're surrounded by people who love them, who are not going to stop the process. You know it's very difficult to die when there is someone standing there saying, "no.no.no, r can't live without you." Nobody leaves until it's time so don't interfere, just don't interfere. If you 're having a tough rime, it's better that you go KATUAH-page21 into the other room just so you don 't interfere with your thoughts. Just your thoughts are going to stop what's happening. The vigil, I think, is very beauuful and that time is so exciting. I know what is happening and I know that incredible beauty, that 'ahhh', that 'what it's all about' is taking place. Careful of your attachments as you go into your dyi ng process because whatever attachment you have, that's what you're going to be drawn 10 afterwards. So release all your attachments while you're living, be totally involved, but not attached to anything, not even to your concept of God because your concept of God is going to change as you go through this process. ~' And if you're attached to your concept of God, the way it is right now, you're going to put up resistance and resistance causes pain - this is a kind of pain that no medication takes care of. In the first two years, I was pretty much doing this work by myself. Now in February of this year, the volunteers really Started coming and I believe that it worked that way because of all the issues I had to work out Until they got worked out, the volunteers weren't going to come. Some of them came because they are so afraid of death ...and I have to admire them because most people step around the issue and don't walk in. These people come because they are afraid of death are walking right into it and they're growing. We all are. The guests who are here are our teachers. It's not someone out there who has a book in front of them who is our teacher. These are our teachers. That's their gift to us. We give them the gift of love and caring for them and they give us the gift of life. The food we prepare here is prepared very consciously and I ask that no one prepare it if they're angry because that goes right into the food. If there is a day when you're upset about something, it's best you don't be in the kitchen. And when I was by myself and I was upset for some reason, I didn't cook either. It's bener 10 open a can of soup or wh atever and hope that the person who processed that soup was happy that day. This is another reason that the people get well for whatever period of time. Food is lovingly prepared and it comes from our gardens, when they want to eat that kind of food. Now, also, people can eat whatever they want to eat here but we offer them a good, cleansing type diet. Usually, they come to us with so many chemicals in their bodies...it's like shovelling through a whole pile of stuff to get to the essence of who they are. Very often, people who come here go off of much of the medication they bring with them. They just don't need it. You don 't need anti-depressants when you're here. We encourage people who come here 10 take responsibility for their life and their death. And in taking responsibility for your death, you make the final decisions. You don't want somebody else to do that So we sit down when it's appropriate. Intuitively, I know when it's appropriate - when the time is right There is that linle clue that they give and so I pick up on it. 'What would you like? Who would you like to have speak?'. Details. We work on the details. You know, when you are sitting with someone who is dying, you don't need an education in anything except to be able to love...and not judge what's happening. It's their game...it's their play. Let lhm..do it. But be there for them when they need you. And if it means crawling into bed and holding them and rocking them while they're going through this, then that's what you do. If it means leaving them totally alone, then ~ what you do. Fall 1986 �DRUMMING LETTERS TO KA TUAH Dear KatCiah, Here are some thoughts that arise when thinking about the "Death and Dying" issue you mention in your note. Death is a familiar aspect of our lives. At rimes death is perceived as being especially "close" when a person or being close to us dies. It is suggested that famiUariry and our perceptions are not the same as an understanding of death. We have rituals, stories, poems, and pictures to deal with death, and still the mystery remains. These comments, influenced by Krishnamurti and others, are offered with a view of death as a necessary and integral part of life. In this view, any aucmpt to separate death from life introduces violence, a violence that may contribute to the fears and lack of understanding that are commonly associated with death. Furthermore, it is suggested that environmental, personal, social and political conditions are subject to the same basic considerations. That is, because of a lack of a realistic view of the world and experience, we tend to deal with familiar patterns as separace aspeccs of reality and experience a kaleidoscopic world based on discrimination through separation. When separation is recognized as being violent, it is no1 surprising that violence is rampant in the world that we help to create. Divide and conqucr--a military maxim also applied with dramatic results in the laboratory. What is conquered with division? Wholeness seems to be "conquered". However, all wars, every experiment, are conducted in a context that remains whole. Division represents a local perturbation in the fabric of reality, but the over·all context prevails. Only those near the division experience the stress of separating forces. The violence associated with separation is a localized phenomenon. The impact of such violence can be moderated by recognizing the more general reality in which the localized separation occurs. One might suggest that the violence associated with nuclear war is not localized, that it includes the entire earth. True, however, the earth is an extremely small part of the universe and can be viewed as a highly localized phenomenon in the general scheme of things. We are somewhat familiar with the earth and have a growing understanding of the connectedness of the many systems on the eanb. Native Americans and ecologists recognize this connectedness and the violence that appears when we attempt to separate the many aspects of local reality on Eanh. So it is with life and death. To consider death "separately" does violence to the unity of life and death. We not only breathe "out", we also breathe "in". To understand inspiration fully, we must include expiration. You may recognize the Taoist perspective in these comments. Yang alone or Yin alone are out of balance. When Yang and Yin are in balance, the Tao is realized and Yang and Yin are no longer discemablc. The violence of separation is expressed in classifications which emphasize Yangness and Yinness without recognizing the Tao as transcending these aspects of division. As we consider death, or the familiar stories and rituals that humans have developed around biological death, it may be well to recognize the nature of the violence possible in KATUAH · page 22 such considerations. As death and life arc blended, the possibility of transcending the localized violence presents itself. Poems, stories, rituals, and pictures can be useful pointers to that which is beyond and in our limited assumptions. HO. Best to you, John Artley Karuah folks, I am impressed and appreciative of the work you are doing. Your journal is a backbone of strength and unity for the bioregion and myself. I enjoy reading a journal in which I am so consistently, practically, philosophically, and spiritually aligned. I was concerned however, that J. Lynn Mackey's review, "Deep Ecology or Shallow Moralism?", in the Wintcr-86 issue might inadvertently have presented a distorted picture of Deep Ecology as a movement Deep Ecology, particularly in the western states, has become a key concept in both the bioregional and radical environmental movements. Deep Ecology, inclusive of concepts of a deeper and deeper questioning of dominant paradigm values, a lifestyle simple in means and rich in ends, reverence for earth communities, and the interrelationship and intrinsic value of all life (animals, plantS, rocks, rivers) on all levels, is entirely conducive to the resacralization and reinhabitation of bioregions. Deep Ecology has been the name for a continuously developing body of environmental thought coalescing in front line direct action by bioregionally centered individuals and groups like Earth First!. It has also functioned as a difficult "middle groundn, a transf~nn~ve area of ideas, for lhose reaching for a deeper connecaon wuh the Earth but soil grappling with the misconceptions of the dominant culture itself. Unfortunately a bioregionaJly specific, close-to-earth lifestyle by itself does not necessarily inspire a harmonious relationshipwith nature. Our western pioneer movement is a case in point. Neither does it necessarily, once tainted with western paradigms, have respect for culturally rich, simple, bioregional lifestyles. Ask the spirit of the Native American. Anyone involved with bioregionally protective activism and developing a spiritually richer community recognizes the difficulty and necessity of the "middle ground" where the peaceful warrior and earth-centered culture meet the forceful domination of mass culture with goal of peaceful rransformation. Deep ecology assists with this space while lending iLSelf to the open ended development of a rich, bioregionally specific culture. Individuals and groups developing practical lifestyles, ritual, thought-outreach, and eco-activism in alignment with the spiritual center of a natural place, are practicing both bioregionalism and deep ecology. . J. Lynn Mackey is right; bioregionally specific, diversified culture is where it's aL We could use a bioregional analysis. and I hope he or someone else takes up that proJecl. Perhaps 11 will assist in changing the world. But until that time, emergent bioregional culture needs to support itS closest allies, and be supported by them, each contributing to the other. Deep ecology is an ally, on all levels, for those who face the full responsibiUty and reality of a localized earth-centered lifestyle in a homocentric, domination oriented society. We draw our allies from vision quests in sacred places, from the land, our friends, and the constant flux of our creative connection with a natural place. We can draw upon and consider Deep Ecology a valuable ally in the work of our Ii ves. Peace and Love, John Morris Chatham, GA Fall 1986 �Dear Katliah, Belief in reincarnation was nearly universal among our pre-Christian European ancestors and was accepted by many native Americans as well. Native Australians, Inuit, native Hawaiians, and many Africans are among the people who believe we live more than once. Perhaps we can call !ouch a belief pan of our native intelligence. According to a 1981 Gallup poll, twenry-three percent of the adult population of North America believe in reincarnation. This is panicularly impressive when one thinks about the lengths to which the church went to stamp out this and other heresies (a word which originally meant "free choice"). Perhaps as many as 9 million people were burned, hanged and tortured cruelly and publicly for witchcraft in Europe over a period of 3 ccnruries. Why did this happen? Perhaps it was a form of initiation for souls who wished to learn Jesus' message of forgiveness first-hand. The experience of the burning time has left psychic scars on many people. Such experiences, like ourselves, do not die but arc transformed. So it is by the light of millions of burning women and men that we are now able to see our way clear of the stinking mess of a situation that our rejection of death has caused. Children fight sleep, grown-ups fight death, adult humans light fear and ignorance. Take Hean, WiU Bason Floyd, VA OPENLETIER TO MEN, HUNrERS Oh, it's alright to send the slug at high speed into the life of a dark bear (faster than the red stain expanded until globs of brain splattered against the trees, wasn't it?) i would never say you had no right to hunting, to kill is something we need to know ("we could always live off game and wild greens") to keep our place strong and free in this land and our boys need to know when they are men and we need to know do we measure up to the measure of this land? Do we measure up to the measure of this land? Does it make the mountains proud? to see one sitting in a new truck 360 horse, 4 x 4 to burn up the back country drinking whiskey (even if it ii illegal) Do the trees? listen with quiet approval to the radio "CCKKKKK!! It's coming to you, Luther" What kind of a man? eases his swollen gut from behind the wheel picks up his rifle that can keep a bear a quarter-mile away and crashes through the woods to a sure shot at a female ("scrawny - the acorns were bad this year and last") the pack of dogs already had treed the bear and itS ways fast from food three days before the hunt plunge seven times into mountain waters clear and cold not touch a woman for a week? How do you go about your business taking a life or is it all as casual? as red globs of brain splattering against the trees The question remains ~ the fro~t of my brain, small and hot 'Why..... in savage rage i ask, roaring, bellowing lips curling away from razor fangs "WHY THE HELL do you~ Jill.CH SQ MOCH taking a measwe we must read what we find when that same bear her entrails still dragging the way you left her returns for you and finds you cringing in a hospital bed barricaded behind wires and machines swallowing magic pills superstitious charms against a death so important simply because it's yours that you think the world is finished why'?" No one, not i, would stand in front of your gun and say "You have no right!" but when did you ever? give time to study, learn, and love the hills, the forest, drunken and blind, only we could go into the forest back among the hills and still not learn the truth about bears. KALANU, TIIB POET KA TUAH - page 23 Fall 1986 �GOOD NIGHT FAOM SHADOWS FALL • continued from p. 13 Sera Jean smiled in return and rose from the table. Her father towered above her, his tanned cheekbones healthy above his beard, which was sunbright like his wisping hair. His green eyes shone wannly down, a large hand came to rest at her waist. "So, how's the old man?" Sera Jean looked up to see his eyes upon her, ttying to see in her more than she could show. "Hc's ..... he's no worse." She turned back to her cooking, taking a cast iron skillet, splashing in some safflower oil. Her father spoke again. "You'd think that old man was enjoying himself up there. "Guess I'll say hello to my big girl. Where's she at?" "Oh," Sera Jean replied anxiously, remembering the message she really didn't want to pass along. "Fe went to a sweat for Elise. She won't be back 'ti! late." The man seemed to sink in on himself. The light in his face wavered, his step became a Limp. He took a deep breath. "Sweet lady Fe. She does love her women." He sighed with resignation, ranging awa.Y toward the far end of the kitchen, to the cedar bathtub which Gran'pa had set into ,the floor before the big glass window that looked up the cove to the ridge top. "Did she leave any hot water? Think I got time for a bath? These old bones could use some warmth." "Sure," Sera Jean replied, moving the skillet to the fire. She looked after the man as he steeped in his disappointment. Slowly, absently he saipped away his shirt while he sat upon the squat, three-legged stool and stared out at the trees where the line of moonglow could be seen descending into the cove as a quarter moon rose over the eastern ridge. She came up behind him. "Dad, let me massage your shoulder." The man's head jerked around in surprise at her offer. "Why, Sera Jean, I believe your heart has gotten bigger." He leaned forward and started the water in the tub, then rose back into Sera Jean's waiting hands.She had stopped massaging Gran'pa's cold body, afraid he would die from her touch. Now she leaned her weight into her father's hard frame, digging her fingers into his shoulder blade as she had seen her mother do. "Duane, why does Fe go out so much, but you hardly go anywhere?" The man seemed to wait, holding himself rcoeptivc to her fingers, and then let his breath out as he answered, "Hmmmmmmmm..... we all make our choices, Sera. Then we are obligated to live up to the responsibilities that go with those choices. You might say I'm feeling lazy these days." "You? Lazy?" Sera Jean queried. "I don't thlnk I could ever say that." "Hmph," Duane replied, amused. "Yeah, I'm k:i nd'a stuck on my ass these days. But the freedom I choose by staying home doesn't require whole bunches of responsibilities. I just stay here and work. KA1UAH • page 24 It's easy. But your mama, she's got to get out there and talce it to the limit, just to see if she can handle it, which is good. We need her to handle it. As long as she brings it back to us, I can't complain." "But you don't want to go anywhere, to do things?" "Sera-girl, when I met your mother, I was running on a ridge, just as fast as I could, doing anything, doing everything doing il twice if it didn't kHI me the firs t time. I thought I had to run faster, get higher, fill myself right up, because that's what I thought life was all about. But if you never share any of that, it piles up, gets heavy. And then I became afraid I would always need more just to be never quite satisfied. "I really didn't believe your mother had the speed to keep up with me. But she brought me here, turned me loose inside this cove, let me run circles around her, and no matter how fast I went, she could always catch me whenever she wanted me. Just head me off at the pass. I've always been amazed, y'know, how easy it is to run so fast and free and good and not hun a soul in doing what I pleased. So, I've got it all, Sera. Right here and now. If I went anywhere else, even with good friends, I'd feel poor and alone." "Even when mom's gone?" Her fingers could feel the man struggling not to lie. There was silence. He looked away, drawing upon the shadowy cove where the line of moonglow had descended closer, getting the feeling right. "Yeah," he said, "even without my sweet lady Fe." He moved, quick as a gentle breeze, his great arms coming around her, Lifting her to place her on his knee. "You can't hang on to things, Sera. Letting go can be hard, but things must pass. You can't stop them." "I-I guess I know that, Dad. But I'm not strong like you. I'll always miss Gran'pa." "I'm sure that would make Gran'pa very sad - to know that you will always be missing him for the rest of your Life. Trying to hang on to what no longer is, you'll miss what Gran'pa has for you now.' "But he'll soon be gone, and I'll ..... " "Gone? Where's be gonna go? To get free of that worthless bag of bones must have him grinning ear to ear. Did you ever thlnk, babe, that if it weren't for you still putting energy into Gran'pa, he might have been set free a couple of weeks ago?" Sera Jean looked out the tall windows and saw the line of moon glow ever closer. "Y'see, Sera, the secret is to spend every day gently impressed. If today comes at you all thunder and lightning, then brace yourself and take it on gently. Don't let it get in the way of tomorrow. You never know where it's coming from. but it's always coming. Take ii on gently. and give it b:ick gently. You'll be alright "Why don't you pack up your sorrow and set it on the rick? You don't have to run on the ridge anymore, ttying 1 gc1 higher 10 0 see 1he last of a setting sun. ll'll still come up behind you in the morni ng. But, if you look right now, ru bet you can find Gran'p:i down here waiting for you like he never left." Sera Jean's downcast eyes caught sight of moonlight creeping over the window sill. She looked up to see that it had set all the cove to eerie whiteness and black shadows, surprising her with a beaury she knew so well, a gentle touch, impressing upon her like Life holding her close. She felt the rough, work-hard hand through the cloth upon her back, and felt ic a comfon. She looked into the kind eyes, old and comfonable too, crinkling around the edges, caring. It was only fair that she should smile in return for the gentle goodness that had replaced the gentle sorrow that had weighted her for so long. "Duane," she spoke in a half-whisper, "Get me up in the morning. I think I'll go to school.'' "You got it, Ace," Duane confirmed. "You and me for breakfast." "What about Fe?" "Well," he breathed, "I suspect Mama will want to sleep in tomorrow. So, we'll just have to do the best we can with what we got." "Maybe we should ask her to come home," Sera Jean suggested. "No," he shook his wisping, hairy bead. "If we did that we wouldn't be living up to our responsibilities. I think we should let her go more often. She just might fall off the ridge someday, and if we haven't let go of her yet, we might find ourselves being tom painfully hard. "Hey, look, big girl. This water's a'waitin' on me, and I think I'll be gettin' to it." Sera Jean rose and stepped away silently, turning her back on the big man as he stood and became a rustling of clothing. She looked back from the summer stove where she poked the embers tighter together and a tiny flame leaped anew. She saw him standing straight in the blue-white moonglow, his hard body sharply defined by shadow. He reached up behind his head to pull the tie from his hai r and a moon-bright radiance dropped about his shoulders. He stepped into the bath, and the gentle sound of lapping water came to her as he sat and was silent. Sera Jean Samuels could see rum, in his silent sadness, staring out into the land of her grandfathers, calling upon them to give him strength, letting the moonlight give him beauty, beauty to liken the womaness he needed. She thought she saw a tear sparkle in the moonglow, heard it drop into the water and be gone. But then again, it seemed only right that it be the part of the man to let go the woman. lUustralions by Rob Messick Fall 1986 �HOW TO H ELP CHILDREN HANDLE DEATH - conunocd from page 10 This can terrify children about bedtime. never coming back). And the third is hope (We're going 10 be okay even without 3. Mommy's gone on a long trip. "Daddy is going out of town on a business trip--is Daddy). Help the child work through these he never coming back? Will I be left all processes, and s/be ""ill be the healthier for it, and stronger when faced with loss the alone? Why didn ' t Mommy tell me next time. good- bye? Didn't she love me? Was I naughty?" Children may think all of these and also wonder, "If Mommy only went Recognize anger, guilt, and away, why is everyone crying?" physical distress for what they are. 4. God took her becau~e she was good. These are all normal reactions 10 loss. A "Then I don·t want to be good. so I won't child may say s/be hates Uncle Bob for have to die. Are old people bad?" This can dying and leaving the family. Or S/be might develop into a fear and hatred of God. say the doctor murdered a brother. Or why didn't Susie's mother die instead of Deceiving children is the worst course, Mommy? because eventually they'll learn the truth. Guilt often results when children don'1 And deception will not help them to face the understand the difference between fan1asy inevitable fact of death. and reality. They can think they caused a person's death because they once said, "I Help children to expr ess their wish you were dead." h 's important to grief. Encourage the child 10 let out his or explain this can't happen and that the child her feelings. It's okay 10 cry--you feel like had nothing to do with the dea1h. crying, 100. h 's okay to feel sad or Many children feel physical distress depressed. It's okay 10 not know how to when faced with 1be shock of loss. act. But emphasize that although the loved Dizziness. nausea, insomnia, shonness of one will never return, s/be lives on in the breath, lack of appeti1e, and inability to happy memories you all share. concentrate are but a few of the symptoms a The grieving child experiences three child may experience. Reassure him or her phases. The first is denial (Daddy didn't that the feeling is natural and will disappear die). The next is pain and despair (Daddy's in time. MAKING BURIAL BOXES - continued from p. 9 Nail the side pieces to the bo11om, using 7/8" nails. The strips should be inside and at the top. Nail the ends, with the good sides out, firmly to the bottom and 10 the side strips. using 8-penny nails, and the job is done. The handles may be stored inside the box and screwed on when the box is used. Likewise, the top may be tacked lightly in place until the box is needed, and then nailed firmly down with 7/8" nails when the box is used. The box, when loaded, should be moved with care to avoid pulling the ends away from the box. After the cover has been nailed down, however, the box is quite strong and can be handled freely. By using screws in the ends instead of nails, the box can be made quite strong without the lid. THE WAKe: - continued from p. 11 graveyard. When my brother died, though, they faid him over on Barker's Creek (on 1he other side of the ridge - ed.). I don't know why they put him so far away. If I had the money, I'd have him reburied over here. But it seems like when someone dies, it all comes so sudden-like and all. that you don't have time to think about all that. I don't know why. but it feels better 10 have them buried close 10 you ....." OLD CUSTOMS SURVIVE Being a tribal people, the Cherokee Indians probably had a custom similar to the wake in ancient times. In any case, when the Baptist missionaries penetrated the reservation of the Eastern Band. the Indians readily adopted the practice of "senin~up". Baptist style, they held the wake in the church, and for the Indians ii was a solemn occasion. The Cherokees are a conservative people, and the custom of "seuin'-up" is srill maintained on the reservation today. KATUAH - page 25 Allow children to attend the funeral. Never force children 10 go, but do encourage it. They are pan of the family and, like other family members. should panicipa1e in this significant event. Be sure 10 explain the details of the service before you go. But remember children need 10 share their sadness and be with others, just as adults do. This will help them 10 accept the reality of death. These guidelines should help to make dealing with death a little easier. Keep in mind that the grieving process (for children and adults alike) takes time. But if, in a maner of time, the intensity of grieving does not abate, or if you have any doubts, don't hesitate to seek professional help for the child. In the midst of their own grief, few people are able to give children undergoing severe grief reactions the suppon they need. Day by day it will get easier. When children understand the meaning of death and are honestly dealt with, they can more readily cope with loss and move forward to maintain a positive attitude towards life and living. And they realize human life is one of our most precious possessions, and will go on 10 live life 10 its fullest. ...:.-<::: When the box is used, two handles should be screwed to each end for ease in going through doors. They may be removed with a screwdriver and brought home from the crematory or cemetary for furure use. When a body is taken to a medical school in one of these boxes, it is customary 10 remove the body from the box and take the box home. To save storage space, these boxes are so designed so that the medium size can nest inside the large size. and the child size inside the small size. Assembly Diaaram Tom Underwood, a white man who grew up on the reservation, describes the tradition: "Once the life was gone from a body, it was never left until it was buried. Now, in modem days, the body is taken 10 a funeral home to be processed, but then it's brought back, and as long as it is in the care of the family and kin, it's never left alone. The wake is usually held in a church, and here on the reservation it's customary for people 10 have food to eat, coffee, and soft drinks. They sing the deceased's favorite songs..... Here, it's not a party, it's an observance." The isolation of the mountains played a large pan in keeping traditional customs alive after they had disappeared from the sophisticated urban areas. But as the roads came in, undenakers began to move out into the rural countryside. Tom Underwood said: "What prompted people to change over was just a feeling that the undenaker could do a beuer job of taking care of the body. Another reason was that in the hot summenime it didn't take long for a body 10 begin to go! "Having it processed meant that kin' who lived farther away would have ome to get there before the funeral. Then, too, people began 10 have more ready cash to pay the undenaker. At first, though, be was paid with chickens, hams, produce, or with work, if there was something he needed done. That's what people had 10 offer." Now, in most places, the undenaker, a man, stands guard over the gates of death, keeping the burial elaborate, efficient, fonnal, and solemn - watching again~t any threats co the "designs of culture". But in small churches high in the coves of Appalachia people still stay through the night: talking, praying, crying, eating, and singing the mournful old songs together. / �704-58&-8729 FRIEDMAN & 8 p -~~·. Q,.J 'I l : r" · < "'i DESIGN, INC. ENERGY SYSTEMS THAT PAY FOR THEMSELVPi AVRAM FlltEOMAH OESl()NER.TECHNtCIAN P O 80XM7 DILLSBORO. N C 28725 CIHlllNIE§I& ACIUDP1UNC1I'IUl!UE NATIJRAL FOOD STORE &DELI ~ llil!H:lil!OILOGY CILOOC MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE/CAFE 160 Broadway Open 7 Days A Week Monday • Friday (704) 253-7656 9:00 a.m. • 8:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. • 6:30 p.m. 6 1 RA YWOOD ST., ASHEVD..LE. NC 28801 Where Broadway Meets Merrimon (704) 2S4-6734 107 Menimon Avenue Asheville. N.C. ( 704) 258·90 J 6 Asheville, NC 28801 And l-240 1:00 p.m. • 5:00 p.m. BOOKS • CARDS • Saturday RECORDS Tftl powerful Get.DEN EAGLE " " ' abo•t tllt eiue R•dre in 11111 full color duop. hand·screentd on T· SHIRTS Of 100'!'. PRESHRUNK COT· TON These hl1h quality 1arments Sunday 1\!aga . } :~·~~.=~~~&\i6 Mountain lumber Cd. Soru Adults S.Xl. Sholl$1-tT.Mvl·S1000ppd. r--- · ---------- DILLSBOl\.Oh NC Lont Slt,.t T Ad<olt·S 14.00 ppd. 588-9011 : MallOrdefTt llodttll-r Nahnls 1033'" 8alumRd.. Waynomlll, NC28l8617041456·3003 Check O MUWC•nlH01- - - - - - - --t MoneyO!ftr J VISA Eap. D•t"'- - - - - - - -- t "'"''- -- - - - - - - - - - - - --t AddltH - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --1 lonr Sleeve Includes delllled print ol follltt on sleeve. Slltislactlon assured l"hono _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ or rtlllm tor tull relun6. L _ _ _ _-t L CMck htlt .... fREECOlOR CATALOG ol 1ll ou1W1ldhlt lhph!CL O£Al..ER INQUIRIES INVITEO Ul IRAVIOlH PURIFICATION AND FlllERING SYSIEMS SOLAR PAOOUCTS · WATER ANALYSIS Joe Roberts RANOAll C LANIER 704 293 5912 . llWY 107 AT. 68 BOX 125 CULLOWllEE, NC 28723 KATUAH ... page 26 Oavod Reed 258 1038 734 Town Mountain Rd Asheville, NC 28805 Fall 1986 �A CHILDREN'S PAGE: ON DYING I would like to be burned and have my ashes spread over Riverflow (Community in Floyd, Va.). I think after you die you go to another world and each time you go to another world you would be sent there to do something good. Like in this world some of us possibly were sent here to stop war. Some people think when you die all you are is a ghost and just go around scaring people. But I think you go to another world. Asa-9 "Mum, when I get dead I want to be another man so I won't miss the rest of life!" Dylan-4 "When you're dead do you get a birthday? I mean an invisible birthday. When you're dead do you get an invisible birthday? Josh- 6 I think when you die your body disintegrates and you can tum into a butterfly or something. And God will call you and when its your tum he turns you into a baby and puts you in a stomach! Josh-6 0 "Yellow Dog" by Amy - 8 We had an old dog and it died because it was so old. It died and we buried it. We put sage and other kinds of herbs on its grave - and I found a little dead bird. I was going to bury it where we had buried our dog and I found little creatures and I went to tell mom and she said, "I do not know what they are." So, we buried the bird in our herb garden. And almost every day after I found the little bird I would go up to our yellow dog's grave and sit there. Special thanks to Colleen Redmon-Copus We welcome original drawings, stories, poems, ideas, or comments by individual children or groups for this page. Let us know what the children of Katuah are doing! Send contributions to Katuah. -cu KATUAH - page 27 �!9Bb SEPTEMBER 25 Black Moun tain, NC David Wilcox, Folksinger, at McDibbs; 119 Cherry SL; Black Mountain, NC (704) 669-2456. 26 Black Mountain, NC Bill Melanson and Paul Fieldman rockin' out at McDibbs. see 9/25. 9-26 Blue Ridie Parkwa y Mountajnweet Talk Two-act play by The Folktellers. Folk Art Center Theater. More info: Mountain Sweet Talk; c/o The Folktellers; P.O. Box 2898; Asheville, NC 28802 (704) 2.58-1 113. 26-28 B oome r, NC "Dyin g Into Our Lives" Workshop with Dale Borglum, director of Hanuman Foundation Living/Dying Project. At the Center for Awakening. $75. More info: (919) 921-2228. 27 Alum Ridge, VA Nature Attunement Workshop with Tom Williams. Commune with nature spirits and the Devas. Bring lunch and stay for the weekend. Cost $25; Pre-register. Penny Royal Education Center; Rt. HC 67, Box 171; Alum Ridge, VA 24051. C ullow hee, NC Mountain Heritage Day. Traditional music, exhibits, puppets, shows, food, crafts, more. WCU campus. Brasstown, NC Fall Craft Weekend. Blacksmithing, silk screening, kaleidoscope building, and woodcarving. see 10/3. 10-12 OCTOBER 27 Burnsville, NC Folk Music Festival, $5, Patience Mullendore Park, 6-12 pm. Toe River Arts Council, Box 521, Spruce Pine, NC 28777 (704) 682-7215. 27 S p r uce Pine, NC Western Nonh Carolina Alliance Annual Meeting; workshops, business, strategy meetings. $10 includes meals. Contact: Ron Lambe; Rt. 1, Box 127-E; Bakersville, NC 28705 (704) 688-2447. 27 27 3 B r asstown, NC Jean Ritchie in concen, 8 pm. Appalachian music, vocal and instrumental. John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC 28902 (704) 837-2275. 3 Black Moun tain, NC David Wilcox at McDibbs. see 9/25. 3-5 H ot Springs, NC "To Leap Like a Tiger". Zen Buddhist Meditation weekend with Barbara Rhodes. Pre-register: Southern Dharma Retreat Center; Rt. 1, Box 34-H; Hot Springs, NC 28743. Big Ye llow Mounta in , (Aver y C ounty) M oderate to strenuous hiking. Spectacular views, rare plants. Pre-register: N.C. Nature Conservancy, POB 805, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. 4 27-28 4 Willis, VA "Balance Through Massage". A weekend intensive with Libby Outlaw; approaches to massage and balancing the body energies. Pre-register: Indian Valley Holistic Health Center; Rt. 2, Box 58; Willis, VA 24380. 30-0ct 4 Che r okee, NC Cherokee Fall Festival. Indian dancing stickball, blowguns, basketry, carving & other crafts; agricultural exhibit, midway & food. At the Ceremonial Grounds. KATIJAH - page 28 Bonas Defeat Gorge, (near C ullowh ee, NC) Nature Conservancy Field Trip. Very strenuous hiking. Pre-register: see 9/27. Bluff M ountain, (near Wes t Jefferson, NC) Natu r e Conservancy Field Trip. Pre-register: see 9/27. Brasst own , NC Fall Festival. Crafts, music & dance. John C. Campbell Folk School. see 10/3. 4-5 W illis, VA "Personal Integration: Past, Present and Future". Exploring personal history and past lives with Gaines Steer. Pre-register: see 9/27-28. Hot Springs, NC "Meditation on the Mountaintop" with John Orr. Pre-register: see 10/3-5. 10-13 15 Black Mountain, NC Gamble Rogers, singer and storyteller at McDibbs. see 9/25. 16-19 W heeling, West VA Midwives' Alliance of North America 4th Annual Conference. Speakers include Susun Weed, Norma Swenson, and Vera Keene. Workshops include therapeutic touch and herbs for birth. Contact: Ruth Walsh, POB 5, Linn, WV 26384 (304) 462-5617. 16-19 Highla nds, NC Fall Landscape Workshop. A photography workshop exploring the Highlands area. Fee $250. Contact: The Appalachian Environmental Arts Center, P.O. Drawer 580, Highlands, NC 28742 (704) 526-4303. 17 Black Mounta in, NC Dab Hand, music from Ireland, Scotland and the Shetland lslands at McD ibbs. see 9/25. 17-19 As he ville, NC Highlands Oaft Guild Fair, Civic Center. 17-19 C he rokee, NC Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Reunion, Qualia Community Center. 4-5 17-19 Boomer, NC "Caring for the Caregiver" Workshop at the Center for Awakening. Info: (919) 921-2228. Fall 1986 �OCTOBER 19, 1986, NOVEMBER 11 a.m. 2-15 Brasstown, NC Fall Crafts. Blacksmithing, log ho me building, quilting, weaving, enameling & drawing. see 10/3. Hot Springs, NC Meditation and work retreat with Rodney Smith. Pre-register: Southern Dhanna, see 10/3-5. 7-9 Hot S prings, NC "Beginner's Mind" - An introductory meditation retreat with Cheri Huber. Pre-register: Southern Dharma Retreat Center, see 10/3-5. 26-30 17-19 Zionville, NC "Healing in the Wise-Woman Tradition" with "Green Witch" Susun S. Weed, herbalist and healer. Workshops include plant identification, herbal preparations, simple ritual. Sliding scale fee: $75-100, barter, or work exchange. Pre-register: Phoenix Productions; Rt. 2, Dox 59; Zionville, NC 28698. 18 Roan Mountain (Mitchell County} Hiking the heath balds with The Nature Conservancy. Pre-register: see 9/27. 31 SAMHAIN FESTIVAL Celtic New Year (Feast of the Dead) DECEMBER 31-NOV 2 Durham, NC "Ecology - The Spiritual Imperative" wilh Margot Adler, Peter Borrelli et al. Sponsored by Center For Reflection on the Second Law. Registration $25; room & board $60. You may commute or camp. More info: CFRSL, 8420 Camellia Dr., Raleigh, NC 27612. 18 Black Mountain, NC John McCutcheon, Hammer Dulcimer music a1 McDibbs. see 9/25. Hiwassee, GA Old-Time Fiddler's Convention, Georgia Mountain Fair, POB 444, Hiwassee, GA 30546. 24-25 24-26 Brasstown, NC Fall Dance Weekend. see 10/3. Hot Springs, NC "What Are You Expecting from Zazen?" - Introduction to Zen Meditation by Katagiri-Roshi, Abbott of The Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. Pre-register: Southern Dhanna, see 10/3-5. 24-26 Black Mountain, NC Sally Rogers plays traditional music at McDibbs. see 9/25. 5~ H~ Sprin~, NC "Introduction to Sufi Meditation and Dance" with John Johnson, founder of Light of the Mountains Sufi Community. Pre-register: see 10/3-5. 11-13 Brasstown, NC Christmas Madrigal Concert and Dinner. John C. Campbell Folk School. see 10/3. ~ SOUTHE:RN DHARM~ RE:TRE:~T CE:NTE:R \ 1' FALL SCHEDULE October 3-5 10-13 24-26 "To Leap Like a Tiger - A Zen Weekend", Barbara Rhodes. "On the Mountaintop", with John Orr. "Introduction to Zen Meditation (Zazen} - What Are You Expecting from Zazen?", with Zen Master Katagiri-roshi. November 7-9 26-30 December 5-7 27-Jan 4 "Insight Meditation and Work Retreat Weekend", with Rodney Smith. "Beginner's Mind - An Introductory Meditation Retreat", with Cheri Huber. "Introduction to Sufi Meditation and Dance", with John Johnson. "A New Year's Meditation Retreat", with John Orr. 29 30-Nov 2 Berea, KY 13th Annual Celebration of Traditional Music, Berea College. With Doug Wallin, Betty Smith, Sparky Rucker and many others. Info: Berea College, Box 2336, Berea, KY 40404 (606} 986-9341 Southcm Dharma Reireat Cen~ iJ loc.ied in a remote lrC& o.r the Smoky Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. For further ln!ormatioo about So11lhan DhlnDI or lbout ID)' of the pn>grmns above, call ar write: SOUTHERN DHAltMA RETREAT CENTER RLI, Box 34-H; Hot Sprinp, NC 28743 (704) 622-7112 You Can't Beat a Woman! Contact: Buncombe......................... HELPMATE, lnc................. (704) 254-0516 Cherokee I Clay I Graham....... R.E.A.C.H.,Inc .................. (704) 837-8064 Haywood .......................... R.E.A.C.H ........................ (704) 456-7521 Henderson ......................... MAINSTAY...................... (704) 693-3840 Jackson ............................ R.E.A.C.H ........................ (704) 586-8969 Swain .............................. SAFE, Inc ......................... (704} 488-6809 Transylvania ...................... SAFE, lnc ......................... (704) 885-7233 Polk................................ STEP TO HOPE, Inc............ (704) 859-9721 Rutherford ........................ PA TH, Inc ......................... (704} 245-8595 McDowell... ...................... F AMIL Y SHELTER ............. (704) 652-6150 KATUAH - page 29 Fall 1986 �APPALACHIAN PATCHWORK· Mouniain lales and songs by the Appalachian Puppet Theatre. Cassette tape $7.00 from: Appalachian Puppet Theatre, 3SS Cedar ~ Road, Black Mouniain, NC 28711 (704) 669~1. APPALACHIAN GINSENG CO. • Cultivated American ginseng, s1n1tlfied seeds. seedling roolS T-Shirts with ginseng logo. $9.00 ppd Crom P.O. Box 547; Dillsboro, NC 28725. CEN1C.R FOR AWAKENING needs a volunteer to TI.JRNING lHOUGfff INTO ACl10N: Cen1et for ReJlection on the Second Law. 8420 Camellia Dr.. Raleigh, NC 27612. give advice and assistance in developing an alc.emative energy system as well as an alternative waste system for the Center. Contact Elizabeth Callari: (919) 921-2228. HEALTH and F11NESS SELF-CARE CENTER: A private center offering comprehensive programs or scientifically and medically documented approaches to optimum health and fitness. Seminars, WOtltshops and privac.e consultations for indivil!uals, families and businesses. Contacc Jeffrey Brown: HFSC; POB 278; Lexingron, NC 27293 (704) 246-4919. APPLE TREES GOLDEN SEAL PLANTS and other native and exotic wildilowers. Descriptive ca181og Sl.00 from: Appalachian Wildflower Nursery; RL I, Box 275-A; Reedsville, PA 17084. FRIENDS OF THE MOUNTAINS IS a grassroots organiution involved in lhe conservation and protection of the southern Appalachian hi&hlands. RL 2. Box 2279; Clayt0n, GA 30525. Old-timey and popular conc.emponuy varieties on SWldard. semi-, or dwarf stocks. Send SASE for price list: Jeff Poppen, Long Hungry~ Nursery, Red Boiling Springs. TN 37150. CHEROKEE CLEANSING TEA • over 1 dozen herbs (makes app. one gallon) • $7.50 from Medicine Canoe Products; R1.2, Box 90-E; Old Fon, NC 28762. APPLE TREES Grafted old-fashioned and contemporary. Send SO cents for catalog: Henry Monon. Old-fashioned Apple Trees. RL I, Box 203; Gatlinburg, TN 3n38. In1ematjonal l'mnacuhure Sce<I Year1look •• The annual bulletin, directory. and resource guide for permacullure practitioners; S 10.00; Box 202; Orange, MA 01364. Woman of Powec A magazine of feminism, spirituality, and politics. Published quanerly. POB 827;Cambridge,MA 02238. CRAFTS FROM SALVADORAN AND GUATEMALAN REFUGEES IN NICARAGUA: Cards. plitques, boxes, puzzles, paiches; This trade benefits refugees directly. Brochure from: Dry Crcclc Cooperative Trading 918 Jennings CL Woodbury, TN 37190 a non-profit organization. APPALACHIAN WILDFLOWER NURSERY • Nauve and exotic wildilowers. Descriptive catalog SI from: RI. I, Box 275-A: Reedsville, PA 17084. ASHEVILLE I BUNCOMBE COUNTY SOLID WASTE ALTERNATIVES PLANNING WORKSHOP: A design for handling solid waslCS in any urban context. SIS from Long Branch Environmental Education Cenc.er. RL 2, Box 132; Leicester, NC 28748. DRUM WORKSHOPS • for children of all ages. therapeuuc massage • Relaxes the body & mind ...Call Manha for more info al (704) 258-0616 MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS· herbal salves. uno1wes, & oils for binhmg & family health. For brochure. please write: Moon Dnnce Fann: RL I, Box 72f>; Hampton, TN 37658 CUSTOM CELTIC HARPS • A'Court Bason; Travinnna Farm; RL l; Check, VA 24072. FAIRGLEN FARMS offers organic, biological feniliz.ers for farm and garden. Send SASE for price lisL Biologically-grown produce 10 sell? We are interested in acting as cooperative marketing agents with other growers. Write: Route I, Box 319; Oyde, NC 28721. Shares for sale in FLOYD AGRICULTURAL ENERGY CO-OP; par valued at SIOO each. Will Bason: Travianna Farm; RL I; Check, VA 24072.. ·AS WE ARE" - Women's music by Pomegranate Rose. a four-woman group playing lively original music. Cassette tape available for $9.00 ppd. from RL 2, Box 435; Piusboro, NC 27312. BIG MOUNTAIN • 10.000 uaditional Navajo people threatened with removal by US government to make way for coal and uranium mines. Suppon and donations needed. Write: Big Mountain Legal Defense/Offense Commiuee; 2501 N. 4lh St., Suii.e 18; Flagstaff. AZ 86001 (602) 774-5233. KATUAH ·page 30 HOLOGRAPHIC ASTROLOGY • Every p:irt of a hologram contains all the info about the entire hologram. and each cell in your body contains all the genetic data about your whole body. Similarly, every body contains all the information about the entire solar system • you are lhe solar system and each of your planets is one of your potentials. Chart & Consultation, SS0.00 Harriet Wiu Miller (704) 689-4617. AMRITA HERBAL PRODUCTS • Comfrey, EuoalyplUS, or Golden Seal Salve, Lemon or Lavender Face Cream. Made with narural and essential oils and love. Send for brochure: RL I, Box 737; Floyd, VA 24091. ELACHEE NATURE SCIENCE CENTER • dedicated to the undersrand.ing and appreciation of lhe natural world. For membership or visiting info, write P.O. Box 2771; Gainesville, GA 30503. At ARTHUR MORGAN SCHOOL 24 Students and 14 staff learn together by living in community. Curriculum includes creative academics. group decision-makmg, a work program, service projcclS, extensive rield trips, challenging outdoor experiences. Write: 1901 Hannah Branch Rd.; Burnsville. NC 28714. FOUR WINDS VILLAGE • health and spiritual retreat; home for children in need. For visiting info, write: Box 112; Tiger, GA 30576. LIGHTWORKS • luminous fabric window pieces by Cathy Scou; 734 Town Mountain Rd.; Asheville, NC 28804. WEBWORK.ING is free. Send submissions to: .KaWab P.O. Box 873 Cullowhec, NC 28723 Fall 1986 �KJUW wants to communicate your thoughts 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: Kmiiflb; Box 873; Cu/lowhee, NC 28723. The winter KatUah, Issue XIV, will focus on "Keeping Warm". The deadline for all submissions for that issue is October 31. Please send your ideas for future themes for .Katiiih. Medici11tL- Allies GET BACK! issues of Katuah full color T- sfJirts In the traditional Cherokee Indian belief, the creatures in the world today are only diminutive forms of the mythic beings who once inhabited the world, but who now reside in Galuna'ti, the spirit world, the highest heaven. But a few of the original powers broke through the spiritual barrier ans:I exist yet in the world as we know it. These beings are called with reverence "grandfathers". And of them, the strongest are Kaniui.. the lightning, the power of the sky; Utsa'nati. the rattlesnake, who personifies the power of the earth plane; and Yunwj Usdj, "the little man", as ginseng is called in the sacred ceremonies, who draws up power from the underworld. Each is the strongei;t power in its own domain. Together they are allies: their energies complement each other to form an even greater power. As medicine allies, they represent the healing power of the Appalachian Mountains. The medicine powers ofKatiiah have been depicted in a striking T-shirt design by Ibby Kenna. Printed in 5-color silkscreen by Ridgerunner Naturals on top-quality, all-cotton shirts, they are available now in all adult sizes from the Kan"illlljournal. "To show respect for this supernatural trinity of the natural world is to in tum become an ally in the continuing process of maintaining harmony and balance here in the mountains of Karuah." To order, use the form below. ISSUE TWO - WINTER 1983·84 Yona • Bear Hunters • Pigeon River • Another Way With Animals - Alma • Becoming Politically Effective Mountain Woodlands • Katiiah Under the Drill • Spirirual Wuriors ISSUE TIIRBE • SPRINO 1984 Sustainable Agriculture • Sunflowers • Human lmpac1 on lhe Forest - Chi.ldrens" Education - Veronica Nichola.s:Woman in Politics - Lillie People • Medicine Allies ISSUE NINE- FALL 1985 The Waldee Forest • The Trees Speak • Migrating Foresis • Horse Logging • Starting a Tree Crop • Urban Trees Acom Bread • Myth Tune ISSUE FOUR · SUMMER 1984 Water Orum • Wa1u Qualiiy • Kudz.u • Solar &lipse - Clearcutting • Trout Going 10 Water • Ram Pumps • Microhydro • Poems: Bennie Lee Sinclair, Jim Wayne Mille.- ISSUE TEN· WINTER 1985.86 Kale Rogers - Circles or SIOne • Internal Mythmaking - Holistic Healing on Trial - Poems: Sieve Knaulh • Mythic Places • The Uk1ena·s Tale • Cryslal Magic '"Orcamspeaking" ISSUE FTVE - FALL 1984 Harvest • Old Ways in Cherokee Ginseng • Nuclear Waste • Our Celtic Heritage • Bioregionalism: Pasi. Present. and Future . John Wilnoly • Healing Darkness • Politics of Puticipalion ISSUE ELEVEN. SPRING 1986 Community Planning • Cities and lhe Bioregional Vision • Recycling Community Oardening- Floyd County, VA • Oasohol - Two Bioregional Views • Nuclear Supplement - Foxfire Games -Good Medicine: Visions ISStJE SIX· WINTER 1984-85 Winier Solstice Earth Ceremony Horsepa.sture River · Coming or the Light - Log Cabin Roots - Mountain Agriculture: The Righi Crop · William Taylor - The Fu1urc of the Forest Living in the Oard~~ Sacred Scarab • Regular Membership........$10/yr. Sponsor.......................$20/yr. Contributor...................$50/yr. Address Enclosed is$ to give this effort an extra boost State Phone Number KATUAH - page 31 Herbal· Oood Back Issues Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $_ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $ _ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $ _ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $ _ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $ _ _ Complete Set (2-11) @ $15.00 = $_ _ T-Shins: specify quantity oolor: tan S_ _ M_ _~ L_ _ XL_ _ Zip I can be a local contact person for my area Area Code ,. the Appalachian .,~Woman Sus1ainAble Economics - Ho1 Springs • Worker Ownership • The Creal Economy - Self Help Credit Union - Wild Turkey · Responsible Investing • Working in !he Web of Life For more info: call Mamie Muller (704) 252-9167 City ~t:fo\\, <P' ISSUE SEVEN. SPRINO 1985 KATUAH: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Aopalachians Box 873; Cullowhee, Nonh Carolina 28723 Name ISSUE EIOHT ·SUMMER 19g5 Celebu.tion: A Way of Life • Ka1uah 18,000 Years Ago - Sacred Siles • Folk AIU in the Schools • Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle Poems: Hilda Downer • Cherokee Heritage Center - Who Owns Appalachia? @ $9.50 each............$ _ _ TOTAL PRICE= postage paid $_ _ Fall 1986 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, Issue 13, Fall 1986 Description An account of the resource The thirteenth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on the theme of death as a natural part of the life cycle and hospice. The feature story is on the Center for Awakening, a hospice founded by Elizabeth S. Callari in Boomer, North Carolina. Authors and artists in this issue include: Marnie Muller, Nena Parkerson, David Wheeler, Turrin Keye, Martha Laurie Overlock, George Ellison, Kalanu, and Rob Messick. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. 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. The Center for Awakening.......1 Interview with Elizabeth Callari.......3 Review: A Gentle Death.......5 Hospice.......6 Review: Dealing Creatively with Death.......7 Interview with Ernest Morgan.......7 Home Burial Box.......9 The Wake.......11 Story: "Good Night From Shadows Fall".......13 Poem: "The Raven Mocker".......15 Good Medicine: The Sweat Lodge.......16 Natural World News.......18 Review: Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom.......21 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. 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 Terminal care--North Carolina, Western Terminal care facilities--North Carolina, Western Hospice care--North Carolina, Western Death--Psychological aspects Children and death Funeral rites and ceremonies 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/4456695/boomer.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 Boomer (N.C.) 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) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Black Bears Book Reviews Children's Page Community Death and Dying Forest Issues Good Medicine Habitat Katúah Poems Radioactive Waste Recycling Stories Turtle Island Western North Carolina Alliance https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/2eba56fdc00beaa31e7ec2362fbd5f28.pdf b4508265c38b24f4f7d519e688f43aca PDF Text Text --~ ATUAH $JOO ISSUE XV SPRING 1987 Wo.men's Voices ! �c,g u C ONZ L - • ..,t - ~ ~gtj ... tlo 2~r~ ~ ~ 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 i ~ ~ ~ I ~ r-- 00 ~ i I l'.I) ~ �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 0 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 tmor, 1"""E' ]"°"'' /Co. Tm*(~,... 601 Ca1t1p f((IOt'~c:L $tat~"' Ol<llt1Ut)1 / (( .. 1g7 /I c...t.J '• <'1".w.i~ .... r1, om.,. Books Q.,J Things L~- ·· l08 Blowing R..ick RQad 8unM, Nonh Carolina 28607 GARY HEMSOTH ~ 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 Sinr;AdUlllS·XL. ShottSIHveT: .lduft·SIO.OOppd. 1\jane,, 1 ~~ I unno 'Na . . ~r~~l ~ ~ 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. _ __ _ _ _ _ __ , :JClltck ! O MoneyOnltf O VISElp.D•~------Name _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ I • AddttH _ _ _ _ _ __ __ 1 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. ~\\~>~\\'\ll\\"''i'l\'!\'\'~·~~'°''tt\\\'\~\~"'\\.t~\\1:'~''\)\~,~~¥\\\~i~~~~\tMi~:A~\l\~~ti'\~¥\~~-t.\\'l.°tli ~~$ ~ Susie helped out area doctors like Doc Wilkes, Big ~ * ~ ~ $ ~ - Susie McMahan/Midwife · continued tromi>&&e9 ~ ~ ~ $. ~ ~ ~ jf If, 1: ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 'J; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ :::;. ~ ~ -,.. "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! ,.~ ~ Reprinted with permission from The Sylva /h.rJJ.JJL. Sylva, NC ~ ~ -: ;5 ~ ~ ~ t: ~ ~ ;:;:. ~ ~ ~ ..;. ~ t r;,,. 1i>- ;.i ~ ~ ._p ~ ;.t.. ;:; :.r_ ~ ~· '9'i ~ ~ ~tilNli'•~'Mii~Wi~Jt~.'''M.f~\~~~,~~~~..tt~~r.~~flt;\~~t~\~l~~~l~J\','ix~\\.\'~!.ttt~~~\~\\IW,tl(~W4\\~tl\{{!~~U~:tt1~~j,W+\'~ 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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, Issue 15, Spring 1987 Description An account of the resource The fifteenth issue of the Katúah Journal 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. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. 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 Poem: "My Mother's Eyes".......5 Lislott Harberts: Forester.......6 Susie McMahan: Midwife.......9 Resources for Women.......10 Alternative Contraception.......11 Biosexuality.......12 Bioregionalism and Women.......13 Poems.......14 Good Medicine: Matriarchial Culture.......15 Pearl.......16 Natural World News.......18 A Children's Page.......21 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. 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 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 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) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s 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-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/3567a630be59b5496463f585671f2635.pdf 61f182d69dcedf09a39a622f12601af3 PDF Text Text f ~ . CK._ATUAH > .... $1.50 ISSUE 18 WINTER 1987-88 BIOREGIONAL JOURNAL OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS ._,, • �Photo by Paul Gallimore (j~~-~-T-~H) P.O. Box 873 Cullowhee, NC Katuah Province Postage Paid Non-profit Org. 28723 Note new address, inside/ ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED Permit #12 Cullowhee, NC 28723 �• SHELTER IN KATUAH Resource List.... .. ... .. .• • On Bui.Jdlng andDulgn Solar Compo ting ToileL.......... IS October Qysk ............................. 16 P<>tms by Rlla Silns Qull,.n Review by Ju/Ja N11111f411y Duncan Good Medicine: 'On Sbelter"....... 18 The Future of the Black Bcar........19 COf(cnia Rqon Natural World News.. .. ............20 CaldwdJ CtJlllfly I~ SlflOkia Wlldentas Bill Poachers C.,lrt MRS in CDngras Forat Snvla Pba Al1Mll Duh'1 Col~ Cred p;o}«t AslwvUle R«,clJni CenlU A Children's Page......................23 Drummang ...... Utltn to Kalllah • ... 24 ·A Bourn of Buds".. . .. .. .. .28 f'\ l'otm by Miclrod ffodtatlat The presence of shelter embodies much more than just a building. It is a home, a center around which members of a family or community emerge, travel from, return to, and are visited. Many of the most important events in human life find a place, time, and meaning within the structures we build. It is here that we house or integrate the activities of our lives (birthing, growing, eating, sleeping, playing, working, dying...) In many ways, "we are what we build". Through this kind of architectural mirror is reflected the expression of a cultural and personal world view. We now greatly attect the ecology of the Earth by the impact of our collective human existence. The niches we carve out for ourselves very often intrude into the habitat of other animals and plants. Is it possible for us to build our communities in accord with the recycling nature of the systems that surround us? Buildings are inherently open systems that interact with the forces of wind, water, land, temperature, season. and other living things. Our relatedness to the natural world can be acknowledged through designing shelter that is actively aware of the flow of energies coming into, working within, moving out of, and mingling among other systems of the Earth, and, particularly, of a bioregion. By affirming patterns of sustainability in the design of our shelters and communities. we foster their existence and come closer to being in harmony with all that is. -The Editors/ �......---..;~ (i.ATUAH) EDITORIAL STAfF DDS J.s.s!LE; Scott Bird Sam Gray Rob Messick ~1amie Michael Red Foit Manha Tree David Wheeler Muller EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE: Christina Morrison Bob WiesellTl311 Sarah Jane Thomas Hot Sauce Cover: "Howie's Dome" ne:ir Bethel, NC. Photo by Rob Messick. Thanks lO Eart.hdanccr for the Invocation for this issue. which was reprinted from lhe Educational Resource Ccmcr Newslcucr, P.O. Box The Southern Appalachian Bioreglon and Ma1or Eastern River Systems 460; Floyd, VA 24091 EDITORIAL OFFICE THJS ISSUE: Worley Cove. Sandymush Creek PRINTED BY: Sylva Herald Publishing Co., Sylva, NC WRITE US AT: TELEPHONE: (704) 683-1414 KaWh... Boit 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 01vcrsuy 1$ an imponant clement of bioregional ecology. both ll.llural and soci.11. In lme with this principle, Katllah tries to serve as a forum for the discUSSion of regional iSSlle$. Siincd articles express mly lhc op1n10n ol the authors and arc not ncccuanly the opiruons of lhc Kati.ah edit.ors or Slaff. The lni.cmal Rc•'CllUC Servltc lw declared Kazuah a non-profit organ11.ation under MlCtion SO I(cX3) of the ln=I Revenue Code. All conuibutions io Katuali arc doducuble from personal income rax. 'LNVOCA.TWN STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Here in rhe sou1hern-mos1 heartland of the Appalachian moU11Jains, the oldest moUnJain range on our continent, Turrie Island; a small buz growing group has begun to IOU on a sense of responsibility for the implications of tltat geographical and cultural heritage. This sense of responsibility centers on ti~ concept of living within ti~ narwal scale and balance ofumversal syswnr and principles. Within this circle we begin by invoking the Cherolcee name " Katuah" as the old/new name for this area of the mountains and for its journal as well. The province is indicared by its natural boundaries: the Roanoke Rfrer Valley to the nonh; the foothills of the piedmont area to the east; Yona Mountain and the Georgia hills to the somh; and the Tennent/! Rfrer i'nlley to the west. The editorial priorities for us are to collect and disseminate information and energy which pertains specifically to this regwn. and to foster the awareness t/IDJ the land is a living being deserving of our love and respect. LJ1•ing in tltis manner is a way to insure the sustaillllbilicy of tlte biosphere and a lasting place for ourselves in irs continuing evolutionary process. We seem to have reached the fulcrum point of a "do or die "siruarion in terms of a quality standard of life for all living befogs on 1/iis planet. As a voice for rite caretakers of this sacred land, Kawah, we advocate a ceruered approach to tlte concept of decentralization. It is our hope to become a support system for those accepting the challenge of s1istainabi/iry and ti~ crea1io11 af harmony and balance in a total sense, here in tliis place. We welcome all co"espondence, criticism, pertinent information, anicles, arrwork. etc. witlt hopes that Katuah will grow to serve the best interests of tltis region and all its living, breathing members. - The Editors KATUMI - page 2 WINTER 1987·88 �PROTECTING THE DREAMER: Vernacular Values in H.cgional Architecture by Sam Gray ln his classic work, Poetics of the French philosopher Gaston Bachelard focused on various levels of architectural meaning. He suggested Lhat a basic feature of those meanings we associate with the idea of Lhe house is that the home protects. It not only protects physically against climate and weather, it protects psychically as well. IL protects thought, reverie, and dreaming. That, perhaps, is its most important function. "The purpose of the house is to protect the dreamer within," wrote Bachelard. Evoked is the architecture of dwelling - protective, sensual. natural - grounded in a locale and a time. In a word, vernacular, ar adjective which connotes in buildint economics, politics. cooking, or a what it once described exclusive! about language or poetry. "Vernacular" is Lhe indigenou the traditional, the homemad1 spontaneous, colloquial expression< anything. If a house of some order (tip cabin. frame house, stone hous1 yurt) is important for huma reflection and dreaming, it is littl wonder that our psyches become s1 entwined with their architecture. The house of our childhood i: an architectural emity, a psychic landscape and a context for memories and understanding. So. too, is the house of our plans, the house we would build - the dream house of the mind that we continuously construct, revise, and renovate. The dreamer. protected by the house, dreams a house and fills n with plans, voices, and ghosts that are themselves protected by the house. In our time, the architectural space that shelters thought and dreams has begun to fill with the electronic dreams, projections. and hallucinations of the national media and markets. It is possible that the traditional purpose of the house has undergone an evolution. The dreaming space, filled from within ~. • continued on page 4 WINTER 1987·88 SM/ton I/oust. llaywood Coun1y. 1876-188(). Two-story frame howt wl1h tngaged /WO-lier /'()rch bu1/1 by ConftlkraJt \'ttcran S~p,..tn J. Shelton. 1he building now hawsts 1he Mumm1 of Nor1h Carolina llaNficr<(rs. Ap1'><11arl11a11 log cabin i11 uniikntifitd locale, circa 1900. Roofln~ is chcstnUI or oaJc slt.:iks. Jesst Cmp I/oust. Graham Counry. tarly 20th cen1ury. Two-s1ary framt hou.~t of a "Y-p/an• foU!ld with some frequtncy in Graham County bw rurt tl_.htWrt KATUAH - page 3 �PR01 EC'Tll\\G THE ORl-:AMER connnucd from J13gC 3 Gallaway llou.u l tanrylv'11lla CoUJtty, clrrn 1878 T'r<o•Jtaq tOC!/ di /armlil>~ '6ilh iabk aJtd ~;iltrlDt r!ld bticl tldM11r11fr0111 '4 • a 114 titr ~roe/p<nlt atTO.U UllW bay Jlar w lla1m. CllLrctLt Co1U1tv, IBSO 1882 f'Wo.srory britl /ttJllU of lftDd 1td •t.i.p/an• ..~111 iltltTID! t1ii,,.J1tp Tl:e "'""'~' porr:h a TOIJ tltLfa t ..idth t:ftM/.itilM ha.I s:mn ..wl lnacltts and balas:radt 71'~ brl "' tbr bltJldint "~" mt:M on ilu Cl111r ~11'1:1 loust lla¥>4'00d COIUIJJ lA:L I II UfllJl.1'1 r ... •r plt111 brW: ho1<u •iJ/I t l l"lpcrtA aucw/att:tk/ta:J:nfll tlt:fldr un.n ..w1 balllft~ KATUAH p:igc 4 tic stCOnd Jnri. \\uh the \\lute noise of the mas dream. loses its cnp!lcit) to protect nnd nunurc ubJCclt\C drenming 1 he contemporar1 mas nrclutccturc of dv.elhng reflects th1 ero 10!1 Demographics, technology. nd the market &re estabh hing n stnndardized hou ing thai fills an urb!lil or suburb:m topogrnph) \\hi ch ha been stripped of all indigenous populnuon!; and fe:iturcs. 1bc re uhing arrangement of nrchitccturnl values lea,es the dreamer (the subjecti\'e self) unprotected, unjustified, and nccidentnl. What has been deleted from contemporury mass architectural expression of the house i the sense nnd presence of the \'Cmaculnr, nn element essential to the protection of the dreamer. There nre two architectural clements of the vemnculnr house thnt ore particularly impon:mt to the protection of rc\erie and drcnming. lbese arc the heanh nnd the porch. Hoth v.crc corn istent features of the vemacular houses of the Kn1unh re ion an former times. ·1bc psychic mean mg of the hearth go fnr b:tck m time nnd the relationship of henrthfirc and drcnm consciousness have been discussed frequently in the poetry nnd literature of architectural meaning. The porch or verandah is n more regional nrchitectur:il feature. Jn its grander, two-storied, b:tlustraded fonns, it is derived from the semi-tropicnl, colonial, Canbbean nrchilecture or the 18th Century. Yet it wns always n feature of 1hc Southern Appalachian log cabin. It is n medinting space situated between the outside, the domain of energies expended in agricultural labor. and the cabm intenor, the domnm of energies regenerated in enung nnd sleepmg. h is n place of repose, n place for dreaming. The photograph oc:ompany mg th1 text offer a sampling of the nch leg C) of vemncul r hou es of the Kntu h region. 1t 1s a lcgnc) that •"' fnst d1sappeanng. These hou es that have protected generations of dreamer hn..·e themselves little protection from the descendants of the dreamers. , Wl~'TER 1987 8 �by Adam Cohen pbns nuke 11 casa to csnmac materials and to by out consttucuon sequence cffiaenlly. My uplllTmion nf building 1n Ka1Wih has been on a personal Incl as ...~11 as on a professiolllll lr:vel. My aperienu rangt.s from building for ma.timum economy to building for maximum luiury BUI 1hLre u a COmmJJn ft•cl111g I get from people n•eryonc de.sires a spucc 111 KIUc:h ro l1vt./111ly. To tmly e.rperitncc life means to live on orhtr lt\•cls bcs1dct the phylical. A /Mng Jpace llumlJ bt. bmh organic and J1exihlc ·it mmt l>e oble w grow and chan~ ro mur all of our nuds. Ir IS rhur fuUng of organic:, tccmorrucal arclurcc:turc rhar I strl~ f<1r 111 m)' wark, /n thu article I will 0U1l1M tlui lxmc.r of bmldmg as rcmpcrtd by my personal architectural phUosophy and practical, professional ~rkncu. But even 1hc best·latd plans run tnto wiforcsccn diffaculncs. 1bc bes& ~-ay 10 deal w11h this 1s 10 be flexible and to devise cn::ulvc soluuons.. If you choose to have a house dra't•lll for you, Rmcmbcr that 1he design proocss 1s yours. One can move walls on papcreauly, so 1akc dmc and uplore many options bcfon: dccidin~ on I rmaJ plan. To begin designing 1 dwelling, oullinc the needs the suuaure should fulfill, lis1 1he areas and livin& spaces desired. 1ncrc arc many ways to pu1 these spaces 1ogclhcr. Whal approximate square foocagc is desired'? Is a linglc·unit or multi·unu dwelling the best for the sile and the inhabitants? Would you late IO hve in a roundish, squarish, turtlc·baclccd, or free-form dwelling? How tall should the space be? Any lofts or second 5'0rics? Are ~J~n spaces « disunct rooms A house rctain5 the energy put into the builJ1ng. tnrusc the bullchn4 process w11h good energy rrum 1hc be4mning to stlllt the new dwelling off In the nght way. smNG Solar houses arc desirable in cvuy biorcgion in the temperate zone. The sun as hfc. Where I bvc in northern K.atiiah. I find lhat we need house£ 1ha1 are flexible. Our weather is iuch 1hat 1hc 1empcra1ure can swing .SO degrees Fin a 12 hour period. We can have snow on 1hc ground and 70 degree F 1empcra1ures outdoors an r:ebruary. 1'hercforc. my emphasis h:is been on houses 1h:11 cnn be easily hCllted as well as cooled. "Inc conditions in Ka1ii:ih indicate 1lu1 we need house.~ 1ha1 heat up quickly :tnd 1hcn rntha1c 1h:11 hc:i1 rapidly. As u rule of 1humb, site n dwelling 10 fnce wuhin 10· 12 degrees or solar sou1h to mnx1mi1.c solar uposurc. When choosmi; a sue, consider 1hc direction of the prcvnahng cold winter wands u well ns 1hc cooling !iummcr winds. but keep 50lai orientat1on 11S a domlnnn1 fnc1or because pl:tnungs and olhcr buildings can serve as 1o1.1ndbrcaks as the homcslead grows. Water supply must also be considered when choosing a she. A rchablc source of clean 1.1.1ucr is csscn1ial for 1 homestead. Gravity flow from a spring above the building site is the ideal shu11ion and lhc C3.Siest to develop. W11cr from a well or another source below lhc house can be pumped to a large reservoir above lhc dwelling to crate a gravity flow. Electric pumps nm bf AC po"'cr from the &rid arc the least dcsuablc way 10 accomplish 1his. Elccmc pumps powered by solar cdls are better, but !hey still arc high-1ech solutions. and they depend on a high-1cch future. Some appropriate pumping systems arc ram pumps. micro-hydroelectric (stt KJllli.aJ1 #4 ), wind·powcrcd DC systems, wind-driven compressed air sysacms, and my personal favorite, the bicyclc·powcred water system. WINTER 1987-88 A chcmical analystS IS worth the pnce dclcrminc the presence: or polluting chemicals or organic m:ucnali in the waicr supply. IO DESIGNING nm SITE Having found a site with solar exposure, wn1cr, and hopefully, 1 windbreak from the winier winds. m4kc a rough site plan to help decide where to locate the building. D111grnm 1hc she, pencilling in essenu:lls like fruu 1rccs, gardens. shop, sheds, animal houses, and p:isturc. I like 10 1h1nk of hvmg structures as p:in or cite landscape. connecting indoor and outdoor space. A wcll·planncd, m1CtCOnncctcd, outdoor IJllCC adds acsthetic: qualuy 10 a homcsle.ad. Our home is a central CCR lb1ICtUre dlll we coaanually arc . ddiftl small aaians a onto. J b1ghly recommcncl dus way of approaching design and buUdin1 lor the owner-builder. Tbc inhial suuc:ture can be C<Jm\'lcted durina the building 1C&10D to provide shelter for the wima. Additions can continue throughout the years following. This also allows rime 10 change design. Jn this n:sidcntS can occupy lhcir home as lhcy build It. Once a general idea of the nccdcd laving areas is clear, draw a "blob dll&rll1l" {sec diagram I) to show 1he 1ntcr-rcla11onsh1p of the d1ffcren1 spaces. The walls, floor, and roof mc~ly hold 1he no1hangness 1ha1 is the living space.The IClUal envelope which contains lhesc spaces can be any shape or fonn. The following hst of arc:tS, Starung from the loundatJon Ind wortcin,1 up, gives some ideas which can be used in design and bu1ld1ng These simplified d1sc:un1ons an: meant only to snmul11e and IO guide the reader's creative war. unagmanon. DESIGNING A DWEU.JNG Designing your own home is a delight. As a general rule, lhc less cxpcricnccd the builder and the mon: OUl5idc help lha1 is going co be ailed on. the more complete and thorough the building plans should be. A complcle sci of plans Includes dimensioned fJoor plans, clcvanons, and sectional drawings, IS well IS dc11ils ror tricky areas and elccuical, plumbing. and hcatin plans. ~o build a umber or ocher pre-cut house. a farm plan is necessary. If much of lhc consttuctlon is to be contnetcd out, complete plans will make lhe work much smoolhcr and much less expensive. Good • Clllldmued oa ma1 pop. KAn.JAH • PIF S �FOUNDATIONS In Katiiah the best foundation is mnsonry. For lo ngevity, bug-proofing, and structural 1megri1y, ~11he house on a stone, 0 block, or concrete foundation 16 1 24 inches deep. Unless the slopes arc very siecp or the ground is very \Oft, this is suflicient for this region. Having said this, I will add 1h:11 a time-honored Katuah foundation is debarked, v. inter-cut, black locust posts set about 30 inches into the earth with a n.11 stone m the bottom of the hole. This can be a very effective method for n quick beginning 10 a structure built to last 30 ye:in. or less. (Of course. posts can be replaced 10 extend 1h1s lifespan.) llus would still outlast most suburban hou~e~ constructed today. for these arc built to a 25 year life expectancy. My favorite foundauon is stone. Begin the wall 16 to 30 inches below the surface and build to whatever height is needed. Another easy foundation is the "grade beam" as used by Frank Lloyd Wright. If the site is sloped, instead of making one large cut, you might consider stepping the foundation in small cut-and-fill operations to save time and money (see diagram 2). Foundation insulation is optional, but if it is used, it must extend at least two feet below grade (ground level). Proper drainage is imponant 10 a lasting foundation. A foundation drain is standard. The site must be graded, so that water runs away from the house. If necessary, French drains can be located a few feet from the drip line in cases with Clltrcmc runoff problems. Photo by Adam Cohen Wood floors arc quite cozy and warm. Finished flooring can be laid on rough-cut joists and subflooring material. Planed tongue-and-groove finished floor is the most desirable, but an inexpensive and serviceable floor can be made by gluing and nailing well-dried boards 10 the sublloor. Should cracks appear between the boards, they can be pointed with grouL R..OORS There arc many types of flooring materials. If someone really wants 10 be "grounded," the easiest floor is din. Din and cement can be mixed for a durable floor. A plain concrete slab can be used or stone, brick, or tile may be laid on. Smooth creek rock makes a pleasing floor surface. If one spent one hour a day collecting small creek rocks, in two weeks one would have enough creek rock 10 do a large floor. If desired, the perimeter of such a floor can be insulated. Soapstone is the best flooring material for solar storage and radiance, in my opinion, and is readily available in Katuah. KATUAH - page 6 WAU..S Sundard "balloon" framing is simple, lightweight, and easy to cover. Use rough-cut or recycled framing rru1tcrials for the best price. My favorite wood technique for building wood-supponed walls is 10 use large, upright members and fill in with stucco, bricks, glass, bottles, stone, glazed block, bone, or anything else you can set in monar. Windows arc framed in with rough-cut wood when using this method. Masonry walls arc relatively inexpensive, if stone can be gathered for free. To speed up construction, a back-form can be used to give a wall that has one side stone and one side stucco (see diagram 3). To construct frce-fonn structures, use rcbar and plaster lath 10 create free-shaped forms on which to lay cement I believe this offers some of the freest expression available in architecture. It is important when designing walls to think about windows. l cannot stress enough how imponant it is 10 have as much glazing as possible on the south side of a home. The sun is vital, and the more of itS radiance we can bring into our houses, the healthier we and they arc. The north side of the building is the darker side and takes the STO!llE.--.... M~AP, fcD~ fL'('tl<X(? Z"4' ~- UP fO~M WINTER 1987-88 �The walls,floor, and roof merely hold the nothingness that is the living space. The actual envelope which contains these spaces can be any shape or form. brunt of the cold winter winds, so nonh-facing windows should be small and well scaled. East and west walls also should have windows, and these should be able to open to welcome in the cooling summer breezes from wherever they may blow. Window quilts are easy to make. They conserve wannth in the winter, if they are put up when the sun sets to keep the day's wanntb in and the night's cold out. It is also important to know that wiring, plumbing, and heating features may be put in the walls. These must be considered when naming. It is too late afterwards. 1HEROOF "Putting a roof over our heads" is not just a figure of speech. The house roof not only keeps rain off, but it can let light in, hold solar equipment, and shape the interior space. ln designing the roof, consider: Docs the house want skylights? How will water flow off the roof? Where should extra bracing be put for solar panels? What shape and how high should the ceiling be? There nrc many possible combinations of answers. I strongly believe roofs should not be flat in Katuah. Even a sod roof should have a slope for drainage. Flat roofs eventually leak. Wood frame roofs can be built on a flat or a curved plane. It is possible to frame a curved shape out of suaight lumber. Galvanized steel or shingles arc the most common roofing materials. Both are readily available and relatively inexpensive. I have buih some roofs with rcbar and lath using insulating cement covered with either concrete or a strong cement scaler. For a good discussion of roof shapes. I suggest reading The Owner-Built Home by Ken Kern and A Timeless Way of Bu1ldjng by Christopher Alexander (sec resource list, page 15). Windows may be obtained from old houses, a window factory may sell seconds, or a neighbor might have a few old windows stacked up in the back of the garage. Material hunting takes time, but it does not cost a lot, it is fun, and it results in a more individualized slructurc. Heating with water in a wood-fired boiler is the most healthy and practical system to warm a house during Katiiah's cold winters. Catalytic converters arc a cheap way to help the environ men" and I advocate their use on all woodbuming stoves. INSIDE OUT SANITATION I recommend the use of the passive solar composting toilet (sec p. 15) in combination with a grey water irrigation system to process human wastes. I strongly believe that the passive solar composler is the most efficient way to take care of human waste, cspccially in Katiiah, where the land is generally mountainous, and septic fields do not function well. The time is coming when many families in Katuah will handle human wastes in a methane digester. It might take the impetus of economic collapse to make it common, but the digester can compost waste and produce fuel as well. Septic fields and waste treatment centers are barbaric technologies and should be phased out in favor of cleaner, better integrated systems. The indoor/outdoor connection is imponant. I suggest the use of decks, covered areas, walkways, porches, living trellises, and other connecting spaces to draw inhabitants out into the fresh air and sunshine. An outdoor kitchen, sleeping areas, and living areas can be used most of the year. The more exposure to air and weather a person has, the more vibrant and healthy that person's life will be. All these aspects should be taken inlo consideration in the design and conslJ'\Jction process. What I have listed here is an outline of ideas and techniques. tf the reader is interested in further details and correspondence on any of these or other building ideas, please write me: Adam Cohen; RL I, Box 217; Oteck. VA 24072 HEATING How we get our heat is important to our health. Wood or coal stoves arc drying, dangerous, diny, and generally unhealthy. MATERIALS An important aspect of economical building is materials. The way to build 11 house for $3.00 per square foot is to choose a design that utilizes simple materials. Check what is locally available for free or for cheap. For example, in nonhc:m K:nuah the population is one-third of what it was in the 1930's. There remains a lot of empt}' structures which contain materials that can be recycled. Stone piles, brick, and glass can also be found for free or for minimal expense Local lumber mills have rough-cut lumber and seconds at low prices. Local building material factories may have inexpensive seconds as well. Auctions provide another source for che11p materials. WINTER 1987-88 Photo t:sy Adam COhen KATUAll ·page 7 �and interpersonal relationships develop. By reviewing a few design patterns one quickly understands how shelter shapes our daily life both practically and spiritually. Consider the one room poplar log cabin built on a stone foundation. When approaching this cabin one immediately feels a cenain rustic blend of the canh with the stone and log much as the mountain landscape itself. Take this log cabin and set it into the side of a mountain so that the earth covers the back wall, wraps the comers of the building, and gradually slopes to floor level on the sides. The front of the building is poplar logs on o stone foundatioon. From the top of the hill one looks down and secs the cedar shingle roof of the house and eanh. Walking around the front and sides of the building one feels a sense of wannth. The cabin appears to nestle into the mountainside. Windows on the front and side walls let daylight and moonlight into the cabin. We walk up the front steps 10 an open porch. It is winter. PostS and beams cover the deck, but the roof panels have been removed. The front wall faces due south, so that winter sun passes into the cabin. The prevailing nonhwest winter winds are blocked by a shelterbeh of white pines that were left when the forest was selectively thinned before the cabin was built. poplar I"~ walls moder.Ile lhc comfon in the cabin as "ell. Sp1mual nrchitccturc creates intu11ive space; ~pace \lthere interaction between structural and human clements takes place. Where the wall provokes new ideas, oot beC3use the wall speaks to us, but because the wall speaks with everything in the environment The ~r in the space is infused whh hght, heat, :ind moisture as byprodu1."1S of the physical surroundings. intensity of color, temperature, and humidity all in1CI11C1 to create a unique ambience of space. I breathe this ambience and it enters my bloodstream through my lungs. I view this body as my cabin. A certain quality lives in this cabin and the quality is a result of everything in it and around it A cool shadow wakes me.The late afternoon sun line angles off of my body, as I sit up on the slate floor. I get up and go wash my face in the kitchen sink in the southwest comer of the room. I am splashing sunlight onto my face, sunlight absorbed into tanks of water located off the southeast comer of the front porch. Water enters the tanks from a reservoir located about 100 vertical feet above the cabin. Gravity pressure gives the cabin plumbing a sLrong flow of water. An indoor shower is heated with solar energy when available, and a large outdoor tub is heated by a wood tire directly underneath. The overflow from the reservoir empties into a small creek that maintains a steady flow of water twelve months a year. Toward the bottom of the valley a rom pump pushes water back up to a second reservoir near cabin elevation. This second reservoir provides water for irrigation of a fruit orchard, a terraced vegetable garden, larger crop fields, 11 solar greenhouse, and assoned animals and poultry. Entering the cabin, one feels a warmth shining from the sunlight scattering across the slate floor and glowing from the coals of a masonry heater built into a central chimney that passes up through a cathedral ceiling. The stonework on the chimney is primitive and beautiful, and as l walk over to lean against it, l feel heat radiating from the stone. I tum and rest my back against the stone and press my palms against the warmth. The slate floor attracts me and my hand reaches for the sun-drenched gray. lt, too, is warm to the touch. Walkin2 across the cabin, I find the nonh wall refreshingly cool, as though the earth on the other side is touching me. I circle the fireplace a few times and strangely miss the feeling of comers in the cabin. An indoor-outdoor thermometer hangs on the wall - indoor temperature, 72 degrees; outdoor temperature, 15 degrees. The sun is high on this winter noon. Shelter can become more th:in just a place to stay warm or dry It also can be :in experience of emotion stimulated by our sensory responses. When we speak of "appropriate" housing or "appropriate" technology. the word "appropriate" has many levels of meaning. I may feel lazy, like taking a nap in this solar heat. That's appropriate for me. On a cold, winter day, I set a one hour morning fire in the masonry heater 10 heat up the chimney. That's it. Let the contoul'l> of the land. the movement of the sun and canh, and the shell of this mountain home follow their natural course. That is appropriate, 100. In my afternoon slumber on the wann slate floor, I think of summer. The sun will not touch the slate floor then. The roof panels will be in place so the south porch will be in shade. The dense floor will remain cool just as the nonh wall docs. Off the southeast and southwest comers of the cabin the hickory trees are in full leaf and they block out the hot morning and afternoon sun Windows on the cast. west, and south walls allow breezes 10 blow through the cabin. Ilidden an the ceiling framing is insulauon, the guardian of comfon. Heat from the sun passes slowly through the exposed roof and is vented through openings around the chimney. The Waste products arc disposed of in specific ways. Human waste is taken care of in an aesthetic, two stall outhouse. Grey water from dish, clothes, and people washing is drained from the cabin into a gravel-filled dry welJ just below the house. Burnable trash is used in wood burning, or incinerated. Plastic~ glass, aluminum, and other recyclables arc collected and delivered to tbe local recycling center. All of the energy systems reviewed in this cabin so far required no electricity for operation. Electricity is a precious energy form and should only be used where there is no other practical substitute. Refrigerarion and cooking are the major electricity consuming appliances, so in this house there is an energy-efficient LP gas refrigerator and a gas stove. Beller to use gns on site and utilize approximately 80 percent' of its available heat thnn electricity, which, by the time it gcrs 10 your house. only provides about 30 percent of its available heat. The solar clothes dryer is a fifty foot rope suspended between two poles. So the only major appliance needing electricity is the washing machine. Other than the washing machine, the house if outfiued 10 provide electricity for lights, stereo, computer, blender, and other small miscellaneous ncms. The creek docs not have enough flow of water to generate adequate electricity for a small hydroelectric system. and wind pauems are too irregular around the house site for a "'ind generator. The final choice for electricity generation is a photovoltaic system that generates electricity. The solar electric panels are mounted on the south facing roof pitch of the cabin and feed into deep cycle batteries, where electricity •~ stored and sent 10 the appliances ns direct current. So we have a simple plan for a mountain homestead. The basic energy needs have been met with appropriate technology, but the technology is incomplete without the human behavior to complement it. We live in an age of plastic and steel. Many of our daily needs are dependent on oil drilled on the other side of the world and automobiles built and assembled on two or more continents. One way to control the use of energy on the planet is to seek out ways to A MOUNTAIN HOME Wnucn lltld 11lustnlltd by Greg Olson Shelter is our tilter from the clements of wind, water. and sun. It lS also a ~work that shapes our environment The home is an enclosure of space where sensory experience conunual on 1'"£C 211 KATUAH - page 8 WINTER 1987-88 �A LOOK AT SOME HOMEMADE HOUSES IN KATUAH ... Madison County, NC Pho10 by Paul Galllmore Floyd County, VA A$he County, NC Watauga County, NC WINTER 1987-88 Photo by Rob Messick Photo by Rob Messick Floyd Coun1y, VA Joci<son County, NC Photo by Adam Cohen Photo by Adam Cohen Photo by Rob Messick KATUAH ·page~ �by Marnie Muller In considering your bomeplace, it is important to understand the earth energies of the place you arc choosing. Cultivating this sense of listening lO the primal energies of a place h;u been practiced by many culture~ over thousands of years. Aboriginal peoples still pay anenuon to these forces. There arc people in China who still consult with their culnue's t:raditionalftng-shui masters. Here in these mountains ofKatiiah, some oldrlmers and "newtimers" listen lo earth energies by means of dowsing n0t just for water but also for the more subtle earth energies. Presently, there is a call for a "new" geomancy in order to design human systems in alignment with earth systems. The ancient I Ching ( The Chinese Book of Changes) speaks of The Great Ham:>0ny. By perceiving the wider rhythms and energy nows of the living earth system in which we participate, we can team to harmonize our individual energy with the wider 'symphony' of place. In particular, in the specific place where we choose t.o live, we can find out about itS special energies-wind, water, light as well as the more subtle realms--and become pan of the process rather than a blockage to it "The id. a or movement of energies in e the earth, of the chl or the earth, and of the possibility of harmonizing with such energies is very old. Associated ideas of blood, water, breath, chi, spirit, circulation, machine, and organism figure here. A 4th century tcXt speaks of the earth, 'flowing and communicating within itS body as if io sinews and veins' (Needham, Scitnct and Civilization in China]. A 14th century text, of interest for current thinking about "universal planetary grid" or "earth acupuncture", refers to a "mysterious network" thus: (it) spreads OUJ and joins iogtther evtry pan ofthe roors of dll! tarth. ..Thousands and ttn thousands of horiU>fllal and VtrticaJ lltins liJce warp and wtft weavt lbgtther in muJual tmbraet ...Taking all (including land and sta) as earth, the stcrtt and mystery is thot the roots communicare with tach other " (Steven Post. Ralst the Stakes) Perceiving the Earth as a living, functioning being, our species can begin to redevelop a symbiotic rel.arionship with the specific eanhplace where we dwell Reacquainting ourselves with the ancient slcills of listening to the vibrant, subtle earth energies is a significant step in lhis process. Then as we live our lives, each aspect from homebuilding to right livelihood to ceremony... will more deeply reflect the undercurrent Life patterns. ; ,,# "In China, the dragon is a symbol of the electrically charged, dynamic, arousing force that manifests itself in the thunderstorm. In winter this energy withdraws into the earth. In early summer it becomes actjve again appearing in the sky as thunder and lightning." From I Ching, Tht Chintse Book of Changes Description of terms: Earth Htru: Energy emanatlng from Ille e:inh, dcieclible by b1otogical means (cg. dowsing) and physical means (with sensitive detection ins1111mcnis (cg. geiger countcrS)) though not normally obvious to the casual observer unless in an especially sensitive state. F1ng Shu/: A Chinese system which recognizes energy Oows and forms in the landscape. It 1J1Cludes mclhods of modjfying these forms 10 amclionue the "eneray climate" of a site. Ljterally. means 'wind/Wald. Grom1ncy: 1lie science of putting human habitalS and activities into harmony with the visible and invisible world around us. "Themes and concepts from architecture, gcomcuy, geography, cosmology, art, archaeology. mctrology, numerology, astronomy, astrology. surveying, religion, and mythology. all complex subjccis in !heir own right, t<1J1 be seen to have a common root in cenaio ancient pnictices which related them to a special place, lime, cosmic position and purposc •. .EV1dcnce from a great number of sources indicat.es that thclC is certainly aomcthing linking all these enigmatic fac.ts and universal practices, an age·old and venerable science which may be called geom1111Cy." ~!ck) Dowsiac: A means of delecting seemingly imperceptible obJCClS or subtle encrcies by the feeJjng of a rod Olf pendulum held m the hand. Traditional wattt divining using a farted haul rod is a form of dowsing which has provided evidence of sublle energies present at sacred sites. Gala: To the ancient Oreets, Oa.ia was lhe Eal\h Goddess. In more recent times the name has been utilised by James Lovelock to describe the entire bimyslem or our pbnet - all !ho pbnis ..... imab and fungi. plus the atmosphere. the oceans and the soil. The Gaia hypothesis suggests that the Eanh's biosySlem as ~-regulating; that. for example, 11 is able to conllOI ilS aunosphcric tcmperawre as well as the composiuon or the air, sea and soil so es to maintain the optimum conditions for the survival of life on the planet. Chi: 'brealh of nature' : basic energy ~ Sacnd Sites: Special eanh pbcea ""h1ch have the '-- ~ '- quality of bnnging an individual tO •more auuncd state with Nature. Often associated wilh having an abundance of "minus" (or negative) ions in the elccuanagnctic field. Eartb Acupuncture: A way of regarding earth energies whereby the living Earth is seen es an equivnlent of the human body m acupuncture terms, with the flows of energy along the meridians and with special energy centers or "ac:upuncture points". (Most of tltac tuwu Jul•c M•1t d~fuud ilt £.,11t; MJSUrlu: Alt l!J1plorator1 l11tro4Mttl.,. l1y BriDn lorkmms illtd Plul'P lfLUluHt.. P"'14'Md by IM Nortlt Eortlt/.fµ:.eriaCl'Ollp.) Suggested Reading: The Earth Spirit: Its Ways, Shrines and Mysteries. John Michell, Crossrond Publishing Co., NY, NY. 197S. The Ancient Scltnce or Geomancy. Nigel Pennick, Thames llld Hudson. Ud., London. 1979. Earth Wisdom. Dolores LaChapclle, Finn Hill Arts, P.O. Box S42, Silverton, CO 81433. 1978. Shu/: The Sci,nce or Sacred Landcape In Old China. Ernest J. Eitel with oommenwy by John Michell. Syoergctic Press, 24 Old GIOOCCSICr Sttt.ei. London WC I Engl:ind.1984. Feng "Geomancy: A Tawny Grammar", Steven Post in Raise tlr.e Stakes, Sprint. 1984 . Plllnet Drum FoundalJOll, P.O. Box 3t2SI, Snn Francisco, CA 94131. Gain: A New Look at Life on Earth. J.E. Lovelock, Oxford University Press, Oxford. 1979. Tbe LMn1 Earth Manual of F•n1 Sh11I. Su:phc:n Skinner OUt or print. Nttdtcs or Stone. Tom Graves, Granado Publishing Ltd., NY, NY.1978. Tbe Divining !land: Tbe 500 Year Old Mystery or Oowslnc. Cllristophcr Bird, New Age Press. P.O. Box 1216. Blaet Mountain, NC 28711. 1979, 1985. The Ley Hunttrs Manual: A Guide to Early Tracks. Alfred Watkins, Turnstone Press, Ltd., Wellingborough, Nonh Hampton~ire. 1927, / 1983 / ~---- " • 14 ~~----~;;.uonbyM~M~l~-~ KATUAH - page JO ) I ~,~, \\\ WlNTER 1987-88 �Earth-Sheltered Living by Scott Bird From prehistoric Limes to present, human beings have lived sheltered by/within the Earth... in caves, within rock wwls and cliffs. and in earth-covered lodges and houses. In some pans of the world, members of tribes have gathered toge1her to build their homes in common, underground. Ciries housing thousands have been builL Stone age cave dwellers who used nruural cave forma1ions for shelter, pro1ec1ion, and temperature moderation, benefiued from 1he even tempero1ures of living within the Eruth. For example, the year round 1empera1ure in the Mammoth Cave in Kemucky is 54 degrees F. In many pans of 1he world today earth-sheltered homes are a common way to build and live, especially in China where over 10,000,000 people live in earth-sheltered spaces in the provinces of Shensi, Shansu, Kansu and Henan. Their earth-sheltered population has numbered in 1he millions for generations, where schools, workplaces, temples and shrines have been part of the underground landscape since the 5th century BC, complete with gardens on the roofs. The mountain village of Matmara in Tunisia is home to between 5·6,000 people where most shehers are underground. An open counyard connects the individual homes. Pedestrian tunnels connect different families of the tribe to the main social group. Rooms are built with curved walls and ceilings. In the center of each courtyard is a cistern which is used to collect and store water with a system of water pus. In Cappadocia, a mountainous, barren region in Turkey with severely exLreme temperatures, villagers have lived continuously in 41 under~round cities since the 3rd century. Some cities are built on as many as 10 levels and house 30.000 people. On this continent, the Pueblo Indian ruins at Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado were hollowed-out cliffs built around 300 AD with rooms up to 80 feet in diameter. Other native peoples of the southwest built earth-covered winter homes and kivas. Here within the Katuah province, the Cherokee lndinns constructed earth-covered winter homes and lodges (see "Good Medicine," page 18 of this issue). Pioneer dugouls were built in the Great Plains in the late 19th century as white people pushed wesrward. Building materials were scarce, so grass and s:>il becl:me the simple materials with which the pioneer families made their homes. Though most of the structures were free-standing sod houses, which were vulnerable and shon-lived, some families actually excavated dugout shelters in the earth. Today within the area of the United States. it is estimated that there a.re between 4-5,000 earth-covered homes and an undetermined number of earth-benned or eanh-sheltered homes, that far outnumber those totally eanh·covered. Once again, it seems that eanh-covered and earth-sheltered houses are being accepted by the mainstream population. Eanh-sheltered homes today qualify for immediate financing and immediate insurance, and they have gain~ a high level of consumer acceptance. Earyh shelters ai:e ~mg built by many .ltl"OUPS of people: the punsts, the surv1vaJ1sts, the environmentalists, and ordinary citizens, who might live, for example, on the Great Plains, which are subject to tornadoes and proirie fl.res. And th~n there. are !hose who simply want to tower their home heanng/cooling bills. Earth·benning or eanh·sheltering means simply bringing the earth as high as possible around a structure on the nonh east, and west sides, leaving the south completely open to 'accept the w~th of the sun. i:tie Tf'Of is of conventional construeuon, though heavily insWa1ed. Earth-covued homes, however, entail significantly more expense to provide for extra load-bearing capaciry for the roof, complete waterproofing, and the expense of eanh-moving. People who choose to live sheltered by/within the Earth, do so for many iusons. In a house protec~ed by Earth, both winter winds and summer heat have less impact on the interior. The house takes advantage of the more even, moderate temperature changes of the Earth. Earth-sheltered buildings require less heating fuel and, therefore, relieve pressure on our over-extended biosphere and pocketbook. If planned carcfutJy, eanh·sheltered homes provide all the light and ventilation of an above-ground home. Eanh·protected homes are quieter, require less upkeep. are safer from natural and human-made disasters. They arc also less of an imposition on the life around them. EARTH SHELTER UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEAR BLOWING ROCK, NC. Dalaaed and built bJ Scott Bird. - continued on next page photos by Rob Musick WINTER 1987·88 KATIJAH - page 1 l �...................·.....·.................... ········· .... . ·continued from page 11 As you begin on the canh shelter path, the best place to start is your library. Begin reading about earth-sheltering, subscribe to a journal or two. Talk to others who have buil1 earth-sheltered homes in your area. Look for the pros and cons of each design. When you finally choose a home site, spend as much time there as possible. Get 10 know 1hc sun's path there, 1hc drainage patterns, c1c. Also spend time observing what wildlife lives there in order to determine how you will share the habitlt. Observe the wind pauems for your locale. Also begin an inventory of your land. Arc there natural wind fences on your land that will help to protect your homesite? What is your soil composition? The soil rypc will significantly effect the buildi~ process. What water is in the immediate area? Engaging a local dowser may prevent a lot of trouble and heanache down the road. Besides locating a drinking water source, a dowser can also detect shallow water veins as well as other complications that may be present to your possible homcsite. Resource List for Earth Shelter Construction and Design: Tiie llandbook of Earth Sl1elter Design. Make Edelhart. A Dolphin Book, Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, NY 1982. This book is highly recommetUledfor purring you in touch with the Earth Shelter movement. Very clear and inclusive, lists earth shelter organizations, earrh shelter periodicals, articles on earth sheltering. books, films, as well as earth shelter designers, solar infonnarion by state, etc. Ear th Shelttred Housing Design : Guidelin es, Examples, and References. Underground Space Center, University of Minnesota. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.• Inc., During the energy cns1s of the I970's, people were drawn cowards 1he lower fuel costs of solar, superinsulated and earth-shehered homes. As the fossil fuel economy rebounded, in1erest in earth·sheltering slackened as was evidenced in a major earth shelter journal falling from over 18,000 subscribers to a present 2.000 subscriber b:ise. People once again misiakenly believed thal the fossil fuel supply was endless. Now as our economy faces 1hc possibilily of a major collapse, reliable, energy-efficienl earth-sheltered housing will once again offer an attractive op1ion. At the turn of chis century, Baldasarc Fores1iere spenl 38 years constructing/sculp1ing 65 rooms, courtyards, grouos. 11nd gardens beneath 7 acres 10 Fn;sno, California. The work was complete with atnums and rooms designed to catch 1hc sun. The rooms contained many forms of plant life including one tree 20 feel underground that was grafted with 7 differen1 kinds of citrus fruil. As Baldasare Foresticre's cffons within the Eanh were aesthetic as well as func1ional, we 100 can develop 1hc sensitivity to create a form of Eanh sculpture with our earth-sheltered home designs. h is also time in our hist0ry for us to re-establish a spiritual communion with the planet, and living in an earth-sheltered home is literally "close to the Earth." As a professional homebuilder, the best advice I can give prospective owners of earth shelter homes is to stay closely involved throughout the entire home construction project. Paradoxical as it may seem, special sensitivity is most needed during the initial excavation of the home site. This can make the difference between a site that looks as if it has been cleared for a shopping mall and a homcsite that has been carefully carved out of the Earth with respect and care. You, the owner/dweller, will be the one to know how the Earth looks and feels after the whole building process is completed. The solar warmth pcnncating a structure sitting in the protective lap of Mother Earth can make each day a joy whe~~ one chooses to live with/within the Earth. P" Scott Bird is a professio11al residential designer atUI builder of conven1ional atUI earth-sheltered homes in the Katiial1 region. He works with Appalachian Building & Design. I Earth -Sheltered H abitat: llistory, Architecture and Urban Design . Gideon S. Golany. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., Inc., 1983. Notes and bibliography in back of boolc are rich in research. The $50 and Up Underground House Book. Mike Ohler. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., Inc., 1981. Ear th Shelte red Homes: Plans and Designs. Underground Space Center, University of Minnesota. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., Inc., 1981. Construction information, plans and energy data for 23 successful earth-sheltered I~ A real bible/or ti~ Eanh Shelter fTl()vement, will help quiet fears and insecurities concerning earth shelter planning, design, building and living. Untluground S poc• Dept. of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University of Minncsoia, Minneapolis, MN 55455 Bi-fTl()nthly journal of the American Underground-Space Assoc. Natural Solar A rchitecture: A Passive Primtr. David Wnght. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., Inc.. 1978. Wonderful. sensitive design with Earth, sun. and environmenl working rogerher Underline Underground Space Center, 790 CME, 500 Pillsbury Dr. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 Qiurerly Underground House Book. Stu Campbell. Garden Way Publishing Co., Charlotte, VT, 1980. The favorite of many. E n ergy Inform 3528 Dodge, Omaha, NE 68131 Complete bibliography of earth-sheltered writings. $5.00 1978. KATUAH - page 12 WIN'ffiR 1987-88 �..............·•• ••••·• .·~11 •• ••••••••••••••••.• •·•·• .......... •·•·•••••• •••••••••·••·• •·•·••• ..... ........................................... •·•·• ........ •·•·••••·•·•·•••·• •·••• •••••••••••••• -••• • ..::·· Through the whole spectrum of living systems, from planet Eanh to a living cell, the natural world is abundnnt in rounded fonns. Within this synergetic order the organizing principle of a covering, or membrane, that meets 11self around a nucleus is the basis of any regenerative structure. Found in anim31 bodies and the homes they build, as well as in the shnpe of plants, their seeds and the housing for their seed$, is this dynamic pnuern of a membrane with inward and outward curves being strong, insulative, protcctive, and interactive with environments. With this example human beings can build sheller that is in tune with these patterns and can rejoice in this resonance. Ovoid, spiral, polyhedral, and branching designs are a practical and pleasing alternative to many of the dull rectangular schemes we now employ. These ovolo lend themselves 10 many styles and uses as a way of dwelling wirhin surroundings. . '. ·: :: .. .• ·: .. .· (conUll!JCld on s-sc 18) .. :· .. ·. . ' ' '~ .. .: ' ':... © Drawings and Text by Rob Messick~ •/ wn-(rnR.. i'9s7:sil .... ········· ···· ·.. ··· ··· ··· ...... ,... ,. · ···· ····· ... ···.··· .. ······ ·......... ·· ····.... ··· ····· ··· ·.... ·.......··· ·· ··· ··· ···KA.ru.;.:1:i :·p~.&~ 13 �BRUSH SHELTER by Snow Bear As I.he autumn chill deepened into the sharp cold of winter, it was important for native peoples to have a place to keep wann when they were out hunting, away from their villages. By watching how squirrels kept themselves andtheir young warm and dry, native peoples learned the lesson of how to build a stick and leaf nest It was a good way to keep warm and dry without a fire. Here is a description of how to make a temporary, primitive brush hut similar to those of the native peoples here. The brush hut provides warmth and shelter from rain and snow, requiring no cordage or canvas in its construction. I have spent a comfonable 15 degree night in such a hut with no sleeping bag. When well made, it will shed heavy rain; snow laying upon it becomes additional insulation. It takes about I 1/2 -2 hours for a single person to make a shelter. Unden;iand, however, it is not a home or a workplace when made 10 cap1u~ body heat. An additional lean-co srrucrurc can fill the need for workspace; it can be made using the same method. The idea is simple: to construct a low shelter framework with dead and down branches and cover it thickly with leaf liner from the forest noor. Essential to the Structure is a strong ridge pole, at least nine feet long, placed wilhin the fork of a living tree, three feet off the ground. In the absence of a forked tree the proper height, I have used a strong, three foot forked branch leaned against a tree trunk and secured wuh long stakes pounded into I.he ground with a rock. Staning at the end of the ridge pole that lies upon the ground, stack branches up against the ridge pole. As you place branches, alternate from side to side of the ridge pole; the tops of the branches will interlock to keep the branches from sliding off the ridge and serving to anchor the leaves at the ridge. Remember to make the shelter at least twice as SfAKE 'flALL wide as your body: this will make a low, wide framework that will keep its leaves in heavy wind. Less heat will escape if your door opening is narrow and low. You can make a low door after leaves have been put inside by using two forked sticks to support a stout branch for a door lintel (see dingrJm). KATUAll ·page 14 Begin covering by using dry leaves. Always put leaves on the top of the side you are working on; they will settle in to the pince they are most needed. O>ver in dry leaves so thnt when you push your hand in to touch the stick framework, the leaves come up past your elbow. This is essential for n brush hut that will shed rain. Then, if available, use leaves (from beneath the dry, crackJy leaves of the forest floor) that are maned and compressed. These can be lifted off the ground like shingles. Start at the bonom and lay them in rows, overlapping each row. If any funher anchoring is needed, you can use branches. laying them upright as you did to make the frame. To stay wann in winter weather, further insulation is needed. Fill the inside with dry leaves, then wriggle in and roll side to side until the leaves are compressed into a "mattress". Do this at least four times to get a mattreSs that will stay 8"-10" thick when you lay upon it. Then fill it once more with leaves (pack them in!) and crawl in. To funher retain heat, you can weave a door plug with thin green tree branches. After you crawl in, pull the door plug closed from inside and pile leaves against it You may need to leave a vent :11 thc top or the door plug. Spend many hours in practice before you rely upon your skill for your well-being. This is true of any primitive camping skill It would be good to make at least six shelters before testing your skill on a subfreezing winter's night. The consequences of a mistake in building your brush hut could be hypothermia and death. Building a brush hut is bu1 one of many vnluable skills the old time Cherokee practiced; they were a people who could stay warm, dry, well fed, clothed, nnd comfonable with nothing but a knife as their basic tool. May we keep these skills alive, that our people may live in,,.; # strength nnd well being. ,P' Wll\.'TFR 19R7-811 �Resources on Build ing & Design: Books: I.ow-Cost, EntrtY Cfllcltnt SMltu for tht Owner and JJulldtr, Edited by Eugene Ecch. RO<ble Press lnc , Emm3us, PA 1~9. 1976. Furoctmtnt: Bulldlnt with Ctmtnt, Sand. and \Virt .Hnh, Sunlcy Aben:romb1c. Sc hockcn Books. NY. 1977 Tht /Jousts of Mankind, Cohn Dul y. Thom:is and Hudson, NY, 1979 Arrosanti, An Urban Laboratory, Paolo Solen. Avant Books. 191!4. Natural Solar Auhltuturr: A Passil'r Primtr, 03vid Wright , Environmcnul Architect. Van :>;osunnd Reinhold Co.• 1978. Tht Tao Of Archllutuu, Amos th T1ao Chang Princc10n Univ Prc.~s. 1956. Tht Tfmlftu \Vay of Building A Patttrn longuagt Tht Oregon Expufment ChrislOphcr Alexander, Cl al. Oxford Unrver.ity Prc..<;,<;, NY. From Tht Ground Up, John N. Cole and ChNI~ Wing. L1Ulc, Brown and Co.. 1976. Tht Stcond Old llou1t Catalogue, compiled by Lawrence Grow. Universe Books. NY, NY, 1978. &mh Shtlttr, David Martindale. E.P. Duuon, NY. 1981. Passive Solar ArC'hlttcturt- Loglc a nd Btauty, David Wright and Dennis A.Andrejko. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982. An Agt of Barns. Enc Sloane Ballantine Books, NY. 1967. l.og Bultdtrs l/andbuok, Drew Lang~ncr. Rod31e Press, Emmau~. PA 18049 Shelttr, Shelter Publications. Mounuun Boot..s. P.O. Box 4811. Santo Barbara, CA 93103, 1973. Tht Vittait as Solar Ero loty, Procttdings of Tht Ntw Alrht1t11 Thrtshold Gtntrir Dtsign Conftrtnrt, E.Wlc.d by John Todd and 1':inc)· Jack Todd, The :'\cw Alchemy lns111u1c. 237 Hatchvillc Road. East Falmouth. MA 02536, 1980. llandmadt 1/ouscs, A Guidt to /ht Woodbutchu's 1t r1, An Bocricke and Barry Shapiro. Scnm~haw Press, San Franci"Co, CA. 1973 Tht Compltte LOI I/oust Boole, Do le M;inn and R1ch:ird Slmuhs. McGraw-Hall, 1979. Building tht lltwn I.of lloust, Charle~ McRoven Thoma~ Y. Crowell Publishers, NY. 1978. llandcrafted Doors and Windows, Amy ZolTarano Rowland. Rocblc, 1982. Mud, Spac1 and Spirit: 1/andmadt Adobe, Virginia Gray, Alan Macrae, & Wayne McCall Capra Press, Sllllta B:irb:lra. CA. 1976. A Goldtn Thrtad: 2500 Ytars of Solar Archittcturt and Tuhnoto11. Ken Buui and John Perlin. Cheshire Books, 19n. Fantastic A rchlttcture: Personal and Ecctntric Visions, Michael Scboyt and loost Elfers. Harry N. Adams, Inc. NY, 1980. Tht Owntr Built llomt; Tht Owner Built Homestead ; Th t OM •ntr Built Homtsttad Rtvisittd, Ken Kem. Scnbners, NY. How lo Malet Eltctrlcily from Wlnd,\Vattr and Sunshlnt, John A. Kucd:en. Tab Boob, Inc., Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214, 1979 Rtin habltl ng CitltS a nd Towns : Dtslg nin1 for S us1ainability, John Todd w1lb George Tul.cl Planet Drum Foundation, P.O.Boit 3 I2S I, San Francisco. CA 94 131 Ptrmaculturt Ont. Bill Mollison and Da-.d Holmgren , 1978. Pumaculturt Two. Bill Molljson . 1979. Tagan Books, P.O. Boll 96, Sunlcy, Ta~mania. 7331 Austmlia. Dwtlting, by River, FrceslODC Publishing Co.. 1974. Pe r iodicals: Adbbt Ntv. s, P.O. Boll 702. Los Lunas. N\1 87031 Ntw Shtlttr Magaunt, 33 Ea~t Minor Street Emmaus, PA 1!!049 Altunatiw Sourcn of Energy. 107 S. Ccntml Ave .. Milaca, MN S6JS3 New England Builder. The Journal of Light Construction , P.O. Boll 278. Montpelier, VT 0.5(,02 FiM llomtbu1ldin1. Thc Tauton Press, Inc., 63 South M3in StrccL Newtown, CT 06470 Fine Wood Workin1. lllc Tauton Press. Inc .. 63 South Milin Street Newtown, CT 06470 Thi! Solar Collector (Soon to be The South/ace Journal of Energy and Building Technology). Published by the Southfnce Energy Institute. P.O. Box S506, Atlanta, GA 30307 PASSIVE SOLAR COMPOSTING TOILET The typical live gallon flush IOilet consumes approitim3tcly half of a household's conswnpl.ion of water. This is about 12,000 gallons of waier / pu person I pu yea to carTY 165 gllllons or body waste co the place or disposal . What rcsulis is: • Large amounis of valuable and sc:arcc pure drinking Wlller is used • Ground water and surface water is polluicd • A useful, natural fertilizer is lost • Energy-inicnsive nnd costly waste ucatmcnt plnnis must be constructed • The disposal of sewage sludge cau~ further pollution problems We assume th:lt by nushmg and forgetting we have solved the problem, yet in l'C3lity we have only created several new ones. The watcrlcu composting toilet is 11n alternative to these problems. ll uses no water. thus chmmatlng massive consumption used with Oush L01lcts The <;i-lf.eonUlincd sy51Cm protects ground Md ~urface wai.ers from conLDmmat1on. and valuable nu111ents arc coo,·cncd into a s:in1tary nch humus lhal can be applied directly to the orch:ud. MUmCnl3ls. and the garden. With solar fC3llltCS, 11 needs no additional or outside source of enctgy to complete the decomposition, nnd there arc no mechanical or moving parts. Because of thi~. 11 needs very hule ml\inlCD311CC nnd l'CqWICS no additional Cllpcn5CS after the original mst11llauon .. Watct conservation equals energy conscrvalJOn m that no energy is nocdcd to pump. store, or purify waste. Compo5ting toilets arc a part of an appropriate technology m that they renect a low-cost soluuon to local problems. They are simple co build and mam1:11n: nnd can be constructed from locally available materials. WINTER 1987-88 Scx,.b.\>I :5 .·. · C.IW11'E:Y ·: " .: lllc toilet conslSls of a c:oocreie block vauh with a sloping "air s11u-case• system (sec diagram). The org:lllic was1A:S move down the St:lll'CISC at a rate that will insure aerobic dccomposlllon by the time they reach the final storage chamber. Aerobic decomposition means th:lt the ocg:inic materials a.re breaking down in the presence or oxygen. The compost pile is aerated in three ways: Fir;t, the incoming air stream 1s prchC3lcd by the flat plate sol.3r hot air collcc10r (eliminating the noed for an adcbtio1131 power $0UtCC). and brought undeme:llh the "steps" of the air ~talrcasc so th31 the au can Cll'Culate from the bouom and on up through the center or the pile. Second. the air is conducted through the slotted and perforated four inch PVC pipe ducts that run through the center of the pile. Third, air nows over and across the pile, ovnpor:ating citccss moisture and pulling olT the carbon d1oudc. The solar chimney drives off the air c1rculat1on system for the compostct by allowing the sun to heat the air in the black vent si.ack. thus causing a n3tural draft . The warm air rises by natural convection and in tum pulls more air through the colleci.or and through the compost pilc... the cycle goes on. Also. u's 1 mponant to lldd af1tt C3Ch U5C a scoop or "dry Oush" materi31 nch in carbon, ~ch as &Tl.~' cilppmgs. sawdu~1. leaves. peat. and 111ood ch1J>l' You're building a working compost pile here so you need enough fibrous mlllCriJIJ to miit with the wastes to keep the pile loose so n1r cnn circulate through. All odors arc released through the solar chimney which ensures the bathroom is free from odors at all tim~. The humw; which is remo"cd 1s ooly live to ten percent of the original volume as 9Q.9S percent will be transformed 11110 carbon dioxide and water ,.apor and rcle:iscd through the 'cnt. It will l3kc 3J'Pr0llma1Cly two ycatli for the f~t decomposition pcnod, then with the continuous proce.~s. three to icn gal Ions or humus will be produc.xl per pcrsonfpcr year. generou~ Dct:uled blueprints an: available for SIS.OOfrom Long Branch Environmental l:ducanon Center Route 2. Boit 132 Leicester, NC 28748 (704) 683 3662 KATUAH ·page 15 �Review of Rua Sims Quillen's October Dusk JULIEANNA Bi' Timber, Mon1:1113; Sc•cn BuIT:lloc:; Press; 1987. 26 p:igcs This collection of twenry-thrcc poems is as invumg a.s a cool front porch in summcnimc Md opens to the l"C3dcr a ~orld of Appalachian place, culture, and ritual. In Quillen's poems we arc rooted in a place of apple buucr IT\:lking and calf binhing; a place where people look to the seasons to tell them what work needs to be done. Herc arc hard laboring people who draw such conclusions as 'The potatoes from the garden/ lie scattered in the grass./ Tomorrow we will son them I and store them for winter." This dedication is an intimate and loving gesture which leads the reader to assume the couple in the poem, who sit on their front steps after a hard day's wcrk and whose "eyes meet in the fading light," arc lhc poet and her husband on their own fann. Such intimacy is typical of Quillen's poems and is neither offensively confessional nor self-indulgent, but rather comfonablc and interesting-a glimpse into a panicular Appalachian family's world. ln these p<>cms rich in Appalachian culture, we notice the effects of ume. Sometimes we sense the new imposing itself on the old, as in "Time To Go". Here an old woman sees a countryside overtaken by "multi-level houses"-symbols of the new "American dream". But she also observes young people taking over an "aged" farmhouse and "trying to live in another time": ... solemn young women in earth-colored clothing I chop wood and raise chickens." She realizes that people !Oday arc facing a "hard time," perhaps too hard, and she knows she has lived long enough. We often see old generations passing, as in "Julicanna", in which "Mamaw" sits by the window and recalls her past, not sadly, but acutely: "She can still smell I a hot kitchen full of men I after a hard day ...." She sits with her granddaughter, sometimes thinking she hears her late husband "Paw I saying 'Julie' I and she almost answers." Such moments in QuiJJen's poems are poignant, tender, but rarely, if ever, repetful. They are ultimately not regretful because Quillen sees renewal in the passing of time and people. The poem "Sunday School Lesson" (dedicated to the poet's son) investigates the notion of new generations replacing the old, as the mothet' ponders "how each of my children I resembles someone long dead .•.. /The boy is my father I reborn I with red hair." I find this poem comforting and a beautiful and quite appropriate conclusion'° the collection. My favcrite poems, however, are those that deal with Appalachian ritual, as in "Revival", a poem which depicts a child's perception of an old-time church revival, an event filled with ta1Jc of fire and brimstone and infused with the Holy Spirit ("Many moaned, cried I said Yes Lord"). The child is confused and " [runs] out of the shadow into the clean nl&ht air". The poem doesn't pass judgement on the revival, but certain! y captures the mystery of the ritual as seen through a child's eyes. A second of Quillen's poems set in the church, "Meeting House," offcis a touching glimpse of another country ritual: counship. In this poem we find z.ekc Bays riding his "spooked" mule into a church service. It's not the event itself, despite its quirkiness, that gives this .J>OC:m its reason for being. Instead, the hean of the poem lies in its theme: the discovery of love. While Zeke apologizes fcr his actions, he keeps his eyes on Anna Compton, a young woman in the congregation, and this gesture signals to everyone, including Anna. what Zeke feels for her. They all know that "Zc.ke [will) be the one I to teach her about loving, I sing little songs to her in the dark." These "little songs" arc the essence of romantic love and will be as sweet, no doubt, as that dark countty night when Zeke will sing them. What I ultimately find most appealing about QuiJJen's poems is her use of the concrete, her interweaving of crisp illlllges that l can visualize and metaphors I can savor. In her poems is a mngible world where one sees a "spring burst of white blossoms", and smells "A musry sweat smell" of a crowded country church, and hears "little chimney sweeps I (that! cry in the blackness". This is a living world, the poet's own, J suspect, that she has opened to her readers. We are invited in for a while, and here we can discover, ponder, and, I think, enjoy ourselves immensely. Mamawfin1Jlly swps 11Jlking She siis birdlike by the window on a green vinyl chair. Her toothless mourh opens, closes collapses right inlo the face. Her hands circle slowly around and around as she talks, every ~·ein dark bltl.t and swollen. I warch and wait can'r take my eyes off her. Siu: keeps glancing ar the clock on the mlllllel then back at me. Eyes dull like old window fXJlll!S stare oUJ the window 01 yestudays w/u:n she worked wirh Ju:r /'1llJll in steamy fields. She remembers her babies, rwo alive and grown, rwo dead at birth blood coming out their ears. She can stifl smell a hot ldtchenfull ofmen after a hard day, feel her own light, quick srep move sure through ti~ gardi!n. Someti~ she thinks she hears Paw saying "Julie' and she almost answers. We sit together while the old 1111J11Je/ clock ticks loud, louder. Ouiside the quaner moon, the least lighl ofall, hangs in the air resting lighlly then like that last spoken word. OCTOBER DUSK The evening dark falls all around me, iJs warm bl'eaJh casts a shadow on my face. Sitting 011 my front steps, I am a candle flame drawing moths and moS41'iu>es, holding the mo~nts in my cupped hands. He sils quietly /:Ty~. memories ofthe day's work swift moving cowr shared lilcefall leaves in the yard. The pol/JJQes from the garden lie scanued in the grass. Tomo"ow we will sort them and store thunfor winter. His hand rests on my neck as he slowly stands. He off the other dirty hand us to help me up. Our eyes meet in the fading lighl. We go inside, surrendtring to nighl, d1t: sm411 ofeanh still strong. - Julia Nunnally Duncan KATuAH ·page 16 -------------------.,WINT;-;-;::;:-=E=:R:--:1~9-:::87::-·:-:88 �October Dusk by Rita Sims Quillen MEETING HOUSE When Zeke Bays rode his mule in10 church the sweating preacher froze open-mol.UMd in the middle of a Bible vuse and the sranled men rtoched in rheir coaJS fo r tlu! guns they left at home. Aunt Becky Summey fainted 011 tlu! women's side, a crowd rushed around her as Zeke struggled wilh the mule, its flat hooves senin~ up a deafening echo on the rough plank floor. H What in tlu! \'.'Orldr S1Jmeone said. Zeke meanJ co answer bw the mule walked sideways and jarred a pewfull of deacon's wives. Anna Compron hid a s17Ule untkr a~ whit.e hat when ZekefiniUly managed to steer the mule toward the door. She watclied his hard, dark anns pull aJ the rope. noticed that full and STllOOth mouth, tlu! long eyelashes that made people say he was too pretty fora man. Pausing at the door, Zeke apologized/or himself and his wild, spooked anUnal. said lu!'dfu the door. Everyone tw7red to sr.are QI Anna becm.ue he looked QI her as he talked. She ~d red as her 111/)tWs tinnias. She knew; he did, too. Now everyone probably saw ii: Zeke would be the one to reach her aboUI loving, sing liltJe songs to her in the dart. COLLAGE TIME TOGO Tire old woman spits amber StilT$ in the dust standing on a long road leading nowhere except Elmwood Hills Subdivision where ""'1ti-level houses stand mtJSt/y empty save for the Nnuican dream <fwe.r bars, color1V, and pool tables. And on down the road a piece a lane mOlk l1y VW buses pressing down tlu! grass leads wan agedfarmhouse where rusty bu.eke.rs carch waur from the roof and solemn young women in earth-colored clothing chop wood and raise cAfcAzns: living, walking memories trying w live in another time while the old woman keeps si/en1 waJch She holds lu!r breath, st.anding and ware/ling between the IWO there in the stardusr rood, pocks her jaw with more tobacco. She's thin/clng what a hard time they will all have and congratu/ares herselffor living just long eno11gh. WINTER 1987·88 I hold the dl.m picture close to the light. The background ls faded: an old man's silhouette on a barnwall. black On 8rtl)'· a shaft of white sun slashing his face. He holds a bale of hay on his left shoulder, expruslon dirta dueEast- overlapping with the tiny grantlson in the foreground lying Ill the crib, seemingly soulless in that sl«p beyond remembrance known only to the M\'.born and rhe dead. Yet surely there nwsr /lave been ho~d puffs ofair passing through rhose he.an-shaped lips, the soft body rising with eoch breath.. The missing lin/c is the old man's son the baby'sfarher out ofthe picture somewhere where f Qlhers always are, leaving me to wonder about JUm, impatient wilh my owA curiosity. Ile is1ust another man, seed bearing seed. Why do I go begging for meaning in rhe accidenUJI double - expos11re? KATUAH - pa!!,e 17 �In the old days "shelter" meant just that: a place to sleep and to get out of the weather. A building or a structure was not a place where people spent their ·whole lives, as it is today. Jn a modem city, people go from one building - where they live, eat, and sleep - by car to another building where they work, and then go back again. They even exercise in a building! Only incidentally do they get out into the open air. These people live in a completely anificial environment. They regard the natural elements as inconveniences to be avoided. When I was a boy living with my grandfather and grandmother, we would take all the doors and windows off the house in April. By the end of May we had moved the wood cookstove outside under a liule shelter, and my grandmother would cook out there. We also slept outside. We did not have tents or sleeping bags, so we slept under a liule brush arbor we built to keep the dew off us. We slept there until thunderstorms or a wet spell of several days would make us go back inside for awhile. We lived oucside and did everything under the brush arbor and under the O'CCS until the last pan of October. Then, when the leaves fell, and it swted to get cool, we would put the windows and doors back onto the house, move the cookstove back inside, and Stan 11 up again. But even in the wintertime we would use the dogtrot, which was a wide, covered passageway between the two pans of the house, as a place 10 shell beans. whittle or carve, make baskets, or work on other projects. We would eat there in summer when the weather was rainy and we had company. Folks would always visit and socialize there. Out there it was alright 10 smoke or chew tobacco and spit. When my grandfather was a boy, his grandfather was living with his family. The old man was a strong influence on the boy, telling him many siorics about how the Indian people used to do things. That is why my grandfather always liked the idea of houses with cane mat walls, the way they were built before the white settlers came. He used to say that building a structure that lasted beyond one's lifetime was a burden on the Earth. Back before they were all cleared, the river bottoms were full of thick-growing river cane. The cane was an incredible material that was used for many purposes. One of the main use:. was to m:ike $iding for the houses in the villages along the river bouoms. The women wove the split cane into mats that '"'ere ~even feet tall and six to ten feet long. These were hung on a framework of poles stuck into the ground in a circular pauem. Other poles were lashed across for bracing and 10 suppon roof rafter;. The roof was made of bundles of broormcdge grass. which is waxy and oily and repch water. These were bound in place to make a thatched roof. In this way the people could build a dry structure 1n a very, very shon time. If the mats were still good in the fall, they might roll them up and use them again. In some of the larger, more permanent villages like Peachtree or Old Echorn, they would daub the cane mats with clay. In the smaller villages they would replace the mats every year and never daub them. One time when we walked across the field where Old Echota was formerly located, we found chunks of hard clay that bore the imprints of whole cane leaves and stalks that had been pan of the old houses. They also would build small towers in the fields among the com and squash plants. Kids would take rums standing watch in the small buildings 10 head off marauding animals and 10 throw stones at the crows. The old com-cribs were also built off the ground. They were made of thin poles and were well-daubed with mud. Every crack, even around the doorway, was tightly sealed to keep rats and mice out of the gnin. They put up com, beans, and dried pumpkin in pots and checked their stores frequently. The only permnnent structures were the town house, which was built on a mound at the center of the village, and the asi 's, or hothouses. An asi was a family storehouse, guest house, sweat lodge, and winter shelter. They were eanh-covered structures that were built on the surrounding hills above the fertile bouomlands. The asi was low and na1, usually constructed on a slight rise to help the water run off. They were made of wood, usually locust trees. Medicine people often made their asi's with seven sides. the sacred number, but families usually nude them square, 12 by 12 feet or JS by IS feet. according to the size of the family. The: basic log structure was covered with mats, then broomsedgc would be placed on top of that, and then soil would cover that. Some of the older asi's had grass growing on top of them, but the locust never roued, and very rarely would they ever leak. In the summenime the asi would be used for storage or to house guests if the family had clan \isitors. although the town house was also used for overnight lodging. The asi would also be used for sweat lodge ceremonies. A family would move its thi~gs out, and they would heat up a pile of big rocks in a large fire outside and carry them into the asi. A lot of people could crowd in 10 sit around the steaming rocks. The sweat lodge was one of the - continued on page 28 KATIJAH - page 18 WINTER 1987-88 �'The Grear Spirit did not give man the right to destroy this great life." (ucuptsfrom a ra/A: ta the bled btar conftrtnct by Kay Littfr)Ohn. a Chcr'1Ut Indian} My fotlu!r 011d grandfather and their grandfathers before were asked to speak on behalfof our animal relatives, which were rapidly disappearing in their times: the snail darter, the ivory-billed woodpecker, the passenger pigeon, ti~ CoroliNJ parrot, and 1.lte list goes on and on and on. Each one of my ancestors wlro spoke om against the destruction of our relatives. saw that tire native people of this country were placed here by the Great Spirit as caretakers. We see this great gift of mind 011d creativity as something we use 10 share witlt all those two-legged, four-legged, winged, water, and root creotiues. We see ourselves as something not set apart from our environment, but as a pan of the whole ..... There is hope in me tltat thest people who hove removed us as caretakers will see the responsibility that we all share. I om responsible/or pollwion, the disappearance of the animals and plants, for hate, and prejudice, as eoclt and every one ofyou are. Our people were swept aside with tire j11stijicotion of "manifest destinyH. This archaic expression was used in tlte post to ju.rtify cruel and unjust acts. This some plulosoplty exists today, when it comes to the nvo-legged, four-legged, roots, and insea creanues Let's not let "manifest destinyH be the ckstruction of al/ life. The Great Spirit did not give man the right to destroy this great life Great Spirit, my prayer is for Yonoh, 01u brother, ti~ black bear. Concern for the black bear (Ursus omericonus) in the Southern Appalachians drew over 200 people to the Owen Conference Center at the University of Nonh Carolina al Asheville on September 29 10 hear a schedule of speakers presenting different perspectives on the present and future condition of the black bear and its mountain habitat. The conference was sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program at UNCA, the Southern Appalachian Black Bear Federation, Long Branch Environmental Education Cenrer, and Klu.UBh. The presenting speakers agreed that the black bears had survived intense pressures, but that the species faced even more difficult times in the near future. caused primarily by the ever-expanding human population. Opinions differed widely as to the nature and the projected impact of these pressures, but the mood of the conference was one of guarded optimism that if people of different points or view could work together, the problems facing the black bear could possibly be averted. As Dr. Michael Pelton, professor in the Depanment of Wildlife, Fisheries, and forestry :11 thc Univer.;ity ofTenncssec said in his keynote address. "We are sitting on the last major long· term population of the WINTER 1987-1-iR THE FUTURE OF YONAH, THE BLACK BEAR black bear in the Southeast." He said that the indigenous black bear population had by its remarkable adaptability overcome the threats posed by the massive deforestation of the Appalachians by the timber industry in the early years of this century and the chestnut blight, which wiped out the American chestnut tree, the bears' most stable and abundant food source. "Diminishing habitat has without a doubt been the single most imponant factor that has impacted these animals," said Dr Pelton. "It is unlikely that any new habitat will be created," he said, and called for policies to proteet and maintain large blocks of forested lands in the Appalachians for the far-ranging black bear species. "More miles of open roads and forest management policies that decrease hard mast (acorn and nut) production will lower the carrying capacity of the forest for black bear," said the biologist. "Roads affect bears either through direct monality or by bears having to shift their habitat to more marginal areas, making them more vulnerable to monality. A road policy must be clearly defined and strictly enforced. That is very important to the long-term stability of the situation. "We also need a management strategy to perpetuate and stabilize hard mast production in the Appalachians. This means long tree harvest rotations to allow oalc trees long-term mast production when they reach maturity." Roben Zahner, professor of Forestry at Clemson University, underscored the need to encourage the different oak species in the mountains. "At this point," he said, "When we're talking about bear habitat, we're talking about acorns. "Oak trees are showing signs of decline in different areas, and there is some reason to believe that atmospheric pollution is an influence." Zahner also warned of the approach of the gypsy moth, whic.:h has the capacity to defoliate whole forests and is moving toward the Southern Appalachians. There is no way to predict what the elfcc.:h of the moth infes1ation will be on the black bear, but the larvae or the insect prefer green oak leaves, and it will have a strong negative effect on the mast-bearing trees, he said. In light of these pressures to come, Zahner advocated extending the roration age of trees; implementing a strong oak regeneration program; and keeping large blocks of forest land intact to cushion the effects of future pressures on black bear habitaL Lauren Hillm3n, wildlife biologist for the US Forest Service, said that "population management is a second critical factor for the future of the black bear." Citing population studies in the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest, she said that "monality is at or approaching its maximum sustainable limit..... Population in the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest is probably not declining, but the population appears to be characterized by a preponderance of animals in very young age classes." This affects the availability of breeding females necessary to keep the reproduction rates up to the level of occurring mortality. Shortening the bear hunting season or pushing it back later in the year tends to protect females, who go to den earlier than the males. A bright spot in the conference was a report by Kei1h Langdon, resource management specialist for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, who spoke of promising results in the the breeding of blight-resistant American chesmut trees that one day might be able to reinhabit the species' former range. New genetic techniques developed by researchers affiliated with the American Chestnut Foundation have produced encouraging results in eitperiments in Minnesota, said Langdon. John Stokes, storyteller and musician, and the dancer Zuleika presented on Iroquois Indian story about the bear. In closing, Stokes said, "We have only one statistic to offer you. That is that we arc 100% sure that the sumval of the black bear is not a question of number-s, but a spiritual question." pfll' KATUAH- page 19 �NATURAL WORLD NEWS FIGHTING THE BIG BURN IN CALDWELL COUNTY by Barbara Kirby (from a talk before t~ WNC A//iQJICe) For nearly 1wo ye:irs the people of the Mt. Hennon Community near Hudson in Caldwell County, NC have been involved 1n an intense fight to get rid of a hazardous waste incinerator on nearby Lick Mountain. The history of the incinerator goes back 13 years to 1974 when the county decided it would purchase the equipment to burn hazardous wastes trom t.:aJClwell and surrounding counties. Caldwell is a m.'.ljor furniture producing area, with a lot of noxious wastes as by-products. In 1975 a fire in the incinerator plant forced its closure, and the county officials decided that they were not qualified to operate the facility. It was leased it to a man named Charles Foushee, who began Caldwell Systems, Inc. (CSI). Charles Foushee is the man who operated the Mitchell Systems incinerator and was unceremoniously thrown out of Mitchell County a year and a hnl r ago. In 19&3 the county commissioners agreed to renew the CSI lease for 25 years. There had been complaints of odors, smoke, and pollution, but they were low-key, and few people had been involved. In 1985 a man named L. C. Coonse began serious opposition to the waste incinerator. Following his lead, a group of people organized as Caldwell Concerned Citizens for a Clean Environment. Their first act as a group was to ask the county commissioners to form a study committee to investigate the incinerator and determine if any health hazards did in fact exist Since that time we have met with continuous obstruction. The study committee was started eventually, and they have done an excellent job with the aid of hired legal and environmental expcns. The study committee found several instances of unsafe operation of the incinerator planL As one example, the manufacturer of the incinerator reoommends that it bum no more than 1,882 pounds of hazardous waste per hour. But the operators go by the state regulations, which allow them to bum 4,018 pounds per hour. The incinerator bums 22 million pounds of waste per year. Halogenated hydrocarbons, a very serious health hazard, are burned at the plan1. On August 22, 1987 phosgene gas (also known as mustard gas) was released into the air. Several Mt. Hermon residents were stricken by the vapors. KATIJAH - page 20 Numerous employees have been sick, and one person is probably going to die from injuries sustained there. Caldwell Concerned Citizens has continuously pressed the county commissioners to do something. We have pressed the state. The state has been very reluctant to work with us. They have started studies and refused us access to the data generated. Our group has raised $5000.00 to do our own soil and water studies, all of which have shown contamination. The county commissioners have been under tremendous pressure from the state Natural Resources and Community Development (NRCD) and others to lceep the incinerator open, because since the closing of the Mitchell Systems plant, it is the only commmercial hazardous waste incinerator in the state. We have found that part of the problem in regulating a hazardous wa~te incinerator is that there are very few regulations. So tho incinerator operators can truthfully say, "We meet all regulations," but that does not mean that they are not hurting anythUig. In October, 1987 the srudy comminee finally recommended that the Caldwell Systems incinerator be closed. At a meecing on November 2, the county commissioners said that they would ask CSI to leave. The announcement was met with cheers from the more than 400 people in the audience. The commissioners continued by saying that they would allow CSI to sell its business and equipment to another company. They did not set a deadline for when CSI had to be ouL They did not tell us who would be the new buyer. They did not say anything about cleaning up the area, which in Mitchell County was a job of several months duration. A near-riot ensued after that announcement. and the commissioners left under the protection of lhe sheriffs departmenL The outcome of all this is still not clear, but there is cause for hope. At a special meeting on November 9 the county commissioners voted to temporarily close the CSI plant. The final result still remains to be seen. Citizens is an orRanization of mountain people just like all of us Their experience shows us that we can learn what we need to learn w deal with these issues. Ir's as simple as chal.") SMOKIES WILDERNESS BILL PASSES THE US HOUSE N.wnl World News Service A bill co-sponsored by Rep. James McClure Clarke of NC that would officially declare 90% of the Great Smoky Mountain National Parle a wilderness area has won unanimous approval in the US House of Representatives. Wilderness status would protect the greater part of the Park from road-building or any olher development. This bill formally ratifies the past management policy of the National Park Service and gives it the force of law. The House bill authorizes a payment of $9.5 million to Swain County, NC and forgives a $1.6 million loan to the county by the Farmers' Home Administration to redeem a promise made at the Park's inception for a road to a family cemetary located at Deals Gap within the Parle limits A similar bill, S. 963, has been proposed in the Senate, sponsored by NC Sen. Terry Sanford and Sens. Sasser and Gore of TN. Sen. Jesse Helms has proposed countering legislation in the Senate that would cut the amount of land to be put into wilderness and authorize the road to the cemewy to be built through the Park. Congressman Clarice expressed optimism about the Sanford bill's chances in the Senate, saying, "I think this is the best chance we have to get this controversy behind us. Everybody, even Senator Helms, feels that the 23 mile. $400 million road to the cemetary will never pass the Congress." (Taylor Barnhill ofthe Western Nonh Caroli/Ill Alliance says, "Barbara Kirby is not an environmental ex:perr. She is a school librarian ar Maiden Elementary School in Catawba Coulll)', NC. Caldwell Concerned WINTER 1987-88 �CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON THE MRS Nlllllnll Wmld News S.S-.a POACHERS CAUGHT; POACHERS CONVICTED Acting on an anonymous tip, NC wildlife officers caught and charged seven men with bear baiting on Mackey Mountain near Manon, NC. The seven appeared in McDowell County Oistnct Coun on Nov. 9. Four of the men pleaded guilty to bear baiting, which is illegal in NC, and were given a minimum fine of $250, a suspended jail sentence, and lost all hunting privileges for two years. Two others contested the case, but were also found of guilty of the same charge. They stated their intent to appeal the decision. The remaining case had not come to !rial by the end of the day. The poaching !rial was monitored by the Southern Appalachian Black Bear Federation, which is initiating an active program to discourage poaching in Katiiah. 'This is the most flagrant case I've ever seen. They've been doing it all summer." Frank Pennell, enforcement officer for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) in McDowell County told the Charlotte Observer. Responding to the tip, wildlife officers investigated the baiting site, which was just outside the boundary of the Mackey Creek Bear Sanctuary. The officers found enough snack cakes at the site to fill two bushel baskets. Cellophane wrappers from hundreds of other snack products littered the ground around the area. The bait was placed by the poachers to lure the bears off the protected sanctuary lands, so they could set dogs on their trail and run them in unprotected parts of the Pisgah National Forest. When the bears would finally be shot, they would miles from the incriminating bait site. The actions of poachers threaten the stability of the black bear population in the Southern Appalachians. Poached kills go uncounted in bear population management statistics, and poaching from the state bear sanctuaries violates areas that are set aside to provide females a safe breeding ground for a core population to maintain the numbers of black bears in the mountains. Defend the bean! Write to: Ass'L District Attorney Sandra Pugh P.O. Box 2143 Marion, NC 28752 Tell her that you arc watehing the bear poachers' appeal case and that you care about the outcome. If any signs of other poaching activity are seen, one may call the WRC "Wildlife Watch" number, 1·800-662-7137, to repon known or suspected violations. Confidentiality is assured. It is dangerous to personally intervene with poachers and far safer to call wildlife enforcement officers. Compiled 111 patt from o uport ur tlw CharlOlu Qbrmz, The US House of Representatives and the US Senate are on a collision course on crucial high-level radioactive waste legislation. ln the House. a move toward a momrorium and independent review of the nuclear waste management program is being led by Rep. Morris Udall (D-Utah) and Rep. Jamie Clark of the NC Ninth District. The vehicle is HB 2967 which would institute a study commission to review the actions of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and halt any funher site selection work for the two planned high-level nuclear waste dumps and the MRS (Monitored Retrievable Storage). which the DOE would like to site in Oak Ridge, TN. Senator Bennett Johnston (D-LA) is pushing Senate Bill 1668 (the Johnston-McOure bill) that would authorize an MRS. The MRS would store 80-90% of the nation's high-level nuclear waste. If Johnston were to succeed in his efforts, Karuah would not only be threatened by the MRS, but would be one giant step closer to receiving the second high-level nuclear waste dump in the Ellc River geological formation, just outside of Asheville, NC. Congressman Jamie Clar.Ice; US House of Representatives; Washington, DC 20515 deserves thanks for sponsoring HB 2967, and NC Senat0rs Sanford and Helms; US Senate Office Building; Washington, DC 20510 need to hear from people in the region who do not want the MRS and 1hc high-level waste dump. fA PAC AGAINST THE COMPACT •• Nlllnl World News Service The NC Political Action Committee to Dump the Compact has been formed to elect legislators to the NC Senate and General Assembly that will withdraw the state from the Southeast Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact, which plans to dump 32 million cubic feet of radioactive waste in the state over a 20 year period begiMing in 1992. The group is planning to mount a strong campaign around the state's May 3 primary and November 8 election in 1988. Contact the organization at: P.O. Box 26071 Raleigh, NC 27611 FOREST SERVICE PLAN UNDER APPEAL - AGAIN! NllUnl World News Service The Western North Carolina Alliance (WNCA) and the NC Chapter of the Sierra Oub have both entered fonnaJ legal appeals of the Pisgah-Nantabala 15-Ycar Management Plan to the Chief of the US Forest Servicein Washington. The WNCA is filing on the basis of several violations of the Forest Management Act of 1976. The act requires that forest management be done on a site-specific basis, that management promote biological diversity in the National Forests, and that multiple-use management (which includes water, wildlife, and recreational needs as well as timber harvesting) be practiced. The WNCA in its suit says that the Forest Service is not considering management practices based on conditions at individual sites, but rather is making blanlcct prescriptions for clearcuning in all pans of the forest. They cite the Forest Service for managing the forest to promote a few selected varieties of trees, rather than promoting the wide diversity of trees found naturally in the Appalachian hardwood forest. The suit goes on to say that the widespread practice of clearcutting destroys protective cover, old denning trees needed by many mammal species, and mast-producing trees necessary for many species' survival. The WNCA favors uneven-aged timber management by means of selective cutting. The WNCA suit also protested the extensive use of prescribed burning by the Forest Service, calling the practice "excessive and environmentally damaging." The suit mentioned in particular the controlled bum that was triggered by dropping napalm in the Mica City Creek watershed. Both the Sierra Club and WNCA suits called the Forest Service to task for making many below-<:<>st timber sales. saying that the agency did not, in the words of the USDA, "accept a considerably greater burden of proving that a below-cost timber program is necessary." The Sierra Oub lawsuit also charged the ForcSt Service with projecting excessive road building into the 15 year plan. • continued on next page WINTER 1987-88 KATUAH-page 21 �- continued from page 21 RECYCLING CENTER OPENS AT ASHEVILLE LANDFILL Nannl World News Scrviee DUKE POWER MOVING IN ON THE MOUNTAI~S N-1 World News Scsv..,.. Duke Power Company is planning to scour and nood 1,200 acres on Coley Creek in 1hc heart of the Jocasscc wa1ershed 10 build a reservoir for a pumped s1oragc hydroelectric project The watershed is in the sou1hcrn reaches of Transylvania Coun1y, NC, jus1 above the South Carolina st111c line. The Horscpas1urc River, which was rccen1ly inducted in10 1he National Wild and Scenic River System, and the Whuewater, 1 hompson, and Toxaway rivers now through the area. The Jocassce Watershed is currently undeveloped and unspoiled. The well-known Foothills Trail crosses I.he area, and it is home to the endangered Oconee Bells flower and several types of rare fems that grow on I.he north-facing sides of some of I.he many waterfalls in lhe drainage. Two colonies of lhe green salamander, rare in this re~ion, live on Coley Creek. But the high nunfall and abrupt chan~cs in elevation that malcc this a unique area m the East also make ii a prime area for hydroclectrical development Duke Power has submit1ed a draf1 application 10 I.he Federal Energy Regulation Commission fora 2,100 mcgawan pumped s1orage facility that will cost $3.3 billion to construct. Plans call for a dam to flood the main valley and two or three side valleys and coal-fired electric plan1s that will produce energy 10 pump water back uphill during slack pcnods. A new road is proposed from NC Route 281 10 the cast side of Thompson Ridge - a 1,000 foot drop over nine miles - to transpon heavy equipment to the Coley Creek sile and to maintain the project. The Jocassec Wa1ershed Coalition (JWC) has been formed to oppose the flooding of Coley Creek and to press for inclusion of the Whitewater, Thompson, and Toxaway rivers in the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The JWC is comprised of citizens' groups, cnvironmcn1al groups. and individual landowners and hunters tha1 use the watershed. They arc being aided by the Sou1h Carolina Wa1er Resources Commission, which, fearing damage to tr0u1 fishing waters, is urging protection of I.he rivers in I.hat state. 'lhis is going 10 be a mon:: difficult taSlc than saving the llorscpastun::," said Bill Thomas, co-chair of the JWC, "because Duke Power has owned the land since the 1960's." The JWC is suggesting to Duke Power I.hat providing incentives for energy conscrvarion 10 reduce overall electrical consumption would be a cheaper alternative that would possibly obviate the need for I.he Coley Creek dam. Utility companies, par1icularly in New England and the Pacific Northwest have been using this option to avoid installing nuclear power plants or other unsightly and polluting electrical generating facilities. Research has shown I.hat it is twO to four times cheaper to invest in energy conservation in preference to energy generation. At a meeting with Duke Power, JWC representatives proposed tha1 1he company hire a consullant 10 do preliminary research into the possibility of invesung in energy efficiency as a possible option. The company refused. "It seemed like a prcuy good idea to us," said Thomas. "parucutarly since a consultant would only cost $30,000 as compared to the $3.3 billion budget for I.he Coley Creek project." The JWC 1s requesting that Katiiah residents wrire to: Tommy Rhodes NC Depanment of Natural Resources and Community Development P.O. Box 27687 Raleigh, NC 2761 I to ask that I.he 1hree rivers of 1he Jocassce Wa1crshed be placed immediately under state prorection. To contact the Jocassec Watershed Coalition, wricc: Gil Leebrick c/o Highlands Biological S1ation P.O. Drawer 580 Highlands, NC 28741 Duke Power is also deepening its involvement in the mountain region be buying out the Nan1ahata Power and Ligh1 Co., which provides electricity 10 1he five wcstcm-mos1 coun1ics of NC. Veronica Nicholas, a county commissioner of Jackson Coun1y. NC and tong-time activist in citizen struggles with Nantahala, calls this process "changing masterS." She observes, "By adding Nantahala's area and resources and developing the pump storage facility in Transylvania County, Duke Power is a-ying to create an in1cgrated generating system. I think they're loolcing to a time when they won't be able to rely on nuclur power." The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, with the support of Quali1y Forward, has opened a recycling cen1er at the Asheville landfill, located seven miles north of Asheville on Highway 251. Clear glass, colored glass (brown and green separated), newspaper. corruga1ed cardboard, and aluminum cans may be recycled. The cenlcr is open during regular landfill hours: 8:00 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday and 8:00 am- I :00 pm on Saturdays. The usual landfill tipping fee of Sl.25 is waived ror up 10 10 bags of garbage for !hose who bring four bags of recyclables. II has been estima1 that up 10 ed one-lhird of all solid waste can be recycled. Recycling to this cxtcn1 in Buncombe Coun1y would depend on other recycling 1echniqucs as well as 1hc recycling area at the landfill. Curbside pick-up, on-si1c separation, and small, local commercial recycling businesses would all make recycling more convenient and profitable. The remaining two-thirds of the genera1ed waste could be composted, 1umcd into fuel pellets, or compacted and landfilled. All lhesc methods arc currently in use elsewhere. The Asheville landfill recycling center is a response on the pan of citizens to the idea of mass-bum incineration, which is one waste-disposal technology under consideration by the Buncombe County Commissioners. The major advocates of incinera1ion arc mega-industries trying 10 comer 1he SIOO billion spem annually in I.his country on waste disposal. Incinerators arc the most expensive solid was1e management technology a community can choose. They arc expensive to opera1c, involving massive inputs of non-renewable fuels, and repairs have proven 10 be devastatingly expensive. There are also major heahh and environmental problems involved in incineration. Fine particles of lead, cadmium, mercury, manganese, antimony, tin, and other heavy mc1als arc released in the incinerator smoke. Dioxin, the mos1 highly carcinogenic of the synthc1ic hydrocarbons. has been identified in significan1 amounlS in incinera1or gases and ash. The ash i1sclf is slated to soon be designated a hazardous waste by the US Envtr0nmcntal Protection Agency. Although a small s1cp, the recycling center at the Asheville landfill is a start toward bet1er waste managcmen1 practices and deserves resident use and support./ WINTER 1987-88 �A CHILDREN'S PAGE Underground House - Abigail Bird, Madison County, NC Under Water House Sarah Reany Floyd County, VA I would have a big house under the ocean and you got there by going through a door in a house on an island. My house would be shaped like a big mushroom. I'd have a big window on lhe top or lhe ocean to get sun power. And I'd have a fire at the bottom or my house and a boot and I'd have a bumblebee for flying away. I'd have a big flower so the bumblebee can drink. j J ( 11..i Mn 1 .: ..... h" (; .m ifJ v f 11t 1.1t1 ~ ,t u1~t -t11e 9n"vtn../. ti! ..>. t.l.."l'OU..9"' Ofltr( 5LiJQ - .... flJ1Jl. lC j()(:;.o h 1..s B td __ _ Underground House - Michael Flowers, Madison County, N / WI NTER 1987.:88 KATIJAH ·page 23 �Dear Friends • DRUMMING LETIERS TO KATUAH Ko.lWth 1s still a\ good as alway\, but I do agree it Y.ould be a i;ood idea to keep the old format. I'd hate for ~omc folk~ to i;et left out becau~e the price Y.Cnt up. Ju\t some or the feedback I've also heard from some people who enjoy looking forward to the ne:itt issue. Keep up the good! Tara Cla)1on Rougcmc:nt. :\C .....Thanks for a great fall issue. In response to your question: I'd rnthcr sec )oU mainl3in the ine:\pcnsive, rccycleablc newl>print. Keep up the good Y.Ork. Jeanene (Cabanis} Cashiers. t\C Dear Friends • Let me tcU you what I feel is important in my life: I stan a fire by spinning a wooden spindle. In doing this, r re-enact a ritual that transcends the bounds of time. Smoke curls from powdery, hot, black dust, and I am re-establishing my link with nature through an act of primitive humanity. I skin the gift deer with a stone knife I made, and butcher this friend who has given life for continuation of life. Eating this sacred food cooked on my fire, I realize that the deer is inside me and becomes pan of me, and I become pan of 11. I wear clothes made from this deer's skin, and. as I move, the deer moves with me. We arc one. 1 bathe in the stream, and the life blood of the Mother Eanh cleanses me, and again I sec the connecting link between my being and all of the universe. By panicipating in a primitive life, in immediate contact with the natural (real) world, I find comfoning, meaningful relationships with all of my relatives in this universe. I have lived outside for over eight years, nunurcd by this primitive exi~tencc. During thi!> apprenticeship with nature, a chief activity has been the use of natural materials for appropriate "Earth Skills" technologies to make a lhing, following techniques that natives have used in this area for over 12,000 years. I feel I have learned something valuable. and I want to share it. I have found how useful "Eanh Skills" arc in connecting humans and nature and stimulating spiritual insight, :ind I te.ich these methods to others. "Earth Skills" are life suppon activiucs through which people involve themselves in nature, primiuvc technologies, and primitive thinking processes. In the barren realities of modem American life and thought, "Eanh Skills" arc an avenue to understanding another way of perceiving the world and developing a foundation for spuituality based upon interaction with the natural world. On the surface, making a bucket of tree bark seems practical only because it provides a wild woods container. But in our day and culture, the experiment has a much more valuable benefit: we gain a very strong perception and understanding of a connecting linlc with the foreSt and with the primitive skills that our ancestors depended upon. By experiencing the physical connection, we arc opened to appreciate the spiritual value of the event. Leaming "Eanh Skills" relates an individual with the na11ual world to produce a craft or ~riml!nr that brings a person to the awareness of the connectedness of all things, humans included. •Earth Skills" lessons arc inherently spiritual. I never need to mcnuon the word "spirituality" or to scare conscrv:mves with phrases like "change m world view." The latent revelations, connections. and meaningful guides need never be anicul:ued. They just happen. "Ennh Skills" give a strong, practical foundation for under.;tanding spiritual realities by sharing Y.ilh the spirits of the wild places. Eustace Conway 602 Deerwood Drive Gastonia, NC 28084 KATUAU ·page 24 Durable magazine format vs less durable newspaper format · I'll opt for qunlity in either presentation. One awaits Katuah eagerly each season because of hannonious weavings of philosophy, issues facing our Mother Eanh, teachings to share, verse to stimulate ponderance, etc. For me the present format works!... .. Bern Grey Owl Raleigh, NC I'm making a prayer I'm gathering the kindling I'm making a prayer I'm clearing the way I'm making a prayer I'm striking the flint I'm making a prayer Lhat will illuminate that will warm or cedar and oak Of maple and pine Of coming Logether I'm making a prayer because iL is time • Colleen Redman Dear Editors: We have high praise for the Fall 1987 K1IiiA!L and its excellent anicles on the black bears of Southern Appalachia. No bear species anywhere on Eanh can survive without local and regional suppon, and that suppon depends primarily on what people know about bears and their needs. Your issue on the bears of the Kau.iah Province is a landmark step toward meaningful protection of bears and their habitat in your region. As planet Earth becomes less inhabitable as a result of traRically misplaced national and international priorities, the b:mle to keep p3tlS of Earth, habitable for wild bears will help prcscIVC the health · and life - of the planet as a whole. Keep up the fine work, because we arc all in this together. Sincerely, Lance Olsen President, The Great Bear Foundation Missoula, MT W1NTER 1987-88 \! �Dear Editor - While on a hurried VJSll Alar. your l.J.NJfturtd !M. At tlir" bthtst )IOll btc~ my ad\/Usary BtctJJ<U )'Oii .,.f:rt blood brotJo.u IO myfo~r llibc I Ww -,Ollr tlto1111w GS )'Oii p11rswd IM, I could 110t li111u to std 110rvislrmt111. 011 ONl on. yo11 pllTswd IM. Soon I 1rtw wtak, nut to tartlt. Ytt wht11 -,011 slew this body. I did llOI dit. My soul tlldiutrlt. to the new library at Appalachian Suue this past week, I chanced to see the notice of the upcoming symposium on the black bear in Nonh Carolina. It occurred to me that you might find the enclosed poem, "Nemesis," appropriate at this time. You will recall that Wilburn Waters was noted as the famous hunter and hermit in the White Top section of Nonh Carolina. He was credited (?) with killing 108 bears as well as many wolves and other animals. J became interested in his story when I learned he was my great-grent-grc:11-uncle. Rev. M.D. Han raised the funds and built the monument with the imposing black benr on top. I visited the graveyard where it srnnds this past summer, and it is still standing in good condition and has numbers of visitors each year. It is located near Lansing, near Tuckerdale. The symbol at the bottom right of the poem is the Cheroke word for Yo-nu, the bear. Sincerely, Mrs. Ruth Trimble '----------------~-~"""' E11t11tually )'Oii too. my bro/her. wtrtftlltd by rht inaor~ 1umd of mortality. NEMESIS Once./ was as you wert. A m1Jn tal/ and proud. Ordained by the GreaJ Spirit 10 toll OJld :t'*'l!al so 1ha1 I mightfted upon 1/itfruits of my labor. In thtfv.l/nessoftlme I beCDml! ll'l!Oritd by tht constant struggle 10 sustain lift. Encwnbtrtd by fau.• I langtd 10 be lilt:t tht Btar • frtt to roam DI will. gathtring the berrits and mast. I grnv faint with my disconttnl . Tht GrtaJ SpiriI ltntw my OJlguish. Maniftstiltg I /is arcant power I It gra111td my heart's dt.wc OJld cJiangtd mt into Btar, c/ollting me in long si/Jcen hair. I was Yonu, mighliesl of tht crcaturts. None challengtd my right 10 bt Yo11 lit tnto!nMd high on this /ouly kMll. Mtnftlt ltd to trtet an effigy of me· froztn ill rime • ovtr your grave 10 show rtsptct for your prowess. They tOd /IOI perceive thtir efforts wert dirtcrtd by tht Great Spirit and nor of thtm.ttlvts. I. too. ha11t rtsptctfor -you, mybrothtr. but I SIOJld htrt not to honor you. Rathtr. I stOJld guard 10 OJlChor your spirit firmly ill rhe tarth until Yonu rerurns unw his own 111 rht secret dtpdis and NXlows. Ohly thtn w1/l I relinquish my vigil so thal your spirit may ristfrom its fc11us and soar .,.;,h """' 111 the etastlw harmony of rhe Uniwrse. Ulllil )'OIL We reprint two ofthe pomufrom the Drumming section of last Issue. A typographical error changed the meaning ofone, and two verses ~e inadven0t1ly lef1 ow ofthe other. Our apologies to the poers and to our readers. Ajirs1 rule of survival in any region is to stay on 1he good side of your IDcal poetS! The Lessons of the Hunt Persimmon seed, I am•... let me glisten in the sunlight to paint you colours, gold, bronze, amber forever. let me be free 10 grow to bear.... to w3tch my young sway, to grow, to bear. let me not lay on the cold, damp ground trample me not for the Earth is my food and the sunlight my wonderment Persimmon seed, I am .... betraying no man. - Bun Grey 01111 Wouldst learn the lessons of the Hunt From those who know them best? Then one must go to marsh or wood Where hunters seek their prey. "Patience" says the stately Heron As it stands in the shallows, Waiting for a fish or a frog To obligingly swim by. "Concentration" says the Heron As, one slowly moving foot at a time, It stalks A shining minnow. "Patience" says the tiny Jumping Spider As it dans along a vine, Its huge front eyes alert For an insect's telltale twitch. "Concentration" says the Jumping Spider As, forelegs el(tendcd, It takes aim At a foolish fly. ''Patience" says the coiled Rattlesnake As it lies beside a log, Waiting for an unsuspecting mouse To follow its accustomed path. "Concentration" says the Rattlesnake As the mouse scampers closer, For there can be But a single strike. "I see and understand," say I "And thank you for your gifts. Now I can tre3d the inner paths To seek my own prey, Truth." © Douglas A. Rossman WINTER 1987-81! KATUAH · page 25 �An Appeal At the turning of this new year, we would like to express to you some thoughts and feelings about the Katuah journal at this point in its existence. We have been gratified at the expressions of love and support that have come in from readers and friends from all over. Our primary goal is to have KatUah be read and used. We see the journal as a way for each of us in the region to share our learning experiences, as we all try to find a balanced, harmonious way of living in these mountains. This element of sharing is very important in the ongoing process of us growing together and growing into the land. Katuah is produced as a collective effort of folks from around the region. ( Most of us live several hours apart from each other.) While some of the original members have been continuously involved, the editorial circle still opens and reforms after each issue of the journal. Doing Katuah is a demanding task that requires a lot of time and offers little material recompense (but, oh, such rewards to the spirit!). Most Katuah jobs are volunteer (though a few arduous tasks like bookkeeping are compensated). Katuah does offer expense money like gas and telephone calls, but simply getting to the various meetings and to layout is a big demand on people who are working for a living. This is taking its toll on the editorial collective. We would like to be able to maintain the journal at the standard it has come to reflect in the course of the last few years. By breaking the job list up into smaller pieces, we could make it easier for everybody, while bringing more variety and excitement to the pages of the journal. Opportunities are available to participate in the Katuah adventure. With added input, the journal could not only continue to exist in its present form, it could expand its functions in any direction the participants wish to take it. Besides help with actual production and lay-out, Katuah also needs writers and artists (and, of course, cartoonists!) to work with the journal or to submit material relevant to the region. The more submissions there are, the more variety and interest in the pages of Katuah. Even if submissions are not about the selected theme for an issue, they could fonn the nucleus for a future issue of the journal. Also needed are: - An advertising manager. who could bring in needed revenues for the journal, but also help Katuah consciously encourage a regional marketplace by spotlighting biorcgionally beneficial business enterprises. - A "Webworking" editor, who could work to encouraie trade and barter between people, help oottage industries to develop, as well as ftnd interesting and creative additions to mnlce a Lively individuals' ad section. - A distribution manager, who could help get Ka11iah out onto new store shelves and magazine racks and help keep up the network of community contact people. - Additions to the poetry committee that evaluates submissions and guides them into the pages of the joumiJ. - There is also a niche for a person or a committee to keep track of the Katfiah T-shirt sales and offer books, tools, stickers and other bioregional pamphemalia through the mail order system. - A calendar editor, who could compile a definitive events Iii.ting and perhaps transfo"" the "Calendar" section into a sun-moon-forest-garden-people almanac, creatively showing the upcoming cycles for each season. - Someone to be Natural World News editor, one of the vital sections of the JOumal. At present it is a patchwork of material picked up as we go along. This section needs an on-going editor to stabilize news presemations. keep in touch with contacts, add depth and continuity to our coverage, and become kno""n as a regional news conduit. This is a position that could become an important one for shaping news coverage 1hroughout the region. We have ulkcd often about expanding NU/Ural World News beyond the p3ges of the journal, but it would lllkc a person or a group with vision and commitment to actually make ~mething happen in this area. �1"tNttR. TRAVEL tNG "R.OUNDAJJOUT ~'JUA1l " It has also been a fond hope that Katuah could develop interest groups 1n areas of importance for b1oreg1onal life. People sharing a common interest 1n certain broad areas could meet independently, at first to see that their area of interest gets adequate and incisive coverage m the Journal, but developing into regional "think tanks" to develop and deepen bioregional thought on their chosen topics and perhaps to publish independently of the journal. Forestry and Wildlife, Water, Energy, Agriculture and Regional Diet, Healing, Education and Personal Growth, Sustainable Economics, Shelter, Bioregional Theory, and Spirituality are topics that have already been suggested, but any aspect of the new Appalachian culture could be treated in this way. Thinking bioregionally opens up new worlds to our mind's eye and our heart's touch. It's a participatory experience. If you think KatUah as a journal or as an idea is a useful form that helps you relate to life in the the Blue Ridge Province, help us help it to grow. If you can see your way to doing it, jump in. Share the excitement of a group venture, and join us as we seek to better understand the mysteries of this place. Blessings upon you at the turning of the year's wheel. - The Kstush sta"/ 11as wt.nter t wifl he traveling tlirou9l1 Xatunli to botli broarfen anc! aeepen tf1e biore9ionnf network tl1ougliout the province. t wi([ travel as extensi.vely as time and rcsotuces permt.t. 1he purpose of the trip is to hudd up tfie Xatuah cli.stributwn/local contact people network. and to strengthen tire two - way communication between the journal cma the communities of the reljion. tf you woul'cl like me as a representative of Xatuali to visit your area, q you woul'cl like to arrange a m eeting (!ar9e or small, pubUc or private) to talk about our region, if you can offer a floor to s~p on as t 'm passing through, please write and let me know, so we can taa. specifically about the trip 's timing and schduling. We can tf,o mutings or discussion 9roups about b!acft, bears, nukes, !and use plans, or any of the sugtjeSud "special interest areas ". We could hole! beljinnf.ng semf.nars on the meantn9 of the wore£ "biorel]f.on " and our own unique area. IVe could tell stories about clra9ons and the Uttk people. IVe could p!alJ drums. IVe coulc! tf,o sweat Coclljes. IVe could mut wi.th school 9roups or 9arc!en. clubs. IVe can tf,o whatever is rUj/Jt for SJOUr weak. Tfsi.nlt- about bei.ng a Xatuab contact person for your area. 1he contact system is tlie basic frameworF., of the XotUoh networft-. IVe would Uke to 9et more local news, local i.nterviews, local pi.ctures, stories, and opi.nLons from around the regf.on. Let me know, and we'{! get totjether to talk about U. Hope to hear from you. 1hese are excULng times to Uve in. Let's maft-e the most of them/ .Jlfl"' c Io -Davie! Whakr X.aUiah BLorUJional Journal Box ~8 Lei.cester, NC 28748 KATIJAH • page 27 �9004 nuttc£ne continutd from pace 18 A Mountain Home conunucd from page 8 As well as being above 1hc valleys, the asi's were always si1ua1cd on 1he wanner south- or west-facing slopes of the nearby hills. When the weather got cold, wc1, and nasty, the villagers would retreat up the hillsid~ 10 spend the winter snug and dry in their asi 's. The opening into the asi was so low that one had 10 crawl on hands and knees 10 enter. There was a wooden wall inside the doorway Lo cul off Lhc wind. so one entered by crawling in and turning to the right. The wooden partition cut off most of the light, too, so a bright fire of pine knots was kept burning inside to provide light while the asi was inhabited. Sometimes there would be a smokehole, sometimes the smoke would drift out the door. From time to time the people of the family would smoke their asi thoroughly with fragrant cedar or hemlock to ex1ermina1c insects and vermin. It must be remembered that the asi was intended only for a sheller and not as a living space. On nice, sunny days, even in winter, the family would work in the sunlight out of the wind in the warm, protceted area in from of the asi. The men might be carving or making arrowheads, and the women would weave mats for the walls of the summer houses. Weaving the walls for your house each year would seem like a long, tedious job to people today, but the lndians would sit together and talk while they worked, sharing ideas and gossip. It was communication; it was a social event, and if one was raised knowing that the mats for the walls of the summer house had to be made each year, then it was just one of the realities of living and was not seen as a burden. The asi also offered a place safe from the spnng floods that came down the river each year. The people could s11 on the hillsides and watch the river sweep away everything on the old village site except the townhouse, which remained safe above the waters on its raised mound. When the weather warmed and 1he waters subsided, the people returned to the bottoms and built their summer dwellings oriented around the townhouse. The floods also deposited 11 layer of fertile silt over the planting fields, so when the houses were reconstructed, the people set out seed for new gardens for the new growing season. It seems like an easy and practical way to live. bencr utilize local resources for energy production for our shelter. As we implement appropri3te ways of living, we become continually more aware of the spiri tual nature of shelter. The soil is the flesh, the water is the blood, the rock is the bone, and the wood is the sinew. For a person to experience the energy of his/her daily lire within and without IS II gifL Greg Olson tksigns passive solar and energy-efficient homes and teaches courses in the E11viro11mental Swdies Program at rile U11iversity of North Carolina at Aslrevi/le His course "Environment, Design , and Solar E11ergy" is offered every fall semester and focuses on tlie use of alternate energy systt!TTIS i11 building design. Write Greg at 211 Stoney Knob Rd.; Weaverville, NC 28787 or call (704) 658.()834. MEMBRANE HOUSES continued from page 13 Here are some specific LCChniqucs for creating thcJc: pod-Idec houses 111 KatU3h: •Build ribs or metal or plastic 1ub1ng on a saonc or c:cment foundnlion. Sttttch wire mesh over I.his frame and, by band, fcrroccmcnt lhe shell in a numbet or I.ayers leaving openings and shuL-offs. Pigments can be added 10 cement mix1urcs along wilh ol.hcr mnrkings put on the membrane for a mote involved blending with the land. It can take around 28 days for a sl3lldatd cunng or cement in Lhis process yCI there is a method of 7 d3y mois1urc 0 cur111g. A Bourn of Buds With an eye to woe and one to wonder, I regard late January daffodils just budding from the bare warm ground beside my tilting woodshed, a way too early to convey the full flame to the greentime. Near them I stand, a little tilted myself, feeling in the dawn sun some lightened sadness. - Michael Hockaday •con)truc1 fiberglass (or even cardbo3td) molds, with horiwnaal scnms for casting purposes, 1111d blow a dry miiuurc or sprayed cement cnllcd gunnne at high prCiSUrc onto the mold and connccuvc mesh. The mixture as dry enough IO suck 10 ceilings and can be shaped soon aftcr spraying. Adv111113gc) to this method arc lh31 a mold can be reused, and the curing umc for gunnue i• only about 3 dnys. •Malec a frame in which to inOa1e a I.hick l»lloon lh3I can then be covered with wire mesh and fcnoccmcntcd on the out:;adc. Also. in a m11Ch more m1t1caie process. steel fibers can be added 10 the concl"CIC mix - as a strenglhcncr • and sprayed al high PfC.\'iUl'C ona.o a I.ayer of 11\lulation from the inside of a I.hick balloon. The 51CCI fibers being put in the mix itself arc a replacement for the ribbing and meshmg of fcnoccmenL Air pressure can be wed as a 1113in suppon during lhe spraying process. •A grcnL mnny combinations of lhC$e LCChniqucs can be used. along with canh henning and adding on IO exilUng suucaurcs. Rob Messick is a graplric artist and an avid student of synergetics and whole systems. flis work with mandalas, m£mbranes and other organic forms portray a wide spectrum of enviro~nts from tire macrocosm 10 tire microCQsm. sraphic by ChriotJna Mormon KATUAH- page 28 wrNTER 1987-88 �Green B..gcr Kin&) Boont,,C (704) l64·5866 • • • • • • • • • • • • K"'-"r'UAfi l\oa-\E [) £.SIGl"I ~,p;:: -c t.•J ;::,,;\•'t'R.M~~.i,,·_ 1~£!..:...~rJ ·4-)E..? ~, ,\t_·, 11..f: h .. ;..:...- l:. -> \ ,- ..,. '~ .. , •"v:--~. ( 1:.l~ 1 :~ :-. . ~a .. _, ·=---- Green Line, lhe newsletter of the Western North Carolina Greens, has just published its second issue! Conceived as a project in solurion-~riented, ecology·~as~ journalism. Green Line began pubhcauon 1n Occober, with a well-received four-page issue. "Respect for diversity" is one of the ten key values of the US Greens, and the current issue, now eight pages, has further expanded its already . diverse mix~ure of local, regional, and n:monal news to include political cartoons and essays that aucmpt to penemue beneath the surface of the issues to the core beliefs, values, and elhics of Green philosophy. "Decentralization" is another key Green value, so the content of future issues of Green line is very open to our readers' contributions. Karzlali's readers are welcome to submit reports, essays, poems, graphics, or anything else that fires the imagination. Charter subscriptions are available for $5. The Gretn Une WNC Greens P.O. Box 144 Asheville, NC 28802 noon• llrli:his Shopplna C•nl<r (h.:hind . " . e Now " On Lme L10 ... ....) ... ' t.ii•\J ...4:;.. • ~ ~ (iL 7 ..:: .....-...., ",.. t"~4 o 1L (70~) Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology Clinic Natural Food Store & Deli 160 BroadWay Ashevllle, NC 28801 253-5383 Where Bro.c!wri meets Merrlmon Ave & 1-2.0 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Monday·Saturday· 9am·8pm Sunday 1pm·Spm <1>$5'.ffl~~cn WJ~ ll'JlD'.K§@ ©~~ !l The Elk River Coalition asks people throughout the mountains to tum off all electric lights in their homes and place a candle in the front window from 7:30-8:00 pm on Sunday, December 6 as part of the Sunday Nuclear Boycott (SNuB). . Boycotting nucle3;1"·ge~erated elec~ city for that shon penod 1s a symboltc protest of the federal government's nuclear waste policy and its implications for the mountain region and all of the natural world. For further information, contact: The Elk River Coalition c/o Madison County En vironmental Defense League Mars Hill, NC 28754 J im Wayne Miller LITERARY FESTIVAL Emory & Henry College February 4-5, 1988 More info: John Lang, English Dept, Emory &. Henry College, Emory. VA 24327 Rt One With lbe Earth is a 1ounng collection of Native American art on cxhib11 al Ille Museum of lhc Cherokee Indian now through Dec. 14, 1987. Located Highway 441 N al Drama Rood. Cherokee. NC. Open daily 9am-Spm. (704) 497-3481. (704) 683-1414 68:M795 342 Merrimon Avenue Asheville, NC {704) 258-9016 (704) 253-7656 'J\i(lee, 'lt~f 'Na~r~ BOBCAT T-SHIRT SHORT SLEEVE T: $10.00 ppd Colors: Ecru, White, Sliver. Sufoam (II. grHn) THI LONG SLEEVE T: $14.00 ppd. (lnclut»1 P•w Print on SIHv•) ColOl'I: Ecru, Sliver, Te•I, White S•tlsf11etlon •~red or ,.tum for full ,.fund. Ple•u Indicate size, color, sleeve length, qu•ntity. ........,. r'I ~ Introducing the BOBCAT This full color design Is hand-screened on T-SHIRTS OF 100% PRESHRUNK COTTON We •l•o IN AOUL T SIZES S,M,L,XL h•v• • tine or 1weetshlrt1 •nd WINTER 1987·88 kids T-Shirts I -... =.::::.~.,........ ~- ......c... .. I:.""" .• ,.l.110414t6 a.l "'- ccaoca_,,,,.,_u1o111111•---· '--==~=---1 . IUUl_.-111 Village Hands or llandm:ide Objects Beaut) rrom :ill O\er the world! •ptciatWoi: in ile.m~ rrom llotp:il &Tibtl Open Dail,> 11:00am-6pm 43 Broadway Ashcvllle, NC (704) 252-4336 Located across from Stone Soup KATUAH - page 29 �vf€BW0Rl51t§ APPROPRIATE PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN, blucprinLS and foll working drawings for homes, shop$, and sheds. Creauvc dnlftina - your idc:is or ours. Harmony Sunbuildcrs; P.O. Box 194; Sugar Grove. NC 28697 NC FARMERS can gel 75~ reimbursement for conservation m11113gement practices from NC Soil and Water Conservation Comm. Cropland conversion, tcmices, gm.•>s«I waterways, and other erosion prevention measures. ConUICt locnl Soil and Water Conservation District officci.. STARSPAN ASTROLOGICAL PROFILES: Relationships, lire chart, forccasL~. Charts and profc«101Ul taped readings also available. P.O. Box 10413; Raleigh, NC 2760S GUATEMALAN REFUGEE SEED FUND: help refugees in southern Mexico maintain lhcir culture and d1i;nity by shirring a variety of •-egct:1blc o;eeds directly to farmers. Write to: 2292 Grant Si.. Vancou,cr, BC, Can.:id.1 VSL2Z7 EUSTACE CONWAY· Guule and Teacher of pnmitive Emh Sl1lls with cmphasi~ on fire building, hide tanning, shelter, and foraging. He ieachcs at public school~. parks, cnvll'Onmcma.I centers, and classes of all lands. For mocc information CODl.1Cl him at: 602 Deerwood Drive, <i~ 1'Ci280S4 u call Allcm Stanley al (704) 1918 SIMPLE LIFESTYLES CALENDAR • Photos of "Cnf1SpCOplc or Appabchia" by Wam:n Brunner and suggcs11ons for simple h"mg for each day. S6.00 from App:ilachia-Scicncc m lhc Public lnlCrcSl; RL S, Box 423: LivingslOll, KY 4044S. All prOCCCds bcnc!il lhc WOf'k or ASPI, a llOll·(llO!il corpomuon. ROSE AROMATICS - csscntilll oils have been healing body, mind, spirit, since ancient Egypl. A most pleasant therapy! Dabney Rose; Rt. 3. Bo~ 286-A; Candler, NC 2871 S CHEROKEE INDIAN LANGUAGE clnsscs. For info, write Robcn Bushyhcad; P.O. Bo~ 70S: Cherokee, NC 2871 ROCKTN' WITH BILLY B • Do lhc DO!lct of I~ Dragonfly or the Roel 'n Roll of PhotoS>nlMsis in lhe "Music and lhc Natural World" work•hop. Avnilablc for bookings for schools or local groups, fan. 29-Feb. 4, 19gg, Great mouvalicin for kids! Call Ken Voorhis (615) 448-6709. FUTOl'S by Simple Pleasures • afford:ihly priced. Send SASE for info ID: Simple Pica.sum;; Rt. I , Al TERNATIVE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL· At Arthur Morg:in School 24 students and 14 staff lcnm 1ogether by living in community. Curriculum includes crcnl.ivc ocndcmic:s, group dccision-maling, a work program, scrncc projccis. extensive neld uips, challenging outdoor experiences. Wri1e: 1901 Hannah Branch Rd.; Burnsville. NC 28714 (704) 675-4262 CUSTOM CELTIC HARPS • A'Colltl Bason: Tra"ianna Farm: RL 1: Cbcck, VA 240n. DRUMS • CllSIOID bandaafi.ed ceramic dumbc:cks &. wooden medicine drums. Call Joe Robcns at (704) 258-1038 or write to: 738 Town Mountain Rd.: Asheville, NC 28804. Box 1426; CbylOll, GA 30S2S (~) 782-3920 A\tERICAN l!'.'DIANS of 1/16 blood. any tnbc, accepted as mcmbcn of the Soulhc:lstcrn Cherokee Confcdcro<:y. For application, wore: Chief Wilham "Ratll<:.'>nakC" facl:son: RL I, BOJt 111: Leesburg, QA 31763 sn-79n graphic lilt to express and enhance our hvcs. l..ogos, brochures, boou, porua1ture, window and wall hangings. ConLict Manlui Tree (704) 7S4-<i097. ASHEVILLE I BUNCOMBE COUJl<'TY SOLID WASTE ALTERNATIVES PLANNING WORKBOOK: A design for handling sohd w:ll>lCS tn nny urban context. SIS from Long Branch Env1ronmcn111I Education Center. Rt. 2. Box 132; Leicester, NC 28748. BARTERING NETWORK forming. Call Peter al (704) 926-6250 for 1nformooon. Am&.· stone.~ from folk uuditions till around the M. TREE DESIGNS· lllustrauons and Design • Beyond the p:igcs or lhi~ JQum:il, I work. in pencil, colored pencil, inl, cul paper, :ind b31.ik. Fine and AND THE EARTH UVED HAPPILY EVER world chosen lo help protccl all living beings by bringing the world society a few steps clo,cr to pc:icc and respect for all life. Edited by Floating Eagle Fca1her. S7.00 ppd. (All profiis go to Greenpeace and the Peace Museum). Order from : Wages of Peace: 309 Trudeau Dr.; Mellirc, LA 70003 DA YSTAR ASTROLOGICAL SERVICE· natal, transit, companson chans. Very accurate. Only S3.00 each. Chris and Will B11.wn: R1. 2, Box 217; Qie(:k, VA 24072 (703) 6Sl-3492 STIL-LIGHT THEOSOPHICAL RETREAT CENTER - • qu1c1 space for personal mcd1uuon, group interaction through study and communuy work. 8lld spirit.u.11 semi run. Conlatl Leon Fr.llllr.cl; RL I, Box 326: Wayncsv1Uc, 1':C 28786 CRAFTSPEOPl.l'i • send pncc l1rungs 10 Ci/t~d /lands of NC, 331 Bl.lie S1; Raleigh, l"C 27601 (Att'n: Bern Orey Owl) • unique shop prucnling 35-40 crahcrs' works in R.ilc1gh"s C11y M.utcL All a:lfl~ coosidcrcd. FLOWER ESSENCES • H.vmony v.alh Na1ure &. Sp1ri1. Ocnllc cmOOC>llal ~ppon during lrnll~itions, specific: hsucs, rcla11onship~. Opens communication~ Sclr·OdJUSling, non · lox1c, awareness "U>Oh" for 1mprovmg lhc inner quality. Correspondence 10: F.b1nc Geougc, c/o PDtchwork Castle, Cclo, 3931 llWY 80 So.• Bum!IY1llc, NC 28714 MASSAGE/BODYWORK THERAPIST 1mcrcsicd m c~changmg trcatmcnL• for other 1CtYICCS/produc1S. Call Peter 11 (704) 926-6250. KATUAll - page 30 MEDITATION CUSHIONS from Carolina Morning Designs. Traditional and inflatable .c.afus. For free brochure, write: RL I, Box 31-B: Hot Spnni;s. NC 28743 (I? GRAFICKS • I u~ lhe media of rcncols, colored pencils, gouachc, pen and mk, aaJ pltolognlphy in creating unique !inc and gralicl art. I can make diagrams, logos, finished pnnLS, and dc$igns for brochures, calendarJ, Cllrds, books. cte.. Mandalas and symbol> arc my tendency among other styles. Concact Rob Messick (704) 754-6097. THE APPALACHIAN HERB NEWSLEIJ'ER: exploring lhc potcniial for herbs as ca'h crops 1n Appalachfo. Subscriptions S 12/yr.. Wruc: Appal3cbjnn Herb Ncwslcucr - ASPI; Rt . S, Box 423; Livingston, KY 4044S MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS herbal salves, tinctures, & oils for b1nh1ng &. family hc3llh. For brochure. please wri1e: Moon Dance Fnrm; Rt I, Box 726; Hampton, TN 37658 SAMADHJ FLOAT TANK for sale. Spcalcers and pump. Foe back pain, medaation, relaxation.. Sl2.SO (nc:goci:lble). Call (704) 68'.l-1103. CAROLINA MTN. MACROBIOTIC CENTER ortcn natural foods cooking classes, diewy counselling, cducauonal lccUJn:~ ror a healthier life. Torn or Debbie Alhos. Call (704) 254-%06. WEB WORKING l~ free. Send submissions to: KaJ.ua.h P.O. Box 63g LciCCSICr, NC Kaliiab Province 28748 WINTER 1987 -88 �Mtdfcfn,.. Alllts Kil.IiJJJh wants to communlcace your tho11ghcs and feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send chem to us as letters, poems. stories. drawings, or photographs. Please send your conrribiuions to us at: K1lnJIJ.h,· Box 638; uicester, NC; Karuah Province 28748. There has betn a profusion of topics proposed for articles for the spring issue. Send in ':iJ1W ideas! January 16 is tire submissions deadline/or Issue 19. BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH AVAILABLE ISSUE TWO · WINTER t983-84 Yon.ah. Be.- Hunlal Pigeon River . AnOlher Way Wilh Animals • Alma • Bccomln1 ful I rolor T-s61rts ISSUE TEN· WINTER 198.S-86 Kile Rosen • C1tclcs or Stone • lruc.mal Mylhmakin1 • Holistic He&lm1 on Trial • Poans: SICYe Knal>lll • M y1hic Pbces • The Uktena'• Tale • Crysral Maalc • "Dlelnwpealana" Politie&lly Effective - Mounlaln Woodllllds K&lah l.1nder lhc Drill Spiritual Wrnwm ISSUE THREE· SPRINO 1984 SUJl.wble Asnculnn. sunnowen • Human. lmpacl on lhe Forui • Childrau' Ed11ea1ion Veronica Nlo:holu:Woman in Politic. • Ullle People· Medicine Alliea ISSUE ELEVEN· SPRINO 1986 Community Planrun1 • Citiu and Iha BicnaionaJ Vision • Recyelill& • Community Glldcn&na· Floyd Col.ay. VA · Ouobol • Two BiorePonaJ VMwl • Nudec Supplemau Fo11"1tt Oamu. Oood Medicine; Visions ln the traditional Cherokee Indian belief, the creatures in the world today arc only diminuitive fonns of the mythic beings who once inhabited the world. but who now reside in Galuna'ti, the spirit world, the highest heaven. But a few of the original powers broke through the spiritual barrier and exist yet in the world as we know it. These beings are called with reverence "grandfathers". And of them, the strongest are Kanati, the lightning, the power of the sky; Utsa'nati, the raulcsnakc, who personifies the power of the earth plane; and Yunwi Usdi, "the littJc man", as ginseng is called in the sacred ceremonies, who draws up power from the underworld. Each is the strongest power in irs own domain. Together they are allies: their energies compliment each other to form an even greater power. As medicine allies, they represent the healing powers of the Appalachian Mountains. The medicine powers of Karuah have been depicted in a srriking T-shin design by Ibby Kenna. Printed in 5-color silkscreen by Ridgerunncr Naturals on top quality, all-cotton shirts, they arc available now in nil adult sii.cs from the Kan!:ID journal. "To show respect for this supernatural trinity of the natural world is to in turn become an ally in the continuing process of maintaining harmony and txililnce here in the mountains of Karuah." To order, use the form below. ISSUE FOUR ·SUMMER 1984 Wauz Orum • WIU# ~ • Kudzu • Solw Eclipse • Cturcuuma • TJ'OUI • Ooin& ., Wala R11n Pimps • Micl'oll)'dro • Poems: Bennie Lee Sinclair. Jlm Woync Miller ISSUE EJGKT - SUMMER 1985 Cclebn11on: A Way or Life· Ka1u.ih 18.000 Yeat11 Ago Sacred S11es • Folk Atu in lhc Schools • Sun Cycle/Moon C)lolo • Poems: Hilda Downer Chtrok.ec Hcnlige C.-nu:r • Who Owns Appalshui? ISSUE NINE· FALL 1985 The Waldce Foru1 • The Trees Speak • Migra11.n& Fore.ts • Horse Louin& • Startma a Tree Crop • Urbln Trea • Acom Bread - Mylh lune Address Enclosed is $ to give this ejfort 011 extra boost WINTER 1987-88 Phone Number ISSUE FIFTEEN • Spring 1987 Coverlets . Woman Forester • Susie McMahan Midwife Ah.emaltvo Contraception • 81osuuali1y · Biorcaionalism and Women • Good Medicine: M.in.tcharial Culan ·fad ...,....... ISSUE SIXTEEN· Summer 1987 Helen Waite · Poem: Visiona in a Garden • Vision Qucsl • Fant Plow lnitiaLion • Leamin& in lhe Wildcrneu · Cherokee Ollllcnge • ·va1uin1 Tn:cs· ,~---- ISSUE SEVENTEEN - Fall 19117 Glady • Bear Su.y • M1chad PellOn • Boan Good Medic-inc: •findina Albcs• • Bcai Hun1.1n1 • Champion • "8C&I"." Poem • Grecns "Old Oaluics:" Poem. ·uuering" Back Issues Issue # .@ $2.00 = S_ _ Issue # @ $2.00 = Issue#_@ $2.00 = S_ _ Issue# .@ $2.00 = S_ _ Issue # _ _@ $2.00 = S_ _ Complete Set (2-11, 13-17) @ s20.oo =s__ T-Shins: specify quantity color tan s__ S_ _ M_ _ L_ _ XL_ _ Zip I can be a local contact person for my area Arca Code Siovcmake(s NanaU..e • Good Med1"1ne: lnlalpecies Commurucauon Regular Membership........ SlO/yr. Sponsor.........................$20/yr. Contributor.....................$50/yr. State ISSUE FOURTEEN· Winsa 1986.87 Uoyd Carl Owle · Booaen and Mummas - AU Spcciu Day • Cabin Fever Univeniry • Hamel- in Kan.ah • Homemad& Hot Wall:l ISSUE SEVEN · SPRING 1985 Sustainable Economics • Hot Spnnp • Worker Ownership • The Creal Economy · Self tlolp Credit Union . Wild Turkey • Re1ponsible lnvcstul& • Wcn1Un1 m the Web or Ufe For more info: call Mamie Muller (704) 683-1414 City s,.._ ISSUE SIX • WINTl!R 1984-85 Winsa Sohlicc l!&ttl> Caemony • Hancpun.n River • Comins or lhe UgJu • Loa c.btn Rooca • Mounwn Ap;culnne: The Rill>' Crop • W-llliam TayI«· The FD!ln or lhe l'oml J(AilJAH: Bjoregional Journal oflhc Southern Appalachians Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kauiah Province 28748 Name ISSUE THIRTEEN · Pall 1986 Cenler FOT Awahnin& ·Elizabeth Callari· A Gentle Dealll • Hospice • Eme.1 Morgan • Dcalin& Crarively wilh Death • Home Bmial: 801 • The Wake • The Raven Mocker • Woodllorc ud Wild"'OOC!a Wisdom • Good MDC!iciroo: The Lod&e ISSUE FIVE· FAU. 1984 HltVest • Old Waya in Cherokee • Oinscn1 • Nuclear Wuie • Our Cd11c Hcritaae • Biore&ianahsm; Pu1, Present. md Fulllre • John WilllOIY • Hui.in& ~ • Pohta or Participalion @ $9.50 each........... .$_ _ TOTAL PRICE= postage paid $_ _ KATUAH-page 31 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, Issue 18, Winter 1987-1988 Description An account of the resource The eighteenth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on vernacular shelter: log, frame, stone, yurts, earth-shelters, and membrane houses. Authors and artists in this issue include: Sam Gray, Adam Cohen, Greg Olson, Marnie Muller, Scott Bird, Rob Messick, Snow Bear, Rita Sims Quillen, Julia Nunnally Duncan, Michael Hockaday, Rob Messick, Martha Tree, Barbara Kirby, Colleen Redman, Bern Grey Owl, Douglas A. Rossman, David Wheeler, and Christina Morrison. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987-1988 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. Protecting the Dreamer: Vernacular Values in Architecture by Sam Gray.......3 Dreams in Wood and Stone: Building Your Own Home by Adam Cohen.......5 A Mountain Home by Greg Olson.......8 Homemade Houses in Katúah: A Photo Feature.......9 Listening to Earth Energies by Marni Muller.......10 Earth-Sheltered Living by Scott Bird.......11 Membrane Houses by Rob Messick.......13 The Brush Shelter by Snow Bear.......14 Resource List: On Building and Design.......15 Solar Composting Toilet.......15 October Dusk: Poems by Rita Sims Quillen | Review by Julia Nunnally Duncan.......16 Good Medicine: "On Shelter".......7 The Future of the Black Bear: Conference Report.......19 Natural World News: Caldwell County Incinerator | Smokies Wilderness Bill | Poachers Caught | MRS in Congress | Forest Service Plan Appeal | Duke's Coley Creek Project | Asheville Recycling Center.......20 A Children's Page.......23 Drumming: Letters to Katúah.......24 "A Bourn of Buds": A Poem by Michael Hockaday.......7 Webworking.......30 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Sylva Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North Carolina Subject The topic of the resource Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern Owner-built houses--Appalachian Region, Southern Dwellings--Energy conservation Vernacular architecture--Appalachian Region, Southern Cherokee Indians--Dwellings High-efficiency toilets Geomancy North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Black Bears Book Reviews Cherokees Children's Page Earth Energies Electric Power Companies Forest Issues Good Medicine Habitat Hazardous Chemicals Katúah Katúah Organization Poems Radioactive Waste Reading Resources Recycling Shelter Turtle Island Western North Carolina Alliance Wilderness Women's Issues https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/2f5c7a65526cf67e7320e0c5525d2492.pdf a25df4140491bff73a4b9d4c92436ab2 PDF Text Text ISSUE 23 SPRING 1989 $1.50 BIOREGIONAL JOURNAL OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS �~LJAHjOURNAL Postage Paid Bulk Mail Permit #18 Leicester, NC 28748 P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED �THE PISGAH VILLAGE: A Window into Ancient Ways ..~..-··-·-···-"·-·- ··..·-----··-··-..··-......~.. ...... ·' - ....... - -......· -.. Pisgah Village: A Window into Ancient Ways ..............! by Kim Sandland Planet Art in Katuah............................. 5 by Denise Newbourne The Green City as Thriving City.........8 by David Morris Poplar AppeaJ .................................... l 0 lJy Doug Elliott Written and Illustrated by Kim Sandland Clear Sky: A Composite Portrait... .... 13 by James Rhea "A New Earth" ................................... 14 by Jerry Trivette College as Community Resource .......16 by C.B. Squire Wild l ovely Days ............................... 18 Poems by Elizabeth Griffin Photographs by Gil Leebrick Natural World News..........................20 Reviews: Sacred Latu/ Sacred Se.x Rapuue of the Deep .....................23 Stopping the Coming Ice Age ............25 Drumming: Leuers to Kafllah ...........26 ''Sudden Tendrils" .............................28 a poem by Michael Hockaday Events Calendar................................32 Webworking .....................................34 On a low rise above the Catawba River there was a village .....Once, long ago, the village flourished ..... Flanked by magnificent forests, with mountains rising abruptly on the western side, it stood on floodplain soils, with fields and gardens enriched by seasonal deposits of sih..... lt has long since been abandoned. and now it lies underground, a ghost town enslirouded in the mystery of its demise.....Remains of posts in 1he ground delineate where homes once stood. cold heanhs contain fragments of roasted nuts and seeds and the bones of deer and small game animals.....Picces of hand-formed and decorated clay ea.nhenware. tempered with the sands of village paths, litter old floors .....When one stands in what was probably once the cemcr of the village, there is a pervasive aura of kindred association and the lingering question of why was this village abandoned by its rcsidcnls 600 years ago..... The old town has been named the Pisgah Village by mhaeologists presently excavating the Cn1awbn River site. Ken Robinson of Warren Wilson College and his field workers are only now uncovering the village, and it will be some time before a thorough picture of its rcs1den1s' wiy of life is pieced together. Excavation hns already taken months of work, and the project will continue through October of 1989. Laboratory study of the artifacts recovered from the site, photography. drawing, mapwork, and comparisons with other sites will take much longer. NOTE. The exact locOUO!t of the "Pisgah VI/Inge" article 10 protect tlit #le fro111 po.r3iblt di!.turlJanus before ucawJlion rs c:ompltttd. is 1101 11l•tlf 111 thU Archaeology allows us to reconstruct the lifeways of chose who lived here before us. II allows us to determine the distribution, availability, and use of natural resources by peoples of 1he past; climatic conditions; cultural, behavioral, and spiritual traditions and their material representations. Archaeological fieldwork can also tell us when - and possibly even why • such cultures dlsappeared. The Pisgah Village is one of thirty promising sites that were identified in McDowell County. North Carolina. Three of the sites were tested for future study, but this is the only one currently under inrcnsive study. The site is interesting. says Robinson, because of its location at the edge of the mountains on the boundary between 1 very differe nt wo geographical situations. This was not typical of late prehistoric settlements. The Pisgah village presents lhe first opportunity for study of what is possibly a definitive boundary between the ancestors of the Cherokee and the ances1ors of the Catawba peoples. whose culrurcs were evidently very differenL Anifac1s so far recovered indicate two occupations of I.he village sire - the first from about 500-1000 AD, the second from about 900·1500 AD. The focus of the current research is on the later occupation, says Robinson. He hopes to shed some light on why the Pisgah Village site was ab3ndoned. Widespread disruption of narive settlements throughout the Southeast occurred around 1450· l 550, and the dissipation of such (oonunucd on p:ige 3 �~LJAHjOURNAL ·- EDITORl AL STAFF THIS ISSUE: Will Ashe Bason Michael Red Fox Richard Lowenthal Rob Messick Christina Morrison Marnie Muller Kim Sandland David Wheeler EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE: Scou Bird Manha Tree Jack Otaney John Creech Jay Joyce Marsha Ring Patrick Clark Chip Smith COVER by Rob Messick INVOCATION - a poem, •world.~ by Elizabeth Griffin PUBLISHED BY: Kauiah Journal PRINTED BY: The Waynesville Mow11ainecr Press WRITE US AT: Kail1ah Journal Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 !ELF.PHONE: (704)683-1414 D1vcrsi1y is an 1mport:tn1 elemcm of bioregional ecology, both nawrol and social. Tn line wath Iha~ principle, lhe KaJ1'ah Journal uics 10 ~e as a forum for the discussion ot regional Issues. Signed arucles e~rcss only lhe op111ion of the aulbors and arc not necesSill'il)' Ille opanions of the Karliah Jounw/ tduors or stnff. The lmcmal Revenue Servtce bas declared Kat11ah a non·pront organiza1ion under seer.ion SQl(cXJ) or Ille ln1cmnl Revenue Code. All conuibwions lO Katiiah are deductible from person.al income tl.it. tNVOC.ATWN the vJorld is as W9- are TH£ SOtll'HERN APPALACHtAN BJORECJON AND MAJOR EASTERN RJVER SYSTEMS STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Herc m lhe souLhcm-most hcattlund of Lhc App:ilnchian mounuins, 1he oldest mounlllan range on our continetll, Turtle lslnnd; a small bu1 growing group h:is begun IO mke on a sense of responsibilhy for Ille implicau(ln.~ of lhl11 gcogr.tphicnl nnd culturol heritngc. This sense of responsib1li1y c:cnu:rs on lhe conccp1 of hvmg w11hin the ruuural ~ and bal3nce of universal sysiems Md pnllClJllcs. Wilhan dus circle we began by invoking Lhc Cherokee mime • K;u.Ualt' a.~ lhe old/new name for this nrca of the mouniains and for ii.s joU!Tllll as well The province is indicated by •L~ naUDUI boundarie$! the Ro:inokc Ri~cr Valley 10 the nonh; the foollulls of the piedmont area IO the cast: Yona Mount.am nnd lhc Georgia halls lO lhc :>0u1h: and the Tennessee Raver Valley to the west. TI1~ editorial pnootieli ror u:; arc t0 c:o!Ject and disseminate mfonnar.ion Md energy which pcrL'llllS specifically LO lllls region, nnd IO ro.u:r IJ1e awareness 1h:u 1hc land i~ a hvmg be.mg de$CMng of our love and rcspeeL Livmg in this manner is a way IO ansuro the su.~n:ibility of the bao.~phcrc and a la.rung placc for ourselves m 11.S continuing cvolutlonary process. We seem IO h3ve readied Ille fulcrum Point of a• do or die • si111t1tion m t.cnrn; of a quality standard of life for all living beings on !his planeL A~ a voice for lhc can:lakcrs or llus saarcd land. Kaniah. we advoc:uie a c:enlefed approach 10 Ilic cooccp1 of dccenlnlli1..otion. II is our hope 1 become a support sysicm for those acocpong lhe .0 challenge of SUStninabilhy and lhe creation of harmony and balance an a total sense, here an this place. We welcome all correspondence, critlcism, perunen1 infonnation, articles, an work, etc. with hopes th31 K.a.tWib will grow ID serve lhe best in1eres1S of lhis region and all us li11'11lg, breathing members. -The EdilOrS let us desire only that consciousness ,r Of life in which the cosmic will and the will to be are.,one Some of lhe K01iiah JourfllJ] Staff: (le1i IO right) Foreeround: Andy Ha!I-Bak.cr Middlr: David Wheeler, Mamie Muller, Rob Messick Standing: Will A.She Bason. Christina Morrison. Chip Smith, Rithiud Lowenlh3l. Lisa Franklin Sprt"'J, 1989 �(continued from page J) well-developed, thriving cultures has never been fully understood. Robinson feels lhat CJCcavauon of the Pisgah Village may lend some support 10 the theory that early Spanish explorers had a devastating effect on native aboriginal peoples. lt has long been surmised that Spa.nish explorers, led by Hernando De Soto and Juan Pardo among others, came up from the east and Gulf coasts through South Carolina and then inlMd to the Little Tennessee River. The routes of these explorers have lately been re-evaluated, however, and much evidence now indicates that they came along the eastern edge of the mountains ~ perhaps even as far east as the Catawba River. Some of the ac!ual records from the DeSoto and l>ardo expcdhions contain references to what are now believed to be villages in McDowell County. a hand in decimating these large animal populations. The burgeoning human population. unchecked by disease and nunurcd by abundance, reached a saturation point. The time from about 8,000 BC to I AD is called the Archaic Period. when human living took on a very different approach. In the woodlands the Archaic peoples hunted small game - primarily deer - fished. and collected plant foods. They were only seasonally nomadic, capitalizing on the migrations of animals, the spawning of fish, the maturing of nuts, and the flush of ripening benics. The people of the Archaic Period were efficient enough in their hunting and gathering that the search for food did not take up all of their time; they also pursued other endeavors. They made basketS and mats which have been found preserved in sites in the dry Southwest desen. They made hand-polished stone articles - some done very anistically, others left undecorated fo~ utilitarian use. Graves from the Archaic Period contain tools, weapons, red ochre (a pigment associated with ceremonies), beads, pendants, and dogs - all mcticulo_usly placed to accompany the dead into an aflcrhfe. Their stone hunting points were made with stems to be attached to sbaftS, an innovation from the time of lhc Palco-Indians. The earliest evidences of human occupation in the Southern Appalachian Mountains date from the Archaic Period. They consist of isolated find.~ of a distinct type of projectile point used for hunting - the Morrow Mountain type - dated to 4500 BC. The Woodland Period The Woodland Period of human habirotion The Spanish brought conflict and murder along wi1h their pack trains. They also brought Q.iseases - smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, and influenza - the likes of which the native population had not experienced on this continent. The Spanish, according to their own writings, burned villages, kidnapped and enslaved natives, abused the native cullure, and spread their imponed diseases. They formed trade alliances with some of the native tribes and introduced European materials. The full extent of the cultural and social disruption caused by the introduction of these trade goods is only now being realized. Robinson hopes that study of the Pisgah Village site will provide new links in the chain of undenaanding. extended from about I AD to 1600 AD. Three primary developmentS marked the transition from the Archaic to the Woodland cuhural iypes: · the development of pottery for cooking, storing, and transporting food and other items: - the cultivation of vegetable crops to supplement hunting and gathering: - and the first pcnnanent settlements. People of the Woodland phase settled in river valleys, where seed-bearing plants thrive. and became almost sedentary. cultivating native grains and then com. gourds, and squash as these crops were passed nonh from Mexico. Projectile poinis became smaller and more finely crafted. The bow and arrow replaced the spear and the dan. Woodland peoples traded across long distances. Mica from the Southern Appalachians and shells and fossilized shark's teeth from the coastal areas appear in archaeological sites throughout the southeast Burial practices continued the tradition of placing grave goods to accompany the dead. Some individuals were bwied in elaborate earth mounds, indicating some status or rank among their feUow villagers. Some of the Woodland Period peoples built tremendous carthworlcs for purposes that are still unclear to archeo-historians. They show a remarkable diversity, some being mathematically executed, others shaped like serpents. birds, and other figures. The full extent of some of these landscape sculptures was fully realiz.cd only after observers could fly above them. In some pans of the Southeast during the Woodland Period, clements of what is called "Mississippian culture" appeared. Mississippian culture was characterized by temple mounds (eanhworks which were the foundation for ceremonial centers). village) fortifLed with encircling palisades of stakes. copper tools and jewelry, and inrncruely designed ceremonial an. The v.intings of early European explorers of the 15th century describe palisaded towns with an ehtborate soctal development and material culture. (continued on JXl8C 4) The First People During the last lee Age a land bridge JOined Asia and Nonh America acrosi. chc Berin~ Strait. Many scientist:. believe that prehistoric people followed the large game animals into the new continent by this rou!e, and by the year 10,000 BC the first humans were well-established in both Nonh and South America. These Palco-Indian people. as they arc called. were nomadic hunters. They had no settlements, and the only evidences of their culture that have been round arc hunting weapons (stone spear points and darts), chipped stone knives, choppers and scrapers used for processing game meat and cutting wood, and animal bones thnt are evidence of their big game kills. By 8,000 BC the glaciers had retreated, and the climate became wanner. Many of the big game animals - species of horse. camel. rhinoceros, and bison not seen today. the great ground sloths and the woolly mammoth - became extinct on this continent Some scientists believe that humans had Spr~"'J. 1989 Ken Rotmisnn and visiring school class t!t.Omi1U! parrially ew1WJ1ed grid .fllUl1re OJ PiSgaJ1 Vi/Inge. Pho•o by Morme1 Mulltf �(col\Ullucd from p:ige 3) In the Southern Appalachians, lhis Mississippian tradition, borrowed from cuhural influences 10 the west is called "the Pisgah tradition" by arch~eologists. Peoples of the Pisgah tradition were the direct ancestors of the Cherokee. The Pisgah tradition of lhe late Woodland Period with its Mississippian influences, marks the pi~nacle of the cultural evolution of native peoples in the Southern Appalachians. Although some cultural traditions persisted until the rime of the Cherokee Removal, the native way of life was altered forever with the arrival or white explorers and seulers. Pottery fragments, called sherds, cons~ilute the majority of anifacts from the Warren Wilso11 excavations. Pottery vessels were fashioned from coils of clay, shaped and rounded. Some of the containers hnd handles or thickened runs and were tempered with sand before firing for extra s1rCng1h. Some were plain and undecorated, while others bore complica1cd panerns created by stamping the unfired vessels with carved wooden paddles. Cords or nets were also used lO l~ve fiber impressions in the wet clay, and des1~ns were also incised with small, sharp. marking tools. Plnin and decorated clay tobacco pipes have also been recovered, as well as small s1one and clay discs. believed to be counters or gamepieces. Also found were clay and soapstone beads and polished stone gorgeis. A hole was drilled into each of the ornaments so that it might be worn around the neck. The Pisgah rradition was a way of life which allowed individualized expression of talent and beliefs. During this phase livelihood was secure enough to allow time for artistic embellishment of functional tools. Carved soapstone bowls were made in sizes to hold from Relics AJong the Swannanoa The Pisgah tradition is best represented by archaeological discoveries made on the campus of Warren Wilson C-0llegc in Swannanoa in Kan'.iah. Artifacts found there preview what might be uncovered at the Pisgah Village site along the Catawba. The Warren Wilson site snw four penods of habitat ion by native peoples. The earliest occupation daies back nearly to the beginning of !he Archaic Period, The snc has been disturbed by erosion, dig~ing. and more recently by plowing. Disturbed sues are more dlfficull to interpret, because artifacts are misplaced, and feature.~ such as building foundations, heanhs and r::rosh pits are scauered. Despilc such disturbances, archaeologists have learned a great deal from the Warren Wilson site. No anifacts later than the Pisgah phase have been. recovered ~1 Warren Wilson. Its residents vanished someume 1n the mid- l600's and never returned. two quaris to 1wo gallons of liquid. Polished stone axes were found, some grooved to be anached to shafts, others designed to be hand-held. The excavation yielded monars and pestles of stone for grinding seeds, nuts, and drie(benies. and caches of red and yellow ochre and graphite used for paint pigments. The villagers who occupied the Warren Wilson site lived in rectangular dwellings. Over the years. the sunken posts rotted and left dark circular Stains in lhe earth, like perfect shadows. ghoslly visions of the past. The walls were Likely made of waule-and-daub, a mixture of clay and grasses. Mose of the dwellings were not within the village itself, but in outlying farmsteads. In lhe center of each house was a raised clay fire basin for warmth and cooking. The heanhs and the storage vessels buried nearby contained evidence of the foods these early people utilii.ed, among them hickory nuts, waJnucs, buuemuts, acorns, persimmons, maypops, grapes, bl~ck cherries. and chesmuts. There were also remains of com, squash, beans, and sumpweed, all of which were cultivated. Trash pits contained the bones of 30 species of animals, including bear, deer, bobcat, weasel, mountain lion, squirrels. turtles, snakes, frogs, and turkeys. From the distribution of foods, it is sunnised that the Pisgah (conbJlued oo page 24) EXCAVATION OF A PREHISTORIC SITE An archneological cxcavarion site is chosen because of the discovery of surface artifacts. because of a promising location that looks likely to yield evidence of occupation, or because th.e area is threatened by development or by destruction by vandals. Fieldwork begins with a surface collection of artifacts. Surface finds are ploued on a detailed map of the site, because their distribution may in itself reveal important information. The plow zone is scraped away and sifted through mesh screen 10 separate out any artifacts. Below the plow zone may lie a surface undisturbed by the activities of lauer-day humans. A grid of stakes and Jines is then laid out over the site, usually in a true nonh-south alignment, to correspond with grid l~nes mark~d on a site map. The area of each gnd square 1s usually one square meter. Soil samples may be taken with augers to determine distinct strata and/or the presence of hidden constructions or features (visible item which cannot be removed from the site and taken to the laboratory, such as house floors. burials, cooking fire pits, etc.). Selected grid squares may be excavated at random if the site is large. Small sites may be excavated entirely. Test excavations help 10 determine where to concentrate digging e!Tons. As the squares are excavated, the wall of each square 1s left intaCt m display lhe stratigraphy (visible layering) of the soil. Small layers, and sometimes whole strata, of soiJ are removed using shovels or trowels, and the exposed surface is levelled. M~terial from each level is sifted and soned. The an1facts recovered are bagged, labelled with their exact location in the soil stratigraphy. Soil samples are taken from each stratum 10 be examined in the laboratory. for even mJcroscop1c elements in the soil {such as pollen grains) may reveal information about the nora of the area and the climate (such 11s periods of drought and rainfall). Each exposed surface level is mapped and photographed, and details arc recorded in field notebooks. Features arc very carefully u~covcred ~s they appear in the strata. To d1~turb lh_e1r placement would be 10 destroy the rnformauon they contain. Small dental picks, 1ooth~:ushes, and even fine paintbrushes may be uuhzed to remove the soil from artifacL~ and features. Laboratory analysis of the artifacts. notes, maps, drawings. and photographs may take months, possibly years, of additional work once the fieldwork is completed. . Artifacts and features from each gnd and srratum and their relationships to the other finds through~ut the site, will reveal the lifeways of the people who once lived there - their t<?Ols,_ trades, rituals, subsjstence. An archaeologist literally delves into the relationship that ancient peoples maintained with the world around them. Archaeological fieldwork reveals details .of th~t relationship. It may te~ how lo~g lhat ~elauonship was sustained, and Dllgh1 possibly potnl to clues as to why it came to an end ;st:t' Sprtng, J!189 • �Art by Denise Newboume Dream f rQl}ment . •• Slt.e fell oslup that mghl and as she dre<uttM her spirit was luult'd through the long spiral tunnel and inII) till! scars. M1uri-dimtJtSional ribbons with Jhimmering citcu.ils drifted past aJ incompreJumsiblt spuds Slie realized she was in 1/ie center of the 1rwi.rplanetary in~rface, a place similar to a radio sroJibn w/ll!re lJfU! can nW'. into past <JNlfimue choices and possibilities for any piaMt, and/inc tune w tlic path ofgre01esr harmony. "Hmmm," she wondered, .,what can that p01h possibly be for the eartlrr Finding ow ~·as as simple as speaking the roMS that most corresponded with Earth's vihrationaljreqrumcy ar tlie prese111 tu~. No soonu had llll! said "John Wayne" than she fo1uld lu:rself in a lwlogram oftill! Earth. Her SU&Sitivc a.11ral rectpum M-Ve overw/11:/med a1fv.~t with an almost 1111/Jearablt colkaion of hurrlingferocities, terrified srreaming, and lrnpelt!Ss fwiliry. She re111(Ji/led calm, knowing from experience tll/Jl often tire jint reception ofsuch planets was the hardest lmagu of marching soldiers appeared before her, rows ofmen 1n unifonns, who turned on their heels and became long rows of ballerinas, all dressed in the same rum dolng rl~ uact SOllW hops and twirls while myriads of musicians all played variatwns of the SattU'! song. A smal I number of "others" hod them wrapped in strings, wl11ch the>• kept rig/rt, and twisted tfl/!nt this Wtl)' and tllDt, like puppets. Then she noticed thOl'-fand:. of beings sitting i11 tlie darkness.paralyzed The dancers and musicians wen' used to dii-en rheir anention from tll/!ir dl!.rperarely repres.ud condition. Then di/! Sct!nario began to change the people in darkness bt:gan to wake 11p and cw the strings. They swpped allowing tl.e cloned do.nurs and arrisrs to llypnoti:e them and started dancing tlll!mSelvts. Nor imuating any form, they simply followed wh1tre their own bodies led tht!ITI. The "official" artisu also stopptd their/~en.sh reprodJJJ:twnr ofprescribedforms long en1mgh w listen to the songs and dances from wid1itt They all begD11 listen.ing to and performing thdr own unique songs and danus. and helping otlll!rs learn tlll! s~. More and 1111>re strings were cw. and tlle ligliJ gr~ brigluer wilh t!llch ""e's gift of color. until of/ the beings became a mandala ofilrlerw<J\'tn harmony and beawy. Her anelllion tllrMd to a man in a belly dancers silks and veils, doing rhl sinuous, anciefll dance of binh She looked closer and saw it war .. John Wayfll!! "What a nice resolurilln," slie mused to herself. "It doesn't seem so hard looking at ft from oUlhere.·· "'do We are now witnesses to the ultimate dead-end created when reason attempt~ to dominate spirit, men to dominate women, science to dominate an. and "civilized" peoples ro dominate "'n:uive" ones. The5e are all external eumples of a fundamental split and sttuggle within e:ich of us. We have come so far from our primordial heritage of wholeness. that many of us arc at a los:. as to how to regain it We are still StrUggling to learn lhnt our fundamental problem is not any category of people. but the \'Cry existence of ~~teg~es.. 9ur problem ~s nOt science.~ power. not an, not ~pintuahty; n 1s the pcrcepuon of these tlnngs as sepanuc rather than facc1~ of a unified whole. ,\ key clemenr of the 1houglit sys1cm in which we perceive each Other ns lw lhan whole 1s the notion lhat some people arc creative and Olhm arc no1. Thi:. is extremely discmpowcring becllusc the power to cn.:.ltC is a cenrral attribute of divinity in all n:ligions. Thi~ c~tivc now from within provides us with 1he knowledge of our own power. b:iJance, and self-wonh. lf we believe that we do not have this rcgcnenitive power, then we promote scarcity for ourselves and others. So here we all nre amidst terrifying psychological scarcity collectively creaccd by the majority of the population who for one rcawn or another do no:i belie~ they arc creo.rivi- nnd powerful The planet cnn only a1wn the pence thut com~ from wholenes.~ when the beings who comprise it acknowledge •heir own and each others' wonh An. ai. we know 11 today. b a mirror for our plnnewy condiuon. There arc some people who do it. and they are n:vercd :is if they have something others do not. There is a funher dhtinction between "fine" an and "folk" an, with the unplicarion that fine an is somehow nobl~-r and better than folk., because it is non-funclionnl. TIUs 1s the alienating idea that an is only real if it is removed from the daily now oflifc. When a peoplCli: he.1.rlfclt. arti~ cxprcs.sion is_ lo;-t or s~tenurically extingu15.hcd, they begin to feel empty inside and often beccmc caught up in a funle effon to saiisfy themselves with utemal g~. 11us exu:mal grasping often IC3ds lO the phenomenon o! ~ictiveness The fact &tlat ~e !'ow ha~oe whole societie~ c:."pcncnang desperate levels of addlCtlOn :uid_ 1is a11endan1 destruction is a signal that it is ume forchoosmg to heal ourselves. One way we can do this is by tapping our unique expression~ and bl~ing ourselves llild the planet ~;th the creative energy that Oows from our spinL Our culrural definition of an needs to expand from the activiucs or an elite few to that or all people. Jose ArgueUes, in his latest book Surfers ofthe luvuya, provides such a definition: "You've all gott.t undcrsuind th:tt you're artists. Nothing fancy, but anists of life. anists of reality....Anything that's harmoniwl. that's an. This is an imponnn1 point ... since the planet's got to (conunllCld on PQ&ll 6) SJJrin9' 1989 ~ ~~~ - 1'.!'9'1 ~ y �be cleaned up and rehnm1omzed, there isn't any1hmg that isn't Planet An." With this kind of definition. an becomes intrinsic to the flow of life. \Ve are now beginning to realize that a11y expression that comes from our own spirits i'> valid, even if it docs not confom110 formerly prescribed ideas of'' an". To see an as a force for hnrmonizing our world is also to odd a higher di~s1on '?f social respon~i~ility to it. 111~. question "Will this conmbute to harmomzing our plam:t? becomes a standll!"d pan of the creative process, and an irnpon:mt criteria for whether or not 10 mar.ifest nn idea. Also integral 10 a holistic perspective is the understanding that an and science are not separate but are indivisible facets of a life-oriented culture. This understanding would ~1e a much-needed ~1al . . responsibility for everyone m all areas of human producuvny What exactly is Planet An? It is about reclaiming our concept of an to encompass all forms of exchange with our world. An is the language our species has used to communicate with the universe for thousands of years. Primitive an focussed on the intimate relationship of a tribe to it~ particular homeplace and all of its inhabitants. Now our homeplace has become the entire planet and beyond...aod our an has begun to rcllect this reality. Planetary an is a conscious awareness of the whole Life community in which we participate and a strong intent to . hannonize with it. lt is vital to our species' survival that we shift to this more active engagement and interplay with the universe. Jn this way. the many facets of our reality become intimately woven toget.hcr...our own interior world, our human cultural communiry, our planetary life community and the rest of the universe. How does the Harmonic Convergencu fit in with all this? Broadly speaking. the purpose of the Converge.nee wa.s 10 reactivate our ay, an:ness of the earth as a consc1ou~ b<:ang and to pro-.idc a time to rcatlirm our choice to co-create with her. Those who consciously made that cho1ce at that umc are the people Arguelles is now calling the "Eanh Force". By next year, Arguelles feels that this Earth Force will begin to manifest itself as a global and cultural phenomenon. He also feels that all need 10 move in a much more direct, mobilized way. By the second anniversary of Hannonic Convergence, he sees the opponunity for a Rainbow Peace Event. That would signal that the Campaign for the Earth has coalesced and bonded enough in the underground to begin 10 manifest as an alternative force of allied, planetary, non-government organizations moving in concen to take measures int0 our own hands. When I think of "art camps" and the "alternative force of allied, planetary, non-government organizations", the bioregional movement comes to my mind. We are a ready-made resource of diverse people who are awan: of the Earth's aliveness and are choosing to assist with her healing process. Karuah is a very supportive communuy for Planet An, and a strong network is already fom1ing. Here are some examples of Planet An going on inKatuah... Heart Dance Pat Sharkey, who lives in Floyd, Virginia, makes beauoful jewelry from crystals and stones. One lhing she has learned from working with crystals is that our own bodies operate in a similar way ... that is, they can be programmed, and they amplify energy. These conceptS have inspired her to create ways for an and science to become pans of a whole... through sacred dance. "Dance is like a gridwork, a system of conduction," she iold me. "By encompassing tones, using our bodies as conductors by arranging them in specific geometric configurations, employing corresponding herbs and stones, and consciously utilizing the energy gridwork of Icy lines on the planet, we can attune oarselves to move any specific energy through, and use it for healing." This kind of work could be done at key sites alJ over the eanh ...those places that amplify energy as well as those in need of healing. She Stressed the impon.nncc of a disciplined preparation of daily meditation for at least a month before coming together to do sacred dance. "The more preparation, the clearer the channel, the more juice we all reccive...the more we personally understand -something, the more authentically we can put it out to others." One way that planetary art is manifesting is through networking. Jose Arguelles, one of the key figures in the 1987 Harmonic Convergence, helped to found The Planet An Network in 1983. According to Arguelles. it is far too late for anything else save for artists, from all medias, 10 converge and produce inter-media performance rituals and other forms of planet art. He feels that these performance rituals should be simulcast via satellite to as many cities as possible to raise the consciousness of humanity. He sees this as a higher purpose of our extensive system of mass communication. When we are able 10 liberate this media system from the forces of fear and domiruuion we will have an incredible tool for dispersing immediate visions of peace. Astrologer Amero Alli envisions "the emergence of multiple 'art camps' ...clusters of resonant core groups dedicated to varied forms of planet an." Again.. the indicauon is that this an js a grassroots, collective phenomenon. Some of the elements for such activities could be music, dnnce, comedy, drama and sign language, combined with visual an. lighting, costumes. holograms. crystals and audience participation. There is no limit lO the possibilities! Drawing by Sbe.IJ Lodge The example she gave is for a Hean Dance, in which men and women would come together nnd fonn into a Star of David ...men forming one triangle, women the other. Rose quru:ii; would be in the center. Pora month beforehand each pamcipant would have spent time meditating daily on healing between men and women. They would then come together in meditation and symbolic movemenrs. and allow their energies to interact for the purpose of healing. The same concept can be used with any symbol, for any healing purpose, anywhere on the planet. Groups could begin travelling 10 other countries f~ the expres.s purpose of performing sacred dance there to amplify the energies of hannony and healing. "This is a way we can utilize all the systems we've learned - astrology, numerology, the tarot...and combine them in perfonnance through our bodies. High technology has become so overspecialized that no one can see the whole anymo.rc. By using our bodies as holographic componenis we are going back to lhe source of all recbnology...our inner beings." Pat is interested in organizing an Earth Dance gathering, and in exchanging inspiration and info with others interesled in this idea. Her address is P.O. Box 606, Aoyd, Virginia, Kaulah Province 2409 l. SprLf19, 1989 �Orandmottu A planetary art exhibit ... The popular Gmndmothc:r band in Asheville, North Carolina is a group tha1 is already doing visionary planet an. The group is composed of four women who each play several different insD"Uments and sing h:innonics 1ogelhl'r. They arc a visual, muhi-me<lia band. incorporating inro !heir performances creative movement, sign language. masks, costumes. acting and comedy. Their inclusive approach 10 music provides an enthusiastic vision of peace. leaving nudiences with a tremendous feeling of satisfaction. l talked with Deb Criss. one of 1he founding members of Grandmother, on her thoughts about Pl:lnet The People of Lhc One Song UV!NG ART F!Xll/B!T An. Her inspiration for Grund mother crunc to her when she was visiting lhe pyramid sites at Palenque. Mellico. She sa1 for long periods of time in the part of the complex that had been the Mayan's theatre. There :;he had visions of "blending ri1ual art into a music concert with respect to 1he four elemems and a ~ensc of oneness with 1he eanh, using costumes and masks. and finding ways io reach ou1 and dec~se 1he distance be1wecn audience and performers.'' ''The original vision l had was for an intentional way of doing a show, beginning by smudging the area, a group prayer and quie1 rime of positive thought We could then play with 1oncs, color, and lights, blended with modem-day music 10 induce frequencies tha1 unify heart, will, and higher mind. People of1en become uncomfonable when things are quiet, sacred, and serious for 100 long, so comedy is also an important part of our shows." Grandmother is very community orienled ... at one of their shows !his past fall four women joined 1he show for theatre and signing. One of them was an 89-year·old woman from Waynesville, the "honored Grandmother" of the evening. "I feel 1hat i1's important 10 in1cgra1e all ages, so that we all have a fuller understanding of the circle of life," said Criss. Their group is a dynamic process of consensus, and chooses to be open to additional aclS (with prior pl!lnning) being part of the show. "Grandmother is the ancient spiri1 of the winds Lhrough lime that speak through the earth to all people ... if s..meone feels that inner voice speaking through them. it is good 10 claim it and find a way to express ii. We hope 1hat Grandmother is a catalystic agent to inspire others 10 do this." For more information about Grandmother, call Deb Criss at (704) 253-4831. Contact Improvisation Also going on in Asheville is the quie1 revolution of Contact Improvisation, a newly arising dance form. Its emphasis is on releasing individual and group creativity through spontaneous movement rather than following a specific 1echnique or choreography. More than traditional dance forms, Contact relies heavily on suppon and cooperation among the dancers. II strengthens both the "I" and the "we" because the movements come from one's own center as well as being shaped by one's interactions with the other dancers. It's a way for 1 physical body to learn he trust. •. in a literal fashion, through physical imerac1ion. rn Contact, there are no wrong steps or movemcn1s---1here is only more or less fiowing, depending on how relaxed, trusting, and sensitive the dancers allow themselves 10 be. Contact is also p:utidpatory rather th:m perfoml!lnccorlented. fl is primarily an expenence for the d:lncel'li instead of for an audience. The movemenlS spring from deep v. ithin and nre a continual source of surprise, even 10 1he dancers This makes 11 nlJ the more dynamic to Y.itness. Audience and dancers are brought together llS both expcnence in different ways the everchanging now of movement coming from spiri1 into form. Leigh Hollowell and Christina Morrison are co-1e.'lching the first Conmct Dance class in Asheville. Chrisuna had auendcd a Dance New E11gland Conmc1 ln1ensivc la.~1 summer and rerurned home excited 10 share this fonn with others. She immediately began teaching friends in Celo and talking with Marnie Muller abou1 the possibility of a regional Dance Kn11"1Ji. Spring, 1989 (continued on pago 29) Who are the People of the One Song? They are ILf a1ul nwre ...They are inspiratian ... />a.rt 14ah.ng into furure ..Funue leaking into past. We invite rlrem into prese111 being ro help us remember rite word.f to The One Song Singing in rite liearrs and mitids ofall Earth's People. Tile People of rlie One Song is an art exhibit centering on the clay pottery faces and masks by artisl/poner Jane Avery-Grubel. The faces, strikingly adorned with beadwork, .shells, and feathers by artiM Jeri Dewey, represent a culture of people dr:Jwn from archetypal memory of natural tribal living. and from the vision of a futuri.~1ic tribe we may become. Out of lhe faces have come stories, written by local poet Colleen Redv.onun, tha1 1ell of the uibe's dreams, ri1uals. roles. and relationships. The exhibit will also fua1ure many local crafts people's works such as baskets, jewelry. clothing, musical insuurnents, pottery and herbs that v.ill repre~ent the tribe's anifacts of everyday living and celebration. The People ofThe One &mg is a \ision of a tribe leading resourceful, crea1ive, peaceful lives in relationship with the Earth and each other. The concept is an expression of 1ime transcending--a merging of pa~r. pn:o;en1, and future 10 cn:ati: a cuhure of our wildcs1 d~a~...one that may have been...could be. The artists involved sec Thr People nf'The o~ Snr.g as a modcl....''Through art we can nffirm a fuum: that i~ noc so dependent on modem 1echnology. Most c~cry1h1og cxhib11ed can be made, grown, or found m na1ure 111e show is a ·work in progress that we are continually crra1ing and recreaung, jus1 as we create our every day rc;tli1y. It's like opening our minds and doing an archeolog1cal dig into 1hc: future." Open through April 1989 at Old Church Glllery. M:un Street. Floyd, Virginia, Katuah Province 24091. For more infonnation or to schedule additional gallery engngcments: _-~ (703) 7-i5-4849 or 745·3316 ~ e • "-I ... >Can.ah Jourrnal pCMJe 1 �THE GREEN CITY AS THRIVING CITY Implications For local Economic Development by David Morris This April, David Morris ofthe I nstiture for Local Self-Reliance will be the key1Wte speaker for the WNC Environmental Summit '89. Here is an article from the conriner110/ bioregionat publication Raise the Stakes that highlighis some ofhis thoughrs. In discussing the greening of ciLies. one is reminded of Lhe slogan Lhat the French s1udents used in 1968. On their posters they said "all that we want to change is every1hing," which comes from that famous ecological dictum, "everything is connected to everything else." When we pull a thread, we may in fact unwind a sweater. The 1wo fundamental assumptions underlying the way we've designed our communities nre the assumptions of cheap energy and cheap disposal cosis. Jn constant dollars, a barrel of oil that cost five dollars in 1910 cost a little over a dollar in 1965. The cost of lhrowing away a ton of garbage remained preuy much the same from 1900 to 1960. We could lherefore ignore lite operating inefficiencies and wastes of the systems that we developed. Cities reflect that inefficiency and waste. Our cities are dependent creatures. A city of 100,000 people impons 200 tons of food, I 000 tons of fuel and 62,000 ions of water a day, and dumps 100,000 tons of garbage and 40,000 tons of human waste a ye:ir. We've accepLed long disaibution systems as the price we pay for progress and development. Jndeed, we've elevated separation to Lhe status of vinue and internalized those principles into our way of thinking about our local economies. J was recently reminded of how much we take 1ha1 state of affairs for granted when Twas in a SL Paul, Minnesota res1auran1. After finishing lunch. 1 got a toothpick, and of course all toothpicks now have an obligatory plastic wrapper. The word Japan was primed on the wrapper. Now, I thought to myself, Japan has no wood, bur it has been considered economical 10 take pieces of wood and send them LO Japan, wrap them in plastic and send lhe whole thing back: 10 Minnesota. Thal toothpick embodied 50,000 miles within it. Well, not to be outdone, Minnesota just set up a fac1ory. Ir's producing chopsticks and it's sending them to Tokyo. This brings to mind an image of two sh1ps passing each other in lhc Pacific, one carrying lildc pieces of wood from Japan to the United States, and the other carrying linle pieces of wood from the United Slates to Japan. That is economical only if one acceplS the twin assump1ions noted at the outset - those pillars upon which our economic system has been established. This impon-expon paradigm is the way our economy runs. It is also the way our waste economy runs. Washington, D.C., for instance, was becoming overwhelmed by its. hum:in wastes, and paid a consulWlt $150,000 to come up with a solution. He suggested they barge them to Haiti. That recommendation was approved by D.C., but Haiti vetoed lhe idea. Haiti decided though they'd been offered the wastes of the c:apiLal of the Frtt World, they preferred nOL to be shat upon. The integrated planetary economy was supposed to make us more secure, but has it? Global trade expands and so do planetary tensions. For example, developing counaies arc now exporting more and more food to the developed counaics to eam the hard currency necessary to repay debts that they incurred primarily to build up their expon indusaies. lndusaial development and utilizacion both have increased. The developed counaies are in an inlCTesting protecrionis1 free trade dance, a pas de deux of late planelruy economics. in which each country tries desperately to preserve ac lease some amount of ils sovereignty and its productive assets. at the same rime trying not to interfere with free trade and the mobility of resources. Capilal has become the lubricant for the planetary economy, the grease that lets the planetary machine functioo. We fervently believe lhat capital should flow at least as freely as raw maLerinls and products. Last year 20 times more currency was iraded than was needed to underwrite world trade. We are more reluctant to embrace the unimpeded rnobili1y of the third factor of production: labor. But we're inching up to it Six months ago the Council of Economic Advisors recommended abolishing all barriers LO migration in order t0 improve the economy. JC.cu .(ui.h ) o"rnal. p~ 8 We've lost sight of the underpinning of a society - lhe sense of community. Mobility is not synonymous with progress. Weve ignored Benjamin Franklin's advice: those who would trade independence for security usually wind up with neither. We have made tha1 crade and in the process have become an increasingly dependent and insecure people. But now the rules have changed. Cheap energy and cheap disposal are no longer available. Despite the recent drop in oil prices, lhe cos1 of energy has risen more than 1000 percent in the last 15 years. Disposal costs have risen even more dramatically. In 1975 it typically cost about three to five dollars to dispose of a ton of garbage. Today in the U.S. it costs between $30 and $50 to dispose of that ton of garbage. In 1970, to dispose of a barrel of hazardous waste cost berween $5 and $10 a barrel •• although most companies just spilled ii on the side of the road. Today, to dispose of hazardous waste costs abou1 $300 a barrel, and for many companies the disposed hazardous wasce now has a legal liability attached to it that is po~ntiallyenormous. What's imponant to note about these price changes is that they have changed not because or the real world exhaustion of supply, but because of a change in political a1tirude. The rising price of oil did not occur because oil began running out, but because OPEC artificially limired the supply. The cost of W3SlC disposal did not rise because we suddenly ran out of dump space but because communities, by establishing new disposal rules, anificially limited the supply. We consciously and willfully changed the cost of doing things the traditional way. One of lhe enduring legacies of the environmental movement is that it bas managed to begin to move the price of doing things to the cost of doing things. The price is what an individual pays; the cost is what the community pays. Let me give you a specific example of price versus cost Rock salt is used 10 de-ice roadways. lls price is very cheap: one to rwo centS a pound. There is at least one alternative to rock salt, made out of plant mau~: calcium-magnesium acetate. It can be produced a1 present for abou1 20 cents a pound · 10 to 20 times more than rock salt. That's ilS price. However, rock salt has some problems. It corrodes the undcrbody of cars, it corrodes bridges, and ill New York City, Coosolidnted Edison has found that it causes a great many problems in the electrical supply system which runs through the sewers. Sprlf\9. 1989 �Sewer water, c1111yi11g dhsulved rock sah. can corrode insulation and lay bare wires. A neoprene gas can be genmued and if a spark occurs. an explosion can send manhole CO\et'S flying. By one estimate Consolidated Edison spends S75 million to n:pa.ir damage caused by rock sah. Thu's part of the cost of roclc salt. Another cost is polluted groundwater and the devastation of vcgetntion. New York S!Atc has made an informal esumate that the acruaJ, internalized cost of rocl salt is 80 ccnlS a pound. Which de-icer should you buy? The individual is unt1warc: of this cost. It is the n:sponsibility of the community 10 make price and cost similar. Even though the rules have changed, we haven't yet adopl.Cd a new paradigm, a new way of organiting our knowledge and our information. One of the principles of that new paradigm should be to extract the mnximum amounl of useful work ecologically possible from the local resource base. Thar sounds like a very modest proposal, but it has profound repercussions. As we begin to obtain more and more u~ful work, we (ind thnt we've begun to be more and more self-reliant and self-conlll.incd. ls self-reliance economical? Whnt do we mean by eoooornics? Whnt do we value in our economic system? Those who praise the global economy and trade as the underpinnings of our economic henlth invariably point to the benefits of comparnrive advantage and just 11s invariably point to the example of bananas. Surely local self-reliance docs not mean raising our own bananas in the United States when the clirruue 1s so much more favorable in Guatemala. Il may be cheaper to impon those bananas. once again, depending on what the price is versus the cost. Bananas that come from Central America cooie from countries that do not pennit unions. arc produced by companies that do not pay any iaxcs, and are grown by production methods that have no environmenta: regulations. I submit that if you ca.lcuhued the number of dollars that have been spent by the Unil.Cd Sratcs in military intervention in Central America, and dh'ided by the number of bananas that 11.rC imponed into the United States, you would find that it's very costly co tmpon bananas rather 1h:ln 10 grow them you~lr. When we look at c<:onornic signals, we need ro look at them in a holistic sense. first, we arc leamio&, as our s)",\tems get ever larger, tlw the downi.hle rhks get com:spondingly gru.icr. Twenty years ago when we wked about a cau1strophe, it meant a flood or an earthquake. Today when we talk about a catastrophe we mean the end of the ozone layer. the end of the human species. Local self-reliance also has a downside risk: you could try '>Omething and it might not work. but the risk Is modest. Second, locnl self-reliance leads to a diversity of cxpcnmenmion. As communities experiment with differcn1 technologies, we advance on the learning curve. Third, local sclf-reliBnCe by definition reduces pollution by improving efficiency. Fourth, local sclr-rcllancc Is economical because It recycles money internally for more productive purposes that would otherwise have to be spent on maintaining the system. A crude estimate that r made recently :;uggcstcd that 15 years ago the United States was spending between one and three percent of its overall income for system maintenance and cleanup. Today we're spending almost 15 percent of our income fOI' that purpo~. And finally. an advan1.1gc of local self-rcli.tncc is that we begin 10 channel our ingenuity into developing new bodies of knowledge that may be appropriate 10 a world that is in a vef} dlITcn:nt cond1tioo. The technologies that we're developing 1n North America, for example, art technologies appropnatc to ruuions that arc resource· rich and pcople·poof. But ISO percent of the world's popufauon li\lcs in countries that 31C rc~·poor nnd peoplc·nch. ff you try 10 make the United State~ !>Clf-~ufficicnt or sdf·reli:mt, the technologies you develop tO do so will be neither appropnaic nor comp:inble wnh the needs of dc\•eloping nat.tons.. Bui if you move towazd m:tking our tknsely populated and rcsou~-short cities sclf·rcliant the i«hnologicsdcvc:lopcd \I.Ill be appropnate to a resource-poor 1.1.orld. The kno1.1. lcdge generated can become a fll!ljor export commodity. But the pnmary benefit or local sclf·rcliancc J~ not economic; it's psychological and ~oc1nl. II improves decision nuldng because the costs or the decision fall on the smne community. We do not separate the productive process over long.dhtllllC~ Psycho.logicall)'. we improve the setf-<XX1fidencc 11nd socunty of our commuruues. We begin to miniaturize the economy. h means achieving v.hat Fritz Schumacher, one of the great cconomim of our time, dreamt of: local productton tor local markets from local rcsourct$. SprU\9• 1989 ls that theory or is that pr3Cticc? ..yeu: it rums out that in ~c scrap metaJ industry, the scale of producuon IS much smal~ than 111 the raw matcrittls industry. The best ex.ample J know of is 1he steel industry, where the newest technology is called the mini-mill. They used to be called neighborhood mills. but the industry decided t.h:u that would rais.c the image or Mao 1.e-<long's backyard fumaus. aod they didn't feel this was good advertising. Miru-mills use 100 percen1 scrap, and arc very sm:all- 200.000 tons a year average produc1ioo. A raw ore-based, vcnically integrated steel mill produces between two and three million ions a year. The healthiest. fastest-growing pan of the steel indu~try is based on scnp that comes from regional matb:ts and products often sold regionally. Another example 1~ the chemurgy movement, created SO yean ago by scienlisti-. from around the world concerned with using the then-large agriculrural surpluses lb mdustrial products. In 1932. the ltalian ambass3dor 10 Oreat Bnlllin arrived at the coun of St James dressed in a sun made or milk. That is, Italian scientists had discovered how to weave the casein in milk into clolhes. Tn 1941, Henry Ford, a devotee of the chemurgy movement, unveiled his biological car. The car body was made or soybeans. lhe fuel came from com, and the wheels were made of goldenrod. The soybean plastic body weighed hlllf as much as a steel-bodied car, so the car was more fuel·eflic1cnt. lf you dented it modestly, the dentS could be knocked back out. The C11r was wanner in the winter and (COISinuoj ... pq• lO) Green C ily 11 How-To 11 Mnnual---Just Published! "Cities need to be<ome more 'green'. They must be transformed illtu places that are life-enhancing an<l regenerarfre." • PelCr Berg <:rr~a Ci11 as a "how-to• m~nual (Of mdlv1<tUllts and O(JJ.n11AllOns antcmo1ed an a :iuswnablc future. tis intnl3C i.s &hat urban att.aS Cllll Cl.isl lunnonlou\I)" with na111nll 1ysu:im • :md 111nctudca bolb practical mid visL;xury :aw1tcut1on1 lh11I •re uppllc•btt 1;; ny ci17 or 1ino11. lbcte ts also 1 ~ 1ts11ng of volllllUlet o.:uv11a with i:lc:a. llbout gctllftS: wried and womns 0 IO'll<-.ds D £n'C1)" fuwrc. • URBA."' Pl.Af.ilNG • SMARTTRASSPORTATIO' • SUSTAIN"BLEPLA,~'t'l!O • RF.l'>'E\\'ARl.ll E.''ERGY • l'."EIOHBORHOOD CHARAC'rnR AND li."IPOWERM£.'lol • RECYCUNG Al'tl> REUSE • CE.l..EllRATtNG l.IF'E·l'L-\C'F. VITA.Un' • IJRBA.'J WILD HABITAT • SOC'tAU.Y RF.SPONSIBLE SMALL BUSINESSES ANO COOP'ERATIVE.S 'Tbe CrttD C117 Proi:nam 11 1V111bblc d1tcc1ty from Pbru:l Drum Foundation for S7 f'CISIP.1ld Mcmben ol lbc Foundation =eh-cu free aloag with lbc hl·annu.:11 ne11;1p;pcr lfluu tM Suills llld Olhcr public:atiol\1 for ~i: yearly membership rec Sl5. Thta llddtc.ss Is PIAnet Drum FoundaUon, Boit 31251, Son 1'111nt11COCA 9413t �POPLAR APPEAL written and illustrated by Doug Elliott W hen I tell northerners Lhat 1 built my house almost entirely of poplar, including the framing, rafters, interior panelling, and exterior siding, they seem confused. When I go on to say that there arc a 101 of old log cabins in 1hc Carolina mountains built from large poplar logs. they look a1 me like I'm crazy. I'm finally learning that to a nonhcmer, the word "poplar" refers to the aspens and other related trees whose wood is light, soft. and vinually useless for house construction. After a bit more discussion, we finally ge1 our terminology straightened out, and I get the response, " Oh, you mean 'tulip tree'". Yes, this magnificent tree has many names and even more uses. It is not a crue poplar, but was so named because iis leaves are attatched to its branches by long petioles (or leaf stems) that allow the leaves to move m the breeze in a manner not unlike that of a quaking aspen. The tulip poplar is actually in the Magnolia family . ' l ts scientific name, Liriodendron tulipifera, translates roughly to m~ "tulip-bearing lily tree". This is a fitting name for the ttee because itS flowers look like a combination of a tulip and a lily. They are a light greenish yellow and each of the six petals has a blaze of orange at its base. OUJ ofa giant tulip tree A grem gay blossumfalls on me; Old gold andfire iu petals are. Ir flashes like a/al/Ing swr. - Maurice Thomas A large tulip poplar lit up wilh hundreds of these large, cup-like blooms in spring is a magnificent sight indeed. The tulip poplar is the king of the magnolia family. 11 is considered to be the tallest hardwood tree in North America. In the old forests of the southern Appalachians il has been known to attain a height of 200 feet with a straight ttUok 1en feet in diameter and clear of branches for eighty to one hundred feet . The largest tulip poplar on record is the "Reems Creek Poplar" in Buncombe County. It was I98 feet 1all with a ttunk IO fcec I I inches in diameter four feet above the ground. When it was burned in April.1935, it was believed to be the largest tulip poplar in the world, possibly over a thousand years old. "But despite the splendor of its dimensions. there is oothing overwhelming about the Tuliptree, bm rather something joyous in ilS springing straightness, in the candle-liU blaze of its sunlit flowers, in the fresh green ofus leaves, which being more or less pendulous 011 long slender sralks, are forever IW'ning and rusrling in the slighres1 breeze; this gives the tree an air ofliveliness, lightening iJS grandeur. So even a very ancieltl tUlip tree has no look of tld abou1 It, for not only does it make a swift growth in youth, but in maturity it maintains itself marvelously free of<kcay. This look of vitality comes partly from the vivid paleue from which tire Tullptree is colored. The flowers which give it 1/Us name are yellow or orange a t base, a liglu greenish shade above. Almost as brilliant are the leaves when they first appear, a glossy, sunshiny pale green: they deepen in tint in summer, and in awwnn tum a rich, re1oicing gold. Even in winter the tree is still flOt UJllldorned.for the .•.cone remal'ns, candel/Jbrum f as/Uon, erect on r/le bare twig ...(1111Iil) all the seeds have.fallei1." - DoNJld Culross P~ Each of the seed cones 10 which Pcauic refers can produce l 00 or more seeds. Each seed is located a1 the end of a blade-shaped wing, called a samara, which keeps it airborne. On windy days 1hcse seeds whirl like tiny helicopters and are dispersed over great distances. Because they are released gradually all through the winter, the seeds arc important to wildlife. They are ca1cn by many kinds of birds as well as by squirrels, chipmunks. and other small rodenlS. On a bright snowy day rwo friends cross-countty skiing in the Pisgah National Forest were surprised to see a white-footed mouse scampering all over I.he snow, so busy collecting and devouring freshly shed tulip poplar seeds that ir seeme~ eomple1cl y unaware of their presence. Old Uses Indians had many uses for the rulip poplar. Us.ing fire and stone tools, they carved dugout canoes out of large straight sections of the ttunks and taught pioneer se1tlers the an. One of the first accountS of this was in 1590 in Thomas Harriot's brief and true report of the new-found land of Virginia: " ... rite irrhabitams that were neere 10 us doe comrtlQnly make tlleir boars or Canoes of the fomi oftrowes (troughs), only with the helpe of fire , ltarcl~IS of stoMS and shels; we have known soml! being so great ...tluu they have carried well XX men at once besides much baggage· 1/ie timber being greor, ta/, streight, soft, lig/11, & yes tough ...". Captain John Smith in 1612 reported canoes large enough to hold 40 men. Daniel Boone made such a canoe 60 feet long, capable of carrying five tons. Into it he loaded his family and all their possessions and in 1799 they floated from Kentucky down the Ohio River and on into what was then Spanish territory. The tree is still known as "canoewood" in some areas. Poplar blossom time is very important to beekeepers. The poplar is one of the most dependable sources of nectar in the Southeast The yield of nectar per bloom is possibly the highest of any plant on the continent and has been calculated at an average of 1.64 grams - or about one third of a teaspoon - per flower. During a favorable season, poplar nectar is secreted so abundantly that honey bees and other insects cannot carry i1 away as faSt as it appears. Sometimes one can feel the nectar dripping down like a gentle sticky rain when sranding under a blooming wlip tree in a light breeze. (People who park their shiny new cars under tulip trees often complain about this.) Because the poplar blooms early in the season, many honeybee colonies are not strong enough 10 fully utilize the abundance. For StrOng hives, however, harvesLS of 100 pounds of hooey per hive have been recorded during just the three week poplar bloom. The honey is dark in color and is sometimes called Spf'tn9. 1989 �"black poplar honey". When held up to the light, however, it can be seen tha1 it is actually a deep amber-red in color. Though it is not as light as locust honey nor as sought-after as sourwood honey, it has a rlch full-bodied flavor that can sweeten fruit salads, yogurt, tea, and other beverages. Poplar honey goes well on pancakes, waffles, cereal, biscuits, cornbread, and other baked goods. Rarely a day goes by that I don'1 eat some. If you want the ultimate tulip-poplar-tasting experience, sip the nectar straight from the flower like the bees do. You need to find a freshly opened blossom within reach. Pick or lower the blossom carefully without josrling it. Then lick. the drople1s on the inside of the petals, and taSte tha1 ambrosial Sometimes the nectar collects in a puddle on one of the lower sepals. If the air has been warm and dry, the nectar will often be thick like syrup. After one taste, you will know you have imbibed the nectar of the gods! In European gardens the tulip poplar is one of the favorite "exotic" American ornamental shade trees, and it has been so for mOTC than 300 years. In fact, the tulip poplar was first described botanically in 1687 from a specimen that had been brought from the New World and was growing in an English garden. In the early part of the 18th century John Lawson, Surveyor-General of North Ol.rolina, reponcd a hollow tulip poplar "wherein a lusty Man had his Bed and Household Furniture, and lived in it till his labor got him a more fashionable MMsion." Of course the senler's "more fashionable mansion" would probably have been no more than a log cabin made of tulip poplar logs. There is many an old tulip poplar log cabin still standing today and new ones arc still being built Using Poplar Lumber The first significant cutting of poplars in the new world was by settlers who were clearing ground for farming. They knew that where the tulip poplars grew, the soil was the richest. Today this still tends to be true. Ginseng hunters look for stands of tulip poplars when SC'Jnning distant mountainsides in search of the moist soil that characterizes good ginseng habitat lt was not until two decades after the Civil War, when the r:>ilroads began 10 penetrate the rugged mountainous areas of the Southern Appalachians, that the huge poplars and other southern hardwoods were harvested. In those days only trees over 30 inches in diameter, each yielding more than 400 board feet in lumber, were accepl.ed at the mills. In some areas tulip poplar grows in almost pure stands. In 1912, a tract of land near Looking Glass Rock in Transylvania County yielded 40,000 board feet of tulip poplar lumber per acre. Nowadays loggers are pleased IO get 10,000 board feet per acre. Foresters call tulip poplar a hardwood because it is a broad-leafed tree, like oaks and maples. Pinc, fir and other conifers arc called softwoods. The wood of tulip poplar however, is as soft and workable as white pine. Because the extensive heanwood is a yellowish tan in color, it is known as "yellow poplar" in the lumber business. The sapwood is creamy white and has been used as interior panelling. When used in this capacity, i1 has been called "whirewood". Because of its lighmess and strength. ii is used for boxes and crates. Yokes for oxen were often made from tulip poplar, because it was so easily carved. lt was one of the favorite materials for building aircraft in the days when airplane bodies were built of wood. Poplar wood has the ability to return to its normal shape after being compressed under great pressure. This property accounts for the wood's popularity for building barrel bungs. Poplar lumber is used extensively in the furniture-making industry. Its porosity and ability to take glue makes it an ideal core upon which to glue fine wood veneers, and, because it talces a polish beuer than any orher native wood. poplar wood is itself often used as a veneer. Kiln-dried yellow poplar wood makes a good framing lumber for house construction. It is moderately lightweight, yet stronger than spruce, fit; or white pine. Unlike the whole poplar logs used in cabin construction. milled, dry poplar lumber has little tendency to split when nailed. The Nonh Carolina Building Code accepts graded poplar lumber as a framing material. However, it has been infrequently used in recent years because of the.abundance of low cost softwood timber, such as Douglas fir and spruce, shipped in from the western Sl4tes. As the supply of western softwoods decreases. tulip poplar may come back into more common use. Dead and Rotting Wood Tulip poplar is also valuable when dead and rotting. The stumps decay quickly and provide an ideal habitat for various wood boring beetles. These beetles and their larva are one of the favorite foods of the majestic pilca1ed woodpecker (often called "wood hen" by mounroin folks). The pileated woodpecker is so named because of its brilliant red crest. It 1s our largest woodpecker. almost as big as a crow. These and other woodpeckers regularly visit decaying tulip poplar. and some people purposely cut poplar slumps high or use the Jogs in gn:rden beds near the house in order to artmct them. Dead tulip poplar is also the favorite growing medium for cenain fungi. most notably the delec1nble oyster mushroom (Pleurorus osrrearus). Oys1er mushrooms arc one of my favorite 'Aild mushrooms. l learned to identify them by Clll'Cfully studying them in mushroom field guides. They arc f.urly easy 10 recognilC, hence they are one of the safest of the edible wild mushrooms. They grow in cluster:., usually out of the sides of logs or stumps. They vary from a creamy. "oyster" whi1e to 1.1n or gray in color and arc distincbve because the gills run down the entire length of the stem. They arc delicious in soups. on p;ista. and can be saut6ed and gently stewed lO make an elegant side dish. Once l had oyster mushrooms fried in fritter batter, and (conunucc1cmJllil&e30) they actually tasted like oyster mttcn.. ~'°""" J--' 9"'JS t t �The bark of the poplar tree can be remo1Jed in the spring and early swnmer and has been used in many ways. Large sheers of Ir were used by the Indians as CO\'trings for wigwams, wickiups, lodges, and orher living quarrers. In the Nonfl Carolina mountain.s, poplar bark has bun used as siding on frame houses. When I first disco11ered it on some homes near Burns11ilfe in Yancey County, I was suuclc by ir.s rustic, }'et eleganJ beaury. As I was building my own house at the time, I wonted to /ind ow how poplar bark siding wa.f made and how long it wollld last. Wizen l asked around, however, it seemed tlw.t most of the builders of these hauses Jw.d long since passed on, but t~y had left a legacy ofpoplar bark. siding thol was sdll holding up well qfter 70 or more years. 1 finally found one older man who was a poplar bark crafts11w..n, and he tk.scribed tlie process UJ me. In early swnrner when the "sap's running", large sheers of the bark are removed from mediwn-sized trees. The bark is carefully pried off tlie trunk with a to0I know11 as a "tan bark spud". This tool hark.ens back to the days w}ien the collecting ofoak, chestnut and hemlock bark was o pan ofevery timber cutting operation. The bark was sold to tanneries as a source of tannic acid. A spud could be Improvised mu of a stout curved stick with a chisel-like edge carved on one end. Those made by blacksmiths look somewhat like a small-lieaded spade. After 1/ie bark is remo11ed, it is cut illro large rectangular sheets, taken ro a barn or other dry p/act and "stacked and stickered" like green lumber with na"ow strips ofwood between each sheet of bark to allow air to circulate. Rocks or other weights pilled on rop of the stock ofbark en.sure that the sheets stay flat and do not curl up as they dry After a month or two of drying, rhey can be cut 10 length and nailed like slung/es onro the building. Armed with th8se minimal instructions. and a lift·long love of tulip poplar, I knew I had to onempt co/leering bark 10 cover at lea.rt part ofmy house. A friend who was building ms own lwuse was about to CUI some poplars on his land 10 use as suppon beams. He told me that if I'd help him cut them and haul them down to the building site, he'd help me get the bark. The first tree we/tiled was aboUI afoot in dianieter, and it fell uphill. We trimmed off the upper br01iches, until we had a length ofclear trunk abou1 30 feet long. With 1he chainsaw, we mode one long CUI throught the bark down the entire length ofth4 l.og. Then, staningfrom the bonom, with one of us on eilkr side of the log, wt wenr at it with the bark spuds, ourf111gers, hate/let blades and whatever else we collld improvise to genJly pry the bark from the log. . .. - TIU! nt•wly formed cambium layer benn•e11 the bark and the sapw(l(Jd was sofr, slippery and Yer)' juics. As the: bark gave way 10 our efforts arul .tepararedjrom ti~ rrunk, it made a slurpy hissing noise. !Ve gradll(l//')! worked our Wll) up the log . The bark was coming ojf bc:outifully. When wc:j1r1ally reached the 11pper end oftlu: log, tire remaining section f1f the bark StpcJrated wirh a rtsowuling hollow "pop" We stood up and ~ere congrarularing ourselves on a job well dmu:, when we heard a noise. lt>okinR down we sow our newly-skinned log heading off down the hi/IT ltsfreshl)• removea bark had created a trough t/IQJ was slick.er tlllJll any bobsled run, and b>· rhe time that log left that piece of bark, it had picW up a terrific amo1u11 of speed and momenlltm. It we111 careenin,g down the mountainside, and all we co11Jd do was watch in astonisl11T1enl as thoJ log leapt over rock ledges and crashed through thic~ts. It fi111Jlly .rropped uh0111 fl!ry yards down the hill when i1 collided with a srump jusr above rhe house .tire. We breathed a huge sigh of relief. If it had nor been sropped by the s111mp, that .flippery bauering ram would hove done considerable damage to rhe ho11se founda1io11. Afrer rhar, we senved a rope to each log before we removed ilS bark. I found ow larer rluJt mountain loggers hove a word/or a log sliding down a nwu111ainside. TluJt log is nball·hootin'," and it is recognued as a serious danger in logging steep f1W11n1al11 ,f/opes during spring and s1unmer. As one old logger told me, 'Them poplar logs is bad/or that. Wilen the sap's up, that bark can slip off a log you're dragging and if tha1 log gets loose and goes a balf-Jwotin' down the mou111ain, buddy, 'hit can kill a ma11l" The bark of small poplar trees can be scored and folded into carrying 11essels ofall sizes from berry baskets to backpacks. /11dia11s daubed the seams with pine pitch and used them as W(ller buckets. I was first introduced to bark basketry by my mountain neighbor and friend Paul Geouge, wlio has been mak.i11g baskets for years. I was enchanted by the way he explained their simple practicalily; "So you've been out fishing all morning .following the creek up in.lb the nwuntain.t. You're cau:hlnJl some of 1/iem nmive speckled trour, bUJ afrer a while the srream gets too small. So you call it quir.s and head up onto the ridge/or rhe long walk home, There you TUii into the biggest patch of ripe huckleberries you halle ever seen. ~You'd 1011e to take some of them berries lwme, hut you ai11'1 go11101hing to carry 'em in. Whor collld you do?" Paul asks wirh a twinkle in his eye. "Well, if you knew how 10 make a berry basker, you'd just find you a young poplar rree, make you a poplar bark basket, and tote tllUn berries home. Now they'd taste mighry g()()d after a fish dinner! ... Between the ower layer of the bark and the sapwood is a layer rich in fibro11s vascular material known as bast. When rorred under controlled condirfons it can be used to mah ropes. twine and other cordage. Ir was high/}' valued by Native ~ricansfor rhese tiles Poplar bark has also been 11sed medicinally as a tonic and a remedy/or fevers, stomach ailments, dysentary, rhe1unari.sm and gour. It is a source oftulipiferine, an allt:aloid that acrs as a heart stimulanr. / 2 ! ff.'" • Doug Elliou's most recent book, (that includes step-by-s1ep instruetions on how to make a rulip poplar bark basket) is entitled Woods/ore and Wildwood Wisdom. It can be ordered from him at Possum Productions; R1 1, Box 388; Union Mills. NC 28167 for $10.00 post paid. Sprl·"'J· 1989 ""'' .... - �CLEAR SKY a drawing by James Rhea The concept for the drawing derives from my years growing up in the southern foothills and hearing Cherokee follclore, and being fascinated by their lifestyle and contributions. I have always been inspired by other culrun:s, especially so called primitives. This picture is pan of a series of portraits of healers or philosophical leaders, who arc inspirational to their people, representing cultures throughout the world. From that I envisioned a change of bean from a life of war and bloodshed to one of service and ~ce. This choice was indicauve of several individuals who laid the foundation for the later culturnl flowering of the Cherokees. Clear Sky is more of a composite of an ideal figure lhan a definite ponrait. The Cherokee people in the late l700's were in a state of despair and desperation because of the encroachment upon their lands and military defeat by European scnlcis. SC\'Cral individu:tls came to the forefront to encourage and inspire their people. To the Cherokee. they were lcnown as beloved persons. both men and women. They felt a need for a transition or integration into white society, but at the same time they hoped to retain the best of their past for cultural survival. Clear Sky's dress is typical for the time. He wears a blue EngltSh bro3dcloth shin and has a Spanish trade blanket around his waisr. The necklace is wampum with a silver gorget. The eamngs are archaic beaten copper with slit earlobes. The hair is trimmed with a dyed egret feather ornament In his band he holds a turkey feather (an with natural bead work. a sign of respect and dignity. lsk.agua CJtr Clear Sky was listed in Duane K. King's book CMrolcee Indian Na1ion as being present and signing a document protesting the tt'Catment of Chickamauga Cherokees by the Americans. The petition was sent to King George m of England aslcing his government to intervene. At the time of the signing, or thereabouts 1789-1791, he changed his name from NeMnoataah, or "Bloody Fellow" to lsk.agua. "Clear Sky." Spr~nAJ. I used several sources Ill compiling his dress, ornaments and general demcaner. but the most informative was the JnditlJIS of the Southeastern Un11ed States by John R. Swanton, Smithsonian Anthropology. James Rhta lives in an old farmhou.st in a rural pan of Cabarras CoUllt)'. Ht is illlertsttd in organic gardening and environmental issul!S and spends time canoeing and hiking for inspiration and peace of mind. His artwork includes tM subfecrs of wildlife as well as portraits. "In gentral" he says •1 favor world peace and holistic liftstyks". ,/ 1989 Xat-~ )o\UnoL ~ 15 �II a Early, al tine o'clodt IWO sbocb ol-an anbqaUe Wlft felt. Tbc boule D cuM:d mid ew:rytbing WU ID mowmelll. The bcns fell to the paid fJOm lheir room ud set up a pi.tifol cry. You cm see chat the white people mR diffaalt bc:ings from us, we are made or.red clay. they of white sand. About lbe J'Cll' 1811 IOIDC of the Cleroba cbamed ud Olha'S RCtiwd. in various ways. cQ11111mictricw from lhe Oral Spirit. all lr:Dding IO discredit die ICbane ol c:ivilization. See 10 ll dw you get back your old Beloved Towns. Yoor mother is not pleased you punish each other so ha1d. I have told you what the Gn:ac Spirit's will is, and you are 10 pass on iL la on:tcr that you might know bow things want to tell you what happened bcrc in the Nation ju,st the other day. ~Pl in die Wkl IDday, I Jusr dne rughis ago I was at a Wk in C>o&1mally. To tha1 place came~ man and two women who to1d that while they were on 11 journey, Ibey came eo an unoccupied house near a hill called Rocky Mountain and enlCttd it in order to spend the night thcte. Just as it had become dark, they heard a violenl noise in che air.•.As !hey went outside to sec abou1 ii they saw a whole crowd of Indians ~g on I.be hill from the sky•... nding on small black horses...their leader beating a drum. .•came very close.• .They were much frightened .•.•. "Don'1 be afraid. we arc your brothers and have been sent by the Great Spirit 10 spcalc co you. The Great Spirit is dissatisfied that you arc n:ceiving the white people into your lnnd•.•.. You sec that the hunting is gone, you are planting lhe corn of the white people. go and sell ii back to them and plant Indian com and pound it in the manner of your forefathers. do away with the mills. The Mother of the Nation h~ fOtY.lccn you. •. her bones are being broken through the grinding. She will return co you if you put the white people out of lhe land and return to your fonncr manner of life. If you don't believe my words then look up at the sky." They did and saw the sky open...an indescribably beautiful light and in it four white houses. "Such houses you are to build in your Beloved Towns... for white men who can be useful to the Nation.. . ." I mn not Ible IO delcribe lhe creat perplexity into which we C11D11 Jasa ...L Our dwelling bowie was in die most violent mDVellXIH IO lhu it seemed IO be Deir II> be falling in. .. .a strongviolent noise beard from the W.N.W. _ .and stteaks of l.ighlning..... This morning between 7 and 81>'c1ock we felt tw0 more shocks without the sli1thtcst noise. ...our house was r:rembling..•the roof moved. The m:es were in movemen1 wilhout !he slightest wind. It is true, the white people must all go from lhe Nation; boWevcr, 4 smiths, S()tne school ceachers a.rid those who arc building mills for us a.re to be toleralbd. but later. they too must return to their own country..•.. Some of them anribuce the occurrence co the sorcerers; some, to a large snake which must have crawled under their house; some to the weakness and old age of the eanh which will soon cave in. . •.they held a grand feast and celebrated a great medicine dance. .• .. . . .if they believed and obeyed, then game would abound, the white ll1!ll1 would disappear. . • .• .• .instead of beef and bacon they would have venison, and instead of chicken they would have turkeys. . . •we heani today from a traveler tb:u in Taloni. •. thiny miles from here along the road to Georgia. in a field 13 sink holes appeared as a result of the earthquake. the largest of \\<hich is 20fcet deep and 120 feet in circumference and is. • .full of gn:enish water. . . .he would like to know whether lhe end of 1hc world were not near. .•• • sprin9. 1989 �J ...many lndians believe that the white people were responsible because they had already taken possession of so much of the Indian land and wruned still more. The Great Spirit is angry...and be wanted to put an end to it through eanhquakes. , Soon after the eanh had tremble4 an Indian was silting in his house in deep thought, his children were lying sick in front of the fire. ...a tall man appe~ clothed entirely in the foliage of ihe trees, with a wrca1b on his head. ..carrying a small child in his ami.~ and had a larger child by the hand. "The small child on my arm is the s ClJC:it Spirit. l am not able to tell you whether the Great Spirit will soon destroy the earth or not. 1be Great Spirit is not pleased that tbc lndillll$. have sold so 111uch land to the white man. :rugalo, wl!K:I\ is now possessed by white people, u; the r~t place the Great Spirit created. There in a hill he placed the firs& fire. for all fin: comes from the Great Spirit. . . .the white people have built a house on th3t hill. They should ab:lndon th~ place; on thru hill there ~hould be grass growing. only then will there be ptaee. ...the Indians no longer thank the Great Spirit before they enjoy the fust fruits of the land. They no longer have dances in his honor before they eat the first fruit~. You arc sad because you thin.le your childn:n m ill, they are not renlly ill. but have only taken in a. little dust.~ •.. he gave him two small piece5 of bark from a certain tree ••• and told him to cook them and to give the drink to his children. and from that they became weU right then. 7 ...the residents of one wwn fled into the hills and tried to crawl into hiding in the ho!~ of lhe rocks in order to escape the danger of I.he hail stones, the size of half bushels. which were to full .••.. ...numbers of the aibe.. .abandoned their bees. their orchards, their slaves, and everything else that might have come to them through the white man, and...took up their toilsome march for the mounwns of Carolina. ..•mills. clothes, feather beds and iables - worse still •.. books, and domestic cats! This was not good· theieforc the buffaloes and other game were disappearing. The Great Spirit was angry. and had withdrawn his protection. The Cherokees must return to the customs of their fathers. They must kill their cats, cut shon their frocks, and dress as became Indians and warriors. They must discard all the fashions of the whites, abandon the use of any communication with each other except by word of mouth, and give up their mills. their houses, and all the ans learned from the white people. ~ Oicrokecs arc at this time in a rcmarlc.able manner - occasioned by the late shocks of the eanh ·endeavoring to appease the Anger of the Ore3t Spirit They have revived thcnr religious dances of ancient origin to appease the Anger of the Great Spirit....with 115 much solemnicy as ever was seen in worship In our churches. They then repair to the water, go in and wash. These ablutions arc intended 10 show that their sins are washed away and that they are cleansed from all defilements. These fanatics or prophelS tell them that the Great Spirit is :ingry with them for adopting the manners, customs, and habfo; of the white people who, they think. are very wicked. Some of the females an: mutililting fine muslin drcsses and arc told that they must discontinue dancing n:cls and country dances whieh have become very common ampn~l the young people. . . .!here is llllk ...in the space of 3 months the moon would again become black. and thereafter hail stones as large as hominy blocks would fall, all cattle would die Md soon the earth would come to an end. A sorcerer said uncil then there would be peace; how things would be after thnt he did not know. that a new earth will come into being in the Spring.••.. •• ,it has bc!en revealed by the Great Spirit th:u there would be an intense darkm~ss and that it would last three day~ - during which :lll white people would be snatched away as well as 1111 Indians who had any clothing or household articles of the white man's kind.••• •.• they should put aside everything that i:. similar to the white people and that which they had learned from them, so that in the darkness the Great Spirit might not mistake them and snatch them a~ay. ... many llre doing away with their household articles and clothing.•.• The above ma1trial if parr fJf a /011ger work in progress. Jr is drawn entirelyfrom actual occounLS uf the events ~ntitmed, a.s recorded in ltrrers and diaries from the period, many of wlrich were locared in rhe Mortn•ian lfrchh'es In Winsron·Salem, North Carolina. 5 �Imagine what could happen over, say, the next five years, if similar projects were begun in cities and communities all around the region and beyond.... A Look at the Black Swan Center By C.8. Squire College students encouraging community economic development in the community that surrounds their campus? Thai is exactly what's happening in the Swannanoa River Valley. The effon is being carried out by student-faculty teams from Warren Wilson College working ou1 of the BlacJc Swan Center. The Black Swan Center. named for Black. Mountain and Swnnnanoa, !he two towns in !he Valley it embraces. is currently located on the Wnrrcn Wilson campus and serves as a community resouN:e organization for the entire area. A key ob)ective is to explore how small colleges can "serve as catalysts in their own backyards for community and ce-0nomic development projec ts," according to Black Swan directors Laura Temple Haney and Louise Solomon. Initially funded by grants from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and the Broyhill Family Foundation, the Center operates with a work/study crew made up of students and faculty advisers responsible for various individual projects of the Center. This "work crew". made up of fifteen students majoring in Sociology, Environmental Studies, Social Work, Political Science, and English, meets regularly to review their various projects centered around !he "community economic developmem" concept. The Black Swan Center grew out of lhe Swannanoa Valley Projcc1 (SVP), a land-use planning and economic development study carried out in 1985 by Swannanoa Valley residents and Warren Wilson College Staff, faculty, and students. Funded by the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation and TV A, the SVP found that most project participants wanted the Valley to reverse its downward economic trend "while remaining an essentially rural area wilh a viable economic base." It became apparent thm what wa!"> needed was an ongoing community resource center to serve these needs. Thus, the Black Swan Center was born. The vital importance of a community planning and resource center such as this cannot be overestimated. Tf we wish to preserve and enhance the quality of life here in Kaniah, in ways thar nre ecologically and economically sound, we can no longer allow the haphazard and Shon-sighted type of growth and development that has predominated for decades. The key factor in reversing this trend and in finding truly workable solutions is to encourage local initiative, self-reliance, infonnalion exchange, and cooperative effort. This can be a very powerful grassroots movement, with far-reaching effects, but it demands susmined local commitment and involvement. This k:ind of sustained effon can best be supported JCQti&Qh Journot pc:M)e by citizens and businesspeople acting in concen with local academic institutions. After all, should we not make the mo.st of all of our available local resources, in order to assure the contin ued well-being of our communities? Only in this way can we intelligently deal with the tremendous forces of change that are confronting us. It is now critical !hat we re-learn and re-create the an of community - and projects such as the Black Swan Center arc beginning 10 lay the groundwork for !his crucial renaissance. In fact, this dynamic pilot project has already achieved tangible results. Imagine what could happen over, say, the next five years, if similar projects were begun in cities and communities all around lhe region and beyond. ... A key objective is to explore how small colleges can "serve as catalysts in their own backyards for community and economic development projects" ... In its first year, the Black Swan Center has been focusing on three essential components: (I ) A community economic development class for Warren Wilson students to prepare them to work in the Center; (2) development of a college work crew made up of faculty and students which operates and coordin:ncs Black Swan ruitivitics; and (3) a community-based education course for Valley residents designed to promote new business ventures, develop rural leadership Skills and teach community economic development concepts. AU three components are in place, with the community-based education course starting in March. Organalcd by Lisa Waners, a Sociology mnJOr, the course, "Community Development and the Economy in the Swannanoa Valley,''. is ~imed at .~elpmg Valley residents (l) "gain the leadership skills and ab1hoes that can make positive changes in the lives of the people that live in the Valley; (2) explore the Swunnanoa Valley community and its resources; (3) understand the problems facing the local economy; (4) seek: solutions. and; (5) determine what small businesses might succeed in the Valley." 16 Sprl.n.g, 1989 12 �As Lisa points out. this type of course was designed by the Highlander Center in Tennessee and has been used in such co~uniri~s. as Jellico,_Tennessee, and Dungannon, Virginia. Unlike tradiuonaJ educauon, the course doesn't separate learning from doing, theory from practice and education from work. "When Y?U put 'community' in front of 'economic development'," says Lisa, "it means ordinary citizens revitalizing their communities and stimulating quality economic development from within rather than waiting for the 'expens' to do it, or for outside industries 10 come in and provide jobs." In the long run, "community economic development doesn't only mean jobs. because ic can aJso make the difference in peoples' environments and quality of life." exploring options for municipal structures for the community of Swannanoa. He is also helping to draft a legal document that can be used as pan of an offical petition to the state to incorporate as a township. Christy Allred, an Environmental Studies major, and Katherine Crum, a Social Work major, are working with TV A 10 identify fanners in the Valley who are interested in growing specialty crops such as shiitake mushrooms and baby watennelons. Two workshops are planned, one in May, the other in the fall of 1989, that wiU bring Canners from Buncombe and Madison County together 10 discuss agricultural problems and trends facing the area and how to effectively market specialry crops. The 10.week course will be fnciJiiated by Louise Solomon and Laura Temple Haney, both faculty members at Warren Wilson, and Marilyn Bass, of the YMJ Cultural Center in Asheville. In the second part of this course, they will be joined by Tim Richnrds, of the Small Business Technology Development Center, and Dana Smith, of the Self-Help Credit Union, who will specifically instruct participants on how to work with a business idea. One of the more impn:ssive activities growing out of the Black Swan Center is a waste management center, directed by Melissa Gildersleeve, an lntercultural Studies major. Alrendy in operation on the College campus, the Center includes a processing pavilion for rccycleable items, including a baler for cardboard and specially designed "drop-off' bins for recycling glass, cans and newspapers. The waste management center grew out of a class exercise in an Environmental Policy cl:iss artd has resulted m the recycling of much of the 25,000 lbs/yr. of ttash generated by the collegc--trllSh that had been caned to the county landfill at a cost of up to Sl2,000/yr. Melissa bcheves that within a couple of years the college's waste management costs will be entirely covered by n:venucs from recycling. Her bu.~iness plan includes e~panding the College's program by establishing five more "drop·off' collection sues in the Swannaoa Valley, possibly as early as this spring. While important to carrying out the aims of the Center, the course in communicy economic development th.is spring is by no me~ns ~h~ center's sole: agenda_. A small ~usincss development project is in progress with the rum of "keeping more money in the Valley" by encouraging businesses in the area to buy from each other whenever possible, explained Brad Brock. another Sociology major and one of the Business Development coordinators for the Center. He added that the Black Swan Center and the Swannanoa Valley Ch:tmbcr of Commerce have almost completed a business directory of the Valley with one section made up of chamber members and the other. "the green pages". listing all valley-owned businesses. Brad and his partner. Rebel Bailey, an Environmental Studies 1113jor and owner of a flourishing backpack business. have a!so been working with Nonh Carolina REAL Enterprise (Rural &onomic Alternative Leaming, localed in Raleigh, North Carolina) 10 design a curriculum on developing student-owned enterprises for Wam:n Wilson College. Fffty people attended a five-pan series of workshops called "Business Basics''. Post-workshop follow-up has resulted in consulting sessions with four entrepreneurs with a "good strong prospect" for getting a business up and running in the Valley. Still another project for Brad and Rebel is the Stan-up of a breakfast club, modeled after the Briarpatch program on the west coast, that will provide networking opponunities for local entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses in the Valley. Another Black Swan project, headed by Heidi Erick.son. :in Environmental Studies and Education major, is a literacy program with a new twist-worlting directly with the business community to improve literacy. Heidi explains that those unable to read and write are often reluctant to tell their employers or their lack of reading skills. But one area employer, Charles D. Owen m, has agreed to have a literacy project operating at his plant site, with employees receiving half-pay for the time they spend on learning to read. Heidi's project has already trained 12 people at Warren Wilson College to teach such courses. Still another project of the Center involves working with the Alternative Energy Corporation. based 1n the Research Triangle area, in developing a "Community Energy Campaign~ for the Valley. This project plans to help weatherize non-profit buildings anc,1 to audit heat loss in college and community buildings-including the former Carver Alternative School property in Black Mountain which the county has just acquired from the town's Parks & Recreation DepanmenL Eventually, with this campaign, the Center hopes to help the community save much of the 40 miJlion dollars a year or so lhat leaks out in energy cosrs in the Swannanoa Valley. Dan Scbeuch, a Political Science major, has been working with Swannanoa Valley residents and the Nonh Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Co1TUI1un1ty Development in Sprt.nq. t989 Although all the ~tudents working at the Black Swan Center have different 'main' projects they are working on. they all have one thing in common. Each panicipates in one another's programs... wch as lending the experti~e the1y have gained in desktop publishing, to knocking on doors of local businesses. to picking up the College'!\ waste and recycleablcs from around campus once a week. For the future, chc Black Swan Ccnu;r hopes 10: organize n Swannanoa Valley community work day: perhaps relocate the Center more into the heart of the community: encourage other small colleges in Appalachia to explore setting up a similnr program. and, in general. coordinate the community development projects and courSCS and the starrup of at least one student-run entesprise. One of the most promising aspects of this entire project is for the Black Swan Center to serve as a working model for other insututions in the region. They. too. may want to embark on a similar cooperative program of community development that., in the words of the Center's grant application, "will overcome the 'LOwn-gown' barriers that separate so many colleges from their neighbors." To quote Gnscom Morgan, son of Arthur Morgan who founded the Cclo community in Yancey County. and who bjmself for the last four decades has inspired and assisted the cause of community through his association with Community Service. Inc.; "We need fol,k colleges-people's colleges...not jus1 for intellect.uals or whites, b11t to do what Highlander College (now Clllled Highlander Center) has done for Appalachia and the South. lf we had folk colleges 10 which the working class and rural people from across a region could come and htive association with the intellecruaJs--then rerum to their local communities with the strength and conviction of their own culture--tbese different groups of the common people could reinforce each other.• Morgan's dream is being rcallz.ed by a group of pioneers: so~ fifcecn students with very diverse background.<>, two faculty advisors, and an involved community•..... You are welcome 10 visit this dynamic center or call for more infonnation. The Black Swan Ctn1er, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swanrwnoa, North Carolina 28778. (704) 299-9306 �wlld lovely days the wild lovely days come with a wind tossed violence they awaken a tantalizing bitterness of memory the spring morning of lilacs the wilting high noon of orange poppies the late afternoon sun of autumn marigolds and now the great wheel of night spins with dazzling circles of blue and gold light �dancer the tender talents of earth swelling with rapture birdsong and blue sky fluttering encore a thousand thousand leaves turning rich dark colors awaiting opulent carnage exalted limbs rising against dark skies crucible answer I who hurried thru lhe years running this way and that sometimes strangely knowing sometimes weeping beside the road spent at last, alone bereft of all I sought you came to me slowly without my knowing you touched me the stream carries me my face is wet I am submerged I will not let fear of drowning darken the bright water all that rs bright and clear filters thru the translucent waves of faith, the ineffable substance that fills the yearning crucible with timeless light endless peace Selections from the book Wifd Lovely Days. portraits of moments In time and nature expressed in complementary words and images. THE POET· THE PHOTOGRAPH:R; Ellmboth Griffin Is an artist, poet, and former lawyer residing in Highlands. Katuah Province. Gii Leebrick is an environmentally concerned falher, husband, mediator, photographer, and director of the Appalachian Environmental Arts Center in Highlands. �.:•····;••·.................................... .,.... .. .... .... .~~· ~ ~ i{ NATURAL \~. : wORLD : ~ ~ ~ ~ ·! i: \. .. :I .. NEWS .. .. ·~. .( .~ .. "!, ·:. .: ~~~~~.·~··· · · ~·.·.·.•.•.•.·.·· · · ....~::::::!: .!· ?· PANTHERTOWN RESTORED! Nllllnl World NCWJ Str-i= In one Inst expression of disdain for Congress and the Appalachian b1orcgion, the Reagan administration m the la.~L days of its reign took away money slated for the pun:hase of the Pa.nthenown tract high in the headwaters of the Tuckasegee River. Through an arrangement with Duke Power Company, which wants to run a high-voltage power line across pan of the Panthenown area, Congress hod appropriated $8 million to buy the remainder of the propeny for inclusion in National Forest Jnnds. Under a rechnicaliry the our-going administration stole away that money. plus $47 million for other land appropriations. to pay the costS of fighting the famous Yellowstone fire and other fires that occurred in the summer of 1988 in drought-soicken western states. On March 13. 1989, however, the Office of Management and Budget reversed the order, and put the money back into the special Land and Water Conservation Fund, where it is once available for land acquisition purposes. It is expected that the Panthcnown purchase will be able to be completed this summer. COLEY CREEK IS SAFE! Systems Research Group, to review the Coley Creelc plan. The study group pointed out that fuel prices would have to escalate considerably lO make the Coley Creek project economically viable. However, cbe consultants' review found that the most economical approach would be to emphasize "demand-side programs." These programs hcreate" extra energy by promoting conservation on the pan of utility customers through steps such as rewarding customers for efficient energy use pancrns and helping to cut down on energy consumption by wealherization programs, promoting energy-efficient appliances, etc. A more careful and judicious use of energy reduces the need for increased energy production. The report showed that through energy conservation Duke could make avnilable the same amount of energy that the Coley Creek pumped storage project would have provided. but at one-third the cost. The repon outlined five different demand-side programs and gave srep-by-srep directions for their implement.arlon. Bill Thomas, co-chair of rhe Jocassee Wate~hed Coalition, said, "h could be very imponant for a company like Duke to stan a series of pilot programs in energy conservation. Even if they weren't completely convinced that this was the best way to go, they should :u least experiment and find out for themselves what programs wo11ld work and what wouldn't." "In September the Nonh Carolina Utilities Commission will hold a series of six hearings at locations across the stare to gather public comment on a proposed least-cost planning rule that will include demand-side management items. A good tum-out by people s~ak.ing on behalf of these measures wouJCI show the COinmission where the public suppon lies." The Jocnssee Watershed has obtained a reprieve from funher depredations by Duke Power, but efforts continue to gain binding legislauve protection for the basin through designation of the Thompson and the \v'hitewater as Wild and Scenic Rivers. (The Horsepasturc River already has protected stntus.) Preliminnry studies have already been completed, and show very definttely that further srudy is justified. "We need to g~t legislacors to press the North Carolina Natural Resoun:es and Community Development Department to complete their sruclies so that the lcgislat.ion can proceed," said Thomas. "We arc asking people interested in the future of the Jocnssee Watershed to contact their state n:presentatives and ask them to get involved with this.'' ...AND NOW CHAITOOGA Duke Power Company has announced that it is postp<>ning indefinitely the Coley Creek Pump Storage Project, which would have done devastating environmental damage in the beautiful Jocassee Watershed area in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. Officially, the company said that a review of fuel prices and the economics of the pumped storage alternative convinced them that providing power by coal plants or combustion turbines was economically more advantageous. What the company did not mention was that they had met stiff resistance to the project every step of the way from the Jocassee Watershed Coalition, a broad-based organization of hikers, hunters. fishermen, and environmental groups. which may also have influenced their decision. With a grant from the Babcock Foundation. the coalition had hired an independent consulting firm, the Energy ~ )o"'nat P • 20 Officials of Rabun County, Georgia and the Associated Consulting Group are conspiring to build a jetpon on a mountaintop in the upper reaches of the Chattooga River, which is designated as a Wild and Scenic River. Preliminary design studies of the site illegally conducted by Associated Cousulting at the request of the Rabun County government have detennined that they would need t.o level the entire mountaintop to make room for the jet planes to land. The jets would take off and land directly over the river and roar over remote wild areas in their flighL The potential impacts on the Chattooga watershed would be devastating. They include massive sedimentation, wildlife habitat destruction, and noise pollution, as well as the fouling of the water and air. The remote and wild character of the Chattooga whitewater run would be severely degraded by the low-altitude overflighcs. The US Forest Service has refused ro talce a position to protect the "wild and scenic" status of the Chattooga despite their legislative mandate under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to do so. The agency has even backed down from an earlier comrninment to require an Environmental Impact Statement for actions affecting any Forest Service site. The American Rivers organization and a coalition of local citizens is working on behalf of the river. They say, ''Since t.be Forest Service has refused to direct the county away from the Chanooga site, citizen voices are essential to prevent the Chattooga site from bemg selected. The county and Associated Consulting are known to have a bias in favor of the Chattooga site, and only overwhelming public sentiment against lhe site can change their minds." Make yourfeelings known! Write: Associated Consulting Group 3 I5 W. Po111::e de Leon Ave. (Suite 125) Decatur, OA 30084 Kenneth Henderson, Forest Supen·i,s()r Cl111ual100d~e National Forest 508 Oak St. NW Gainesville. GA 30501 American Rivers 801 Pennsylvania Ave. SE (Suire 303) Washington. DC 20003 WHAT'S AN EIS? (or JUDGE HALTS VULCAN) There will be no rock quarry in Flat Creek nt least not anytime soon. Vulcan Matenals Company had planned to dig a 58-acre, open-pit quarry near Weaverville despite protests from local residents until Buncombe County Superior Coun Judge Roben D. Lewis voided Vulcan's state permit early this 'd year. Some 450 North Buncom be rest ents snowed up at the last public hearing in October of 1987. Most were against the quarry projecL The group fonned the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens, which filed suit against VuJcan, a Fortune 500 company, and several state officials. Residents claimed in their suitS tha1 the mining permit was issued 10 the company despite evidence from expens that the quarry, which would have been sited about two miles nonh of the town of Weaverville, would deplete and pollute area groundwater. Spri-n9, 1989 �INCINERATORS THREATEN AIR QUALITY Jllmnl World News Service "Cloudy skies" would be the long-term weather forecast for meb'OpoliUUl Knoxville and all points downwind if four new waste incinerators were to come into operation in the area. Three proposed incinerators in the Knoxville area and one that is already constructed 1hrea1en 1he Great Smoky Mounrains National Park, only 40 miles downwind, and the already beleaguered mounrains of the Kan1ah province. Cum:n!ly, air in the Smokies ranks it among the ten most polluted of all the National Parks. It used to be that the Park was only "smokey" during the summer months when natural chemicals from the forest vegetation combined with panicles in the air. Now, even on a clear winter day, the view is noticeably hazy. An estimated 70% of the pall is due to air pollution. The Department of Energy (DOE) has built an incinerator at the K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. According to engineer John Patton of the Division of Air Pollution Conttol for the State of Tennessee, it is licensed under the Toxic Substances Control Act to burn radioactively contaminated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) and other wastes which are generated at the DOE facilities at Oak Ridge, Paducah, and the Ponsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plants. The incinerator bums only propane gas now, but when it goes on line in the summer of 1989, it will burn 3000 pounds of r.idioactive waste every hour. A similar incinerator was defeated in Rocky Flats, Colorado through public opposition. A private company mis-named the Safe Ecology Group is proposing to build another incinerator on Bear Creek Road in Oak Ridge that will bum low-level radioactive waste for volume reduction. According to Lisa Finaldi of the Nonh Carolina Clean Water Fund, this incinerator will take low-level radioactive waste from states that are members of radioactive waste compact agreements, such as North Carolina and New York, reduce the volume of the waste, and then send it back to the states for disposal. The capacity of this incinerator will be 10,000 pounds of radioactive waste per hour. Also in the site selection stage is the East Knoxville mass burn incinerator that will be operated by Foster-Wheeler Power Systems of New Jersey. The proposed incinerator will bum 900 tons of municipal garbage a day. According to a Solid Waste Authority spokesperson in Knoxville, "The incinerator and recycling will be used to decrease landfill dependency.'' Opponents of the incinerator, however, declare that incineration will decrease the recycling incentive, since the operating company has a flat guarantee from the city and the county that it will receive a certain amount of waste to bum 10 produce electricity. Recyclers fear that quota will be filled by waste that would otherwise be potentially recoverable. . Electricity sales will not cover operation and maintenance costs for rhe incineraror facility. A group called CARE in Knoxville claims that the Solid Waste Authority did not compare the cost of incineration, which will come to $370 million over a 20-year period, with the coStS of alternative methods of reducing solid waste, i.e. commercial Sprl.ncj, l989 and household recycling, baling (compressing THE FATE OF THE ROSE garbage), and composting (brush, leaves, etc.). Even with an incinerator, about 40% of from• n;iort by N~ Blmhlrdl solid waste must be landfilled. A new landfill will Years ago the Agriculture Depanment be needed in Knox County whether there is an incincr.1tor or noL Incinerators actually raise the brought the multiflora rose into Virginia for soil cost of disposal, because incinerator a.sh is a conservation and to attTact wildlife. Now the state hazardous waste and must be sto1ed using encourages the eradication of this plant and may be expensive protective techniques in special making a mistake that will tum out to be far more serious than the spread of the shrubby muhiflora landfills. The CARE group also points out that, even bush. Montgomery and Grayson counties have with air pollution conttols, incinerators pose a passed, and Floyd county is considering, risk to public health that carries an incalculable legislation to force landowners to keep the plant cosL The most dangerous chemicals cannot be from scrting seed on their propeny. Farmers say that the roots of this plant arc seen or smelled. hard to lc:ill. Pulling multiflora roots out of the Finally, next door to the proposed site for ground usually causes tbero to start new plants. the Knoxville mass bum incinerator, the Dixie The multiflora grows in too many out-of-the-way Cement Company may bum bai.ardous waste in a places to keep it all cut. Therefore, the st.ate convened cement kiln. recommends herbicides to lcilltbe plant - herbicides that are particularly apt to contaminate groundwater. Dicamba and 2,4-D arc both on the list of pesticides which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers most lillely to leach into groundwater. Piclorfam, which is also on the EPA leaching list, is conrained in the pellets ofTordon, a restricted-use herbicide. SLUDGE ISSUE STILL STEAMING Though 2,4-D is not restricted and is classed only as a "possible carcinogen," it may soon be reclassified, because recent studies by the National Institute of Cancer have shown a link There is a new development in the bat!le between 2,4-D and cenain types of cancer. As over the fate of Buncombe County's sewage 2,4-D breaks down, it can form products of decomposition rhat are more toxic than the original sludge: Advanced Alkaline Stabilization. With encouragment from the Buncombe formulation. Like Tordon and Dicamba, 2,4-0 can County Commissioners, the Buncombe also be contaminated with nitrosamines, which are Metroplltan Sewerage District (MSD) has agreed cancer-causing. or more immediate concern is the stress which pesticides put on rhe kidneys and 10 hold a hearing on this waste treatment process, which mixes sludge with kilned lime dusr other pans of the human body. William (quicklime). ~ng pathogens and raising the pH agronomy at Wes1 Bryon, associate professor of Virginiu University Wiil> quolcd of the mixture, thus binding heavy metals and making the resulting material suitable for in the Roanoke TimtS of January 29, 1988 that herbicides cannot eradicate the multiflora rose and spreading on farm pastures. The hearing is are not wonh using. He also mentions a natural scheduled to be held in Asheville on March 21. rosette disease Foes of che sludge incinerator say that che control called Missouri. Thiswhich is spreading this way from disease, spread by outcome of that hearing will detennine their future a mite, can accomplish what the herbicides can't strategy. "If the MSD continues to favor the and kills the multiflora in a few years. incineration process," said Paul Gallimore of the (conlinucd on next .-ae} Long Branch Environmenral Education Center, "we will push for a review of the Environmental Protection Agency's health risk assessment that OK'd the incinerator proposal. "The EPA assessment is flawed. They looked at only one possible pathway for airbome pollution from the incineraror to enter the body by air inhalation - when actually there are four other possible parhways - through direct contamination of food, food grown in contaminated soils, dermal exposure, and inhalation of contaminared soil or dust. "After some method - any method - of sludge treatment is chosen, the next step is to put pressure on the MSD to righten up industrial pre-ueatrnent standards for wastes. Carcinogens and heavy metals should not be allowed to leave the point of origin regardless of the waste treatment technology selected." The MSD has agreed to institure a pilot operation to tesc the feasibility of composting sewage sludge no mauer what treatment process is used for the bulk of the county's wasre. "This is very positive," said GaJJimore. "Where an incinerator will give out in 20 or 30 years and have to be completely replaced at great expense, a composting operation just keeps turning out the humus. Biological microorganisms just don't quit." �(CQn.tinucd from pag$ 21) MOUNTAIN PEOPLE SAY "CUT THE CLEARCUITING" Nanni Wcxld News Savice The Western Nonh Carolina Alliance (WNCA) bas launched a public campaign to Fuade the US Forest Service (USFS) to change us primary timber management technique, even-aged management. Under that scheme patches of the National Forests up to 40 acres in size an: cut to the ground so that the resulting regrowth is of uniform size and easier 10 harvest. Alliance members held an anti-clearcuuing protest demonstration in front of the Forest Service headquarters in downtown Asheville. Banners and signs proclaiming "Cut the Clearcutting" were hoisted by the protesters who want the Forest Service to adopt a timber management strategy that relics heavily on uneven-aged management, which is based on careful examination of individual siteS and logging prescriptions that call for the thinning of undesirable trees as welJ as the removal of good sawtimbcr. so that future growcb is improved. Uneven-aged management requires greater expertise and auention to detail on the part of foresters, and the Forest Service claims it docs not have the budget to suppon these extra demands on its staff. Demonsttators lined the sidewalks in front of the USPS offices with tree stumps to ~give the flavor of what a forest of stumps looks like," said WNCA member Monroe Gilmour. Also displayed was a 90-foot long petition containing over 1,700 .names of Katuah residents opposed to clearcuning. The campaign was also carried into local ranger districts at several meetings held to give local community members a chance to speak about proposed clearcurs in their immediate areas. Over 100 Clay County residents auended a community meeting in Hayesville to protest planned clearcutting in their county. Retired fores1cr Walton Smith, chair of the WNCA Timber Management Taste Force, told the gathering that since the clcarcuuing method was iniri:ued the qualit) of the timber production had substanrially declined. Smith noted that the growth of sprouted limber, as found in clcarcuis. was substantially faster, but produced trees of poorer quality than trees grown from seed. Sprouts produced a cross-grain growth that created a weakness in the lumber, he said. Smith recently walked scveml clearcuts with USFS Regional Supervisor Bjorn Dahl. Smith said Dahl was "quite surprised'' to see a tract under uncven-:iged management thnt W3S full of young seedling trees. whereas the clearcut areas were full of sprouts. In another meeting with Forest Service personnel and a.ides to legis!Ative representatives, 150 Madison County residents met to protest proposed road construction and clcarcuning at the top of Bearpcn Ridge. The residenis complained that the road and the clearcutting operation would cause sedimentation in Hickey Fork Creek and would destr0y the trout hatchery there. The cold creek waters offer challenging fishing for rainbow and native brook trout The steep. remote forests in the Hickey Fork Creek watershed ~ovide excellent habiiat for bears and other wildlife, and the area is popular with bunters. Many in the assemblage were bear hunters who were concerned that the new roads and the clearcutting would cause bears to shy away &om the area. They were especially alarmed JGcitilah 'o~Ml P • 22 to learn that a stand of large white oalcs on top of Bearpen Ridge were t0 be included in the clearcut The hunters. who were all familiar with the woods and wildlife in the area. agreed that this .stand was one of the most imponant mast-eroducing areas in the region and that it was heavily used by bears. After hearing their concerns, Frank Roth of the USFS indicated that he would set aside an acre of so of the largest trees so that they could continue 10 provide wildlife food. The WNCA is plannning a "Cut the Clearcuuing" rally on April 15 at 11 :00 in the City-County Plaza with music, talks, and presenta1ion of a protest pe1itioo to USFS officials. For copies of the petirion in favor of uneven -aged forest management, or more informt111on on the "CUI the Clearct1tting" campaign, write or aJil: The Wesrern Nonlr Caro/iM Alliance P.O. Box 18087 Asheville, NC 28814 (704) 258- 8737 To win $50 in the "Ugliest Clearcut Photo Contest," send entries 10 tlU! Alliance by April I. Bjorn Dahl, Regional Forester US Porest Service Box 2750 Asheville, NC 28802 (704) 2574200 . ............. PEREGRINE FALCONS FLEDGE While the Natural World News often seems gloomy. here is a linle light: Scott Ball. a temporary eml'loyec of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission's Nongame Program, perched high up on Whiteside Mountain, observed lhe first confinned naturally-bred peregrine falcon to fledge in the Kal\fah province since 1957. With the help of volunteer falcon wa1chers, wildlife biologists found five pairs of peregrine falcons defending territories at mountain cliffs last ycor Three of these pairs made nesting attempts. Two pairs each raised a single chick to fledging age. Wildlife biologists seem cau11ously optimistic. While this level of reproduction will nol sustain 1he newly-established peregrine population, these successful auempts may augur well for the fuwre of this magnificent predator in Karuah. Biologisis will continue releases of young captive-bred peregrines for several more years. but will release a smaller number each year. ln 1988 18 young falcons were released along the Blue Ridge near Mt. Mitchell and on Grandfather Mountain. Biologists have released 63 young peregrine falcons in the mountains since the restoration effort began in 1984. If five breeding pairs can be csmblished in the Southern Appalachians, the program's emphasis will then switch to protection and management of the nesting peregrines. Excerptedfrom a report by John_ Alderman \..: CHEMTRONICS SPEWS POISONS Toe infamous Chemtronics plant in Swannahoa. North Carolina has dumped hundreds of thousands of potinds of a highly toxic industrial solvent into the air over the past several months, despite pleas of a company chemist to install equipment that would h.ave caught 90 percent of the chemical. . The plant has released 256 596 pounds of tetrachloroclhylcne, which is acutely or chronically toxic. according to \he US, Environmental Protection Agency '<EPA). The .solvent i~ also believed to destroy ozone in Jiu; high atmosphere, allowing increased pen~~at1on 9[, l;larmful ultra-viol~t radi;nio.o from ~he sun. Terrachloroethylene is also a suspected carcinogen and contribwes 10 s111o,g and air poJtutfon close to the Eanh's.$urface. .J • , Cbemtronics senior sc1entiSt, John Tylldall. who charted the releases. said a11 9ne.poln1t 'The cnvfronmental . impac~ (<~f the (eleases) is enormous. and wt:. need \o act on this situation immediately." He has since beep laid off by Chemtronics. Plans were approved for the installation of a recovery system to capture the escaping solvent, but Chemtronics' parent company, Halibunon Corporation. never advanced the money to pay for the lnstaUa1ion, according to a ~ll_en;llronics official. rn other recent and' rel~ued news, negotiauons between the companies responsible for dumping toxic industrial wastes at the Chemtronics Supcrfund site in Swnnnanoa have broken down, delaying clean-up of the former military munitions plant there. according to the EPA. Chemtronics, along with former owners Northrop Corporation and Ce~nese Corporaiion cannot agree on who should pay how much. The breakdown in ncgotialions means a delay of months and possibly years in the clean-up operation if the disagreement 1s submiued to litigation. according to EPA official John Bomholm. Celanese Corp. bought the now-polluted propcny in 1959 and made explosive!\, solid propellants, shells, rocket motors, and chemical agents the.re. Northrop Corp. bought 1he facility in 1965 and continued the military contracts. Jn 1971 Ainronics. Inc. leased the site and continued the work through its Cbemtronics division. Chemtronics bought the plant from Northrop in 1978, about the same time the EPA discovered the presence of more than 50 organic chemicals which had leaked into the surrounding soil and groundwater. In another recent corporate shuffle, the Halibl.lrlon Co. has dissolved its Chemtronics branch. and has turned the Swannanoa plant over co its Je1 Research subsidiary "We'rl! going LO be a lot more responsible company environmentally," said Bob King, Jet Research vice-president. "Jct Research makes warheads and other explosives for the military, but the processes will not involve the release of dangerous substances into the air and groundwater, as was the practice at the plant for so long." -SprLnq, 19U �REVIEW: Sacred Land Sacred Sex RapIUTe ofthe Deep: Concerning Deep Ecology and Celebrating Life by Dolores LaOuipelle (Pinn Hill AIU; Silvcncn, CO; 1988) '7n this kind of learni11g, there is no knowledge, in the usual stnse, to process and convey; thert is instead a deepening of anenlion to the pattern ofall lift around you, so tltat you ~gin to /Jw 'JOllT life accordUtg to thal pattern.• - DoWu LaC•Ue "Biorcgion" is a word of power. It encompasses what scientists call an "ecosystem," but goes beyond the mechanistic limitations of scientific nomenclature. A bioregion is clearly a community, a land alive - plants, animals. soil, water, sunlight, all the elements of life womng tOJCther. each sustaining the others. "Bioregion" is a word with the nng of rightness to it. The word "biorcgional" follows. It is descriptive, "panalcing of the qualities of the lioregion," but it is a little longer and the truth that resonates in the original noun is just ever so slightly diminished. But "bioregionalism" is a word that cmies no force whatsoever. Whenever the odious "-ism" is added to an otherwise usefuJ root idea, it completely drains whatever value for powerful communication that original word may previously have possessed. That simple suffix, just three letters, hardens a worthwhile approach to life into a dogmatic school of institutionalized thought, limits flexibility, and rums a life-giving relationship with the natural world into a set of precepts to be debated pro and con in sterile classrooms. "Deep ecology" is an alternative phrase inspired by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess to define the auth of our individual and collective relationship to the natural world. The phrase has drawbacks. It is based in part on the Greek word meaning ''study," because ecology was developed as an interdisciplinary course of i:nstroction to explain the relationships between the different elements of a place and how they work together to sustain life. Now, however, the word "ecology" has grown beyond the idea of "a course of study" to mean an acrual life community and the web of relationships on which i1 depends. "Deep ecology" lacks the evocative sense of a phrase like "furure primitive," which describes people living in the world. "Future primitive" predicts a technology thar is sophisticated to the point of simplicity. It refers to a people whose culture is beautifully complex rather than needlessly complicated, because it is based on primal values as well as biologically accurate observation. Yet, while the actual choice of words may be somewhat stiff, the definition of "deep ecology" is eloquent. lt is ecology with a difference. The essential tenet of deep ecology is that there is intrinsic value to life in all its fonns. To fully understand deep ecology one must identify one's "self" as "all that lives." This in tum demands perceiving the world with more of our brain than the neo-conex, the seat of the intellect. Sensual and instinctual responses are as valuable for survival as intellectual analysis. It is also assumed that a full realization of the principles of deep ecology requires that one acts on them - it is necessary to defend the Earth and to work at changing our culture. This is what living is all about. This is "bioregionalism" as it should be. "Deep ecology" is useful as a t:ranSitional concept to describe our odysse.Y back into the world. It is not the perfect turn of phrase, but usage ts what lends definition, and those who are maJctng the strongest stance for the Eanh are doing so in the name of deep ecology. It is deep enough to suffice until we simply can say ~being," and other people undersmnd. ~ing, Because that is what it is all about, isn't i1? Being, simply here. Yet in these times that is such a complicated mauer. And it is the hardest of all things to express. The sages have always said, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.• And that is where Dolores LaChapelle steps in. She has attempted the impossible - and done it valiantly. Her book Sacred Land Sacred Sex Raprure of ti~ Deep oies to communicate in words what can only be known through experience: the essence of deep ecology. Dolores LaChapelle herself is well aware of this paradox, which is faced by anyone who writes. And, like all writers, sbe feels compelled 10 wrestle with iL So in writing about deep ecology she takes another approach. Like a hawk, Dolores circles, circles. She first describes the essential mystery by describing the conditions of itS absence, and tells us the story of how we Lost touch with it. She then directs us 10 teachers who can demonstrate ic our animal relations in their rituals; authentic members of primitive cultures; scientists and psychologists who explore our deeper self And she introduces us to guides who can help us to find our own way: sage, the drum, the gourd rattle, Tai Chi, ritual, and, of course, the mounulins. Sacred land Sacred Sa Raprun of the Deep is a beautiful book - as deep in the telling as in the subject maner - created through a blend of hard scholarship, an unswerving dedication to the sacred, fierce passion, and the life experience of one of the true elders of our clan. (continued on next page) �(continued rrom page 4) (cantinuad fJom ~ 23) It is a difficult book, because I.he closer one approaches lO the essenr:ial truth, the more do ideas become unbound. ~e more do words betray their meanin&. But Doto~ La Chapelle is a_ woman of great intellectual stamma. Th~ stones and observatt.o ns we encounter along this convoluted JOume.Y arc ~th ~mg and wonderful. and each episode of the book is absorbing m itself. But, tnken together, the insights delineate an infonnational fiel~ that conveys a full sense (not mctely a pinned-to-the-board analysis) of what deep ecology is all about Impossible as it is to transmit an experiential stnte through linear type, the book Sacred land. Sacred ~G ROf~"e of tlu! Deep expertly i.rtfoans inclividuaJ cxpenence. It 1s a trauung manual that reaches the reader how to open up to the deepest elements of his or her own life joumey. After reading Dolores LaChapelle's book, we know the danger signals to watch for in our culture and in our own psyche. We know where io look and how to call for instruction. And we know what it feels like when we reach hannony, the center of the world We arc prepared to experience the sacred. Hopefully, the day will come when the concept "deep ecology" is obsolete, books will no longer be needed, and our minds won't be enmeshed in ideas. Then we won't have 10 sacrifice U'CCS to our earnest attempts IO explain the Mystery. Then a story, a night of love, a smile, or the wind moving a leafy branch will be communication enough. But until then we should be glad we have teachers such as Dolores LaChapelle. • reviewtd by David Whultr #' "AFFORDANCES" From Sacred land Sacred Sex Rapture of the Deep phase peoples cultivated most of their food, and supplemented their crops with native foods hunted and gathered from the forest. There was a ceremonial center with room coougb for large gatherings, built on raised earthen mounds. Ther~ wer~ semisubterranean eanh lodges. progenitors or those bwlt dunng the historic Qualia phase by the Cherokee. . . Pisgah phase peoples ma.de cane mats, the 1~prcssions of which were found in graves, even though the actual amcles no longer remained. Graves were dug in the floors or dwellings, and the dead were usually buried in a flexed posicion (lying on their sides in foetal position). They were accompanied by turtle shell rattles, bone neck.laces, tools of srone and bone, and pottery. Support Your Local Ar<:haeologist The Pisgah Village sue in McDowell County has been excavated primarily with volunteer labor, much of on the pan of local residents. Robinson is grateful for such suppon; in fact, it was local interest that made excavation possible in the first place. Archaeologists usually receive funding to conduct retrieval of information only when n site is threatened by development The rather comical image of the archaeologist busily sifting through the din in front of a moving bulldoi.eris all too real Robinson urges everyone who discovers artifacts or a possible archaeological site to contact him at Wam:n Wilson College, or get in touch with any archaeology laboratory. such as those located at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, or Appalachian State University io Boone. Archaeological sites are resources to be preserved, protected, and revered. It is only by careful recovery of the infonnatioo they contain, which often takes many years of study, that we will benefit from these historic resources. At a time when population saturation, disease, and decimation of our narura.I resources threatens our very survival, we cannot afford to desrroy the evidences of our region's past, which might perhaps offer answers for our fu1ure. Persons i111erested in leaniing f11()re abow archaeology can contact the Archaeological Society of Norrh Carolina; Research Laboratories of Archaeology; Universiry of Non/1 Carolina, and the Friends of North Carolina Archaeology, NC Depanmenc of Cu/rural Resources; 109 E. Jones St.; Raleigh, NC 27611. Archaeologist Ken Robinson may~ co111acted by writing him a1 Warren Wilson College, SwannallOQ, NC 28778 or calling (704) 298-3325. ~ "The affordances of the environment are what it offers the animal, what it provides or furnishes, either for good or ill." "Afford." as a verb, is found in the dictionary, but (James J.) Gibson (of c.ome11 University) made up I.he word ''ajforda.nce." He explains that this word refers to both the environment and the animal (including the human) "in a way that no existing tenn does. It implies the complementarity of the animal and the environment." This is precisely why I think this word is so important In our culture, we tend lO think that humans have discovered all these amazing things; in some ways we believe that these things didn't even exist until humans found them. I've been trying 10 break down this laner presupposition throughout this work; first, by showing how the affordancc we call the gourd gave us agri.culture and later with other examples. Once you begin using this word, you will find that every day you will realize how nature provides affordances for us to use. It's all there before us - it's not dependent on humans to figure it out This is a giant step forward in overcoming our culturallr,-induced split from nature. These affordanccs 'arc the way specific regions of the environment directly address themselves to particular species or individuals. Thus, to a human, a maple tree may afford 'looking at' or 'sitting under,' while 10 a sparrow it affords 'perching,' and '? a squincl it affords 'climbing.' But these values are not found inside the minds of the animals. Rather I.hey are...a reciprocal interchan~e between the living intentions of any animal and the dynamic affordances of its world ...The psyche .. .is a property of the ccosysLCm as a whole." _, - Dolores LoChopelle ' FOR FURTI!ER READING: Dickens, Roy S .. and J(JJ'MS l. McKinley. Frontiers in the Soil: The Archaeology of Georgia (Chapel Hill; Fronriers Pub. Co.; 1979) Hudson, Charles. The Southeastern Indians (Kn<>xville; University o/Tennessu Press: 1978) Keel, Bennie C .. Cherokee Archaeology: A Study of the Appalachian Summit (Knoxville; University of Tennessee Press; 1976) Mathis, Mark A. and Jeffrey J . Crow. The Prehistory of Nonh Carolina: An Archaeological Symposium (Raleigh, NC Div. of ArclUvesandHistory: 1983) McHargue, Georgena and Michael Ro~rrs. A Field Guide to Conservation Archaeology in North America (PhUadelphla: J.B . Uppincorr Co.; 1977) Wetmore. Rwh. First on the Land: The North Carolina Indians (Winston-Sa/em; l<>hn F. Blair, PublishQ; 1977) Wa.m:n Wilsoo College will offer an archaeologic:al f"icld 1thool 1his summer lhnt wdl focus on the Pisgah Village site. SllldclllS will lc4m survey and excavation leehniqucs mid will also be involved in lhe aruilysls of altifact and site da.13. Contact: Kt11 Robinson. Proj«t Dim<:t.or; Box 5277; Warren Wiison College; Swanannanoa. NC 28778 (704) 298-3325. s �Video Review: "Stopping the Coming Ice Age" Dirccled by l.JuTy Ephron Produced by the Institute for a Future (57 minules) Looking back, it ~eems tha1 1988 was ~ ye:ir for important, "new" environmental issues and concerns to surface. ln particular, ibis was the year in which the idc.i or lhe so-called "greenhouse effect" finally gained public acceptance. if not notoriety- a year lhat saw record-breaking drought. hurricanes, and forest fires. Suddenly, the idea of global warming was appearing everywhere in che media, and it seemed that concerned scienliSlS and poliricians were unanimous in their suppon for the global warming scenario. However, this unanimity is an illusion, media coverage to the contrary. ln fact, there is much contr0versy within the scientific community ns to the chmatic effects and socio-polilicctl nunificalions of the greenhouse effect. It is far from cenain that the climate changes we're seeing arc leading to/caused by global warming. In fact, there is ac1ually considerable evidence that points to a very different conclusion: lhn1 1he planet may be teetering on the brink of another Ice Age. One of the foremost proponents of this laner view is John Hamaker, a mechanical engineer who has cx1ensively analyzed clima1e and ecological paucms, and hn.<; developed a comprehensive and holistic approach to understanding global climate change. His lheories, expressed in h.is book The Survival of Civiliza1io11, arc now being supported and dissemina1ed by a foundation called "Institute For A Fu1urc", which re<.-ently created a remarkable video pr~ntation: "Stopping the Coming Jee Age". This video is inspiring, frightening, challenging, and very infonnative, as it takes us around the world in search of answers. While Hamaker agrees that the greenhouse effect is a very real Lhrea1, he believes - and backs this up with hard data and expert opinion - that it will [ll2l.warm ihe Eanh unifonnly, but instead will increase the temperarure differential between the equator and the poles, causing increased thermal convection, atmospheric turbulence, and rapidly shifting and biz:zare weather patterns.Jn this scenario, high winds moving from the equator tow111ds the poles will drop their abundan1 moisture in the h.ighcr latitudes in the form of snow and ice, often creating drought condicions in the temperate regions. He believes that lhe tropical and sub-tropical zones will indeed get hotter, but the tempenue zones arc likely to get cooler and drier. Hamakcr"s understanding of the greenhouse effect talces us far beyond the popularized, watered-down information available Lhrough the mass media because he explores deeper levels of cause and effec1, process and purpose. The mos1 profound information presented in this video concerns the connections beiween lhe greenhouse effect and the development of an ice age, and the importance of understanding long-tmn cycles (100,000 years!) of clima1e change. The video demonstrates the causal connections linking together all the different environmenuil/atmospheric phenomena that combine to bring on an ice age: 1) soil erosion and demineralizntion 2) the subscquem weakening and dying of the forestS 3) the resulting increase in insect inrestations, forest decay, and massive fortst fires 4) I.be dramatic increase in C02 released into the atmosphere by these na1ural causes, which induces the greenhouse effecL 5) and m the 20lh century - as opposed to 100,000 years ago man-made pollution and our destrUCtive tampering with the natural balance of life are intensifying and hastening the process. According 10 Hamaker. an ice age performs a vitally necessary natural function. As tbe glaciers advance and then retreat, they move and grind up immense quantities of roclc,thus spreading gravel and rock dust over much of lhe Lcmperate zones. This process, along with the winds that help distribute lhis rock dust even further, gradually l'Cllllneralizes the soil· which feeds the planis and forests, promoting rapid and healthy growth • during which lime the plants breathe in much of the excess C02 in the atmosphere • wh.ich gradually stops the greenhouse effect! The plants of the world breathe in C0 2, use the carbon, and release the o>cygen back into the air whlch we, and all other animals, breathe! SprLnq, 1989 Thus, n primary function of glaciation i~ to ttminerali1.e and help reforest the Eanh. The reason this video is called "S1oppfng the Coming Ice Age" is that Hamaker thinks we humans can indeed must. if we wanr our cwilization to survive • reminemlizc the Earth oursefres. We ourselves can fulfill the vital rolt pluyed by an ice age, rendering ~uch a geological event obsolete. This means, however. that the government~ and peoples of nil countric:; and regions would need to make it a top priority to remineralize our depleted ~ils, and also to engage in massive reforcs1ation projec1s, planting billions of trees worldwide. Without hc:aJthy forests, we have no chance at all of slowing the ttemendous C02 buildup which fuels the greenhouse effect. As the video pu1s it." The trees of the world are our best friends now. and only they can save us". Obviously, then, we also need 10 i;iop clear-cutting our foresis. both here and in the tropics, and to limit our fossil fuel burning, wh.ich has been accelerating the greenhouse process. Only by doing all these things, says Hamaker, can "e avoid horrific consequences for humani1y in the very near foture. The audacity of this theory and lhis proposal lies in its utter simplicity and common-sense quality. Yet many people may not heed H.ama.ker's message and information because we have become so enamored of "high- tech" solutions and shon-tenn planning, gratification, and profit. Hamaker's plan demands a clear understanding of our planetary dilemma. and a deep comminnent t0 creating a viable future, as well as some sacrifice or comfon and convenience. The video concludes with these questions: "Have we got the guts to do it? How much do we really want to be here?" Whether or not Hamaker's proposal is ever implemented on a large scale, we can all do things individually and collectively to help educate people and help heal the planet. The video pointS out 1hat even if these theories aren't totally "provable", or even completdy accurate, we should X1ill do the things Lhat Hamaker suggests, for 1he sake of ecological balance, conservation, and planetary sanity. rn addition to the ideas discussed in this review, this video explores JDl!.W! other aspects of our ecological and social dilemmas • many more than can be dealt with here. There is so much vital information presented, within such a comprehensive framework, that this video ranks as a definite "must see'· for anyone at all concerned about environmental issues and social change. • "Stopping The Coming Ice Age" is available for $20 from: lnstitue for a Future, 2000 Cenfer St. Berkeley, CA 94704. For info on other offerings of the lnstirutc call 1·800-441-77Cll • To arrange a showing or this video in the Asheville area, or for more information, call Richard Lowenthal ar(704) 251-2526. ~ LOCAL RESOURCE I ACTION INFORMATION • The December t988 issue or "American ForeSIS" m;igirant (published by the American Forcsuy Association) 11 cle110~ almo~1 ent.Ucl)' IO tropical defore.suuion, lhc gJCCnhou.sc effll(:I, and lhc prc.~ng n~ to ref~ the e:inb. II highlights the AlSOCiotion's nx:ently-formcd Olobal Ro-Leaf prognun, which aims to cducaLC Americans aboul Ille vil,DJ 1mpc:111.a11CO of rcfottsuulon. lllld to "cl'Cl!IC a new ruulon31 nctwort. (If c1ti~n aetiv1su· whU:h will, 11 i• hoped, plant at l~t 100,000.000 ll'Ce.$ nntiOCl·wiclc over the ne~1 sc~eral ycatt. For more informalion, wriie to: Amcriciln Forestry Association, PO Box 2000, Washinguin, DC 20013 (202) 667-3300 · WNC Alliance "Cut l.M ~Jng" c.imJiaign (st.o pege22 ! : P.O. Box 18087, A&be\'IUC. NC 28814 (704)2$8-8737 • Forest Voices - •an /;jormatlon netW'Ofk lhat assi.sls citiz.cm m pal'_llcipating in 1hc planning and managcmcmt or the Pisg:ih and Nant.ahala .h'!uional (919j.182-36'33 Fol'CSIS"· P.0 Box 1275. West. lcffttiOn. NC 28694 • Adopl a Tree· a muhi-faceted ~on which "works 10 make the vital connection between (IC(ll>lc 111d ttee•' and wcrts &c!;tly will\ rtfon:St3tion: P.O. Box 144, Supr Gnwc. NC 28679 • The Fctwwy 1989 publ~ "Mounuun ~Al Risk! the FulllTC of the Southern Appalachlari National ~13" )160+ pages, intludina 1ru1ny cxccllentchart$ and appendices). Available on rcqucst from: The Wilderness Society. 1819 Peaclusee Rood N.E. (Suite 714) Atlanlll , OA 30309 Drawing by rob mcJSlc:k (404) 3SS-178l. �What a wondetful journal! - a beanening combination of slwp-eycd icalism and full hearted poetry. I feel rve encountered a true compt111ion. Thanks IO D3ve Albert who passed iL on with your review of my book. J0311na Macy Bctb:ley, CA DRUMMING LETIERS TO KATUAH Friends in Kallia.h - "In the field or opponuni1y, it's plowing lime again.· Those or you working in the cnwonmenllll. public henlth, resource ma.nagcment fields may be questioning (tllllhority?). 1f your profe.~slOllal orienllllion is on the same path as your human development and land~lhie perogntivc. My Friends at Katliah Journal· Your publication is beautiful and 111Spirlng. I n:c:eived a complimentary copy {Auwmn, 1988) conceming the great chcsmul n:vival. and enjoyed lhe entire journal. I visil I.be Kaul.ah bioregion each year (feeling very Sll'Ongly lhat I was and am "born" lheic.) I am so cooccmcd about lhe negative human impact on this n:gion, and would be in~ed in anylh1ng I could do for l'CSIOnllion. rd<Xallll.ion. pl'CllCCUon, eu:.. Blessings. Nancy Llgnitt Olalhe, KS P. S. • Forgive my ignorance-.could you please lei me lmow the correct pronunciation of "Kanlah1" (Sure! Probably o lot of otltu ~pie have b4ie11 woNlerilog, IOO. bul Soy, "lea - TOO • ah.• jiut did11'1 d/Jre IO osk. Reody, fl/JW? Guruu!Mil! • eds.) Dear Kat.Udl • Many friends or mine propose pcrfeclioo (In lhe ronn or intcrpCtS0031 peace) as a .solution 10 Ille llul:aL or wincllOCl. I tell them, "Hey, I don't think we've got Ume.• l think I saw the snmc thing happening In Katli.ah JourMl 22 bul in an opposilC way. Thete the dhugence of individual, corpome. and govtmmcntal behavior from the ideal was plCSClllCd so forcdully as tO make any suggesuon of solutions ou1 or place. i wnnl tO argue lh41 in both lhcsc in.~ ideals malfunction when they an: mnde JWOX}mn1e goals rather !ban guiding beacons. One p;ndox of idealism is lhlli lhe greai.cr the con1ras1 bdWllCll lhc IC.Ill and ldCal behavior of people, the more wfficuh it Is to argue lhal Ille JdcaJ is naturul (to them). the mon: claboralC mast be the explanation as to how they got so aberrant. and lhe tw rusonablc it IS to hope Ibey will Ulkc the 1113Jly.111lUly steps from one to lhe other. Usually the conimst is sortened :wt hope ~by thc stnuch or cenlUries, millenia or aeons presumed 10 inluvcne between ~ and ideal But in the presclll crises the conuast and ~are ui=ased. Wh'fl Wlw I see happcnmg 11 thal lhe apocolyplic p0!>'iibili1y of our cnviroomcn141 and mililllrist trues is malung people shnnk the middle ground bctwcoo rc:il and ideal, mlllung them tlunk the ldeol m1m be nuained right away, u we are to survive. The resuh Is that the I~ ome lhctl) is left for clunge. the mocc of 11 is demanded. We use ideals to get at wlufs trul)' wrong bul then in a cnsis rrusiake lhcm Lo be a pracllcal progTI1111 for se1ung thmgsright. In conuas1. thc closer we appro:ich disaster 1he mote focused should be our analysis, the less suidcnt OU/ Judgcmcnl.s, the more specafte and llmillld our prcscripuons. Out ideals C:tll still gwdc 11$ bu! from a dl$UIJIOC. subonlloate to a goal of swvival as a ~ics w11l1 a 5uswnable OIOde or exislcnc:c. Once that is a,s_'>ll'Cd weC1111 resume lhc ncYCJ endulg wOlt or moving oursclvt$ and the world IOW8td the 1dc;al Respectfully yours. JlcltOwley M:idison County, NC I would like to begin gcncmting plans fora small compt111y of icsponsiblc people co promote land S?ewardsbip lllld conscrvlltion of natural resources. We11 provide professi01131 and 1.CChnico.I consulUttion and CSU!blish bioregi.oJllll criteria for environmerually sensitive site devclopmcnl silviculturc, archiiecturc. fanning. wau:r use. nnd small Cl\C.f&Y production. rm intcreSICd in communicating with others who an: ready with ide:is for lll!lking ~ TRANSmON to perpetual livelihood in a Clll'CCr lh;t1 will reward our f11111ilies as well as our PLANET. Sincetely. Steve Ovcndcn Box;JS Pntmcuo. Ft. 34220 Dear Katllah Friends · I saw the "Sheller" issue of your journal and especially love and use the Invocation (to WlnlU) - k's so beautiful to say. l was CMCCived and born 8lld also love those moun1auJS and tree$ tllld fresh air and flowing creeks. 1banlc you so much- .. the issue I saw wns bcauuful. iruly. Blessings, JUlllUI Forest Octr0it. Ml Docs my dog bite1 Lady. Lhat dog's so old lllat he'd only gum you If he caught you if he even hnd the gumption toehaseyou which he don'L Why do I keep him? Hah! Lady, that'~ the best watehdog ICYCJhad bar none. How do yau mean? Why, he don't chnsc chldtcn• or run hvestoek or keep me awake barking all night. Burgl:!n7 Lady, 1fyou see anylhing around here worlh r.i.cahng point ltOUI and l'll nulc:e )'OU a 11!31 good price on 1L 'Ccpl mlybe my dog. • RonJohnson Spn."9, 11109 �: .. equal "p:lttllCrSlup" with all Olher living entities. I dream of a world whcie long-sllllldmg cu1Lu!'111 tr3d11ions are honored and s upponcd, bolh in hCICIOgcncous groupings of oil kinds of people living 1.ogcthcr and in more isolntcd, sell-conlllined indigenous communities. h 1s being said · and even channeled · lhal we are entering o pcnod of 30 to 50 years of ca1BClysmic changes on the eanh. Some beings will pass on in this ume of purging, while othetS will come in to !like iheir place. Some or us wiU sUllld in the forefront of change and IJUllsmut.ation while others of us wiU follow close behind. Let us begin then LO create the v1s1ons that will ullimaiely provide the blueprints for our future on !his planci., and begin to eultiva1e the liUlc poclu:IS oC mmly and wholeness Lhal will evemually be the models from wrueh the rest of humanity cnn draw msp1r.11ion and duectioo. The time has come_ dear comrades, lei us dream ... together· Jay Joyce Asheville. NC ·. Dear Friends· c.ome. dream 11 liuJe dream with me. As we all sil~ inexornbly tnLO thc not-so-nif1y nmcties. its becoming clearer nnd c:ltlim dial life as we trow it mLISI be draWcally altered if we ait to reverse the lides or ecologic:il desuuction gaihcring fon:e nround the globe. h is clearly ume for us iocn:aie new visions for the rurure. lO look iownrd the 2 lst centW')' with a sense of hope and purpOSe and direction, and OOl just foreboding. And it i.~ in this spirit that I'd like to offer a few personal images far a new bcguming, an altcmru.ive futun: - and LO invite compatriots everywhere to color in these prclimm111Y skcu:hes fwther. Farst of all, I sec a plllce where boclc:ynrd fences have been lOOI down, and neighborhood gmdens, quiet ~cs, play SUUCUUCS. and gathering pl:ices sprawl acro&s the land insicad. Theo l see community ocntcJS blossoming :i.mong the dctri~ of ab:lndoncd school buildmgs nnd agmg warchow.es, where recycling proJCCU, compost dumps, and communru gardens repklce blllciclOp parking lots; and where weekend Ilea mnrkel.nnd bloclt panics. moon celebrotions, and ecology fairs fill those huge l<>nely spaces. where computer nctwolks and refemil scrvtCCS and gallery car~ keep people in touch Greetings Brochers and Sisu:ss of Ka111ah • r love you all and pray with you always, and alwoys my heart is so full wbeo I receive my copy of Ka1Uah JourMl. ll takes me back to the Appalachians and the memories flood m. r thought tha1 if your magazine came OUI be fan: Lbc equinox, you could pnn1 something from • Aoccwoo,• the Maori name f<W" New Zealo.nd. since ii seems 1hc chcslnut arucles (KOJiiah Journol #21 · ed.) cre:it.ed some communicauon. We rue organizing o gaihering on a friend's propeny 111 lhe end of o rood in a Nal.iOlllll Par1t, one or the mos1 beautiful places m lhe world. This is the only gruhcring this year as our annual "Towards 2000" workshop-oriented gathcrin~ wcrcn'1 held this yu.T. The annual nonh island "Tc WaiOU3" glllhcring hosn't happened foe lhc l3Sl two yClll'S or our "Hui Waiata." which is a musical glllhcring. Although there arc loL\ of open-minded folk and mony good things bnppcning here. we are going through a phase of fcwct gnthcrings ond feel the need for folk t0 gel tQgct.hcr to share their ideas and views and feel strong in their commitment to healing lhe Earth along with other brother! and !isters. Hopefully, our pthcring will provide llus opponuru ty, as it's mo progre$$ive area wilh communities. ocgaruc forms. and iCs a long way rrom any ctties or polllllion. so a lOt of naturul beauty along wilh a good growing climiue which has aurnc1ed 1'11311Y ovcneas follt. so we have an opponuouy to share Lbcir visions, as ITIOSl of them come from a vccy comamintued Northern Ht.maspbcrc. As USUllJ, alu:malive folk find 1t hard to deal with local authorities, but this is one of the few areas where people can make the effort ID be pin of local dc:cislon·makmg and help make folk fll01C aware of what is hnppcrung to our Mother and the roles W$ can play IO bcal Her and OUl1iClves. with each other. t look forward also LO a time when we all learn LO lhink about each thing we "tlvow away" long enough to decule how u can be recycled or properly disposed of. I imagine a place· ll Smithsonian of the mind. if you will • whc:re a few old TV's, microwaves, electric am-openers. wa1apiks, air-purifiers, etc. are kept in a museum lO remind us of whal we almost buried ourselves in . .• while the rest oC them ~ no longer nccdcd or wanted. I dlcll!n or a time when we no longer use tars, and freeways a.re no longer necessary eitcept roe skalcboordulg, sledding, skhng, bicycling, and wllldsurfing. I envision a scienlifx: communny thal seeks ou1 ways to gel rid or the nukes, cleanly, lO biodegradc the phlsuc. 10 trunsfOJ111 ihe 10X1e chemicals, IO clean up thc :ur and w.ucr, to cure the diseases, and IO develop stmplincd, life-nunuring ways Cot all ihe criUCIS still 3.m0f18 us LO reinhabil the pbneL I look forwllr<l to a lime when children learn IO love leaming, when they arc iniegmtcd into ihe life of their communities and when !hey Ill'!: openly adcoowlcdged and supponcd ror the grC&l comnbutions they mlllcc to our lives. 1 imagine a ume when people enj()y learning a> much ttbout lheir loctll ccosySlCITI as they now blow about the plol developments of the lalCSI soap opelilS and lhe lifcstyles or lhc rich and famous. I envision a time: when bUIDQll betn.gs 1cam LO QCCepl I.be Cllc:1 lha1 !hey tnhab11 one small niche m the pta& an:le of the eanh's ccosysicm end therefore leam IO uucmct m loving, Drllwmp by Sheli Lodge Love, Pc1ctOay 16 Jarrow Plac;c Christchurch 3 New 7.ea1ruld �Earliest February I begin searching along a neighbor's hedgerow for just a tendril of the coming miracle. Or gatlog as one stricken upon the si Us of morning when the fir'lt dreamy memories of daffodils return. l breathe a wisp of a vast movement stirring and alluring me. Deep in e veins of southern sloping woods. I know beside the coldest laughing waters bubbling and glittering in the soft. buucry sun some rich, mysterious. fragile awakenings unfold. Long before the geese come winding surely homeward, I discover and behold an anicle of r.ransfonnation that by narure disregards mere joy or faith or sorrow, to which uncr defeat or sheer victory remain the same. So even in this old hean of winter full of woes. the barrer1 season ofdui.t and frost is washed clean away. And this, I suppose. is why l wander seeking ccnitudc. ruming a 11one over by the path, or gazing above treetops. or gliding clflike lhfouJh the forest's solemn ~lonnadtli. for in this ~un-goW rime as the eaith starts siirring, c:ven the ~' n dcith of my brother is cased and gree the ve, delicaie, relentless mari:h of Spring. Alt. 1i\U.. ~ '"" 1'4Wah )ournal p«UJe 28 - Mitliattl Hockaday. Sp rlfMJ, l 989 �Planet Art conunucd rrom page 1 Christina then found Leigh Hollowell who had srudied Contact extensively on the West Coast and who was also very interested in seeing Contact happen in this area. Leigh enthusinstically agreed to co-teach a ContAct class with Christina. They knew that if they wanted to have people to do Contact with, they would have to help create a Contact community first. Leigh love:; Contact because "it's natural - it'~ not based on socialized preceptS but on an open exchange with other people in the reality of the present moment." She is aware that for many people dance classes and physical education have been emotionally painful and repressive, because they were not encouraged to learn their own natural movement but to imitate others. Her main goal is "to provide a positive movement experience for people so they can become friends with their bodies and learn to perceive it as a resource of creativity." I asked her how she felt that Contact would affect the larger community, and she said. "Because it is not based on any one culture's movement and is a form naruraJ to all human bodies, it is an effective way to trunscend barriers between people..• it would simply create a more trusting, and therefore more peaceful, community." l have been panicipating in this dance class since November and have been able to experience it "first hand". ln Contact dance, we maintain a ''point of contact" with another person, and it constantly shifts as both move. When we try to control where the movement goes with our minds, it becomes stiff and awkward. When we stop trying to control and simply focus on the point of contact, that point guides us in a flowing way towards movements that are easy and spontaneous. Our minds are shocked at how well we can do without their control. Imagine a society in which we allowed our interactions to come from our point of connection instead of our differences! For more information about Contact Improvisation, call Leigh Hollowell at (704) 252-4475. Art here in Karuah has begun to reflect the reality of our connection wilh the planet.... making art-all fonns of creative expression and ritual-a pan of our daily lives. By acknowledging the sacredness of our co-existence with the rest of ~Water Systems WATER PURIFICATION EQUIPMENT SOLAR PRODUCTS Membar NC Water O~lty AasoclaOon RANDALL C. LANIER 704-293-5912 HWY 107 RT 68 BOX 125 CULLOWHEE, NC 28723 che universe, we are beginning 10 harmonize with it Many of us, though, have closed off our energies to the vision of a hnrmonit.ed planet because it seems so elusive and far away, and we don't like feeling disappointed. Others have refused to sec and accept the truth of the planet as it is because il is painful .. and think that if they "shut their eyes it will go away.• The tnJth 1s that the sooner we open our eyes and accept what is there, the more effectively we will be able to deal with iL In a book called The Path of Ltas1 Resistance, a simple and effective method for manifesting a choice is given. This method can apply lO planetary as well 3S personal mmsfonnation. lt is lO constantly hold in our minds two things ... exactly what our vision is and the full truth of our current reality. It is based on the idea that "in order 10 ge1 where you want to go, you need to know where you are." Since we are all planet anisrs, this technique needs to be widely understood. As we hold our vision firmly in mind and continue to acknowledge what's happening now, new nod unexpected ways of achieving our goals will come to us. Jn order 10 do this, we need co be aware of the deep, undercurrent regenerative processes that exist around and within us that we can tap into. As more and more of us choose to love and accept our planet and all her inhabitanlS no matter what is happening, the easier it will be. A lot is happening in our region, and J'm sure there are many more people here with ideas and enthusiasm to contribute towards a biorcgional program of Planet An. Some suggestions arc... a traveling multi-media show that would tour the region to network and share bioregional idens...communicy rituals for healing the la.ad... restoring our environment with "Clean-Up An" events... synchronizing with planetary peace and art events ... All Species Day with parades and festivals ...Joining in the preparations for Earth Day '90. There is no linu1 to what we can dol...there is no shonage of things to rcharmonizel It's time to find out who we all are as anists and get our networks in place. At the next K.atuah Gathering we can come together and bntinstonn. t can be contacted by wrirtng P.O. Boll: 278, Asheville, North Carolina, KatUah Province 28802 or _,, ~ calling (704) 253-4831. ~ DE.S IGNS by Rob Messick Illustration & Design In Pen & Ink and COiored Pencil Po eox 2eoi • Boone Nt. 28W7 • 171l41r...i 1>0117 WIU> OllU> DESIGNS T-SHIRTS. SWEATSHIRTS For ADULTS and CHILDREN Clothing, Fabric A.rt and Miracles ORIGINAL HAND·PRINTED NATURE DESIGNS A DIVERSE COLLECTION OP WEARABLE ART Peac~ AIDbassador Garm~ats l\ta&icRob6 CALLor WRITE for 'Olousu and Pnothos _A,. ......,., tfubal Bdts THE ALTERNATIVE HEALING HOT-LINE l -800-544-4980 /\ lrtt 10 thl' public rel~rr.&1 servi~ •Ml N•llnn•I wrtlnt"<~ 5..;1chboml. •• J,. n1....1.•., P..,..1 /J., "ATIONAL DIRECTORY OF HOLISTIC PRACTmOSERS. HEALt::RS, SCHOOL<;, CENTERS & RETREATS l'bollt' I~ HOT-UN£ fo Rr>d Cltli how yo1it pr•cti«, s.chool, ~&Jina anter or tt1"'111 nn be Usitd in the N•tloMI Oirttto • Sprl.fMJ, 1989 .u Jler/Jg11J111 eti1tit 'lljaee, 'Ry~r 'Na@r~ FREE COLOR CATALOG e1ti1te1t At11p1Utct11re Drt~PillOW'I Appliqu&I &: Painted Deslgns Fur R/J1111I, ThtalT~, & S11f-&mpow1rmtt11 Send S 2 ror fuU-<:olor caulog/ Custom onlcrs llYlilablc t>en l.se New&oTJI. P.O. Box 178, Asheville, NC 28801 (70-4) 25).431 �POPLAR APPEAL Green City conunucd rrom p.9 cooler in the summer. and it wai. quieter - if you knock on steel and then knock on a soybean, you unders1and the sort of deadening chMIClerislics on the inside of lhat car. The dreams of Henry Ford and the rest of the chemurgy movement were postponed. but they seem to be resurfacing again. Russell Buchanan. a scientist in Maryland, envisions the rise of botano-chemical complexes, as he calls them, rather than pcrro-chemical complcitcs, as we learn to eittract from cellulose the same things that we extract from pcuoch~micals. One ts a hydrocarbon; the other is a carbohydrate. Compare these words and they're basically the same. One of the differences. however, between a botano·chcmical complex and a pcrro-<:hemical complex is that it's easy 10 transport oil over long distances, whereas it's not easy to transport plant mauer over long distances. So botnno·chemical complexes will tend to be locally based and rurally based near their sources of raw material~ and supplies. Local self-reliance can become an economic developmem strntegy, and cities ate the best place to try it out, for several J'C3.'\0llS. Mose of us live in cities. Cities tend to be large enough 10 have an internal market, and can in fact become laboratories. Cities are concentrations of science and technology. They have the ingeouil\', the expertise and the machine toolshops to build prototypes and try them out. Bur what is your nearest city's research and development budget? h's probably zero. The local self-reliance scenario is not inevil3ble nor is it even probable. It depends on political decisions. Economic development must be seen as a means to an end and not an end in itself. Alben Einstein once said that perfection of means and confusion or cods characterize our age. We're so mesmerized by technology and development that we forget to ask, "Technology for what?" and "Development for whom?" We have become consumers of change, bul we don't know the difference between change and ,erogress. To Bertrand Russell progiess is ethical and change ls scientific; change is inevitable, while progress is problematic. In other words. progress is valw:·laden and as we change, we need to ask ourselves, "Will we progress?" We can have a green city within a brown world by moving all or our production and disposal systems for away from our city. But 10 truly embrace the ecological motivation behind a green city, we must ~ome responsible for the wastes that are generated for our convemence. And the only way to do that is 10 begin 10 return that loop of production, use and disposal, b.'ICk to the community. Marcel Proust once said that the voyage of discovery consists nm In seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes. It is in seeing O!Jf communities and our citi~s with new eyes, in pursuing a globe of Vlllag~s and not a global village, that we begin to create a new paradigm. @ lnsli1utc for Local Sclf·Rcli:incc. 2425 Ulm Sucet, t<W WllSbinguin. DC 2000!>. Also w1lh pcnnission fl'Ofll Raise IM Stt1lls. Planet Drum Foun<bLinn, P.O. Box 31251, San fran(isco, CA 94131. This anlclc appc:arcd 1n Winter 19118 issue. M.El>1.CtNE ALLtES 'J-SK1.1t'J tQllUnued from page 11 h wru; always a rare oy~rer mushrooms - that is. und special occasion when I found until I su1J1cd roaming the hills with my older mounuineer buddy Theron. Theron was rai~ed gathering roots and herbs at his grandmother's knee, and he knows the woods well, but he had ulw11ys been wisely hesitant about sampling unidentified wild mushrooms •tllc first few times in our wanderings when we found some oyster mushrooms. Theron would help me gather them and he would carefully examine them, but be always declined to share the harvest nnd rnke some home to em. However. after heming me talk so much about how good they were (and seeing that I was still thriving), he finally tried some. He and his wife enjoyed them immensely, and from then on it seemed that. with Theron's help, I was hardly ever without oyster mushrooms. From Theron I learned 10 visit areas 1ha1 had been logged a few years previosly and look on tulip poplar stumps after a spell of rainy weather. In the$C Meas we could find man)' pounds of the savory mushrooms in any season of the year. We often found enough to dry and store for times when the fresh ones were scarce. When Theron and I sn down together and share a meal of oyster mushrooms and other wild edibles, I think about what a strongc pair we make: me, a naturalist from the Oat land with a university education, and him, a tradjtional mountain wood~man and fanncr who barely finished eighth grade. Yet we both realize that if we hadn't met and been open and receptive 10 each other's knowledge. neither of us would be earing this delicious wild mushroom supper. Traditional knowledge and book learning can go well together. ©1989 by the tlJ.Uhor. Reprl111edfrom Wildlife in North Carolina Magazine. "Ranger Doug" EUiolt, as he is known to rite cltildren i11 the group, is an excellent naJuralist, but is also known as a lively~ storyteller and ''a real nice feller." p A Directory to North Carolina's Natural Areas (published by 1.he NC Natural Heritage Foundation) As pan of its important work in rare and endangered species identification and habitat preservation, the North Carolina Natural Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization, has compiled the guidebook, A Directory to North Caroli11a's Namral Areas. The compact guidebook features dC!ieripcions of more than 100 natural areas open to the public in the state. The descriptions of each aro:i include infonnntion about natural history, geology. 1111d uuvcl information. To obtain copies of the book, send S5.00 10 the NC Natural Heritage Foundation; Box I I 105; Raleigh, NC 27604 Each is tl1c suongcst power 1n iis own domain. Together !hey lll'C allies: !heir C1111tgics complement each 01hcr m rorm an e\'et1 greater power. As medicine ollics, they rcpre«ent 1he hc;Uing powers of lbC Appalnahian In lhe tr.1d1uonal Cherokee Indian belief, lhe Moun1:11ns. TI111 medicine powers of Kl!uiah Juve been depicted crca!Ure\ in the world lOclay arc only d1minu11.ive forms or the mythic beings who once mlUlbucd the world, but who in o ~1r1l.;ing T-shin design by Ibby Kcn11:t. Printed in now fC$idc in Oal11na'IJ, lite 5pmt world. the highest 5-coloc silksi;irccn by Ridgerunncr Nnwr.ils on top qu:ility, he;ivcn. BuL • few of the ongmal powcr~ broke lhrough !he all-couoo shin.~. 1hcy arc avallnble now in all adul1 shes !!p1riLUAI barrier and exist yet m the world a~ we know il. from KALANU; Boit 282; SylYll, NC 28779. These beings arc called with rcv.:rcncc "grandfalhas" And or tl1cm. the suonges1 arc K.allilti, lhc ligh1mng. thc power Pl~ specify ~ir.t: Sm .• Med., Lg.. X·Lg. or the sky; utsa·nau, 1he r:mlcsn:tke, who pcrsoniries the Prke: S9.SO pOStf131d power of lhc cnnh pL'lllc: lllld Yunwi U!ldi, "I.he li1Llc !Mn". W.98 pns1pa1d for NC re.-i!knts as ginseng is called in I.he S!Crcd ceremonies. who draws up JlOYo er from lhc underwocld. "To .f/ww TU~l"lftx lhlS lll{lctflOllll'DI /Tinily of thl: Miura/ world iJ 10 111 111111 bcc0t1v t111 ally tn thl: con1i11w11g fll'OUS!. of niai111<Un111g harmony and bal1111Ct htrt 111 thl: moll/IJJJJJU of Ka1Uah" Spri.f19. 1969 �Emironmcntol Politics: 11Vlou.nttiln Ug'hl H!!:twork Lessons from the Gras.'>routs. Bob Hall. Editor Mountam Light Network is an eclec1ic, 1n1entionally group of people living in the Kaulah srea. Th<: tntercsts of the group include 3 deep commilnlCnl to 1nd1vidu:il llnd planct:u) peace. and to ecological hannony, with emphasis on coopera1ion between human, animal, plant and mineral kingdom~ . Other areas of interest include subtle energies, h~::iling, and techniques for utilizing new forms of power. Many w11hin t~c: g_oup n:lion::ite wi1h N?tive Indian philosophies and r ;;eek to h~c in ~~c1ous balanl'c ~nh the land. The mu;ority are involved in hohsuc heallh, explonng new paths now developing. Some _ re invot:--ed in the Anciem Wisdom and spiritual a <li-•c1phnes. Survival and food 11toragc are also of interest to many individuals We meet 4 times a year at the Franklin Communitv Center on Sundays. at 2:00 PM near the Sol"iccs and Equino11tes. There iU'C tables for those who wish to 5ell products or promote ideas; many books arc available a!; welt. We feature a speaker at each meeting. We have a directory of names. skiUs and intrn-~1~ Our aim is to provide a time and place for communication and exchange of ideas to become neighbors in a loose-I.nit network of people in our area. Part1c1pauon in meetings is free and open to all people of Like mind. This year our meetings an: on March 19, June 18. September 17. and Dcccmbct 17, 1989. For more anform:uion, call (404} 746-2454. ~structured ln.'itltule for Soul hem Studies, P. 0. Bo>< SJl, Durham. f\C 17702. 1988. ~7.00. 12? pgs. Whal can you do when an our·of·slalc corporation an_nounc~ plans for a hazardouli was1c rrearment facility a few nulc:s from your home. or when stare officials ~ay 1hey wan1 to pave 11 highway through your neighborhood? Where can you mm for help if real esta1e developers wuh close ties 10 local politicians decide to build a condominium or shopping center in a sensitive water;hed are;i? _ How much energy should you devote 10 door-to-door organizing, or seeking auention from the media, or gelling involved in elecrorul pohtics? For rhe past three yc:.m;, lhe lns111u1e for Southern Studies has conducted an investigation of environmental and land·u>e controversies in one state, Nonh Carohna. rn a remarkable number of cases. locnl citizens groups · even lhosc in relatively !solatcd. rural areas • have won s1gnifican1 victories ag:unst 1mpress1ve odds. They h:ive beaten well-endowed corporations and forced state policym:ikcu to change regulations, enforce ex1snng standards, and enact new laws. _Th~y have built ad hoc coalitions and enduring orgamzauons, occas1onally across rucc lines, more often across class and cultural divisions within the white community. And they have moved from crisis-oriented, hit-and-miss organization to sophisticated political lobbying and effective electoral activi~m. The key ingredients of these successful citizen-led camprugns are described in dwlll in the first chapter. The next 10 chapters chronicle the episodic. fragmented, yet growing cnv1rorunental movcmenr in consc.rvwve North Carolirui. The focus h less on the grim threats to life as we know it than on why pe~p~e respond, whar they do to win, and how grassroots acuv1s_m and electoral politics (including lobbying and voter educanon) imersec.1 to produce i.nstitutionru change. The result 1s a storybook of grassroots experiences. a handbook that lets our own past teach us bow to wodc. for a bener future. And while the location may be Nonh Carolina, the common lessons running through these stOrics are plainly uc;cful to people throughout the Soulh Md beyond. - excerpted from tlie preface ,..0 &..ot4(;t" WA.) I " ' ..nw i-c.t t,_f ------ TPC.. two ~Kt H~O M&.L.01.0 AMO I loll', 1' C.111''1 HO!ISf..l SprL119. t 989 JUST RECEIVED' Mountain Treasures at Risk: The Future of lhe Soulh~rn Appala&llian Nalional Fonsts by Laura E. Jackson The N:uional Forests of the Southern App11lachian Mountains are the last remaining habitar area available for many species of pl3Ilts and wildlife. The book Mountain Treasuru ot Risk says that these valuable habitat areas should be managed from a regional viewpoint and offers valuable infonnation tQward rcaliting n new vision for forest management which emphasizes the values of life suppon and ~gional biodiversity. Handsomely bound, profusely documented with photos, tables, and charts. Copies free on requ~t from The Wilderness Society; 1819 Peachm:c Rd NE (Suite 714); Atlanta, GA 30309. ... Katuah Journal is not just lull of Information. It is also full of images, and we appeal to all visual artists interested in ennching lhe pages of this journal, plus some exposure for you, to send us copies of your work Many times we need graphic images that are specific 10 a given article, yet there Is often space to put Images that are not specific You would be surprised the kinds of synchronicities that can happen when you send wori< in• Drawings in Ink. prints, photographs, borders, symbols. and cartoons that you think have some relevance to the journal are all welcome Don't be shy. we need your talent and image·ination to help visual-eyes a clearer relation with Katuah ... �evencs 2-8 BRASSTOWN, NC Spring Music and Dance Week. Music. StOries, dance, nature. John C. Campbell Folk School 28906. 8 BLOWING ROCK, NC Ocan-up of the Glen Burnie Falls Trail . Blue Ridge Group. Sletra Club. Call (704) 264-3931. MARCH 8·9 HIGHLANDS, NC Chiefs from the Native American Elders Circle meet at the Mountain to discuss Ecology and An. ''TIJU care how you place your 17-19 moccasins upon tM Eanh,step with care,for the faces oftM I unve generarions are looking up from Earth waiting their turn for life." $137. The FARNER, TN Leam "Wild Foods and Earth Medicines" with Snow Bear at Pcppcrland Farm Camp: Sw Route: Farner, 37333. (70<!) 494-2353. ™ IJ.16 GATUNBURG, TN Womyn·s Weekend Rctn:at: Spccilll Gu= Grey Cal, Lucinda F1odin. Write 10 P.O. Box 936: Gatlinburg. TN 37738 for more info. Mountain; 841 Highway 106: Highlands, NC 28741 (704) 526- 5838. NEW MARKET, TN sn> (Stop the Poisoning!) School a1 the Hishlander CcnlCf. Learn bow to figllt 1nduslrinl pollution For more info, call (615) 933-3443. 30 UNICOI, GA "Spring Earth Skills Workshop'' with Snow Bear, Darry Wood, Doug Elliott, and Yanna. Leaming the ways of the woods. $65. Comact Bob Slack at (404) 878-2201. 31·1 HENDEltSONVILLF., NC Workshop on Local and Regional Land Trusis. Kanug.a Episcopal Center. For more info call (704) 692-9136. WAYNESVILLE, NC Kanna m Daily Life-A Spiritual Rctrcal, with John Algeo. Stil·Light Tbcosopbieal RCllC41 Cent.er, Rt I, BOA 326: Wayncsy1lle, NC 28786 (70<!) 452-4569. Neighborh ood" confcronce sponsored by Asheville League of Women Votcts. Time and place TBA. Call (704) 258-8223. ASHEVILLE. NC A six-we.:k course. "Finding Your Path with HC3rt", begins a.t the Spiritual Growth Foundation. (sce4/l). The focus will be on finding our "lruC vmce• and expressing Lhc lifc-affinmng energy of l1W" Heart's desire. 17·18 ASHEV l LLE, NC Red Foll/Second ll.311gin', play prcscnltd by I.be Roadside ThcatTC. S)l3rU'lnburg. SC. For ume and location. call (606} 633-0108. nLACK MOUNTAIN, NC Robm Williamson. •a wl1.lltd of words and music:.· "'I h~ hunter ond the hu11ted howl 011e howl.• McDibbs'; S6 tdYanc~ door. 8pm, 119 Cherry Si., Black Mtn., NC 28711: (704)669-2456. ASREVlLLE, NC " Betw"n a Rock and a Hard Place: Westtrn No r th Carolina's Noclur 17 14-16 21-23 IS ASHEVCLLE, NC "Cut lhe Clearcutting!" says WNCA. From 1t am. Music, dancing, speakers. City/County Plaza, Asheville. Write Western North Carolina Alli:lncc; Box 18087; Asheville, NC 28814, orcall 258-8737 15 ASHEVILLE, NC The Enrth First! Road Show wilh Roger Featherstone and Susan Grace Stoltz, audio·visuals, news on EF! issues and actions. Lipinsky Auditorium, UNCA. 7:30 p.m. Students $1. General admission $3. For more info, call (704) 251-6144. 18 31·2 APRD.. 1·30 CHEROKEE, NC William Holland Thomas. "little ASlll-:VlLLE, NC Hum.an Potential Education Foundation Spring 1989 Conference, "Healers and the Healing Proces:~." For regiwation and brochure conw:c Human Poumlial Educlllion Foundation, Inc.: R1. s. 89 Tt1nyrud Rd.: Greenville. SC 29609. white chicr or lhe ChclOkec. cxhibiL OicroJcoe H~14Sc MUNCwn and GaJlcsy. I&8 28-30 ASHEVILLE, NC 'Commumcation and Healing." a lWO·Jllll 28-30 NEW MARKF.1', TN STP (Stop I.he Poisoning!) School Bl the Highlander Ccntcr. Learn how to fight tndu.suial pollution. ~3/21-23. wotlcshop focusing on inner commumon and outer communicauon as Yilal tools for bcaling ourselves Md our rclalionsh1ps. 10-Spm each day. Led by Richard l.owenlhBI. M. A. Spiritual Growth Foundation: 891 Haywood .Rd. (704) 252-3508. 2-5 PISGAH FOREST, NC Rockclimbing clinic for beginners Tedmiques, safely, gear. S28S. Eagle's Nest Camp; 43 Hart Road: Pisgah °Fon:.'ll: NC 28768. (704) 877-4349. X.~.Jo~ pgqe 52 · 29-31 FARNER, TN KATUAH SPRING GATHERTNO. Come celebrate. dance, play, meet. and talk with the family from all over the region (see announcement next page). mustratlons by Jackie Taylor- �JUNE 29 MOUNT AIRY, NC 18th Annual Ml. Airy Fiddler~ Convention. A weekend of lrod1tion:il Appal3chian Music. Bring instruments. tenlS, food. Regiwruion SlO. 2-3 SWANNANOA, NC Environmental Summit '89: Ethics, Economics and the Environment. This 5th annual summit will focus on environmental problems of immediate interest in WNC. and on how environmental and economic realities affect each other. Keynote speaker: David Morris of the Inst. for Local Self-Reliance. Warren Wilson College. 9am-4 pm. $5. For more info or to preregister call (704) 298-3325, ext. 250. 9· 11 CLOUDLAND CANYON Caving weekend w11h Snow Bear as instruc1or and guide. Equipment provided. Call (704) 494-2353 for more info. 9-11 WAYNESVILLE, NC "Mythology - The Modem Search for the Holy Grail" with Joy Mills. Stil-L1ghL See 3/31-4/2. MAY llRASSTOWN, NC June Homecoming Music/Dance Weck. English counuy dancing wi1h Jim Morison. John C. Campbell Folk School, 28906. 11·17 5-7 WAYNESVILLE, NC "Music as Meditation" with Diana Dunningh:un. S20/day. Sul-Light Center: See 3{31-4/2. 21-25 HIGHLANDS, NC Nature Photography Workshop. Prc.rcgisicr. Appalachian Environmental Ans Center. Sec 5/12-14. 6 LINVILLE, NC. Grandfather Mountain Prorilc Trait wildflower hilce. Blue Ridge Group, Sierra Club. Call (704) 2974098. 6-10 PISGAH FOREST, NC Whi1ewa1cr Canoe Clinic for novices and m1crmedia1es. $455. Sec 4/2-5. 12-14 lllGllLANDS, NC Spring Landscape Retreat Photography Workshop. Pre-regisicr: Appalachian Environmental Arts Ccnicr; Drawer S1l0: Highlands. NC 2874 I (704) 526-4303. 19-21 BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC The Black Mouniain Spring Festival. Three days of traditional music and dnnce at Black Mountain College/Camp Rockmont. Brave Combo, The Horsenies, Grandmother, David Wilcox, Phil and Gaye Johnson. For advance tickets call Grey Eagle and friends, (704) , 669-4546 from 2pm- IOpm. o~ ~3. &q o.ncL 3o o± -p e.p~et' la.rd.. ~ t()J\ft'l 7f.n ~ u.a -to ~~N.b..ooY 19·21 flfGllLANDS, NC Wildflower Pho1ogruphy Workshop. Pre-rcg1s1er. Appalachi$ Env1Tonmcnt.al Arts C..:nicr. Sec qy'~ 5/12-14. u.ou.aL I~~ ~ o..cliN~ a.r0.wo¥k shO(:.>s ~ o...d.uJtto 19-21 MILLBORO, VA EARTH FlRST! Appabchian Rendezvous. Talk, drum. s.we au things wild. For more info, write: Box 2(>6; Millboro. VA 2.4460 or call (703) 997-9448. BRASSTOWN, NC May Crafl/l)ance week. John C. Campbell Folk School 28906. 27-29 WHITTIER, NC Cclebralion on lhe land al Union Acres Communuy. All friends of Kauiah welcome. For more Info., ca11: Cynthia and Roy Gallinger, (704) 293-9230. spil.NJ, 1989 µ~~. ~ u.;tl.L ~ -t:hL- NEW MARKET, TN STP (Siop the Poisoning!) School a1 lhe Highlander Ccnier. Leum how IO figh1 indu.~trial poll111Jon. Soc3nl-23. 19-21 21-27 ().rd_ a.rd. ch.U.dA.t.n ' Pre-registration, by April 15: $15.00 adult $10.00 child under 12 After April 15: $17.00 adult $12.00 child under 12 .For mon: infonnalion, write: Snow Bear and Khallsa; Pepperland Farm Camp; Siar Route: Farner. TN 37333 or call: (704) 494-2353 or (704) 586-3146 �vfEBWO~ SEEKING TO JOIN OTHERS m a mlllllally -.upponivc comml.INly. Singl.c mamn: womon. ll'lis1-1eac.htt can offer skills: early childhood education. llU, earth llb111:, wri!Jnl Wn1c Alwyn MosJ., 1007 Turner SL, Blacksburg, V/> 24060: ("10'3) SS2·6331 VAGABOND GUJBETR01TTNG Stale of tlw Art. Revised Edition., by M.L. Endicoll. One of lhc moll compRhensivc insuucticm manua!J ror <yro uavelcrt SUS; Enchlridlon lntemational, Cullowhcc, NC 28723 ASCENSION Beg1111ttr's Mon.uJJ. a self-help boo1t for auaining lhc touchable ruii1y of lhc ASCENDEO <taic. usually lhou&ht to be bt!yood Raeh. By Theodore A lluoody, Ir~ $13.SO pp; &lcctic: Pren, 205 Pigeon SI. Waynesville. NC 28786. WlNCS WAY bttbal products. For pnce list. wme: Box 1477; Old Fon. NC 2.876Z EUSTACE CONWAY- Ou.ide and !Udler of (ll1lnit1ve £arlh Skills wilh cmphasi.t on rue blll1dln,. hide tanning she.Iler. and fongilla. He ILachti at public schools, parks cnvimnmencal oont.en, .and cJuscs ol .all tinds. For tllOl'C informllion coniact lum II' 602 Deerwood Drive, Oastonii. NC 28084 or oall Allcln Sianlcy al (704) 872-7972 FUTONS by Simple Pte.uuru affordably priced. Send SASE for Info io: Sunplc PICU\lrtJ: RL I. Box 1426 Clayton. GA 30S2.S (404) 782·3920. APPAJ..ACHIAN GINSENG CO.• sua.tified seeds. PEPPERLAND ofrcn a variety of ouldoor cdu.eation po,grams for chl.Wdl, school. or cMc gn>Up& ycu· round. Wo will help you ~pl a pogrom for your group. Send for infonnwon J*1c.ct to: Pcppcrland Fum Camp; Sw RoUlA!; Farner, TN 37333. R£AllERS' REACTIONS AND INSIGHTS wanic.d i.ganling lhc "consum«" culun we five in, and lhc idea of "consumaism" u a lifestyle.. Plcue write to Richard Lowenthal, 53 Greely St.. Asheville, NC 28806 (or call seedlings. roots. Send for price li51 io: P.O. Box S47 Dillsboro, NC 28725. M. TR& DESIGNS: UlllSIJlliom and Der;gn • Beyond lhc p!l&CS of lhis journal, I work DI penal. colored ponril. ink. QI\ paper. md t.lik. F'mc and graphk an to cxircu and cnh...,., our livea. Logos, btochuru, boob. ponnl1ure, window and wall h&ng~. Concct Manha Tree (704) 7S-4-«l97. STit.·UGHTTHEOSOPHICAl..RETREATCENTER -a qu1c1 spaeo for JlC'nOnal medilali<m, aniup inc.cractioo lhrough study, and community .-011<. and spintual smiinU$, Contact Leon Frankel; Rt. I. Box 326; Wayncs•ilk. NC 28786 WANTED: LAND 111 WQt.cm NC. Famlly f«b Sor mon: ICtCS. prd"crobly near Cullowhee. IO pr<S<TVC and evcnlll.ally inhllbil. U}'OU have or kno..•of afford.&blc l111d, oonlll:t Bob llld Miry Davis; 213 Wcrunorcland Cc., Ccorgetown. KY 40324 (502) 8634167. MOON DANCE FARM HERBAl..S · herbal salvC$, tinc1111cs. & oil• for b1nh111g a: family health. For bcochure, pt.,,.e wrii.:: Moon Dance Farm; Re. I. Box 726; Harnpcon. TN 37658 FREE t..ABOR • I would like ID learn about beekeeping and building New Ag< Housing Willing to wo1'k for free during summer. All I ask b a pl- for my tcnl and .., occasional muL Con11e1 ClvU Irwin; 1712 Whhc /we.; Knoxville:. TN 37916 (6lS) 673-0653. BUCITT RESISTANT CHESUIUT ·hybrid AmcricanlCluncS 0wman c:hcstnut treea • blight rcsisW\I timl>C!r pc>wth form. productive orchard crop wilh luge. sweet CQily·pcc\ed nuu. Cbutnut Hill l'luncry; RL I, Bo>. 34 l·K: Aadiua, FL 3261.S (904) 462·2820 ORGANTC FERTIUZERS. belts, and arganically-groMI. local produce 11 the> WNC Pannen' Marked Look for the FaiJglcn Fanns slllll. units F and 0 in lhc wholesale 1tU of' lhc F.umcn' Matkrl; 570 BteVud Rd.; Asheville, NC ("104 252-4414 Trudeau Dr.; Mc.Wrc, LA 70003. CENTEJl FOR AWA.KENlNC scck:ing 2 full-time, live.in volunlccn w/ main1cnance and/or n11ural food prep eitpericnce. RmManl. Wri1e; Human Services Allianoc Bo• IS42; WinSIOn.Salcm. NC 27102 (919) 761-874S. APPROPRIATE PASSIVE SOLAR des1111. blueprints and full wor.king dnwings for homes, shopt. and sheds Cr.,•llve dr1fling .....yow- ideas or ours. Harmony Sunbuildets; P.O. Bo• 194; Suiv Grove. NC 28697 SONGS OF LOVE ANO NATURE by Ron Lambe fcawring the voice of Hearuingcr wilh Slcphen Klein, Pi&no. Lavaul<r Lieder Records; R1 I, Box I JS; Bakcnvillc, NC 28705. (704) 6884791. B~c I01J.r111!1 inlo o f«alm of Evolution.ary lodvt:llllD'e by Pauick Clerk. A inu: -=ounl of a bicycle tnp from NATURAL FOOD SlORF. for ulc in Brevard, NC. E•ccllcnt IOCllion. $80,000 CJOS1 sales. Growlh poienti&I Owncn n10ving. mus1 p•U ii on. Call IDiubcth (704) 293·9534 evcnin&J. ORCANlC FOOD PRODUCING CO-OP land. aqwprncnl, apcrienced fannen provided for members The Bioclomc Pannet~lup; Rt. 2. Sox 184; Waynesville.. NC 28786. (704) 926-935$. ECO HELP NEEDED Long 8r111Ch Envlfonmcn1al Education Ccrue:r D«dJ volwileetlN!ICnlS 10 help "'•lh orchards, gardens, farmworl. rainbow 1tou1. cmrgy-efficimc bllild1ng. cnvimnmmtal/wildlifc/pmn1· cul11m issues and organizing. Room and boatd negntiable. Paul Calllmoce; l.BF.EC; RL 2. Box 132; ~icc.icr, NC 28748 YOU CAN CO HOME AGAIN· A Down To &rth JOURNEY INTO THE SLICK.ROCK Wildcmcu Atca Boys. falhu-son. falher-daughter cxpcdttJoN. Learn ob<•rvttion and woodcraft in lhe deep woods. Bun ~gay, upericnced guide Slicktock ElpeditionJ; Box 1214; Cullowhec. NC .28723. AMRITA HERBAL PRODUCTS · Comfrey. EucalyplUS Oii C.olclcn Seal salve. ~mon ar LA•cncler (ICIC ctam. Medo: wilh natural and c=nlial oih and love. Send for brochure Rt I. Box 737; Floyd, VA 24091. HAND.CARVED WOODSPIRITS. ln)"ucal hiking ital~ FINDING OUR "PATH WITH HEART" c.QI be v11al t0 O\lt health Ind ~•lfoxprasion. I offer guidcl<:e lhrou&h courueling, spimual 111uncmm1. ..1rolog1cal rcadings WOJbhops, common·llCJUC ftedbt.ell. For more info or an appoin1mcnl, call Richard Lowenthal , M.A . (704) 2Sl·2526. Sliding scale fcea. ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY on bcauuful land~ Cbualccc, NC sr<king r1milirs domring gi:c11tt c:oopenlicm and self·sufficlen<:y. Based on Jpiricual Ind ocological valuea. Pcoperty now av11f1ble. Call (404) 77S.S7S4 for info. Wuhinglon, D.C 10 Ille au1boc's native home of Cullowbcc, NC. following muah of lhc Bluc Ridge Parkway. Avai1oblc for $7.95 pose paid from Dandylion Publicatio111. 47 Pmola. Sc., Ashcvillc NC 28801. COMMUNION WITH NATifRA • Long proclauncd to be cclcsual •tan &fOllllding their radiance on Mot.bcr !!viii flowers ""' the rcvcl11ion of lhc plan!. Come •hllfe in NATURA'$ sacred play. moyonunUJe facililJtin&. 3931 Hwy 80 S. Toe River, Bunuvillc. NC 28714 ("104} 6~-4806 CARDE.NERS arc ..-UJated t0 v11u our Parad~ Gardens for insirucuon and inspirauon (!'reel and/or peicmial plan11 sale (cheap). Artisu .re 1nvncd IO c:omtt and c:ru1c 1n tile gllda> • painUng. drawing. and phDioanplty arc cnMunged We oho ba,·• • cabin avtJ.IAblc mcxcrumgc for warlcin& in lhc ganlcn. Mount.m Gardens; 3020 White Oak Creek; Bunuvillc, NC 28714 (704) 67S·S664. and wall hAAgmp by SICVc Dunc111 For broch1... plcuc write Whippoorwill Swctio; llt 4, ~ 981; Manon. NC 28752. MEDITATION CUSHIONS Crom Carolina M<>mUll Do.signs. Troditionll ancl mllwblo 1.afus For free bnx:hurc wrii.e; RL I. Boa 31·8: Hot Spnng1, NC 237<13. HANDMADE RATTI..ES fot the 'JMlual warrnor or hcal~r made wilh maic.rial• provadcd by !he animal ltin1dom. <;:oncact: Jc._ HltnS Bathrict.-; SW Cm.notill AttifilC~ 1307 lvcnon St.: Allmta. GA (404) 588-0296 • INDIAN VAUEY RETREAT· 140 acrci in Blue Ridge mountains wilh faeilitiea available to rent far group1 or individual ll!lra!S. dlha 3J.1ided or unstn1C;1Ul1>d. Send for infom111ion and seasonal c1lo.ndar of h.e aling, transfl>ITil&live evcnlJ lo: lndu111 Vllllcy Holislic Center RL 2. Box S8; Willis, VA 24:180 h.Alld TN! Earth Li•ci /lappity Ever After - .caries from folk lrlditioni all ltOWld the wtidd chosen to help prolt:Ct all living beings by bringing 111'1 world soc1ecy a few steps do5Ct to peace and ~l for 1111 fife. Edited by Floar.ing Eagle Femhcr. $7 .00 ppd. (All profits go IO Clrempacc IJ1A! !he Pcau Museum.) Order &om: Wages of Peace; 309 704.251 ·2526). • MOTHER'S BREATit HERBAL PRODUCTS high quali1y b"fbal c•"'""· oin1ments, and 011J, lov1n1ly aa1cd. Send for free brochure 10 Re . 2. Ro• 251. Vllas. NC2K692 EARTH REACH EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 1cae1Un1 pnmitivc skills 10 children md adulu.. Roben Manin. Jr and JC&1111C Moo!\!'. RL I, Box 178-A. Fcnum, VA 24088. BEAUTIFUL EUCIUOE MOCCASINS Custom aitcd to your f~• AO narural ma1erials. Sof!SOle $2.5/lw<holt SSO. Send tncm& of your fool to Na1ivc American FoQ1wcar, 47 Panola St., Alhevillc NC 2.8801; 7~ 2:Sl·22.SO WEBWORK!NO is &cc 5""J •ubmis.1u1cu to: K01"4Jt J<><1rnal P.O. Bo• 638 ui=ler.NC Kall!ah Pro"incc 28743 SprinlJ, 1999 • �The Kaulah Journal wants to communicate your thoughts and feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send them to us as leners. poems, stories. articles. drawings, or photographs, etc. Please send your comnbutions to us at: Katuah Journal; P. 0. Box 638; Leicester, NC; Karuah Province 28748. • The summer issue of lhc Ka11iah Jo11.rlllll will deal with the meaning of the word "Pence" as a dynamic process lhal can replace cxisung SU"Uctures of donunation with vibrant new relarionships. Please send us descriptions and contact infonnarion for individuals and groups in your pan of the province that are doing lhings that are helping co create peace Ill the world. We would also Hke to know what is your definition of pence. We would like to get a collection of the mo.~t interesting and accurate definitions of that elusive idea. BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH AV All.ABLE $1.50 -·· ISSUE FIFTEEN Sprin& 1987 Coverlets - Woman Porcsler - Susie McMdwl Midwife . Alternative Conlncqmon • Bio>CJtualily - 81orcgionalism ~ Women Good Mtdic:inc: MmWdlal Clll~ ,_, WWJ[fl~- ISSUE THREE SPRJN(l 1984 Sustain.thlc Agriculture . SunOowas Human lmpac1 on lhc: Forut - Childrcns' Ed11c111ion Vct0nlca Nicholu·Woman in Politics Llitlc tsSUESIXTE:EN-Summerl987 Helen Wauc: Poem: Visions 111 • O~ . Vision Que,r1 - Fim Flow - ln11ia1ion • 1.umina in lhc Wildemeu • Cherokee Cllallcngc "Valuing T,_. People. Mcdlrinc Allies • ISSUE FOUR - SUMMER 198'1 W11c1 !>nun Water Quably Kudtu Solar Ecli~c Ctc:arcuttin& T1out • C.omg IO W111r1 Ram PllmP" • Mic:rohydro - Pocnu: Bennie l...ec Sinclair, Jim Wrync Mnlcr ISSUE EIGITTE.EN WUUO' 1987 88 VcmacuIIT Atchiittl\ITC - Dl'c;ams an Wood Q! Sione - Mount&Jll Home - E.Ulh l!ncrJi.. • Eanh-S!u:hcrcd Livmg • Mcmbr- Houses Brush Shchci - Poems· Ot:to«r Du.d • C'oOOd ModX:.nc: "Sheller" ISSLF. FIVE - FALL 191!4 llarv1:11 • Old Ways in Chc1ok"" GinKng Nuclear Waste: • Our Cchic Hcri1•ge Biorcgionalism: Put. Ptuc:nt. and Fu1ure Jahn Wilnol)' • Healing Dlltkness Politics or ISSUE NINETEe.N -Sll'Ulg. 19811 Pcrloandra Cltdtn Spring Tonics · Blueberries WUdOo11>cr O•rdcns Granny Hcrbalis1 • Flll"'l:r Es.cncea • lho Origin of lhe Animal : Stoty -Good Malicmo: "Po.. cr" • Be ATroe Paructp:iliDn ISSLIE SIX. WTNTER 1984-85 Wini.:r Soi.ti« Eanh Ceremony· H0<scpiu1u;i, ISSUE TWENTY · S11m1na. 19811 l'reM!rve App.alathilll WildcnlU.J • Hi,ghbnll of ltoan - Cel<1 Community - L.nd Trun • Arthur Miqan School • Zoning 'Wuc • ·'"The Ridgo" - Fanncrs Ind lhe Fann Bill • Cood Mcdir.:lnc! ''Lind" · Acid Rain · Duke"• Po..,cr Play Chaoic< Microhydro ProJCCI Rt\CT Com1111 ol lhc Llshl • Log Clbm Roo1a- MoUlll&in Apicullurc: Tho Righi Crop - W11l1am Tayl11< The Fuiun: of lhc: Forc.t ISSUE SEVEN SPRING 1985 Su.'ll&JA•blc Ec:onomic:J Hot Srrinp - Worlte; Ownership - The Great &onomy - Self Help Crccjj1 Union Wiid Turlt.cy - Rcsponslbl• lnvuting Workitlg in Ilic Web of Lite JSSUE EIGtrr - SUMMER 1985 Celebra11on: A Way of Life - Kat\Wl 18.000 Ye&l'J Ago • Sacred Sil.Cl - Follc Ans in lhc School& - Sun Cyc:l~oon Cycle • Powu: Hilda Downer Chcsolcu Heritage Caw:r • Who Owns Appaladlhl? ISSUENTNE- FALL 1985 The Wal~ Forest - Thi> Tfl'cS Spc:alt • Milf&llng Foruts • llcme Logging - Stanmg a Treci Crop Urb&n Trees · l\oom Btc«I - Mylh Tane ~- ISSUE Et.EVEN SPRINO 1986 Community Planning - Cities and the: Biotcgional Vision - Roc:yclmg Community Gardening- Floyd County, VA - Ouoliol Two Biottgional Views • Nuclear Suj)plema11 FoiU= Oarne.s. Good MtdldM: Visions Box - The Wake - TI1c Raven Moclcor Woodslorc and WildwoodJ Wildom Oood tsSUETWEHTY-ONE · Fall, 1988 Chc:stnu~ A 1~i.1ura.1 Hl11ory • Rostoring w Cheiulut. ·p~ orl'rcs<!rvation Uld Praise" Canunuing the Quesl Farella and Wildlife Chos1ru111 in Regional 011~1 Chcsuuu Ruoun:u - Hctb Noic - Good Mcdn:mc: "Changes 10 C<!me" • Rev~ Wkr# le&~Nls Medicine: The Sweat lodge ISSUETBN ·WINTER 19l!S-86 Ka1c Rogas • Circles of Slone • lnicmal Mylhmalcing - Holl•lic: Healing on Trial Poem$: Sieve Knaulh • My1Juc Pbc:c:s The Uklona's Talc: Cry11al Magic - Li~ ISSUE FOURTEEN - W-mi« 1986.t7 Uoyd Cul Owlc. Boogers and Mwnmcn - All !SSUETWENTY TWOWin1ct", l9S8-89 Cilobal Wmnaig and Kat4ah .irire This T~ • Thom.u Deny on "Biorcgsons" - Eanh E.xcrase Ko~ Loy McWluru:r • All Abundance oI l'..mplincSJ - LETS • Chninicl.. or Flo)'d - o.ry Wood lnlcrf!ICW The 9.,.., Clan ISSUE THIRTEEN · Fall 1986 Ccnlcr For Awakening - Elinbc:th Callari A Clc:n1lc Dca1h • Hosp>CA! Eincsl Morgan Dealing Crcalivcly with Dcalh Home Bunal Species Day - Cabin Fcve1 Uni•aaity • Homelcu !JI Kaiuah • Homcinadc Hos Wiler S1ovanJtkCf'5 Narrauvc • Good Meche.inc:: lntmpcci.. Conununication - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - ,, ~UA~ QURNAL 0 -- - - - - ~ -------- For more info: call Mamie Muller (704) 683-1414 Boie 638; Leicester, NC; KatUah Province 28748 Regular Membership........ $10/yr. Sponsor........................$20/yr. Contributor.....................$50/yr. Name Enc/Med is$ Address City Area COde Sprl.nq, 1989 ro give this ejforr an extra boost State Phone Number Zip l can be a local contact person for my area Back [ssues Issue#-_@$2.50= $_ _ Issue#_@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue# _@ $2.50 = S_ _ Issue#_@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue# __@ S2.50 = $ _ _ Choose any 5 issues: SIO.OO=S_ _ Complete Set (3-11, 13-16, 18-22) @ $35.00 = $_ _ XAwaf1 Jou~ncit Pt«J~ ~s � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah Journal, Issue 23, Spring 1989 Description An account of the resource The twenty-third issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on varied topics such as the ancient ways of the first people groups in Appalachia; "Planet Art;" tulip poplar trees; the Black Swan Center; and environmentally-friendly economics. Authors and artists in this issue include: Kim Sandland, Denise Newbourne, David Morris, Doug Elliott, James Rhea, Jerry Trivette, C.B. Squire, Elizabeth Griffin, Gil Leebrick, Michael Hockaday, Sheli Lodge, Rob Messick, David Wheeler, Dolores LaChapelle, Martha Tree, Laura E. Jackson, and Jackie Taylor. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1989 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. Pisgah Village: A Window into Ancient Ways by Kim Sandland.......1 Planet Art in Katúah by Denise Newbourne.......5 The Green City as Thriving City by David Morris.......8 Poplar Appeal by Doug Elliott.......10 Clear Sky: A Composite Portrait by James Rhea.......13 "A New Earth" by Jerry Trivette.......14 College as Community Resource by C. B. Squire.......16 Wild Lovely Days: Poems by Elizabeth Griffin | Photographs by Gil Leebrick.......18 Natural World News.......20 Reviews: Sacred Land Sacred Sex Rapture of the Deep.......23 Stopping the Coming Ice Age.......25 Drumming: Letters to Katúah.......26 "Sudden Tendrils" a poem by Michael Hockaday.......28 Events Calendar.......32 Webworking.......34 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Katúah Journal, printed by The Waynesville Mountaineer Press Subject The topic of the resource Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern Cherokee Indians--History Excavations (Archaeology)--North Carolina, Western Mixed economy--Appalachian Region, Southern Poplar--North Carolina, Western Community development--North Carolina--Swannanoa River Valley Human ecology in art North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language 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) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Book Reviews Cherokees Community Earth Energies Ecological Peril Economic Alternatives Education Electric Power Companies Folklore and Ceremony Forest History Forest Issues Geography Habitat Hazardous Chemicals Katúah Poems Politics Reading Resources Recycling Shelter Turtle Island Villages Water Quality Western North Carolina Alliance https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/0d9900eecbaa84dc53b477e07072e743.pdf fa0c060dc360f4bcedc42ca0ae593baf PDF Text Text Postage Paid Bu._M~ Permil 118 LeiceS1er, NC 28748 ISSUE 24 SUMMER 1989 �• • • • (' • :..~ • • . . . . .. . . . ;_~ f ('!; • : : . - • ' • <....~,,,... ._:.!.-:. • ' .. . . • . . . ~ lONTENTJ = d~ ' ~ ·~ ' ,,..... .. .... ~~'" - - <:==:l: . .. . • 'lo. ~(;' I . Dee~LD~~~~r~i~~................................ 3 7...............................s Life ~~I::rr~~~~ Hiroshima Day 1989 .............................7 Direct Actioo! ....................................... 8 T'AI: PEACE by Patrick Clark Planting a Tree of Peace.......................9 Community Building and Peace......... IO by Richard Lowen1Tial Peacemakers: A Resource Listing....... 11 Ethnic SurvivaJ. ................................... 14 Black Mountain Pairing Project.. ........ 15 "Battlesong" ........................................ I6 A Poem by Heather Pirrillo Growing Peace in Cultures................. 18 by Mamie MuJ/er Review: The Chalice and the Blade..................20 Natural World News...........................22 P eace. As we cxplon: the meaning of this word in the Kanlah pro,·ince. we find as many subjective definition5 as there are people working to manifest lhem. Yet, is there an underlying sense that ties together the different perspectives and the work all these people are carrying on? The answer for us came very lute one night while we wen: gathered to prep3te the spring issue of the KatUa.h Journal. Someone by chance called up from the I Ching the hexagram T'ai, entitled "Peace." The sign was composed of three yin lines over three yang lines--illusuating n smte of vibrnnr balancing. The yin energy, which represent<> the receptive or yielding quality of nature, is above the yang, moving downwnrc.1; and the yang energy, which represents the active or creative principle. is below the yin, moving upward. Abovt IMow The Receptive Eanh ( K'un) The Creative. Heaven (Ch'lcn} A Children's Page...............................25 The ~I reads• Drumming........................................... 26 "111is hel<agram dcnotc.s ;i urne m nature when Heaven seems to be on E:lrl.h. Hc:ivc:n has pixed 11sclf bcnCJlh Ille Eanh. and so lhcll' powers unite Events Calendar..................................28 \Vebworking....................................... 30 in deep h:lrmony. Then ~and blc..~'illlJ;S dc.lecnd upon :Ill living lhmg&." In this hexagram. the I Ching emphasius that peace is not a sunk .st.:ite but r.uher one of dynnmic balane"C, alway:. changing as conditions change. Jn the world of nuture and m the world of the human, everything is in motion. It is in the midst of this swirling interplay of forces which create this Life. rhat we begin to feel n sense of hamiony, of communion, of rightness...that could be: identified as peace. When "'e do not cultiv:ue this hannony, then Life becomes •·our of b:ilancc." Finding balance and maintaining b.·llancc-, both personally and culturally, is a process of continuous exchange. When the exchange is balanced. simple 1hough it sounds... peace brings peace. In this world of diversity :ind disparate value systems. peace does not depend on "an absence of con0ic1", but rather on the way we get through the e-0nnic1. II is 1he embracing of all the life forces. even those in apparent opposition. As we strive to preserve the habitats tha1 maint..'lin life and ro bring about specific political and economic changes. we come to recognfae the connec1cdncss of all things. In 1his way, we produce changes rhat are Sll'Ong and enduring. People like those listed in the pages of this issue of Kattwh Journal, nnd many others in the region, arc an lnspinuion to all of us In tl1eir ded1ca11on. The way they go about workin~ for change ii. itself crearing new ways of relating. And the new rcJ31ionships 1h3t are now incubating llJ'C the Ir.Isis of a new culture. Eventually chc insti1u1ions of society, which are simply renccuons of the basic relationships escablishcd :1mong ourselves and other living 1hmgs, will be transfonncd. "May the Spirit so stro11g in the ~hadow and stmm Hold fast 10 what is righ1, A11d S!irt!ly as JOU breaJlre the gentle air of Peace This ia11d shall shefur in the light of love Tlzis land sl:all shelter in the light " Blessed beThe Ednors (l'w fn>m I CIU11g "'T~ BooJ;. o{CiuJntu.1ranslllle<l sn1et ClcmwJ by Richard Wilhdm Uld ill1o Engluh bt Cory F. Ba)'llCJ. Sons l1ria from "l.a:id ol l.i&Jil" ias ro:orded 11) 1~ Ta-vtdtil/Weawrs) �STAFFTHlS ISSUE: Scott Bi.rd Patrick Clark Andy Half-Baker Rob Messick Marnie Muller Mart.ha Tree Richard Lowenthnl David Wheeler EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE: Susan Adam Abby Bird John Creech WiJI Ashe Bason Jack Chaney Jim Houser Christina Monison PiCllllte Rodney Webb Chip Smilll Morgan Swann ...and !honks IO Jake ror lnte-nighl brownies COVER by Martha Tree INVOCATION from "Meditations with Animals" by Gerald Hausm:m PUBLISHED BY: Ka1U1Jlr Joumal THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BIOREOION AND MAJOR EASTERN RIVER SYSTEMS STATEMENT OF PURPOSE PRINTED BY: The Waynesville Mou11raineer Press EDITORIAL OFFICE THIS ISSUE: Globe Valley WRITEUS AT: TELEPHO.'IE: (704) 683-1414 KarUtiii Jour11al Box 638 Leicesier, NC Kaufah Province 28748 Divemty is an imponant clcmcru of biorog101Ul ecology, bolh lllllUral ond social. In hne w11h I.his principle, lhe Kotuah Journol lrics io serve a,~ o forum ror lhe discussion or regional issues. Signed anicles cJtpn:ss only lhe opm1on of the 3uthors and are 001 ncccss:irily lhe opimoos of lite KotUah Journal editors or sulff. The lnierrutl Revenue Service h3S declared Ka1uah a non-profil SOl(c)(3) of lhc lntem:il Revcnu.: Code. AU contributions 10 Ka1U1Jh ore dcdLICllblc from pcrsont1I income twt. orgnnl~tion under section _, SPIRIT FEATHERS Death feather of the crow puts my enemy to sleep Crow feather Crow feather Life feather of the Jay makes my mind awake Jay feather Jay feather Peace feather of the crane turns my enemy into me White crane White crane (Creek Indian) Here in the southern-most heartland of the Appalachian mountains, the oldest mouni.ain range on our continent, Turtle Island, a smaU 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" Katuah" as the old/new name for this area of the mountains and for its journal as well. The province is indicated by its natural boundaries: the Roanoke River Valley to the north; the foothills of the piedmont area to the east; Yona Mountain and the Georgia hllls 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 pertain specifically 10 this region, and to foster the awareness that the land is a living being deserving of our love and respecL Living in this manner is a way to insure the sustainability of the biosphere and a lasting place for ourselves in its continuing evolutionary process. We seem to have reached the fulcrum point of a " do or die " situation in terms of a qualicy standard of life for all living beings on this planet. As a voice for the caretakers of this sacred land, Katuah, we advocate a centered approach to the concept of decentralization. IL is our hope to become a support system for those accepting the challenge of sustainability and the creation of harmony and balance in a total sense. here in this place. We welcome aU correspondence, criticism, pertinent information. anicles. artwork, etc. with hopes that Katliah will grow to serve the best interests of this region and all its living, breathing members. -The Editors Su mmer. J989 �DEEP LISTENING by David Wheeler "We cannot make a change. We musr be rhe change we wish I() create." - Mohandas K. Gandhi There occurs occasionally a unification of spiritual belief and political activism in which the literal applica1ion of a spiritual principle becomes a potent lever for social change. The resulting techniques are so powerful that they arc a1 once a tactic for solving a problem a11d also lhe solution 10 the problem. It might be said tha1 in that situation the means and 1he end are one and the same. But m ac1uality, when those si1uations occur, there no longer arc diffcre.ntiated "means" or "ends." There is simply a continually unfolding process of change. The mos1 prominent case in modem times is non-violent direct action as pr.tcticed fim by Mohandas Gandhi in South Africa and India and then later by Martin Luther King, Jr. on th is continent. The principles of non-violent direct action have revolu1ionized the role of social protest in the world 1oday. F.ven as people pro1est specific instances of injustice, they also set a positive example of how to resolve social conflicts and raise a posi1ive spiri1ual consciousness a1 1he same time. Today ano1her method known as "deep listening," is curren1ly being developed even as it is being applied. It, 100, will also be noted as one of those powerful unities of spiritual and social practice. Herb Walters is a founder and presently a s1aff worker with Rural Southern Voice for Peace (RSVP), a small group of dedicated activists promo1ing peace issues throughout the southeast from a base in the Celo Community on the Soulh Toe River near Burnsville, Nonh Carolina. From his experience as a counselor of disturbed and delinquent adolescents, as a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers), and as an insrructor in the principles of connict resolution and non-violent direct action, Herb has come 10 realize the power of the Quaker tenet of "listening." The basic principle of deep listening, as practiced an "Listening Project!>'' organized by the RSVP staff, is simple in the extreme: it is listening - without opposition or judgement - to the emotions, wishes, and fears of ordinary people living in ordinary communities. Ye1 the simple act of listening holds great potential for organizing political movements for social change, Listening Projects are often held in communities which a.re facing a crisis situation or divided by a controversial issue. ''Listening Projects are basically a process for geuing activists 01Jt into a community," says l lcrb. On a political level there arc two reasons for getting organizers into neighborhood~. One is tha1 an order for a movemcn1 to expand its base, i1 must reach out to ney. segments of the population - people who mtty fed hopeless or powerless 10 bring about change or people \\hO may be ovenly hostile 10 ch:inge. Listening Project volunteers go to the homes. of people in a target community and approach them dircclly about ll1cir concerns on issues as 1hey are felt wilhin that community. The volumeers often find that If they are successful in drawing people out, they are breaking new ground in exploring feelings about issues thnt the people themselves may never have examined before. Responses vary from door lo door. Sometimes people fall into the standarJ modes of thinking. But in many cases. by examining their true feelings about maucrs they had never considered deeply before. people find themselves identifying or accepting entirely new uppro:iches to old problems. The second reason for getting organizers into neighborhood~ 1s the basic organizing principle, "start where people are at." Pa!it experience has shown that if organizers go into neighborhoods with the mtenl lo conven residents to preconceived ideas on issues. however log1c:tll)' devastanng these arguments might be, they meet with limited success. The Listening Projc:GIS are based on the wisdom that if activi~ts are willing to listen to the people, the people themselves will tell about how the larger issues directly affect their lives. Often people respond to the issues in a more immediate manner than acuvists' in1ellee1ual formulations. A Lis1ening Project in St. Mary's, Georgia found that local rc-~idents fell the presence of an atomic submarine base as an abridgement of their fishing rights. Another Project with the Shenandoah Peace Co:iJuion in Virginia found that people's pnmary C-Oncem was the lack or yoULh activities or programs, which related to problems with drug./alcohol abuse and vandalism. By responding to this concern. the Coalition is ov~oming the isol:ition that many peace groups feel from their communities as well as pointing out the social effects of excessive military spending. But tnere 1s aJw a third and more profound rctlSOn for going into 11 community and becoming involved with local people's concerns· deep lis1ening is a powerful tool 10 bre:ik down stereotypes - on both sides of 11 conversation - and to thereby overcome polarization. Herb states that, 'The fact 1s that a 101 of people out there in mainstream America don't join the pe:tcc movement because they don't trust us. They sec the peace movement in terms of stereotypes. A part of the listening process is to overcome that barrier by letting people's common humanity come through and finding a common understanding. Oftcn a real truth does arise, and we lind that people do care. They re-.iJly care; they ju~t don't know what rodo." But people in the cuhural mainstream arc not the only ones who arc limited by n:mow thinking. "Acrivbt~ in the peace mO\'emcm have a 101 or fears and sterco1ype:; of the \'cry people the>: arc trying to rench," says Herb. "At 1he same time a.~ they are talking about 'outreach,' movemcnt people distance themselves from the majority of the population by working in the safety of their own liule groups and using the media to convey their rn¢ssage. "I see listening as direct action, because through 1he Listening Projects we go right 10 1he people. they don'! like )'OU and what you are doing. that's all the more reason to go right to them. That's non-violence: go right IO the people who are against you and find out why. Find wh:u you can do to change the pol:uiz:llion thac's happening, instead of always keeping your disl:Illce from !hose people." rr In a Listening Project. organiz.ers :ire first trnined in a specittl session with a RSVP staff person in "111.:h they draw up a survey questionnaire. learn communication skills with which 10 approach {con1mued on peg~ 4) Su.mnu:r, 1989 Drawmg by Rob Mc.ssicl; >C.'1tiwf1 Journal p119e lS �peop e, and le.am Lhe crucfal djffercnce bet ween ordin:iry and ''deer u listening. "Normally," says Herb, "when another person 1s speaking, we .ire thinking of ways to put our own point across. Deep listenmg calls on us to let go of our own egos for awhile. We suspehd judgement. We try to become that other person so that we can really understand their fears and hopes. We listen, and we accept the fact thut they are different, that they have different ideas. and we concentrate our attention on their esscmial humanirv, that p:in of us that we all share." · This is called "seeing the light in the other person" in the Friends' way of speaking. II creates its own kind of magic. Opposition dissolves without opposition to foed on, and people at first hostile or indifferent often feel encouraged to open to deep feelings and emotion~. A relationship of l111St is begun that can cross the b:irriers of stereotype and polarization. Differences are "starting points" and come to be seen as interesting pcrspecuves on shared problems and common simations. "lnilinlly there 1s mistrust or some retuctance," says Herb. "but when the person realizes that the volunteer isn't there to conven them or to judge them, they begin to say what they acrunlly think. Wha1 often develops is a relationship of openness and trust, :ind the person speaking often opens to change in a way that they never have before. "They feel safe. They might talk about their fears. They might say, 'We need mon: nucle:ir weapons.' But instead of giving a reaction. the volunteer ju.st says, 'Why do you feel that'?' and really listens to them and draws them into talking about their deeper feelings. "Listeners often find themselves in the position of being facilitators for an internally motivated conversion, as the person they are talking with begins to think about questions like the nuclear arms race or the local bomb plant on an emotional level. In the course of one conversation real change can happen in people \.\ho would never have gone to a peace group meeting. it's a fascinating process." Groups contemplating undenaking a Listening Project art warned that they must be willing t0 make a long-term commitment to the community they are about to enter. Experience has taught the RSVP staff that a Listening Project evokes a mong and often unexpected response. People are "hungry to be listened to," as Herb says. and, although volunteers may start out expecting rejection, interviews more often than not end up with the resident saying, "Do you reaUy have 10 go? Can't you stay just a little longer?" Many people feel hopeless and powerless. They have a sense that they are being manipulated a.nd swept along by forces far beyond their ability to controL They often feel that wishing for change is only causing themselves needless pain. Having someone actually want to hear what they have to say is an empowering experience. h is an offer of hope. It makes them feel that perhaps it is wonhwhile to do away with the psychic numbing in which they taken refuge. But if visitors offer that hope during a visit and then never return again, lhe result is detrimental, and people could be left in a position worse than their original condition. A group muSt be prepared to offer avenues for action that fit the concerns and abilities of the people of lhe community. It may be ~legislative network thnt contacts elected reprcsenl!ltives on specific lSS~es. It migh~ be a church meeting or a fund-raising project. The ob;ect of entenng a community and taking the time to listen is to rea~h_people so they might find 1heir power and take leadership. This 1~ a long process and requires a corresponding degree of commument, but it offers its own rewards for activists willing to muster the patience to see it through. Drawing by C"'la YllOlll'll' f,f1llsaps. I /111 1rtu1~. Smi,Ley .\11.11V11a1n llltlt School Ollr) In thL lad.son COMnI) P~~ /llttwork's /(}/Jr! · ~·1swn of Pcau" conu.rt /J/I In our society, contr0ver:.ies arc customarily settled by deb:ue. One side is suppo~d to overcome the other with the weight of logic. The format is argument, and the focu:. is on differences how "we'~" right and "they're" wrong. In deep listening the interviewers focus tirst on the common ground. the opinions upon which they R$fee wnh the person with whom the)' are talking. In Lisfening Pro;cct training se_,sions it is said: "You may disngree with ninety percent of" hat a person h telling )OU . If so, focus on the :ucas of agreement first. Build a relationship of rrust: then you can look a1 the differences." . In deep listening. disagreements have a place, but tha1 p13ce 1s way do""n the scale from the primary position they custom:uily hold in political discourse, and lhey are never allowed to dim the vision of "the light within." What could be gender than the companionable acr of listening? Yet practittoners have found it to be a technique of grear power with far-reaching social effects. The source of that power lies in going beyond the ego and getting down to lh:u place where lhings change. . O~e experience invol~ed lhe Piedmont Peace Project (PPP). a. b1-r~c1al g_rou~ of lo~-rncome people, which undenook a L1stemng Project Ill the mill town of Kannapolis. Nonh Carolina to broaden community participation in their program. lmerviewers !'Cwmed with a.wealth of infonnauon about the concerns of people !n the communny and how to express these concerns as organizing issues. Members of the PPP, including a couple int.rocluc:cd to the group thr~ugh 1hc Listening Project, attended the 1988 convcnuon of the nauonal SANE/FREEZE organization. SANE/FREEZE was ~.ungry f~r commun~ty ~ontact and welcomed the PPP delegates. I he low·rnco~e. mrnonty people from Kannapolis brought the conce~s oftheirc~~unity bi.:fore the policy-making committee of the na11onal organ_1zauon and helped influence SANE/FREEZE to stre_ss the conn~cuon between military spending and human needs dunng the conung year. .. Bui _for this group the rewards were not all in the realm oi poh11cal mnuence. The PPP hai; found that deep listening empowers member:; of< 1hc g~oup as well a:; the people of the ~ommumty. ~e L1liten10g Pro;eet offered a ~cn~c of involvement m the ~~1unHy. that PPP member:; felt h:id been lacking. . .. It exc111?.g and P.<>wcrrut to ~ircc1ly experience ~eople's lives, says Herb. ~s a Lllitemng Project volunteer. you will meet people for the ~JI'St umc who will open their lives to you in a way some of your fryends never have. Tiu:se community people will calk ro you about things that will move you and touch you deeply." :s (C()lltinued on p:ige 24) Summer, 1989 �LIFE IR I TOIIC CITY wrirten and compiled b!J Juclith I la/le >Ck The city of Oak Ridge is located in eastern Tennessee. near 1he regional hub of Knox\'ille. Its two primary industries are nuclear technologies research and m(lnufacturing components for nuclear warheads, which are carried out on the government-owned Oak Ridge Reservation. Over 15,000 people work on the 37,000-acre site, which is man1gcd for the Depanmen1 of Energy (DOE) by Martin Manetta Energy Systems, lnc. The ciry's location in the heart of TV A's electrical power empire and its proximiry Lo 1-40, a major east-west expressway, make Oak Ridge well-suited for its role in the nationwide US nuclear weapon!> complex. An estimated 680,000 people live within a 50-mile radius of the nuclear producuon facilities at Oak Ridge. The Oak Ridge Reservation is located in an area of rolling hills in the Clinch River drainage system of !he Tennessee River basin. All the sireams in the reservation flow into the Clinch River, which joins the Tennessee 23 miles downsiream. Oak Ridge is an integral pan of the national nuclear weapons complex which is controlled by the Depatunent of Energy. The Oak Ridge Operations (ORO) office of the DOE oversees a uranium production empire that includes the Oak Ridge Reservation and oi.her nuclear facilities in the midwest. There ore three primary weapons production facilities at Oak Ridge: The Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Component Plant fashions the internal componems of H-bombs and plays a pan in the production of every major nuclear weapon in the US arsenal. The sprawling Oak Ridge N:uional Laboratory specializes in energy research, pnnicularly with nuclear technologies, and in the production of radioisotopes for commercial sule. The Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plunt hjs been on standby since 1985 because of a decreased demand for enriched uranium. The plnm currently serves as a waste dump for Y-12 and ORNL. Approximately half of Y-12's 7,000 employees do production work, processing, fabricating, and assembling uranuium and lithium compo111mrs for t/le nation's nuclear warheads. For example. Y-12 receives deuterium (heavy waJer) separatedfrom river warer at DOE's Savannah River plam in South Caroli11a, combines It with lithium and shapes the compound into tablets thllt are sent co warhead a.{sembly facilitit!$ near Amarillo. Texas. Y-12 also recycles e11riched uranium cnmponents from mothballed warheads that have been 10ken apart i11 Texas And it makes precision equipme111 and weapons-testing components for DOE weapons labs in California aJUJ New Me:dco. --Our Own \Vorsi EMmy • p. 111 Secrecy and Control From us inception nnd in large pan 10 the present, 0.1k Ridge, the firs1 atomic city, has been a "secret city.'' In the name of n111ional security, its deadly l~l!'4~f;~JA;J-'tll~~:!~ workings have been kept hushed. This is wha1 drives the "see nothing. hear nothing, say nothing" attitude that has allowed the present· day problems of nuclear we.ipons proliferation. cnvironm1:ntal destruction, and dcterior:iting public health 10 evolv.:. In early 1943 the residents of \\'hen l, a small turnu ng communny 1n enstcm Tenne~scc.. were ~mddenl\ 11prl)otcd, /Jarl)el! 1111.:.fc11ce and a serle.1 of scc1mry gates .mung up around Summc• , 1989 their land. and crude houSinl tlvown wgetlu:r for a di/ferettt ldnd of conununity. Thllusands of construction workers - their 11umber 1Nenmalty reached 47 .500 - heaved up enormous experimemal srructures in which tlwusan.ds of scie111i.Hs arul production workers would make maJerialsfor the first aJomic weapon.s." -·Old 01rn Wom Ent1rry. p.112 111e nev. community, Oak Ridge, was k.epl under strict government control. Its citi.rens, under the jurisdiclion of the Ma.nhauan Projec11 set into motion production of the nation'~ first atomic bomb. On August 6, 1945, the secrecy was broken when the "Linle Boy" bomb devastated Hiroshima nnd led to 1he end of World War ll. The enriched ur-.inium-235 that fueled that honible explosion was produced at Oak Ridge. 11uec days later, Nagasaki was dei;troyed by a plutonium-produced bomb, another kind of nuclear weapon that had been re.~carched at !he O.tk Ridge Lab. Nearly 200,000 city 1'C$idems died in the two blasts. These bombs changed the nature of war by changing the technology of weapons. Humankind now had the capability to destroy the world. "In 1948 the AEC'sfirst chairman, David Utienrhal, urged that the atomic (ndustr)' 'enlist a widening area of our economy,• by sending its roots deep and wide into the same soil that /uls nourished the auionwti11e and other industrial gianlS, the soil of competitive private ittdustry." -OurOwn Worst Enemy. p.116 T he commercialization of the ruom in Oak Ridge came when Union Carbide was installed as lhe sole contractor. At about the same time, 1he AEC cook steps that seemingly decreased governmental control or Ouk Ridge. In 1949, after seven years of total control, the city was opened 10 the public and passes were no longer needed to enter. In 1959, residents voled 10 incorporate and established their own municipal government. This communi1y autonomy was a farce, however. In reality, "the institutional changes made Oak Ridge a town run by two companies--Carbide and tire governme11t- eaclt bufferi11g the other from various forms of acco1111tabiliry and e.wctirig a deep measure of comrol " ·--Old Ow11 Wor.rt £ntmy. p.116 Worker safety and health at the Oak Ridge Reservation nlso fell prey to the policies of secrecy and control. 'T11ey wen: almost c-0mpletcly neglected in the interest of greater bomb production. lnjured and exposed workers were examined and treated exclusively by a special team of radiologists, who kept comple~ control over the employees· medicOLI record!i. Losing coun cases were prevemed. sometimes with hush money, and only winnable ones were brought to trial. The AEC both set nnd enforced the rudiation standards, and kept sccrct unpublicized medical research on the effects of radiation. In 1956, Carbide and the AEC raised the plant's allowable limit for radiation levels on clothing and h:inds to eight times the previously existing lmut. This wus part of an aggressive 111!.:e-back \:ampaign launched after the Oil. Ch1:micll and Atomic \Vorkers union local had advanced numerous n.:commcnd.111ons tor safety improvements. The fu:.t aucmpt 111 outside regulation of the cnvironrncnl tit Oak Ridge was m 1975 when the l!nv1ronmcnU11 Prorection Agency (EPA) first gr.mtcd :\ational Pollution D1sch:ugc Ehmin3tlon SysL pem11ts to Oak Rtdl:e cm facilni es The permits \\t:re (rommllell on ~gc 6) 00 l'hoco 'Kiltunr, J ournnt pu 5 �Burial Grounds: A Legacy of Hazard (continued rrom page 5) diluted by exemptions, however. For example, the pcnnils did 001 monitor mercury, PCBs, and other toxics, or waterborne radioactive wastes. Still. between 1975 and 1983, Union Carbide monitors reported 740 violations. The EPA "canied" DOE in spite of itS non-compliance, and in 1980 renewal pennits were drafted. Poisoned or Protected? After World War 11, there was a surge of activity 10 build H-bombs. From that time to this, the US and USSR have each produced arsenals of nuclear weapons numbering in the tens of thousands to "murually deter" each other. Now large areas of both the Soviet Union and the US are unlivable due to excessive radioactive contnmination. Cancer monalities are increasing. Money has been squandered, and local economies have become bomb-dependent. "National security" has lost its original meaning. And lhe bomb-1n1cks keep rolling. The H-bomb project involved the handling and disposal of huge q11anti1ies of toxic and radioactive materials. When lilh1um was detected in lhe annosphere after the test explosion of an early Soviet ;i , imic bomb, research centered around separating the lithium isotopes. The process finally adopted used massive amounts of mercury to make electrochemical cells. Oak Ridge's Y-12 Plant was the site chosen for this activity. In this second surge of activity :u Oak Ridge, most of the US markelS for mercury were bought out. Burial grounds at the Oak Ridge Reservation are shallow unlined t.renches in 1he eanh holding toxic and radioactive wastes. They contain everything from "low-level" radioactive waste (meutls, gloves, clothes, rags, e1c,) to chemicals in drums, solvents and depleted uranium. Incoming, off-site waste shipments have been buried with records of their contents inaccurately kept or lost. Most are covered with earth now, but during waste dumping, they were left open. Of1en the crenches filled with water during periods of heavy rainfall. The contents of some of the burial grounds are classified as Steret because of the kinds of radioactivity they contain, which places chem outside of state and federal jurisdiction. All the dumping are;is were originally sited for accessibility, and scam attention wos paid 10 I.he geological and hydrological characteristics of the area. Since the rainfall is 60 inches annually, there is a shallow water table and an extensive surface water system. Contamination, i.e. sirontium-90 and uranium, leaks into the water table in all directions, and is carried by water runoff into streams during times of henvy precipitation. '7he leakage from the burial grounds has contaminated not only nearby rocks and soils, comprising a large surface area, but has carried a tremendous amo11111 of radionuclides, thereby conian11naring stream beds a long distance from the si1e. Considering the length of 1he radioactive half-lives contained in the waste, it is doubtful 1/Jat the reserva1ion itself or its surrounding areas can ei·er be returned to a natural s1a1e." -Deadly Dc/t nse. p. 112 "/rt low doses. radiation causes lung, bone and other kinds of cancer, leukemia. premature aging, birth defects, sterili.Jy, blood composition challges and caiaracts ofthe eye. Because radiation ltas the highest impact on growing cells, yowzg children,fe111ses and embryos are the most readily affected. Radiation can also cause genetic mura1io11, the complete effect of which will 1101 be known for gener.a1fons. The likelihood of developing cancer. disease or generic effecis is related tO the OJ11ow11 received by 1he tndivid11,a/, lhe rart ofexposure and the rype of rudiarwn. " Oak Ridge Reservation Wltn Nearby Towns and Strums --Deadly 011/tnst. p. L25 Dams and SetUing Ponds: Last Line of Defense? N t 1 J • ' "' .... "/Ji the excitement, Y-12 misplaced a huge portion of mercury. A J9n Union Carbide audit. compiled largely from the memories ofoperaiing perso1111el, estimated char 2 .4 million pounds were losr between 1950 and 1972. Of 1hi.f anwunr,Jederal officials could not accou111 for I .9 million pounds (they speculated that much of ii lies w1dernea11t rite Y-12 buildings used for lilhiwn separation): 475,000 pounds wound up i11 one Oak Ridge creek; and 30,000 pounds were lost through airborne vapors." --Our Own Worst Enemy, pp.129 Mercury contamination has been just one environmental problem 1n Oak Ridge. After 46 years of "haste and waste" production schemes, the extent of environmental destruction has been shocking. "With a col/ec1ion of unlined pits, unfiltered stacks, lifeless streams and a willingness to use the Great Ouuioors as their filtration system, ORO's waste managers have wagered that dilution is the pollurum solwio11·-tluu a Jwrde of migrating wastes will grad11a1/y dissipote their toxic quali1ies as they meatUier around a11d ojf1he reservaJion." However, "Former Oak Ridge health physicis1 Karl Z. Morgan says tlwr ORNL 1estsfow1d radioactive con10mi11an1sfrom Oak Ridge Reservation 111 river sediment as far away as the Mississippi River." -·Ow Own Worst £Mmy, pp. J32, 136 Xau'.ulfi Journat pa9e 6 "The restrvaiion's three major facilities were built virtually top offour lfibutaries of the Clinch River in order 10 exploit 1hem as sewers. White Oalt. Creek carries ORNL's wasces, Poplar Creek receives ORGDP's and £as1 Fork Poplar Creek and Bear Cr1rek carry Y-12 's." --Ow Own Worst Enemy. p. 133 Ofl Two of the creeks, White Oak and East Fork Poplar Creeks, were dammed, according 10 the DOE, 10 create a "last line of defense to keep ORNL and Y-12 pollumnis from exiting the sites." These and other small dams "...have a rwo-fold function fim, the highly contaminated water in streams becomes di/wed in the large impowzdme11ts created by the dams; second, impounding the water allows time for radionuclid& UJ bind U) particles and seu/e otu, thus creating settling ponds. Both functions are supposed 10 serve to lower the total radia1ion co11111 in wasu! streams eman01i11g from 1he facilities In tliis way 1hefacili1ies try 10 use tire primitive and inexpensive method of dilulion to reduce the concemrations of radioactive co11tami111Jtio11 to 1/te level required by lax federal Standards. Those sra11durds do not limit the total 01n<1111Jt of polluwnt.f tlw1 could be disposed of each day. HSe\·eral problems have resu/!edfrom rhis practice ofdil111i11g waste. First, during heavy rainfall the system fails: the lakes behind 1he tlams can IW longer act as set1lin11 ponds. their waters rise a11d become turbulent, and largt amounts of radionuclides t1W\'e over rite dam and into the Clinch Rfrer. Second. rite beds of these se11ling ponds, over time, lrave become so filled with radioacti-.:e sedill'.en1 1ha1 1/ie process of binditig a1ui sc11li11g om ll'hicli is supposed to occur becomel less possible." --DeadlyD~feJUe. p. 107·108 SumttWT, l 989 �Air Releases For fear of their enemies, humans have unleashed powers have already caused great destruction and threaten co destroy all life unless they are curbed. Governments seem blind to the fa't lhat our greatest enemies are the weapons used to Lhrcaten our human "enemies." . Our paranoid fc:ar of o~er ~umans has doomed us to a path that, 1f we connnue to follow H, will lead to the certain desuucrion of all life - not in a grand holocaust, but as vicrim to a slow toxic wasting disease. ' t~at A study done by rhe Office of Environmental Audit of the DOE in 1986 found 1hat, at 1he Y-12 Plant alone, I.here were 233 b!-lildings with 350 s1acks thn1 rekased one or more pollu1ants to thi: au. Only a few had filtration controls. Eighty-six of the s1acks e!llined U-23.4, 235 or 238. "Normal operational releases'' of airborne uranium had come to 12,870 pounds during Lhe plant's history. Accidents and spills at the Y-12 plant have released unknown quantities of uranium. "EPA Sraiistics show tlUll the Oak. Ridgt Reservation and the Fernald Peed Marerials Producrio11 Ce111er lead all DOE facilities in rel~asiflg radioactive particles 10 the atmosphere Oak. Ridge area resulenrs are exposed ro airborne radio11uclides measuring 50 mremfyear 10 the lungs and 8 mremslyear to the bone--jive times gremer than a proposed EPA limit.'' -OivOwn 1Vors1E~emy,p.137-138 A new i.tlcinerator, slated to go on-line in the summer of 1_989, will increase the risk of air pollution. This incinerator, ltcensed by the EPA. will bum radioactively contaminated PCB's. Another incinerator in the Oak Ridge area has also been licensed to bum low-level radioactive waste. (sec KattJalt Joivnal, Issue 23) "Incineration releases radionuclides such as tritium, carbon-14, and iodine inro tlte air, and can also create the potent car~inoge11 dioxin.This radioactivity is carried by prevailing winds wl11ch blow northeast and southwest along 1he valley without crossing the ridges." -Deadly Defense.pp. 115.74 For 1he r.akc of evcry1hing I.hat lives we must resist this destructive impulse in ourselves and stop our slow slide into oblivion by stopping the production of all nuclear weapons now. References: Our 01t111 Worst Enemy. The lmp()CI of Military Production 011 the Up~r Sow/I • wriucn by Tom Schlesinger with John Gnventa and Jullet Merrifield and published in 1983 by The Highlllnder Research and Educnuon Center (RL 3, Box 370: New Market, TN 37820). D11adly Defense: Military Radioactive la!ld/llls - wnuen by Marvin Resnikoff. Lisa FiM.ldl, 11t al.• and published by I.he Radioncuve Waste Crunp:iign (625 Bro:idway, Scc:ond Floor: New York City, NY 10012) IF '\'1~ J)()N''I1 S'l'() 1>, '1111l~lll~ '\'II.1I.1 JJJ~ N<> ONJ~ 1 1~:.~r<ltllJ~\Jlhis 6 By BriJNJINs FirUtin., Grade Jt,S"'°""JMOW!lmn JllgliSdwol An En1ry 11t w 1989 "\/LnonofPeace" <:onJl!SI spcnwr~dby 1neJOl:UoltCowd1ptauNtrwort The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (0REPA) and other co-sponsoring groups are orga.ni~ing the "NEVER AGAIN: March for Peace and the Environment" action on Hiroshima Day, August 6. 1989 in Oak Ridge, TN. You and other individuals and groups rrom the region and the nation arc invired to aucnd. This action is seen as a major event in this "Year of Resistance." People from diverse backgrounds and understandings will come together to create a large, compelling turnout, which will non-violently demonstrate that the issues surrounding peace and the environment can no longer be ignored. The focus of this action is lhc Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Pinnt managed by the United Stares Department of Energy in Oak Ridge. The goals of the march and weekend activities arc to make a statement for: · the cessation of production and deployment of nuclear weapons. - the environmental restoration or the weapons production facilities, and • the use of the talents and money now being wasted in weapons production to be used for goods and servic.~s which meet human needs. March for Peace and the Environment Hiroshima Day August 6, 1989, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Oalc RUJgt E11~/ronmental Ptau Alliantt P.0, Otn llOJ. Kno1CVill6. TN 37901 (615) S7l-2322 Si.unmu, 1989 During the days between Jliroshima Day 3nd Nagasaki Day, a Peace Caravan will proceed from Oak Ridge to the Sav:inn:ih River Bomb Plant near Aiken, SC. to Warner Robins, GA, ending up at the Kings Bay Submarine Base in Sl. Marys, GA on Augusi 9. Free camping 1s available Saturday and Sunday at the peace camp. It is a primitive camping situation and campers should come prepared. The camp is 30 minutes east of Knoxville JUSt minutes off Interstate 40. Please pre-register for maps and information. ./~ P' Schedule or Events Saturday, August 5: 12:()()..6:00 pm· Check-in at Peace Camp 5:00-7:00- Check-in and Potluck Snacks, Laurel Theater, Knox.ville 7:()().8:00 • Premiere of the ftlm 811.iltling Bombs. Laurel Theater 8:()().12:00 - Social, music, Laurel Theater 8:30-9:30- Ecumenical cnndlelight vigil at Y-12, Oak Ridge 10:00-12:00- ''Dan~ Against Destruction• Sunday, August 6 12:00-3:00 pm · Regisuarion, Alvin K. Bissell Parle Oak Rid;;e I:00-4:00 - Non-violence trrumn~ 4:00-5:00 - Aflinity groups meeung 3:00-6:00 - Music, speakers, "Uranium: Tm.ii of Tears" 6:00-6:30 - "NEVER AOAIN: M:irch for Peace and the Environment• 10 the Y·I 2 gates 6:30-7:00 - Rally nnd non-violent civil diso~dience 7:00·8:00 - Jail vigil 8:00-9:00 · Community 5h:iring Monday, August 7 Morning - Peace Caravan depans Oak Ridge �''Do by Patrick Clark The Oak Ridge EnvironmenUl.l and Peace Alliance (OREPA) began in June, 1988 for the purpose of organizing a rally at the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Components Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This very successful non-violent demonstration on Hiroshima Day, August 6, 1988 saw 170 people march on the plant to oppose the processes of nuclear weapons-making. Five people were arrested in 1he first cases of civil disobedience 10 occur in Oak Ridge, a major clement of the national weapons production complex. Since the 1988 Hiroshima Day event OREPA has continued to be active as well as producuve in its research. uncovering and presenting before the public spotlight the realities of the Y-12 operations and the nuclear industry t1t Oak Ridge. OREPA participated in emerging "Green" world vision looks at issues not as isofaled and separnte, but as co-dependent nnd interrel:i.1ed. The Bomb, a deadly monster in itself. produces a trail of devastation from the mines where the raw uranium is taken from the ground, along the route by which it is shipped to the plant, 10 where its by-products are buried or released into the environmcnL This process, supposedly vital to national security, involves mine tailings, highway spills. accidental releases, and radioactive waste. Is it in 1he imeres1 of "na1ioual securily" for our governmem to poison the environment and hllrnl the local people? Bomb production is causing this environmental destruction constantly, whether the final products are detonated or noi. Oak Ridge is a cenier of highly concenttated nuclear activity. It is "a disgrace to Katuah" and "a blight on the countryside," says Smith. ''What they do at Y-12 is repugnant. The bombs are produced to kill men, women, and children. The whole operation is laced with secrecy, illegitimacy, and intimidation. Employees are threatened with loss of their jobs if they discuss what they do. There is noihing resembling a free exchange of ideas. This runs counter to the values our country was founded on and how humans should treat each other. Thepublicdoesn'thave access to what's going on there. The DOE produces a noxious brew of chemicals that is released into the surrounding airand water. Hidden in their ~ fog of secrecy, they use 'national ~ security' as justification for all this." engages in periodic31 tracking of nuclear weapons shipmen is) in the ~ foll of 1988 and has testified at scoping hearings at Oak Ridge. The group was the guest of lhe US Dep:mment of Energy on a tour of the various Oak Ridge facilities. ft hns also developed a slideshow uboul the situation at Oak Ridge and actions taken to correct itThe presentation has been shown to over 50 church, school, and environmental ln the arena of nuclear warfare, human rights, groups. peace, and environmental issues go hand in The group has also joined the Miliwy hand. Production Network. This is a coalition of national and local groups concerned with nuclear OREPA was founded on direct acuon. weapons production facilities thro1.1ghout the "Direct action is people raking responsibility for country. Delegates from the member groups protection of their offspring and the planet. meet periodically 10 generate strategies for Direct action is not letting those in power decide developing public opposition to the production wbat is best for us. This involves sincerity, of miliu'lry weapon.~ dedication, t\lld, at times, risk. Direct action is a Because of its involvement with the very powerful personnl sutement of one's nuclear weapons industry at Oak Ridge, OREPA values." has become a fairly credible counterweight to the Smllh says that bis experience in 1he government operations there. The group has Y-12 demonstration was a moving and become known as a voice: for alternative views empowering one. It made him realize thnt one of Oak Ridge. person can make a difference. "There 1:> no reason to feel helpless and like you're not being hurd. Direct action shows you this." Whal is lhe conne~tion that prompted Oak Ridge is 45 years of environmental OREPA to adopt both environmental and peace debL Heavy me1als, PCB's, and toxic organic issues in LO its title? According to Steve Smith, a chcmlcnls have constantly been release-0 into the founding member of the group. the peace and surrounding creeks. and rndioactivity is environmental is:;ues are inseparably linked. The ~tUafi 1ounml Ptl941 8 dispersed into the air. Deadly wastes which even the government has no1 tabulated have been buried around the city. P-01luted radioactive groundwater is carried in10 the creeks during periods of heavy rainfall . "Many questions remain,'' says Smith. "What is the migration of the deep-well injections. for instance? We're not getting answers. There are obviously lots of serious problems there." OREPA's immediate goal is to curb weapons production ac Oak Ridge. Uhima1ely the group is seeking a complete halt to the production of nuclear weapons and a timely clean-up of the military mess. This requites exposing the rationale behind nuclear armament to the general public. "Let's stan a debate on what's fueling the arms race," says Smith. "What are the economic realities hidden behind the facade of national security? The money tied up in the rums race is phenomenal. Part of OREPA's goal involves funding other work for the people employed there. Suggestions include research in solar and other renewable energy alternatives. as well as clean-up of the exisung damage. They are not presently fulfilling any useful function, anyway. "The Sovieis are ""illing 10 negotiau:: the people in Europe don't want nuclear weapons. The US cannot continue to Justify its arms production within this current world situation." The next eight months are important ones for world peace. Vital decisions arc being made in Washington which will set the nuclear policy agenda for the next 50 years. The government can go 1wo ways according to OREPA: it can continue 10 build more nuclear weapons for the fu1ure, or it C3II clean up what it hns done so far. Whal will decide !his is people getting involved. How can people get involved? There nre three main ways: I) by becoming informed and informing others; 2) by taking pan in the political process. Write letters. attend public forums, call your representatives, demand 1hat our opinions be hew-d and our money shifted away from nuclear weapons bujld-up; and 3) be in Oak Ridge on August 5 and 6 for the 1989 Hiroshima Day March for Peace and the En\'ironment. Dr""'"'I "1 F.dJiL l/aJJ, 9111 ~rodL Jtlltk111 a18ht& Ri~ lllgh School, Gl#nvil~. ftltXtlt Caro/111(J, an ollry '"rite 1989 • Visfo>i tJf P~~· COflldl •poN<Jritd by w lad.son COIU'oly P~ocr ,,. # , NdWtlTt ~ Summo.;r, 1989 �PLANTING A TREE OF PEACE by David Wheeler In the spring of 1987, a group of parents and peace people in White County, Georgia went to the Superintendent of Schools to ask thnt some pan of the school curriculum to be devoted to peace education. They wanted to balance the unrestricted military recruitment activities that were being carried out on the high school campus. l11e superintendent sent lhe idea on to a committee, declaring that he was a veteran of the Kore::in War and ''a patriotic American." Needless to say, the idea was stifled in 1he bureaucratic framework. Months latl!r the parents returned with another proposal. This time they sugges1ed involvmg the students in a llaudenosaunee (Iroquois} Indian ceremony called "Planting lhe Tree of Peace." At the original Tree of Peace ceremony, the Six Nations {lroquo1s) Confedcrocy was formed; and pans of the US Constitution were actually modeled on 1hat confederacy. The proposed latter-day ceremony was planned to coincide with the observances of the bicentennial of the signing of the US Constitution... ~ well as remind studencs of the Indian heritage of this land. Within this historical context, the second suggestion was accepted, and the group contacted Jake Swamp, peace chief of the Iroquois Nacion, who has brought this ceremony to many places around che world. He Q£l'CCd tO conduc1 the event. Weeks or publicity and preparation preceded the ceremony. School children wrote invitations to 1heir local and national elected representatives asking them to auend. A local journalist helped the children write a press :innouncement to be released to community newspapers. When Jake Sw:1mp ;UTived. he fir:;t spoke to the eigh1h grade children at their school. He opened his Ullk by giving 1hanks 10 the spirits 01 all things 1kn live and the Grc;it Sp1ri1 over all, and told the children that 11 was imponani tel open C\ery gathering by recognizing the: spirits of the '' orld. He nlso spoke to high school soci:il studies cla~ses and gave a presentation at an assembly in the elementary school. At 1he assembly fifth grnde children presented him with gifis they had made.. When he ~poke to second-graders in their classroom. some of !he children were frightened of h.im at first, but Swamp calmed their fo:irs by telling them of lhe tradition of the peace chief among his people. He said he never fought, as that would bctr:iy his trust to his tribe. but r.uhcr worked to promote peace amoni; his people and in the world. The next day, Swamp wen1 wuh his ho~ts to the S:lutee-Nacoochee Presby1 erian Church and spoke to the younger children. His message in the children's sermon was that we should remember to give thanks for all things. and lhnt every gathering should open with a prayer of thanks. Summer, t 96C} prophecies that the day will come when the wild strawberries will rcrnm no more, and all that will remain for the people will be the leaves of the plant. It will be lhat way for everythmg. Swamp said. The day will come when most or lhe living beings of creation will be gone 10 a beuer place where none or this pollution and destruction is happening. Yet, even 1hen, we must sull give thanks for what remains to us. Afcer Swamp's presentation, lhe group ai Sautce placed a white pine tree donated by a local landscaper into :i large hole, nnd the children present covered the roots with dirt. Then four children. representing the four directions and the four races or the world, tied four ribbons· red. black, white. and yello\\ - to 1he tree to mingle together in the wind. Other children came forward and also deconued the tree with ribbons. Traditional lndian dancers from the Cherokee Indian Reservation, led by Richard Crowe, then performed craditional Cherokee social dances. A group of women from the local community presented Jake Swamp wnh ll beaded bell lhnt they had m.nde depicting the White Tree of Pence surrounded by a.II the peoples of the world. The ceremony was completed with a gigantic pot-luck feas1. Tree or Pence Socic1y That afternoon the Tree of Peace Ceremony was held at the Sautec·Nacoochee Community Center. Over 100 people attended the gathering. Elected official~ who Wt.'TC present were recognized and given a chance to speak. Girl Scouts paraded around the site carrying the fings of many nations. symbolic of international uniry. When Jake Swamp ~poke, he cold the story of The Peacenu1ker, who first brouglu peace. to the constlltltly warring tribes of the St. Lm~rcncc Rivcr-ca'1em Grc:u Lakes :irc.i nnd drew them together to form the lroqu<us Confederacy. In the \\'hite Tree of Peace ccrcmony, lcgc:nd s:iys that the Pcncc:makcr tore a t?reat white pine tree from the ground. Ile then bid Adodarhoh, originally the licrcest of the tribal W;lf chiefs, to be the fin;1 of the warriors to thro\\ his weapon!' into the hole which opened into an underground river and carried them away. The tree was replaced in the holt:, and The Peacemaker declared lh:u, "The Y.hi1e roots of this tree will go out in nil 1hc dirc!Ctions, and lhe children of filJ 1.hosc present will be able to gather together under the shade of this Tree of Pcl::icc for all time to come." fake Swamp again emphasized the imponance of giving thanks :ind :.aid that no matter hov. bad things might seem 10 be, it is imponant 10 give lh:mks for what we have. Ile gave as an example the wild strawberry plant, which is very sacred to th1: lribcs of the Huudenosaunce. It 1s said among the Haudenosaunce that thing~ migh1 indeed be bad now, buc !hey know th;u someday things will be worse. because it is given in the tribal The Tree of Peace is thriving in Soulhc:m Appalachian soil The white pine pl3nted in Sautee was surrounded with wildflowers, set around its base the following year. Oo New Year's Day, 1989. bulbs were planted around lhe rrce, which bloomed later in the spnng. The tree is kept mulched and tended by the children and aduhs of lhc community. It il> ;i focus of e:1ch year's New Year celebrauons and the annUjl community fo~1ivals which :in: held at the cen1er. Because it wns positi\'c nod nonconfronianonal in ns nature, 1hc Tree ol Peace.: ceremony softened 1he members of 1he school bo!l!d They cnme to ~c-e that to 1he loc:il group, "pence·• meant brillgb.g pc•ople :oge1/1a rnther than splimng the rommunny apart. l11crcfon:. in 191)9, community members w.:rc allowed to perform ti peace pl.1y at the sd1ool. T/ie Peace C/11/d tdls the story ot nn American girl and a Ru~siun boy who become tricnds and evcnrn:illy bnng 1hc:1r countric<>' leaders 10ge1ticr to discuss di~armament (sec: p. 15). The piny was also presen1cd in a pubhc p¢rfonn:ince. which was :mended by the whole school board, 1he county commissioners, and other eh:cted officials. The play was supponed in pan by local businesses. It was filmed for TV by the CNN Networl.;, and the t0\\11 enjoyed the "idesprcad nucntion it received. 11lc :.pirit of peace has brought changes 10 a small, rur.1.l 1own in Kaniah. (prepared v.11/i tlic 11.:tp ofJ(}{JJmt Steele) Rc:.aun:c; r/:( Grwl law of Pc.:JU and TN! Co11.1111ui1on 0/1/11: UrnudS1aus of./tr111:nca. Tr~ ol Pc!ICCSocicty, c/o Jake Swump. Box 188·C Cook Ro.1!1: Mohawk Nauon: YUi Hogamburt. NY 13655 �. Community Building and Peace: The Vital Connection A look oJ The Fou11datio11for Commu11ily E11courageme111 by Richard Lowenthal Most people, ii questioned, would say that they deeply desire peace and a sense of community in their lives. Yet, despite this longing, most people usually have very little idea of how to creartt pe3Ce and community, and thus end up fceHng stymied and hopeless about it - which le~ incvitabl y to resignation and apathy (two of the of1-dei;eribed hallmarks of the 80's). We need only to look at the course oflhe "peace movement" over the pasr two dCQndes, 10 sec this discouragement and disempowcrmcnt at work. Ccnainly, the peace mov.:ment has had an important impact on many lives and on our social consciousness, but in some crucial respects the movement has been remarkably ineffective. ls our -planet really nny more peaceful now thnn it wns ten or twenty or thiny years ago? ls meani11gful disarmament (as opposed to the token disnnn:uneot now being righteously touted by the superpowers) any closer to becoming a reality? Despite all the efforts of varied peace groups and peace-minded citizens, we are all still churning out more and more nucle:ir weapons. every day of every year - and movement toward la..~ting peace and improved intemationru relations has in most respects been negligible. Why is this? Why has lhe peace movement had such difficulty gaining headway and achieving tangible results? And why do many people srill dismiss the goal of peace as an impractical, visionnry dream? For that matter, why is the peace movement often exactly that· unrealistic and impractical? As we prepare to enter the last decade of the second millenium, it is vital thnt we understand these questions and seek to nnswer them - for the answers we seek may well be crucial to our survival. Ooc oflhe most positive and provocative approaches to these questions is that taken by The Foundation for Community Encouragement (FCE) in Knoxville TN, a non-profit organiiation based largely on the seminal work of Dr. M. Sc0tt Peck and his most recent book Tiie Different Drum: Comn11111iry Making and Peace. The book's introduction begins with a deceptively simple yet astonishing statemcni: "In and through community lies the salvation of the world." It is astonishing • and not at all simple - because the dist.resSing truth is that "most of us have never had an experience of true community." Thus saying that community will be our salvation is like crying "to describe the taste of artichokes to someone who has never eaten one." Until we can truly experience ond savor the taste. texture, and feeling of community, there is simply no way to comprehend Dr. ~1.-ck's opening stntemem. Then four paragraphs into th~ inu-oducuon to ·. . .· . this amnz.ing book. Dr. Peck very mildly expresses his views about peacemaking - in the procC£S answering the questions expressed earlier in this article. His words are wonh quoting 1n full: "... initially. r thought this book should be entitled 'Peace-Making and Community.' But that would put the can before the horse, for I fail to see how we Americans will be able to communicate effectively with the Russians (or any people of other culrures) when generally we don't even know how to communicate with the neighbors next door. much less our neighbor.; on the other side of the tracks. True communication. like the charity it requires, begins :1t home. Perhaps peacemaking should start small. I am not suggesting... that we should abandon global peacemaking cffortS. I am dubious, however. as to how far we can move toward global corrununity • which is the o111y way to achieve intemntional peace- until we learn the basic principles of community in our own individual lives and personal spheres of influence." The book goes oo to explore the essence of community, and the process of community-building through sharing, vulnerability, communication, and real relationship. Dr. Peck is careful 10 explain the difference between "pseudo-community" and the experience of true community, and an understanding of this differece is crucial to understanding FCE's mission and philosophy. While community is characterized by openness, inclusivity, risk-taking, and genuine appreciation of the differences of personalities and opinions, "pseud~community" is based on rigid expectations and beliefs, exclusivity, maintaining an appearance of community, and the squelching of confrontation and differences. As FCE puts it, ''Through the power of genuine community, we seek to offer opportunities for people to bridge differences and reconcile conflicts with authenticity and integrity.'' In practical tcnns. FCE's focus extends into several different areas - all, of course, related to the an (or science?) of community-building. Its primary focus is to share the experience of community through powerful weekend programs called Community Building Workshops. The effectiveness of these workshops is made evident by the fact that in 1988 over 50 were conducted throughout the United States, just three years after the first workshop was offered • which happened to be the 011Jy one presented in 19&5! In 1986. twelve were conducted. and in 1987 lhere were thirty. These weekend workshops are exll'Cmely cxpericmial in narure, as well as participatory - there is very Httle intellectunl material presemed, and no lecturing at nil. This does not mean. however, that intellectual awnrcne:;s is discounted ·quite the contrary! In fact, one of the strengths of the workshops is that awareness nnd community grows ouc of evc:ryone's total experience within the group scning, and not out of some framework or organiwrion imposed on the group (a.~idc from some basic ground rules for the weekend). Since there is very little to grab on LO in order to pigeon-hole or intellectualize what's happening, and the group leaders are not teaching. or lecturing, or giving directions (with a few exceptions), (c:ontinuol cm Ne Z.:J Drnwing by Rob Messick Su.mnu:r, 191t9 �Peacemakers for the Katuah Bioregional Province (a partial listing) American Friends Service Committee Asheville Aikikai Pc<JCe Program 92 Piedmont Ave. NE AtlllllUI, GA 30303 (404) 458-0460 939 Riverside Drive Woodfin. NC 28804 (704) 258-1330 Dan P:ilmcr, lnwuctor Amnesty Internntioruil The pltilos()phy of rukido 1s much different from that of rnt>il f/llJl'tial ans; rather than mttting an Oltachr head-on, studl:nts of aikido lrrarn first how 10 get ow of the way. Then we are 1augl11 l10w to capture an Ollachr's energy and redirect /J, so thr amounJ of tnugy pw fnto the a111Jck. is returned 10 the aiiacku. In a1kldo practice an attQ(.ktr is immobl/iud Ira such a way lhnl, t'Vtn if ht dou11'1 know how to fall, he is brouglll 10 the ground "'ithDUI bting hurL Tht idea is lo immobilize him. The purpose of aikido is 10 ruolv~ a violent conflict without harm 10 one's st.If ar to an auacktr. Practitioners of aikido do 1101 considtr an attacking person as an t11emy. An attacker is simply pr&rcflting us with on opporruniry 111 practice Instead of ignoring an attadc. we learn ID embrace iJ and use 11 as an opportunityfor personal spiritual ~w:lop~111. Tht! most Important thing a/Jou.I nikido i.f Ml self-defense. but self-control It is necessary IO learn to control one's own tnergy o.!ld one's own balance before one can control SOPU!ane. rlsc'J tnergy and balance. Once on4 lia.r mastend st/f-conlral. con1101/ing someone else is no1 so dlflicult. The physi.cal practice of nikido techniqUl!s enhances Jht: developmMt of the spirit. Bodily txptrltndng tlu! principles of nikido 111 training, one gets a btJlt!r feel/or 1he ~truual D$pt:CIS of ti~ practice than a reading of tlte p/tilosophy could give. Then agam. one canMtjust practice, <1ne OIJO has 101hinJ.. l1 worlcs both ways. · Da11 Palmer Soul.hem Region 730 Peaclurce (#982) Atlllll1.3, GA 30308 ConUICt Judi Hom Appalachian Peace Educalion Center 114 Coun Sll:'CCl ~~\.ACJf1. Abingdon, Virginia 24210 (703) 628-4366 ~~ . ~4- ..., /. 1g: ~ (') q: '." ~0Nc~,~~ The Appalachian Ptact Education Cl!llttr is a coalition of~Q(;e groups in the southwestern Vlrginin area as wall as a membership orgallizatio11. Tht! coa/i1io11 i11clu1Us Jhe Sou1liwes1 Peace 1'111e /11 \Vise a11d Lu counties. Pellplefor a Just Pt(l(;e in IVytltcvillt:, S1wkms fur Pt(l(;t and Environrrwt1al Concerns 01 Emory and lltnry College, and the Ctn1raJ America Group. Beyond War/Peace Tree RI. 3, Boit 30-E Clntksvillc, GA 30523 ConW:t: JllllCl Schaller The Center for Peace .Re. 11. Boit 369 Scvicrvillo, TN 37862 Central America Resource Group Box 7411 Asheville, NC 28802 Coalition for Justice in Central America Box299 Blacksburg, VA 24063 (703) 951-7953 ConlllCC N:111cy Qcnlhncr, Nik Jones Cumberland Center for Justice and Peace Scwancc, TN 37375 (615) 598-5748 ConUICc John M. Gcssell Ecumenical Project for Int ernational Cooperation 734 w Locus1 Sc. Johnson Ci1y. TN 37C)()J Ecumenical Peacem:ikers Bo~66 Swllllllllll03, NC 28778 Fellowship or Rt'cundli:iliun f'. 0 Bm 2-71 Nyad, NY IO'JC.O A Ieng t1~ peo.I' or ani:u11< n 11 fuel QJ11(Jn11 0tlv acu,1t1u has pr1Jll'ded sll(lport ond drc:ft CG.w IIille ID pc.ople conmkring (MS cr.llor::roly t1on. s .. nunar. 1989 Foundation for Communily EncouragemenL 7616 Gleason Rd. Knoxville, TN 37919 (see article page IOJ J ackson County Peace Network P.O. Box 1872 Sylva. NC 28779 (704) 293-9230 Conmtt Cynlh13. Gnlltngcr A VISION OF PEACE Tht Jackson Coumy Pear:c Nt1work fJCPNJ brings M.ar.e issues into tht Iota/ .1hcools through the Vi.tiofl of Peace Con111s1, a y~arfy e»cnt 1ha1 awards caslr prius for the moJt ~anmp/ul siattmenu on pcllet 1/it1~ by high ~chool 111iJcnu worJUnK in tire. wrmen or visual arts. Tht contest is hi!ld wrth the pu11UJs1on of the Board of Edurm1on ulUJ l 'mc-11 of Ptut"c projtCf.f art uqu1rM rla.u><-ork In some '" ' t:laJJ<'S. Thi! a>nlt.JJ tr a gerttle. rwn-a>n;ront•ulon:il wav 111 tnCO«T<l,Ef. mulaiJS to respQ/1d 10 t/w prewng ls1 .. c oj1hc nut;lcm tlvcut, ,,.hJch t.t a Jiron£ uifl:.u:1m! 011 J"Wll ptoplt"s 1lunJ.mg.ye1 u a sub;cct tluu lS f11r..:elJ taboo 111 tire /;nots or 1n an dulfo ut i.1/hadults In 1987 JC!'N i. f one of11> IDcol orgw: • tans w #"ft e.vt: 1he NC Go.cr11 1 " " rd for Ouuumding \ufunr.. Ser.rec Theuwardwusli-tllte1cd1abtdur1n large nwzsive II) ti.I! su us of w 1 uion of />ca t: Cc.r.11'..si • l'ar Mor.• t 11111! Cynllua G ,/11111;tr Hand$ In Outreach BoxOne Pen!Md, North Carolina. 28765 Hands In Outreach is a Yancey Counry-ba..rcd educational sponsorship progr(llll for "third world" child.rtn Now in iu sixth ~ar, it is "'"ently responsible for the tducatian of 68 indfrldJUJJ cllildren undtr sponsorship and has ht!lped 10 form a rural wo11~n.s· kniJ1i11g ctn/tr which today has frained !Mre than 50 formally illittra/e girls. \Villi a membership of only 140 sponsoi-s. this .rmall and very pusolllll ouirtach has substantially con1ribu1ed not only 10 r,ons1ruc11ng rwo uw schools, bw a/$0 rwo complete school llbraries. Hands In Outreach is l:ome-bostd and is directed by author Don Willcox andfiber artist Louise Todd Cope. The Highlander Cenler ~ RL 3, Box 370 New Markel. TN 37820 {615) 933-3443 Con1ac1: John Gavcnw. R~ Din:clllr Sinu 1932 Tht lllghlandcr Ct!ntcr has s.en'ell us an tducatialllJl umcrfor 1h11 30uiheas1 on issues such as civil rig/Its, labor ISS~S. tllt tnvironllft!ll/, 'll'Ol"Ur saftty and hlalth The Ctnter i.1 noi.•l:o$ling the STP Schools 10 encourage grassroots s1ra1egits 10 counter 1ndu.strial pollution ond programs 10 help communil)' ITU!m~rs understand tht local and global pokier srrw:tures that infl~ue their lives. EMange progranr.r art. being carried on with groups i11 Indio. NicaragUJJ, Sowh Afrit:a, an.d other countries around tht! globe. ·John Gavtnta Ellie Kincade, M.A. (Conffic1 Management) 21 Hillcnd31c Rd. Asheville, NC 2880S (704)1Sl-6St5 "We have so often liMed htroiJm wi1h warfare, bottling, conq~st, and victl)ry. t/taJ a difftrurt notion of huoism, OM that allows us 111 su nurturing and sustaillin1 as ltvoic activiries, is difficult 10 develop. Yet 1his rs whal must ht! doM Wt nud ta vol~ actions Ira "1hu:h one i~nll/its with, raihtr than opposq, another bt!1ng or way ofbl!111g The idea of bottling or fiahlU.g is only one of 1ht: ways of dealing with /tar. Ci!r/llct, alld difftrtncc. Of1en that which we rtjtct and oppose is tht w:ry ~rson or position 1l:a1 w.- 11ted lo 111c/ude in our tn:brau. Acctptance 1s tl:t:' art of making the obstacle tht! pa1h: thtrefore tmbrace tJ~ tncMy. Thi~ 1s lht ltrson of thi! rivu guldt, Fact the dangtr, mow toward 11 ThaJ's where t/r.t: currtn1 u tl:t stro11ges1, and 111<·i// CJJrry ,vou around tht obstaclr. Uu II. Ir: 31k1do, a Jup1mcu numt.il urr , tht tea. hu turn from your auacJ.trs. Move rrght in ~r.u 10 rlielfl, See tliz "'vrfdfro"' their po1111 of M.'Ou/d sm;, '"Blend Ntlltt ltkntih w1tli 11'.e U.l"IJ and llrqnu:lrlJll;for~d. Oppcfl(IUS arcl1i:d), ti"nt :tar; u-.crgy A Upl W lift Tr.at'~ are Mil p:issne. 1ilkcr. fr m ai1:1do./r m l.t11 11 m 11'.e 11wr 1kty Ja~:nd i:n alcnnts.s an on abuuy 1 uspond tlllJ1 u co1 :plrtt Our fir I 11ul Is lo ht Ill' 1 lr:adu OU( (fi.n lives the /st' t r;j ""' "'" sto·icJ Ir. /ac.t w au )' art "'" hi:> on! 10 dJsaJ~tT wla.J: tfJPl tr.;'®1 Women m 11"' W1I~ b CJ.w; Ga!l:md {[rem EJ1k Kinca:dtJ Xotunh Jo .. uw[ pmii: t1 �Peacemakers Peacemakers Peacemakers Peace Room 'V Madison County The World Grune lnstituie Uruvcrsity City Science Cemcr 3508 Market SlrCct Phihdclphia. PA 19104 (215) 387-0220 The Peace Room is structured sa tlllll row dmo and "inretligcnce reports" from all ovu the p/Olltt CD!l bl! collected. proccssl!d and applkd by its rl!starch staff 10 dl!\list crtoti~ stratl!giesfor solving basic human riud problems. The rcstarch is 1htn madt a1'Uilablt 10 world leatkrs and tht general public through rl!SCOfch rqx>rts and cxpu1tntiJJ/ World Game Workslwps. 90 Mill Ctt.ek Rd. M:trshall, NC 28753 (704) 656-2280 Contact: Drew Langsncr Mnrtin Luther King, Jr. Center for Non-violent Social Change 449 Auburn Ave. Atlanta, GA 30312 Plowshare Peace Center Box 1623 Roanoke, VA '24008 (703) 985·0&08 ConlllCl: Pul Prat;ilJ Plowsharl! Peace Center is on education and rts0u.rct cemu on issu.ts relating to social ju.slice, peace, and non·violtnce. Plowshare wa.r ts1ablished by pcoplt of various rtligiDu.s D!ld philosophical persptctivts who sh,art a commi1rmi111 10 nonvioltncc as a way of life. This commitmtnl flows jrom the spiritual Olld ptrU>rral conviction tho/ active lovt is rht only power by which evil is overcome O!ld tlu! only suflicic111 /xJs1s for human society. Blacksburg Adopts a Sister Mountain Light Nelwork RL 1Bo~229 Dillard, GA 30537 (404) 746-2454 COllUICl: M:srinn McCracken "The Mountain Light Netw0rk. is an intuuional/y unsuucwrtd asstmbfagt ofgroups D!ld indi>'iduals i111l:e IYNC and North Gtorgia ana who havt a dup ct>mmitmenJ to 1ndivuiuaJ and global peace ·· New Providence Peace Committee 70'3 W. BroodWQy Maryville, TN 37&01 Contacc Jean Myers North Carolina Educalion Peacemakers Center for Peace 214 Piusboro SL. Chapel HiU, NC 27514 (919} 929-9821 Offering work.shops and courses on education in w 1111Clear age ond confliCJ resaluiion. Northeast Georgia Peace Council Rt. I. Box 319 Baldwin, OA 30511 (404) 778-0579 Com11cc Patsy Gailey sec "Wt short a commitment to a peaceful world We we IJ.lliud in aclcnowltdgmg that Peop~ Evtrywhut Arc Crta1al Equal (PEACE)." Peace Links: Women Against Nuclear War ~~ !:e~~. Blacksburg, Virginia hos become the 78th US corntnJJ!lity to join the US.Nicaragua sistu city program. Tiit link became official on April 11, 1989 l<'licn 1ht Bladcsbu.rg J'own Council decided (in o 4~3 ''Ole) to odop1 San Jose de Bocuy, Nicau.ragu.a as 1rs s1Jttr Cit) Tlit srsru city program btrween the US and Nicaragu.a is an offshoot of Sisur Cities ln1ernatlonal, a program initiated b)' Prts1de111 Eist!llhower ur 1956 to es1ablish greater fricndJlup (Jlld u.ndcrst011durg 1Ntwtt11 the people of the US and other nationJ thl'ough ptrsonal conUJcl ... Mcmbl!Ts of the Si.tttr City Co1t1111111u (SCCJ told the Council 1ha1 they hove vizcd to avoid politici:ing rht issue. But, givim tht current mood of the country, thi.t 1s very difficult to accompltsh. According 10 Rev IVoody Lta1:h. Virginia Tech Pre.sb)'ttriOll minister, fom1er Council member, aJUJ chair of the SCC. "IVhat is intended 1s for one human contlTlu.nity, Blacksburg. 10 a11emp1 10 build bridges offri.:ndJhip and u.nderstonding with D!lOther humon cammu.ni1y, San Jose tk Bocay. It is the hope of 1he Co1M1f1tu thDl the Town Council will be able 10 htlp the town transcend po/11ical differtnccs through this project. It is one way 1ha1 we CDfl say 10 tht children of the town and to 01hu UJwns; We believe thal hurrta11 beings CIUI work 0111 differtnccs when thtir go11crT11M111S COllllOI .• '" Al leas/ two mambers have already visited San Jose tk 8ocoy, and childrtn from Margaret Becks Elementary School in Blacksburg are currently engaged 1n a ptn pal pro;cct with srudt!llJS in Bocay The Commillte haptS these exchanges wll/ ltod ro regular tducational and cultural exchanges bttwun the 1wo conurnuuties~. • by Mariann Caine (tu.trpttdfrom the New River Free Press) ~f~·'~ I• Wf •I NC 28802 (704)684-mo .~ Contacc Jennie Eblen Peace Links is a non·projit, non-partisan orgoniumon commllltd 10 increasing awartncss of and Cl)nctrn aboUJ the issues of world peace and IN 1hrt!a1 of llJIClt!llrwor. Irr Asheville, Peace Links hos1t!d three Soviet In 1985. promottd o "Kids S~alc Thtir Pt!DCt" program in 1he public Schools. and sponsored "Rock 'n Rtgister, • a musical concl!r/ for voltr rl!gistrotion Far "Peace Day 1989." tht group will sponsor 1he childrtn's play "PtfJU Child.· (sup. 15) • )CMit £b{e11 wa~n visitors Peace Links • 3509 Kcstetwood Rd.. Knoxville, TN 37918 - Box 566, Mountain Home. TN 37684 • 235 Hamburg Rd., Bake~ville, NC 28730 • 734 W. Locust St., Johnson Ci1y. TN 37604 Credo of /lie Peaceful Traveler Gr01cfu.1 for the opportu.nily ro travel and to uptritllct the "l>'Orld and be~ ptau begins w11h the indlvr'dual, I a/flmt my personal rtspollSlbiliry and conunitmtlll IO: • journey wilh Oil opui mind and gelllk heart .at:ctpt wilh grace and gr01ilud41he diversity I Coniacc Judy Sheclccl, Hetb W3ltcts Rural Southern Voice for Peace (RSVP) was fou.ndi:d 111 198/ in response 10 a m:ed on /ht part of people w/lo /tit o call 10 worlc for peace and 1us1ict and against raci.rm. bu.J were i.toloted in snwll. and often coflSl!rvarive, rural comm11.1U11u scattartd 1hrougl11Jul IN sowheast. The group ~gan in a cold ba.s11111tnl room with a $4f)/) donation and o oorrowtd zypewmu. It has grown 1n10 a well·known and respected regional peace orga11ila1ion with thru paid staff people, filling an important niJ:h4 in the spct1rum of social change work. in the South and providing hope and insp/raJion to volu.nttcr aciivisrs Md local citizens. RSVP provides o monthly newsleucr 1ha1 amplifies tlit of1err small, and ~t significant, activities that local people are organizing in their own commu.nitics and connects these events within 1/tt context of change that is beginning at the grassroots in the rural Sowlt. In 1984 RSVP began lls Rural Ntrworking a.nd Training Program in which RSVP staff people visittd small 1owns and solllhern cilic;r providing training O/ld suppon for organi:crs. As a result of this program, 12 new group$ have bttn formed and 20 l!Jds1ing groups h11Vt bun rtvitaliud and Strtnl{thtncd. This wori. eumplifits 1ht commi1me111 ro commu.n11y organizing and citizui empowerment tht.u has cl1aracttriud RSVP tinl:e its inception. A recent brtak1hrouglt in neighborhood COmmJJnications is the Ustcning Project idea, which is bwtg dtvl!foped in procriu by I ltrb Walters ofthe RSVP staff. (Sec report on page J) RSVP offers training and conStd101ion for groups who wan/ to initiate Luttning Projects in their area. Peace Advocacy Network 8945 Sh:illowford Drive Knoxville, TN 37923 t/ICOll.ll/Cf • revere and protect the flQ/uroJ tnvironnt(n/ which sustains al/ life • opprcclOl.e all cultures I discover - respect and tllallk nry hosufor their welcome • offer my hand ln/rlendslrip (() tvtryon.e I meet - support rrovtl services 1h.o1 short these views aJUJ act upon 1ht1r1. by my spirit, words and actions • encourage 01htrs to travel tht world ln pttl«. • from The First Global Confcrcnoc on Tourism: A Vi1al Force for Peace (October 27, 1988) x.atl.iah Journat page 12 ~ura.f Sou//, cm Uice fo,. Pea.ct 1901 Hannnh Bmnch Rd. Burnsville, NC 28714 (704) 675-5933 Peace and J ustice Committee 3219 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919 Peace TreeJCovenant Box82 Snu1ec, GA 30571 Peacemaking Committee Nacoochee PresbylCrian Church Box 87 Sa111ee, GA 30571 S'4mm4lr, 1989 �, Peacemakers ~t:'3s Peacemakers in the Nuclear A . , g e Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC 28778 (704) 298-3325 Coniact: Doug Banleu · options in the Nuclear Age l!XistJ 10 ma/cc wt:ll·informed uniw!rsity faculty members available OJ spcakers (free of charge) for well·establisht!d conununlty groups on topics pertaining to national security • the arms race, 11urorism.1111ervenJion, t/te economy. etc. 1'he aim of Options is ({) hrlp p~ople learn the issues and develop .rophistica11'on in analysis of the complu questions uwolved. It is our belief 1ho1 people ore ~st ab/t to ll!orn and arrive at their own conclusion afttr hto.ring a range of opinions on policy choi<:es. The Options program does not take an advocacy role. The program strives 10 provide the comprehLnsrvenns. openMss. and integrity on which any substantive cducatio!IJJ/ exanunation of the iss11ts depends." Pax Christi - Virginia Tech Peacemakers Soviet-American Video Exchange for Children Vagabond Globetrotling: State of lite Ari (S.A. V.E. fotCh.ildtcn) Boll 1838 Cullowbee. NC 28723 (704) 293-9534 Conmcc Howw-d lUll by Mru'Cus Endicou. A book on conscious iouring, tMlilnblc from lhc publisher. S.A.V E wrll coordinate the exchange of student-produced vidto tapes hl'twecn Russian and American schools at tl:t! ;unror high fevel Tilt' principal objective is. of course. 10 foster awareness • awcvencss that Strips awoy tire fear of the unblown. A11 added bonus wjff be the St/f·owarene.ss that comu from ezpfaining one's own situation w others The undulying intMt of tht pro;rer goes beyond fX!OCl!. Peace is o gfrcnfor surviwd's sa/ce, but there ts a more subtle and/ar·rtat:li111g aware11<1ss that may also be engendered: the consc10u.rntss ofs/:ared space, ofshored r(J:.fponsibility for the globof tnvironment, When friendship replaces r1ustrust, 11 is much easier to see that tire health of the planet a/fem us all. • /foward /fi/f Transylvsnians for Peace Box 451 Brevard. NC28712 (704) 884-1633 Con1$t Connie Nash Coniacc Cale O'Hare 20/20 Vision "Encmyof1/1e Week'' "My command!Mnt 10 you is this· love your enemies. Pray for those who persecme )'OU.• Paz Christi has a custom of praying for an "Enemy of the Wetk" at l!acl1 meeting. The custom arises from our desire 10 follow Christ's command to love tvuyoM, evt'n those who oppose us or hate us. A prayer lealkr chooses a person. gtoup. or organization that is in some sense an entnry. The praytr leader explains in what sense that person. or group ls an entmy. and then leads a Sincere prayer for tht wt/I-being of that entmy. • RL I, Box 1037, Sau.tee, GA 30571 (404) 878-3459 Conuicc Joan King • 20/20 NC I I th Congressional Dis1I1c;t P.O. Box 5855, Ashevrllc, NC 28813 The 20f20 Project is a national, grassroots lobbying organ11ation 1ha1 works thro14JJr Ct>ngrtssional districts. Any cilutn can becor1ll! pclitica/fy involved at trucial points i1t rk political syntm by paying S20 per year and taking only 20 minutes per month to wrrre a letter to a Congression11/ reprtst!nralive about a cho~n pofitical issue. Through the 20/ZO Projea people's effortS can be maximiud. and they can become poliucalfy involved with very li11/e t!J!ort · Krtty BoniSkl! 71 Woodbury Rd. Asheville, NC28804 Contact: John Sicvens Enchiridion lntcmation:il Box2589 Cullowhce, NC 28T.l3 Vietnam Vets for Peace 840 Marion Ave. SE Atlanw. GA 30312 War Resisters' League • Southenst ©l W Chapel IUll SL Durham, NC 27701 Wnr Tax Counseling .t15 Kmharine lane Wood:llOCk, GA 30188 (40-l) 928-8"..52 Conl:ICc Robert R:mdall Women's International League ror Pence and Freedom • 28 Queen Rd.; Cruidlcr, NC 287 I5 203 01cy SL Blaclc.sburg, VA (703) 95 I-0032 Peacemaking Task Force of I be Asheville Presbytery Peacemakers Conlllct: Mllry K!ly uutd • RL 5, Box 694; Franklin. NC 28734 ·Rt. I. Box 486; MotglllltOn, GA 30560 Conwc Barbara Newell Earth Quilts/ Regional Project Norma Bradley 296 Monlford Avenue Asheville, NC 28801 (704) 25J· 079 I "Designed from the elements of the Earth and crt.ated within the Earth"."Combinlng the traditional an of quiltmakmg with lqvt of the mountain environment, Norma Brod/ey, arusrlsculptor, assists school groups and others in crealing their own CtJmmw11ty 11ar11t S(u/ptJVt using nntivt materials. Physicians for Social Responsibility • 5 Alpine W:iy, Swnnnnnoa, NC 28778 - Box I 15, Moun.run Home, TN 37684 SANE - Box 11274, Asheville. NC 28804 • 108 N. Blue Ridge Rd .. Black MounlaUI, NC 28711 - 108 Morchc.'ld SL, Morganton. NC 28655 Southern Dharma Retrea t Center RL I, Box 34-H Hot Springs, NC 28743 In Sanskrit, the c/aJsical language of l11dia. dh31'ma is the word for wisdom. /or mtnd tSstnte or 11atural low, It is bl!lit•ed 1/mt greed. hatred, and ignoranc:e (or our 1nab1/ity to su ourst/1-rs a.~ we really are) art states of11Und that hinder the growth of wisdom and undtrstanding, rJnd art the fundamt11tal caures of hultlilfl sulfcrlnlJ It is also believtd thar through 1h.practret of llU!diwtio11, a focu.rtd a11en11011 , tltest states may be dmoNtd und replaced with more politr~'I staks, such as con".passton and /cJndness. Tiit goal ojthe Southern Dlwnr.a Retu Ctn/tr .<11 is 10 pro•ide a ,·01nfortub/t 11<11hmng pluct, rtmo•ed from tht t\·cryd/JJ dwractions of lift, and to crtatt' <Vt atmospliue of quut r(flect1on where one can nurture a stnse of~Iler and wu:o1-er till' 1tmhs w11Jiin 11'.e heart. x.ntuurl Jo ... rnat pa9c 13 1i~ JeconJ anncw/ Peactfest, ~ponsurcd b) PO;( Christi · \'irgiflla 1'ech 011 Su.n.;fuy April 16, 1989, il!lr.ia,,d hwulrtds OJ srwknt.t and /o<al r~.1idr111110 a brr.rfit conurt cdtbraJrnf /J('a <'. • photn by MariJnn Ca111<'. COW1C$)' of the .Vt" Rrvtr fru Press �'.PEACE CWLLD 0 ne of the most familiar peace quotes IS Gandhi's "If we wish to create a lasting peace.~. we w1U have t0 begin with the children." This autumn, the children of the Asheville, NC community will share !heir own vi~ions for aunining world peace in the mus1caJ fanwy.Peact Cliild. The Ptacr Clrild play taltes place m the ycur 2025, when the world is already at peace. I! uses the device of a s1ory1cllcr to cxpl:un how children helped bring peace 10 the world. The script and music ha"e incredible power as the children unfold their wisdom on life, wur, and peace. This play which has been produced iniemmion.11ly since 1981 and is unique in that the author invites t.ach producer 10 rewrite the ~ript to lit the community. the ume, and especially the cast of children of their particular selling. The members of the cast arc involved m dlscu.~sions on peacemaking throughout all rehearsals and ate given the chance to have their own ideas put into the script. The priority is 10 involve community children in the Peace C/rild process, so that •the central experience or Peace Cliild comes when the children performing 11 feel that they themselves are the pc3CC children of the story." The Peace Child Foundation administers all the Ptact Child activities. They supply communities with a Study Gujdc and necessary production support as well as coordinate national and intern:11ional tours. Peace Child was the first production to use the •space Bridge" program, a satelliic link between the US and USSR. Jn 1985 Peace Child toured the world with a special Soviet-American Ptact Child tour in 1986. For mo.re information,conuicc Peace Child Foundation 39n Chain Bridge Road Fairfax, Virginia 22030 (704) 3854494 The Peace Links' producL is scheduled for ion September 30, October 1 (Pence Links' "Pence Dny. 1989") as well as performances for schools. If anyone is interested in volunteering, in buying advertising in the production's program, or in general information, please call Jennie Eblen at (704) 684·5530. Ethnic Survival The Frie11dsllip Quill ~rh.: frimdship qwlt is n tradition in this COU/llry that camt witll 1/u: peopl~ wlio Stllll!d l11ut/rom 01hu plaC Wt wonted 1 find d luimef or our friendship qui.ft t!S. 0 in the Sovw Uman in a place somewhat 11/te our own lrome It 1/V.lkl!s Tnl! glad 10 1hinfc af 1/rL long journey that our quilt offriendship has had and thaJ 11 hasfound you The quilt has marry/11n11y and sad and 1111eru1ing stories. The pa11trn aroUlld 1J:e edges is a traditional oM ca/ltd 'Flying Gttse'. 1'hey artflying around /ht world ro brillg us 1oge1htr 111 growing UJ;l}erstanding so that we con becomt/ri11nds/rom our distant places In this way we can bring peace to our lands, our children, ourfriends, and ourselvt:s... In tht corntrs ofIlle bordl!rs where tht gttst ort flying art tht phases of the moo11. May sht help us to renwmber 1 change wil/mgly and gracefully, to become 0 wll/ll is ntctssary to bring our /ropes and visiollSfor ptoCt to lift.We /rope 1his quilt of/ritmdship has brought f rom us to you the living thoughts and patltml /ropes with which it was made. Thalllc you/or receiv111g it and giving it a lromt 1n your llvt:s. ·from The Book of Quiltmnkers H Thmy women and mui wlro are members and friends o/ tht Ctlo Commu11i1y in 1he South Tot River Valley crtartd 1ht quilt. ft now li\•es in a school in Klrosta by the Black Sta. For mort lnforma1ion. con1ac1 Kori Loy Wildrclcindt; Box 340. Rt. 5: Bur/IS\lille. NC 28714. Ribbon Around the Earth crc:ue, on pieces or fabric, images or personal meaning In 1985, thous:inds of people gathered in Wash1ng1on, D.C. to lie a RIBBON AROUND THE PENTAGON on the 40th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima tllld Nagasaki. The Ribbon was compost<! of 27,000 pJCCC:> of fabric on which people from every iiate and many nauons had placed symbols of "what 1hey could not think of to be lost forevct" in 1he event of a nuclear Wllt. S1te1Ching 15 milcs-3/ound the Pentagon. on to the Whiie House and around the Capitol, the Ribbon bcc:unc a gentfo remmdet th:u the earth and all 11.s peoples are vulnerable in this nuclear age. Since lhc 1985 event. the Ribbon panels have become pan of local events and have traveled worldwi~ 10 be in major displays. "Making ribbons" has Dc:en adapted as a peacemaking acuviLy in such places ;u Sri Lanka, Israel. and South Africa to addresS conOict.s m lhcsc regions. Today there is a new mission--10 tie a Ribbon Around The .Earth in 1992. Conunuing in our cffon.' of ~lf.Cll{lrc~sion , we "ill expand our original vision to representing our concern not ju~t for nuclcar war but other pressing global issues mcluding hunger, poveny, human righlS, and the environment. lmagme an abuncL1nce of colorful ribbons in simultaneous displays around the world m nauons' cap1Ulls. across borders, 1n political hotspots, and m ~crt.d pl;ice~ You can begin your own scgmenl showing what you cannot think of as lost forever. A p;inel of sturdy cloth, of any color, finished size l8"x36". including a 2· top:.11tchcd bordct. Embro1Jery, appliquc. bauL., quilting. knitung, needlepoin t. weaving. paanung. c1c. ~y be u'itd. Finished scgmcn~ should h:ivc 9" ues or bias wpc sewn mto each comer so they may be ucd together C3$ily. On the bad; a piece of "pcllon" mterfoc1ng coultl be used to write in pen, matkCI"S, or Lyping 11bou1 you and your Ribbon SC&Jllent JCcituah Jou1 nu( p«IJC 14 Ribbon Around the £:.anh iti 1992 8SS tv'. ltjfrrso11 St. M lingron. VA 22205 Elnh bas approxim:uely 5000 ethnolinguistic groups...and only 159 UN members. M oM of these nations' boundaries were cn:ated nnd are m:tlnt:i.ined at gunpoint Mo~t of the world's wars are civil ww-s being waged by ethnic groups fighting for their cultures' sur.ivitl against hostile nation states. The prOQ:sS of colonization has left Africa. Asia and pans of Latin America in nearly arbiir.uy political pieces. War is bOLh the cause and I.he result of this siluation. How can we revolve our Planet into a place tha1 honors and fosters diversity? Educating ourselves about the problem is a good pince to sl:lrt. We need 10 put pressure on our eleci<!d representatives to end our military nid to nations which use these weapons to abuse their ethnic minorities who rightfully desire their independence. We can bring our vision of One Planet peacefully shared by many peoples into a world m:1de more and more receptive to such ideas by the realization of the magnitude of our common problems and the absolute necessity of our cooperation for survival. We are in need of a second wave of decolonization. The first wave saw the breakup only of the European global empires. The second wave will see the breakup of the smaller empires which they left behind. There will be no real peace here until we see our planet as a whole and end our wasteful and violent defense of artificial boundruies. The Eanh's healing Chris1s is the ecological disaster we are fast waking up to. We will have to cooperate to survive. We are one pl:l.Det. and this simple fact is n million times more imponant than any demarcations we have theorized and armjed into being. The age of nations is ending and a new age beginning. What good is a Kalishnnkov against I.he pollution of the Oceans, what good are jet fighters against the greenhouse effect. We will cooperate or we will cease to operateentin:lyl It is stone cold obvious thm the way out of this mess is by learning 10 look at this world as a unity instead of as meaningless political frogmenLS and in pooling our resowces and intelligence instead of using them to confound each other. We will survive by becoming more reasonable, and become more reasonable ns we survive. The Earth is becoming one community. We are building a true planetary culture. This does not mean an end to our ethnic differences, rather we are building a community of communities, n culture of cultures in which we will provide each other wilh a safe pince to prosper. The EmplTCS have had a vested in1erest in etimimuing differences but the emerging Earth community will have an interest in protecting cultuml diversity as a valuable asset. ,, -Will Ashe Baso11 Suggcstbi Res<iurcc: Cultural Sur~iviJJ Ml.ig:11jnc. 11 D1vin11y Avenue Cambridge. Ma:. ~huscts 02138 �In 1984 rhe glasnosr ("openness") policy was as yet unheard of in the Sovic1 Union. But during that year people from !he small mountain town of Black Moun1ain on lhe Swannanoa River in Buncombe County, Nonh Carolina sent a lecter to another small town, the Sculemenr of Krasnaya Polyana in the Caucasus Moun tams of Black Mountain residems made the first Russia, suggesting the two townships open exchange visit to Russia. They were wannly relationships wilh each other to promote peace received and returned with gifts and good and goodwill between their two nations. wishes for the people of lllack Mountain from Miriam Willey of Black Mountain said, the people of Krasnaya Polyana. Two more "We stancd the Pairing Project because we saw Black Mountain residenLS journeyed to the that the nuclear arms race depended on our fear Soviet Union in June of 1987. They returned of the Sovie1 Union, which was inflamed in the with a large :,;Iver samovar and four originul e:irly Reagan years to support the military pain1ings as gifts for the town. build-up in 1his country. We thought 1hat the Then in December of 1987, while Reagan only way 10 end 1he anns race was 10 get to the and Gorbachev were holding meeungs in rooi of that fear, so we began to develop direct Washington, DC, Chairman Kulii and Elena coninct with the Russian people. And it has Filonova, a school-teacher, visired Black proved successful." Mountain for five days. The meetings were The letter from Black Moun1ain to warm and cordial nod the people of Black Krasnaya Polyana was one of 1,000 sem from Mountain had no doubts th:u Chamnan Kuli1 American cities to countcrpnn cities in the Soviet was most sincere in his "wi,;hes that the Union under the auspices of the Ground Zero American and Sovier people would collaboro1e organization. Black Mountain wac; fortunate in in friendship." being one of 65 towns which received a reply "His deep dedication 10 peace mruches our from the Soviet Union. The response was an own, and we see this relationship continuing to enthusiastic leuerfrom Valentin Kulii, Chauman flower in furure yeurs," in the word.~ of Miriam of the Executive Commiuee of the Soviet of Willey. Krnsn:iya Polyana, which is comparable 10 the During the visit Chairman Kulii was position of mayor. The relationship between the presented wilh a mou111ain dulcimer and a peace two towns was officially initiated in November quilt as gifts for the people of his town. Plt1ns of 1985 through a letter 10 Chaimmn Kulii that was signed by tJ1e Mayor, the Board of Aldemien, and 100 residents I of Black Mountain. "When Reagan :md Gorbachev were holding their fin.1 summit meeting in Geneva in 1985, we fell that we were recapitul:uing :tt the grassroots wha1 was happening there at the national level," said Miriwn Willey. More than 50 Black Mountain residents began the work of exchange by preparing a packet contajni_ng photographs and a 22-pagc descnpuon of their town, leuer.; from high school slUdents, and a copy of the local newspaper to send 10 their Russian sister city. Throughout 1985-86 the Black Mountain group held educational lectures on the life and culture of the Soviet Union, sponsored a film festival of Soviet films. and celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of the Russi.an l'ltcto, top: Am~ricuflJ (left It> flghl) l'otly Cod.v, D1t111t! and Claudell(! Orthodox Church with a community Iii/I :.hare u ml!JJJ witli R11.u1(1fl/nr.r.d.r 1n Kra.1na)'a fo/yana worship service. In 1986 a group of 16 Above W/llu Wt:olh(tford, prts1dtnt of thl' Blad:. /lfoun1a111 l'umng l'rojcct, (/ef/J muu Chairman \'altlllm Klllii of Kru.~naya 1'11/yana. were also made to co-sponsor a sisrer cities friendship calendar, featuring photographs of Black Mountain and Karasnay:i Polyana and notations of both Soviet and American holidays. A 1989 Sister Town Calendar was produced, and I, 150 copies were sold in this country. The $3, 150 raised will be used to sponsor future exchange delegations. A 1990 calendar is planned, to be produced by the people of Kmsnayu Polyana in the USSR. ln September of 1988 n delegauon of visitors from Black \fountain visited Kmsnaya Polyana for 1hree days. This was the first time foreigners had been allowed 10 siay overnight in the town, as there arc no lntourist hotels there. Instead they shan:d facilities used for vacationing military people and found thcm.o;elvcs around a night bonfire with members of I.he Soviet Defense Department and their families. There are plans for more el(ch:ingc delegations between Black Mouniain and Krusnayil Poly:ina. Yuri Filonov, a te.1cher of Englhh and German. will teach at Warren Wilson College in rhe neighboring town of Swannanoa this summ..:r. More lcctun:s and educational progr.ims have been held 111 the Black Mountain Libr:iry. High SC'hool and middle school :.tudc;n~ in Black Mountain are now <."Om:sponding "'ith their counterparu in Krasnay:i Polyana, building relationships that will extend into I.he nel(t generation. Ag:tin, Mmam Willc:y spe.1h for the J>t!Oplt: of Black Mounlllin: ~we feel we have overcome the enemy image. We no"' have a totally different conception of the Russian pe~1ple 1h:1n we did before we Marted the project. We didn't reali7.e "'c'd have so much fun, and we couldn't h3ve received a bener reception from I.hem "The Pairing Project 1s our statement th:11 we Jive in :in inu:rdependcnt world, :ind \\C can't have enemies in a nuclear age. There's 100 much at si.:1kc. "lt's slow, bur n's very exciting, because it's working." ~ Da>1dWIW'tla Summer, 1989 �• • ''lalua." "H1nm?" "Do you know why I brought ;yo1t lzere?" "Mm-ll!Ylm. Same reason as alwa. s: you have some big, bad y 1iews to 1ell me." "Yeah ... Well, db )'OU know what it is, then?" "I think so. You've been drq/1ed. haven't you?" "... How'd you know?" "Easy. Logic. We J1ave11't liad a fight, a11d you've not met any girls •.J dbri't tlti11k-·so it couldn'1 have been w say that you want to break up. Your family never figlus, so it couldn't be domestic problems. And you just got your job, so I didn't really t/1ink you could have lost it already Anyway, you're nineteen, and there's a war. \Vluu else could there be?" "I see. All riglr1. Madan/I! Fortune-Teller, so whm had I planned to say next, if you're so smart?" "Mmmm .. I don't know. What?" "Just this. Laura: I'm going. I'm really going. Arid, l.Altra ... I want you to know. . it's/or you that I'm going. J'd hare myself ifI didn't go, if I backed out, if I leJ (/()w11 my f<Jmily and my courury--..as I very easily could, you know. J'm scared of dying. Bur because ofyou, I ca11't risk hating myself. God! I.Aura, I'm going to war!'' • * sining ml)bile in rhe quiet night hush, rich leaves rustling ow beyo11d our embrace to caJch the wind-1his is love a liglu glows from 1/ie parlor. so/1 frosted glass with the vague shadow ofa pail11ed rose mu1ed 011 tlie lilce curtain no one sees kiss me quickly this is love the lwing chains have ceased squeaking. a faraway distant train swells ils terrible /Ul111U)ny--tlie sadness of le(IVing brings us yet closer w each other, an excuse, like 1he non-existent chill ofperfiuned sow/tern June 11igh1 to draw a tender breaJh as one··· a11d we'll do a.u:tthingfor each oilier? • f shl)u/d have see11 tlte missiles. the bombs. the um:rdesola1e co11/1tSion when i looked into those eyes ofyours. bw i only saw the stars. • • • (Jrruneas11rable) --Do you care? (Doi) --Can you see? (Wiry (/() I brood) ·-Anytlli11g wonhwlule? (About the world's injZLrtices) Child Why Q1'eslion Healthy Respect Fot: Metaphysics, Papa Bui Do You Love Me? Son Were/ In A BcUll)•sphere Wi1/i Bebe • Circu.Jaring In The Vomit Of Armageddon Yes /Do • * i was watching my feet, wa1clii11g the light pass over them an su11day: the leaves like cookie-cutters split a11d nfracted the light illlo animal images on the sidewalk aJid on my shoes. the day was calm, perfectly. to fall u1 love. i /liNer imended i should have seen tlie ripples in tire s1uuigli1- bur 110 alas (a lass!) i, afool, glancing up from 1n)•feet, tripped over yow sJw(/()w into the glorious pools of your eyes, wo swift to hear your liglu "helloH or t'Ven to liear my ow11 splash. i came gasping to the surf as soon as ace l could--dripping, rivuletS coursing dbwn my back-bw yow smile sunned me automatically dry. • • • • •• •.• yes. but are you cluvalroLtS? Do you not recognize your duty to your Lord God and ro llis ~oyal Jligh11£Ss your appointed Mas1err "Yes, yes. yes; pleose stop it, Chloe, I want to sleep. dear" A pause. "Gaah--wai11, do yo11 /01·e mt!? I don 'r think su. realfr. Gawain, tllere ts a war ou1side our "indow. A war. Ga\\YJin, t/,.) yo111Uldcrsta11d what I say? Ga11ai11. Please, Gawain, go fight Jn U! You're fW1 gelling too old, are you. dl:ar heanr "Chloe. Chloe. Chloe, Cltloe, do I lia~e to suffer to make you huppy? Jlave you no faith 111 me? Ridiculous woman-gojeed your peacocks!" • --How much? Wlsen 1 look irr your eyes, i seem)' own reflection. • • • * • • oops. the shell ofthe earth, it's a li11le cracked, spi1mi11g, flingi11g hurtling, off-bala11ce-.,get the/at kid off our ml!fT)"go ·ro1u1d A1id ill Chicago, at 2:00, the s1111 setS i11 six mimttes and ti~ buildillgs break aftto reveal a sub1trb neighborhood benvixt gre1mspring hills Time lriccough.s -my black-eyed susan, you are. my sun, my soul. m.y self-·· (tire plw1ie rings.) 111/ien i look into your eyes (the phone rings.) when i look--". . a singing telegram/mm a mr. martin 1111/ier kiflg,jr. will .\'Oil acceprtlte cluuges?" wiry- "we shall 01/er come, we shaDover come, we shall over come .•• ~ four niliety-five p/1~ tax. i love you. susan! romeo and juliet lli!Ver intended JhiI.. i had a dream once, too, in teclmicolor. The transient w1frerst• swells and re1·olves. Stars wing by, rlie Rock of 118tS and splrere 11msic •.• hear ii."~ sliall! overcome. • • • UNICEF is selling cl:ancc:s r/us Christmas 011 o clwi,i:: one peace or a milliM pieas. A wlwppcr ofan honor. Bl4t ir's lb(> bad. Thi") 're Mt making any mu11ey offit .• aml the W1t1e11burghers a1 I! making a mint peddlfng pardnns, �• • * they are fighting for love. * well, my first dJlly is as citize11 of the universe. but what I wanr to k11ow is, why i'm me and not you ... have i got a special mission or something? it's weird to think that i'm alt there is. what if i'm11tst imagi11iflg the whole thi11g? rw. i dbn't really believe lhaI.. bm, you know, i could think: "i'm the whole u11iverse.'' and chen, i'd be a citizen of myself. • • it's because he's a truck driver. momma. you know that. the only tiling i11 che world that could part /Um from that eighteen-wheeled swee'/iean of his is Iris draft card. if uncle sam yells for him. he's there, one mad rush to the from line where he .na11ds,for all the world like a devoted sclwolkid saying 1/ie pledge: perjealy composed/ace, heels together, hand to forehead in salute. i ca11 just see Jtim. but if i_calt him. 111>w, if it's ll.llt that's yelf/11g for him to come save one of his own babies from drowning in t/11! plastic swimming pool, he says, "you get him out casey, i'm working 011 the tra11smission." the transmission! my God! momma, iin tl()t really bitter oranythi11g; i'm 1w1 lotally jealous of1ha1 gas-guzzling baby ofhis; ; jus1 /01·e him, tnQnuna ••• • • • • They really love me. They 0011'1 wa11t me to die. U11cle Sam j11S1 don't carry no weight with me. I c011'11uulersrand why tltis di.s1an1 relatio11, unknow11 kin, who I never seen before, should all a s1"1de1t turn up, just when he needs me, and ask me to up and die for him. When I got family andfrle11ds who loves me more1n him, who cares about bein' gold-placed in God-thick glory? Thb Uncle Sam ofmine is askin' 100 nwch. Besides, I love my cou.mry. She don't need any more murder on her record than she's already got. • • • ~mommv!" "ah,j11si a minwe. gail.--wlzat jimmy?" "mommy • ·)-est' "mommy, wlw ls Godr "God is love, jimmy. don't pull on monuny's skirt-·! mommy's on the telepho11e: let's not talk to mommy now, okay, jinuny? we ca11 talk about this later.-excuse me gait go ahead." "mommy, where is God?" "i11 htave11,ji1runy. now go play ouwde 011 your big wheel for a while." "mommy; how come God does11't come to the world a11d give people hugs sometimes, mommy?" "oh, gall! your kidding me. no! i k11ow you can't just suy that in a resraura11t.---i don't k11ow,1inu11y. jimmy! look at mommy wizen she's talking ro you now, i asked )'OU to go nwside, didn't i, young man?" • • • God is Love, love is God, God is love •. . • • • the h11ge11ess of the earth smothers them they are caug/11 ben11ee11 the growul and the infini1e ozone-bl~ b1a their love is deep and great mul hean-crescenooing. they are fighting and loving blindly, passionately (ca11 you see it?) look imo their love-shot eyes. just look • * • wlllll js tlie worrh of this love? they dje like • • • mes • • romeo and ju/fez never imended JhiI, i should have k11ow11 when i went to ba11le for you, dear, i should ltave k11own, • • * standing 11p in too-shon sluule eyes sweatiflg salt--the sky U>O blazing clean w cry • Yet oo they k1ww how whar when where why they go? screaming, Jitavillg blood to rouge the barre11 dust, • • so. shall i die for you, the11? shall i die for you? and kill a thousand because i love and serve one? one God, one Belief, one Way, one Cou111ry, one Mother, 011e Child, one Man. one Woman, One anw11g miflio11s? given time. i could team ro love them all. • • • i should have known, swinuning up from 1Jwse pools that how easily I could h/1\le drowned there. had you are your eyes, asked me 10 pick up a sword. a dagger, a bayonet, a machine guri, a bomb a11d prove my love co you·-· well. i should liave k11own, as you knew. didn't you, a/Id wisely showed me that somebody's blood could prove nobody's devotion and thlll w lo\·e t)fll! is to love all. is11't that what you mea111? looking into your eyes. i see tlU! reflection of the universe, don't i? oon't i? * • • one more time/or the time, J;e steps inside the frame, Md out again. and looks back ar d~ impressio11 he has left-· see tire image ofa yowig soldier , young sol· , young my mother lived i11 hiroslrirM. • • )'Oil· • • rlu.• men, the lleros. the womcm. die cowards, thtt cowbays, tiil' soldiers, a11d the priesL\, the rabbis, a11d the martyrs, the be11ei;oh111 dictarors, till! politicians, and sumebody'l dog and the childro1! Photo by Rob Mc5Sltk �Reflections On Growing Peace in Cultures by Mamie Muller The universe irself can be turbulent, tumultuous...so whatever peace is, it needs 10 acknowledge that dimension of re:ility. Binh and death and dying...:md composting..and change exist in the universe...so that, too. needs t0 be included in an imaging of peace. Female and male exist in cite uaiverse...other spt'cics exisr...the eanh itSelf wanants our anention...so peace, if it is possible. needs co acknowledge and honor all those relations. And dreams ...cx.ist in this universe ...and memory...and our interior psychcs ....nnd love...aml absence of love....Can peace ace-0mmodate the ranges of all th:it? When I stretch r.he boundaries of my mind and hean and each time- say "that, 100"...somehow peace stnys with me, and so I wonder as to ir.s nature and origin. As l d.:lve into my concep1/h1ngu:ige reservoir, the closest thing tlr.n l can say peace is---is "to be intcgro.1 with". Being integral with someone, something, some element... means that in some way I participate in a .rlwred existence witl1 I.hem and appreciation of that shared existence contains in it, for me, I.he possibility of shared pence. For peace, though, to be more than just a personal experience or an event between two entities, ii is essential 10 look to 1hc scale of the sodoc11lmral. h is here that our human stories unfold. Culture, 1 r.hink, is best thought of in its most hteral. biological scn~--as a medium in winch to grow something. such :lS bacteria. It seems that th<: tendency towards culture is i11here111 in our very make-up. I !ere we are...a spccies...h:wing grown in communily-fonns for hundreds of thousands of year.. That occurencc: was preceded by an even more ancient fom1ing or single-celled organisms imo mulu-cellcd ones. We seem to be truly crcnturcs of culture. Thomas Berry talks nbout trc111sge11etic mlwral coding, The passing on of "deep mformation" is an essential aspect of the function of any culture. Divcr.>ity among cultures can Ix: ~tounding---language, foods, color.;, designs. sounds, songs. in~trumc:ms, dances. ceremony, ::m:hitecture--but the: fl'arufcrc11ci: of i11fomw1icm---is a comrm)n tr3it Does, as Thom;1s suggesl'i, our cultural coding pasi. on infonn:11ion ...i11 as clt:111c111al a 11ay a.r c/1ro11u15omes do? Doe~ our consciousness have no active part to play in the process of evolution?'! Cm we in fac1 nunun: or crarl imentional cultures that cnfumcc our panicip:nion in the planct:iry prt>Cess? Thomas speaks or the universe as having a psychic dimension...from ib very inception. Not an ntlditivc nor an extra ingredient, it is rather. he insi~ts. an elcmcmal facet of our phy:.i..:al universe. So lei us say th:u the universe, from the beginning, ha:. been psychic 10 itself--through itself. Then, the question becomes: can hununs pltticipatc in this elemental dimension? Can human culture:; consciously allow for the recognition, utilization, and celebration of this full rcnlity?'! It is at this level that we begin im1uiring about thC' possibil11ies of peace. The univer:;e constJnt!y infonns itself. Can we luunm~t be 1nfo1111Cd? h :.cem) that one of the roles of an organic functional culture is to enhance 1hc indi\ id11als' ability t~) he.-u· rhc "infonn.11ion" of the univc.rse. Our relations amongst ourselves nre intimately interwoven in U1c fabric of the universe. Unless we explore and 11ckno~ledgc !he univcri-e in a// the dimensions in which 11 is preseming itself to us, we remain isolated and enelol>ed.. .in~'ap~blc of the exuberance required for ongoing "re!Juonship"...of any son, whether human-co-human or human-to-earth. Western culture's dcufness and myopia tO\\,ird~ thi:. "inlorm;uion" scern 10 h.we occum:J b<!cause of it:. limited recognition of the depth of 1he naturul world*.dcscribing 11 as nll!re landscape and inanimate treasure uove. The pos:.ibilily for communicauon... much less for communion has thus become practically impos:.ible. Yet ironically 1t is here whc~ a great deal of cultural healing mus1 take placc....1n the re:i..lm of hum:1n-eunh relations. Our p:;yches need t0 reconnect in a one-to-one correspondence with these deep psychic inl1uences of the universe and renew a sense of bondedness with the n:uuml world. The infomu1tlon or the universe reveals ltself 111 many \\ ay~ ... but ont of the sirnple)t, closest ways 1s to listen to one's homcplac.e--to 1hc c:nurc ecological life community in whi~h onc·s human community b immersed. "Bcmg integrJl with .. suggests 1hc need to pcrcdve a sense of the natural scale 01 things so that we can more appr<1priatcly and fully be able "to be integrJI w11h" all the varied levels. In 1enns or ecological sc.1lc, it seems that human culture can bci.t relate to the natur.tl world ar. the lc\'el of the regional scale. Going beyond the neighborhood or covc.. beyon<l the li:>cal ...one comes to the n:gionnl. It is here: lhnt Summ1:r, 1989 �one can notice whole ecosystems at v.ork (or :11 play). Watershed, geolo~ic:il form:mon, similarity in plant nnd unirnal spccles...all these 11.rC best comprehended nt the rcglon:tl level...\\ hich h3s us distincl though "soft" n:itur:tl boundaries. A region is wulknble, know:ible -.nnd in crnfting hulll:l11S)Stems10 interface \\ith the ecological systems, this as the sc:ile nt \\ hich 11 ts ntikcs the most sense 10 ..be integr:ll v. ith". Encouraging nccurntc, full pcrccpuon of reality is cntical in developing cuhural model111g ~ystems that will funcuon ru.lcqu:ucly. 11lc m:irk of a :.tiflmg culture, 11 seems, is one in whicl1 the range of sh:ued perceptions of reality remains quite restricted; one in which, for exnmplc, the many ranges of red arc referred to only as "red", thus ignoring the myriad hues of thlll family of color. A restrictive culture relegates drcamtime to the realm of the subordinate and gmnts nonexistence to ull bUl n mengcr spectrum of sounds and senses. An nlivc. functioning organic culture. on the other hand, nurtures individuals' facuhies of perception and encourages their scn~c of rootedness in a shared realiry--both in terms of the human :ind natural \\Odd. EncoUt3ging the development of :iccurate feedback mcch:inisms within I.he infrastruclurc of a culture is also essential. lf a culture does not 3llow for appropriate fcedb3ck, then 11 W:k of internal vibrancy occurs...promoting fossilization of thought P,:tttcms. activi1y, and environs. Spedfie nurufestations of culture such as archuecture, roodbuilding, commerce, food producuon, communications, b:lnking. govern~ e1c. become highly rigid and unduly reinforce the status quo. How can a culture allow for a sense of fluidity as well as solidi1y? llow C3l1 we come iogether in community-forms without domesticating ourselvei; to death .•.ns \\ell ns the planet? How c;in we, not just individually but in a socio-cultural sense, a~·knowledge the whole, rich, diverse range of the dep1hs of the naturJI world as well :is the human psyche? It seems the more in 1ouch we arc with our sense of bondedness to 1he wider Lifo conununity. the more access we have to resolving thc:.e questions. Exchange between humans onJ the nalural world t.ak~ pince nt evcrv level whether we acknowledge it or not. Our fuc:uhing in 1111d our breathing out ••. our intake of food nnd our rele:isc of wnstcs as \\ell ~ mnny other fimctions clc:irly icll us 1h:l1 we live In the pl:mct not on it and we arc a part ofthe dynnrruc process nOl apan from it. I low c:in we nurture the growth of cultures \\hose infrasuucturc designs acknowledge this in1mute ongoing exchange? Cultures usu:illy reflect 11 com:munny's sense of its human hentnge but u is esscnu:d thni they rcllcc1 a sense ofthctr ecological hcniage :is well. 11115 mtim: ey of hum:in CXISlCllCC Wlth lhc n:itUr.J.I world needs 10 be recognized not JUSt on the biolog1cal, chemical level bu1 on the psychic/l>pirltunl level us well Our very sense of personal nnd cultural idemi1y needs to incorpom1e 1he ccolog1cal l111ncnsion. Only \\hen we begin to undcr&iand and l'ncour.igc these "conditions" fur pcncc...cun we come closer to growin~ pe11cl! 111 c11lturcs... Summer, 1969 Some concepts to consider for growing peace in cultures... res~ct for dhe~ty ~UllC:llOO of SJ!CCICS llS w..11 a:s e.uemun:uJOa of ethiue peoples has become :i StVCtC thrc:u throughout lhc pl;inct. ID add1uon to etbic:al constderau~. bomoccnuy and d1m1msh~nt ol m:uufcsuuaos o( hfe llIC 21so blologlc:ally un,.1se. 1be lolth lllld ~bihty of rmy sy m wh.:tha hum;in Of ccologd. rest m a gcnumc rcsp:c1 lllld cclclKatmn or bhluc as u.ell cultural diverS1ty beyond dominanrr Mmy culturtS lll\e become c:nucn:bcd m:i • domiruon °'er" JWod J:m 11.' u C'.'ld.."ll:cd m term, of gender, rllCC. ctlum: hcn1Jgc, species lllld/Of cge. This dom1n1on pi)Sturc c::iuscs ph)'MC:&I, psychologlc:ll, sp1.ntu~1. cc-011omic: lllld cnvaronmcntnl ~ufflX':lllOO, A mocc babncc:ll. cqu1ubli: dyn:umC' mo.tel a n:qu1n:J 1n which mu1uality is 1hc b:is1~ r~1hcr than fol\'e Of co.:rccmcnL tuvp,rntion No longer does rul\lieJ 111d1v1du:ihsm or Da.rw11w111 compc11t1on pro-.Jc tm ulllm:UC mo.let fOI' suN1val. Cooper:.11on 1111d symbio11~ nrc now being recognized as csttr4i:il nspccts or our biologknl hcntasc. Coopc:3lion. CQ-C1.1si.cncc. and conlUcMcsoluuon need w be 01 the bc3r1 or :a "'br.uu culture. Vclucs iUCh u cmp:ithy and imporuncc ol ie:im"ork !so need w be rccbimcd. 11ppropri:ue 'cale Dimensions or sale occur l!uougbout lbe Jl:l1.Ur.ll 11.-orld Crom die microscopic to die lllXtOSIX>pic. Sak ~ :also 1111pon;u11 in terms ol hummJ 11ttavity. In f:ict. ii is an csscnlbl dcmcnt tn dcsl,nmg for qu:il1l)' ol we-.11;hc1bc.r an tmns or technology. c:cooomks, archi1cc1urc Of 1111y odlct l1lU Emplmlzing appropri.ale sc::ilc CDCOU1'3btl the shlfl rrom D bi&flly c:crunhzcd and bicrnrcluail mode IO one lh3.t IUPJIOIU clivcrsificntioo mid dccenlr.l.liution It also nud,cs us to rc-cv:Wi:uc the b:lsic :ugumcms ol ccntr.1h1.:111on such o~ ns110113l sccuri1y, cconom1e &t:ibahty tluoush coloni:llism, homogcncny anJ eullur:il supcr10111y. We begin to recognize the l!eW to oplorc hum:in 'c:ilc, \•illage·JJ:llk 1llld rcgion·sc:ile modcls. ao••crnancc All mhnb11:rn1~ <>f M communny h:ive nghL~ 11m.J nrc cnu1lc<l 1<1 panlc1p:11c 1n appropriule dccision·making lh31 concerns their \HI! lleint Governance. in particular, is directly uffctlCJ by sct1lc. We arc n:llcctcd by nruJ reflect our $WTOumhntt. II lhc boundario:.s 11re defined 1n IOO large 11 l!Qlc, 1hcn It Is d1ffirult for 1nh:lbi1.'.lll1S to ~nsc: thr.mselvo n.s a p:ut of and p:uucip:uang an 11 self.governing process lktcrnlm~ ~ scale: the level 111 v. h1ch dce1S10nS shooW be rn:Uk (commumty-lmcd. rcgton:ll), and the type ol pnxcss to be ~ {m:ipuy rule. conSCISLIS. etc:..) 11rc all pan of a culture's re trcttunng towtirds sclf-go~ = opportunlly for rlgbr lhelaaood All uihab UlnU entitled to the oppanumty for i«Unng food, $hella. jCqXl1diung thclt owa 11;'Cll being. clothing. et:. "''llioul ol thl:ir fellow mhab1lllllH Or that or l~ en• arorunem. Ernplmis oa co:nmun11y ~ cconomu::s c:m c:tlCQ<lilll!C this kind ol rcspocmblc dcsJin and ~lsion-nul:u...- Dc\'CloplRgllll CCOllOm) \tr4 I gJIJUS 1u dependence on the "anh cc<momy" allows fur pcn:cptlOll or rc:al cOStS. 11Us llllJUSU llJC l<b of progrc.u and dc•clcprmnl to encompass •be 11;cll being nr lhc CIUICC Life rommunuy. lhlll 1uillllnability The ccologial life 5)5tcms vmhill a region lltC p31t of lh: 11.-t:ict sclf·susuitihlg pbncWy system It as auc1Jl th:u ow hum:m sysums begm to rcf1a:t and support tbiJ sitstmmb•luy principle. \\c need to develop "'11)'S to ev;iluatc our hum3tl ICliVIUCS (qnculturc, forestry. ~th eve. tr.111q>0rl:lt1on. banhng. u.'21Cf use.. Clelgy use. cu:) an lh3t ~ We. In la=t. need to k:lm how 10 "rcillh:lbil" the boal!>CCgiOn m wludl we h\C, to accumcly lllldusund JtS ccol0£ical c:irr) 111g apxuy. and to design l01ro"lltds rcgion:il suffi 11.!llCy. inlrrdcpt"ndrncc Acknowledgement ot 1ntcrdcpcndcnt'C entoulllges the bioccntnc dc5ign of hum:m sysians. nus 1ccoJ:nh1on nl~o allows for a creative :iwro:ich 10 n.:s1hcuc nnd £unc1101JJI uspccis a.> wcll. i;uch ns opumurn cap~c11y for rc.~ancc and cnh:lncc:mcn101 st1troundinv, mcorporauon oC 11. md, w.:itcr, .sunlight 1n de~tgn: CORS11.kn.H10R of gcogtaphfcal/Sp;IU:ll rtxcmcnt: Dlld llcs1gning with illtcr.spccics communion In mmd. lmpOrllnCf uf rccdbotklre~poos" circuits A 10 receive infonnauon lllld cullure needs 10 be :ible respond to 11_.through reflccuon, cvllluauoa. 11nd pou:ruill! lld;ipt3U00 or ch:mgc. CIC. Prcscnlly. u o~s lh:ll COlllempallt)' cultures do not 113\'C lldcqu:i:e response CtrCUllS bw1t m. Far ~. cuhur:ll dqlcndencc Oil the DUtomOblle JCSUllS in anordinalc consmnptJoo or bumm ll me and fossil Cuc.I. Yet. bccmlsc of 1111 cntrtllChtd u:insporution industry th:u is rcinforctd by p"Cl'lllncn1 m 11;'Cfl 11S pnvau: indastry. crcah-e options ror eulwnl rcconstclbuon arc not lldcqu:ucly supponed...sucb 11J cL'Slgnlng urban vilbges wt= u.ukpbce ll1ld bolncpbcc tile nc:ucr to cXh other, prodllciog cnvironmcnta:lly Slb12lll;lble \'Cllicles. etc. meaM ror transrcrcoc" or illfonaatlon All culwrts have ways for the passing oa ol infonn:uion and wisdom rrom gtOC1111J011 IO gcnc:rauon. The xcumulatcd opericncc or o eullUIC am be siurcd Uirough suirytelling. an, llC'lldemics, child-rearing, education, ~. It is impllfWll 11> OJ1Jll'C:Cl3LC and parUclp:iLC in the craf'ung of this orpnlc ronn Of "i.torl1l:C lilld rctncval". :!»lCrtdntY or ur~ The Dddrcss or 1he tbu De No Snu Nee N:111on 111 the UN Conference of Non-g1wcllllllCnul Orgunlrntions m Geneva 111 1977 voices ttus concept n~ eloquently: '"The origmal 1nstJUaaon1 dilCCt lh3l \\C .i.ho ,.1111: 11bou1 on the E:ulh arc IO apn:.ss a grC3t respect. rm nfk.cuon. ll!ld a grauiudc toward all lhc spmts v.1rich Crute 11114 support life-Our roocs 11n: d«p Ill I.he btidJ 11;'hae 'll'C hYC.-The soil 1s rich from Che bono of thousmJs ot our gcncn1lQnS. E:i::h or 11S 'll'CfC crated 111 1hoic l:uu1s and ii u our dU1y to u1.c grm c.c ol them We wtik nbou1 11.ilb a pCl1l respect. for the f.:rth Is 1 '":tY SXtCd plxe." Eadl cuhurc can help 1his srnsc ol the~ of W'c 11ourisb bolh Oii lhc ~ _, ,.'Cll as euliunl level. crlrbrali!ltl Dnd renectioD Culnuc Hau lijJCCttS' medium sh.lrcd ~ ~wen llS shmd actlcr:lncc. I tlOCll. n:ltural cckbr.1lioD as v.-cll as c:ultwal mod:s of rdlcaion cnh:m:c our cupxtl)' commU!UOll v.1111 the rcsa of the unhcrse-aot jtlS1 on lhc pcrsoo;il ~I bul on t.'ic mnmumty-widc level. Comcaous rct ruuon n::d llrprccllllion of llll1113t!/caltur:ll as \llCll lll coolotial hc11mgc."both "3SarW and h1Uor~I .JS II rorm Of ckmentnl nourishment Ulllt c:m only come m 1 Slwcd ror ror form. -Mamie Muller �The Chalice and the Blade Tht wor.t of Muri1a GimbUJas (The Gods and Goddtssts of Old Europt, 1000 to 3500 BC: Myths, Ltgtnds and Cult /mag1t), Mt:rlin Stone (AnciMI Mirrors of 1Yomanh11od) and others haw! pionurtd tk uplora1ion ofour species' trut: cultural origw. Now with tk publicalion of The Clullce anti lhe Blntlc ( 1988), t~ tvitk11ct of this research along with Eisfcr's f4peful inttrprttmions Is[Ultllly r'ttzeliing brQOder rtaduship such that Ashley Montagu calls it "the IMSt impottant book sinct Darwin's Origin of Specit.r". llrre are two rtsf)OllSts to its t:iJllltlll. Emoft.e B'r<lCZ: Tlte Chalice a11d rite Blade confirms my long-held belief that ''once-upon-a-time" there were peaceful societies (partnerships) in existence on this planet. This gives me hope that we can muddle our way into a personal and global peaceful coexistence. After two readings of the book, the following points su>0d out: •Tue scientific and 1eehnologicnl advanccmcn[S of this century have allowed us IO ~amine nnd re.evalU11te e.arlia a.rchcotogical findings. The initrdisciplin:uy upprooch or t.ntcrprctlng "finds". lhe bte:ikthlO\lgh in es.rbon-14 d:ltlng, and \he dendrochronological dating method yield a diffetCtJl body or work and data on out histOry. ••conqu~1· of noturc h:is no1 always been the prime mover of Out species. • PoJytheislic religious life does not equal anti-christinn ccvility. •Art is a form of symbolu; communkmlon, and much depend.~ on who is interpreting the symbols. •The "might mllkes right" philosaphy is 1111 abbenu.ion. ..not the nonn. • tntultivc knowledge ls a part or the sciences. • "That's hisiory..• 1nd lluu's a fac1· is nn unncccpiable answer to quesliOllS asked. "The domuwor (JX!triltehal) mode or socw order is 111opproprinle nnd dangerous tO our further e11olvcmcnL. edSICOcc and fulW'C, Riane Eisler believes that we are presently al a crossroads. We can continue as we are...and it is inevilable that we will destroy ourselves...or we can try to emulate and rebuild the peaceful societies which did exist. After reading Tile CIUJ/ice and the Blade. I was convinced that peace is possible. The number of role models for us to identify with has been widened immeasurably by this book, There can be a choice for pence and equality even within the confines of our civiliuition. History goes in cycles, und unlike what we've learned in school, it is never a fiJCcd point. It is forever changing, evolving. It is our responsibility and challenge to investigate, to question, and to look at presented ''facts" with an unquenchable thirst nnd unending enthusiasm. I would like to share with you some of the books. in addition to The Gita/ice and rite Blade that have made me yearn for and ponder the idea of peace: General Readers hi p: Think on These Things by J. Krlshnamurti: Too of Ltodarslup by J Header; Grt!ui Politics by C. Sprcm:ik; Grun Alternative by 8. Tab:: Going Out of Our M111ds by S. Johnson: IOOth Monhy by K. Keyes; Johnny Got lfis (iun by D. Trumbo: Da1:u of Angtr by H. Lance: Peace Pilgrim by A. Pilgrim: St:t!1fs of Pt:ou II)' J. L:irson; Gandhi on Ptaet by M. Gn111lh1; Jlov.· Can Ont Sell th( Air. Edit.:d: Chop Wood. Corry \\'attr by R. F'aclds. Chi ldren 's Books: W.tlwm Wants A Dolf by C. Zolo1011: Friend.r by H.Hcmc; Quarter-Note Cow Pou byJ. Poucr. Mrnou by H. Bmgham: Chu:ktn Stew by K. Kasla: Kuper.I oft~ Earth by M. Cuduto; Tru II Niu by J. Urdy; lJ-.< B.imb and tht General by U. Eco: BuJll!T Boule Dool. by Dr. Seuss. Emou B'rar:. an a'td reada t1nd sr.J10lar. 1s the ot<na of frf.Jfuprop'.J Boo*stor~ and Cofi ill AJMvillt. NC. Si:t 011gina1td tlu! suhutft "A11othtT STt111/I Bus111t.fS for Pcau# tmd uwitl!s otkr smafl b1131nes1: ow11as to 11•1n kr 1111tS111g iI on clttir logos and ad•·~rflSt'mtlllS. tt.Uo Clu thr i.e: The Chali ce and The Blade was given to me by a woman-friend juSt after this past Winter Solstice, and it has llad a profound effect on me. Scrangely enough, it had b<:cn shown to me several months before, but I was not aurncted to it. l think when I saw it the first time I thought it was another mytho-psychological analysis of "feminine" versus "masculine" values. I was in a spa.cc of trying to explore my own sense of a ne\li masculine ethos and I didn't want to read what I thought would be a book on women's archetypes or psychological explorations. I needed a more grounded sense of what 11 means to be human n.t this time in history. When I finally opened up the book, and actWllly began to rc~d it, I couldn't put it down. Instead of being t.he psychological or mystical volume I expected, I found a remarkable CJCploration or "our history, our future." as ii says on the cover. Riane Eisler has taken a look at the entire sweep of human cuhurnJ evolution from a new perspective. that of t.he pannersbip, or "gylanuc" viewpoinL Her central thesis is that all the bases of human culture, arts. and civilizntion were developed at a time in which women and men were both respected, in which sexuality was free, and where the technology was of nurturance, not destruction. This is, in shon, the lost "golden age" of myth and legend. It really happened! I Our dr~ms of 1he future have their firm b:isis in a past which has been denied to us because of :indrocratic m1sinterpre1ation of both human nature and the archaeologicfil record. For example, we carry with us the image of early "man" holding a club with which to hit something over the head and kill it; in actuality the fin;t technological invention was probably ll vessel of some kind, either for ga1henni vegel!lble foodstuffs or for cradling children. These were. of course, invented by early women. The implication!> of tJ1is viewpoint are ~taggcnng: this book is justly receiving gre:u acclaim from a wide range of ~ources. The concept of n lost · m:m1archal golden age" is central to 1he more spiritual trends in feminist thought, and i!> a heartfelt belief Summ..:r, 1989 �or wish of modem 01anic neo-p:igans. In fact, Feminist Spirituality is frequently criticized by more materUlist viewpoints for not being grounded in an historical rcal11y. Tltt! Chaliu ar.d tht! B~adt! J?UlS t~e lie to these doubt~ about the vnlidity or Feminist Spintu:ihty by scrupulously an:ilyzing the historic:ll and an:h:ieolog1cal record to suppon its premise A lot of emphasis is placed 1n the book on the imponance or Cretan or Minoan Civilization to the development or Western culture, This highly technologically advanced civilization, which ":is at its height about a thousand years before Class1c:ll Greece (ca. 1400 B.C.E.), honored both women and men equally. was nol3bly non-warlike. and "orsh1pped the Great Goddess. Who has not marvelled at pictures of the bull·leapers, the Snake·Goddess statues, or the dclic:ue painung or lilies and dolphins which adorned the walls of the grc:it J13lace at Knossos'? And let\ not forget the Labrys. or double-axe which is today a prominent iron of Lesbian/Amazon cuhure. 'fbe origin of this symbol b m the Goddess· religion of Crete, The Clzaltee and tlit! Blade ts an inell.pcnsive volume, published by Harper nnd Row. It h llVilllable in your local, regular bookstore (if it's not sold out), or m the library. Since it's inexpensive, it doesn't have glossy color photos of the Minoan art treasures mentioned in the text. I found it useful to have a couple of an or nn.:hacological books by my ~idc 10 be able: to :.1~e lhe wonderful scenes of young Mino:in men with flowers in 1heir h:mds, of priestesses performing the rites of the Gre~ll GodJess. My dreams have not been the sanu: since!! Another imporum1 fe:11urc of I he Chaliu and the Blade is its e:\plorntion of the ":.tuntcd morality" (>f b1bhcal law in reg:ird to \\'Omen. Quoung Eisler: ~we have been taught ttul the Judeo·Christian trndnion is the greatest mornl ndvnnce of our species. The Bible is indeo.I primarily concerned .,.. ith what is right and \\tong. But what is right and wrong in a dommator society is not the same as what 1s right and wrong in a pannership society. There nre...many teachings in both Judaism and Christinnity suitable for a panner!>hip sy:.tem of human relations. But to the extent that 11 reflec1s a dominator society. biblical morality is at best stunted. At worst, it is a pseudo-morality in which the will of God is a device for covering up cruelty and barb.1ri1y." When I learned ancient hhtory in gmde school. the assumption was that law and moraJ11y began with the code or Hammlll1lbi or the Mosaic Laws. ln reality, these dominator law codes were set up after the overthrow of legal and moral systems which valued all human life, female and male. and which governed peaceful, not warlile, wcieties. ln addition, the classical Greek ideas of libcny and democracy (for free men only) were but watered·down versions of the earlier tr.1ditions which had their origins in pre-androcrauc societies such as Minoan Crete. In fact, Pythngonis and Socrnte~ were pupils of women Thcmistoclcn and Diotema, respectively. Much of myth, classical, Biblical, and othcrwi~. rccounis how the Goddess was ovenhrown, r.ipcd and murdered. These myths developed as justifications for the continued dominator/;indrocratic rule following the dcsll\ICtion of the earlier pea~ful, agricultural societies by wnrhke. pastor.ii peoples from the more margmal area:; or Eurasia. Riane Easler also recounls how the partnership or gylanic mode of society has periodically resurfaced, only to be suppressed again. Some or the teachings of Jcsu~ reflect a loving vision of peace and hannony; the later church fathers supplanted this with 3 warlike and hierarchical "Christianity." 1·hc very word "hierarchy" W3S coined to describe the organiution or the c:irly church. The word "gylany" or "gylanic" has been formed by Riane Eisler to describe the type of society which flourished in ancient times and toward \\hich v.e must move today if our species is to survive; it is a combination of "gy." denvcd from the Greek root word gyne, meaning woman, and "an." from andros, or lll3II. The letter ·1· between the l\\O is for linkin&. and is derived from the Greek lytln or Iyo. This verb has a double meaning: to resolve (as in analysis) or to dissolve or set free (as in cul3.lysis). This word and its origin sum:. up the m:un thesis of the book: that how a society organizes the relation~ between the two hnlves of humaniry (men and women) hn~ a profound effect upon all its ins1i1utions and vnlues; and the direction of its cultural evolution, pllrticulnrly whether it will be peaceful or warlike. tmmer, 1989 Needless to say, in a technological era where the "bl:ide" is a thennonuclcar bomb or a nerve gas canister instead of a S\\iord or slingshot, this is a matter of the very survival of our species. While The Chalice and rite Blade focuses m:iinly on the w3ys rcl:uions between \\Omen and men are constructed a~ a gauge of how totalitarian or warhke a society is. there are abundant references to way:. in which men, particularly "sensiuve" or "effeminate" men arc oppressed by androcr:lcy. As we know. and as Eisler points out, these warlike and t0tali1arian wcietie~ (H111c:r's Germany, Khomeini's lran, etc.) arc the most opprc:.sive 10 women and to peaceful tendencies in men or 10 :>pintual m1nori1i~ (Jew , B:iha'is. etc.). • Iow a society organizes the relations bcl\\CCn the two halves of humanity (men and women) has a profound effect upon all its ins1i1u1ions and values, and the direction of its cultural evolution, particularly whether i1 will be peaceful or warlike. ln regard to the issue of maleness and warlike values, nerc 1s Easler· viewpoint: "For 1mllcnia men have fought wars and lhe 8l:1de has been a male symbol Bul this does not mc:in men arc inevnably violent Md w:irhkc. Throughout rcconlcd hif.tory then: have bcc:n peaceful and non-violent men. Moreover, obviously there were both men and women in !he prehisiorico.1 societies v.herc the po\\ er to give and nunurc, v.hich the Olnlicc symbolh:C! , was supreme. The underlying problem is not men o.s a sex. The root of the problem lies 1n a social system in v.hich the power of the Blade 1s idealized - in \\hich men nnd women D.1'C taught to equate true lll3sculinity with violence and dominance and to see men who do not confonn to this ideal as 'too soft' or 'effeminate'." It IS apparent thllt the vision or I gyJanic SOCU:ty is thal of crcauvc dynamic interpersonal relations \\rit large: the vision of gentle loving \\Omen and men living in harmony \l.ith nature 1s \\hat \\e offer for the reemergence of the future partnership society which must be the p:ith of humanuy's future. The basis of any society and culture h the way one person relates to another. This is true for woman to woman, man to man or mlln/~oman relationship:.. Now i~ the time for us co carry our vision forth mto the new world which is being crcrued by all the human vi:oionarie!> nnd poets who sense the turning of the cosmic wheel. The human species is obviously facing a crucial period in history: either we will full b:ick into a kind of androcratic tcchnofascism in which women will be slaves. free sexuality will be suppressed, and the organisms of the planet will choke on human filth or be incinerated/radiated in a nuclear holocaust; or v;e will somehow develop :a new culture which values nunurance, h:is respect for life and hum!lnlly in all its variety :md sc:icual flowenng, and rinds ways to meet its material needs without ciitinguishing other species and tenninaJly fouhng it nest. Khomeini and the Morul Majority understand how Feminism. civil rights. free SCltunlity. ecology. and peace nrc linkcJ, and they oppose them all with a vengc.ncc; we who reali7.C how these values are pan of our vbion and hold the key to our ~urvival must continue co become \\hat we want in the world and create the myths in our laves which will be the stories for our people to live by. The Cho.lice and rlie Blade has given me hope. In this time of rc-<lcdic1uion to the principles wh1ch l have cherished in my heart for years. this book has mengthcned my "·ision and nllowed me co feel pan of a past and a future or joyous. loving, harmonious women and men, liv1ng in deep commimion \\ith the Ennh and iis creatures. Wbo could ask for more'?'? M1hJ Gwlvu: u a co-/oWllkr of 11il ClllnNrl.JNi Grtt11 ColAl!Cil aJlJ a/rt~111 con111bMtor to its publicat1on g1«nhgh1 Prcst111ly. lw spuids hls 111r11 both in DMrham NC and NOJhv1//t, JN whtft /ormaliz1n1 his 1ra1111ng 111 bctanical stiul1es. This revi~ 1.f rtpr111ttdfrom grccnlighL �Lhcm: conscrva1.1on: improving and rtp:tirmg Lhe city/cowuy d4uibution system; and coop:nwng with the towns oi Woodfin and WcavcrvtlJc 111 developing the Big Ivy River v.'aler supply. ALAR • A • LA MODE' poUutanis. These regubtlons wtll be dlscusscd 8l public hearillgs on August 4 m Rllle1gh Md Augu.st 9 in Owlott.c. Chemical mduStrics were the l:lrgcst &OW'CC of polluwus. Olhcr lasge cooLObutors we.re furniture, tcllule. pbsucs and rubber, p1per. nnd prmlln& and N..unl World Ne•1 ~ace publishing industries. C:.,111wba and fors)th counties were the wont Even as Federal health officials tty to calm growing concerns about aJar sprayed :apples, Ilic En · lronmcmlll ProlCCl.ion Agency d«idcd to Ill lcw t.empomnly remove Abt from 1 h$t or acccpublc chcmk:al sprays.; During a sub<ommauce hearutg on the Al:ir-m. Scru!tor John Wamcr of Vqmia Wied Prwdens Bush, • to cxcrc:asc some cri~iJ control" to PfOLCcl lhc apple indusuy dependent on Abt spraying. while other sen310ts suu.ed thcu ()\\.Tl hes11.ancy IO fccJ their children Haywood C:OWU) wu next, and was the only westertn county to cxccod 2 million pounds, th3nks mostly to the Champion Paper mill ""hicb reported rclC4Sing 3.S million pounds of tolic air pollution, mcludmg 810,000 lbs of the carcinogen chloroform, 660.000 lbs or hydrochloric acid, ll!ld 66.000 lbs of sulfuric acid whach conttibut.cs 10 :.cid rain. D:iyco reponcd 1.7 million tons. Figures for other Western counties ase: Ru1bctfonl - I IO 2 milljoo lbs.. Primary so~ - Reeves Brothers, l.S million lbs. and Broylull Furniture lnd~Lties. Transylv111u.11 • 500,000 to I million lbs. Primary source - Ecusta divisiron of P.H. Gl3dfcltcr. Buncombe - S00.000 to I million lbs. Primary sources • Chnsc Packaging, 270.000 lbs; Chcnuronic~ (Jct Research Center), 263,000 lb$: Andre11 lndus111es. 110,000 lbs or tcLtacbloroethylcnc, a carcinogen. Mitchell " S00.000 t0 I million lbs. Primary sourccHcnredon Furniture lnduSl!ies, 600,000 lbs. Burke S00,000 IO I million. Hcndc™>n - 250.000 10 apple products. CHAINSAW BANDIT STILL AT LARGE Nat.uni Wockl Newt Servico As of lhLS rcporung, Beech Mounuin Town Police and the Avery County Sherirrs Oc:p:inmcnt still have no wspccis in tl1c ~11uct1on or lhrc:c b1llboan1s. TOO signs we.re allegedly toppled by a chain-saw on Wcdllcsday, r.tiy 17. Appal\:lltly, lllCIC was some public SUpporl ror thl~ 3Cltion.... l~e pa.id odvcrtise~nt, llunking Ille Wlkoown pcrpcuntor. appeared an a local pgpc:t soon a!W. ll tC1Cmr as if 111311)' n:sidenls were llJl1ICl wilh the "•sual pollution c:cale4 by the b1llboords. and I.bey wished to COQ>lil'QllC people to frequent only those rnctCh:inis who do noc use b1llbootd.s. IL is believed th.1t the absen.:e or 111mcit:m legal tcguWion concarung billhollnb drove lhlS 1nd1..idual IO tcek ~ oulSidc of thc law ro lddreiS a c:ammunuy concem. FORCES OF NATURE Naunl WOl'ld Ncwa Scnlu On April 6 we were all rcrn1nalcd or the inoltOtllblc atnCtion or gravity. This point was espcclllly brought home 10 three ttookcrs on l_.O near the Tcnnc.ssce SIALC line v.llo r«ea"ed l'lllhct lur11c bouldct applicauon~ 10 the side or their llllCtOMrnJIClli u huge rock slabs ri]!pCd o/T from the su:cp wall of rock Fonunrucly, no one was h1111. A retaining wall mode a vnln attcmpt to Slop lhc slide, but was~ crushed. The rock~idc clO!iCd lhe two westbound lallC$ roe su ~as an cstim111Cd IS,000 to 20,000 cubic yanls or d111 and rock had io be movod; dyn.wit.e c:hlllgC$ were 5Ct to dislodge uruubk! 11111LCriol; and steel mc..'h nets were wung on cables between rock bolts set m the chff r11ec.. Every lime U'\IC.k 11ec1dcn11 hliic 1'11~ h;.ippen. 11 ~minds us: 11 c:ouJJ ha•e been nukes! SEWAGE WITH YOuR SUPPER? Nall.nl Worll N Sa>ioc. In Alhcvalfe. No1tl1 Carohllll •octn dttc.iued by 1 1..m-to-onc m:irgm a bcm1' muc lh;it v.ould ll3•e h:ld them drinkma 11".c w:iiu of the French Broad Raver. Supporters of the bond ruuc Cb!llltd WI the French Bro:id 11o :ii.ct 11 .ufo, but opponcn11 ll01Cd ih:n the rc;tl l>S:la WllS that n:ssd.:nts "''CfC nol ready ID dnn\; poll~ hvtf"'1lla IO lh:u bus 11CD proplc !Ind dc'-elQpcri coul'1 CXINI\ I profi OP Wllllll cd llfOV. II U~m from A vii looau th pbn , II pos.s 5 fund hclp "'"'""--""•ill.~ Thea ... dlC othct ~able meet ~ 11tc;1 • w11 r n ~tu1~1 Journ"L pC•(I 22. rTll1I \ \1lltiblc IJ) Ill lbc fuwrc among School disuicu from New Yori.: lo Los Angeles LO Miami ha"e sioppcd serving AIAMaintcd apples in their cafeteri:ls. Alar h:is fOI' )'C4rS bcc:n linked to aincc.r in 11nillllll LCSLS, but recently when o report by the Nuturul Resources Defense Council recc1"cd n lot or :itll:mion, public opinion pushed tbc EPA mto nct1on. The company which mtlkes Alar cont111ues IO msbt the product is snfe and has plans to shin their market to owside the us. 500,000 lbs. CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF NORTH CAROLINA PROMOTES PESTICIDE LEGISLATION NaNRI World Ne"'• S..lYk:e Myo11c 1111ereswJ can ob1a111acopyof1hl' rtpc >rtfor $20 from t~ North Caro/ilia Envirollh:tlllal Dtftnst Fwul clo StepMn L(llitus: 128 llargtll St . Raleigh. NC 27(J()J. NEW RIVER SCENIC DESIGNATION IN JEOPARDY The Conservation Council or Noni! Carolin:a has joined forces with Lhe Agrac:ultur3J Ra:soun:es Cenier/PESTcd to publish I pcsttctdc -ic:nda for 19S9. Some of the bills they arc promoting in the NC Legislature are HB-389 ""hach would increase the atri:il application buffer which 1s cum:ntly only one hundred Uodu the state-federal pLln of 1976 which declared 26.S atilcs of the New River a Scenic: foci (1'11111111 OCC'41•ed bwk11ng, and S8·274 whk.h wuulJ require all pcs1icidc applicators to J>O$l notice of thcu Waa.crw11y, Nonh CAtolina wiu to 11cqui1c; i>C<lnn; e:tsemenis «land along Ille nvcr. Howcvct. since 1976 activities. For furlhcr information conL:lct Nonc:y Barnhardt, Legisbuve Agent, Pcsllc1dc Project of lhc COll3ervatJon Council or NC, Ch~pcl Ifill. (919) 942-8991. "STATE OF THE AIR" REPORT Natuml Wotld New' Sa-vice Last year. ror the first time. more than 800 North Carolina 1ndus111cs were required to file with tho s1111e rcpons on releases of the 328 cbcnucah mdiC41cd m the 1986 fcdcml "right-«>~know" SWtUIC:;. The NC Envi.ronmentlll Dclcn~ Fund ( NCEDF), compiled Lhcsc: reports and found th~t. <tatcwadc. indusUlcs emutcd nearly 100 ma Ilion pounds of lhclit air polluunts. 12.7 million or which arc Cllrt1nogcll$. According lo the NCEDF, these cm1WO<U arc cnurcly legal, and therein hes a probkm. "Touc au polluuon an l'onh Carolina is aJrncm tolollly unrc11ul.'l1Cd." according IO NCEOF dltl!ClOr S~vcn J. U..1ta,, 1andl unlcs§ we dose the skic.s io polJw.c:l'l, lilt cnu-;.siODJ wdl n:rnui the e:isiest way for Noctl1 Ouolma 1nduwic:s 10 get rad or ll:at.:irOOus w.wc." Nawn! World News Sez\.icc only 33 acres or scenic cascmenLS have been ~wrcd by lhc s:wc. In the s:imc umc period the number of priYDte lwldowncrs on the river h3.s jumped 300%. anJ iowns of Jcrterson and Wcs1 Jefferson, NC are currently considering opening a one million gallon per day v.ucr Lreattncnt plant which would utilize lhc river LO dispose of IJ'elUOd discharge. Nllkcd Creclc. a Lribur.:uy of the New River and a disch!lrge sllc for treated water, "wns named :is n •toxic: hot spot' an 1111 EPA repon just rele:i.~ by lhc Oivi~ion or Environmcn1.11I Manngc.mcnt,• according lo Jonct Hoyle or the Blue Ridge Envaronmcn111I Defense l..caauc (BREDL). Ms. Hoyle fears that, though the move unprecedented. Congl'CSS could revolcc lhc design;won ot S<:cnic Rivet. •sCC3U111 lhe \ollu.:s for which (Lhe nvcrl wa.~ protected arc not being prcserved,. .. wc fear WICOntrollcd dcvdopmcru tluc:liens the dcsilJl.ltion". In resJ!Qnsc to this threat. Rep. Judy Hunt (0-Walilugl) has mt.roduccd legisl:ation IO speed 11p Ilic aqumuon of c~scments ami began in ~nest lhc tmplcmcnwtJun of the scc11.1c nvcr pbn drawn up for die l, New )'l:O.ll'S a.go. The measure~ nx:c.-cd house approval, and a·.. 1uu 11e11on 1n the Senate Envuonmenul Comnuuce. In :a pMSibly re.bled m31tct, SCllOl.IC Bill 119!\ lhc N:nural Hm~ Wll!Ct bill 1nll0dllffil by Scn:uor MIUC Blilllghl 11ofll 1ncn::isc the e.\CISC Slllmll l:l\ from Sl.()()/1000.00 tO $2.00 pct $1000 00 Under lhe new bill, COU lleS would rceei•-c S0.50 of a:h doll:ir of Ul me.om- SO.ZS WO'Jld go tO 11.':llU nnd .rcwcr do\'dapmcnt wh ' 11noL'r.:r SO 25 would go io tic: Rec~uon lllld Nat I He c Tr Fund to buy !And for g.un.bnJ f and p.uks. 1111 b II tn rt Cl lCtl S2.S mubun doll.in per )C 10 l1C d lor land aqui uum Flori , S .:!h CarollnA Summer, 1989 �Tennessee :ind Maryland :uc altcody succcsi.fully using 1l11s 1cchn1quc for preserving 1hcir nalurJI an:a.~. IfNC rtsllitllJS urr 1nltrts1td in wntawng their Stnat(Jrl rtgarding this bill, the addresJ ts: Lrgtslu11~t Building, Raf~1gh 2761 I Phone; 733-11 JI Fot r1wri! tnforfniltiOll call Jim Stt•ens (9191782-2686 or Btll Jlof""m· (919)7.Sj.J)Zi} Tt: TRANSPORTATJON I MPROVEMENT PLAN? maHers PUBLIC SERVANTS IGNORE PUBLIC Nirural Wotld Newt Scrvic11 Residcnis or Buncombe County were ou11agcd 10 discover that a suue highwoy improvement., p;ickagc included a plan for a four lane loop to run through SwannanO.'.I, lhrough Recms Creek and Ox Creek Valleys, to lhe Enka-Candler aren. Trnnsporiauon Secre13ry James Harrington said in a leuer 1.ha1 a loop around Asheville would be needed IO lmndle the mcrenscd 1n1mc from nn upgraded US 19-23. John Hill.11 resident of Ox Creek Vlllley. voiced lhcdcepconccm or oVCT 100 people who attended a planning meeting about the issue: No one asked [u:;J, or 1he people in Mudison County, wbclhcr we wnnlCd lhcir lives changed forever, or hcuvy lrucking brough1 in from the Ohio Valley, or 1f we w.inlCd rapid dcvclQpment as in lhc urblln 31'.cas.• The public feeling is that sUJtc officials could ~vc trouble and cmbanassmenl if lhcy would consult wilh locnJ rcsidcnLS befotc uying 1 force 1hrough new 0 1~ for developmea1. Natunl World News Scrvacc On April 3rd lhc state Utilities Commissmn ruled thar Duke Power Co. cnn go ahead wu.h plans for a transmission line through lhc bc:lutiful Pru11hert0wn Vnllcy in Jackson County. lhus dissolving a Scpicmbcr 1988 reslr.lining order, and ending a hard-foughl balllc by lhe Jocasee Watershed Coalition. lhc WNC Allinnce, ond the Conscrvnuon Council of North Carollnn. Thc~c groups fonnnUy prolcsltd lhe roulC lilSt year, s:iymg thal Dulc hnd not eumincd altcmativcs LO their planned route lhrough die "Yosem11e of the E.c.1", und Lhnt a proposed offer from the Tenncsse Valley Au1homy might be the:ipcr nod elunina1e lhe need for lhc tin~ Hun1cr Lovin~. co·foundcr or Ilic Rocky Sununer. 1989 own llands BeflCll Mountain We co no• wea~ l:i< 1t11ery resioen1 uomeowrl!!• or 111s1tor 10 Beech Mouniaon. however a grOWtng numoer 01 ~ .vould l1•e to 111ank you tor aoklg ,•,hal we llavP .van1eo 10 co ro1 some time bul door t ha~ 1110 nel"e You have macie our moun1a1n a more 1Jeau111u1 r.1 .. ~" '£> u.. t. vL1•1 HQO<lh;lly oaver:•sers will nave lll(lre 1cmkc' I - u oeau!ilul mo..in1ain" 11 t" .. lulure & \\ II 001 POLI.DTE th~ " 1" btl'tlOlilOS DELP STOP BILLBOARD BLIGHT Frequent only merchants who DO NOT use billboards Mounuin Institute with her husbnnd Amory, ~'Uggestcd a conference held lllst fall al Warren Wilson College t.h:i1 lhere was no need for adJitional energy cnpacily lllld lhn1 all encrllY n«Wi could be met by practicing least-cost planning and cfhc1cncy improvements which would acwally increase the profiis of the power comp:uues without incurring lhC S36 m1lhon pnce Lag of lhc line, wltich will surely be passed on to consumers. The Commission disngrc.:d wilh this :1SSC5Slllcn1. saying ·11tc evidcoce clearly ~hows that Duke c:ucfully and diligenlly planned !his projccl by examining a wi\lc :irea of Western North Carolinn, n:irrowing the poi;s1blc route nli.cmati\'CS, lllld sclccung J rou1c which m1rum1ud 1hc impact on the en11ironmen1 and cus1ing dcvelopmcni". The Commilision decreed lha1 allcm:ile roulCS suggesltd by lhe cnvironmenw.I groups were too long and 100 c.itpcnsivc. They nlso d1smi!iscd the TV A proposal, elaammg lha1 lhc TV A did not prcscn1 a pe.rsua.'ilvc :irgumen1 that its proposed rotes for Naniahala customers would be lower fl13n Duke's. A bill has been introduced 1n10 lhc NC Ocnet:ll Assembly by Rep. ~1arie Colton (D-Buncombe) which would give lhc Commission authority to review power line siung plnns. 01 SAYING "NO! " TO THE DUMP Niawrat World Ne'Nj Sav"'~ 0 CUTIING A LINE you for t~~ ino arid e 1rnma:an9 tl".e I>• !boards on Natunl World News Scrvk< Thci SS.6 billion Transporboon Improvement Plan (TIP) being heavily pushed by Govenor Jim Manin iOIS II leystone of bis "good rQ.ad$ for progress• Slll!C 1m11gc, passed 1he House of Rcpresenuuvcs. and is upec1ed 10 p:iss lbrough lhe Scruue wi1hout effcclivc oppos1lllln. The Bill culls for a massive road-building progr.lm Wilh the CVl!lltlUll goal Of bringing 0 rruuor four l:ine road "within ten miles of llny North Carohn:i n:sidcnl.• nod paving many or ttic din roads. A fow represcnt111ivcs hnvc e.xpr~d concern bccuuSj: 1he bill IGClcs lln)' mention of mnss 1rw1Sil ns n means of ll'!illsportauon unprovemcm, and lhc lawmakers may :111cmp1 t.0 block p:issage unul su!:h wording can be included Proponcois of TIP sny 11 is 100 ln1c for an~ StK:h coosidcruuon :llld l'1osc concerned should have r.uscd their objcc:tilons long ago, allCmplJng IO change lhc bill now could posslbly kill iL The bill would Ix\ fonded by a five ccn1 gas lll!I. Millly rcsidcnis. especially m Ille Kaulah region. rear lhe bill is :i prune cxrunple of ovcr-dcvclopmcru.. The ncw 1ra~-port.alion scheme would strongly mcrcnse access 10 nnd lhrough lhc mouniains and have a profOtJnd environmcnw.I and soeiul impacL l• iu~ You! Trees 1,000 feet awny from a WllStc dump :u Oak Ridge, Tenncsscc were cut down and c:imed away. because I.hey were emiuing to~ic amounts of rad1odon. Under prc.~t rcgulntions, !heir hobiull would no1 be C:OO.\idcred ll.~ ~ A1 a pubhc hearing in Madison Count)', a woman loll! lhJS sw~ and lhcn posed some simple questions 10 lhe panel of four pale men in dark suiis and one dnrk-sktnned woman repre~ung lhe North Cwobnt1 Low Level Rodio;icti~e Wasic M411agc:men1 Aulhomy. "Would you drink wai.cr from a ~pnng 1000 feet from d1t Oak Ridge nuclC3t dwnp? Would you offer this water 10 your child?" Every head on Ille panel nodded affinmllively. TI1e woman gestured IO 1hc panel and faced lhe crowd, •1 give you the cxpens on low level rndiu.'ICtive wnu: dumps!" Over 600 people, many of them obviously cld\!rly fanning couples, showed up for the forum on u Wednesday evenang, ll'lldiuonnlly church naght in Ibis predomuuntly Baptist c:ounl)'. G1'11SS roolS politics mov~ like o pr.ime lire when 3 hot ~p.irlo; wikc.s. In this- caie lhe networl 1h111 fonned lhc Cbme of public 0111.n1gc wus lhc local min1stty, Voluni.ccrs from 1.lie Mud1.;on Em·ironmcn111l Allfonce contacted muusu:r.1 who cnllcd other preacher; nnd urged ll1c1r congregaLions to exercise I.heir duty of E3flh stewardship, one of lllC precepts of lhe soulh.un Baptist cn:cd. Earlier 1n April :ing.:r flared in Jl.lacoo and Polk Coun1.ics as The Aulhomy's 1rnvcling road show, designed IA.'I soothe fcars.lllld cool u:mpcr~. found i1SClf in an equally unplc:a.'l:lni hill S.:lll. The meeung in Polk Counly dlcw more than 1,000 ouendec.s.. Local residcnis no1cd Lhe impact of lhcse meeung.s - never before had lhcy seen so ITlilllY people of hke mind a1 one l~lion. Said Polk County $hCriffs deputy Chris Abul, "I guess everybody just WDnl'I to say 'no' to lhc dump." J11nc1 Hoyle, director of Blue Ridge EnvironlllC1ll.al Defense l..cque, calls North Carolina "I.he chump of lhc SE" for staying m lhe SE Comp:icl. lhc c1gh1 SL:ltt organWiuon lhal picked Nonh Carolinn to be the recipient or lhc rcgt0n's radioactive WllSIC for lhc next 20 yC81'$. Jonci reminds us 1h.:11 some or lhe w11S1C will remain toxic for 117 million years, EnvironmCllllll1sis lhink lha1 wch state $hould h3tldle us own waste. lnsu:<ld or conuunmrumg a new aren, lhe siate's low-level mdiooctive was1es should be stored nbovc ground al nuclear puwer plnrus. which produce ~ of lhcm. nu~ way they could be monil(Jl'Cd until a va:iblc long-u:nn waslc disposal technology is developed. To dll1e, all existing dumps in lhe rnin-ricll east have lc!lked, even lhe ones drat meet r;um:nt regullltions. The Aul.horily 1s 10 come up with at least two cundid:ue locauons in Nonh Cnrolinn lau:r lhis year and to have picked a "preferred siie" by Nov, 15, 1990. Hopefully tbe loud "No• from Katuah wlll no1 only JcOec1 the dump. bu1 will also prod the ·cxpcns· to rcthinlc their nuclear policy. SOUTH CAROLINA BANS NORT H CAROLINA WASTE Natural World Ne"'s SG\'lc:c By cucutiveorder of Gov. Carroll CampbeU. as or Morch I, 1989. the •U!IC of South Carolin" has prol1ibitcd 1hc di.~~1 or was1e from :my Sllltc &hat refused ID di!i:p()S(l of the WtilC 11.scl[ The b:in elfoc:ICd 32 ~Ulles and Puc:t10 Rico. Hans1ll Truesdale, heud of the SOUlh Carolina Dcpanmeo1 of Hcallh lllld E.nvi.ronmenml Controls H:uardoUJ Wasic Division say~. "WG hope our ac;IJoos will encoUl3gc other sutcs IO move toward developing their own h:u.ardous was1e managcmen1 pro~·. In 1987. Nonh CAroht13 gcnerultd 2.8 billion pounds of l=dous wute, most or which w11S sent to ou1-0f-Slal.C disposal Cac1litles. JCotu~\ Jo1.1rna( PIMJlll 23 �(~ fmlll P11C4l Wh:it is then: 10 keep someone from •1ctung go• nnd •becoming the olh11r person~ so successfully tl\31 !hey come away from a Lls1ening Projec1 full of rc:icrionary nnhudes? Again. m Herb's mind the answer goes back to thn1 shared essence of humrurity, which is deeper than any dogma or se1 of idc:is, but i~ expressed rnther in 1em1s of vnlues. '111c antidote 10 polariz;uion :ind separation," he say~, "i\ to recognize 1he oneness or all life and oi all hum:inity. We in soc111I chMge work need to recognize that all of us, even those people 1iliho are racist or militanst or $eem like they are ou1 to desuoy the l!ruth. are a pan of the great ltfe, and within us au is !he potcnual 10 ch:inge :ind 10 let go ot old iJcas that are destr0ying life. There h definitely that potential. The source of lhat power lies in going beyond the ego and getting down to that place where things change. 'The way I en\ 1sion 11, 1s to look 111 11 person :ind 1111.a.gine them just coming out as 11 new born inf.int, That h3by isn't a r.1ciM. th:11 baby 1sn 1 n milu:inst, that b:iby doesn't w11111 to destroy the \l.Orld. Tb:11 new baby is allvc. lbnt's the essence of hum:mny Thst's in every p;:rsoo in society, -nu11's what we: arc listening for, b:i~iC31Jy. We: ;ue probing through all the cr.iziness. all the accumul:11ed ideas. th:it may h:ivc made a person into a m1l11ans1, or a r<1cis1 or an environment· destroyer, 10 find 1he essence 01 who that person is. f'or 1hc essence is good." The idcolog1cal content 1s pare, but only a pan, of .1 convers:uion. In deep listening the: process of communication 1!> the major emphasis. If a listener 1111d a resident cnn reach a poin1 where they arc each staring right into I.he other's bare and unadorned "'1111, then together they arc atl3ckm& racism, mil11arism. and 1he other 1te1J,:1tive aspects or our i:oaety for the r11C1Gm, the: nulit11nsm, iuid the rest an: the mdv.clhng fear m people's bean~ raised to a pcrm311ent place m the mstituuons of society. Hezb ~ys that, "Underlying all the problems is fear. Our b:lsic fear IS one of rejection. We \I.ant 10 be loved and rc~pcctcd. If we don't gc1 llu11 in !lie wuy we need 11, \l.C use power to get it. That's why it gets back to spiriwa.I values. h gets back to people's need to experience love, communny. caring. nnd connection. Those :ire the fundmnental needs of :ill hum:inity, lllld if we can find w:iys to make that possible for 311 people, I think all the problem~ we: ~cc: would stan d1ssolving.w "Love, community. canng. and connecuon." Herb defines his peace work in tenns of the~ values... When be speaks of ·peace; he spc:ik. of the concept in the broadest po)siblc: \Cose. He decries the divisions tha1 sometimes arise bc1ween people involved in promoting non-violence:, doing soci:ll justice work, or helping IO prc::.crvc the c:nvirunmem He fet'ls that :ictiv1sts would help their cause by ~tressing the connec1cdness o[ 1hesc 1s~uc' lie considers the penod he wotl:cd ns a youth counselor as being part of his "peacework" an.I whhes :ill people involved In 1h:u kind of healing worl.: would realm: 1hc conncction lhc:y share v.1th the pence niovcmcn1. He .s.iy!( he 1~ ''~)rkmi: for peace v.h.n he is weeding hb garden. or Poliucs is usuully perceived 3\ II sc:nes c:intpaigns 10 be c:uncd on unul the foe is vanquished and ,;dory is ~chievcd l·or llcrb, polincs 1s process .und the process 1~ nevcr-endmi;, whelhcr 11 is tor empowerment or tor he:iling. In an mfomul moment he slid, "Yeah, you know, hstening ts an incredible procc)s. I'm still trying to 1ncorpora1e 11 rr.ore d~ly in my person:il lire. 11·~ easier IO v.ork it on the political level in some ways. "What was it someone said? 'Listening is the rim let or love.' "In a sense the Listening Project actually says. 'I love: you. No mauer who you nn:, no mauer what you're doin~, l love the essence of who you nrc.' You may hate wha1 a person 1s doing, but wha1 you !lfe basically ~11y111g is 'I love yo11.' That's where listening is non-violence, too." ~ {tontillued rrocn page 10) p:1rnc1panii; m1m n:ly on 1iicinsd• ~ • thc1t own mner n:sourccs nnd ability to share llnd 'Communicate. In a very~ ~. the ~etpant... create the "orklihop ·and isn"1 this \\h:!t community 1s about anyway? Lc:anung to t;1p IOlCI our iruhv1Ju:il and group r ·sources, and to be co-crc:uors rnthcr th:m ·koocrs" nnd followcn; "? As a group rntwcs out of "pseudo-c\'lmmunny and IO\l.ard real community. it tends to pas~ through scverul d1\1Jnct phases, which Dr. Peck and I·CI.! ro:fer 10 ns "i:haos" :ind "cmpuncss" After the supcrf1Ci:1h1y nnd f.:ilsern:ss of pscudo-communny begins to \H::U- thin, conflicts begin 10 emerge, nnd pe<.>ple usU11lly lil:ln irymg w fa, convert. or ch3.0gc each Other. The rc:sulltn!l rcscnnnent llild nngcr. nobody likes being "faro"· des1ro>s nny feeltngs of group harmony (illusory as 1hcy may h;i\ e bet'n). nnd the group descend~ into confusion nnd "cha()>'". Then llfter a period of turmoil and soul·sean:hmg. group members gradually lc:im ·"uh the tacditntors cxcnsion31 guidance • 10 let go or lhcir prcconcc1vcd 1de:i~. expccunons, IUld pcrsonal agendas. They begin 10 emp1y themselves of these b.'lrriers and blocks, which have kept them lt:cling ~p!lr.lte :ind un:lble 10 Just be tlrere with the others. Thh cmpcying process cnn be d1fl icult and painful . but on the other side of this "valley ot the: shadow of death" lies the cxpc;ncncc or Peace. ot JUSt Being. ,1nd listening, and sharing m co11unun11y ·an CKpenence that seems to eocomp3Ss all oppo~itcs and embraces joy and sorro''. nll kind) of religious ei1pn:ss1on anJ 11thtism. activity and rcccpu-.ity, love and feat. Although a panicubr group m3Y noc rellCh a sustained c~pericncc of genuine community (qwic ~!ten. groups tend to re' en b3clc 10 cha()) 11ntl/or pseudo-community ~incc these modes ol rc:bung 11re more familiar and, in a sense. ~fer· though not really), every group goe.1. throug~ an emptying process and at least touches on, or Wp!> into, the Bemgncss of commum1y. ( Having auended one of thei.c v.eckcnd worhbops, thi' "ritcr can auesl 10 the :iccur:icy of 1he abc)\'e dcscripuon I Xa1uiU1 Journn! pCUJC 2·1 "Through 1he power of gewune commzmity, "e 1ccl to offer opportumries for peopfo 10 brufgc tliffcrc11ces mid reco11cilc c·miflzcts u uh a11thr11ucit) anc/ 111tegrity " ln :idd111on to 1has pnnury fe>..--us, FCE 1s alw m the process of elp:uuimg its focus on comm11nily 11etworbng nnJ refcrra.I servu:c:s. The gwl 1s to pre.wide n~sht11Kc and d1ra "t1on for people v. ho an: seeking to lmk up wtth other; for a ~ctlic purpose, or arc 1C:UChing for community organiz.iuons or groups that c:in asSJSI 1hem m their hc:lling, le:1ming. grov.th, nnd/or sharing. The unllcrlymg recog11lt1on here IS thM rcr~ "1s not 311 1sol:11ed phenomenon, but nithcr a pan of what might be called the community movement" • 11 movement initiated by such group~ as Alchoholics Anonymous nnd ib t\\lelve siep program, the growth of social :tc1ion groups, and the women's movement. l'CE i~ thu~ engaged 1n su:ad1ly bu1ld1ng new links· and sm:nglhcnlng e)tl,Ung ones· in the hv1ng mterconncctcd chllin of community "·hic.h may prove to be.-, m truth, our s;ilvauon. For funhcr mform.1uon about FCE and its umnnunuy Building Wort..~hops, cont.1ct: The Fouo<hltion for Community Encuun1gemenl, Inc:. 7616 Glc:iwn Road KnO%\ille, T~ 379l9 -~ (615) 690-43~ p · Summtr. t 989 �We had some visitors from the Soviet Union. They wanted to make friends with us. We wanted to understand them... Crystal Peace means that I am loved ...Alyson from a drawing by Alyson and Crystal Peace is love peace is caring peace is sharing. If I didn't have any peace, it wouldn't be any peace in my heart .......... Beth 1 I Peace means to be a friend to me Peace means to be kind to others Peace means to be nice to others Peace means harmony to me ....Virg1 nia Peace is like Flying in The sky ........Justin Peace means not hurting animals.... Sefton Peace is loveing and harmony and careing for others and animals. I love cats........Star These are some respo11ses w the l.lhat. ls Pce1ce? Coruest held ar Aslievil/e Altemarive School, an experimental public school in Asheville, Nc>rtlr Carolina. Organized Olld compiled by Abby Bird. age 11 Kstuah's Cliildre11's Page Editor l<.At1.1uf1 )01.lT!'lUt p!UJ~ 25 from a drawing by Virginia Summc.r. 1Q89 j �TIP/ F.ROS Your womb wraps around me, encloses II.lid holds and keeps me, nnJ lets me come nnd co. in and out. DRUMMING Gomg out, away from your bcanh,.)our embrace I JOumcy 1n ecstasy, and I live in p;im. lETIE RS TO Kt\ TUi\H I am Earth walking on Earth, worlds I am or micro :ind rtl3CTO cosmos. wali.ing through. I glimpse the dn:3m - enthralled. in awe. 1n rapture • then lose 11.~aod wander about. .. lost in Isolauon - desolation - despair. Dear Katuah, L011JS OF Tiil! HEART: Coming soon to a mounuun valley near you - 8.6 billion dollars worth of road consuuc1ion. Thats right, Nonh Carolina Governor Jim M.utin wants all of his c11iunry co be within 10 mile$ of a four·hnc wpcrh1ghw:1y, and. 1f by chance you're hindered by a du!>ty ol' travel road - don't worry - he want) to pave those, 100. Access 1s but a n1ckel·a·gallon g:u-tu increase away, so h11 saving North Carolina's reputation as a ·good roads for progre~ sta1e• is a freebie. Say you're not sure about all th1\'>? Ughtcn up. Those who ~tanJ 10 profit the most politically and financs:illy (our mayors, our county comnuu1oncrs, and the independent Chambers of Commerce) have been lobbying your state legisl310~ to push h:ud for the passage of the new slllle •Transponauon Improvement Plan (TIP)." Why, shoot, 11's already p:issed the Uouse and with :ill the hand shakm' and back ~lappin' between this country club governor and the aforc·mcnuoncd 5pccial 1111en:,ts. the Senate will surely figure that the: whole \Hile i~ bclund TIP, Slow down? Come oft 1t. Secretary of Tran5portation Jim llumngton and h1' \hop arc alrc;idy two Mcp:. ahtlld. Not only dOC$ he kno~ the governor personally. but he's had m:ips pn:pmd that will prevent confusion 1 the lcx:il dcclston-m:lling level. :o;o need to worry about \\'ho's gomg where \\ith this TIP! So, \\Ith this much 1ns1ght into )Our future. don t lose another nlght s sleep Raleigh lus once again grasped the moment and fulffiled our needs: our need for a hl&h gas w; our need for greater DCCeSS for more and mon: outlandCIS; our need for mon: highway traft11c, Including hazMdous waste b~ed ea.~t. and our need for increased development prenurcs along sull unpubllcir.cd hii;hway comdors. Why, r.hoot, there's no need 10 fuss' r.;o need 10 look ror a bus' C1vthwion rn all ih urb:ln glory v.ill soon be as close as the nc:1:1 ex11. Your Valley, KAtlWI Province, Southcm Appalachb. USA. 01' Rl1Stus Kutw1h )ourn"t p119e 211 To go naked on thh ~. To m3kc a soft bed In the fragrance of pmc needles To open an eye To the d.uk cool of night And the brilliance of ~13.J"5 To "'-:ilk m the sun's cares:. On bare ~houldcr.t. To cat wild strawberries And golden com. To drink Of pure, cold mounun stre~. And bathe tn tumbling occ:ms. To wau:h and wonder. To be a pan of this hvmg E:i.nh. So v.hy Do I measure out my hfc Jn shOpPmg malls anJ ban~ Jn hosp11..tls and cars And air-conditioning, Jn the v1olcncc ol ciucs '! The wisdom or 1hc uboriginc, The Pcn:in, the Kuna, the llopr. • ,\fury d~ /,a \'ulet1t: Government lsnnold nun Onhts knee,:, With dry, shn~ cited bps Then I enter you again: I come in.•.seeking... nccding your c:mbrncc, renewal-rcdi:.covcry-rebinh. Your womb encloses me, holds me tight, indulges me in bliss. in sleep, in cirummg I awake still within you, lounge !>wec1 moments in between, then slip OUI of you i;emly, bravely then 10 face· perhaps cmbnce - the new light - ktnr Dear Ka11Wl. Ple:ise include my name on your m3iling hst for the • Biorcgional Journal of lite Southern Appalachians." I am a firm ?el1~ver 1n bioregionnli:.m and hope that by JOmrng your cnu~e that I can help deliver a message that so urgently needs to be heard. I um n graduate from Texas A&M Un1vem1y with a degree in Forc~try and I am currcntly a member of the Green Party. I would hkc 10 sum a correspondence with other concerned pcnons living in the Asheville area, and tf 1 can be of any assistance to your orgnm1.:111on please let me know. Sincerely, , W. Eric Becker 7408 LunilllS Lane (1132) Pcrry~rg. OH 43SS1 Rcce~scd To R:\'e.tl thc roots of h1~ teeth. He kneels At the hc:Jld 01 some SU!Jl'S Which lc:id up to a place or sancwary And sells wind up sold1cn To a young boy Bothcm:I by the old nun's Gummy smile. • 11111 llouser C/984 Dear Kaulah, Sure have missed getting the Kau'i:lh. Thank you so much ror your enlightened onJ rn1clhgcnt coverage of our region. Such a blessed rehcf lrom the nightly news, newspapers and such. Lo1.-e the idea of cictcndal wildemcs~ areas. and .,.ouldn"l 11 be neat and umcly 10 have bicycle and toot paths 10 crisscross all the mt~ ("'here po~blc ?) Love, Kalinda Wycoff Sumrtlct, 19811 �HELLO? HELLOl Poems offering seldom have I lhought about this by Charles Rampp begins with M e - everything seems gift for Me. enjoyment but it also ends here unless We make it rules. real I by touching ever so gently its opposites. harmless sparks matches fingers' air grip and l'rn dancing light , joyous. to see that we nre doing an issue on Peace what it means and w~t ii can mean. 1 would like to add a note of tl1anks to all the people who have resisted the contagious call to wnr most dirc4ldy by not becoming soldiers. Either by doing an Alternative Service to military "service". by deciding to dissociate from military "service" while in it, or.refusing 10 panicipate with it in any way 10 the first pince, Conscientious Objectors deserve a song of gratitude wbich springs from some of the deep, moving pools of integrity that can flow from the human psyche. If an individual hears from an inner voice that "militarism is wrong" or that it "denies the sacredness of life" or "the enemy is us" or "violence begets violence" and acts on this voice by doing nothing, or not participating in the further disruption of life, or by doing something to try, beyond violence, to change the medium of forces that createS the disruption - perhaps, we are permitting oun;elves to accept responsiblity for tlte horrors we have made for each other and allow conflict resolution to happen. Too often we have let the chaos of wnr, or suspected war, determine the rest of the pauem for human and non-human being. There is also a sea of great sorrow to be recognized for the many people who have died in the ebb of violent authority and its many manifestations. Those who hnve protested or objec1ed to brutality ll!'ld discrimination and come to futal blows with ils way, the innocem who have been killed, and the unconscionable wru.te of human life to attempt to prove group or individual power all have something to teach us: we are coming to a climax ns a species. from which we must find decisive ways of social order that acknowledge diversity. symbiosis, ond the human shadow as panners within the biosphe~ and ii:; 1en11city. - Rob Messick of Peace First! • Oy, cold ,whisking light's compassionate malh like a matador"s cloak across a turtle's nose It is a joy ... Summu, 1989 IN o. WC>l"k:I \~v.£.-lo QJT LAW u.>o.r,-t.o rv'\QM. pto..cd' peace lntely. suddenly My hand finds emptyness in pockets \ If +hut. 1$ Q.""i ONt. LE.ft A LIV£' ID LtKE tc u.ntu wt*.h ~ To Lhe &iitors: .In reac~ion to Exxon's role in the recent oil spill, I d~cadcd to return my credit cards and to. boycott JtS products. J run hoping that this might become a mass tactic if enough consumers ~ill ~~ow ,th.c~r rejection of corporate 111sens1uv11y by JOming. Enclosed is my letter 10 the president of Exxon. For ecological snn11y, rreside111. Daniel Gruham Ex.xnn Company Chapel Hill, NC M.Qma 's SoNiJ . P.O. 80:1: I 322 llou.sron. TX 77251 Cl!orl..es of Zacfu:.rlJ movi."'} f o nvard. lnto raln , stn9ln9 cta.morol.ls marches of oCcf. hu0\1S, a nc! thunder i;rl.es 0 1.lL n&r tra9tca£ name wni!~ lM drops p ta.IJ a j anci.f uC LUM , a nd fuird. they com e down to JaU. upon u s aCC w asps anc! mop~s . c!andcli.ons , d.ai.s i4:S, tetri.ers , t4b&i.es, &ws, co1vs, f;eans , otd. roof s, odd. st.ones, a ncl you! Get w e&., my son, I had bun looking forward 10 rtuiving my E:uon credit cord, l>ur ofter rhe slwmrfu/ way :f(>Uf company ucred in tltt u cenr oil spill. I co11 M longer acctpr ii . It lws becomr: r/cal' from \larlous m:wJ uport., 1/uu company was not rtady for o spill thr.f JIU, an.I /uu cut bad on vuaf emergency plans, This 1111111 disregard fur l>/J/' comuwn licrirwgt is poor c111rr:nship and 1/are111e1u rlre frog1lt lltl.tJSl<:m iLwlf. I am returning my cudir curds aJ11.l 1<ilt urge 1lll my ftithds and organua110MI t ontcurs to do till' same 1U11il your comp1111y realius that 1hr comnwn gtiod of tht planet i.s much more 1mponan1 1l:m1 the rlror1-1crm prr.'fits t{ your l.QtporUJwn )'<I'" f i.nd JOY i.n the downpo ur I tkaven s:ends iL, ca.rt.Si n:cc~ves U., so w a c!r Lnfl. LL, w ash uur &ocCLe$, quench our s plrHs, and. &y the 9L 9, tt.ve. vi.n GeL Lir~. m y d.or(lnCJ. a nd keep LL wLth you Ln l.M dri.u wtUU:rm:ss of C19e. a rcmcm&ue.c! surnm u·s 1£ci11 w hen you were Le•~ ancL w l th you r rtothu and she saM!, "Yi.sl" llo ouL and. pta.y W\ a.he r a\.n, ln a spouL of Ci£luld. 9Cor 1J thaL f or9Lv"5 our sl u&&ornesio. Say "Ycsl- . ~r Zac:fmr 11, us you S~"'J yo'4r warn.or 's SOnlJ• sa11 ··yes!" a nd "Yi:sl ~ C19uin. M1gh1y smuuly, (.flgn~) - 1'Lcf.anl• Bridl)~ Drawing on tins page by MIOILina Herring, drawmg on prcc;cdtn& poac by Chll<ld Hugey. Both for ·v,.,ons of Pc.ooio" con'"'- Jackson County p......, Nc1..,01k. Kutuah )ou.rna.t pa9.; 27 �eveors JUNE 18 FRANKLIN, NC Oury Bonnelle specking on •The Ascension Principle.• Mounuun l.igbl Network. 2 pm Dl M:icoo Community Ccnlet. Hwy. 441. For more info. call: (40l) 746-2454 llOT SPRJNGS, NC 'Wind Swirls lhc Low.~ l...cuvcs: 1':u Chi lnterptay• with J11y Dunbar and K3Lhlecn Cu!rick. Exercises for mdividuals nod partn¢rs m r11i Chi Ch'Ullll, a Chlne:ic mn11inl Ml end moving mcduallon. No experience, no pnnncr needed Prc-regisicr. SOO. Soullicm Dharmo Rcll'Clll Ccn1a, see 6(.30.7(1. 21·23 HIGHLANDS, NC Workshop, •Techniques for Nature Phoiograophcrs" with Gil Leebrick. Bm Len. wildlife photographer, and bomnist Sill Wylde. S250 includes accommodations. Appalachian Environmenl!ll Ans Center. Box S80: Highlands. NC 28741 (704) .526-4303. 26-30 GOODE, VA Chllnnnel Mel&Y at vortexes 1111d sacred sites in the northern Blue R1dic w11h Rev. Daniel Chesbro, Tom Williams. Pilot MounLllin, Peaks ol OllCr, New River, Fairy Stone Parl.. "lmportnnl work ioward cxp:inding lhc Light." Confon:n.::e, lodging S225. Pre-register. Rt. I, Box 310·A: Goode. VA 24556 '30-7n 26-30 21·25 HOT SPRINGS, NC ·seven Day Zen Soul Recharge• with Sandy Oentai Stewurt. abbot of Squifrel M1'n. Zcndo, Piusboro, NC. Prc·regrsu:r: S 160. S1;>u1hern Dbarma Retre111 Cenicr: RL 1. B()lt 34-H: HOt Springs, NC 28743. HI G ll l.AN DS, NC "Landscape Pho1ogrnphy m 1hc Blue Ridge." large f01tOa1 camera workshop with 0111.c.ebrick :md Sllln Tomi la. S2SO. See 6'21-25. 28-30 HOT SPRl NGS , NC Vipass:ano Mcditntion with Cirol Wilson Pre.register: S70. Southern Dhnrma Rc1rt:at CcnLCr, see 6/30..7fl. JULY ASli EVlLLE, NC "Mounlllin Sweet Talk; a 1wo-ac1 play fe:uuring The Folktellcrs, Barbara Freeman am.I Connie Rcg:lln·Bhuce. The play feriturcs stories and music of Appalachia presented by two very accomphshcd pcrfom1ers. 8 pm ThUl'Sll:iys through S:uurdays. 3 pm Sundays a1 lhc Folk An Center Theatre, caM of A!ihevillc. milepost 382 on lhe Blue Ridge Parkway. Ticket\ SlO, S8 in advance at MalJprop's. l-8/13 6-8 LINVILLE, NC J41h Annual Grundfother Mountain Highhmd Games. Piping and drumming, lhghland dancing. S~ottish alhlctic$. harp, fiddle. tr:lCk and field, ttilidh For more info, wrilC Grnndfa1hcr Mounw.in; Bo" 128; Linville. NC 28646 7-9 NEW MARKF.'r, 1 N STP (Slop the Poisoning) School uL the H1ghland.:t CcnlA:f. Tactics. strJlcgy, 1111d nc:twurkini; for lh05e wocking LO stop industrial polluoon. Prc-rcg1su:r. C:!ll Highlandu 01 C6JS) 933·3443. 12-16 lll Ci ll l.Al'\OS, 'llC "Edible V1s1ons· worksho11 un food pl101ogniphy. Wild foods lor:ig1ng. Mllrlha Strawn. Head of Phologr.1phy. UNC·ChJrluuc. S250 Sec 6/21-~5. 19.23 lllGHLANDS, !\C "l.lllld 3nd l'cuplo: A Dcs1g" AppnXll:h• pho1ogm11h> worl.slmp wi1h Jay Dus:ird S2!i0. See W.Zl-25. ~•Luuh )ounmt JHlfJC 28 AUGUST llOT SPR INGS. NC Vipassano McdiLJtion with John OrT. Prc·registcr: S60. Soulihlm Dhnrmn Rcttc:it Center, s.:c 6/30-?n. 4-6 LAUR INUURG, NC The Summer lnsu1u1c on ·Tc:iching ConOict Resolution. sponsored by Ptofcssional D<l"clopmcnl Team. "Conflict i.s fXl" of living /1 can /Nd IQ ~10/mu and ck11ruc11on Or, 1hrougl1 rraming and pracuu, -..·~can /tarn IQ wtluc conf/ir1 as an opportumty for clwngt and i:ro-..ith." S:J.10 1ncludcs room and tioard.Wrnc to: NCCPE/NC-ESR. 214 Piiuboro St.. Ch:lpcl Htll, NC 27516. Dr:iwing by Rob Messick WAYNESVI LLE, NC ·Techniques for P-crso"nl Sclf·Transfonnntion" with Bing Esaudoro. S1il-l.igh1 Rcucnt Ccn1cr; RL l. Box 32~: Waynesville, NC 28786 (704) 452-4569. 23·27 25-27 NEW MARKET, TN STP (Stop lbc Pois0ning) School 3t the Highlander Center. Tactics. str:11cgy. and nc1worklng for those wor¥ing lO stop mdusltial pollution. .Prc·cegistcr. Call Highlnndern1 (61S) 933-3443. HlGHLANDS, NC •women's Adventure Weekend" • bnck.·packing, visuati1.0tion. relPation wllh Nnncy Shaw Discussion; lier Mo1hu·~ Daughter For info, write The Mount.1in; 841 Hwy 106; H1~hla11ds, NC 28741. 25-27 f>.11 9-13 lllGUl.Al\OS, NC "Ahcmattvc Londscapc· • pho1egn1phy wo1kshop with M;anlyn Bridges. author/photogr.apbct of Morlm1gs: AeTlal t'ic11 $ oj Sar.red lAndscupa. Tran~cending the u~u:il w;iy of pcri:civing the environment IO :irrwe aJ new way$ UJ whicli 10 view the Earth. S250. See 6121-2S. 18·20 uo·r SPRl ... GS. NC Three I.ilks on "Zen and Western Philosophy" by l..ou f'ior.h1rom. PhD. ord;uncd Ztn monk formerly wi1h the Ztn C"111m11n1I) ol NY l'rc·rcgutcr: S.7.5. S ;u1hc:1n l>hQrll\ll Rc1rca1 Ccnttr. $<.'C fi/30-7(1. SEPTEMBER 1-4 ll OT SPRINGS, NC Mindfulnc~s Mcdiution and Everyday Life: Rclntionships and SeAualily wilh Sui;an AugcMtcin. "MinJ/Mfncs, m~diturion endbl~s u..• to src life IJJ II (ICllUJl/y is Ill ,,, IOtality • Ptc-rcgi~ti:r: 590. Southern OharmJ Rcirc.a1 Center, sec 6/30-7n. 1.5·17 WAYM-.SVI LLE. "C Thc Pr.ii;11cc of ·n1Ct:1pcutic Touch" with SuL1 Ccrmak1~. S11l-Ught Rc11ca1 Center: Rt. I. Box 326: Wa)111:svillc. NC 28786 (70-IJ .!52-4569. 0 1'1·'22 ,\Slll,VILl.1~, NC tn1crn11tu>n,1t C1111fu, nu en l'mlcways, Gr(tntH1J1. or.ii R1vcr..c1ys l lit 11'.-v \fort Btriu11jul llihon Inn f're·regmrauon r~q111rcJ fill more mfo, Cllll t\pp::il;1,h1an Con~nau1n ('7Qel) 2C.2·2CJ6.$. Su1111nc1, 191}9 �~Water Sys1em1 WATER PURIFICATION EQUIPMENT SOLAR PRODUCTS Mamber NC Waler Ouallly As50C1a11on HWY 107 RANDAL!. C LANIER RT 68 BOX 125 704·293-5912 CULLOWHEE, NC 28723 (704) 26+-7242 31 S E. King Street, Boone NC 28607 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-'-~~~~ Clti11ue "''11p1111ct11re DESIGNS b~ "' n t:D'LC'LN'.E A.LL'L'.ES Jlerllgiglll Cli11it Rob :'.. l~s~ic k lllustmlion & Dt>~1~n in Pen & Ink and color«< l Pc·n•il Mil llARY RADIOACI IVE LANDFILLS This c1l11<•n g111dt• I~ 1h1 htst compl"l'hcrwve wn cy ol tht rud1<>il(Cb\·c (ontaminallon •••used b> th' pn>du<l1<>n .,1 m1dl'1r ''"~P•ln' Vr1111/y Urfrnst nplJms h<Jw nu<l.:Jr weapoM 4t< madl' hl1W rddh»lrh\'<.' "'~''" '' gt·1wra11-d, Jnd whl'rc lhl' ronlJm1nJtl1111 I• >prc,1d1ng; the 16 pnnMn nudcar \\ ,)..trcm-.. JJi.,litic,. •re ,•x.01m1rh..J tn • d1•t.11I In dddlunn tu ttu murt· than bO mdP", di.,gr.im' phoh._, and 1o1bl1» In th1~ li't}.p.1gcbt1<.1lo., t>Mh 11r.:kr ".l«ompan11"ll "' a dr.1ma11c ~-«ulur II" 22 m.tp shl1wtni; lran•p.. r1,111t111 mu It's u<t.J in lh•• m.111Ufo(· tu r, u1 nucl"·.u \\ .:apon' To ordt•r, >•.'0•1 :>I~ lo L•lt•r.ilurt· Pepi , K.1d10.I• W,,_t, ( ollllj'.llJlll, N'"' Y<or~ , ='' IXll2 Ill,. !>~5 llJ'UJd\\'d\ , 2nd floor "''-=.... .=..,~ 'I I~ ~~ BARE.ESSENTIALS :J .... Natural Foods .... Organic Produce Biodegradable Diapers •: Bulk Herbs, Spices, & Grains :. Vitamins & Supplements Wheat, Salt, & Yeast-Free Foods Dairy Substitutes •: H air & Skin Care Products :. lu 200 West Kini! Street. Boone NC 28607 Ill ~ \.... ~~"=" 704-264-5220 ~· In 1bc 11adiuonal Cherokee Indian belief, the cremurcs in the world 1odny an: only diminuiuvc fonns of the mythic beings who once inhabilcd the world. but who now re$idc in Galuna'li, the spirit world, the hlghCSl hca~cn. Bui a few of the original powers broke lhrough lhe spirilU31 bamcr and .:itlSI yet ln lhe world as we know •L These beings 111e c:lllcd wilh revcn:nce "grundfathc.rs" And of 1hcm. the suongcst 111c KQl\Qti. the lighllling, the power of the sky; Uis:i'na1i, I.he raulesnake. who personifies the power or the earth plane; and Yunwi Usdi, "the liule mnn", as ginseng is culled in the sncnd ceremonies. whodr.iws up power from lhc underworld. Each LS the sllongest power m its own domwn. Togclhcr they arc :iUics: their cncrg.ies complement each other to ronn an even grca1tr power. As medicine allies, they repl'\!SCnt the healing pQwcrs or the Appalnehian Mount:iios. The medicine powers of K!!ltiilh have bctn depicted m 11 striking T-shirt design by Ibby Kenna. Printed in 4-color silkscreen by Ridgcrunner Naturals on top quality. all-couon shins, they~ &\·ailnble now in 311 odu.11 si1.cs through the Kalanu bio.regioWll mall-order supplier. Onler shirlS from: KRL RNU Box 282: Sylv;:i, NC Ka1Uah Province 28779 Plc:ise specify ~1.e: Sm., Med., lg., X-Lg. _J~ Cost: S9.50. 111Cludcs ~ge (NC raidcna plo:ae .xi S~ ulC$ LU.) -~~~ 'PJ~e,, 'JWJ\!WI 'Naty.r~ KRLANU T·SHIRTS. SWEATSHIRTS For ADULTS and CHILDREN BIOREGIONRL BOOKS ANO TOOLS FOR LI UING IN APPALACHIA ORIGINAL HAND·PRINTED NAT URE DESIGNS CALL or WAITE IOI' FREE COLOR CATALOG Natural Food Store & Dell TI11: bc$t ICJlt on 0.:Cp Ecolo y. Saacd Land Sncred Sex. Rapture 160 Bl'OIM1Wsy Ashevllle, NC 28801 Whef'9 ~ tNeta t.llrrlmon Ave & J..2«> or Lbe Deep by o,iton:s l:lOrnpcllc wt' ~lror:.Jd bf! glad 1/wrw<' l'.a•cJ uuchcrJ.Judi as Dolum iAG/iapellt • • Kli!Ual1 J0111ll3112J OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Monday-s.tulday: llam·Spnt Soodsy; lpm-Spm P. Q S\4rn rner, 1989 S23.00 (l'ricco lncludcsJIOlb£<!) r.:a OrJu[rom: KflLRNU Bo~ 182, s,l•a, NC, KDI~ Pr"'·'nt:" ~'C ,~,,/Lille ..,t,f j~ .~Ja 28189 �DRUMS· Custom handcrafted ctramic dumbccks &; wooden medicine drums. Call Joe Roberts al (704} 258-1038 or write to: n8 Town Mountain Rd.; Asheville, NC ~- ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY on beautiful land nc:lf Cherokee, NC scclr.ing families dc.<;iring gr;:41cr cooperauon and sclf-wfficiency. Based on Spiriwal and ccolog1cal values. Propcny now av:iilablc. Call (404) 778-8754 ror info. Tht NatiqnQ/ Dlrtclor;y of Hollmc Practi1ion.tr1. llt!oltrs, Schools. Centers, and Rttrc.its is looking for listings. Make your skills nv:ulablc. Prices and more info on re11uc~t: MichJcl Rosenblum: The Notional Directory.... ; P.O. BoA I'.!733; GaincsviUe, FL 32604 FOREST BIOLOGIST • PhD. to teach corw:rv:ulon, pllllll i.:u<onomy, gcncrlll biology, wpcrvisc work crew (studenlS) m mo.nugemcn1 of 600 acres of college foco:i;L Rescarclt with undergrads encouraged Send resumt io: V. Collins: W11rren Wilson College: 701 W11min Wilson Rd.: Swannanoo. NC 28n8 THE VITAL CONNECTION WANTED. LANO in We$tem NC. Family seeks 5 or more acres. preferably ni:ar Cullowhcc, m preserve :uid eventually inhabit If you have or know of al!ord:iblc lmld, con1ac1 Bob wid Mary 0Jvis; 213 Wcsunoreland Ct.; Ccorgetown, KY 40324 (502) 863-4267 Long Bn1nch Center needs ~olurucctS{mtcrns 10 help w1111 orc:h:1rds. gllrdens, farmwock, rainbow trou1, cncrgy-cfficienl bwlding, cnvironmenuiVwiJdlifc/pcrmacuhure issues nnd orgamring. Room and board negoti3ble. Paul Gallimore: LBEEC; Rt. 2. Box 132; Lcic;c:;ter, NC 28748 rituals, roles, :ind relationships from I.he on:hctypul memory of the pnst., present, and future. S3 to Colleen Redman: One Song Scribe; l;loic 634; Floyd, VA 2A091. M. TREE DESIGNS: lllustrauo11~ and Dc~ign • Beyond the p:ige> of I.his JOU!nill, J worJ. m pencil, colored pencil. ink, cul p3pcr, uml batik. Fine and graphic :ut IO express and enhance nur lives. Logcx, brochures, book.,, portraiture, window :md wall h:ingings. Contact Manha Tree (70-1) 754-«>97. SUMMER CAMP· June 19·30, ages 6-10; Jul)' 1(}.22. ngus 11+ in th~ mounwms o{ MaJ1"°n Co.. NC. Raising the ccolog1Clll consc1ousncss or ruiurc gcncr:mons. For info, wnlC: John or Dory Brown; RL I, Boir. 84·B: HOI Springs, NC 28743. ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY m lhe Smoky Mt'nt. of east TN. 10 acres wi1h creek. springs, views, good nc1ghbor$. Be 11 p-.irt for S8500. Dill Leslie (615) 4S3· IS38. STIL·LICHT THEOSOPHICAL RETREAT CENTER • a quic1 space for Jll!tSonnl mcdi1111ion, group inu:rocuon lhrough study, and communit)· work. and ~-pirituul semlll!ln>. Contacl l..eQn Fcankcl; RL I, Box 326: W11> oesvillc, NC 28786. ECO-HELP NEEDED Environmental Educa11on Tl/£ PEOPLE OF Tl/£ ONE SONG • booklet or SlOrieS and poems that tell or the people's dreams, EUSTACE CONWAY· Guide and teacher or primiuve E:uth Skills with emph:isis on fire building, ludo tanning. ~helter, nnd foraging. He lenchcs at 11ubhc schools, park~. c:nv1ronmcnwl centers. and classes or ntl kinds. For more 1nfom13ll0l'I contact him ill: 602 Deerwood Drive, G:i."lonia, NC 280114 or c:n1I Allcin St:llllcy :it (704) 872-7972 ADVENTURE FOODS • dehydrated foods for people who work or play 1n 1he groat ouldoors. Entree> and Jide dtsli~. Send for menu and prices. Jemi's O:irden Greats: tu. 2, Box 276; WhittiC!l", NC 28789 (7CV.) 497..4113. MOTHER'S BREATH HERBAL PRODUCTS high quali1y herbal cxll'tlcis. ointments, and oils, lovingly created. Send for free brochure 10 Rt. 2, Box 251: Vila.~. NC 28692 JOURNEY INTO THE SUCK.ROCK Wilderness Arca. Boy~. fo1.her-son, rau1cr-<bughiu ellpcditions. Learn obscJValJOll and woodcraft in the deep woods. Burt Kornegay, C><pcricnced guide. Slickrock Expeditions; Box 1214; Cullowhcc, NC 28723. MOON DANCE PARM HERBALS· herbal salve.~. tincture~ . .t oils for birthing &; family health. Rlr brochure, plea~ write: Moon Dance F31m; Rt I, Box 726: H.lmpt0n, TN 37658 FEEL EARTH beneath yoor feet - wear moccasins. Custom, r.mdilion:ll Plains lndlan style of ellcskin. S50 adull: S35 chlldtcn; SIS baby. Send foet tracing to: P<1tricl Clark.: 47 Panol:i: Asheville.. NC 28801 or co.II 2S t !!250. ADOPT-A· TREE. Trees are the gte:lt consc.rY!ltors of the pllntL The Adopt-A·Tree program will bc:lp mnkc the viUll connection ~wC(ll individual people and mdividwl ttccs. Don:itioru acccpied. For more mfo, wnte to Box 144. Sugar Grove, NC 28679 SKINFOODS • fresh. hund-mado herbal skin prcp;u-:uions a1 to:01$0nable prlc~ Send for price lbt: 106 E. Main St.: John~ City TN 37601 LEAD TESTS • h yuur plumbtng leaching IClld into )"Our dnnlingwal.C'r? Find out for sure • lcad·testing Int from the non-profit Clean W::ucr F~nd or NC. All you nc.;J for 512. Send a check w/ nJmc and address to CWF; 138 E. Chcstnul SL: Asheville, NC 28801 poisonou~ HAND-CARVED WOODSPIRITS, mystical hilung staffs, ;ind w:tll hangings by St.eve DullClln. For br«hurt, plca.-;c write Wb1ppoorw11l Studio; Rt 4, Box 981; Marion, NC 28752. FOUR WINOS VILLAGE • health and sp1t11ual rctre11t: home for chd.Jren m need. For VlSiting mfo.. write· Box 112; Tiger~ CA 30S76. ORGANIC FERTILIZERS. herbs, and organiClllly-gruwn. IDC:il produce 31 the WNC Farmc~· ~1.id:ct! Look for the Fairgkn Farms sun, uniL~ F and C 1n the wholc-<ak area ol lhc Farmrrs' M;irket: 570 Brevard Rd.~ A~hcvillc, NC (70.l) 252-4414 NEEDED: CHILO-LOVING PERSON who loves lO cook to be a nanny and housekeeper for my four children. Hows, wages neg01iable. Rm. t1nd bd. available. Asheville are<1. Cnll Morgan (704) 689-5382. RM DESIGNS · I use the media or pencils. colored gou::iche. pen and ink, and photography m cre:itmg unique line :md grnphic nn I cnn make di11gr:1111~. logo!<, fini~hcd prints, nnd dei;igns ror brochures, <:alcndcrs. cards, book.$. eic. Mandal!ll nnd symbuls nre my tendency among OLhcr s1ylcs. Contacl Rob Mess1rlc (704) 7>1-6097. pencil~. ARTS CAMP • nn intcgrutcd ;in c~p¢ricncc for cluldrcn 4-14 at Marshall Primary School monungs. Chiltlrcn's Ans tn lhc MounuuJl.'I. For schcdul~ mro. call BclSCy StllQChaJ ut {70-1) 689-4699 or El11..:ibcUI Roberts :u (70l) 2S!l-8647. EARTH REACH EDUCATION ASSOCIA TIOI' ltJching prin1111ve skills to c.bildNn and adulLS. Robert Marun, Jr. 11nd Jeanne Moore: Rt. I, Box 178-A: Fcrrum, VA 24088. GREENS BIBLIOGRAPHY over 800 entries on tho: intcmimonol Green pntt.ies 11nd movcmcru. SS {domcst", include! postage) w J;iy Michael Ochs: 443 Mnrkc1 SL: Williamspon. PA 17701. WE.BWORKING 1~ tree. Sent.I submissions Ul: Kotc<ah Journal P.O. Boll 638 Lc1cc.~1cr, NC Katuah Province 28748 Si.unmt:r. 1989 �The KatUtih Journal wants 10 communica1c your thoughts and feelings 10 the other people in the bioregional province. Send them 10 us as letters, poems, stories, anicles. drawings, or pho1ographs, etc. Please send your contributions to us at: KatUah Journal; P. 0. Box 638: Leicester, NC: Katuah Province 28748. ISSUE THREE- SPRING 1984 Siutainabl4 Agricul1111c. Sunnowcts • Human lmp•cl on th1t Forc!l'.I - Childrcns' Edue&1lon Veronica Nicholu:Wonum in Politics • Uulc People-Medicine Allies Wild habitat is disappearing. The wild creatures are disappearing and wilJ be gone unless brave humans Ulke note and act. The imponance of habitat to biodiversity and the effect of human beings on the natuml systems in Southern Appalachia will be the topic of the foll issue of the KatUah Journal. For aUthings wild! Topics for funher issues include Children; Wellness; and Crealing Nurturing Cultures. Please send ideas, suggestions, anwork, and possible anicles on these and other subjects. BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH AVAILABLE ISSUE SIXTEEN· Swnmcr 1987 Helen Wal10 • Poem: Vls1ons in a Oudcn • Virion Qucn • Fini Flow • lnilutlon Lctmina in !he Wilderness • Chciolcec Challcngi: - -Valuing Tn:ca" ~LJAH JOURNAL ISSUE FOUR SUMMER 1984 ISSUE El<lHTESN - Winier 1987-88 Water Dnlm Water Quality • Kudzu . Sow Ech!'S¢ . Cl411'CU1ting Trout - Ooing to Wallu Ram Pwnps • MictQhydro · Poems: Bcnrut lee Sinclair. Jim Wayne Millet Vc:mamJlu Aichiiecllll1' DrCfnU m Wood and Stone - Mouniam Home Earth Energies EanJt.Shcllered Llving • Membrane Houses Brush Sheller • Poems: Octoll£r Ou•k • Oood Mcdlcinc: "Shella" lSSUE FIVE FALL 1984 IUNefl . OW Ways in Chctolcec - Oinscng 'luclcill' Waste • Our Celtic Heritage • Biorcgionalism: Past, Prcunt, and Futuro • John Wilnoty • Hc31ing Dllllcncss - Politiei of ISSUE NINETEEN · Spring. 1988 Pcrlcaodra C.nlen • Spring Toma Blucbcrrics WiWOowcr Gardens - Cranny Hi:rbalin • Flower Es~ -rbc Origin of 11¥: Animols· Stary Oood Mcdlcme. "Po,,.ct" Be ATn:e ParucipnllOn ISSUE SIX· WINTER 19114-SS Winier Solstice Eanh C=rnony • Ho11Cp3S1111c R1vcT Coming ol the Ught - Lo11 c.hin Rooca - Mountain Agra.:ul1urc: The Righi Crop WiUiAm Taylor The Fuwr" of the F~ ISSUE TWENTY - Summer, 1988 l'racrvc Appa!Khian WI.~ • Hlghbnds of Roan • ~lo Communuy - Land Trust • Arthur Morpn School Zonma Luue - '1'bc Ridge• • Farmers and the Farm Bill . Ooocl Mi:dicmc: "Land" • Mid Rain Dukc'J Pov.er PIAy • ChclOk.ec Microhydro Projoct lSSVE SEVEN · SPRING 1985 Sus1Jlinabl4 Economic$ · Hot Spring$ • Worker Owncnhip - The Cn:al Eeunomy - S~lf Help Credit Union • Wild Turby · Responsible lnvcsung · WQtbng"' tho Web of l..ifo lSSUE EIGHT · SUMMER 1985 Cclcbnuion: A W~y of Ufc • Kiuuah 18.000 Ycan Ago . SIK"Rd Siles Folk Ans "' the Schools Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle PO<lllls: Hilda Downe: - Chcralccc Heri1J1gc Cenlto:f • Who Owns Appaladua? ISSUE NINE- FALL 1985 The Waldcc l'orC1t The Trus Spuk Migrating Porests • Horu Logging Swting a Tree Crop· Urban TYCCS - Acom Bread - .Mylh ISSUE TWENTY.ONE · FAil. 198ll Ch4Stnu1.1: A 1'111Ural Histmy • Rt11or1t1g the Chulnut ·Poem of Prcsctva&IQO and Prai""• Continuing !he QuCSI • Forests and Wildlife Cllcsmuu in Reaional Diet Chu1nut Re.sources Hotb Note. • Oood Medicine: •Changes 10 Cmnc" - Review: W/lu41 uimdl Li~ 8IOREGIONAl.J0oRNAl OF ™E SOUTMERll APPA~IAN$ ISSUE ELEVEN SPRINO 1986 Community Planning • Cities and Ille Bi.mgional Vision • Recycling . Community Oindenlna· Flo)'d Counly. VA. Oasohol Two Biorcaional Views Nuclear Supplement Foar11c 011111C$ - Oood Medicine: Visions ISSUE FOURTEEN- W1111er 1986-&7 Uoyd Carl Owlc Boogcrs and Mununas - AD Species Day - Cabin Fever Un1vcrsil)' Homclcu in Ka1uah • HumCl!Ulde Ho1 War.c Siovcmatcr"1 N11tTa11ve • Cood Mcd1cmc: lnicnpcc= Communicallon ISSUETWENTY-'IWO-Wintcr. '88.S9 OlobaJ Wamnng • Fire Thi. Tune Thomu Bcny on ·sioreaio#J" - Eu1h Ellmi.sc • Kon: Loy McWhinu An Abundlnceof£mp1incss L£TS • Chton1clas of Floyd • Dany Wood lSSUETIURTEEN. Fall 1986 Ccn1er For Awakening- E11Wicth c.Jlm - A Ocn11., Du.th • Hospice - Emc.11 \foraan • Dcalin1 Crc•tively with Death • Home Burial Bo~ • The Wake - The Raven Mocker Wooclslorc and WIWwoods Wi<dcm - Good Medicine: Thai Sweat Uxfl:" ISSUE FIFTEEN -Spring 1987 Covcrlets • Wonu.n l'or-CSlct -Susie McMalwl Midw1(c • Ahemalivc Contraccpuon Bioscxualil}' • Biorcgional1SJJ1 and Women Ooocl Modicme: MJllriachuial Cultuni • ~ ISSUE TWENTY-TIIR.E.E ·Spring. 1989 Pisgah VUlaac · Plmcl At! - Orccn City Poplar Appeal "Clcu Sky" • "A N"w E.vtl1" Bbc:lr. Swan - Wild Lovdy Ou-µ • Rov1c:w1: Soucd Land. Sacud Sa, Ir• "'" - Poem: truavtes . The a-Chin T111111 ISSUE TEN - WINTER 1985°86 Kate Roac:s - Circlet of S101111 • ln1cmal Mythmaltilt& • Hoh•lic Hco.ling on Trial Poems: Sieve Knaulh • MylhiQ PlacC$ • ~ Uk1ena·s Talc - Crysial Magic: • "On:.mspcaltina- ~U AH JOURNAL P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 For more info: call Mamie MuJler (704) 683-1414 Regular Membership........ SlO/yr. Sponsor.........................$20/yr. Conmoucor.....................S50/yr. Name Address City Area Code Summer, 1989 Enclosed is S ro give this ejf an extra bOost on State Phone Number "Sudden Tmirils" Zip l can be a local contact person for my area Back Issues Tssue it __@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue 4# _ @ $2.50 = $_ _ rssue # _@ $2.50 = s__ Issue#_@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue#_@ $2.50 = $ _ _ Complete Se1 (3-1 J , 13-16, 18-23) @ S35.00 = $_ _ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah Journal, Issue 24, Summer 1989 Description An account of the resource The twenty-fourth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on peace in the mountains: settling controversies; a look at the Oak Ridge Reservation; and promoting peace through community building. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Judith Hallock, Patrick Clark, Richard Lowenthal, Heather Pittillo, Marnie Muller, Rob Messick, Will Ashe Bason, Marnie Muller, Milo Guthrie, Mary de La Valette, "kent," Jim Houser, Charles Rampp, and Melanie Bridges. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1989 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. Deep Listening by David Wheeler.......3 Life in Atomic City by Judith Hallock.......5 Hiroshima Day 1989.......7 Direct Action! by Patrick Clark.......8 Planting a Tree of Peace.......9 Community Building and Peace by Richard Lowenthal.......10 Peacemakers: A Resource Listing.......11 Ethnic Survival.......14 Black Mountain Pairing Project.......15 "Battlesong": A Poem by Heather Pittillo.......16 Growing Peace in Cultures by Marnie Muller.......18 Review: The Chalice and the Blade.......20 Natural World News.......22 A Children's Page.......25 Drumming.......26 Events Calendar.......28 Webworking.......30 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Katúah Journal, printed by The Waynesville Mountaineer Press Subject The topic of the resource Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern Peace movements--Appalachian Region, Southern Community life Oak Ridge (Tenn.) Sister Cities 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) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Children's Page Community Ecological Peril Electric Power Companies Glossaries Habitat Hazardous Chemicals Katúah Poems Politics Radioactive Waste Reading Resources Recycling Transportation Issues Turtle Island Villages Water Quality Western North Carolina Alliance Women's Issues https://omeka-test.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 �~iftFJ. §trfilkT~ ~ftfp $11~~ ~ ~~T:P41 in '!8~&11. 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 . . 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 l l �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 I I 1\: Winter, t 989-9l ' f I 1 •ll �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 comaf>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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah Journal, Issue 26, Winter 1989-1990 Description An account of the resource The twenty-sixth issue of the Katúah Journal 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. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. 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 Kids Saving Rainforests by Samala Hirst.......4 Kids' Treecycling Company.......5 Conflict Resolution and the Family by Ellie Kincade.......6 Developing the Creative Spirit by Linda Metzner........8 The Balloon is a Unicorn by Artspirit Studio.......9 Birth Power by Lucinda Flodin and Martha Perkins.......10 Birth Bonding by Jan Verhaeghe.......11 The Magic of Puppertry: An Interview with Bonnie Blue by Christina Morrison and Karen Watkins.......12 Home Schooling by Doug Woodward and Trish Severin.......15 Ceremony: Traditional.......16 Mother Earth: The Natural Classroom by Susan Griesmaier.......18 Biodegradable Diapers by Aviva Jill Romm.......18 Resources........19 Gardening Tips for Children by Tom Youngblood-Petersen.......19 Natural World News.......20 "From the Diary of a Modern Child" by Rob Messick.......24 Pocket Cultures by Will Ashe Bason.......24 Drumming.......26 Forest Rescue: An Ecological Manifesto.......29 Webworking.......30 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Katúah Journal, printed by The Waynesville Mountaineer 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) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s 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-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/6ac3b2d6326ea4a47a252670915b7c24.pdf 39d93874ae21ffbb586dcabe91047fcd PDF Text Text ISSUE 27 SPRING 1990 $1.50 BIOREGIONAL JOURNAL OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS �Postage Paid Bulk Mail Permit #18 Leicester, NC 28748 P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED �Personal and Planetary Transformation: A Holistic Model of Healing.......... ! by Richard Lowenthal The Healing Power...................... 4 by David Wheeler Peace to Their Ashes .................... 6 by Sam Gray Healing in Katuah........................9 by Doug Aldridge "When Left to Grow" ................. 10 a poem by Rob Messick "Calling to the Ancestors, Calling Our Relations" .......... 11 poems by Stephen Wing PERSONAL AND PLANETARY TRANSFORMATION: A HOLISTIC MODEL OF HEALING The l3elly .................................. 12 by Lisa Sarasohn by Richard Lowenthal EARTH DAY 1990 !!. ................ 15 a special pull-ow supplement Food From the Ancient Porest.. .. .19 by Snow Bear Natural World News ..................20 Good Medicine .......................... 24 Drumming ................................ 26 Leners to Katuah Journal Events ...................................... 29 Webworking ............................. 30 It is abundantly clear that the Earth is in the midst of a tremendous ecological crisis. Human societies the world over are also experiencing phenomenal changes and crises as are the individuals who live in them. Our collective destiny seems to be shifting rapidly, and may well be careening out of control. A very good question, at this point in our evolution, is "What is happening to us and to the planet - and where are we heading?" Our planetary crisis, like all crises, combines great danger and great opportunity. If we are to meet the challenge successfully, we need to understand both the dangers and the opportunities - and learn how to deal with them. The best model I have found, to help us approach comprehension of this planetary crisis, is derived from the holistic understanding of health, illness, and the healing process. In order to better understand what is happening on a global scale, we need to consider the recently-articulated possibility that the Earth may in fact be one huge living being, with its own self-regulating systems. Both the Gaia Theory of Lovelock and Margulis, and Peter Russell's work on "The Global Brain", point in this direction. If the Earth is truly an individual, indivisible being, the processes of personal and planetary healing may mirror each other in many ways even more, they may be inseparable. In the holistic view, physical i!Jness is often the result of unresolved emotional and spiritual issues, as well as the build-up of toxic waste-products in various organs and tissues of the body. Our increasing understanding of the human psyche, and of the interaction between mind and body (if indeed they can even be separated), has shown that suppressed emotional traumas and long-buried negative self-concepts have a constricting, deadening effect upon the body/mind. They, too, may thus be considered powerful toxins which 'poison' our entire body/mind system. Their effect is reflected in, and amplified by, the accumulation of chemical toxins in the body an excellent example of the mirroring effect implicit in the holistic model of healing. That is, our body/mind system is an integrated whole, in which toxins on one level indicate (continued on page 3) �STAFFTinS ISSUE: Susan Adam Heather Blair Rob Messick Mamie Muller Lisa Sarasohn Scott Bini Jim Houser Richard Lowenthal James Rhea Chip Smith Rodney Webb Manha Tree David Wheeler EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE: Will Ashe Bason Trip Halbkat Michael Red Fox Phil Ross Jack Chaney Michael Havelin Marsha Ring Kim Sandland COVER by Martha Tree Special thanks Kitty Boniske for providing a home for this issue, and to Phil and Allen for their hospitality and forbearance. PUBLISHED BY: Kat"'1h Journal PRINTED BY: The Waynesville Mounraineer Press EDITORIAL OFACE JHIS ISSUE: The Cenier for New Priorities, Asheville WRITE US AT: Kar"'1h Journal Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province 28748 TELEPHONE: (704) 754-60')7 KalUah Journal is on Skyland BBS, Asheville, NC. For information, call (704) 254-6700. Diversity is an important clement of bioregional eoology, bolh natural and social. In line with !his principle, lhe KatUalt Journal 1rics IO serve as a forum for !he discussion of regional issues. Signed anicles express only lhe opinion of lhc aulhors and are not necessarily lhe opinions of lhe Ka1Ualt Journal edilOrs or slaff. The lnlCmal Revenue Service has declared KatUalt a non·profit organization under section 50l(cX3) of lhc lnlCmal Revenue Code. AU conlributions IO Ka1ao1t aic deductible from personal income tax. 'LNVOC:ATWN From the dark below The young stem curves upright Green into light Leaves open their cluster In the sun they sing Wisdom of the stars And blossom in the life of all creation 1l!E SOUTHERN APPALACFDAN BIOREGION ANO MAJOR EASTERN RJVER SYSTEMS STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Here in the southern-most heartland of the Appalachian mountains, the oldest mountain range on our continent, Turtle Island; a small but growing group has begun to take on a sense of responsibility for the implications of that geographical and cultural heritage. This sense of responsibility centers on the concept of living within the natzual scale and balance of universal systems and principles. Within this circle we begin by invoking the Cherokee name " Kat1'ah 1' as the old/new name for this area of the mountains and for its journal as well. The province is indicated by its natural boundaries: the Roanoke River Valley to the north; the foothills of the piedmont area to the east; Yona Mountain and the Georgia hills to the south; and the Tennessee River Valley to the west. The editorial priorilies for us are to collect and disseminate information and energy which pertains specifically to this region, and to foster the awareness that the land is a living being deserving of our love and respect. Living in this manner is a way to insure the sustainability of the biosphere and a lasting place for ourselves in its continuing evolutionary process. We seem to have reached the fulcrum point of a " do or die " situation in terms ofa quality standard of life for all living beings on this planet. As a voice for the caretakers of this sacred land, Katuah, we advocate a centered approach to the concept of decentralization. It is our hope to become a support system for those accepting the challenge of sustainability and the creation of harmony and balance in a total sense, here in this place. We welcome all correspondence, criticism, pertinent information, articles, artwork, etc. with hopes that Kat1'ah will grow to serve the best interests of this region and all its living, breathing members. -The Editors "'-t\&nh )ournaL Pci<Je 2 / SprLnlJ, 199 0 �(conlinued Cmm peac 1) toxic build-up on other levels as well. Spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical problems :ire completely intertwined and interdependent. There 1s no separation between them, yet there is a twist to this scenario - there is usually a "time lag" involved in physical manifestation. This idea of "time lag" is imporunt, because it indicates that we may not sec visible, outer effects or iMer trauma or constriction for a long time. Conversely, when we do see outer effects, or when we consciously "feel bad," we can be pretty sure that toxic ideas or feelings have been poisoning us inwardly and subconsciously for some time, and/or our bodies are overwhelmed by toxins and stress. Since all the various "levels" of our being are interacting to produce "disease" (dis-ease). the most effective healing method addresses what is happening on each level simultaneously. In particular, it deals quickly and directly with any physical "presenting problems", especially those that are imminently life-threatening. (This is the fort.e of modem medicine.) It would also - and even more importantly - prescribe a process of gradual detoxification, "remedial learning", and therapy to help the person heal on the deeper, more intangible levels as well These deeper levels of healing present some problems, usually of a psychological nature. What happens is this: as the body/mind starts releasing toxins - physical or emotional - we enter a "healing crisis" which can take many forms. Often there be brief l'CCUJ!Cnccs <?fold illnes~s which were suppressed with drugs; chemical toxms st.an coming out through the skin, which can brcalc out in pimples, boils, or rashes; and we may experience nausea, weakness, and dizziness. These physical symptoms are not "problems" in themselves • in fact, they arc pan of the solution. Problems arise when we give in to fear and believe we arc "getting sick", instead of understanding that we are releasing toxins as we heal. But here's the rub: since repressed emotions arc themselves mental and emotional toxins, it is likely that we will experience a lot of fear - or anger, or sadness - as buried emotions are surfacing to be released. We wiU also be releasing and experiencing our cultural fear of emotion, and our training to be afraid of our fears! For this reason, we need extensive preparation and prior education about the nature of a healing crisis: what it means, what to expect, and how to deal with the emotional discharge. The crucial clement is that we learn to look beyond OUlU appearances or the temporary ill feeling, and ro trust that the body/mind krwws very well how ro heal itself when it is w!" properly supported in doing so. Withour this krwwing, this faith, healing is much more difficult. 4) Simultaneously, humanity as a whole is starting to awaken to the mind-boggling depth of the issues involved. Tremendous social problems such as drug and alcohol addiction, di~i~tegration of the familr, distrust of government, teenage suicide and pregnancy, SOCJal apathy, and overall deterioration of education and our quality of life arc spurring people to seek new ways, new answers. The success and rapid spread of the Alcoholics Anonymous movement, its many off-shoots, and therapy and support groups is one facet of this process. The primary toxin being released is our toxic belief in separation - our misunderstanding of our relation to the universe, nature, and other people. 5) The entire planet and all of humanity is going through a healing crisis involving the generation and release of toxins on every level. The crucial issue seems to be this: whatever we refuse to deal with inwardly MUST eventually appear outwardly, and KEEP appearing outwardly until we 'get the message'. This means that our 'inner' psychological reality and the 'outer' ecological reality are in fact ONE reality. Because we have allowed such a toxic build-up within ourselves and our societies, and have NOT dealt with our inner and interpersonal realities effectively, our world is mirroring our internal denial--by manifesting externally the pain we believe we've 'avoided'. Thus unbelievable amountS of deadly toxins arc being produced either intentionally - i.e. plutonium and chemical/biological weapons or as industrial wastes. And these toxins arc either stored away for 'safe' keeping or dumped directly into the planetary ecosystem, with disastrous results. This process is the 'outpicturing'- the outer result - of psychological toxins that have been accumulating for several thousand years. The primary toxin being released is our toxic belief in separation - our misunderstanding of our relation to the universe, nature, and other people - and with it the overwhelming fear and defensiveness this disempowering belief generates. 6) As humanity's emotional negativity and toxic belief systems rise up from the depths of the collective unconscious and come to the surface (become conscious). they at first cause an increase in violence, immorality, greed, exploitation, and narcissistic behavior. Initially, people identify with these surfacing negative patterns and act accordingly; they may temporarily become even more fearful, self-centered, and exploitive (as we've seen during the 80's). This 'regression' is Now, if we apply chis practical, yet visionary, model of healing to our planetary crisis, we might arrive at the following "diagnosis": part of the healing, difficult as it is to accept; it is making our inner reality outwardly visible and tangible - and inescapable. 1) We arc now experiencing on a planetary scale the destructive outer effects of long-standing, toxic beliefs and feelings operating within us, and within our social structures. The intensifying pollution and degradation of the Eanh is a reflection of humanity's inner pain, denial of interdependence, and emotional and spiritual degradation. The outer problems we arc generating arc mirroring back to us, in no unccnain terms, the concrete, tangible, and inevitable results of our arrogant and divisive belief systems. This outer reality is making our intangible INNER reality visible. Though we have prided ourselves on our 'enlightened self-interest'. we arc now being forced to see that our modern way of life is neither enlightened nor in our best interests - or the best interests of the planet. 2) Some of these outer effects are threatening our survival and the life of the planet - effects such as tropical deforestation, over-population, the "consumer mentality", acid rain, the world arms trade, erosion of topsoil, production of huge amounts of nuclear and chemical hazardous wastes, etc. 3) These life-threatening problems should be dealt with immediately, to at least reduce their impact and buy time so the body (of humanity and of the planet) has the time and strength to recuperate somewhat. This would require ecological, political, and social activism on a very broad-based, grass-roots level. It would also require that we institute educational processes that help people oo COMMUNICATE and COOPERATE more easily. ~~S!J'UCtivc tendencies we have set in motion may really be the We thus need to recogniz.c that all the "terrible" events and SprLnq, 1990 1moal messengers of a far deeper, positive change; we need to remember that appearances are not always what they seem. And we especially need an educationaJ approach that can help us get through the darkest moments - or years - of this planetary "healing crisis." A vision of the positive end result - the proverbial "light at the end of the tuMel" - will be absolutely necessary, if we arc not to lapse into judgementalism, impotent rage, or despair. Fonunatcly, we already have such visions available to us. Many writers and 'futurists' are exploring and communicating a~ut the incredible transformations already occurring in such diverse fields of human endeavor as physics, biology, the psy~hology and treatment of addiction, 'citizen diplomacy', sohd-waste management', economics, and world politics. All these developments have one thing in common: the gradu~I shift from a mechanistic, separative, controlling mode of consciousness to an ecological, holistic, relationship-oriented mode. This shift aligns us with the Earth; it is the fundameotal inner shift which will allow us, as it progresses, 10 adapt to the immense changes we arc experiencing. The old order based on separation, exploitation, and fear is dying. Let us assist in this tremendous transformation process, and panicipatc in the birthing of the new, with courage, determination. and love. ,, JGQt®h Jo1Mnat PQl}e s �THE HEALING POWER by David Wheeler The Appalachian Mountains are old, and their power is subtle. But their power is yet strong. Standing over the eastern seaboard of the Turtle Island continent, the intangible influence of ~e Appalachians racli~1es out over all the lowlands so thickly mhab11ed by human bemgs. As surely as that power is invisible and inexplicable, its subtle influence is also vital 10 maintaining the balance of life of the eastern half of Tunle Island. To the original inhabitants of the Southern Appalachians "medicine" meant power, and the mountains were always know~ to.~ sacr~ and powerful. Traditionally, Cherokee Indians of a spmtual mind would plunge every morning into the river that flowed by each village. Thus they partook of the medicine of water and mountains. They ate wild foods and healed bodily ailments with roots dug from the ground, roots lhat were full of the medicine of the mountains. C:Cnain peaks or waterfalls or other special spots in the mountams were known as sacred sites where the spiritual energy of the mountains was concentrated. The native people went to these places for fasting and prayer, to find who they were when they came of age, and, if they could, to die when their time was at an end. They knew that these were sacred places, for they could sense the energy directly. And did not Grandfather Eagle, the most sacred of creatures, choose to live on the mountain heights? The ftrst white people who came to the mountains were in awe of the imposing presence of the Appalachians. On the ~urface, the fi~t immigrants who followed 1he early explorers mto the mountain coves and "hollers" seemed to be too engrossed !n sim~ly making a livelihood .fo~ themselves, and too caught up m praying to an abstracted Chnsuan God, to recognize the power of mountains - but inside, deep down, they knew. Others, coming 100 years later, recognized the power of mountains and came for healing. First by carriage, then by ~I, they came to escape the flatland heat and to cure a variety of ailments - most often tuberculosis, for which the only cure known in both Europe and North America was to retreat to the mountains. Well-known resort centers, spas, and sanitariums were .built, an~ their prospe~ous ~de became an important early cash mdustry m the mountains. This type of commerce was at its peak when the lumber barons were just beginning their exploitation of the region's timber trees. Only the rich could afford the healing offered in the mountains, so the patrons of the fashionable resort/healing centers were largely southern aris1ocra1s with a sprinkling of northern industrialists. The Line between "healing" and "vacation" often became quite blurred. It was sometimes hard 10 tell a popular spa from a resort hotel, as the same building often served both purposes. The warm springs of the town now called Hot Springs in Madison County, and other mineral springs along the French Broad, became known as healing places, and several spas were constructed during the middle 1800's for people to "take the waters." Wilma Dykeman tells of the great resort/healing centers in her regional history, The French Broad. She wrote: "Health and pleasure were the attractions of the watering places: the first providing a worthy excuse for the indulgence of the second. Advertisements of the period mentioned immediate cures, upon use of the mineral waters, for 'Diseases of the Liver, Dyspepsis, Vertigo, Neuralgia, Opthalmia or Sore Eyes, Paralysis, Spinal Affections, Rheumatism, Scrofula, Gravel, Diabetes, Consumption and Chronic Cough, Diseases of the Skin, Tetter, Indolent Ulcers, General Debility, Sleeplessness, and Nervous Prostration.' The waters of many places were reputed good for barre nness in wives and impotence in husbands. th~ Drawing by Rob Messick Spri:rMJ1 ! 999.• �''The Wann Springs, most famous of all the French Broad watering places, mentioned in one of their brochures that partaking of their minerals would 'bring the bloom back to the chec_k, the lustre to the eye, tone to the languid pulse, sr:rcngth to the Jaded nerves, and vigor to the wasted frame.' From all co~tcmpo_rary accounts of t~e social life of the place, its patrons amved with cheeks already in full bloom, eyes overflowing with lustre,_ and pulses. in no need of stimulation beyond that of moonlight on the nver or the shady tum in a lover's walk." The city of Asheville became the hub of both the health and society circles. In 1888 a German doctor named Carl van Ruck established the first large tuberculosis sanitarium, arid, as word got out about the beneficial mountain climate, others soon sprung up around the area. . . . To ~he wealthy visitors, who knew only the highly c1v1hzed life of the lowlands, the mountain landscapes were exotic and wild. The fine "foreign folk" thrilled at the rugged scenery, the waterfalls and swift-running creeks, and the mountain air, so cool and crisp even in the summertime. T?<1ay, muc~ the same attractions bring people to the mount~1ns. Ostensibly, they say they come for tourism and rccrea~on, but the deepest _need is for healing: the healing of relax~on from ov~·paced lifestyles; healing from crowdedness, poll~uon, and existen?Cs overfull of people and machines; healing from banal rouones, fast food, and TV-screen lives· but most of all, healing from an inner emptiness of which they~ no; know the source. Easy accessibility has brought the culture of civilization ~eep into the m.ountains. They are no longer strange, exotic, isolated, and wild, as they were to the early socialites who thronged the fashionable watering spots during the late I800's. But there are what seem to modem urbanites to be great expanses of unbroken forest. There is water that is actually drinkable as it ~m~s out from a spring! This is a functioning native habitat this 1s wholeness, the world as it could be. There are so few examples of natural native environments in the eastern pan of the continent that the forests and mountains of ~ppalachia serve ~ ~ important grounding point for urban v1s1tors. From a hfe in which the human influence is omnip~nt, from an environment that is largely manufactured or synthesized by human hands, the Appalachian hardwood forest is a d.ose of reality. The ~~man spirit needs places like this by which to refresh our sp1ms and to judge our actions - a mark from which we can see if our culture is straying. This sense of wholeness could be the cornerstone for a whole new relationship between the human species and the mountains. As it becomes increasingly rare, that sense of wholeness becomes increasingly precious. Restoring the heaJth of the. Appalachian forest by ending commercial exploitation and allowing the forest to grow towards its natural climax state would be the key to this new relationship. It would transform the physical landscape of the mountains and would perhaps also work to change the inner landscape of human society as well. This new balance would require a greatly reduced human prc~nce in the n:iountain habitat area. The primary use of the region at present is as a resource base to support a large number of human beings - but this is obviously not the purpose of existence for the mountains. This has to change. The "resources" of the area, the continuing life cycles arc needed instead to support large numbers of trees, herbac~us plants, and native wildlife. There must be a core habitat area that is no.t violatc;ct by human beings, but used only in ways that are consistent with the demands of the natural habitat - a biosphere preserve. With conditions throughout the world already under so much pressure from the human presence, the mountains should be primarily a place for restrained visits. But there is a possibility that a greatly limited number of humans could create a right livelihood in a buffer zone that surrounded the central preserve by leading others to the wholeness .~f the land - relating specifically through healing. learning, spintual exploration, art, recreation, and initiation. SprlrMJ, I 990 . These kinds of activities need, of course, to be approached with great care. When the value of an experience is in the wholeness of it, then practitioners must be careful that the sense of wlwle'!es~ is not ruined by the number of people arriving to take part in 1t. Access would need to be carefully rationed. This level of experience is obviously not to be degraded with crowded parking lots, souvenir snips, or giant ridgctop condos. People come to the mountains to treasure what is rare and special - and strong - about them. It destroys their special ambience to make them over to appear just like every other place frequented by humans. At the Cumberland Island National Seashore off the coast of south Georgia, ~mping is by permit only and reservations must be.made well 10 advanc~. This policy is intended to protect the fragile nature of the seaside habitat. A similar policy would serve well in the Appalachian biosphere preserve to protect the fragile sense of wholeness. This sense of wholeness could be the cornerstone for a whole new relationship between the human species and the mountains. As it becomes increasingly rare •. that sense of wholeness becomes increasingly precious. Thinking .in t!tis vein leads to visions of the possibilities of a new way of life 10 the buffer zone - a way of life that could partake of the power of the mountains without diminishing it The beginnings arc already in place. Carefully and respectfully, the rest can grow. Th~re are .~dy many summer camps and several outdoor leadership tra1mng programs that draw on the natural surroundings and provide challenging expeditions, environmental education, and initiation experiences for young people (sec KatUahJournal #16). There are already several major colleges and universities in the Ka!Uah province. They need to re-orient their direction of study to focus on the ~l~gical context of their region, but they represent excellent fac1h11es that arc already available. Like the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and North Carolina State University do at present, the learning institutions of the region could provide headquarters and support for extended field expeditions and field schools in the wild. Like the Great Smoky Mountain Institution at Tremont they could teach the knowledge and the values of the wild. Other courses of study could be les$ fonnal such as tracking sch~ls that taught skills and deepened awarcn~ss of our plant and animal relations, and nomadic primitive Eanh skills schools that created their own camps wherever they were. A new vision for the mountains would also include more ~calin~ centers scauered among the hills, where people could retreat to convalesce, or choose among a variety of healing programs. These centers could also be used for educational seminars and conference/retreats. . Spirit~al centers, like the existing Southern Dharma Center m Hot Spnngs, NC, could also hold seminars and spirituaJ retreats, as well as guide long prayer fasts and vision quests deep in the uninhabited biosphere preserve area. In this way the mountains could contribute to the r7juvenation and ~nrichment o.f the human spirit. At the same ume. by approaching the land m a manner that was once again respectful and reverential, the humans could continue the work of transforming our relarionship with the land. The mountains will heal themselves, if we allow it. If we can bring ourselves to allow it, then the mountains will be here with all their power to heal us when we need their healing. It. all could come around. The ghosts of the grand old mountain health resorts could return once again to inspire a new transfonnation in mountain life. �Peace To Their Ashes by Sam Gray The earliest myths of the Katuah bioregion available to us are those from the Cherokee people collected by James Mooney a century ago (1887-1890) on the Qualia Boundary in interviews with tribal elders who were among the last surviving links with the most ancient oral traditions of the tribe. It ~011/,' be fitting to observe the centenary of this important cultural transmission with an invocation of gratitude to these elders: John Ax, Swimmer, Taywadihi, Suyeta, Ayasta, and to the spirits, creatures, all our relations about whom tl1ey so eloquently spoke. In Mooney's words, "peace to their ashes and sorrow for their passing", for wit/I them pa~sed away a universe of animated grace, subtle wit, profound teachings, and recitative power that will not come tllis way again. James Mooney was an ethnologist, a skilled tta.nsmittcr of oral traditions, who included ethnographic and historical data in his book Myths of the Cherokee. He refrained from interpretive comment about the meaning of various themes within the narratives. Int~rprecive th~o~cs about mytholo~ical discourse arc very ancient. Hellerusuc and Roman wnters as diverse as E~emerus, Ovid, and Pausa_nius made interesting, though bnef, comments on the funcoon and nature of myth. Within the last century a great many, more complex ideas about myths have been developed by anthropologists, psyc~ologis~s. and culrura_l hi~torians. An unbiased survey o_f this vast liter.uurc leads inevuably to the conclusion that no single theory, idea, or typology can satisfactorily account for all the myths of a given culture. This literature. as a whole, does estab~ish that ~yths have imponant links to various psycholog1ca1, social, and cultural themes within and beyond th~ society of o~gin and that the centrality of mytbopocs1s to the evoluuon of human consciousness is indisputable. For the anentive there is, somewhere within the mythological narrative, an opening - a door through which the things spoken of in the narrative connect with things unspoken inside ourselves. The legacy of the Cherokee elders, transmitted by Mooney, and the accumulated awareness of the function of myth in consciousness permit us to respectfully approach the ancient myths of KatUah. JUDACULLA . On Caney Fork Creek in Jackson County, NC. there is a large stone about the size of a recumbent bison. h is of steatite-sandstone composition and is covered with incised graffiti, pictographs, pcuoglyphs, or "Indian writing." The local name for this stone is Judaculla Rock. A few miles to the east, high on the ridge above the Caney Fork watershed at a ~lac~ _wh~re Jackson, Haywood, and Transylvania Counties Join, 1s a cleared area known to the white sculcrs as Judaculla Fields which was often used by them as a summer pasture for livestock. This ridge, grassy bald, and the vast watershed beneath was generally known as the abode of him who some thought of as "The Indian Satan": Judaculla. I have known this place and the name Judaculla since binh, having descended on the maternal side from those earliest white settlers in the Caney Fork the Scotch-Irish clans of Parker and Coward (cow-herd). My grandmother grew up on the farm that included Judaculla Rock and her brothers, father, cousins, and uncles used to drive livestock up the long trail each spring to take advantage of the lush grass covering Judaculla Fields. My grandmother related to me that when she was a li!tle girl she was told to sweep and clean the rock. Whether this was to occupy an energetic child on a long summer day. or expressed the notion that it was better to have the satanic writings exposed to the christian light of day than be covered by din and undergrowth, to lie there, eventually forgotten and unsuspected, and work some mischief on later generations, I never learned. She also told me that on occasion, groups of Cherokee Indians would visit the rock, camp beside it and "sing and wail all night long". These and other stories were told me about this place when I was a boy, and at ftcqucnt intervals over the four decades of my life I've visited the rock and the Caney Fork watershed, drawn there by an energy I could neither wholly identify or describe. It was upon reading Mooney's Myths of the Cherokee that I learned further truths about the place. Judaculla is an English corruption of the Cherokee name, Tsul'ka/u me~ing "slant-eyed," and he was a mythic hero of th~ ancient Cherokee. The Judaculla Fields arc known in Cherokee as Tsunegun'yi, meaning 'white place', referring doubtless to the uninterrupted whiteness of the snow-clad bald in the winter and resonating further with the ancient Cherokee cosmology in which the color white was associated with peace and well-being. It was in the peaceful fields of Tsunegun'yi that the slant-eyed giant Tsu/'kalu had his abode. TSUL'KALU . A giant, a great bunter, lord of all the game, wild, sohtary, of monstrous aspect, never seen, but heard often enough during summer storms, rumbling around up there on Tsunegun'yi ; this was Tsul'kalu. And like all who are solitary and monstrous, Ts"l'kalu knows loneliness and in time, goes looking for a mate. There is a beautiful Cherokee girl, call her Sada'yi, who lives with her mother down (continued on page 8) Sprl."'J, 1990 �.,~(~) Spc~. 1990 ~ �(continued from page 6) along Caney Fork. Sada'yi has begun to sleep apart from her mother in the asi, the cave-like dugout made of logs and earth that was a common feature of Cherokee homesteads. By sleeping in the asi, Sada'yi indicates the autonomy of her young womanhood and her receptivity to the unknown. So one dark night Tsul'ka/U comes to her. She tells him that her mother has said whoever she chooses for a mate must be a great hunter and provider. "I am that," says Tsul'kalu and, though she has not yet seen him, she senses his power and his truth and she lets him enter. His huge body fills the darkened asi and there is just room for her own small body to lie beside him. ln the morning, he is gone and outside hangs a freshly killed deer on the drying poles. They continue in this way for many ni~bts. Eventually Sada'yi's mother, ever practical, points out that they have enough meat, could her mysterious and still unseen lover possibly provide some wood for the winter fires? The next morning they find whole trees, tom roots and all from the eanh, piled in the clearing. The mother, though puzzled, is pleased and $he presses for funher se.rvice: could he chop the wood for \hem? Next morning all the wood has been removed; the clearing is empty. Chopping and stacking wood is an activity embedded in the human order, and Tsul'kalu has emphatically pointed out that he is not of that order. Sada'yi's mother, an irrevocable voice of the human order, begins to insist upon seeing her daughter's strange lover. She wants to know more about him, take his measure, encompass him, and harness his prodigious powers. Sada'yi conveys her mother's request to the giant and after some persuasion he is willing. He insisrs that she (the mother) must prepare for a shock and above all she must not react to the sight of him by losing control and screaming out, "USGA'SETJ'YU!" meaning "frightful". So next morning, he remains in the asi past daylight, and when the mother lifts the flap to peek at him she, of course, goes away screaming, "USGA'SETl'YU! USGA'SETl'YU!" In spite of her intentions, the encounter with this intrinsically wild, monstrous, disproponionate being from outside the human order obliterates her control. Tsul'kalu vanishes and does not return for a time. Meanwhile Sada'yi has her menses and there is a copious flow of blood. Her mother, disappointed there's been no conception, and meddling now ever closer into the affairs of the lovers, gathers the blood and throws it into the river. When next Tsu/'ka/u visits Sada'yi, he asks, "Where's the child?" When told there's been none, he asks, "Where's the blood?" She takes him to the river bank where the blood was thrown in. Something calls silently to him from the river and he goes into the dark waters, dives down seven times and emerges with a small worm, which he carries cupped in his hands toward the asi. By the time be has reached it, the worm has grown into a baby girl which he hands to Sada'yi saying; "Your mother does not like me and abuses our child, so come, let us go to my home." She embraces the child, takes leave of her mother, and they go together up the mountain to peaceful Tsunegun'yi .. T he New Garments Although the figures and events in a mythic narrative arc usually distinct, the narrative as a whole sometimes seems inconclusive and directionless, as if it were silently linked to other myths or to moments outside itself. The myth connects with ourselves and with the world but in ways that are elusive and not always subject to articulation. In this, the myth is like the dream. Upon waking we often feel that remembered elements of the dream are meaningful; chey connect with and inform consciousness. Sometimes a patient analysis of the dream will elucidate these connections but this process is never free of a potential collapse because we know there is always more; that the recollected dream arose from a region that remains disordered, directionless, and connected to material we cannot reach. Recognizing the original unity of myth and dream, the Australian Aborigines call the source of their myths and scories, "The Dreaming". The myth of Tsu/'kalu connects us with the relationship between the human order and the wild, almost incomprehensible order of nature itself. Tsul'kaltl is of this latter order. He is, in a sense, lord of it by virtue of his disproponionate, monstrous aspect, his magical energies that supply food and create life from what the human order discards (menstrual blood), and his refusal to be fixated by human seeing and judgement. Tsul'kalll's huge hands can make love to Sada'yi , silently kill the deer of the forest for her sustenance, and fonn a womb for the gestation and birth of their child. Like the forces of nature, be sustains the human order and, at the same time, is irrevocably in opposition to it. There is but one way the human order can experience and comprehend Tsul'ka/u's order, and that way is indicated by the monster giant himself in the final episode of the myth: Sada'yi's brother has come to Tsunegun'yi to see her. He asks to see her husband also. She relays the message to Tsu/'ka/u and he instructs: "You must put on new garments in order to see me." The brother indicates he is willing to do this. "Go then," says Tsul'kalu , "and tell your people to gather in the townhouse and fast for seven days. During that time they cannot leave the townhouse or raise the war whoop. At the end of seven days I will come to them with the new gannents and then they can see me." The brother recurns and explains all this to the people. They very much want to see this giant lord of the game and immediately gather into the townhouse to begin the fast. Now there is one man among them who is not of them. He's from another place and of another clan. This man steals out of the townhouse at night and eats. On the seventh day the people hear a great roaring coming down from Tsunegun'yi. As it comes closer it becomes deafening and they are all terrified. Suddenly, he who has broken the fast can bear it no longer and runs from the townhouse and the village shouting the war cry. The roaring ceases, then is heard receding back up into the high mountains around Tsunegun'yi where it is silent. The people never c lothe themselves in the new garments, and they never see Tsul'kalu. The meaning of this episode offers profound insights into the nature of Cherokee spirituality. The new garments the purified desire of the people - have no exact equivalents in contemporary secular experience. They are the necessary transformation that a people must undergo in order to face sacred power. Sada'yi was made "new" by the purity of her erotic surrender to the god. The people as a group were co be transformed by their surrender to the God's discipline. It was this discipline that would have sustained their well-being, their courage and their silence in the face of the mind-destroying power of the slant-eyed monster Tsu/'kalu. WA DON' 8prLfl9, 1990 �HEALING IN KATUAH by Doug Aldridge Hin the search for wisdom, the soul must sojourn upon the earth, and dJUing this stay it will be enlightened as to the purpose and care of the earthly temple, the body oft/ie soul, or the body. Children can be taught the uses of growing things and their prepara1ion. Many have not the desire to learn them, and seek not the knowledge which is all abow them. These then must rely upon the medicine man, such as I, to help correct the results of ignorance. Mankind must experience and grow through all phases of wisdom before becoming evolved into the higher realm. If the spirit is moved, then shall the knowledge be acquired. The Grear Spirit speaks to all." - Mauzsan Powhatan shaman, 1603 I - A Karuah Healing I am a relative newcomer to Katuah. In seven years here my family and I have taken root, and with each passing year we have found greater aliveness in our relationship with the land and its people. This growth has emerged primarily through a closeness to the eanh - found in gardening, foraging, wood gathering, and living in increasing harmony with nature. Two of our three children, Autumn-Leaf and Forest Hean, were born at home in an old house perched at the edge of Cherokee Forest. The attendants at their births were friends, not technicians, and they came to suppon us in the growth of our family. The skillful assistance of Lucinda Aodin (see "Birth Power" issue 26 Winter 1989-90) was instrumental in the success of our homebirth experiences. Living this close to nature - a half mile from the nearest neighbor, a half-hour from the nearest four-lane road - cultivates a trust in unseen powers. We sense that we are surrounded and supponed by the same forces that suspend the stars in the clear depths of the heavens above our house, that sustain the grasses through the freezes and thaws, that warm the eanb from within, while they hurl the sun in its daily changing arc above the ridgetops. Our home wasn't built here for convenient access to anyplace else. It's a steep, winding mile of a dirt road down to Highway 321 as it curves around the mountainsides that drop down to Watauga Lake. And the TV reception is about the worst on the East Coast. But it is well situated in other, more important ways. Abundant springs, up behind the house, kept us in plenty of water through the driest days of recent drought. Strong winds rarely reach us in the shelter of the ridges. Water flows into the house by gravity, and the kitchen stove doesn't care about power outages, because it bums wood. In winter, a sheet of plastic around our front porch cuts our heating needs and creates a sunroom for the whole family. Closeness to our environment has had a profound impact on our faqlily's health of body, mind, and spirit. Plenty of fresh air, pure +.tater, sunshine, and relative freedom from noise and light pollution make this a nunuring place for a young family and contributes to our peace of mind. Spiritually, our homeplace draws us closer to the Oneness of All Life. It is that spirit - The Great Spirit - that called us here six years ago. And the lessons we've learned here prepared us to find another home, larger in proponion to our growing needs, and well-watered, wellSprl."'J, 1990 sheltered by the lay of the land, with good southeast exposure and plenty of garden space - another old homeplace where generations of Kauiahans have been born, raised, and grown old. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God," said Jesus of Nazareth, "and all these things will be added unto you." I believe that. I also believe that seeking the Kingdom, today, means returning to the source, and I thank God that it is still possible in KatUah. II - Seeking Guidance In the winter of 1987-88, friends from Charlotte, Nonh Carolina recommended that we get in touch with Harold Green, a healing ans practitioner. While the family was thriving, we hoped Harold could teach us more ways of preventing disease and promoting our own well being. We had never had cause to turn over our responsibility for our children's health to anyone else. My wife Barbel and I felt we needed more guidance than we could get from books. When Barbel first spoke with Harold on the phone, he looked inward for guidance, as he often does when asked questions; he "got a yes," and agreed to come up from Charlotte, where he was teaching healing ans and giving personal health consultations, working - as always - for donations. I have seen him work for no personal gain, and I have seen him accept a feather and a stone with the same sincere thanks he gives for an offering of money. The most imponant thing, in his view, is that each individual take responsibility for his or her own welJ being. Harold Green, it turned out, practiced Native American healing ans. He is an associate of Chief Two Trees at the Native American Studies Institute in Old Fon, North Carolina. Both Harold and Chief Two Trees teach that each individual must become a healer in order to be cured of "dis-ease." As the Chief put it when I asked him recently about the philosophical basis of this teaching: "Everyone is a healer - everyone - but the art of healing is studied only by a few. What we're about is to teach people to heal themselves. The Christian Bible says 'Physician, heal thyself.' So everyone becomes a healer. Now the art of healing has been passed down through generations and generations." Commenting on the surrender of personal power involved in our transition from an agricultural to an industrial society, Chief Two Trees said, "People got into the habit of paying somebody else - to raise their garden for them, to manage their health for them, to spend their money for them. They even pay their minister to manage their spiritual being for them. They gave away all their power, kept nothing for themselves. So what we're about is to teach people again to go back to growing their own garden, even in the smallest amount. Learn how to identify, to be in harmony with nature through a garden. I don't care if it's in a window, in an apartment Know the value of fresh food with life force in it, freshly harvested within a few minutes of being eaten. Second, we also teach people to think for themselves in a spiritual way. Because no one can walk in your moccasins." Harold Green's first visit to our home in the winter of 1987-88 was an experience that opened up for our family new avenues of knowledge and practical, usually simple, techniques of healing and preventive medicine. We quickly recognized in him the teacher we bad been seeking. The home remedies he (continued on next page) Drawing by Rob Messick �(continued from page 9) taught us 10 concoct from leaves and roots, berries and bark, herbs and flowers, brought us greater strength and vitality. And the act of gathering and preparing natural tonics and remedies deepened our kinship wilh the land, making real the concept of the interconnectedness of narure, humanity, and spirit. Gathering black walnut leaves and hulls in summer 10 dry and hang in the pantry can be mere ritual (which has value). Drinking black walnut tea, on the other hand, can be merely medicinal. But when I gather them myself and prepare a tea and drink it and serve it 10 my family, then I combine lhe healing virtues of rirual and medicine, and the benefit is greater than the sum of the pans. Harold's work with us has helped our whole family 10 heal huns ranging from physical to spirirual dis-ease. Sometimes through common sense advice, a1 other times through the intuitive gift by which he channels divine guidance, and always with a rich fund of practical knowledge, he has 1augh1 us to reclaim personal power and heal ourselves. The responsibility for ta.king or not taking his advice is ours, and we do what we think and feel is right. Although we were strict vegetarians, we have introduced medicinal quantities of meat into our family fare at his recommendation. We have been strengthened by it More slowly than he would have liked, we have taken to sharing the knowledge of healing arts nutrition, iridology, herbology, reflexology, acupressure, massage, crystal therapy, dream analysis, hydrotherapy - that we have been building over 1he years. ill - A Katuah Healing Continues When I slatted seeing Harold Green, I thought I was in good heallh, despite a bout of blood poisoning a year before that could have killed me had I not gone to a hospital. By the time Harold came there was only a scar on my right hand to remind me that when it came to preventative medicine, I had a 101 10 learn. In fact, my immune system was still dangerously weak. I began my own healing by taking responsibility for my condition and accepting Harold's guidance. I attacked parasites first with herbs and later colonies. I strengthened organs, whose weakened condition showed in my irises, with specific foods and supplements. l treated my ears and mouth, which had bred a systemic yeast infection, with tea tree oil (mixed, for use in cars, with castor oil in 1:10 proportion). All this strengthened my body and helped eliminate toxin-producing, energy-sapping parasites. (Chief Two Trees maintains that 85% of all diseases are caused by parasites.) Gradually, I made gains in overall vitality. . \'(hen I was strong enough in spirit, mind, and body (whtch 1 really one strength), I entered a deeper level of healing. s My new-found strength was drawn inward, focusing on the work of healing from the inside out. The ground I had gained physically was apparently lost during this time. I feh weak and listless. I developed rashes as toxins were discharged through my skin. I had to trust my intuition that I was getting better, because I felt sick. At that time, in the fall of '88, I intensified my use of therapies Harold taught me. lridology helped 10 identify organs and systems that needed nutritional suppon. The "laying on of hands" through massage, acupressure, and reflexology improved energy flow through my body. Hydrotherapy sped up the elimination of 1oxins. Through dream analysis I was able to lay hold of the taproot of my trouble, a parasitic liver condition. This period of intense healing lasted about cwo months and subsided in the winter of '88-'89. The evidences of its passage are 1he presence of healing signs in the irises of my eyes, along with a general reduction of iris discoloration associated with toxicity. I now have a new vitality that includes a much stronger immune response and heightened energy and productivity. Through this experience I have learned that medicine which is limited to relieving symptoms maintains the underlying causes of disease. True healing leads back through the symptoms to the underlying cause, making the cure complete. The ripples of my well-being have spread outward into other areas of my life where progress was blocked. I'm writing for a wider audience. More money is coming in. We will soon be moving to our own home from a rented one. Barbel and I are sharing more widely in the healing ans movement, and we have found another teacher in Rudolph Poss, Ph.D., Director of Boone's Life Energy Center. We are both working at the Life Energy Cemer as therapists. Barbel recently returned from the first of a series of trips to New York City where she shares her knowledge of healing ans. Yes, the ripples of my own healing carry the work of teaching and healing far beyond my horizon. Change starts in your head and works its way out from y.our guts. But it doesn't stop with you. Heal yourself and you'll heal your world. Physician, heal thyself. Doug Aldridge is afather, a healer, and a writer. He also teaches at The Kid's Country School (a homeschool in Doe Valley), and is a lecturer in English at Appalachian State University. He practices pressure point therapy at the life Energy Center in Boone. ~ WHEN LEFT TO GROW Surrounded by forest That clothes the land Wilh fallen leaves From sleepy trees The warming sun An occasional breeze The ever flowlng creek By this peacefully calm day Closely following this windey stream Us cool motion over rounded stone That makes a constant sound Coursing the way lo an open sea Hovering in the wind Being like lhe white cloud In clear blue sky Gliding over rolling countryside These hairs like limbers When left to grow Become long and full This body like rolling hills When lefl to grow Becomes intrinsically well and appealing A mind like integral relations When left to grow Becomes clear and tuned to pattern JC.atUah Journal: pc:iqe 10 Poem and Drawing by Rob Messick Sprl.nq, 1990 �Calling to the Ancestors, Calling Our Relations: Poems by Stephen Wing Feather and Shadow We have come to the lime of the choosing of ancestors. This is the place where my ancestors came down from thcir square hole in the sky The world is bigger than we can see, that long horizon promised. So they built ships. My ancestors grew com here, this is the clearing where they danced the year Preparing to abandon their bodies, they built cathedrals where the ancient groves had been. The world is bigger than we can see... One by one the monks fell unconscious in thcir cells. My ancestors camped here in the Winter of the Early Snow, they knew th<? spot by the stars The unknown continent grew vaster as they conquered, the invisible cities grew richer in their delirium: each Crusad<?r, each Conquistador conjuring a private mansion, lying in his fever and his cloud of mes. This is wh<?re the young men came fasting and singing, alone in the sacred land It might have been my great-grandfather bending, the boy at the plow too young to remember that horizon of unbroken acreage, hanging back against the pull of the mule to pluck a flint-shard from the vanished prairie grass - Visiting the Deer This is where my ancestors came to honor their dead, this windy ridge in the sky He looks up. Douds break into feathers, streaking over the horizon. He sees one sweep across the sun and the bright land of his father falls into shadow. We have come to the time of the choosing: This is my native place. This mountain. This creek. This is my native place. • Sp r Lr19, 1990 Going up to visit the long view at the top of the hill today I have travelled the deer-trails: bending to duck under where the deer duck under branches, leaping where the deer l<?ap dry ravines, coming at last in to open sky: gazing down where the deer gaze down on human hospitalities with wild shy suspicionWhen I caught my breath I looked down and saw only the houses of my neighbors, the loop of road. Going back I travelled as usual down the track of tires in the dirt. Drawing by James Rhea JC.atUah Journm pQ4Je 11 �Pabllillg ofVislutM Krisluta Jaipur, India The Belly Your Belly Pulse ls The Earth Mother's Heart Beat Your belly pulse is the earth Mother's heart beat. Press into yourself: exit the breath, expireand sink, sink down in to the consecrated center intense, dense, compressed, the consolidated possible; life engaged unto itself, life drawing light unto itself, life compacted to the one still one point. And press yourself out again: be filled by the breath, inspired-- to live, to live in to the world that's ever being born from you: galaxies expanding, stars chasing stars, filling, bursting the radiating joy, life swelling beyond itself, life exploding light, life spiraling outward, the turning world. Your belly pulse is the earth Mother's heart beat. The earth trembles her rhythm through us; our feet skip along her surface while beneath she beats her molten drum. -Lisa Sarasohn C Lisa Samsohn 1990 by Lisa Snrasohn Our bodies are a gift from the earth: the solid substance of who we are comes from the soil. By the powers of sun, water, plant and animal life, the soil's minerals undergo a change in fonn and we incorporate them as organ and gland, corpuscle of blood, muscle fiber and bone. Our bodies arc the gift of a woman's belly. It is in a woman's womb that our Lives begin to take on form. The umbilical cord links our bodies to our mothers, bringing nutrients directly into our bellies. The belly is the measurable center of our bodies: it is at the mid-point between the crown of our heads and the soles of our feet. Healing traditions the world over -- the ancient cultures of Egypt, India, China, Japan, Greece, and the Americas -- know the belly to be much more: the center of our vitality, the place from which we live. These ancient traditions recognize the belly as the source point for our physical and emotional well-being. for our sense of individual wholeness. Clearing and strengthening the belly through movement and breathing techniques leads to resrnenl health, freedom from fear, self-mastery, and the power of personal presence. These same traditions also recognize the belly as the source point for our spiritual well-being. Clearing and strengthening the belly allows us to experience our individual Sprl.f\9, 1990 �connectedneu to the universe, to sense our intimate participation in the Great Life. Although our original. physical connection with our mothers' nourishment has long been severed, there's a subtle cord mnaining between our bellies and the mother-world. A vortex of primordial. creative energy swirls into and out of our bellies, feeding our spirits and sustaining our vitality - if we allow it to do so. A clear, strong belly provides a secure feeling of being "at home" - at home in the body, at home on this Earth, well-rooted and generously nurtured, kin to the creatures with whom we share this planet. In this light, attending to the strength and health of the belly not only enhances our personal immunity from disease, such attention also brings fonh our personal contribution to healing the planet When we embody the knowledge - when we feel it in our bones and know it in our guts -- that we are one with the Earth, preserving the integrity of our natural systems will no longer be a political issue. It will be a mauer of self-respect. Jn writing this anicle, my intention is to inspile you to honor your body, and particularly your belly, as you would have others honor the Earth. Drawing on my studies of biology. regional planning, yoga. and lhcrapeuric massage, I'll outline the anatomy of the belly, indicate a range of cultural attitudes regarding lhe belly, and explore their influence on our well-being. What's In a Belly? The Vital Organs The abdomen ranges from the pubic bone of the pelvis to the muscular diaphrngm at the base of lhe rib ca~e. It houses the vital organs of digestion, elimination, and reproduction: stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, spleen, small intestines, large in1estine, ovaries, uierus. The digestive organs process and absorb nutrients, satisfying our hungers and providing the energy and substance we require for all our life processes. It is here, too, that toxins and waste products arc neuttalized, soned out, and prepared for discharge. Without regular physical exercise, mental stress and shallow breathing tend to increase muscle tension and reduce circulation throughou1 the body, increasing the accumulation of toxins and unbalancing the flow of glandular secretions. These factors can contribute to a host of abdominal dysfunctions, including common ones such as indigestion, intestinal gas, constipation, and menstrual discomfort. From the poini of view of Western anatomy and physiology alone, exercising 1he body, wilh particular attention 10 the belly, would seem to offer substantial health benefits. The Body-Mind Connection Jn her books You Can Heal Your Lift and Heal Your Body, Louise Hay suggcs1s the specific patterns of thinking which set the stage for various physical conditions. She indicates lhat the accumulation of fat in general represents a person's excessive sensitivity and his or her need for protection. The fear a person feels, lhough, may be "a cover for hidden anger and a resistance to forgive," she writes. ln particular, a fa1 belly may reflect "anger at being denied nourishment." She offers a positive affirmation to replace the negative partem of though1: "I am always safe and secure. I nourish myself with spiritual food and I am satisfied and free." The psycho1hcrapis1 and bodyworker Lyn Davis Genelli considers lhat the "pot belly" or "beer gut" which some men develop reveals their "need to protecl their vital organs from an attack." A large belly, she suggests, offers a sense of protection in "the 'wars' of the production plan1 and corporate suite..... Despite 1heir protesta1ions, men unconsciously love their fat [belly) and feel tha1 the ownership of one... is a sign of security, prosperity, and survivorhood." My experience working with people who come to me for therapeutic bodywork is in accord with the ideas these writers Sprl."'J, 1990 have proposed. The condition, shape. and inner sense of the belly reflect a person's willingness and ability to nouriJh himor herself emotionally, to digest new expcrieoces, to release the past, to be courageous in the presence of risk, to generate the self-approval which helps a person feel safe and secure. ln working particularly with women, I find that imbalances in the belly often relate to issues regarding creativity. A bloated belly is like a storehouse, the place where enormous creative power has been stuffed because expressing that power has seemed to be either impossible or unbearably risky. A woman who has not yet found a satisfying way to express the fertility of her imagination may well embody the image of the "pregnan1 virgin." A woman's belly also ponrays her feelings abou1 her sexuality and womanhood. Conflict.s related to sex, pregnancy, child-bearing, rape, incest, and abortion will often influence the belly's health. The Belly Center Japan: Hara ln Japanese cuhure, the point two inches below the navel is named "tanden". To indicate the whole abdominal region, the Japanese use the ierm "hara," which literally cranslatcs as "belly." Hara refers to this central physical region of the body, and 10 much more: the rich human potential for psychological and spiriiual development. The person wi1h hara is, as approximated by our language, "gutsy." He or she has developed the clari1y of his or her "gut feelings" and consistently acts on the strength of this inner knowing. In Hara: The Vital Cenier of Man (sic), Karlfried Graf Von Durckhcim details the role of hara in the Japanese tradition and also characterizes the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of developing hara 10 people of all cultures. According tO Von Durckheirn, the qualities of a person with hara include: a feeling of boundless energy; enhanced immunity from disease and rapid recovery from illness; easy and graceful movement; creative imagination; tranquility, pa1icnce, inner calm and flexibility; confidence, endurance, conienonent; penetrating insight; a capacity for quick and mature decision-making; the experience of security and lhc ability to mee1 changes with equanimity and poise; a sclf-<:ollected harmony. Von Durckhcim indicates that hara is significant for us on two levels. For the individual, possession of hara "gives one a special strength for living in this world." And on the universal level, through hara "one is enabled to realize consciously one's own being in the Great Being which is the ultimate meaning of life." As hara develops and a person senses his or her own immersion within, and identity with, the Great Being, he or she "joyously experiences a new closeness to the world, to people and lhings, to nature and God..." India: The Ch.okras The spiritual and healing traditions of Japan have evolved from their initial source in yoga, the science of self-development origina1ing in India more than 6,000 years ago. Yoga recognizes a subtle core of life energy moving through lhc body from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Along this column there are seven energy centers - seven "chalcras." Each chakra corresponds to a location in the body as well as t0 specific issues and concerns. The belly region includes the firs1 three chalcras. Muladhara chalcra is at the base of the spine, and rela1cs 10 our sense of physical security and our individual survival, issues of trust and mistrust. When lhis chakra is weak or congested a person may typically experience fear - including fear of death, worry, anxiety, and a fear of !erring go: "I feel threatened by ..." On a regional and global level, solid was1c disposal and pollution control seem to be "firs1 chakra" issues. When it is clear and strong. the energy of lhis first chakra generates self-sustaining instincts, urges, and initiatives; a respectful awareness of the body and its functions; and a healthy concern for self-preservation. I think of wilderness survival training as a healthy "first chakra" activity: "l can take (continued on next page) JCQtUah Jo1.4mat PacJ'I 13 �(continued from page 13) care of myself; I am always safe and secure." 1be second chakra is Swadhislhana, corresponding to the reproductive organs and relating to sensuality. When energy is congested here, a person typically experiences boredom, frustration, and disappointment, often as the consequence of overindulgence: "I feel incomplete unless I have ..." On a larger scale, the problems related to over-production and over-consumption of material goods arc "second chalcra" issues. In its clear expression, the second chalcra suppons the faculties of imagining, generating ideas, recognizing distinctions, and making choices. Enjoying beauty - savoring tasty foods, appreciating good music, talcing delighi in vibrant colors and rich texrurcs -- seem to me to be a healthy "second chakra" expression: "Everything I need is already available to me; the Universe supports me with abundant joy." lower body, and belly center--between Heaven, Earth, and the condition of being human. In order to perfect any pose, holding its alignment with minimum cffon and maximum relaxation, a person must discover for him or herself how to intensify and use the strength of bis or her own belly. In this process, a person also discovers how to sustain a balanced relationship among upper body, lower body, and belly center. 1 see the belly as the point where energy descending from the heavens through the torso meets energy ascending through the legs from the Eanh. Such is the condition of being human: living between the poles of heaven and earth, embodying spirit, enfolding energy into matter, incorporating consciousness. The Cultured Belly: Views From Around the World "If we are to heal the Earth, let us start as close to home as possible: let us start with the portions of Earth which are our bodies." The Wisc Woman tradition of herbal healing seems to take a similar view. This ttadition perceives the intention of Life to be so nurturing that our immediate environment provides exactly the plants we need for promoting our well-being. And these plants arc so abundant that we tend to regard them as common weeds. The third chakra is Manipura, ar the navel. It relates to issues of personal will and the sense of emotional security. Energy congested here often reveals itself in feelings of jealousy, anger, resentment, hostility, and greed, resulting from comparison and competition: "I bet I can make him do .... " In a regional and global context, a third chakra issue is political domination of one group of people over another. As the energy at the third chakra clears and resolves, an individual feels a secure sense of personal identity. I think of healthy third chakra expression as self-empowerment - taking assertive action in one's own best interest, motivated by self esteem, and acting upon one's values no matter how unpopular they may be: "I am at peace with my own feelings; I approve of myself." The stretching and breathing exercises of yoga energize and clear the first three chalcras by bringing awareness to the belly and by stimulating the flow of life energy up through the central core. Some poses, such as Standing Leg Stretching and Shoulder Stand, invert the torso and so apply the force of gravity to draw the flow of energy down from the base of the spine towards the crown of the head. Other poses, such as Bow Pulling and Balancing Stick, require standing and balancing on one leg while raising the other; they are difficult to do without maintaining a sense of the belly as the pivot point around which the body turns. In order to maintain balance for more than a few seconds, a person must compress the belly in towards the spine, increasing the density of the belly center. Poses such as Cobra, Locust, and Bow clear the abdominal energy centers and also develop the power of muscles in the abdomen, buttocks, and lower back. While in these postures, a person must press the belly into the floor, grounding it securely. Given this firm central contact and support, the upper and lower portions of the body can lift almost effortlessly: establishing the connection of the belly with the Eanh allows the spirit to soar. The poses of yoga bring the body into a configuration which demonstrates the relationship between upper body, As already mentioned, Oriental and Asian cultures regard the belly with greatest respect, understanding it as the center of life itself. Other cultures have given special attention to the significance of the belly as well: belly dancing in the Middle East and the vigorous ttaditional dances and midsection massage of the South Sea Islanders ensure that the abdominal muscles remain well-toned. I understand that two Australian aborigine women will greet each other when they meet by touching their bellies and foreheads together. In American and European culture, the prescription for physical beauty has included "belly in, chest out", as if the best belly were an invisible one. Current fashions-high heels, tight jeans, "tummy conttol" devices in underwear and pantyhose-work to flatten the belly, increasing the relative volume of the upper body. Hiding the belly and bringing attention to the upper body signify the value our culture places on mental activity, speed, and agility. Our attempt to raise Lhe body's center from the belly to the chest, says Von Durckheim, reveals how we reject our relationship to the Eanh: "The urge to transcend gravity is quite natural to man (sic) as a spiritual being, but the desire to break loose from the vitalizing bond with the solid earth is in conflict with the law of his (sic) terrestrial existence." European culture did not always consider the belly with such distaste, however. Von Durckheim writes: "In the Romanesque and Gothic sculpture the belly is clearly stated and expresses strength...and calm acceptance of the bond with earth....The Gothic belly seems 10 say: 'You cannot win Heaven if you betray Earth."' In The Obsession: Reflections On tire Tyranny of Slenderness, Kim Chemin links our cultural attitude about women's bellies with attitudes about pregnancy and childbirth. She suggests that a womanly appearance-including a naturally round and ample belly-- is threatening. It reminds us of a time when as tiny infants we were helpless, totally dependent for our survival on this huge, looming, rather frightening creature called our mother. To see a woman with a large belly is to revisit a primal sense of woman's awesome power. Conclusion A friend of mine often says, "How we do anything is how we do everything." How we relate to our bodies and to our bellies tells the ttuth about how we tend to the Earth and its natural resources. If we arc to heal the Earth, let us start as close to home as possible: let us start with the portions of Earth which are our bodies. Going beyond conceptions of good and bad, of opposites and adversaries, to recognize the sanctity of all that exists--including our very selves--this is the consciousness which heals our bodies and will be healing our planet. And we have a practical way to develop this consciousness, by clearing and strengthening our bellies. ~ 8pf'l-n4j, 1990 �~~ ~UA~Jjf>URNAL . SPECIAL EARTH DAY 1990 EVENTS SECTION Earth Day Just Dawning........ . Earth Day affords us the opportunity to publicly recognize our home planet as our source of sustenance and nurturancc, and to acknowledge the need Cor it to be honored, protected, and appreciated. It is a time to admit that it is home and life support systell\not just ror us humans, but for the whole ecological life community in whjch we participate. It is a time to celebrate its beauty and diversity and its incredible cvolvement. It is also a time to take responsibility for this richness which we have been given. We must recognize tha t our Insatiable demands are darkening the future of life on this Earth. Even as we accept that grim reality, we can rejoice in the fact that by realizing our responsibility, we also realize our power-that when we begin to change ourselves and our lifestyles, the planet can begin to renew Itself. Let us mark Earth Day 1990, not as a one-day affair, but as the beginning of a decade of change, a decade of action toward an ecologically sound future. Earth Day has the potential to be a significant catalyzing influence. It can help to mobilize an ongoing, citizen effort towa rds ~luating our environmental crisis and responding to it. Earth Day can also provide an opportunity to engage a much broader constituency on local and regional levels. Environmental action, the green pledge, the environmental audits for home, business, and institution, the pledge of allegiance to the Earth, the Earth flags .... All of these need not become "have-beens" artcr April 22; ra ther, they need to become habits. Earth Day provides practical guidelines and tools which can be shared with the wider community --on an ongoing basis. Our actions on behalf of the Earth during the decade lo come are what will make Earth Day 1990 a mearungful even t. The problems we face are global in nature, but our actions must begin here at home in o ur own region: • The extinction of Sp<'Cies threatens the future of evolu tion. We can work to slop the extinction of species by helping the black bear here. •Exploitation of the Earth as "rcsoun:cs• is eroding the basis for life. We can help to stop exploitation by protecting the forest here. •The life cycles of the Earth arc being poisoned by our pollution. We can join the effort to stop the poisoning by demanding the beginning of the end of acid rain. We can do something to stop the poisoning by purifying our waler here. It is almost 400 years since European people first stumbled upon this continent. The invading culture has been changing the face of this land ever since. Now it is time to change ourselves. As we celebrate the Earth, let us also accept our responsibility ror lt.s future. • The Editars of the Karuah Journal ....·..·:::·.·.·.::::::·:-:.:~..----······ ········..• ·····... ... ·········... ·. 'R.1-tu/uina a/ 1111~/wi4 ww1wns afW. '.UIM. inWuli"8 •IS ""'iJru!ir.fol4 (will• taj/) ill rtfatiDn 10 W. pfantti 6y 111ntr um. ~6 Musi4._ �Join in the celebration... EARTH DAY April 22, 1990!! Celebrations and events will take place "locally" all around the planet. In our Katuah bioregion, there will be a variety of events on Earth Day and surrounding it. Here is a partial listing ...Come join in the celebrations! WATAUGA COUNTY, NC APRIL 17 *Children's poster exhibit and Area environmental exhibits. At Boone Mall. •concert by Bill Oliver, well-known educator and environmental follcsinger. At ASU Rosen Conccn Hall, BroyhHI School of Music. Cont.act Harvard Ayers (704) 262-2295. APRIL 18 • Environmental Exposition all day • Earth Day storytelling with Karen Wallace. Al Watauga Public Library. •Bill Oliver, mid-day conccn; Judy Hunt, St.ate Represent.alive, speaking, 12:30 . 12:50 pm ; Earth Garnes, I - 2 pm. At ASU Mall. •Speaker: Michael Robinson, Director, Na1.ional Zoo. 8:00 pm. Reception to follow. At ASU Fanhing Auditorium. Contact Melissa Banh (704) 262-3098. APRIL 19 •Environment.al exposition a.11 day: Janet Hoyle, speaking 12:30 - 12:50 pm; Children's concen with Bill Oliver, 1:30 - 2:30 pm. At ASU Ma.II. •8:00 pm, Speaker: Thomas Berry, in1emationally known speaker and author of TM Dream of IM Ear1h. Reception to follow. Al ASU Farthing Auditorium. Contact J. Linn Mackey (704) 262-2418. APRIL 20 •s1eel drum band, 12 noon, a1 ASU Ma.IL Tree planting on lhc ASU Mall, then moving to the Boone Greenway. •Plant sale. a.i Rankin Gn:cnhouse. • Awards, Children's poster exhibit, 7:00 pm. At Boone Malt APRIL 21 •Music on the ASU Mall. Bike-a-thon. New River and Watauga River Clean up.• AJJ Species Day Parade, starling 10:00 am, al the parking lot at inlefSCCtion of King and Water Sts.. ending a1 ASU Mall. Prizes for elerncnt.ary, middle, and high school lellehers and studcnts...everyone invited to participate. 11:00 am, free ice cream. Cont.act Karen Lohr (704) 262-4089. APRIL 22 EARTH DAY •Morning, Interfaith worship.• Fun Run/Walk.• Earth Day ceremonies, Earth games, storytelling, and music, beginning 12 noon. At ASU Mall. Cont.act Karen Lohr (704) 262-4089. APRIL 22 EARTH DAY • Sunrise Ceremony with stories and song. *Nature and wildlife hikes throughout He nderson County. •Earth Day Celebration, hands-on activities, storytelling, music, recycling demonstration. Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC. Coniact Ms. Freudenberger (704) 693--0135. BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC MARCH 19 • APRIL 30 Tree Planling. ConLact Monte Wooum, Quality Forward (704) 254- I 776. MARCH 29 Asheville-Buncombe EARTH DAY 1990 Community Meeting, 5:30 pm at the Unitarian Univcrsalist Church (Charlolle SL). AJJ are encouraged IO plan events for our own neighborhood or area and IO voluntccr to help with local projects and events. To be included in an area-wide calendar of Banh events, call Dory Brown (704) 622-713 1 or write: Asheville-Buncombe EARTH DAY 1990, P.O. Box 5855, Asheville. NC 28813. APRIL 2 • 7 River Awareness Weck sponsored by Warren Wilson College. Culminates with Swannanoa River Clean-Up on SalUrday. Info: (704) 298-3325. APRIL 7 Glad-Bagalhon open 10 groups and individuals wanling 10 participate in litter clean-up project and weigh-in contest. Contact Jane Wilson, Qwilily Forward, (704) 254-1776. APRJL 9 • 13 Project Pride Weck. sponsored by Quality Forward and Asheville-Buncombe EARTH DAY 1990. Experiential environment.al education through lhe ans and sciences for students of Buncombe County Schools. Info (704) 254·1776. APRIL 16 *Free day al lhc Nature Center, Gashes Creek Road, Asheville. (704) 298-5600. • Artisl°s Earth Day exhibit unveiled; artists will exhibit !heir environmental an in the unoccupied storefronts on Haywood St. and Pack Square, Asheville. APRJL 16-20 • Earth Weck at Aficrschool Programs; Monte Wooten of Quality Forward is willing to come to Asheville afl.erschool programs to give t.alks on our earth and its environment. Cont.act Monie Wooten (704) 254-1776. *Landfill Tours for EducaJOrS: group or organization opportunity to tour local landfill. Cont.act Steve Heisclman, landfill recycle coorinator, or Monie Wooten, Quality Forward, (704) 254-1776. APRIL 20 Conference: Resources a1 Risk: The Effee1s of Acid Precipilation and Ozone on 1he SoUJMrn Appalachians. 8:30am-4:00pm UNCA Owen Center. Sponsored by: Western North Carolina Tomorrow, USDA Fores t Service-SE Forest Experiment Station and UNCA Environmenlal Studies Program. Registration $5.00....Caten:d Lunch $5.00. Contact: Fn:d Huber (704) 251-6104. HEN DE RSON COUNTY, NC APRIL 21 Art Auel.ion. Work donated by notable area artists, proceeds go to saving the wetlands in Henderson County. Cont.act David Malpass (704) 697-9557. APRIL 20 Ctltbra1 IM Earth Story Thomas Berry, ing intemalionalJy-known spealce.r and aulhor of The Dream of IM Earth (Sierra Club Press, 1989), will give a talk at Owen Conference Center. UNC-A as pan of community-wide Earth Week aclivities. 7:30pm. No charge. Reception follows. APRIL 21 The Sixth Annual Environment.al Summit: Al IM Crossroads: lmpacl of Devtlopmenl on Environmenlal Qualily. Speakers include.: Thomas Berry, Cynthia Sullivan, BilJ Holman and others. UNC-A Owen Conference Cent.er. Cont.act: (704) 251-6104. APRIL 21 "Earth Energies" talk by Morgan Eaglebcar, an Apache medicine man and great grandson of Geronimo. 10:00-12:00pm; Opponunity to partake in a sweaL Two lodges builL Beginning 12:00 noon. Love offering accepted. At Eanh Center, Swannanoa, NC. Cont.act: Zoe&. Jim Martin (704) 298-3935. APRIL 21-22 Chez Op1 ion plans to show environmental videos and distribute pamphlets in SLOrcfront location on Haywood SL, Asheville, NC. APRIL 22 EARTH DAY Celebration!! EvetyOllC is invil.ed to wear Green for show of Earth solidarity! • Bike ride for children and adults through downtown Asheville. 12:30 pm. Contact Steve Millar (704) 254-0414. •Earth Day parade begins a1 2pm in Downtown Asheville and marches IO City/County Plaza. Everyone encouraged Lo join in!! • Earth Games, Rainbow Games, and environmenlal exhibits geared toward children. after the parade, at Radisson Plaza Parking LoL •RALLY, wilh music, speakers, sLrCCt lhealcr, and booths offering food, environment.al products and information. •Bring your recyclables; Scot Sanderson will have a recycling booth and will be accepting plastic milk jugs. green and clear plastic soda boules, aluminum, and sorted glass. Pr oj ect EARTH (Environment.aJ Arrangement Requiring Transportation that's Homemade) will aeate a moveable environment.al display and show it in the parade. ConlllCt: Project Eanh, PO Box 5855, Asheville, NC 28813. Re-invent Fair Have fun creating inventions from recycled malCrial. Ideas can be pratical like making sandals from old I.ires, or imaginative, like making a perpetual motion machine from odds and ends. For form and details, cont.act: Quality Forward, PO Box 22, AshcviJle, NC 28802 by April 16. KNOXVILLE, TN AREA APRIL 16 Murray Bookchin will speak a.t University Center, UT campus. 7:00 pm APRJL 21 • 22 EARTH DAY ECO-FAIR. Earth Day Office: (615) 974-0643. APRIL 21 EARTH DAY Benefit Concert. Earth Day Office: (615) 974-0643. APRIL 22 EARTH DAY Events • 5-K "Run for the Earlh", sl8rtS a1 9 am a1 UT Vet School • Dance againSt DeslrUCLion Marathon Benefit Dance• Video festival •Earth Day Office: (615) 974-0643 or Center for Global Sustainabili1y: (615) 524-4771. �JOHNSON CITY, TN NORTH GEORGIA OTHEll RESOURCES: APRIL 22 EARTH DAY CELEBRATION, Downtown Johns on City, 1:00pm -5:00pm. T~·planting, Music, storytelling, displays, recycling fundraising, and Adopt-a-planter program. Contact; Beuy Anderson, Director of Downtown Association (615) 926-8546. APRIL 17-22 Earth Skills Gathering. Twelve individual ~ showing a wide variety of Native American skills. Contaet: Darry Wood (704) 389-0428. Eco-Net, an international computer network link, will carry a national bulletin board for the sharing of information, graphics, and ideas for EARTH DAY events. EcoNet, 3228 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94114/ (415) 923-0900. KINGSPORT, TN Earth Day Activities and events throughout Nonh Georgia, contaet: Jirn Sneary (404) 226-0116, Dalton, GA; Andrea Timpone (404) 535-1976 Gainesville, GA; Christa FrangiJunorc (404) 351-3456 Atlanta. GA. APRIL 19 "Young Ecologist" Action Award presented at Watauga Audubon Society Meeting. GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLI NA APRIL 21 EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES at Bay's Mountain State Park, near Kingsport. Info: (61 S} 229-9447. Also Glad Bagathon and Recycling evenLS in Tri-Cities area. Then. gathering at Davy Crockeu Stale Park. APRIL 22 EARTH DAY CELEBRATION sponsored by Watauga Audubon, State of Franklin Sicmi Club and ochers. Bluegrass music wilh cnvironmenUll lyrics, storytelling, T-shins, 1-5pm at Bruce Park in Kingsport. FLOYD COUNTY, VA APRIL 2 1 EARTH DAY AcnVITIES/ FUN DAY FOR KIDS Kite flying. rccycUng exhibits, music, food, local speakers. Contaec Mary Day (703) 763-2000. EnvlroNet sponsored by Greenpeace Action and open to the public. Greenpeace Action, Bldg. E, Fort Mason, CA 94123. (415) 47U767. APRIL 21 Earth Day Activities at Roper Mountain Science Center. Speakers, music, booths, distributing ttceS, ceremonial ucc-planting, free Ben & Jerry's ice cream, living farm demos, and organic gardening, nature walks, 9am-3pm. • Recycling Fa ir at Greenville Braves Stadium, 8am-3pm. Contact: Linda Elmore (803) 281-0090 . •Parade from Ci1y Hall lO Heritage Green, 3pm-5pm. Contaet Jay Rogers: (803) 232-3690 APRil.. 22 EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS around the area. • Music at McPherson Park, 3pm-5pm. Contact Mary Ellen Settlemycr (803) 240-4326 *EvcntS at Furman University, coruact: Amelia Fusaro (803) 233-1232. Otl>cr Earth Day Activities &: related events, contaet: Earth Day Steering Committcc for OTHER EVENI'S IntemaUonal ECO-City Conference will take place in Berkeley, California, March 29- April 1, 1990. Keynote speaker. Dennis Hayes, Earth Day Director. Info: Cerro Gordo Dorena Lake, Box 569, Cottage, Grove, OR 97424. (503) 942-mO. Earth Day Wall St. Action on Monday, April 23. Contact: Brian Tokar, P.O.Box 93, Plainfield, VT 05667. Greenville, George Actehef (803) 288-8782; OTHER EARTH DAY CONTACTS: BLACKSBURG, VA APRIL 17 Rainforest Sympos ium. Conl8ct: Si.ephanie Trimmer (703) 951-5173. Klds Netwotk Students all over North America can share environmental data. National Geographic Society, Ed. Services, Dept. 1001, Washington, OC 20Cll7. (800) 368-2728. Earth Day 1990 National Hdqtrs (415)321 -1990 Earth Day 1990 SE Regional HdqLrs: (404) 352-4080 Earth Day Southeastern Campus Coordinaior: ~i Calloway (404) 876-8634 EARTHWEEK "MESSAGE OF THE DAY" Earth Weck will nationally focus on an "EnvironmcnUll Message of the Day": Monday (April 16} Energy; Tuesday (April 17) Recycling; Wednesday (April 18) Waicr, Thursday (ApriJ 19) Alternative Transportation: Friday (April 20) Toxics Information; Saturday (April 21) Outdoor/Recreation. For more info: Diana Aldridge (41S} 321-1990. APRIL 18 Environmental Teach-In. CEC Auditorium. 1:30pm-9:00pm. APRIL 20 •Earth Grove Dedication. Tree-planting. ConL&ct: Heather McEllroy (703) 552-7897. • Rainforest Benefit Concert. Buddy's ResL&urant 9:00pm. APRIL 21 •Broomln' & Bloomin' Clean-Up 9:00am1:00pm •Bike Parade 2:00pm-3:00pm •Earth Festival at Duck Pond 3:00pm-6:00pm. Contaet: Linda Binner (703) 961-0586. APRIL 22 PEACE-EARTH DAY CELEBRATION Noon 'ti! Dark. At Amphitheater, Virginia Poytcehnical Institute. Contact: Elizabeth DuFrane (703) 232-2338. Environmental Audit Information for Arca Colleges and Businesses. Conlllct: David Hirschman (703) 951-8949. ROANOKE, VA AREA (jreen P{etfge I pfeage to /Q my sfiare in savin9 tfu plamt 6y f.tttin9 rny conum for cfu environment sfiape fww !: Jilct: I pf.t49e to tU1 my utmost to recycle, UJnserve tMl'//!J• saw fl/OUr, use efficient transportation, arul try to atfopt a Gfestyf.t as if every tfay were 'E.arlli 'Day. Purcfuue: I pfuf9e to 6uy l11llf use only tfwse proi{uct.s feast fuzrmful to tfu environment. ?rlorwva, I wilI tlo 6usiruss witli corporation.s tliat promote 9{06a{ environmental ruponsi6ili ty. 'J/ote: I pk49c to vou arul support tfwse uuufufaw wfw tkmonstrau an a6itflne UJnurn for tfst erwirrmment. Support: I pfufae to support tfu pass49e of louJl. stau arul fuftrol laws ana inurnational treaties tliat prouct tfu environment. Earth Day Activities &t related events. Coniact: Chris Barlow (703) 774-0581 or 989-0802. You COii return this pledge to your local Earth Day group or mail ii 10 Earth Day 1990, P.O. Box AA Stanford Uni..,ersity, C.4 94309 �SUGGESTIONS FOR PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT ·ElkinglOll, John, et al. The Green Conswner. Penguin, 1990. •Capl:in, Ruth and Staff of Environmental ActK>n. Our Earth, 011rstlwts. Bantam, 1990. '.You tTUtJ(u want tQ......... ~ a hih - ~ a 6~ - diiM a tru - /Jiflt. t1ie 'Lartli a !Jift - (U{qpt a struzm - plant a tru 6e a utter·critter - astfast footf places tq use fess protfur.t padc.Jiuitlfl - fimit use of pesticitles ion't tn:at soil fi{(J 4irt - avqjtf petro·cfilmicDl transportation - fast for t1ie tlay -wal(.. G9fitfy. jl Recycling • Help start a recycling routine at your school or workplacc...aluminum cans, office paper, glass, CIC. •Encourage your city and county governments lO set up a curbside recycling program • Get your local newspaper to print on recycled paper • Help gel a "boUle biU" law passed by your Stale legislat.ure Alternative Transportation • Get bike lanes adopted for your city and county Have some streets closed periodically, open only to bicycles. • Ask that public uunsponation be improved in your area and that mini-vans be explofed as part or the solution. Pfeage of jt{{egiance to tfie 'FArtfi I p(eage affegiance to tft.e 'F,artft., arul to tfie /fora, fauna arul fiuman (ije tftat it supports, one pfanet, irulivisi6(e, witfi safe air, water ana soil economic justice, equal rigfits arul peace for a«. Education • Encourage your school to use the Earth Day '90 Lesson Plan and Home Survey which looks at energy conservation, home toxics, transporuilion, water conservation, and recycling • Encourage schools and colleges in your area to conduct the Environmcnial Audit • Adopt-A-Stream or other environmenllll project at a natural area near your school • Tree-planting aroWld school, and food for wildlife landscaping Community Awareness • Award businesses that use environmentally sound practices • Help convert an urbnn vacant 101 inio a parlc. or community gardens space • Support regionally and locally owned businesses. • Buy products grown or produced t11 lhc region • Invest in regionn.I businesses Flying the Earth Flag! Now is lhe time to encourage businesses, schools, scout troups and others in the community to get in the habit of publicly displaying the Eanh Flag. Sizes available: Large 3'x5' durable nylon for inside or outside use; Medium 2'x3' cotton for parade or inside use; and small 6"x9", on 15" stick. Available regionally and nationally. One regional source is: AshevilleBuncombe EARTH DAY 1990, P.O. Box 5855, Asheville, NC 28813. Corporate Accountability The Valdez Principles A coalition of leading environmental organizations and social investment firms have drafted a set of ten guidelines for corporalC conduct concerning the environment. They ore referred to as the Valdez Principles. They address the issues of pollutants, sustainable use of natural resources, rcducuon and disposal of waste, energy efficiency, conservation, riSk reduction IO employees and surrounding communities, maarketing of safe products and services, damage compensation, disclosure of poienulll hazards, need for environmental representatives on corporate boards of directors, and the value of annual corporate environmental audits. A copy of the Valdtz Principles is available from local Earth Day groups as wrell as the Earth Day 1990 national ojfi~. MAGAZ I NES •Earth Island Journal. Enrth Island lnsutuLC, 300 Broadway, Suite 28, S:in Francisco, CA 94133 •£ -The Environmental Magazine P.0.Box 6667, Syracuse, NY 13217. (800) 825-0061 •Raise the Stakes. Planet Drum Foundation, P.O.Box 31251, San Francisco, CA 94131 •World•Watch. Worldwateh lnslltut.c, 1776 Massachu:.eus Ave., NW, Washington, OC 20036. THINGS TO DO... •The Earth Works Group. 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth. Box 25, 1400 Shlmuck Ave., Bcrlceley, CA 94709. •MacEachcm, Diane. Save 011r Planet: 750 Everyday Ways You Can llelp Clean Up the Earth. Dell, 1990. -Council on Economic Proiorities. Shopping for a Beller World. 30 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003 GOO D BOOKS... •Raven, Peier H. The Global Ecosysuim in Crisis. The MacArthur Foundation, 140 South Dearborn St., Chicago, n.. 60603, 1987. •Berry, Thomas. The Dream of the Earth. San Francisco: Siena Club Books, 1988. •Sahtouris, Elisabet. Gaia: The Human Journey from Chaos 1 Cosmos. 1989. 0 •Lovelock, J. E. The Ages of Gaia: A Biography of our Living Earth. W.W. Nonon & Co., 1988. •Myers, Nonnan Dr., Gen. Ed. Gaia: An Atlas of PlaMtary Manageme/I/. New York: A(IChor Books. 1984. •World Commission on Environmentand"DevolopmenL Our Common Fui11re. Oxford: Oxford Uni.vcrsity Press. •Nash, Roderick. The RighJs of NaJurt, A History of Environmental Ethics. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1989. •Taylor, Paul W. Rts~ct for Na111re: A Theory of Environmtntol Ethics. Princeton: Princeton U. Press, 1986 •Berger, John J. Restoring the Earth: /low Americans Are Working to Renew our Damaged Environmtnt. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986. •Register, Richard. Ecocily Berkeley: Building Cities for .4 lleaJtlty F"""'°~· BcrJco!Qy, Nortll Atlllntic Books, 1987. •Berg, Pe1er, et al. A Green City Program For San Francisco Bay Area Cities & Towns. San Francisco: Planet Drum Books, 1989. •Tokar, Brian. The Green Alternative: Creating on Ecological Future. San Pedro: R. & E. Miles, 1987. •Renner, Michael. Rethinking the Role of the Automobile. Worldwaich Paper #84, 1988. •Todd, Nancy Jack and John. Bios/1e/1us, Ocean Aries, City Farming: Ecology As The Basis of Design. Son Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1984. •Margolin, Malcolm. The Earth Manual: /low io Work on Wild land Without Taming It. Berkeley: Heyday Books, 1985. •LaChapellc, Dolores. Earth Wisdom, 1978. Also Sacred I.And, Sacred Sez-Rap111re of the Deep, 1988. Finn Hill Arts, P.O. Boll 542, Silverton, CO g1433. •Henderson, Hazel.The Politics of the Solar Age. Alternatives to Economics. Doubleday Anchor, 198 I. · Sale, Kirkpatrick. lluman Scale . New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. 1980. · Fulc:uolca, Masanobu. The Ont-Straw Revoluiion. An ln1roduction 10 Natural Farming. Emmaus: Rodalc Press, 1978. °:Meclter-Lowry, Susan. Econo1T11cs as If the Earth Rl'ally Mallued. Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1988. •Sprctnalc, Charlene. The Spiritual Dunensions ofGrun Politics. Santa Fe: Bear & Company, 1986. •Seed, John, Macy, Joanna, et al. Thinking like A Mountain : Towards A Council Of All Beings. Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1988. This regional EARTH DAY 1990 EVENTS section is compliments of Kaluah Journal; Bioregional Journal of /ht Southern Appalachians , P.O. Box 638, Leicester, NC 28748. Published Quarterly. Subscription: $10/year. �FOOD FROM THE ANCIENT FOREST by Snow Bear In all the seasons, these mountains speak to us of their beauty and sacredness. But ln the springtime rebirth of the plant people, that beauty is projected in vibrant colors, awe-Inspiring forms, fantastic abundance, and incredible diversity. It is a good time for human beings to go to the coves where ancient trees stand, to rest and watch, listen, and learn; there Is strength, healing, and sustenance to be found there. Some of the richest soil on Earth can be found In these coves; In one such place I pushed my arm into deep, black loam up to my elbow. In such soil grows Incredibly nourishing, vllal foods. As you gather food from these coves, remember that the old forests are disappearing beneath the chain saws and bulldo:ters of a nation hungry for lumber and profit. I have been told to speak prayerfully and announce my intention to the spirit running through the life of that mountain. Pass over at least four plants before picking one. Restore earth and leaf mold to any holes left from digging roots - in fact, leave no visible traces of your plant gathering. Do not gather plants in a heavily trafficked area, such as hiking trails. I have been taught to acknowledge the taking of any life with prayer and a gift (of sage or t. bacco). o •In April and early May, the flowers known to botanists as the spring ephemerals blanket the mountainsides. Many of them are choice edible plants that grow abundantly to allow gathering for food. Some of these Include: TR0UT ULY (Erythronlum americanum) A yellow lily emerges from between two green and brown mottled leaves. The leaves have a sweet flavor and may be added to salads or cooked as potherb. The leaves that have no blossom are choicest; after blooming there may be a slightly bitter aftertaste. The bulbs are edible when cooked. TOAOSHAOE TRILLIUM (Trillium sessile) • The young leaves before fully unfolded have a sugary, sweet taste. Bitterness makes the leaves unpalatable when the blossom emerges. This trillium (and T. erectum, T. grandiflorum) are good raw or cooked, but harvest only where abundant. SPRING BEAUTY (Clayton/a virgin/ca and caroliniana) and RUE ANEMONE (Anemonella lhalictroides) - can often be found together in immense patches on wooded mountain slopes. The pea-sized tubers are an excellent addition to soups, stews, and steamed greens. •The ephemerals described above grow, blossom and die quickly. Their growth cycle ends when the trees leaf out. Other edible spring wildflowers have a longer growing season. These include: INOIAN CUCUMBER ROOT (Medeota vlrgln/ana) This wildflower occurs in so many different plant tribes such as: mixed hardwood climax forest, hemlod< glade, dry oak soils, or moist creekbanks. It often grows in large patches that may be thinned. Its root ls while, crispy, and watery, similar to cucumber or water chestnut in flavor and texture. It is best eaten raw. (continued on next page) Sprl.ncJ, 1990 Drawings by K.im S111dland �SC FOREST WATCH GROUP WINS APPEAL Nlllnl World News Savico The South Carolina Forest Watch group worting foa.<£.sfia<f:e -Jr.ill i u,m, (continued Crom page 19) SOLOMON'S SEAL (Polygonatum biflorum) Until the end of August, the leaves and roots may be harvested. In spring, harvest only lower leaves to avoid disrupting the flowering cycle; after seeding, the top leaves are more tender. The leaves, like the root, are sweet and slightly mucilaginous. The roots are often three-quarters of an inch thick and ten inches long. Try harvesting the oldest (back) end of the root, leaving two-thirds of the root undisturbed. The root Is a good source of complex carbohydrates when cooked In soups and stews. RAMPS (wild leeks - Allium ttioocum) Ramps are the only wild plant still honored with festivals by entire towns! At these festivals, people may saturate every cell in their bodies with the pungent, garlic-like smell of ramps without being shunned by family, friends, or neighbors. I have found this mountain gourmet food in huge quantities in moist, gravelly soils (subsurface springs) and in the yellow birch-grass meadows of the high mountain gaps. Cream of "potato• (Solomon's seal root) leek soup with bluff mustard greens or ramps steamed with puffball mushrooms on the side makes a gourmet foraging meall The raw ramp bulbs are very strong and health-giving as a blood purifier and tonic. BROAD LEAF TOOTHWORT (bluff mustard - Dentaria diphylla) - The white, cross-shaped flowers are abundant in late April. The plant grows in shallow leaf mold on creek rocks and banks. The leaves are available throughout the winter, but the hot mustard taste gets milder in the spring. The Interconnected roots of the bluff mustard patch taste just like horseradish - finely grated with mayonnalse and vinegar it makes a good hot sauce or dip. To eat the food of the mountains where the beings of nature live in the undisturbed patterns of the long-ago forest attunes our bodies with the seasons and climate of Katuah, our minds with the beauty of Katuah, and our hearts with the nature spirits of Kaltiah. May we walk In beauty and balance in these ancient mountains. in the Andrew Pickens District of the Sumi.Ct National Forest in South Carolina has successfully placed itself between the chain saws and trees of Compartment 43 in the Chauga River walelShcd. The proposed timber sale would cut three different timber siands tomlling 90 acres in one of the two largest unfragmented mauue hardwood stands in the Sumter Forest. fl consists of 300 contiguous acres of mawre hardwood irees and contains the oldest hardwood sLBnd in the forest. The cul would divide mature stands almost in two and would border on lhe oldest group of uees on two sides. Late in September, 1989, Forest Wa!Ch members heard about the sale only nine days before Lhe appeal period was to end. A flurry of activity produced an appeal based on four factors: fragmentation of Lhe forest resulting in deleterious edge effects on native forest species. lack of a site-specific analysis, overcuning of lhe site, and Lhe impact of the clearcutting on the water quality of Crooked Creek. The appeal was quickly sent o(f to the regional forester's office in Atlanta, and four months later, the Forest Waich group received a five page reply that seemed to be almost a complete vindication of the Forest Service's position. The only concession to the Forest Watch appeal was a statement saying that the .district ranger had not documented his cumulative effects analysis on water quality. Therefore, the group was surprised to read at the bottom of the last page, "For these reasons, lhe appellant's claim is upheld." However. tile victory is only a panial one for the Forest Watch group and the forest. The appeal was upheld on only one of the four basic contentions set fonh in the document: the water quality issue. The regional forester's decision said Lhat, as there was no mention of Lhe other issues in Lhe Sumter Forest's Land and Resource Management Plan, they were not legitimate bases for appeal. The Forest Waichers fear Lhal forest supervisor Donald Eng, a hardline timber man, will quickly return a revised timber sale plan for Comparunent 43, so the saws are delayed as little as possible. Undaunted, lhe group has decided Lhat by refusing to consider the issues or forest fragmentation and overculting, and other possible uses for the old timber stand and Lhe forest as a whole. the Forest Service has escalated the action. SC Forest Watch feels that since such imponant considerations have been neglected, Lhe forest plan ilSClf needs to be amended. The Sumter Forest Land and Resource Management Plan is up for a live-year review this year, and the Forest Watch organization is requesting amendment or a complete revision of Lhe plan. If the Forest Service denies Lhat request, the group will then appeal Lhat decision. SC Forest Watch is determined to bring about a long-term change of policy in Lhe Sumter National Forest.. Contact SC Forest Watch Box657 Wesaninster, SC KatUah Province 29693 SNOW BEAR Is a herbalist, naturalist, environmental educator, and director of the Pepper/and Farm Camp. He can be contacted by writing to Pepper/and Farm Camp; Rt. 4, Box 255-B; Murphy, NC 28906 or by phone st (704) 494- 2353. Sp r1.n9, 1990 �..•. ................·.·.-.;.,.._.. ··~-~.•••,,.. .;·•·•••······ .. ..... ·;... .. ····· DIOXIN vs THE ENVIRONMENT ~ ;· .t.l ~ NATURAL ~ (PART2) Nani World News s.vice ~... ~ ~ ~ WORLD ~ == . l ·• :. .. ~ ~ !· ·-:... NEWS . .. r ~ ·~. ~ l .... .. ... ·t~:. ·'!~~~. .................... . ~ ... . !'!!'!" .~'!:-~· •.•.•.•!''!'··'!'··~·. HELMS "STUMPS" NC FORESTS As pan of an experimenlal pilot project, Ille Bush administration recently released a list of southeasiem national fon:slS where below-cost timber sales would be slOppCd for two years. North Carolina forest.s were mystenously removed from that list. despite a Congressional study showing that the Pisgah-Naru.ahala National ForeslS lost $2.S million in 1988. h toter came to tight that, although originally on th.at list. the Pisgah and Nanuthala forests wcre om1ued aflcr sarong persuasion from Scnaior Jcs.sc Helms. A Nonh Carolina Forestry Associauon (NCFA) newsletter article titled "Helms Helps National Fon:slS in N.C. • reveals, "Helms used leuers from NCFA members, Appalachian Multiple Use Council, and the Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturcl'S Associauon to no1 only remove Pisgah-Nanlahala, but to force a review of the whole below-cost initiative." There arc 12 southeastern forests on the below-cost liSt. including the Cherokee in Tenncsscc, the George WashinglOll in Virginia, and Lhe Chatahoochcc in Georgia. Bjorn Dahl, supervisor of Ille national forests in North Carolina. was uncertain why Nonh Carolina forests were rcrnoved Crom the program. "I know we were on Ille original list." Dahl said. "We were advised we were on, but when Lhe list came out we were off." The proposal in the fiscal 1991 budget submiued IO Congress in January would reduce the amount of timber removed from the Wgeted foreslS by about 38 pcn:ent during a one-year test. One method of offsetting the loss of pronts in timber sales was a pilot project that will experimentally increase recreational use of the forests. The prognun would mean higher fees for some recreational uses and new fees for previously free activities, such as picnic areas, boat ramps. and parking lolS. According IO the Forest Service the program will have insignificant impacts on timber interest.s around the 12 national forests. Should the program continue for the Delli five years an estimated S2S jobs would disappear. Mary Kelly of the Western Nonh Carolina Alliance poinlS out that the Pisgah-Nanuthala may have a more sustainable future in recreation rather than timber hqwdation. Kelly states, · we have a large number of bade country and whitewaier outfitlCIS, and a large lOUrist economy that 1s much more important than umber resources IO our local economy, and it's unfortunate that we weren't given the same chance to Lest out our ability to manage for these resources." Sowct: Asheville Citizen, Mat'ch 2. 1990 Spr L"'J. 1990 In the continuing saga of wa1et quality vs. dioxin, we fmd owselves, once again, at a pulp and paper processing plant. This time, we've moved over the l1IOWllain from Canion and Olampioo Colporalion IO Lhe Ecusta Corporation mill, on the Davidson River in Transylvania County, NC. The story is quite familiar. Chlorine is used as a bleaching agent on wood pulp which, in tum, is used to produce white paper products··m this case, lightweight paper for bible pages and cigarette papers. Diollin. a highly carcinogenic IOXin, is produced during lhis ~ and subsequently rclc.ased in the plant's discharge. In the case of Ecusta, dioxin has been found in fish sampled downstream from the plant in the French Broad River. A considerable amount of wrangling has been going on between Ille NC Department of Environmenlal Management (DEM) and the EPA over whether or not Ecusta's waStewater needs to be monitored. In February 1989. the DEM released a list of the state's toxic discharge sites which would be required to clean up their acL Ecusta was not on the lisl. The EPA disagreed with this decision and 1n June released ilS own clean-up list which contained Ecusta and nine other Nonh and South Carolina mills. EPA then informed DEM that Ecusta must also be included on the state list, or they would overrule the state and seize control of Ecusta's was1ewater permit, as allowed by the Oc.an W31.Cl Act of 1979. In July, the state capitulated and included Ecusta on an amended but still preliminary tisL Finally, in February 1990, the state released its final list, which included both the EcUSta and Champion mills, and EcUSLa was given a deadline of June, 1993 to comply with newly developed state limits on dioxin discharge. In a scenario familiar from Champion days, Ecusta's parent company, the P.H. Glatfelter Company, based in Pennsylvania, claims ii may be forced to close the plant if required IO meet Ille st.aodards by 1993. The EPA 's rote in pressing the state IO control Ecusta's wastewater permit has been the focal point for much of the prolCSl by those rallying to the side of the county's largest employer. In a front page anicle io the Asheville Citizen on 1/17/90, Esther Wesley, cxecutivc director of the Transylvania County Chamber of Commerce, was quoted as saying "Ecusta doesn't have a problem-EPA has a problem. They rcally expect entirety IOO much from a manuf.acturing planL • The Glatfelter Company apparently agrees with Ms. Wesley and filed a fcdcral lawsuit in January asking US District Judge Richard Voorhees to prohibit the EPA from invalidating OEM's original decision not to include Ecusta on its cleanup lisL Much of the dissension among Ecust.a, the state, and the EPA centers on confusion about bow and where to measure dioxin in the river. Fish sampled last year just below the plant had up to eight times more dioxin than fish sampled 4.4 miles downstream. However, state and mill officials point out th.at farmland and the town of Brevard's wastewater treatmenl plant could pocentially contribule diollin. To confuse mauers further. periodic samples of Ecusia wastewater have not revealed mcasurcable levels of diollin (although dioxin is more rctiably detected in fish tissues than in waler samples). In addition, there is liule agreement over how much dioxin is IOO much. Despite insisting that Ecusta discharge should be controlled, the agency has never established wastewater limitations for l'lax·pulping mills, or which Ecusta is one of two in the U S. The DEM did not adopt a diollin standard until October. It is not a uniform standard, but one based on the quantity of a plant's efOuent and the receiving waterway's ability to dilute iL ract Tbe one which la 1101 coolusillg is that dioxin is a very dangerous substance., especially when it is on tbe loose in unknown quantities in the envilOnmenL It is ""' acceptable to have communities along Lhe French Broad River living in fear of dioxin conramination. The NC Division of Environmental Management (DEM) is seeking comments on 1 proposal to identify and set special proccctive standards for stmuns in the SllllC iclcnliflCd as "High Quality Waiers." Over 900 miles of streams in the western part of the state are up for n:classificalion. Write 10 the DEM in support of the High Quality WalCtS rcclassifteation. Address comments to: Greg Thorpe NC Division of Environmental Management Box 27687 Raleigh, NC 27611 THE DEFENSE OF WRIGHT SQUARE Nlllnl World News Service Wright Square was a small green arc.a amid the mini-malls in Highlands, NC. Sill 45 year old dogwood trees and one old arbor vitae tree stood there until the Town Board decided it needed additional padcing places for downtown shoppers. The November elections had brought some changes to Lhe Lown. Voters had made their choices clear. For the first time a woman and an environmentally-leaning candidate were elected IO the Town Board. The old board members saw that there was going to be some opposition in their ranks, and decided that before the new board was convened they would take care or one tittle project: Wright Sqwirc. Townspeople had thought th.at the square would be one of Lhe fll'Sl topics IO be addressed when the new Town Board was installed, so they were surprised one Friday when bulldozc:n appeared in the square and started to work demolishing the trees. Immediately women from local garden clubs came to the defense of the bit or nature left in the square. It was a school holiday, so they were joined by some high school students, members of a studen t environmental group, Youth Advocating Planetary Improvement (YAPI). Carrying a few Earth flags, the townspeople stopped the demolition work for the day. Workers lounged about their machines as the women clustered around the trees, and a few of the students occupied the branches of the dogwoods. At the end of the day the workers left, and the protc.slOrS also went home, congratulating themselves on a job well done. However, unknown to anyone, during the night Lhe bulldozers plus worters with chainsaws were ordered IO return to the scene, and when morning broke the town woke up to find Wright Square leveled to the pavement. The Town Board may have won a temporary victory, but they stirred up a furor in the town of Highlands. As one woman put it, "Certainly we're concerned about the trees, but it wasn't just about the uus. It wa<1 about a large number of people who cared deeply about their environment not being liStened to by the governing body of the town. It was also about the issue or representative govcnwent.." (continued on neut pigc) Xat~ Journa£ pCMJ"- 2 1 �"~, '1051 ! P\R. ll~D. W ~"° 01111. LUNCH "10 KEEP IT (continued from page 21) F~ESM !" Canoon by Docta 1)' HAYWOOD COUNTY P ROPOSES GARBAGE FEAST FOR BEARS Na11nl World News Service County and municipal govcmmenis lhroughou1 Ka1Uah arc wrcsl.ling with the looming specter of mounlains of trash, and no place lO pul lhem. Haywood Coun1y in western Nonh Carolina is no exception. The prcsen1 IMdfill (i.e.• dump) 1s Casi approaching capacity and will be closed wilhin lwo ycnrs. Efforts by Lhc coun1y commissioners lO siie o new dump in lhe CrabU'Ce community failed. Sirong opposition, well-developed during Lhc "Siop Lhc Nuclear Dump• efforis, derailed 1hc comm1ssionecs and lhe11 handsomely-paid "front man•. engincct Gary "Mackie" McKay. Not lO be dclencd, McKay (who n:poncdly will receive IO'h of the engineering COSIS LO site a dump) proposed a new site in Lhc While Oak community on Fines Creclc. While Oak is lhe most isolated and leas1 populaled area in lbe county. It is adjacent 10 Lhc once-magnificent Pigeon River. close 10 the Grea1 Smoky Mounlain National Parle, and lbe Hannon Den Bear Sanctuary. It is here lhat McKay proposes a IOO·acre dump. A representative of Tribble and Riclwdson, lbe engineering company McKay h11ed lO conduct groundwaicr lCSLS at lhe site, bas said, "We couldn't have found a belier loc4tion for a landfill.• The inhabitants of While Oak community disagree. One residcnl, Bob Hessler, is worried aboul pollution leaching from lhe proposed dump into lhe Pigeon River. Hessler approached lhe county commission wilh lhe idea of municipal trash composting and was amazed lO find that no one knew what ii was. Composting garbage reduces disposal problems greatly. Through a biological fcnnentation process. municipal waste producLS (liquid sewage, sludge. and garbage) are Lransformed inlO a valuable, marketable produce "Class r composL. Additionally, comp0s1ing roduccs the built of garbage IO a mere 15% of ilS original volume, which would require a much smaller landfill sile for the remaining plastics and non-biodegradable wasteS. As an al1cmative disposal method, composting a a s proven, eost-cffcctivc solution. McKay seems oblivious to 1be fact thal composting works. As County Commissioner Noland put ii, "There may be a connict of interest with McKay." There are olher problems with the location of the proposed landfill. White Oak residents sought the opinion of black beat researcher Mike Pelton, a professor m lhc University Of Tennessee's Dcp:1rtmem ofForesuy, Wildlife and Fisheries. In a prepared stalCment he swd. "Landfills, garbage dumps, or any olber conccnLraled source of human food or ~e serve as an awaction LO bears. Throughoul Nonh America, wherever lhe two occur in close proximi1y, problems have arisen. These problems tend LO be particularly bad in or near zones of protection for bears, such as national parks or designated sanctuaries. "The proposed landfill on Fines Creek in Haywood County, NC meets all the criicria for being a polential problem. Its proximily to lbe Great Smoley Mounlains National Parle and the Harmon Den Bear Sanctuary in lhe Pisgah National Foresl are of special concern. ln addition Lo the above prollimily lO areas of pro1ec1ed populaiions and high bear numbers, olher factors add 10 the concern over lhe location of the proposed landfill. One is its proximity to historic release siu:s of problem bears by lhe National Park Service, and the other is lhe vulncrobilily of bears attracted lO lhe site while trying 10 cross 1-40.• Because of lhe limited road system in the Park, there are only lhree areas to relocate problem bears A landfill adj3CCnt 10 lhe CaUlloochee area, where almos1 30 percent are released. could hnve sign1fican1 implications regarding bear management. A majority of visLorlbcar interactions occur on lhe central or wes1 end of lhe Park. Therefore, ii is importanl lha1 a remOle rclocallon area be available oo the easl end. Caialoochee is the only reasonable area for consideration. An ongoing study wilhin the Harmon Den Bear Sanctuary suggests lhat lhe landfill as also wilhin the reach of mosl snnclU31)' bcrus. Breeding-age fcrnales could be drawn ou1 of lhe prolCCted confines of the sane wary, where they would be exposed 10 much higher nsks of mortality. Hunters frequent lhe borders of lhe sanctuary area, and a ncarl>y landfill would encourage more bears to aucmpl lhe dangerous crossings over lntctsta1e 40. In response, McKay has suggested ughl.ly bundling the garbage and wrapping ii in plastic--a la Saran Wrap--to conlain the auractivc aromas. Additionally, McKay proposes hiring a game warden to patrol Lhe dump, to educate the local folks aboul "dump bears," and 10 control poachers. Presumnbly, this warden would also act as a traffic guard, halting traffic on 1-40 lO allow bears to cross over from lhe Hannon Den 8CM SanclU31)'. Reahsucally, a composting opcrauon offers Haywood County a much safer disposal mclhod thal could be more centrally located on a smaller S•le tha1 would not present a danger lO the alrcady·abuscd Pigoon River or to the local bears. say, have been CSUlblished in geographic areas other lhan lhe mountains and are not valid in lhe mounl3Jn locale. Despite well-organized. suong opposition, lhe Deep Gap generators will be buih if lhcy receive approval in early March from the NC Utilities Commission and lhc federal Rural Elecuification Administtation. The "deep gap• widens .... DON'T GO NEAR THE WATER Nawral World News Servoc:c Sedimenta1ion is the Kaiuah region's mos1 common form of waler pollution. Until January I, 1990 state and private forestry operations were exempt from any lcmd of sedimentation cooirols • namely, the NC Sedimcniauon Pollution Control Acl (NCSPCA) of 1973. Now, even on privale and state con1111Cts, loggers must adhere LO the following provisions 10 prevenl sedimentation due to land-disturbing acuv1Lies: I) Establish Bild mllinlain a sLrCWnsidc manage men I zone along all bodies of waier. 2) Prevent any debris and wasies from entering bodies of walCt. 3) Consuucl occess roads and skid trails so lhal sedtmentation is minimized. 4) Apply pesticides and fcruliu:rs according to labeled uses, and in such a way as 10 prevent adverse impacis on water quality. 5) Leave shade over streams. 6) Provide erosion control for all large-scale din-moving projcclS within 30 working days after ceasing any phase of an operation or when bcgiMing a period of inacuvity. The NC Slllte Forestry Commission is rcsponsable for reviewing loggang operations, writing individual sedimentation conirol plans, and referring CLOSING THE DEEP GAP Na11nl World News Service Moonlain People for Clean Afr (MPCA) and the Blue RR!ge Envaronmcntal Defense League (BREOL) arc leading the effortS lO s1 construction of diesel op generators in lbe Docp Gap area of Watauga Counly. The generators are planned by lhe Nonh Carolina Electric Membership Cooperative lO supplemen1 electrical power supplied to lhe Deep Gap area by Dulce Power. Opposition lO the proposal has been voiced for many monlhs, and has included protests presented at public meetings and picketing in fronl of the electric co-op's Raleigh offices. The NC Division of Env1IOnmental Management hlls altc3dy issued a pcrm11 lO the CCH>p lO build the generatOrS. Protesicrs state I.hat Ibey have nol received fair representation from 1he state organi1.a1ion sci up LO mediate between lhe people and the utili1y companies. MPCA and BREOL have both taken the stand thal lhcrmal inversions and fog common 10 the Occp Gap area should prohibit the building of diesel gcncnuors and lheir inevitable discharges of sulphur and nitrogen oxide acids. The co-<>p has argued it will comply wilh state emission standards, but the opposilion groups say lhat these standards arc not sufficienL These regulations, they non-compliant opcra1ions 10 the NC Division of Environmental Management (DEM). Your assistance in notifying lhe county foresicr or the OEM of violations will malte lhis new "non-exempt" law work. Contac1: NC Division of Environmental Man3gcmen1, Land Quality Secuon 59 Woodfm Place Asheville, NC 28801 (704) 251-6208 Drawing by Rob MC$$iclc Sprl.nq, 1990 �YOU OTTER BE THERE Nlllnl World News Savice "They're cu1e and cuddly. bul lhey're wild animals, and they'll bi1e," says wildlife biologis1 Mike Carraway. River OllcrS lllC once again making a saand in the mountains and foothills of KatLiah's eastern slope. Ouers have been released by b1olog1S1s mos1 rcccnlly in the Ca1awba River in Burke County. Plans include future releases below Lake James near Morgan1on. Oucrs were once bunted for lhe1r beautiful fur eoais, and !hey have been absenl from Kn1uah since lhe early I 900's. Rcmuoduccd oners seem to be strongly eslllblishcd in lhc Great Smoley Moun1ains. where they have migrated over high ridges and through forests IO slake oul new ierritones far from lhe1r original release si1cs. As lite newly-rclcnsed ot1ers make !heir way upsueam. 1bey wi ll pencira1e in10 01her mountain wa1ersheds. Since Ibey are now proiecied from pell huniers, ouers should be able to conunue !heir strong comeback in K.aUiah·s walCrS. Drawin& by Jomes Rhea PROTECTING BLACK BEARS OAK RIDGE ON TRIAL NC SOLID WASTE BILL N.nnl World News Savice Nlllnl WOfld News Savice Nllll.nl World News Scrvi<ie On May 2, 1990 lhe NC Wildlife Resources Commission will bold special public bearings on lhe topic ol raising the minimum hunting limll for blaclt bears from SO pounds IO 100 pounds. Thac will be two hearings tba1 nigh!. one scheduled for 7:00 pm at lhe Smokey Mountain High School in Sylva, Jackson Co., and anolhct at lhe same time a1 KinSIOll High School in Lenoir, Caldwell Co. The entire Sou1hem Appalachian black bear population is estimaled a1 2000 bears. The number of cubs born each year varies widely depending on lhe food supply, bu1 averages approximately 200-300 cubs per year. Given the legal kill of 300 bears each year and a poaching ra1e llta1 is llto ugh1 10 equal lba1, lhe bear population appears 10 be barely holding its own or even declining at !his time. Yc1 habi1a1 stresses such as loss of bard mast production due to oak decline, damage from lite oncoming invasion o f lhe gypsy molh, increased road construction and use, and continued clcarcuuing promise 10 pu1 additional pressure on lhe existing black bear population in lhc near fu1ure. Research by wildlife biologists bas shown that lhe average age of female bears being killed in the moun1ains is between 3.5 and 4.6 years. The average female docs no1 bear young until age four. For a creature wilh a poiential hfe cxpcclllncy of 20 or more years, lltis early age mortali1y drastically reduces reproductive capabiluy and lltrcaiens lhe species' abilily 10 rebound from babitn1 pressures. There is much to be done to guaranlCC lhal lhe black bear will forever roam lhcse mounLains. Raising lhe minimum hunting limil for black bears 10 100 pounds is one measure lhlll is now up for deb:ue. Those who arc willing IO speak up for lite black bear should aucnd lhe special hearings on lhe evening of May 2. Those who canno1 auend lite hearings can cornmunicale lhc1r opinion to the: NC Wildlife R~ Cornm1~~ion S 12 N. Salisbury S1. Raleigh, NC 27611 Renders may well remember lhe announcement for the Hiroshima Day demonstration al Oak Ridge (Ka1iiall Jow nal #2A). Over 700 people joined in diRc1 action io procesl lbc Oalt Ridge facili1y's manufacwring of nuclear weapon components. Of lhe more lhan 700 demonstrators, 29 were ancsted for crossing lbc line a1 lhe galCS of lhe Y-12 plan! in a ges1ure of non-violent confron1:11ion. Two of the 29 arrested, Bonnie Kendrick and Kathy Brown, enlCICd a plea of "llOI guil1y• and an: preparing for lhcir trial, which is scheduled for June 7. The women hope their uial will successfully ques1ion lbe morali1 of the manufac1 y unng and deploymem of nuclear wcnpons. They plan to focus on lhc environmental problems associated willt bringing these implemenis of ca1astrophic destruction into The Staie of North Carolina approved new solid wasie managemen1 policies a1 the las1 session or lite General Assembly. Legislation adopted SlalCS lltat lhe preferred melhod for handling the swe's solid waste problems is IO reduce waste volume al the source. Following tbal. the nex1preferable mclhod is recycling and reuse. If malUials caMOI be reused, then composting is lhe preferred disposal SU'al.Cgy. The least-preferred melhods of disposal arc ancincralion and landfill dumping. The solid W8SIC managemen1 legislat.ion also SIClS an objective for 25~ of the slalC's wasie IO be recycled by 1993. Local governments lhroughoul 1he SIBIC are required 10 institulC recycling programs by July of 1991 to help achieve this goal. The legislation also stipulates lltal large plastic containers will have 10 bear labeli ng indicating !heir composition, in order to help in recycling. h bans the sale of packag ing containing halogena1ed chloronuorocarbons (CFC's) and polys1yrene food containers effective Oc1ober I, 1991. II also stalCS lhai. beginning in October 1990, used oil will noc be accepted &1 landfills; by 1991, lead-acid b:wcrics will be forbidden: and lh:ll, beginning in 1993, yard trash will no longer be Sprl"'J, 1990 existence. Kendrick and Brown will base !heir plea on the grounds of necessily. and will bring up case histories from the Nurcrnburg Trials. The defendants arc galhcring evidence of Ibo radioactive and toxic dangers in lhe Oak Ridge area. They also have cxpcn willlesses who will verify lheir plea of lite neccssi1y for civil resis1ance. Among the witnesses appearing will be Robert Aldridge, who designed lbc missile delivery syslCm for lhe Triden1 11-05, bu1 is now an ardcnl anti-nuclear pcaoc activist. Francis Anlhony Boyle, a professor of inLCmational law and author of lhe book Defefldjng Civil RtsiJtanet Under Inttrnaticnal Law will also take lhe Sland. The women feel lba1 we canno1 afford to carry on "business as usual" while industrial pollution and weapons production lhrcaien lhe life cycles of lhe planet. Unul the threat is stopped, !hey say, lhcre will be ever more public ou1cry, and more trials lhal raise lhe imponan1 quesuons of cnvironmentnl safely, communi1y heallh, and moral responsibilily. Anyone who i~ inLCrcslcd in rinding ou1 more aboul 1h1S trial or wishCli to make a dona1ion to the defense fund, please coniact: Oak Ridge Envuonmenllll Pe:ice AllUlllCC P.O. Box 1101 Knoxville, TN 37901. 8CCCplCd. The solid was1e management bill also aulhoriz.es suppon and training activity 10 help s1a1e agencies and local governments fulrill lhe objectives of lhe new slalc policies on solid wasLC. This will be 1mplcmcnLCd by the NC Dcpartmenl of Environmeni. Health, and Natural Resources and lhe Commission of Hcallh Services. II also charges the NC Department of Economic and Communi1y Developmen1 to assist in rinding and developing markets for composlCd products and recycled mmcria.ls. Source: News/ti/tr of tht IVattr Resourcts RtSearch lnslitutt of TM Unilitrsity <!North Carolina �HEALING THE WHOLE SELF These are the words of a traditional Cherokee medicine person... Sometimes to understand something, it's necessary to dissect it, to take it apan into pieces. Western culture does that well. But they have become so expert with the parts that they have forgotten how the pieces fit together as a whole. Western medicine dissects people by seeing them as spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical. But there is a unity between those pans. If a person gets sick spiricually, and if he or she ignores that, the imbalance will evencually show up in his or her emotional and psychological make-up. And if that person keeps building walls to avoid facing their problem, eventually it will manifest itself on the physical being, where it will put the person into such a situation that he or she can't ignore it My grandfather used to say that what we call the common cold isn't a sickness or a disease at all. It's the Spirit's way of saying, "Stop! Slow down! Here's an opportunity to see what's going on in your life." When you have a cold, you feel too bad to go rush and run about But if you take the time to sit down, examine your life, and be really honest with yourself, as you come to some kind of conclusions, that so-called "cold" or sickness will go away. But not all sickness comes from the inside, because one half of the world is eating the other half right now, and there's viruses and bacteria and accidents that can happen to the body. A part of well-being is to be spiritually strong, psychologically and emotionally. You do that by not avoiding things. You make peace with your mother and father, if they've messed you over. You forgive them, and you forgive yourself most of all, because of the bad feelings you had, because they didn't meet your expectations, real or not real. You come to peace with that You can come to peace with the other expectations that have not been met in your life, and other people who turned out to be not what you thought. Then, if something attacks you, it's less likely to be severe, and your recuperative powers will be much stronger. We have been placed in this world to strengthen our spirit. We are here to learn, to overcome, and to take responsibility for being here. People who totally neglect their spirit, and do nothing to carry out the purpose for which we are here are more likely to be susceptible to those external things that attack us. They might stop a bullet, be attacked by viruses or diseases. Of course anybody who makes love continuously with someone who's got AIDS is likely to get it. We still have to learn common sense, and take care of our own selves on that basic level. Then there's the mental part of ourselves that comes in two pans: there's the up-front, linear/critical, intellectual mind, and then there's the emotional part. The linear/critical pan of our brain is very limited in its function. Its job description is that it deals with problems. If it doesn't have a problem, then it makes one. And 99 times out of 100, the problems that it creates are negative, because that part of our brain only wants to solve things. The Creator gave us this ability so we would have a better chance of survival, so we could figure out how to keep a lion from eating us or how we were going to survive this freezing winter. It's a gift The lion's got his claws and teeth; we've got this conex. Solving problems is what it does. So to be healthy, you have to present that pan of your brain with a problem - a positive problem. The other part of our mental self is the emotional part. This pan contains all our emotional feelings, positive or negative. The catch is that the linear/critical part of the brain acts as a doorkeeper. It locks the door to bad news. It locks the door to things it wants to avoid. If I mistreat someone, even if I know it's not good to mistreat people and HnowT did it .wrongly, my mind may not want to admit to that. lncidentstike thar stagnme in my emotional mind. All the feelings that arose when other people injured me or hun me, all the anger and frustration from incidents that 1 have not yet resolved with myself, all of that is hidden away in my emotional mind. I cannot avoid those feelings, even if my linear/critical, problem-solving brain doesn't want to hear about them. So if I build walls around that stuff with my conscious mind, it waits there until night-time when my defenses arc down, and then it comes out through the back door, through my dreams. To maintain spiritual health, resolve as many of those things as you possibly can up front. That's hatd, but it makes it easier if we recogniu that we are going to make mistakes in our lives. All life is is an education. We arc here to learn from this experience. But sometimes we punish ourselves our whole lives for mistakes we have made. As much as possible, we need to deal with all those incidents and the feelings they raise consciously at the moment, because what happens to us in our dream state is as real as what happens in daylight, and it's just as important Deal with those things and go on. That is the way to be where your power is. Personal power is when we stop and take responsibility for our own actions. We have a tendency to blame other people for things we do or don't do. We blame other people or events outside ourselves for most of the things that happen to us - particularly the bad things. Actually, most - not all, but most - of the good or bad that happens in our life is dependent on our own level of attention and caring. But as long as people relinquish their responsibility by attributing events that happen in their own life to something or someone else, then they will never have personal power. They are giving it away. Along with personal power go happiness, sadness, and joy - all those things are our responsibility. They arc created internally, not externally. My wife is not responsible for my happiness or my sadness. rt is me. It is happening inside here. This is where I create these responses to the circumstances of my life. SprLrM), 1990 I �Most people walking around in the world are separated from their power. Their power is far in the future, or their power is the past dealing with regrets and pains, unfulfilled expectations, a lack of love, or whatever else is troubling them. The result is that, while they are right here, they have no power. They are always ahead or they are always behind. because they are waiting for a future opponunity that never comes, or their energies are behind them dealing with yest.erday. If those people had their power right here, they could deal with things. The only place we can deal with things is in the present. We cannot spend our lives behind or ahead. We have no personal power if our power is not located in the present Otherwise, life is a question of "Eat, shit, sleep, and die." People like that are the same as one-celled creature. That kind of a life is a waste of soil and energy. That kind of person can do nothing. The way of healing used by the old Cherokee medicine men involved conjuring. Conjuring means manipulation. "Manipulation" is a bad word in the dominant culture. You don't say you manipulate people even if you do. But manipulation is alright as long as it is used for the benefit of the patient and not for one's personal benefit A good conjurer never conjures for himself. If a medicine man conjures for himself, avoid him, because he will manipulate a situation for his own personal gain. If a medicine person charges you for anything, he's profiting from the experience of another person's suffering. Traditional native people won't have anything to do with that kind of person, unless it's a maintenance-and-repair doctor practicing western medicine. That's just the way those doctors do it. The old Cherokees used to say that the white doctors caused disease. They knew it, because the doctors charged for their help, and obviously they didn't wanr their patients to get well. That was how they made their living. There are three levels of conjuring or manipulation. People use the elementary fonn of manipulation every day to get their way. A man often uses bis manliness, bis male aggressiveness. That touches primal instincts in women or children. When the dominant male is rowdy, they have a deep programming that prompts them to split for cover. If a woman wants to manipulate a situation, she uses her feminine sexuality. Those are oversimplified examples of conjuring. In actual life we do it mucl\ more subtly. There is a higher fonn of conjuring, and that is by using knowledge. Understanding how things work allows one to manipulate a situation. A lot of things that western doctors or scientists do seem like magic to us, because we do not comprehend the principles involved. It isn't magic to them, because they understand how it works. It operates in another manner as well. Everybody has within themselves a force that I call the Physician Within. If a healer or a conjurer has a deep understanding of people, he or she can contact and activate the Physician Within inside their patient. But it talces a great degree of understanding. For example, I knew a young fellow once who fell off a rock cliff and was badly hurt. He was carried to a bed and Jay there, drifting in and out of consciousness. A medicine man came and looked at him, and then came over to us and said, "I don't think he's going to live. He's hurt bad inside." They called another medicine man, a really old guy. He came over there. He talked with the first medicine man. Then he went over there and studied the victim, looked him over. He knew the boy well. knew his situation. The old man leaned over and was talking to the victim for quite some while. The young man started moving around a little bit He moved his body, and after a while he sat up and was looking around. He was weak, but that old man had provoked the instinct to survive just by saying some words to him. Spr""'J, t 990 It took me three years to find out what words the old man had whispered to that boy. Finally the old man told me. What he had said was, "Your best friend, Everett, is messing around with your girlfriend. I know it. I've seen him slip in there a couple of times, and before you die I want you to know that he's been putting one over on you all this time." It seems so simple when you know the secret. But that was a powerful statement for that boy. It made him mad. The old man understood that. He had a practical understanding of the laws of nature. If he did not know what was said, a western doctor would not have understood. He would have thought that the old man had been using some form of magic. We all have cenain requirements as human beings. We all want warmth, we all require nurturing. It's just as imponant to us as supper. We want that hugging, we want that gentleness. A good healer understands these things. The better we understand these instinctual requirements, the better we will be able to understand other human beings, and the better we will understand ourselves and why we do what we do. The spiritual form of conjuring, which is the most powerful and the hardest to explain, is when individual healers pull their whole being together - they are not hindered by their limitations, their human nature is not getting in the way, their self-interest is not getting in the way, nothing is blocking their potential - and then they arc able to hook into the power of the whole universe, the One. When it all comes down to equations, the answer is One there's but One, and we're a pan of that One. There is incredible power in being able to move that energy into the patient. This energy provokes the Physician Within to give the energy center a boost when nothing else will. This is a direct transmission of Life Force. The old Chinese conception of the Tao is much like what I call "medicine." In this sense "medicine" is something very different from the way the western people mean it There's yin and yang. We might be tempted to call them "good" and "bad," but they refer to the pairing of any and all opposite forces, whatever they are. The two forces come together. They come close to each other, but they never touch. One comes moves toward the center and becomes dominant. It stays until it's fulfilled, and then it pulls back. As it pulls back, the other one is pulled in. It's a dance. Everything is moving. What moves that process is call~ the Tao. And the center, or the space between the two opposite forces, is medicine. When traditional healers study medicine, they study everything in between the two opposite forces. Without that action there is no life. My grandfather said, "God is the energy that started movement Whatever started motion is God." And the motion God started was this. From that space in the center, we can tap into the energy of the Whole. When we do it ceremonially, we can concentrate the energy of a group of people on the healing process that needs to happen. A group of people can create a powerful phenomenon when they can stop their own personal self-indulgence, even for one split second, and move collectively on the same issue. It doesn't happen often anymore, but when it does, it is uplifting. Things happen that defy the understanding of the rational mind. There is an old saying, "Magic comes when all doubt has been removed from the mind." �DRUMMING LETTERS TO KATUAH Dear KatUah, I was reading in the Wildlife in North Carolina magazine about the Chestnut trees and I hadn't thought about them much, but I think it would be nice to have some big ones around. I saw your address in there and they said that you had an old issue of the Ka!Uah JourNJJ, which was about the Chesmut tree. I would like to get one if you have any more. I live out in the country about ten miles from Statesville, a couple of miles from the small town of Catawba. It is across the river though in a differen1 county. Let us hope that the tree can make a comeback. James Ford Editors' note: We were pleased and surprised to receive over 75 requests for the ChestllUl Issue due to that menti()n in Wildlife in North Carolina . Dear KanJah, I was recently adopted into the Seneca Nation, and I'm seeking information on the Seneca People. Their language, dress, spirits, and everything else I can find out. I would also like to receive information on KatUah JourNJ/ to be sent to my fianccC who got me very enthused in researching Native People. She enjoys collecting artifacts or anything that resembles Indian an woric. While I helped build her collection I became interested in the reading of the history. She is part Indian, but I forgot the People. I am now in prison and me and her went our separate ways before my arrest, but I have not stopped caring for her or sending infonnation I uncover to help her. I get out of here in 5 months, and hope the Great Spirit will rejoin us once again. I would very much like you to send her a subscription of your Journal as a gift from me. Please bill me for it and I will cover the cost as soon as I can. There is a friend on my dorm who is starting to receive your Journal, so I will be sharing his. Please send me any information you can on real books on the American Indian. Than.le you for your time and help in this matter. Sincerely, Robert Stigleman Dear Kazuah Journa.J, I am writing to lei you know about the establishmen1 of a new organization in South Carolina, the Action Research Forum. Our aim in founding this group is to promote peace, justice, and environmental pro1ection through research, education, and communi1y-based action. We are currently compiling information about effons in the deep south to achieve greater social and economic justice , ro end racism, and to protect the environmen1. We hope that your organization will send us some of your recent pubhcations and reports, and that you will add us to your mailing list so that we may receive regular news of your work. Jn exchange, we will spread the word as best we can about your organii.ation through our resource listings, and we will keep you up to date about our effons (we plan to have a newslener). We also plan to eventually have enough funds to make donations to organizations such as yours. If you have any questions, please feel free to write us or ro get in touch by phone. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Bill Hall Dear KanJah, Recently, on a trip to Georgia, I came across an issue of the KmUah Journal. I was very excited to find a publication with such infonnation. Though I don't live in the area, rm interested in the information you are compiling. I eventually plan to move, and I may well move to the Southern Appalachians. I am interested in self-sufficient living, organic farming (which I am doing now), and similarly minded people who don't worship the microwavable, plastic shrink wrapped, computerized world. I've enclosed money for a year's subscription and two back issues. If you would kindly send me addresses about organjc farming and small self-sufficient communities in the bioregion I would be much obliged. May the Great Spirit bless you for doing such work, Daniel Shoag Action Research Forum P.O.Box 176 Starr, S.C. 29684 (803) 352-2757 Dear Kanlah, Your statement of purpose tingled my bells, and scanning the sample copy you sent clinched it. Now I'll go sit in the garden and read every word of the issue. But first, here's my SI0.00.1 want to see more. Blue Sky Sprlcn(}. 1990 �STONESCAPE Dark morning tangled with the mind A labyrinth by wind designed. But like a storm the window of the eye, Shattered a depth beyond the will to cry. Pale light littered the rooftops with our grief. The wonder of it mirrored in each leaf. We saw ourselves in shadows of a chill Flickering the stonescape of our will. - Sandra Fowler .>ear Katuah, We have been fortunate enough to receive your paper from a friend who lives near Washington, D.C., where it is more available than in our area. I was so happy to see your issue on children and wished to comment specifically on the article "Binh Power" by Lucinda Flodin and Manha Perkins. The predominant misconception is, in this piece and others like it, that midwives, free of the sociological trappings of organized medicine will permit women a more natural embrace of birth as a life changing force. It is true that midwives often permit a couple to birth more in the setting of their choice-what appears as untruth is that they give parents back their power. Birth is the completion of a circle, a psychobioecosystem if you will, as fragile and complex as the Gaia. This circle, begun in the embrace of conception, requires no orchestration or observation by a 'professional", either in its beginning, or in its completion in the act of binh. Do it yourself homebirth, as presented by Marilyn Moran in her 1st book, entitled the same, and in her collected birth accounts, entitled. Happy Birth Days, is the tuest form of empowerment. It is no wonder, considering our socially promoted birth norms (from hospital technology to midwife at home) that the world is seeing more and more divorce and breach of commitment. Instead of Poppa caressing Momma, and assisting the life of their love into the world, the father is assigned some minimal position behind mother while either a doctor cuts, or a midwife massages the mother's genitalia. Through the binh of our first child we experienced such transcendental communion, such ecstacy, such fulfillment as one in the universe. This would have been impossible should anyone else have been present besides my husband and myself. Midwives do not give back power by assisting binh - they would empower by providing prenatal care and encouraging fathers to fulfill their position as soulmate and companion in the act of binh. True empowerment comes through accepting complete responsibility. I would love to see this view presented in your journal. Marilyn Moran is a wonderful and eloquent woman, who I am sure would appreciate the opportunity of presenting our conflicting view - should it be your policy to provide open forum in this way. Her address is: Marilyn Moran c/o The New Nativity P.O.Box 6223 Leawood, KS. 66206 Thanks for all the wonderful work you do! Praying for Peace, Teresa A. Rasmussen Nore: The editors would like to caUJion couples to be aware of safety considerations when considering undenalcing an unassisted birth. Sprl.nq, 1990 The Fourth Turtle Island Bioregional Congress (NABC JV) will be held August 19-26, 1990 at Lake Cobbosseecontee, near Augusta, Maine in the Gulf of Maine Bioregion. Faced with the developing ecological crisis, the Congress sees its mission as deciding whether the bioregional movement is to become a ''visible and viable social/political/ cultural transformational movement" (and creating the bioregional and continental organizing strategies to fulfill that goal) or to be primarily a philosophical concept that permeates other movements for change. The movement does not need to further refine its resolutions. Rather, it is time to apply these principles in practice in our bioregions and across the continent. People from the Karuah Province will be attending the NABC IV, so please contact the Katuah journal (Box 638; Leicester, NC; KatU.ah Province 28748) if you are going, so that we may coordinate transportation and consider how we will represent our region at the Congress. Mail Congress queries or registrations to: Turtle Island Bioregional Congress Gulf of Maine Books 61 Maine St. St. Brunswick, ME Gulf of Maine Bioregion 04011 Places for the Congress are going quickly, so register immediately, if you are interested in attending this important event. Registration is $175 for adults, $100 for children. �ENVIRONMENT-AL PHOTOS WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM The Spirit of the Wild James Rhea's artwork that was the logo for the "Restoring Biodiversity in the Southern Appalachians" conference and the cover of Issue 25 of the KatUah Journal. is now available to all as conference posters and T -Shirts. The posters are beautiful, four-color 11 .. x 17" renditions of the native species portrait with conference information below and are available for $2.00. The T-shins are heavy-d uty, all-conon, silkscreened by Ridgerunner Naturals. Only large and extra-large sizes remain. They are available for $10.50. Prices include postage. NC residents please add 5% sales tax. All proceeds from the sale of 1hese i1ems will suppon rescue actions for native habitat in the Southern Appalachian forest. Order from: KRLRNU Box 282; Sylva, NC Katuah Province 28789 The Womens International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is 75 years old this year. The group was organized in 1915 at the Hague, Netherlands. It has been an interracial organization throughout its history. The League came about when more than 1,000 Women's Suffragist leaders from 12 nations met at the Hague to mount a campaign to abolish war. Jane Addams of the U.S. chaired that Congress. The participants chose the name 'Women's International League for Peace and Freedom' and resolved to work to end intervention, promote disarmament, negotiate regional conflicts, and work for peace and freedom by non-violent means. Those resolutions and our commitment to undoing racism as an influence in our society still form the basis of the programs of WILPF. The Asheville Branch of WILPF meets for a pot luck lunch on the third Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon at the Friends Meeting House; 227 Edgewood Rd. (off Merrimon Ave). Join with us. For further information call Dorothy (704) 298-9082, Brita (704) 667-0287, or Mary Kay (704) 667-04630. SEE "EVENTS" for details a bou t WILPF's?Sth BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER on APRIL 71 The Appalachian Environmental Arts Center is issuing a call for environmental photography to be entered in an Eanh Day photography exhibit to open in Greeneville, SC on April 22, 1990. The exhibit is intended to bring attention to abuses of the natural world as well as to celebra1e !he environment Complete details on photo categories and entrance procedures may be oblained by writing Gil Leebrick at !he Appalachian Environmental Arts Ce nter; Drawer 580; Highlands, NC 28741 or calling (704) 526-4303. THE BURNING QUESTION ...AND JUST WHAT IS A YAPI?? A YAPI (Youth Advocating Planetary Improvement) is a species of concerned and aware high school student committed to making beneficial changes on the planet. The idea began in Highlands, NC. where the Y API's have organized and publish their own newspaper, Reflections, for others of their ki nd. They stand for world peace, the environment, and an end to world hunger. Y API supporters or individual Y APl's wishing to stan a new chapter can contact the group at this address: Youth Advocating Plane1ary Improvement Box 2136 Highlands, NC Katuah Province 28741 MYLES HORTON MEMORIAL t!lti11ae .,4(11p1111e/11re ul Jler/111"1111 t!li11k 74 EAST OESTMJT SmEET ASHEVIU.E. NC 29801 70t·251MIOIG EU.EN Hlf'IES, M.Ac.. ~ M, UC. .MU'UNCTURlST HUMMINGBIRD The career of Myles Horton, Jong-lime radical activist and co-founder of the Highlander Research and Education Center, ended with his death early this year. Myles was well-known nationally as well as regionally for his work in the causes of labor organizing and civil rights. Friends and admirers of Myles Horton will gather at Highlander early in May for a memorial service dedicated to his memory. Any who arc interested in attending the event may call Alissa Keny-Guyer at (615) 933-3443 for details. Bulk I terbs, Spices, & Grains Vitamins & Supplcnwn1s lf?!~faw WhC<ll. Sall & Yeas1-Frf'C 1-cxxfs Dair} Subs11tu1cs I lair & Skin care Natural Food Store &Deli 160 Bl'Olldway Asheville, NC 28801 Wher'9 BroedWlly 11*ts Mlrrlmon Ave• ~240 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Monday·Slllurd.y: 9 am·8pm Sunday: 1pm-Spm (704) ZSS.785& _, f]\iagei 'JWtt~r 'Natyr<\l~ 130 N. Main Street Waynesville. NC 28786 (704) 456-3003 'Tht' t\ft'';ffl';: S~~~ Oldl'SI & Ull<WSI N111urc11 FoocLs Gmn•n( 704-264-5220 200 W. Klng St. Boone, NC 3 Bloclts from Campus SprincJ. l 990 �€V€0t'S 18-2 1 BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC The Black Mountain Festival. Traditional and folk music weekend with Tim and Molly O'Brien, Ethel Kathy Austin (black vocal), Liz Carroll (fiddle) wilh guitarist Daithi Sprouce, Figgy Duff, Harry and the Cajuns, The Buzzard Rock String Band, Summe.r Puppetry Caravan, more. Ans and crafts festival, 5/21-24; contemporary and international music weekend, 5!25-Zl (see lhose dates). Cost: $12/day on weekends (vehicle camping $5 extra); $40 for weekend w/ tent camping or bunks; $5/day Mon.-Thurs. For more info; Grey Eagle and Friends; Box 216; Black Mountain, NC 28711. MARCH WESSER, NC Nanl.3hala lnlCmalional River Rally. Paddlers from the Soviet Union and Othct countries will compete. Sponsored by Nanlllhala Outdoor Center. Call fOC' dclails: (7().1) 488·217S. I S-26 17 ASHEVILLE, NC Shadow puppet workshop and demonsll'ation for children 7 and up with Hobie Ford and the Goldenrod Puppeis. 10:30-11:30. Free. 22-23 BROWNS SUMMIT, NC Lex Mathews Conference on Theology and EnvironmenL Keynote: Thomas Berry. $25. Call The LMd Stewardship Council (919) 821-4391. 19 GREAT SMOKIES PARK "Forests and Trees of the Smokies." Visiting lhe various forest associations of the Great Smokies. S25. Sec 4/21. 2A ARDEN, NC "Bringing A Course in Miroclts into Application," workshop with Aliana Scurlock at Unity Center of Arden. 10 am • 4 pm. $65. Write: Dr. Frank Trombcua; 671 Balsam Rd.; Hendersonville. NC 28739. 25-27 25 SWANNNANOA, NC Willaru Huayu, lncan spiruual messenger from Cuzco, Peru, will speak on lncan prophecy and spirituality at The Earth Center; 302 Old Fellowship Rd.; Swannanoo, NC 28776 (7().1) 298-3935. 28 Brevard, j\IC The Traveling Ecological Road Show featuring lhe YAPl's, hjgb school students for the environment, at Brevard Episcopal Chun:b, 6:30 pm. For information, call: (7().1) 526-92482. 21-22 GREAT SMOKIES PARK "Wilderness Wildflowers.• Two-day instructional wildflower identilicat.ion. Easy 8-milc hike, camping. $50. Coniact Smoky Mountain Field School; University of Tennessee Non.Credit Programs; 2016 Lake Ave.; Knoxville, TN 37996 (800) 284-8885. APRIL 22 IS EARTH DA y THROUGHOlJf THE KATUAH PROVINCE· SEE SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION, PAGE 15, FOR DETAILS APRIL 7 JOHNSON CITY, TN "Wizard of the Wind," an environmental fairytale, and shadow puppet workshop on dental care. Museum BClmission fee. For info, call: (615)928-6508. 7 ASHEV ILL E, NC Fundraiscr Concert fOC' International League fOC' Peace and Freedom with David Wilcox. Joe and Karen Holbert, Womansong. Jubilee Center. S7. Call (7().1) 298-9082. HOT S PRINGS, NC "Daily Life as Spiritual Practice," four-day Zen retreat wilh Cheri Huber. Sl60. For more info, write: Southern Channa Retreat Center. Rt. I, Box 34-H; Hot Springs, NC 28743. 23 ASHEVILLE, NC The Tra veling Ecologicnl Road Show featuring lhc YAPl's, high school students for lhc environment.. at lhe Asheville School. For info, call Evereu Gourley (7().1) 254-6345. TUXEDO, NC "National Forest Service Reform The Time l s Now!" Randal OToole, J eff DeBonis, David Wilcove, Leon Minckler, Ned Fritz, panels, field trips. Camp Green Cove. Registration; $10. Meals and lodgi ng; $49. For more info, call Western North Carolina AUiance. (704) 258-8737. 2.S-27 BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC Block Mountain Festival contin ues! Contemporary and international music with Leon Redbone, Ephlat Mujuru (mbira player from Zimbabwe), Aor de Gana (Latin band), Lucy Blue Tremblay, Stark Raven wilh lhe Twister Sisters (folk rock), White Boys in Trouble, Goldenrod Puppets, more. See 5/18-20. 26-28 MADISON, VA "Woman/Earlh/Spiri1 • gathering on feminine spirituality. $210. For info, contaec Sevenoaks Pathwork Center. RL I, Box 86; Ma<lison, VA 22727 (703) 948-6554. MAY JUNE 4..S 17-22 HELEN, GA "The River Cane Rendezvous," the Eastern Eanh Skills Gathering for 1990. Jim Riggs (wilderness skills advisor for Cla11 of the Cave Bear), Darry Wood, Snow Bear, Steve Wans, Scott Jones, Eva Bigwitch, and Eddie Bushyhead and other practitioners of aboriginal ans will teach flintknapping, firemaking, plant lore, native hide-1anning, split cane basketry, primitive weapons and tools, and more. Pre-rcgis1er: $125. Contact Bob Slack; Unicoi State Parle, Helen, GA 30545 (404) 878-2201. Sprlnq, 1990 5 FRENCH BROAD WATERS HED Clean Streams Day • clean-up effons throughout lhe French Brood River wniershcd. For info: Transylvania Co.· Rich Fry (7().1) 884-3156 Henderson Co. · Jim Volk (7().1) 684-1423 Buncombe Co. ·Quality Forward (7().1) 254-1 TI6 Madison Co.· Jane Morgan (7().1) 689-5974 1·3 HOT SPRINGS, NC "Non-Duality and Social Awareness" workshop wilh Catherine Ingram. WOC'kfog for social change while living in an understanding of non-duality. SIOO. Southern Dharma Retreat Center. See 4/4-8. 5 GREAT SMOKIES PARK "Geologic Evoluuon of the Great Smokies.• Learn the language of the rock record to lnlCC the history of the Smokies from one billion years ago. Dr. Don Byerly, instruct0r. $25. See 4/21. 10 ASHEVILL E, NC Matthew Fox of Lhc Center for Creation Spirituality to spcalc ot Jubilee Center, 46 Wall SL. For more info, call: 252-5335. Drawin& by Susan Adam NOTE: Tlie Founh North American Bioregional Congress (NABC N) will be held August 19-26, 1990 at Lake Cobbosseecontee in the Gulf of Maine Bioregion. Those who want to attend should register immediately, as space is filling up fast. See page 27 for details. J{.Qt.Ucih Journot JXlCJll 29 • �SUMMER CAMP, July 9th thru 20th. EnVironmeoaal ICtivitica sbated with die Eanh, plus swimming, hilciq, bones, locs or run. Send brochure to: Cllnp Wildlirc in the Meadow; lobo IDd Dory Brown; RL l, Box 184-B; Hot Springs, NC28743. ror DREAM TABLE GROUP on Western Carolina University campus. Cullowhee, NC. Next meetings Jn.2, 3/l9, 4/S. For more infomwlon, call Joyce Prcwiu al (704) 293-5403. RA WKWIND RENEW AL JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES (Sunroots) organically grown • to eat or as seed tubers for spring. contact Sicvco Knopp; S06 Menimon Ave.; Asheville, NC 23g04 (704) 2S8-2S86 or (704) 682-3573. EARTH CO-OPERATIVB • g7 8Cre primitive rweat IDd working community rarm in northern Alabama mountains, j ust 1 lS miles nonhwest or ~ta. Classes on alternative lifestyles and Nauvc American philosophies. Earlh Renewal gatherings planned on a quancrty basis. Facilities availiible for private organizational use. For craft catalog or schedule of events, call (20S} 635-6304. SPIRITUAL PERSONAL ADVICE. Correspond with your Native Gnndfather. All questions addressed Crom Medicine Pctspcctivc. No charge ever. SASE with teuer to: Blue Sky; Box S387; Largo, Fla. 34649. ADVENTIJRES FOR EVERYONE· Backpacking, canoeing llama ltddting in the NC mountains, SC barrier ~lands. Congaree Swamp. Families wi!11 young children and seniors wclcoc_ne • ~ w~ cany your gear. For moce informatson wnte: Magitt TrUs; P.O . Box 6876; Columbia, SC 29Ui0. MIND MAPPING • on-going classes in wriuen ICChniquc integrating right and lei\ hemispheres Of the brain. Groups and organizations welcomed. Call Catherine Faherty at (704) 298-0077. BIODYNAMICALL Y GROWN Corn seed. Mi.n i-pops to giant fallers. Varieties for no-till without herbicides , and for compost rather lhan salt fertilization. For caialog plcau send SASE to: Union Agricultural Institute, Rt. 4 Box 463S, Blairsville, GA 30Sl 2. WOODSCRAFT • Seeking to correspond with persons interested in primitive woodscraft s~ills such as, bow/drill rirc-making, t rackang, snarc/deadraJ I trapping, cic. Have auended Tom Brown's basic class. l.T. Garrison; RL 4, Box 667; Spring City, TN 373g1. ORGANIC HONEY · Tulip Poplar, Sowwood and Wildflower. From Palrick County, Virginia. For a 4-oz. sample of out premium sourwood and our catalog, send $4 to: Wade Buckholts cl Megan Phillips; Route 2, Box 24g; Stuart, VA 24171. (703) 694-4S71 I AM LOOKING FOR A POSITION with an environmental awareness/action organization in Asheville or neaiby. Prefer pan-time, beginning In summer or fall 1990. Please contact laneicc Ray; RL I , Box 1gg.J; Quincy, FL 323S l (904) 442-6474. CREATION SOAP- hand-crafled herl>al soaps from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Rose IDd lavender soaps, moisturizing bar, shampoo/conditionct bar. Contact Anna: RL 1, Box 278; Blowing Rocle, NC 2860S (704) 262-2321. YOGA FOR AU. AGES- Ongoing classes in the Asheville area, workshops for groups, and private sessions. Give yourself the gin or wellness and peace. For more infonnation call Bonnie Kelly (704) 254-869g, WHITE CANVAS MATERI AL • 42 yards of 12 oz. unused canvas, 6 ft. wide. Enough ror a full-size tipi or very large tenL Cost $380. Wilt sell for $220. (704) 29g.7639, Asheville. SEERSUCKER BABY SUNG, with colonul beads auachcd for baby's tccthing pleasure securely nestles newborn through young child. For immediate delivery, send $ 12.00 and parental shin size (S·XL) to COZY CRADLES; P.O. Box 514; Tahlequah, OK 74465. SKYLAND • tog on lO lhe computer bulletin boanl of the Smokies. Networking, plus news on the environment, nature photography, games, computer utilities, much more. Coniact Michael Havelin, sySOp, (704) 254-6700. MOUNTAIN DULCIMERS • made of black walnut, red cherry, or maple. Tops available in wormy chestnut, butternut. sweetgum, sassafras. western cedar and other woods. Contael: Miu Dulcimer Company; RL 2, Box 288; Blountville, TN 37617 (615) 323-8489. MlNl-FARM with beautiful mountain views. IS acres: tn. woods, ln. fenced pastures. Modem 2-story Log House. 45 min. to Asheville. Please contact: Pat Palmer: 409 N. Trade SL; Tryon, NC 28782. 90 ACRE MOUNTAIN PARADISE • We arc seeking environmentally conscious buyers lO share and help protect a unique cl beautiful ttact of land. Call (704) 258-2586 or (704) 682-3S73. RHYTHM ALIVE • Handcrafted African-style Drums, workshops, learning iapcs, drum bags • and . accessories. Please send SASE to Rhythm Alive!; SS Phenix Cove Rd.; Weaverville, NC 28787 (704) 645-3911. NEW AGE COMMUNITY FORMING on 57 acres of land. Located on sacred Cherokee Stone Mountain. Visions of healing the earth cl our children. Contact Sue Ann Ritter; Rt 2, Box 314; Vilas, NC 28692. CONSCIOUS COUPLE cl infant, wish to lcam/wolt on organic £arm for housing + stipend OR Clrelake a ~dence on acreage. Very comrniled and sincere. Contacc Dan & Bast> Umberger; 347 Sinclair Ave. N.E.; Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) Sll-2971. VEGETA.RIA.N MASTERPIECES • tacto-vegetarian cookbook designed to provide recipes for Slandard rare as well as gourmet dishes. Over 300 recipes. Spiral bound, 403 pp. $ 14.9S ppd from: 2122 Forest Dr.; Owloltc, NC 28211. ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LANDSCAPING SERVICE • Lawn maintenance, trees, shrubs, nowc.cs cl edibles. Organic. Patrick Clark, 254-8116. NATURAL CHILDBIRTH CLASSES specializing in the Bradley Method. Classes are small. and include nutrition physiology, consumcnsm, parenting skills, and relaxation and labor suPP?"' techniques. For mon:: infonnation cal~ or wme Maggie Sachs; 808 Florida Ave.; Bnstol. TN 37620. (6 lS) 764-2374. ASTROLOGICAL CHART with aspect grid and key to astrological symbols. Send SIO, SASE, and birthdate (mo/day/yr), binhlime (00:00 AM/PM}, and birthplace (city, state} to Sw Charts; P .0. Box 18205; Asheville, NC 28814. NEW AGE GROUP forming. Emphasis on spirit and out coMection to Mother Earth, visualizing positive growth and nurturing. Contact: Theresa Carlson; 7501 Rule Rd.; Knoxville, Tiii 37920. MOCCASINS, handcrafted of clkhide in the traditional Plains Indian style. Water-resistant, rcsoleable. and rugged - great for hiking! Children's and infant sizes available. Contact: Pauick Clark; Earth Dance Moccasins; Box 931; Asheville, NC 28802 (704) 254-8116. RECYCLED PAPER! • Directory of products sources for the southeast. Suggested donation S 1.00 to Western North Carolina Alliance, PO Box 18087, Asheville, NC 28814 (704) 258-8737. WEBWORKING is free. Send submissions to: Drawing by Rob M~slclt KotUah Journal P.O. Box 638 Leicester. NC K:uUah Province 28748 Sprl.nq, t 990 �The KatUah Journal wan rs to communicate your thoughrs and feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send them to us as letters, poems, stories, articles. drawing~ . or phowgraphs, etc. Please send your conrriburiollS to 1LS at: Kattiah Journal; P. 0 . Box 638, Leicester, NC; Kattiah ProvirLCe 28748. Issue 28 of Lhe Karuah Journal (Summer, '90) will take up the topic of "Carrying Capacity" and the burgeoning impact of the human presence and human technology in the mountains. lf we are to continue after the last industrial smoke-cloud and past the end of real estate, we have to apply this important ecological principle to our own selves. Articles deadline: April 25 - Editorial meeting: May 12 Layout: June 2 until... "Water ls Life" is a principle with which we are all familiar. Issue 29 of the Kat"'1h Journal will concern itself with water and watersheds in the Southern Appalachians - the blessing of water, how it affecLs the lives of all of us who live here, and what we can do to protect iL BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE ISSUE THREE · SPRINO 1984 Sustainable Agncultutc - Sunnowcrs • Human lmpacl on the ForcJI · Children.I' Educalion Veronica Nicholu:Woman in Polilics • Liule People • Medicine Allies ISSUE FOUR · SUMMER 1984 W11cr Drum Wa1er Quali1y . Kudzu - Solar Eclipse • Clcucutung • irout • Ooing io W11a Ram Pumps · Microhydro · Poems: Bennie Lee Sinclair. Jim W aync Millu ISSUE AVE · FALL 1984 Harvest • Old Ways in Cherokee • Oinseog • Nuclear Wu1c • Our Celtic Heritage • Biorcgionalism: Past, Present. and Furure • John Wilno1y • Healing Darkness • Politics of Participation ISSUE SIX · WINTER t984-8S Winiu Solslice Earth Ceremony • Honcpasturc Rivu • Conilng of the Light • Log Cabin Rooca • Mountain Agricullurc: The Righi Crop • William Taylor . The Furureoflhc Forest ISSUE SEVEN · SPRINO 1985 Suslllnlblc Economics • Hot Springs - Worker Ownenhip • The Orcat llconomy • Self Help Credit Union • Wild Turkey • RcspoNiblc Investing • Working m the Web of Life ISSUE EIOHT · SUMMER 198S Celebration: A Way of Life • Ka1l1ah 18.000 Years Ago • Sacred SilU • Folk Arts in lhc Schools • Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle • Poems: Hilda Downer · Cherokee HeriLage Center· Who Owns Appalachia? ISSUE NlNE · FALL 1985 The Waldee Forest • The Trees Spcalr. Migrallna Forais • Horse Logging • Starting a Tree Crop • Urben Trca • Al:«n Bread - Myth Time ISSUE TEN . WINTER 1985-86 Kate Rogers • Circles of Stone • internal Mylhmaking • Holistic Healing on Trial · Poems: Sieve K.nauth • Mythic Places • The Uk1cna·s Talc • Crystal Magic • "Drcamspcaking. ISSUE EIOIITEEN . Winier 1987-88 Vernacular ArchilCCrure . Dreams in Wood and Stone • Mountain Home • Earth Energies • Earth.Sheltered Living • Membrane Houses Brush Shelter • Poems: Oc1obu DMSk • Oood Medicine: "Shcl1cr" ISSUE TWENTY-THREE - Spring. 1989 Pisgah Village • Planet Art • Orecn Chy • Poplar Appeal • "Clear Sky" • •A New Earlh" Black Swan • Wild Lovdy Days • Reviews: Sacred Land Sacred Sex, Ice Age • Poem: "Sudden Tendrils" ISSUE ELEVEN · SPRJ.NO 1986 Community Planning • Ci1ies and the 'Biorcg1onal Vision • Recycling - Community Olldcrun&· Floyd County, VA • Ouobol • Two Bioregional Views • Nuclear Supplcment Fo.Uue Oames · Good Medicine: Visions ISSUE NINETEEN · Spring, 1988 Pcrelandta Carden · Spring Tonics - Blueberries WildOo wCT Oarden.s • Oranny Herbalis1 • Rower Eucnces • "The Origin or the Animals; SIOry • Good Medicine: "Power'" - Be A Tree ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR · Summer. '89 Deep Lis1ening · Life in Aiomic City . Direct Aclionl · Tree of Peace • Community Building Peacemakers • Elhnic Survival • Pairing PTOp:t • "Baulesong" - Crowing Peace ill Cllltures · Review: TMCMUceOJtd IN Blode ISSUE THIRTEEN · Fall 1986 Ccniu For Awakening • Elizabeth Callari • A Ocnllc Dealh • Hospice • Ernest Morgan • Dealing Creatively with Death • Home Burial Box • The Wah • The Raven Mocker • Woodslorc and Wildwoods Wisdom - Oood Medicine: 'Tlic Sweal Lodge lSSUE FOURTEEN · Winter 1986-87 Uoyd Carl Owle • BoogCTS and Mummen • All Species Day • Cabin Fever Univenity • Homeless in Kalolah • Homemade Hot Water Siovemaker's Narrative • Oood Medicine: lnu:rspccies Communication ISSUE TWENTY · Summer. 19&& Prcsctve Appalachian Wildcmcss . Highlands of Roan • Celo Community • Land Trust • Arthur Morgan School • Zoning Issue - 'The Rid8c" • Farmers and the Farm Bill • Oood Medicine: "Land" • Acid Rain • Duke's Power Play • Cherokee Microhydro Project ISSUE TWENTY.ONE · Fall. 1988 Chcs1nuis: A Natural History • Restoring the Chestnut · "Poem of Preservation and Praise" Continuing the Quest • Forats and Wildlife Chestnuts in Regional Diel - Chestnut Resources - Herl> Note • Oood Medicine: "Changes lO Come" · Review: Where ugmd.s Uve ISSUE AFT'EEN · Spring 1987 Coverleu • Woman Forester • Susie McMalw\ Midwife • Allemativc Contraception • Biosexualily • Bioregionalism and Women • Cood Medicine: Malri.vchal Culture · Pearl ISSUE SlXTE.llN - Summer 1987 Helen Waite • Poem: VisioN in a Oarden • Vision Quest • Firll Flow • Initiation • Leaming in lhe Wilderness • Chcrokeea Olallengc . "Valuing Trca" ~UAttJOURNAL For more info: call Rob Messick at (704) 754-6097 Name City Regular Membership........ $10/yr. Sponsor.........................$20/yr. Contributor.....................$50/yr. Area Code Spr LrMJ, 1990 State Enclosed is$ to give this effort an exrra bOost Zip I can be a local contact person for my area Phone Number .. "., .... lSSUllTWENTY..SDC- WINTER. 1989·'90 Coming of Age in the E<iotoic Eta • Kids Saving Rainforest - Kids Tree.cycling CornpMy • Conllict Resolution • Developing the Crcativ& Spirit • Dinh Power • Dinh Bonding • The Magic of Puppetry • Home Schooling • Narnint Ceremony • Mother Earth's Classroom • Oatdening for Childrcra ISSUE TWENTY-TWO · Winter, '&&-89 Olobal Warming • f'tre This Time • Thomas Betry on "Bioregions" • Eanh Excteisc • Kor6 Loy McWhirw • An Abundance of Emptiness LETS • Chroniclea of Floyd • Oury Wood The Bear Clan Box 638; Leicester, NC; KatUah Province Address ISSUE TWENTY -FIVE • F.All., 1989 The Orcat Forest . Restoring Old OroWlh • Regional Planning - Timber - Forest Roads Poem: "Sparrow Hawk" - A Place for Bean "There Fell the Rain Healing" · Eastern Panther • Oak Decline • People and Habitat Wild Sanctuaries · BllUI" Fair 28748 Back Issues Issue # _ @ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $ _ _ lssue# _@$2.50= $ _ _ · Issue#_@ $2.50 = $ _ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _ Complete Set (3-11, 13-16, 18-26) @ $40.00 = $_ _ postage paid � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah Journal, Issue 27, Spring 1990 Description An account of the resource The twenty-seventh issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on holistic healing: personal and planetary. Authors and artists in this issue include: Richard Lowenthal, David Wheeler, Sam Gray, Doug Aldridge, Rob Messick, Stephen Wing, Lisa Sarasohn, Snow Bear, James Rhea, Kim Sandland, Sandra Fowler, and Susan Adam. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1990 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. Personal and Planetary Transformation: A Holistic Model of Healing by Richard Lowenthal.......1 The Healing Power by David Wheeler.......4 Peace to Their Ashes by Sam Gray.......6 Healing in Katúah by Doug Aldridge........9 "When Left to Grow": A Poem by Rob Messick.......10 "Calling to the Ancestors, Calling Our Relations": Poems by Stephen Wing........11 The Belly by Lisa Sarasohn.......12 EARTH DAY 1990!!: A special pull-out supplement.......15 Food From the Ancient Forest by Snow Bear.......19 Natural World News.......20 Good Medicine.......24 Drumming: Letters to Katúah Journal.......26 Events.......29 Webworking.......30 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Katúah Journal, printed by The Waynesville Mountaineer Press Subject The topic of the resource Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern Cherokee mythology Holistic medicine Health resorts--Appalachian Region, Southern Alternative medicine--North Carolina, Western Mind and body Wild plants, edible--Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1990s Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Bioregional Congress Black Bears Cherokees Ecological Peril Education Electric Power Companies Folklore and Ceremony Forest Issues Good Medicine Habitat Hazardous Chemicals Health Katúah Plants and Herbs Poems Radioactive Waste Reading Resources Recycling Stories Turtle Island Western North Carolina Alliance Women's Issues https://omeka-test.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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah Journal, Issue 29, Fall/Winter 1990 Description An account of the resource The twenty-ninth issue of the Katúah Journal 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. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. 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 Profile of a Southern Appalachian Watershed: The Little Tennessee River (An Interview with Dr. William McLarney), recorded by David Wheeler.......3 Freshwater Canaries: The Spotfin Chub by William McLarney.......5 Mudwatch and Fincount: The Environmental Survey of the Little Tennessee by William McLarney.......6 Headwaters Ecology and High Quality Habitat by Mary Kelly.......7 "It All Comes Down to Water Quality" by Millie Buchanan.......8 Water Power: Action for Aquatic Habitats.......10 Dawn Watchers by Snow Bear.......11 Adventures on the River by Leaf Myczack.......12 Accessor to Murder: Watts Bar Lake and the Public Trust by Leaf Myczack.......14 Poem: "Country Store" by William Miller.......14 The North Shore Road: Environment or Development in the Great Smokies by Patrick Clark........15 The Long Branch Composting Toilet by Paul Gallimore.......17 Good Medicine: The Long Human Being.......18 Katúah Sells Out!! by Buck Young and Rodney Webb........19 Watershed Map of the Katúah Province.......20 Natural World News........22 Green Spirits: Katúah Rains by Lee Barnes.......26 Off the Grid by Jim Houser.......27 Drumming (Letters to Katúah).......28 Early Warning: The Gypsy Moth is Coming! by Ed Lytwack.......30 Poem: "Unbound" by Gaston Siniard.......31 Events.......36 Webworking.......38 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Katúah Journal, printed by The Waynesville Mountaineer 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) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1990s 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-test.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 • COMMITTED To COMMUNITY AND Gooo Fooo 255-7650 ~ 90 Biltmore Avenue Asheville, :-.:c 2 Blocks South of Dov,mtown (70,l) 26-t-5220 Sprlt19, 1991 �BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE ISSUE THIRTEEN • FALi.. 1986 Cenn:r FOT Awakening - Elizabclh Callari - A Gentle Dcmh • Hospice - Emes1 Morgan • Dealing Creatively wilh Death • Home Burial Box • The Wake • The Raven Moelter. Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom· Good Medicine: The Sweat Lodge ISSUE THREE • SPRING 1984 Susminable Agriculture - Sunflowers - Human Impact on lhe Foe-est - Childrcns· Edu01tion • Veronicn Nicholas: Woman in Politics - Lillie People - Medicine Allies ISSUE FOUR • SUMMER 1984 Walef Drum • Waier Quali1y • Kudzu - Solar Eclipse • Oca.«:ulling - Trou1 - Going to Waier • Ram Pumps· J\.1icrohydro - Poems: Bennie Lte Sinclair. Jim Wayne Miller ISSUE TWENTY-TWO -WINTER '88-89 Global Wanning. Fire This Time· Thomas Berry on "Bioregions" • Earth Exercise - Kort Loy McWhirter - An Abundance of Emptiness - LETS - Chronicles of Floyd Darry Wood • The Bear Clan ISSUE FIVE • FAU.. 1984 Harvest. Old Ways in Cherokee. Ginseng - Nuclcor Waste - Our Ccluc Hcrimgc • Biorcgionalism: Past. Prcscn1, and Fu1ure - John WUno1y - Healing Darkness· Politics of Participauon ISSUE TWENTY-THREE - SPRING 1989 Pisgah Village - Plane1 An - Green City • Poplor Appeal • "Clear Sky". "A New Earth" • Black Swan • Wild Lovely Days • Reviews: Sacred Land Sacred Su, Ice Age • Poem: "Sudden Tendrils" ISSUE SIX • WINTER 1984-85 Winter Solstice Enrlh Ceremony • HorsepaslurC3 River Coming of the Ligh1 • Log Cabin Root • Mouniain Agricuhure: The Righi Crop - William Taylor· The Future of I.he Forest ISSUE SEVEN • SPRING 1985 Susl3.i0llble Economics· Ho1 Springs - Worker Ownership • The G~1 Economy - Self Help Credit Union - Wild Turkey. Responsible Investing. Working in lhe Web of Life ISSUE EIGHT- SUMMER 1985 Celebrauon: A Way of Life - Katuah 18.000 Years AgoSacred Si1es - Folk Arts in the Schools - Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle - Poems: Hild.:! Downer • Cherokee Heri1age Cemcr • Who Owns Appalachia? ISSUE NINE • PALI.. 1985 The Waldcc Foccs1 - The Trees Speak. Migraung Forests · Horse Logging • Slorting a Tree Crop - Urban Trees • Acom Bread - Myth Time ISSUE TEN • WINTER 1985-86 Ka1e Rogers - Circles of S1one - Internal Mylhmaking Holistic Healing on Trial - Poems: Steve Knauth • Mythic Places • The Uktcna·s Tale - CrySUIJ Magic "Drcamspcaking• ISSUE ELEVEN- SPRING 1986 Communi1y Planning - Cities and lhe Biorcgional Vision - Recycling - Community Gardening- Floyd Coomy. VA· Gasohol • Two Bioregionnl Views • Nuclear Supplcmenl • Foxrll'C Games - Good Medicine: Visions ISSUE 1WENTY-ONE • FALi.. 1988 Chestnuts: A Nalwal His10ry - Restoring !he Chestnut "Poem or Preservation and Praise" - COlllinuing lhe Qucs1 - Forests and Wildlife - ChCSllluts in Regional Diel • Chestnu1 Resources • Herb N01e - Good Medicine: "Changes lO Come•. Review: Where Ltgends Li-.e ISSUE FOURTEEN • WINTER 1986-87 Lloyd Corl Owle - Boogcrs and Mummers - All Species Day • Cabin Fever Universi1y • Homeless in Kaubh • Romcmade Hot Water - Stovemaker's Narrative • Good Medicine: Interspecies Communication ISSUE FIFTEEN • SPRJNG 1987 Coverlets . Woman Forester· Susie McMahan: Midwife • Alternative Contraception - Biosexuali1y - Bioregionalism and Women - Good J\,tcdicine: Malriarchal Culture - Pearl ISSUE SIXTEEN • SUMMER 1987 Hcfon Waiie. Poem: Visions in a Garden - Vision Quest· F°l!SI Flow - µti1iation - Lc;iming in !he W i t ~ "Cherokee Challenge. "Valuing Trees" ISSUE EIGHTEEN • WINTER 1987·88 Vernacular ArchilCCturc - D~s in Wood and Stone Mountrun Home - Eanh Energies - Eanh-Shellcred Living • Membrane Houses - Brush Shcl1cr - Poems: October Dusk - Good Medicine: "ShellCr" ISSUE NINETEEN • SPRING 1988 Pcrclandra Garden • Spring Tonics - Blueberries Wildflower Gardens - Granny Herbalist • Flower Essences - "The Origin or lhe Animals:" S1ory • Good Medicine: "Power" - Be A Tree ISSUE TWENTY • SUMMER 1988 Preserve Appalachian Wilderness - Highlands or Roan • Cclo Communi1y - Land Trust· Arlhur Morgan School Z.Oning Issue - "The Ridge" - Farmers and !he Fann Btu· Good Medicine: "Land" - Acid Rain - Ouke·s Power Play· Cherokee Microhydro Projec1 ISSUE TWENTY·FOUR • SUMMER •39 Deep Listening • Ufc in AlOmic City - Direc1 Action! Tree of Peace - Communily Building· Peacemakers· Elhnic Survival - Pairing Project - "Bnnlcsong• Growing Peace in Culwn:s - Review: The Chalice and the Blode fSSUE TWENTY-SIX • WINTER, 1989·'90 Coming of Age in lhe Ecozoic Era - Kids Saving Rainfores1 - Kids Treecycling Company· ConOic1 Resolution. Developing lhe Creative Spirit - Birth Power • Birth Bonding • The Magic of Puppetry - Home Schooling - Naming Ceremony - Molher Eanh•s Classroom - Gardening for Children ISSUE TWENTY-SEVEN • SPRING. 1990 Transformation • Healing Power - Peace to Their Ashes Healing in Katuah • Poem: "When Left to Grow· - Poems: Stephen Wing • The Belly • Food from lhe Ancient Forest ISSUE 'TWENTY·EIGHT - SUMMER 1990 Carrying Capaci1y • Selling LimitS IO Growth - What is Ovcrpopulntion? • The Road Gnng • The Highway to Nowhere. The J.26 Project - "Curing Capacity" - Poople and Habillll • Designing lhe Whole Life Community Steady Staie - Poems: Will Ashe Bason Ttansporte.rnativcs - Review: Cohausing ISSUE TWENTY -NINE • FALL/WINTER 1990 From the Mounlains lO lhe Sea • Profile of The Lillie Tennessee River - Headwaters Ecology and High Quali1y Habitat - "l1 All Comes Down lO WBJN Quality· Wa1er Power. Action for Aquatic HabilatS - Dawn Waichcrs • Good Medicine: The Long Human Being • The North Shore Road • Kalliah Sells Ou1 • W81erShed Map of lhe Kalllah Province - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - --- - - - - - --- -- - - - ~UAt1 JOURNAL Issue 30 Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province For more info: call Rob Messick at (704) 754-6097 Name Regular Membership........ $10/yr. Sponsor.........................$20/yr. Contributor.....................$50/yr. Address City Area Code Sprlnq, 1991 Stale Phone Number Zip Enclosed is$_ __ to give this ejfon an exrra boos/ I can be a local contact person for my area 28748 Back Issues Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $ _ _ Issue# __@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue H_ _@ $2.50 - $ _ _ Issue# __@ $2.50 = $_ _ Complete Set (3-11, 13-16, 18-24, 2~29) @ $40.00 = $_ _ posiage paid ( � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah Journal, Issue 30, Spring 1991 Description An account of the resource The thirtieth issue of the Katúah Journal 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. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. 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 Avoiding the Passive/Helpless Approach to Economic Development by Thomas Power.......4 Ways to a Regenerative Economy by Rob Messick.......5 Sacred Oconomy by Will Ashe Bason.......6 "Money Is the Lowest Form of Wealth": Interview with Ivo Ballentine and Robin Cape by Rodney Webb and Henry Eckler.......7 The Clarksville "Miracle" by Griscom Morgan.......10 Self-Help Credit Union.......10 The Village by Snow Bear.......11 "through dreams, through magic": Poems by Gary Lawless.......12 Food Movers by David Wheeler.......13 Poems by Jim Clark.......14 LifeWork by Ernest Womick and Millie Sandstrom.......15 Green Spirits: "Katúah Planting Calendar" by Lee Barnes.......19 Good Medicine: "Village Economy".......20 On Eco-economics by David Haenke.......21 Thoughts on Work, Productivity, and Development by Richard Lowenthal.......22 Natural World News.......23 Shelton Laurel by Rodney Webb.......25 Off the Grid: "Regional Fuels" by Jim Houser.......26 LETS........27 Resources........27 Drumming.......28 Earth Energies: "The Great Lover" by Charlotte Homsher.......31 Events.......33 Webworking.......34 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Katúah Journal, printed by The Waynesville Mountaineer Press Subject The topic of the resource Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern Economic development--Environmental aspects Mixed economy--Appalachian Region, Southern Regional economics Ecology--Economic aspects--Appalachian Region, Southern Salvage (Waste, etc.)--North Carolina--Asheville North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1990s 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-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/78d9246223be9d0574b3bd2b5063d495.pdf dd9e0daeaf638e3c9c89f1668668b7b7 PDF Text Text ISSUE 31 SUMMER 1991 $1.50 �Drawing by Rob Messick ~UAt1 JOURNAL P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 :ic.\e 0 " () @ ~ Postage Paid Bulk Mail Permit #18 Leicester, NC 28748 .,. (I Printed on recycled paper ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED �Oowsing..................................................... 3 by David Wheeler The Responsibilities of Dowsing: An Interview with Tom Hendricks............5 by Madeline H. Dean Ceremonies of the Moment: An Interview with Joyce Holbrook...........6 "Jack-o-Lantems," Acid Rain, and the Electrical Life of the Eanh............8 by Clyde Hollifield Poem: "Old Houses".......... ,..................... 10 by Richard Nesrer Kaufah and the Eanh Grid ....................... ! 1 by Charlotte Homsher The Call of rhe Ancient Ones.................. 13 by Page Bryaru "If the Eanh Is to HeaJ, Our Heans Musr Be Broken".................. 15 by Richard lowenrlial Good Medicine: On Aggression.............. 17 THE EARTH - SHE LIVES! Poems by James Proffirt.......................... 18 Green Spirits: Sacred Forests.................. 19 by Lee Barnes Off rhe Grid.............................................20 by Jim Houser Natural World News................................21 "Jusr Doing Their Job"............................ 23 by Emmel/ Greendigger Time to Take the Time to Take the Time...................................... 25 by/vo Drumming............. " .................................26 Whole Science......................................... 29 by Rob Messick Tuning ln................................................. 29 by Charlotte Homsher Review· Light in rhe Wind........... .. - ....... 30 Chestnut Grafting Project........................ .31 by David McGrew Events......................................................32 \Vebworking............................................34 Su11u11cr, 199 1 Tradirional cultures around the world have always had a close relationship to the world around them. Dependent as they were on their immediate environment to meet all their needs, it is not surprising that they were closely attuned to the rhythms of their surroundings and the messages that came from the landscape. The foundation of their spiritual belief was that the world is alive. TI1ey saw the Earth as a being, a Great Mother who provided for all her children's needs. With ritual, music, and dancing, they conversed with the Earth and with all the aspects of her power. Here in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, the native Cherokee inhabitants accepted the forces of the world as living beings and addressed thern in their prayers and ceremonies. They saw the mountains as great beings of awe and grandeur, isolated and imposing. At times of spiritual transition, they went to sacred sites, places of extraordinary power, to do their fasting, praying, and divining, or to make a vision quest. As humanity turned toward civilization and sought security by insulating ourselves from our environment, our former connection to the world and the awareness that it engendered slowly dissipated. Skills that were once necessary for survival came to be considered "folk customs" and superstitions. In our minds the Eanh died. As we relied more on our intellectual brain and its offspring, science, for our survival, we began to see our world as a "system" under the rule of "laws" that were mechanical, linear, and absolute. However, in the "backwater.. areas, like 1.he rugged Appalachians, white settlers from Europe kept alive customs that dated back to pre-Christian times in the Old World. They used the power of wild roots for healing. They planted their crops by the signs of the moon. They would call on a "water witch," or dowser, with a forked stick to find an underground waler source. These practices are with us even today. (c:ontinucd on page 3) Xatuoh Journat p09e I �EDlTORlAL STAFF Tl ITS ISSUE: Maria Abbruzzi Lee Barnes Christopher Davis Charloue Homsher Jim Houser Lorraine Kaliher Emmeu Grecndiggcr Richard Lowenthal Rob Messick Mamie Muller Rodney Webb David Wheeler We'd like 10 offer special thanks for the inspiration of Mounlllin Gnrdcns. Thanks and fare well 10 John Creech. Happy trails, compadre! COVER: by Rob Messick © 1991 PUBLISHED BY: Kau,ah Journal PRINTED BY: The Waynesville Mo11111aineer Press EDITORIAL OFFTCE THlS JS SUE: The Globe Valley CONTACT US AT: Ka111ahJ011rnal Box 638; Leicester, NC; Ka1uah Province 28748 (704) 754-6097 Diversity is an impon.am elemcm of bioregionnl ecology. both nawral and socinl. In line will1 this principle. the Katuah Journal tries 10 serve as II fomm for the discu&;ion of rcgion:il issues. Signed rulicks express only the opinion of the nuthors and arc not ncccss:irity the opinions or lhe Katuah Journal editors or staff. The Internal Revenue Scn•1ce has declared K a1uah Jo1u11al a non.profit orgnniz.:ition under section 501(c){3) or Lhc lntemnl Revenue Code. All contributions to K,uuah Journal are dcducublc from pcr!IOn:il income wx. Aruclcs appcnnng in Katuah Journal may be reprimcd in olher publications with permission from the Katuah Journal sulf. Com:ict the journal in writing or call (704) 7S4-6097 or (704) 683-1414. ApOW<Jlj ~ STATEMENT OF PURPOSE 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 VaJley of the Roanoke and U1e Southern PJain 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 The photo of Darry Wood and Eva Bigwitch at Lhe R1vcrc;mc Rendezvous on page 12 of Kauiah Jourl\ill #30 should hove been credited 10Jim Riggs. Jim is a photogrnphcrand 1c:ichcrofprimitive skills "ho was also n guest insLructor at Lile cvcnL 'L'.NVOCA.'TW'.N Ancient Mother, Ancient Mother, You who have waited so long. You who have waited so long for your children to return, Your children are returned. Here we arc. -Swait lodge song Ham1ony with the land is no longer an ideal; it is an imperative. The land is a living being. She is sacred. As tl1e land lives, so do we. As the spirit of the land is diminished, our spirits are diminished as well. The Ka111ah 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. - The Editors Xatimh Journot pngc 2 .... �(continued from page I) Bui as the urban commercial cuhure penetrated even the isolation of the Appalachians, for many people the moumains lost their magic. They could see the old hills only as another collection of available resources to be taken out, totalled up, and rung into the cash register. That unbroken connection 10 the life of the mountains, the life of the Earth, has in the last 100 years faded and almost died ... But it is not gone. When the astronauts took the photos of the Earth from outer space, it became suddenly obvious that our planet is a fragile round ball suspended in the vastness of space. From tha1 new perspecrivc we can see that the Earth is whole. comple1e, an organism unto herself· and beautiful. II is also obvious that she is part of an even grander scheme - a cosmic ecology. We hove a place in the universe: an alignment with the stars, planets. and galaxies: a relationship 10 the cosmos. When we touch the Earth here in Katuah Province on this Tunic Island continent, we mp into an in1erlocking web of energies 1hat extends out into the fanhcst star galaxies. Scientific breakthroughs like "the Gaia theory" and the "new physics" seem revelatory to our jaded intellcccs. The Gaia theory states scientifically that the Earth breathes through ils atmosphere and regula1cs its own respirarion not only is the Earth a living, breathing organism, but ii is also conscious on some level! The "new physics" theory sets fonh a conception of the world radicallydivergen1 from Newtonian physics - one that seems almost more metaphysical than physical, closer to a study of consciousness than of matter. But t11cse scientific concepts are acrually not new. They were in the prayer of a Cherokee medicine man standing with anns uplifted by a waterfall. They were what an old woman could feel through her forked dowsing stick as :;he walked the land. Tho medicine people and the dowsers knew the geology of the mountains. They knew the depth of the fault lines and 1hc deep waterveins. They also could perceive the web of energy encircling the Earth. But they were not scientistS. They worked from their intuition; their practice was handed down from reacher to srudent as pans of long-standing traditions. The Gaia theory, the new physics, and the other recent departures from onhodox scien1ilic thinking offer scientific evidence of the life and consciousness of the world 1hat these old ones felt so clearly, so long :igo. There is still much mystery in this round globe that looks so vulnerable and beautiful from ou1er space. In this issue of the Ka11uihlournal we invite the reader to learn. to speculate, to begin to think of a whole world mind, a unifying world energy that connects us 10 every other place, 10 every other being on the Earth, and 10 the s1ars. The Eanh 1ums, we tum; everywhere we look we are one world. -The Editors Sl11t11ncr, 1991 DOWSING A Briefe Treatise or Digression Concerni11g the Long Historic a11d Practice of tlu• Art a11d Erstwhile Scie11ce of Rliabdo111a11cy by David Wheeler "All alike grasp tire forks of the twig witIr tlreir hands, clenching tlreir fi.rts, it being necessary tlrat tire clenclredjingers slumld be held wward tire sky i11 order tlrat tire twig should be raised at tlUJJ end wlrere the two branches meet Then they wander hither and tlritlrer at random through mountainous regions It is said that tire moment tlrey place their feet on a vein the twig immediately mrns and nvists, and so by its action discloses the vein: when tlrey nwve their feet agaill and go away from tlUJJ spot the Mig becomes once more immobile." • from De,~ metallica. one of lhc ftN wnucn rcrcrcnces 10 dowsing. by Ocorg,u, Agricola. 1556 This is the commonly conceived pic1urc of the dowser, or "water witcht walking the land looking for underground veins of water. However. to be a dowser a person does not have to walk the land, use a forked s1ick, or even be searching for water. Dowsers come in more flavors than ice cream • they e>.hibit many different attitudes, abilities. and mind states. In ilS purest form, dowsing might be defined as the perception of intangible or spiritual energies. Usunlly dowsers use their ability in looking for some1hing. In his paper "The Divining Rod: A His1ory of Water Wi1ching," written in 1917, Anhur J. Ellis says. "In tracing the history of the subject it is found that divining rods have been used for all of the following purposes: (I) To locate ore Drawing b) Rob Meu1<k deposits, (2) 10 discover buried or hidden ucasure. (3) 10 find lost landmarks and reestablish propcny boundaries, (4) 10 de1ect criminals, (5) to analyze personal character, (6) to cure diseases, (7) to tmce lost or strayed domestic animal~. (8) 10 insure immunity against ill fonunc when preserved as a fetish. (9) 10 locate well sites. { I0) 10 trace the courses of underground streams, {11) to determine the amount of water available by drilling at a given spot, ( I2) to determine the deplh at which wa1erorores occur, (13) 10 determine the direction of cardinal pointS. (14) to determine the heights of crecs, and ( 15) 10 analyze ores and w111ers." Dowsers today also search for the answers to questions; negative and positive Earth energies; missing persons; and waywan:1 spirits. They da1e archaeological finds and contac1 UFO's. As well as the tr3ditional forked stick. dowsers use a straight stick; L-shaped mcl41 rods; wire; a dangling pendulum (usually made of me1al or s1one but possibly of other m:uerials); their hands; or pure perception 10 find the object of their search. Dowsers do not have to be on the site but can make contact through maps, photographs, or a person's possessions. Clearly. the general category of "dowsing" covers a wide variety of experiences and abilities. But how does it work? Dowsing is clearly an e,cuasensory experience that draws (ccntmuodonnc,tpAJ:C) JCatud, Jounuat P°'JS 3 �(c:crnmuai Crom pai;o J) on a different pan of the brain than our intellect and our everyday awareness. Walter D.1le. a yeteran dowser in his eigh1ies Yiho hvcs outside Ashevilk, NC, ~ayi. lh:11 there is encrg)' evervwhere and that, "We are able tu iocus in on iiin much the same v.ny that you might tune in to channels on your TV ~r. Do\\:.eri. can do very remarkable things, and v.e can prove it. 1 don't know how 1t's done, but II depcnds on our abil1ty to use this energy thm is everywhere - even though we don't ~ee it. We don't sec radio waves, we don't see TV trnnsmis.\ions. It's very much the same." Ano1hcr dowser, Vern Peter.;on. says, "Dowsing is puuing out an idea or a question of what you want. and 1hb v.ill set up u vibration. If you are looking tor water, for insmnce, the vibration will correspond to water under the ground that you can fed when you get over it with the dowsing rod. "It leads 10 an advancement of consciousness., There's no end 10 where you can go. The longer you smy in dowsing, the more you learn. and the more that you learn how much 1here is to kn6w." Other dowsers speak of spiri1ual influences, a direct channel 10 higher intelligences or 10 the Supreme Intelligence, as explanation of their abilities. Dowsing is nor a new phenomenon. tr seems 10 be an innate pan of the human mind, and many practitioners maintain that dowsing was at one time one of our ba.~ic sense perceptions, and that ii is only with the advent of civilization that this ability has atr0phied in our brain. Animals seem to have the nbili1y to find water, and it seems logical thm in more primitive times we would have relied more on this type of awareness to locate food and water and be alen to dnnger. There is tangible evidence that S1one Age humans in Europe and the British Isles had dowsing abilities. Modem-day dowsers are finding 1ha1 the megaliths or "standing s1ones," However. as anything 1h01 can be deeply veiled in mystery affords a good opportunity/or swindlers, there can be no reasonable doubr that many of rhe large group ofprofessio,wl finders of water. oil, or other minera/J who take pay/or their "service'' or for the sale of their "instruments" are cleliberatt>ly defrauding the people, and that 1/te total amount of nwney rhar 1hey obtain is large. - 0. £. Meinwr. Uniwtl Staies Geological Sur\'c)', 1917 giam rock formmions erected by prehl!>toric humans, are aligned with underground wutercourscs or 1he 1;rid lines of the Eanh's energies. There nn: pictures of ancient Eg, pti:.i.ns holding what appear to be forked divining rods. There nrc various Biblical references, such as to Aaron's rod, 1hn1 dowsers claim a~ evidence of their crafL In 1882 R.W. Raymond wrote: "'1ti1nh JournnC pnl).C ·l Drawing by Ocorgc Agricola. I 556 'The Scyrhians, Persians, and Medes used them. Herodotus says 1ha1 the Scythians de1ec1ed perjurers by means of rods. The word rhabdomancy, originated by the Greeks, shows 1ha1 they practiced this an; and 1he magic power of the rods of Minerva, Circe, and Hermes or Mercury is familiar 10 classical students. The lituus of the Romans, with which the augurs divined, was apparently an arched rod ... Marco Polo reports the use of rods or arrows for divination throughout the Orient, and a later traveler describes it among the Turks. Taci1us says that the ancient Germans used for this purpose branches of fruit trees." During the Middle Ages, when me1al-working became common and widespread. miners ~ought veins of ore by digging trenches by hand. The amount of labor involved mnde any shortcuts extremely valuable, and, while there were physical indications of the presence of ore, divining came to be intel-'1"311)' associa11.-d with prospecting, panicularly in the mining districts of Germany. Divining rods came 10 England with German miners brought in by Queen Elizabe1h I to develop the languishing mining industry in Comwnll, and they spread from there throughout the Bri1ish Isles. Dowsing has been controversial thmughou1 the his1ory of civilized rimes. Since it was often involved with the production of weahh, there w-as alwavs the likelihood of charl:11anrv and fraud. And since ii is conceme<l with the deeper realms of the human mind. dowsing holds 1he possibility of transcendent consc1ousncss, but is olso fraught with mystery, contradtction. and tear. The church became interested in d0\\Sing · some S3Y through jealousy, others say through fear - and, although ecclesiastical ,1ttitudes and interpretauons were ne\er con~istcnt, at least initi:illy the l'hurch e;,;hibitcd an umbiv-.ilcnt auitudc toward the divining rod: it was considered dangerous and discouraged among the geneml populace, but its use Y.,ts widely practiced as a priestly function within the church. Church ti1uals and prarer;; were superimposed on wha1 was obviously a very pagan pracrice - partly 1 strengthen the di vine 0 influence, and panly 10 protect against eanhly persecution, ii is supposed. During the time of 1he Inquisition, dowsing was associated with witchcraft and in some areas became justification for torture and a capital crime. There yer remains a legacy of fear and secrecy lingering from that p.-iriod. Practicing dowser John Shisler says, "Even today, if I go b:1ck into certain areas of the mountains, I'm a 'water witch.' A lot of your traditional Bap1is1s will still say that 'witching' is the work of the devil." Dowsing came 10 Turtle Island with the earliest colonists, where i1 met a people who apparently still retained a basic anunemenr to the land as evidenced by 1he eanhworks 1hey created, 1heir many sacred sites, and the vivid They call it psychic. I call it a gif1, sir. I use it for /lis glorv anti mankind's purpose. I do11'1 charge to go find water, I'll ask 'em 10 come after me and bring me back - if they want to donate a penny, I appreciate it; if 1hey do11'1, well, I'll go anyway. I use it/or what I feel in my heart. and I re.\{'L'Ct it for what it is. - J.C. Ga::mvay, dowser legends assoc1:i1ed with them. From the beginning ~Willer witching" was p:111 of the colonists' folk culture. Many of the wells still used in New England were located through the abilities of dm.. seri.. Early European immigrants brought dowsing imo the Southern Appalachians. At first, it was not necessary 10 locate underground water because of the abundant springs, bur when people began to need wells, they sough1 help from those v.ho had kepi alive the traditional "witching"· (continued gn page 28) S1Un111cr, 199 1 �THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF DOWSING: An Interview with Tom Hendricks OK. But if they can't, then 1 don't think they ought to do iL Ka11ial1: People seem 10 be amazed that they have the power 10 do these things. 111: It's a major responsibility. 1 1hink that regaining power is OK. so long as there is a balance. an understanding. Asking permission is very imponant. I've always had a strong intuition. J developed it in my dowsing. Intuition tells us c,cactly what we need 10 know. Kat(,ah · When did you stan dowsing? Tom Hendricks: About ten years ago. A man T knew in Madison County at the time was president of the Appalachian Chapter of the American Society of Dowsers. I learned techniques from the society. I slowly got to meet everybody. I met hundreds of dowsers from around the country and from across the seas. J sroned off with the pendulum and L-rods. l would use the pendulum 10 ask yes and no questions, L-rods to find a water source or whatever else l was looking for. At some point. I started realizing l was getting the feeling before either one of those tools worked I started paying anention to lhe feeling and didn't much rely on the tools. l preferred to deal with the energy itself. Kan11Jh: You could have the feeling of where water was, for instance? TH: Yes. Most dowsers hang onto the tool forever. Some people have real elaborate pendulums. When l was still using a pendulum. I picked up whatever I had around 10 make one, a piece of suing and a rock. l met an old guy from Tennessee who didn't necessarily use tools. He just felt iL A real good dowser told me how he was bringing him back from Tennessee on interstate 40. The old guy said that they had just driven over a major fault. So they Mopped and checked with their dowsing rods. He had felt a major fault under a moving car. He was real sensitive. But dowsing itself is filtering into all kinds of things these days. It has been incorporated into the whole new age movement. I've noticed, not a total lack of auunement, but only panial auuncment. K01uah: From the dowsers themselves? TH: Not all dowsers. A lot of dowsers were being real exact with what they were doing. But a few dowsers were into playing with the energies, talcing things out or context. ln the dowser's society we were never taught to be concerned with looking at the whole picture. I was clearing our someone's house 1ha1 had a lot of weird energy lines running through iL.. KalJJIJh: From the Earth? TH: Yes. You can get negative energy from water, from fault lines and other ways. These energies arc disruptive to the human system. In dowsing that panicul:ir situation. 11 seemed to be OK to move the energy. We moved it around the house. Bue it staned me asking questions: "Should this energy be moved? Do I have the right 10 move this energy?" K01uah: Would it be a question of why the cnerijy is being vented at that pan.icular location. And what the reason is for it? Summer, 199 1 Kam.ah: That requires a different lifestyle than most people have. TH: The energy needs venting, but docs It need to be vented in this particular place? ls it OK to move it? Katuah: The Earth has allowed a lot of manipulation. TH: The Earth has allowed abuse. She is regaining her will, yet we continue to abuse her. Something l have learned is that when we dowse, we should ask whether it is OK on all levels. One time l was out dowsing with an old timer and his daughter and all of us came to this tremendous flow, a major vein of water. Yet, when they went to drill it, nothing happened. Another dowser came over and said, "Don't you sec the Indian spirits?" Native American spirits were still protecting the area and 1hey had interfered. They were angry at white people for all the abuse we have done, and so they were mixing signals. That got to be another question to consider: "Are there any entities here that may interfere?" With me it went further. I asked, 'Why would they interfere? What arc their reasons?" I ta.kc it as far as 1can. There are plenty of eanhbound spirits that are wandering around Josi. That is another aspect of dowsing, sending eanhbound spirits on their way. Dealing with spirits is tricky business. You don't always know why they arc there or what they are doing. There are so many things involved in life and death that arc beyond our understanding. I haven't been dowsing in years. I'm even beginning to question dowsing for a well. Do l want to dowse for someone to punch a hole? There are enough holes being punched into the Earth. The idea of mining crystals really bothers me. I think people ought to leave crystals where they arc unless those people arc 1otally in tune, can sec or feel the energy, know where it comes from, where it's going and why the energy is moving. Crystals take on energy 1hcy need to be cleaned I know a man who planted a garden with crystals. He put in a center crystal, and then he planted other crystals equidistantly all the way around it at the pyramid angles and generated heat. This guy was preuy tuned in, but I'm not sure whether even he asked if he was interfering with any other energies. I think if people can contact all levels of Ufe and be sure that nothing else is disrupted, then it would be Orawu,g by Rob Messick TH: Our culrurc is very sick. I've come to rcali:ze that a 101 of dowsing that is done just feeds the sickness. I know people who arc on payrolls for oil companies. They dowse for oil and gas. They are making money by telling oil companies where to go punch the holes. When l backed off from dowsing, 1 began a healing for the will. As I understand ir. the will is the female energy, the mother energy. It is the pan of the godhead that moves, that feels, thm gives life. The masculine energy is the spirit. The will has been so far removed from human understanding and consciousness that it is barely there. To my understanding, it is because of the loss of will that we are so out of balance. The w ill, the female energy is thal which feels, that which gives birth. I need to use my will in order 10 understand. Developing intuition is listening 10 the will. Ka1uah.: Is this your self-healing? Or are you trying to manifest this outside yourself in your environment? 11 I: 1 believe that the personal healing musr come first. The disharmony is within ourselves. We need 10 get in 1ouch with our own dilemmas and fears. There are lost emotions that we deny. I also think that b) our own dishannony, we allow things to hun us. If we were in harmony with ourselves, the negative energies from the Earth could pass through us without finding a place to collect. I think emotions cause blockages and tl"llp whatever wants to be trapped in us. So lately I have been focusing on self-healing, rather than manipulating negative eanh energies. We humans feel we have a right 10 do anything that we want to do. We have got to realize our shoncomings. We have responsibilities 10 ourselves. Ka1uah: Are you going to get back to dowsing? Tii: A friend of mine wants me to dowse for a well and I should do it for him. The healing I'm doing is leading me through places I've never experienced before. pans of myself that 1have never experienced before. So l don't know what is going to happen. I feel, in a sense, that I am still dowsing by healing my will and strengthening my intuition. I listen more, not with my cars nccel>S3rily. but with my whole being. ;, Ruorlkd by Madl!llrw II Dean Xat ua h ) oun\Ot ~ 5 �CEREMONIES OF THE MOMENT An Interview with Joyce Holbrook by Charlotte Homsher Joyce was born and raised on a/am, in Wilkes Co11111y, NC. She taught in midwestem co//ege.f/or 17 years before remrning u, the mountai,is. She ,ww smdies and teaches Earth energies throu1:ho111 tlie Southeast. • Kat(iah: What is the nature of the energy grid on Eanh? JH: There are many ideas abou1 chis. The similarity in the ideas is tha1 the Eanh is surrounded by nee working lines of energy in 1hc shape of a dodecahedron, a three-dimensional figure enclosed by twelve sides. Looking at the grid on a smaller scale, it would seem to be divided into uiangles. The triangle is fundamental to so many things; it is the basic geometry of life. l would imagine that . in accord with the hermetic principal of "as above, so below" · there is triangulation involved in the energetics. not only of the human body, but in subsystems of the body, even at the cellular level and probably at the molecular level. It is my opinion that it is the life force energy, whatever that may be, that powers the grid. Katt'iah: What happens when the cosmic energy hits the Eanh grid? JH: When it hits the grid, i1 runs along the lines of the grid. Kacuah: The lines of the grid sometimes being called the "Icy lines"? JH: Yes, the Icy lines. We know that there 1s cosmic energy coming into the Eanh. Th.is has been verified scientifically. However, as far as r know, it has not been verified scicn1ifically that the Earth is surrounded by an energy grid or that this cosmic energy runs along it. These are theories of more recent times. Karual1: Does any of thi$ energy originate from inside the Eanh, or is it all cosmic energy? JH: I think it is cosmic, bu1 it docs have an aspect tha1 comes from inside the Earth. If I stand on a vonex point, a high energy point. I can feel an energy that comes up through my body from the ground and then goes back down in a spiral fashion. I also feel thllt whatever hum:in consciousness does affects the grid. So, obviously, this war-like consciousness impinges on the communication network of the planet and goes out and affects the whole planet Katualr: Can you comment on what is happening with the Appalachian ~Ids and ridge1ops in relation to Eanb energies? "My whole approach to working with Earth energies is to get away from ritual and recipes, to enter into the spo11ta11eity of life." J.H. spiral. That I am sure of, because I have felt it. In the newer theories of physics, the though1 is that matter itself spirals in on a vortex inio mamfestation out of pure consciousness. You could say that vortices exist on every level, even down 10 atoms. And they exist, perhaps, within our own bodies nnd in the Eanh itself. JH: My personal experience with energy comes from the fact that I sense it and see it. I see auras over mountains in the same way that some people see auras around people, and I feel the energy. The Appalachians arc the Grandparents of the planet. They are gentle. old, wise, and loving. These things can not be measured scientifically. This is sensing through the heart and by feeling the energy of nature, rather than through the ra1ional mind. Love can be felt from nature, i1 truly can, when a person's heart is open. And lhe Appalachians embrace you very much like wise old grandparents. There is a certain quality that grandparents lent 10 society, and there is a certain quality th:11 grm1dparent energy lends to the Eanh. The Rocky Mountains have a youthful, vibrant, rather masculine energy. There are many people who feel that the energy of the Appalachians is essentially feminine. But I have also felt mountains within the Appalachians tha1 feel very masculine. For instance, the Black Mountains are masculine. My cabin is on a flank of a mountain that is ma~culine in essence. Pyramidal mountains essentially feel masculine. The balds :-.re round and smooth, and those feel feminine. They are very healing. They wi II raise your energy. I often see golden lines of energy over balds. JH: It could, although r have seem a similarity. 1 had a whole group of people 001 by the Missouri River at a location that wa.~ both in a vortex and on a grid line. The people all felt the line, and everyone had the same response as 10 how they needed to align their bodies in order to feel best in respect to the line. Ka11ialr. Could you explain about the different kinds of voncxes? Kauiah: How is Katuah affected by wh3t happens in another place on the Earth? JH: They arc as different as people are different. The dowsers repon that they see· ·o exist where grid lines cross. They are definitely associated with water activity, flowing water, lakes. oceans, and underground water. There arc people who say that there are male and female vortices. There are also people who describe them as either electric or magnetic or electtomagnetic, which is balanced between male and female. l'm not real sure about that. Bui I have felt energy move in a vortex. It does JH: Before the San Francisco eanhquakc m 1989, I was driving with my sister, and I Katuah: How can we beuer auune ourselves to the Eanh? JI(: By exploring feeling. Find particular places, either by direct sensing or by using dowsing tools, and then simply stand in those places until you can sense with your body how they feel. Your magnetic orientation is imponant - whether you face north, east. sou1h, or west. Kariiah: Would this differ from person 10 person? looked at the mountains. The mountains looked like they were in so much pain. I 1 my sistc:r c!d that something was happening, and the quake occurred within a few hours. Katuah: So all the Eanh is feeling what is happening in any one place? JH: Right. But canhquakes are also a part of nature, and so they arc not an anomaly. Slfmmcr, t991 �w #=fj They are ad-jusanents in nature itself. I think, in particular, mountains are antennae to register what the Eanh is doing. Also streams will register the Earth's pulse, attitude, and vibrations in the same sense that your bloodstream is going to register what is going on in your body, the energetics of your body. Ka11iah: How do you do Earth healing? JH: Places call to me. Roan Mountain has called me many times, and Chimney Rock as well. Killian Mountain has called me recently. r believe narurc is a conscious being and communicates wilh us. There is a thing called the spirit of a place. there is an essence to Roan Mountain, or essence to Table Rocle. that has a consciousness to iL And consciousness communicates with consciousness. When I go 10 a place, I try to humble myself and tune into just "being." I don't go purposefully like some doctor or technician trying 10 ''fix something." I just go there, and I tune into the essence of the place. I always pray in these places. I think it is very imponanL l always pray for inner guidance in any particular moment or situation. And then I may begin to chant, a chant that is not a recipe. 1don't do recipes. I do chanting, toning, and movement for the moment. My whole approach to working with Earth energies is 10 get away from ritual and recipes, to enter into the spontaneity of life. Life has its magic for the moment, has its light for the moment, has its peace for the momenL And that becomes an experience that involves the movement of the body, the voice, the bean, and the feelings. If we allow these aspects of ourselves to blend with the pince and the moment. then we can unlock our bodies, unlock our voices, and unlock our hearts. This is allowing divine love to flow through us. from the place to us, and from us to the place. Once connected, we network out over the grid, over the pathways that are, into the whole system, into the universe itself, nnd into every other person on the planet. Aod this is the healing. The real healing in life is to relax, let go, and allow love to flow, because love is, it is of God and it simply is. We do not have 10 create it. Ka11'iah: Do you go to places where the Earth has been desecrated by humans? JH: Yes. I have been led to places where people have damaged the Eanh. I did this at a whole workshop once in Kentucky. Several people felt led to go this place where for years people had dumped tmsh off the side of the road, and it had fallen into a ravine. The essence of that ravine was speaking to us, and it seemed to be choking and poisoned. We held hands in a circle, we prayed, and then we moved 10 places where we felt comfonablc alongside the ravine. We then entered into silence. One of us began to tone, and then another began to tone, and as it turned out, there was a triad. There were three women, including myself, coning in what became a triangle. This was all spontaneous. And the energy staned to flow down the ravine. Another woman had visions, very powerful visions, of an old medicine man who came up and spoke to her. It was such a - powerful experience that many of us began to cry. We could feel the Eanh saying thank you. That particular day, there was no wind whatsoever, yet single leaves on the trees would just flutter, even though there was no wind to flutter them. We were amazed at what we saw in terms of narure physically communicating with us. And she really does, but people don't notice that. This is my philosophy of healing. It is love that heals. In the process of working with an area, I may end up using some stones to build a wheel, if I feel led 10 do this. But again, I do not have a recipe where I say, 'Take x amount of stones... '' I just go there and allow myself to be pan of the totality of the experience. In doing this with nature, we learn how to beuer do that with each other. Instead of building rigid ways of interacting in families, we learn to flow with the spontaneity of the moment. ,. ,. - JH: Yes, I think the time has come that we have to reconnect with the Earth. We have lost touch with her, and in doing so we have lost touch with ourselves. To reconnect with her is to reconnect with our own individual souls and with each other. I sec it as the answer to bringing love to the planet and to bringing healing. If you go out and lie on the ground, you will be comforted and the problems which disturbed you wiJI just seem to go away. I know some very powerful places that will just wash away your troubles. For information abo111 Earth Energy workshops with Joyce Holbrook, write her at Box 1095: Burnsville, NC 28714. K(ll1iali: Could you say something about the vision you had about making your own medicine wheel? JH: The vision was shown to me to make it of olivine, but at that time l had not seen olivine in nature. A friend told me about an outcropping near an abandoned olivine mine. When I went there. I did not just go in and take rocks without asking permission. I was given these rocks, and I took 12 home and made a wheel, and they turned out lookingjust like I saw 1n the vision. It is on my property. and I go sit in it. Tt is very powerful, and it has taught me that we are a wheel within a wheel. The wounds in our lives which are not healed are broken circles. Medicine wheels help us sec what we need to release to come to full circle again. In going to power places, we can find within ourselves what is s1ill wounded. If we work with these places, things may come up in our memory, emotions mny come fonh, which can snow us what needs healing. Nature is of God. Nature is full of healing, hannoniling forces, just as we are. if we can come to see thaL h is a spiritual experience when I work with the Earth. 1 go out by myself a lot. I do this to bring harmony into my own life. If l have not gone out for three or four days, l just have 10 re tum to the Eanh. 1 was down in Stone Mountain, Georgia recently. Stone Mountain is a very powerful place. It has been contaminated with a lot of materialistic consciousness. but there still are places there that ~ very powerful, and local people could use these places to :ttt!lne and align themselves. Stone Mount,un 1s a power point for the whole Southeast. lf we were not so numb to feeling and sensing energies, people would be able to sense these things. My sister and I have done a lot of work together in the mountains. One of us will say that we should go to a cenain place. and we will go and tone and sing and pray toge~hcr. This has been very powerful for us as sisters. It is a wonderful thing to do with members of your family. It brings harmony into a family. Go inside a stone That would be my way. Let somebody else become a dove Or gnash with a tiger's tooth. I am hnppy to be a stone. I From the outside the stone is a riddle: No one knows how LO answer it. Yet within, it must be cool and quiet Even though a cow steps on it full weight, Even though a child throws it in a river. The stone sinks, slow, unpenurbed To the river bottom Where the fishes come 10 knock on it And listen. I have seen sparks fly out When two stones are rubbed, So perhaps it is not dark inside after all; Perhaps there is a moon shining From somewhere, as though behind a hill Just enough light to make out The strange ,1tritings. the s1nr-chans On the inner walls. -CS Karuoh. Do you have a vision of humans and the Eanh hving together in a more harmonious way? Drav.,in& by RobMcmck Sum nu:< , 1991 JCotimn )ournot pQ(JI!- 7 �"Jack-o-lanterns," Acid Rain, and the Electrical Life of the Earth by Clyde I follifield The lights do not stay strictly on Brown Mountain, but seem 10 occur throughout the whole area. I have seen them in Linville Gorge. We once saw a light on Hawk~bill Mountain, which is the next hill beyond Brown Mountain. It was cruising up and down lhc mountain, circling lhe hill, moving at abouL treetop level. It was moving a too fast to be someone walking with a light, and it was not a vehicle, for there is no road over !here on which a vehicle could travel. S rown Mountain lies southeas1 of Grandfather Mountain near the Linville Gorge Wilderness Arca in Avery County II is an unimpressive, nondescript mountain, little more than a tong low ridge, but it is a focus of curiosity because of strange phenomena known as the Brown Mountain LightS. There arc a lot of different ideas about what the lights look like. Some people say they arc a bright light. Olhcrs 53y that they arc a faint glow. Some say they arc diMinct; others say that they are diffu~c. Some people have seen them in the summcnime; others say that they see them best in the winter. I believe that there are ns mnny different opinions as there arc people who say that they've seen them. And a lot of people have seen them. The Brown Mountain Lights have been known in that area for generations. There arc old folk tales about them. The local inhabit:ints call them "jack-o-lantcms." I have been interested in the Brown Mountain Lights since I was a teen-ager. Friends and I would camp out on Table Rock on summer weekends and were sometimes rewarded by a sight of the lights at the foot of the mountain or drifting up the ridges. They appeared ns Huie lights above the treetops. They were not diffuse or blurry, but were rather small, brig.ht ligh1s, usually about the color of a mercury vapor lamp nnd shining as brightly as n streetlight. They usually ap~d late in the evening nnd in the very early morning. On one occasion about eight or ten years ago, I snw little flashes of light all over Brown Mountain, as if somebody hnd set off thousands of flashbulbs all at once. It was like ligh1ning, outlining the top of the ridge. II only hs1ed for several seconcl~. and then it was gone, bu1 it occurred three or four times that night. It was like elcctricnJ discharges popping off all over the mountain. Other times the lights are long-hvcd. They may appear, move around up on the ridge for several minutes, maybe go behind Xotunh Journat pm.JC 8 the hill, and then come back out again. Today it is hard to pick out Brown Mountain from 1hc background of anificinl lighis. If you arc looking at Brown Mountain, you arc just as likely to sec something beyond it, like Lenoir or Morganton, or houses built on Grandfather Mountain, Blowing Rock, or Boone. My criteria are. first, 1h01 the lights have to be against the side of 1hc mountain where I know there's no habitation, and secondly, that they have 10 be acting strangely • moving too fast. shooting lilce a skyrocket. or coming up over the ridge. Scientists have initiated some smdies on the Brown Mountain LighlS. but they have found the tights to be elusive. Many times when they have tried 10 make observations. the lightS have not appeared. Some of the studies that were carried out tried 10 dismiss 1he occurrences as swamp gas or other easily explainable events. However. I personally have seen two lights n~proach each other from opposite dm:ctions. Sometimes they bump together, sometimes they move apan. but when they nrc moving in opposite dircc1ions, one of them has 10 be moving against the wind. Gases \\OUld have to move in the same direction as the wind, so it is apparent that the lights arc not gaseous in nature They look like a specific object, rather than a blurry. windy-blown name. Even when they arc moving rapidly. they rc1:1in their sh:tpc. A fast-moving gas cloud would tend to diffuse. 1 think 1hat the lights arc simply something that we don·t underMand. They arc a natuntl phenomenon that is outside our knowledge of physics. I have spent whole weekends watching for the lights and been rewarded by only one sighting, or somcumcs even none. The lights seem 10 appear randomly. However, I have a feeling that they arc excited by electrical :.tonns. When I went "light-hunting" with my friends, we would ay to go in August, on an evening after a big_ electncal s1onn. Also, the Brown Mountain Lights are no1 the only electrical phenomena in 1ha1 area. One cold night in November LWO years ago, some friends and I were up on Tobie Rock looking for the Brown Mountain Lights, and I kept seeing little flashes of light nickering around the edge of my vision. They were dim, but I could sec lhcm moving, panicularly when l brushed against a bush. It was subtle, but when I opened the blanket Lhat I had wrapped around me, I saw that the inside of lhe blanket was sparkling with light. I jumped up and called the olhers over, and we examined it. Little sparlcs of light would appear when I dragged the blanket on the ground or rubbed i1 against the bushes. The sparks did not seem like static electricity. They did not give us electrical shock:.. They did not jump or crackle or make any sound. They were just there. We never saw any Brown Mountain Lights that night, but this amazing new sigh1 gave us plenty 10 think about. We joked about how we had come looking for lhc Brown Mountain Lights. and they had been around us all the time. Maybe there is some connection between the electrical sparks and the Brown Mountain Lights. I did not know. but I decided 10 check it ou1. A few weeks laLer some friends and I went to Grandfather Mountain, and we saw a lot more of th:tt same kind of electrical spark. The lights were in our blankets, on our clothing, on the bushes. The Grandfather Mountain swinging bridge was sparkling. It looked like what is known as St. Elmo's fire, which appears frequently in sea stories. It was a cold. clear night, and the "'ind was blo"' ing hard. Our clothes were tlapping in the wind, and the lights would appear on the trailing edge of our co:tts. If I stretched out my finger near another person's coat, the fire would jump to the end of my finger. Jt was uncanhly. We saw a great deal of activity there 1ha1 night. My old blanket. which was made of some blend of wool and acrylic, was lighting up more than our other clothing. and J got the idea that we could use it ns an electrical indicator. Later that month. I took that blanket up 10 the top of Mt. Mitchell. It was another cold December night, nnd the blanket lit up. I experimented as Jtame Drawma by Rob Mcssicl S111nn1cr, 1991 �down th': Parkway by stopping periodically as I descended in elevation and trying the blanket each time. The sparks diminished until I got down to about 3,500 feet, below which they did not reappear. I theorized that the phenomenon was connected somehow to cold nights and high elevation. I went out on several other cold expeditions that winter to different locations, and we tried some other experiments. I had heard that fluorescent light bulbs would sometimes light up under high-voltage power lines because of the electrical emissions. So one time we carried some fluorescent bulbs lO the top of Mt. Mitchell. When we opened the trunk to get them out, we saw lights nickering up and down the shafts of the bulbs. They would light up when we whirled them through the air, touched them 10 bushes or to the ground, or even when we passed them back and fonh among ourselves. We didn't see much of the St. directly from the air. He said that they receive as much as 11 % of their nitr0gen, not through the roots, but through their leaves. These specially adapted nonhem plants are built so that high levels of elecuicity in the in the air around them induces what Professor Aurela calls a "coronal discharge" at their edges or needle tips, which ionizes (or adds an extra electrical charge 10) chemical compounds containing nitrogen, so that the ionized ourogen atoms can be fixed into the plant tissues. The coronal discharge happens often, but it only breaks over into a visible state five or ten percent of the time. However, because the air today also contains sulfur and niuogen pollutants (which we know as "acid rain"), these too arc ionized, and the plants fix them into their tissues as well, causing great damage. Because the air is poisoned, this process which was once vital for their survival is Cl.08'1L ELECIIIICAL CIRCUIT or Schematic various electrical proc:csin O,c global clcc:lnc:11 circu,t Sowce: the Earth', Ekctrical r:.n,iroMIUII by E. Philip Kinl,r and Raymond G. Roble Elmo's fire that night, and we thought that what we were experiencing was some type of static electricity. 1decided that I would find out. Rather than continunlly freezing on mountaintops, l went over to the National Oimatic Data Center office in Asheville, which is pan of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the US Department of Commerce. I was passed around between six different offices and never found anyone who had heard of these occurrences. I corresponded with experts in Washington, DC: Boulder, Colorado: and Fairbanks, Alaska before someone directed my attention to Professor Asko Aurela at the Wihuri Physical Laboratory of the University of Turku in Finland. This man knew all about iL fie amazed me when he told me that the electrical phenomena we had been seeing was connected with acid min! He explained that in the nonhem latitudes, because of the poor, thin soils, and the short growing season, some varieties of plants - like Norway spruce, Scotch pines, and lichens have evolved the ability to absorb nitrogen Summer, 10!1I now speeding these plant species toward destruction. Professor Aurela told me that coron.il discharge is similar in nature to what he called "the luminous pillar," a wide shaft of light going straight up into the sky, and another phenomenon named "low aurom." The fascinating thing about these occurrences, as he exrlained, is that they are all natural parts o the: Earth's electrical environmenL Thundel'5tom1s arc like big generators pumping high voltages of electrical current into the Earth's electrical circuit. There arc thousands of thunderstorms active around the planet at any one time. sending 50-100 bolts of lightning down 10 the Eanh's surface every second. Thunderstorms do not occur everywhere; it requires heat to produce a thunderstorm. 11terefore, on each side of the Equator arc thunderstorm belts that extend from the tr0pics up to the middle Latitudes. The other side of this electrical system is several hundred feel under the surface of the Earth where there runs an energy flow known as the Telluric current. Sometimes the Telluric current disrupts transmissions through oceanic cables, because it gets so strong that it produces static on the wire. Because the seasons in the Nonhem and Southern Hemispheres are reversed, during the winter, when we are seeing electrical phenomena on ML Mitchell and Grandfather Mountain, thunderstorms are playing over the Amawn basin and in South America. They send energy currents up into the ionosphere, a layer of the Earth's upper atmosphere. Thunderstorms are instrumental in keeping an electrical potential difference of about 200,000600,000 volts between the Earth and the ionosphere. The ionospheric current flows north across the Equator and comes back down, 001 at the North Pole, but at about «I' nonh latitude in central Canada. This is the area known as the "auroral ring,• where there is a lot of northern lights activity, more even than at the Nonh Pole. On the Canadian plains during nights of a lot of electrical activity, people cannot use the telephone, and sometimes the whole power grid goes down because the long wires build up so much electrical static. The Southern Appalachians are at the southern edge of this electrically active zone. If we didn't have mountains here, we would not experience electrical phenomena at all. But mountains arc an imponant pan of the Earth's electrical energy circuit. One-third of the Earth's electri.cal current returns 10 the Earth at high mountain peaks. There is a blanket of thicker atmosphere, called the "planetary bound.µ-y layer." that extends one mile above the surface of the Earth and nets as an electrical resistor. As the air gets thinner at higher elevations, it offers less resistnnce, and electricity c;in now more easily through it. High mountains like the Southern Appalachians act like lightning rods, or electrical receptors, that penetrate the planetary boundary layer and conduct the electrical energy back to Earth. The Ea.nh's electrical energy moves in a great circle. When a thunderstorm occurs in the Amazon River Basin or in South America, the energy travels to the nonh, comes into a mountain peak, returns to the ground, and travels underground back 10 South America. When it is summcnime in the north, the polarity shifts so that the thundcl'5torms here gener.11e current which is sent back through the ionosphere 10 the south. It is like an alternating current on a yearly cycle instead of sixty cycles per second, it's one cycle per year - six months one way, six months the other. Professor Aurcla also has a gr.1ph of the daily variation m electrical activity, and the graph shows that here in the nonhem hemisphere the highc.\t level of activity is between l l and one o'clock at night. As happens here, most of the thunders1om1 activity in the southern zone occurs just before sundown, so the surge arrives up here around midnight, and then activity tapers off towards morning. There's a daily variation, and there's a seasonal variation. We just happened 10 be on Grandfather Mountain during a period of peak activity. (conttnucd CG po&< 10) JGoti&ah Journot pal)& 0 �Old Houses Even exposed to all weathers it takes many years for a strong house, untended, 10 collapse of itself. First the boards have to weather, shedding even the little life the ax lelt them. The doors, swollen with rain, must open, inviting owl and vole and every creature at random like a kind of ark: men without money and lovers at play on the one brown mattress. Boys in summer must stone the windows to blindness. then grow themselves into sternness and silence, assuming the weight of their lives. The wine bonles smashed in the oorner must gather dust and the eaves go crazy with birds. and the floors curl up like sleepers grown cold. Then the stones it sits on must sink in the wet eanh as they open at last to the frost's slow demolition. TIii tho whole house slumps, a haven for snakes, so low nol even the wind caJ1 rattle it anymore. II No strata of wills. deeds, papers, stacked in the courthouse can tell you how it came to this, why the rose bush runs wild over the back steps, and a rag doll is left down cellar by a stack of books. No matter. Today is one out of many and you are happy. Nothing here is haunted. Squirrels skitter off like regrets · as you enter their chamber. a tourist, a snapshot. The old boards give back the light with a kind of joy, the rose llght of evening, the sun's dark laughter. For it takes. it takes many years. - Richard Nester Drawing by Rob Memck (aintinued 6om page 9) ls all this related somehow to the Brown Mountain Lights? Maybe it is! Perhaps Brown Mountain for some geological or physical reason is more conductive. Perhaps i1 is positioned in such a way, or iis roots go down to a cenain depth beneath the Eanh so lha1 it aurac1s more of this kind of activity. Maybe not. However, for whatever reason, there are fireballs shooting around on Brown Mountain. And in the Andes Mountains in Peru, 1he highest mountains in the Southern Hemisphere, where one would expect to sec an elecaical activity center, there is a phenomena called the "Andes LlghLc;": mysterious lights that can be seen among I.he mountain peaks. In guidebooks I have seen references to lhe Brown Mountain LighLS tha1 describe I.hem as being "...similar to the Andes Lights in Peru." They seem to be much the same. Bur who knows? We just do not know enough yet to be sure. Xatimh Journot ptuJe t 0 Resource Reading: The Earth's £/ecmcal E11viro11ment by E. Philip Kirder and Raymond G. Roble, co-chairmen (National Academy Press: Washington, DC: 1986) . lightning, Auroras, Nocturnal lights, and Related Phe,wmena by W.R. Corliss (Sourcebook Project; Glen Arm, MD: 1982) Aurela, Asko and Risto Punkkinen,"Atmospheric Nitrogen Dioxide and Nonhem Plants," Report of Kevo Subarctic Research Station 17: 1-6 (1981) or • Schematic diqiam ela:uic c:wn:i,15 in lhe ionosphere and inner magnctosphett. Sowa,: the Eanli's El«tricol EnvirOMIDII b)I E. Phibp Ki.rdcr and Raymond 0 . Roble Punkinnen, R. and A.M. Aurela, "Production of N02 and Sound in Positive Streamer Discharges," 7th lnternatio11al Conference 011 Atmospheric Electricity (American Meteorological Society, Boston, 1984) Summer, 1991 �KA TUAH AND THE EARTH GRlD "The Earth grid" is an energy system that surrounds the emire planet. Dowsers think of the grid as a network ofelectric and magnetlc energies. Meraphysicians see the grid theory as yet atwther demonstration that 1/ze Earth is a self-regulating system and a consciollS being. There is a wide divergence of viewpoints on the nature of the Eartlt Grid and Katuah's place in the system. Following are s1mu11aries of the opinions ofa few of the individuals in Ka11,ah who routinely work with Earth energies: Joll11 Shisler is a biolocation co11sultan1. Using a combinatio11 of traditional dowsing techniques a11d scientific equipment, he assis,s clients i11 choosing building sites and construc1i11g buildings for optimum health. He takes inu, accow11 Earth energies, climate, soil rype, and also the surroundlng lu1111an-created energy fields. Theories about Lhe Earth grid began to surface about 50 years ago in France and Germany. Dr. Josef Oberback of Gennany originated the lheory of two grid systems, a cosmic grid which runs nonh to south, and east to west; and an Eanh grid system which runs northeast 10 southwest, and northwest to southeast. The two grids lie in close proximity, wilh the Eanh grid crossing points about seven inches away from the crossing points of the cosmic grid. There is constant energy exchange and interaction between the two grids, and ii can become difficult to separate the two when mapping. There is no mystery about the grid. It is nothing more than vibration, or frequency. The two grids can be mapped and measured Superimposed on each other, the two grids create what would be ca.lied in electr0nic tenninology, a "2 x 2 memory core system" of el~oical and magne~c fields. These crossing points could be descnbed as "spiral vortex energy." Except in the event of earthquakes, the Eanh Grid fluctuates very li1tle. The cosmic grid fluctuates seasonally, expands and contracts at sunrhe and sunset, and shifts during eanhquakes. The Christian church calendar, which bases its holy days upon the old pagan holidays, follows the seasonal fluctuations in the cosmic grid. On October20 near All Saints Day, the cosmic energy field ' begins to expand. By December 20, the cosmic grid lines are as large as nine feet in width. This i~ also the time of year when people e,cpenence more heallh problems. By February 2, the day when the Christ child was introduced to the church, the cosmic grid lines have receded back to their normal size of two and one-half inches in width. Everything that we do 10 the Earth attracts the magnetic flux in the Earth at the local level. If we dig up tree roots, put in dumps, or place huge culverts in the Eanh, as we are doing now, we change the lines of magnetic flux. The human adult is composed of70% water. Every atom in our bodies is replaced periodically. We lose two pounds of cells per day. We have new skin cells every thiny days. We are in a constant state of change. Every blast of energy goes through our bodies, whether that energy is from the Earth, cosmic rays, magnetic s1onns, or human-made electronic energy. It is not only the gcopathic location of one's residence that determines the debilities 10 which one is most liable. We arc changing !he molecular structure of our bodies because of the barrage of the horizontal electrical field which we have created, as opposed to the venicaJ field of energy coming down from !he cosmos and the steady-state electrical field coming up from the Earth. We arc affecting ourselves at the cellular level so rapidly that we have stepped up our own evolution by 50,000 years. by Charlotte Homsher Richard Crutchfitld, a dbwser from Weaverville, NC works 1 ridgecops along 1l11t Jte Blue ridge Parkway searching for negative vortexes and evldence of ancienc sacred sites. Richard works with two basic grid energies. The Curry grid of magnetism is the Eanh Grid. It runs in lines nine co ten feet apan around !he globe in a nonheast-southwcst orientation. These lines are intersected by peipendicular lines about the same distance apart. The intersections have positive, neutral, and negative energies which alternate along !he lines. . The Hartmann grid is the cosmic grid which overlays the Earth Grid. The cosmic grid has wider lines which vary in width according 10 where the Earth is in relation 10 1he sun, and other factors. The fluctuations of the cosmic grid influence our behavior. {conunucd on nu.I page) The new double pcntadodecahedron grid p:iuern now emerging Summer, 199 1 • from Nrw Earllo Odystty by Joseph Robcn.JochmJJ1s C) 1989 Xatimh Journot paqe 11 �(conlil!ucd from pogo II) Richard has found much evidence of ancient sacred sites in the mountains. Of panicuJar interest 10 him arc the many large rocks which were cut and placed in the landscape by the ancients who placed "walls of energy" into the rocks. Richard uses t11e tenns "positive.. and "negative" to describe vonex energy as either heallhy or unhealthy. Po:.itive vortexes are generally found where the vege1ation is lush and the area seems invi1mg. There may be fairy rings in these areas. The negative vortex area.,; can be recognized by scruffy vegetation and fallen trees. The negative vonexes become unhealthy for various reasons, possibly including violence from old cultures or our own negative thought forms. Using dowsing tools, Richard reverses the flow of energy in the negative vortexes. I le believes that he is aiding the healing of the Earth by helping to restore unblocked flows of energy. • rn late winter, 1991, Richard perceived with his dowsing rods that there were two new energies on the ridgetops. The first was a steady, unfluctuating su-cam of energy which came from the nonhwest and blanketed the mountains. This energy was of a very positive, healing nature. There was also another kind of energy which was moving uphill at knee level with both negative and positive polarity flows. Richard docs not think either of these new energies is geomagnetic, nJthough they may be related 10 the life force energy which comes in through the node system of the Eanh Grid. He believes that the energy may have been activated by very sophisticated pre-planned engineering on the part of someone or some force, possibly by the ancients. When this energy hits sacred sites, the siLes seem 10 spring back to life. Medicine wheels activated by this energy are very powerful. Bill Waften has smdied Native American prophecies and traveled exrensivel>• to sacred sires the world over. His eleventh book, Pilgrimage, will be available this summer at the United Research lighJ Cemer near Black Mo111110i11. The Cherokee Indians recognized that the Earth energy in Katiiah was feminine/right brain energy. They refe~d 10 Grandfather Moon and Grandmother Sun until they were forcefully reloc~ued to Oklahoma where the prevalent energy was masc11line/righ1 brain. The masculine counterpan 10 the Katuah area in the United States is the Four Comers area. The Hopi peace prophecy states that there will be global peace when the Rainbow is completed between the Hopi Four Comers area and the Cherokee Katuah. In 1984 Diana and Jim Gourc from the United Research Light Center began prayer group pilgrimages from Cherokee, North Carolina to the Four Corners area.. They believed that they had anchored the Rainbow into the etheric. However, they were not aware of the Cherokee interpretation of the prophecy that called for extending the pilgrimages 10 the Mount Shasta area and nearby Black Butte, California. The prophecy also called for prayers for all the people who lived between these three power poinlS. Pilgrims from Kntuah who wish to fulfill the Hopi peace prophecies may travel the "Icy lines," or lines of power, by way of the Grand XatiUJh JoumaL pa<JC 12 811/ IValrcrs Canvon, Southern California, Mount Whitnev, and north to Mount Shas1a: or by an alternate. route from the Four Comers area to the Gmnd Teton Mountains, the Bighorn Mountains, Yellowstone National Park, and then west to the Mount Shasta-Black Butte area. Mary arrd Joseph Jocllma11s recemly moved to Sowlt Carolinafrom New Hampshire. Mary is a karmic galactic astrologer and Joseph is known/or his book Rolling Thunder. The Coming Earth Changes. The pair co,uittct 1011.rs 10 sacred sires aro1111d the world and are co11sidered authorities on ancient cultures arrd vortex energy. Together they research what they call the "evolving crystal grid." Their grid theory involves complex patterns ofgalactic co11jiguratio11s, ancient symbols, and sacred geomerry. According to the Jochmans, the Earth is a living evolving, crystal fonn. She has points of power on her surface which increase in number every time she moves into a higher energy. Along with the increase of power points, there is also a corresponding increase in the lines of energy (the grid) between these power points. When the continents were splining apan about 220 million years ago. 1hey broke along Lhe lines of a tetrahedron. Since Lhat time the geomeaic configuration of this grid has become ever more complex. The Earth is now undergoing a massive shif1 which will result in 1he most complex grid yet. The new grid will be a double pentadodecahedron. The power points on this new grid will increase from the present 64 to a ~otaJ of 486 poccntiaJ sacred sites. The ancients located their sacred sites and built their monuments on or near the grid power poims. Many of these old sites will be dying or changing purpose as the new power points emerge. The Harmonic Convergence of 1987 marked the beginning of these changes. The new crystal grid will be in pin~ within 30 ye:irs. The energy now being anchored into the Sou1heas1 is feminine, intuitive, hean energy. Mary claims that the m.ijor power poini for the Capricorn Compassion node will be anchored in the Carolinas or Tennessee by 1996. Compassion as defined by Mary means "the ability to communicate one's compassion for all of life," The old anchoring point for this compassion energy was the ancient mythical Allanth which is off the Florida coast. There are manv Karmic connec1ions between Ka11iah, Atlantis; and Lemuria. Remnants of the land mass of the old Atlantis can still be found in Lhe Southeast. In Peach Tree Rock, a heritage trust site in South Carolina, there arc visible crusts of rock from the original Atlantis. The Elbenon quarry district in Georgia, site of the largest granite deposit in the world, is sitting on the edge of a huge mass of crystalline rock 35 miles long. This same crvstalline mass is connected to the underground mass of Stone Mountain. When the crystalline energy is triggered by the anchoring of the new grid, many mountains, such as Stone Mountain, will become reawakened. Also the EJbenon granite, which has been exponed around the world, will become reac1iva1cd with the Compassion energy. According to Joseph, the Eanh will not allow manipulation of these higher new energies. We cannot force the changes, and neither can we stop them We can delay the anchoring of the energies for a time by our resistance 10 change, bu1 the Earth will be reborn no matter what we do. The Earth changes do not have to be cataclysmic if we can "allow the Eanh Mother to go through this birth." We are the creatures with the greatest po1entiaJ 10 lose everything in the Eanh Changes, yet we are also the potential midwives. "We are the Earth Changes ourselves. If we change within ourselves first, then we become a force of change to bring lrUe co-creation to the planeL" Those who wislifor information about the Jochmans' Alma Tara Multi-versiry, the Universal Magi Apprenticeship program, or to subscribe ro their newsletter. may write them a1; Jlox /0703; Rock Hill, SC 29731. Mary & Joseph Jockmans S11mmcr, l 99 l �THE CALL OF THE ANCIENT ONES: The Spiritual Re-Awakening of the Great Smoky Mountains :Cl has become increasingly evident over lhe past decade lhat the Eanh is indeed chan~ng. All around us rhe climate becomes more unprediclllble while volcanoes awaken to cast the earlh's blood heavenward in fiery splen_dor. De~rts grow larger and areas of rich and tillable soil grow smaller. Rivers and seas continue to pound lhe continental shores, carying their signarures into lhe landscape while battles rage for the cleansing of their polluted walers. UnnaturJl clouds block lhe swlight from our cities, and the land groans wilh the pain of greal quak<!S thal rend and tear the fault lines lhal lay in lace-like patlems over lhe plane1's surface. All the while, humanuy wages war amongst ourselves, economic siabi!ity wav_ers. and political, social, and religious penis challenge our very survival. Bui th<;se are the frightening negatives regarding planetary change, for arnidsl all lhe apprehension and uncenainty some wonderfully positive global events are (!CCUrring lhat are unprecedented in modem umes. These events will perhaps do more to open the minds and heans of humans to a greater awareness of the truth of the "living E~''. theory than anything the academic or s~1enllfic "".orlds could ever offer to prove or disprove this age-old tnnh. An explanation of these events spans lhe fields of geology and geomancy, and encomp~sscs lhe perspectivCl; of_l~e sa_cred ecology of Native American spmtunlity as well as related beliefs and practices of other ancient cullures. The body of Mother Earth is dotted with special power sites, bolh natural and human-created, that were recognized and used by our ancestors for lhe performance of their ~cred c~remonies. Balefires have lil up the mght skies on the grassy slopes of ancient Av~lon while priests and priestesses wound their way through the stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury. Patient eyes have awmted Grandfather Sun 10 make i1s annual imprint upon the walls of Newgrange in Ireland and Chaco Canyon in the American Sou1hwes1. Sacred mountains all over the \\-Orld have beckoned pilgrims to lhc1r summits and the healing waters from holy rivers, wells. and springs have blessed and repaired 1he bodies and souls of the faithful who have lilied their chalices with sweet waters, 1hc Earth Mother's very source of life. Yes, our forbears were clme to the Earth. They called her Mother. TI1ey knew lhe wholeness of Nature and lived their lives as 11 conscious relauve pan of all the planet'!> life kingdoms. It was precisely because of tl11s closeness that our ancestors could sense the and potent _life force of the planet being emmcd at specific sttes. It "'as to those pfaces that they retreated for healing and rcplenis~me_nt, and it was there that they did ceremonies in honor and recognition of the natural earth forces around them lh3t gave power and purpose lO their hves. ra"': Since the latter days of the Allantean em, Summer, 1991 by Page Bryant Pun&al An by We. Wyan humans have gradually moved forward in evolution. Civilizations have come and gone. Many spiritual traditions have sprung from the Atlantean "root," presided over and preserved down ~rough rime br Egyptian hierophanlS, Delphic oracles, Celuc pneslS and priestesses, My_stery Schools, and adepts and shamans of vanous culrures. As evolution proceeded, ho~~ver, modem times and society nnd new religions pushed the Old Traditions into the darkness of obscurity This, like the Earth, is changing. Once m<?i:e the Wisdom Teachings and the social, sp!ntual, and ecological values they foster, are being sought by modern aspirants. At thi~ panicular lime. a revival of interest in Native American spirituality is spreading like wildfire worldwide, due no doubt to its embodiment of the principles inheren1 in the Earth Religions of the ancienl past. These principles have a tremendous bearing on our ecological problems of today. People are seeking lo learn about ceremony and are using it as a loo! for gaining a closer relationship with the planer. a relalionship 1hat has long been lost and/or devalued. As a result. the location of sacred sites is of intere~t to thousands of sp1riwal seekers worldwide, and ceremonial voices have begun to resound, once again, within sacred stone circles, medicine wheels, fairy rings. and other cercmon1al grounds. Power spots or vortexes. long dormant. have begun to awaken during this time of planetary change and ren~wal. Their power will once again be available 10 empower humans and members of other kingdoms to progress into a New Dawn. While doing the re~arch and channeling for The Earth ChanReS Survival Handbnok some ten years ago, my Spiril Tc,Kher. Albion. lor whom I have been the "mstrUment" for the past twenty years, gave infonnauon aboot lhis time of planetary change and mentioned ccn.un pl3ces in Nonh America 10 "'hich people would be drawn, some tcmporanly and others permanently. The intense degree of natural eanh power, the "energies," if you will, was to be the reason why individuals would foci such on attraction lo these places which would also be where "Light Centers" would spring up. designed to teach nnd guide spiritual seekers. The~ places, which Albion called "way slations," would ah.o be safe. in every way, during the planetary changes. They would be places where lhe land ilself would be tile greatest teacher. One of these locations was identified as the area surrounding Asheville Nonh Carolina. Olhers were Sedona, Ari~na. where my husband and l lived for eleven years; southern Colorado; pans of Hawaii; and Santa Fe, New Mexico, to name bur 3 few. While trying to make a decision as to the proper location for a move. due to a droughl thar Albion predicted would become much worse, and for olher personal desires, Albion brought the Asheville area to our anention o.s the plac~ to which he would like l0 see us move. [a thal ~ession, ~e Teacher offered some interesting infonnauon aboul the Great Smoky Mountains lhat I feel is important to share with my rea~ers,- I am, for the most part, using Albion s exact words so that the reader might get lhe "feeling" that the Teacher tried 10 portray: "...The Great Smoky Mountains themselves arc the Elders... the Ancient Ones:.. whose voices have sung the Song of Creauon on the North American continent longer lhan lhe voices of any other mountain range. They arc so very, very powerful, and lhat power may be explained in lhree ways. "First, because of lheir particular situation geologically, and lhe powerful influence of the ne3=1by sea. the~ mouniains arc magnetic in thet.r charge of hfe force. Magnetism is of the nature of lhe element of watt..-r. It is conducive to helping one rum wi1hin, 10 tap the subconscious and the Collective Unconscious. Magnetism promotes ~nsitivity and awakens the psychic and intuitive faculties wilhin human consciousness. Magnelism is lhe feminine force in Nature. These mountains are filled with natural springs and underground river., and caves that have a sublerrancan water source. "Secondly, because we are labeling lhem as "magnetic mountains," they are conducive: to the energies necessary to assist Spiritual Seekers \l.ith their Vision Quests more so than any other mountains in the world at lhis umc . 'Thir~ly. the Smokie~ hold the 'memory' ol th~ breaking up of the continents dunng previous planet.1ry changes and of the mountain building procc.,s. They have 'recorded' the ancient voices of Nature tha1 are unmatched on your continent. Smee the l:m period of Eanh changes, some len thousand year.; ago, these great mouniuins have hecn 'asleep.' their energy but a shallow breath. It was aho during ll10se ancient times of upheaval that lhese mountains were first inhabited by Allantean m1grnnt, who spread throughout the \I.Orld ~eekmg refuge nnd ne\l. beg.innin~. To this day. there arc ancient rock and b:trk scrolls and SO!llC cave drawings that arc 1\tlamc.1n an their on gin 1h:11 still exi~t wilhin various pans of these mountains. "This place has long been the site of :m:ane ~ercmonies. Although man) of lhe mountain peaks have been worn do"'n wnh time. there were once seven summits in the Smokies which were u~cd throughout the centuri~ as ceremonial !;lit:;. The areas around (aJlllurucd c,n llellt J>OS•) Xotuah Journal JlCl()C 1'3 �(coniinw,d liom Pl&• 13) them still comain n:mnaotS and artifactS of the Old Ways. Some of 1hosc whom you call Native Americans were born from these Atlantcan ancestors, while others migrated here from other continents and settled into this land. For a shon time, the mountains remained awake to their full energy potential before slipping into an introvened slumber. Once, through time, their power re-awakened for a shon time, to embrace the native people who fled into lhem for safety so that they and their tradition might survive the thrca1 of the invaders for later rimes. These who the mountains hid were those you call the Cherokee. "Beginning in the middle of the decade of the 1980's, the Great Smoky mountains began LO awaken once again 10 their full power. This process will be comple1e by the year I 993. Between now and 1hen, many will be drawn 10 this area. They will come to live and to study and to 'connect' themselves with Mother Earth. Teachers will come 10 the area and some will establish Light Centers. Ancient ceremonies will be practiced once again on these mountain slopes and the Native American tradition and people will become stronger and more irnponan1 to the natives themselves. Sacred sites throughout the mountains will re-awaken, sites such as Chimney Rock, Blowing Rock. Mt. Mitchell, Wayah Bald Mountain, Grandfather Mountain, Flat Rock, and Looking Glass Rock will once more embrace Seekers and emit their most potent power. The waters of the Smokies will become more potent and can be used for healing the body. They will be rich for growth and fertility. The planis of the area will increase in their potency so that their medicinal value will be greatly enhanced. The formation of 'brotherhoods' and 'sisterhoods' will have their birth in these mountains once again." must be and what my future as a teacher mus1 be. It is here, in the Great Smoky Mountains that I will live and work 10 awai1 and experience the awakening of the Ancient Ones. It is here that r will listen to 1he Voice of the Earth Mother sing the song of Creation... of Wholeness... and of Rebirth. And, it is here 1hat I will seek to add my ·ligh1· 10 the ·ugh1s· that are already here... in peace and in harmony with the Spirit Forces and the Greai Devas of the Mountains. So mote it be! Page Bryant is a ttacl~r and p.rychic ofmany years txptritnce. Shr has sludit'd atensivt'ly with Nativt American mtdicmt ttachtrs and is familiar with naJivt' prophecies abow the currtfll Earth changes. She has wrttttn st11tral books, one of IM bt'st known Ming The Earth Changes Survival Kandbook. fltr /WO nr:wtsl rtkasts art. Tcrmvis1on, a pr~r on sacred sitts o/tht world. and The Aquarilln Guide lO N;wve American Mythology. Page and l:t'r husband Sco11 Guynup, a visionary artis1, havt optntd 1he Mystic Mowuain Rt1re_a1 and Ltar,ung Cuittr and may bt' rtaehtd at -,07 8rUJIS\l,1C'Jc Drive; Waynmillt', NC 28786 (704} 456-6714. This article was reprinted from Eanh Walk, tht ntwsltlltr ofThe Earth Ctn/tr, which is dedicated 10 personal <kvelopmtnt and Earth htaling by bringing s1udtnts toge1/iLr with well-known Native l.!ru!rican ltachus Olld holding regular spirltMDl ceremonies ill 1hr narivt ,radicion. The Earth Center is mam«zintd by Zoe and Jim Marun. Contact them 01 302 Old Ftllowship Road, Swannanoa, NC 28n6 (704) 298-3935. WIIEN THE MOUNTAINS A WAKE Upon hearing the Teacher's words, I knew, beyond doubt, where 1 must relocate. knew what the next step on my path of life (from a conversation wi1h Page Bryant) "My spiri1 teacher Albion has repeated numerous times in speaking of the Eanh Changes, 'We don't wan1 you to limit yourselves by thinking about 1he Earth in only the physical sense. When we say Earth Changes we are talking about geological and climatic changes, but we are also talking about social, political, and spiritual changes.' RESOURCES ······~. .... . .~~~~.1!·~·-· - • Earth Ascending. Jose Arguelles (Bear & Co. Publisher.i, Santa r-c, NM. 1988) • Thi! Divining Jland: The 500 Ytar Old Mys1try q/ Dowsing. Chris10phcr Bird (New Age Press; P.O. Box 1216; Black Mounlain, NC 28711. 1979-1985) •Ttmn•ision. Page Bryant (Hi1rpcrMd Row, New York. 1991) • Anti·Gravity and tlu- World Grid Ed1tc.d by David Hatcher Childress (Advcntwts Unlimited Press; Box 22: Stelle, IL 60919. 1987) ~ /(:i;<-:;;~\ ..:· . .. • • • ·:. . • ...... , _ ~ ··.... ··.........' ....... ..... . . , ··- .......... .......... . l ....\ ... ······-......... : ; .,-.. •• I jlll'"li~l.'i,,,__ . '• ·..:. - .... .. . . , • r(!C()rtkd by DW • The Earth Sp,ril. Its Ways. Shrines and Mys1tries. John Mitchell (Crossroads Publislung Co., New York, NY. 1975) • T~ Ntw Vi= Over Atlantir. John Mitchell (Harper and Row Puhlishcrs, San Pranci51CO CA. 1986) • Looking Gia.rt Univtrst: The Emogmg Scitnce of IVhokMSS. F. David Peat and John Briggs (Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York. 1984) • Tht Ancitnl Srienu ofGtomancy. Nigel Pennick (Townes & Hudsen. Ltd., London. 1979) • o! •• • "Geomancy: A Tawny G111111mor; Steven ~ l in Rais,: tht Sraus (Spnng, 1984 • Planet Drum Found:11ion; P.O. Box 31251; San Francisco, CA 94131) • Where ug1wi.f livt. Doug Ro~Jln (Cherokee Publicnlions: P.O. Box 256; Cherokee, NC 28719) • Black Dawn • Bright Day. Sun Bear & Wabun Wind (13.e.lrTribe Pub.; Box 9167; SpocMc, WA 99209. 1990) Wet England. 1984) • Nttdlu o[Srone. Tom Graves (Granada Publishing Lid. 1980) :. .: d ~ • Ear1hmind. Paul Devereux, John S1ccle, and David Kubrin (Harper and Row Publishers, New York. 1989) • Ftng Shui: Thr Seitnet ofSacrtd Landscape in China. Em~ J. Eilel wilh commem.:iry by John Michell, (S)'IICJ'getic Pless; 24 Old Gloucester Street: London -... , . . ~. . "The sacred sites in the Appalachian Mountains are coming into their power. 1993 is a year tha1 I feel will be intense in every way. Bui people are not going to be able ro experience that power until they reconnect themselves 10 the Mother Eanh. 'There are mnny ways to regain our connection with the Eanh. One 1s 10 educate yourself about the Earth. That is what my book The Eanh Changes Survival Handbook is all about. 'That is well and good, bu1 we need 10 go a step funher. We need 10 learn from the native people. and the most imponam thing we can learn is ceremony. "We have to get back into doing the ceremonies 1ha1 honor the forces in narure. We've jus1 become 100 sophisticated for our own good. Jus1 try getting up in the morning and greeting the sun. Take a handful of cornmeal and throw it up toward the Sun and say, 'Thank you, Grandfather. Thank you for the new day.' "Do that for seven days - ir you don·t feel better, more connected 10 the Sun and 10 the Earth, then don'1 do it any more. "Something simple: we have a sign by the water tap in the the kitchen tha1 says, 'Remember the water spirits.' "People want to know what that means. I ask them, 'When is the last time you gave 1hanks to the water spiri!S for being here?' "They say, 'What?' "Obviously it's no1 a question of when was the last rime, because they have never done it before. They've never though1 abou1 it 1ha1 way. Well, I lived in the desert for 12 years, and r learned 1here 1ha1 it's really important 10 have a good solid peace with the water spirits. 'That's some1hing to think abouL We lake these things for granted. That's the big enemy: we lake all these things for granted. No1jus1 the Eanh, the waler, and the air, but also each other.. .life! If people can stop doing that, then we've staned the ball rolling." • TM Ages ofGOia: A Biography of our livin1 Ea,-1/t. J:imcs Lovelock ry./.W. Nonon & Co. Inc. New York. 1988) Orawina by Rob Meaick • Sacrtd Pious. James A. Swan (Bear & Co. Publishing. Santa Fe, NM. 1990) • Ear1h Wisdom. Delores LaChapclle (Finn Hill Ans; P.O. Box 542; Silvcr1on, CO 81433. 1~78) Summer, 1991 �"If the Earth Is To Heal, Our Hearts Must Be Broken": Two Experiential Approaches to Reconnecting with the Earth by Richard Lowenthal Earth Dance Since August oflast year I've been deeply involved in the fonnation of an innovative environmemal youth program called EanhDance. There are two primary "guiding lights " behind this program. First is the belief that our youth need in-depth and experiential knowledge about our environmental crisis - . and about viable, practical solutions. Second 1s the observation that young people are . disenfranchised in our society, and are growing up feeling helpless and/or apathetic about their future. They are desperate for guidance, support, and hope. They are seeking a positive aliemative vision. In speaking with groups of young people throughout the Asheville, North Carolina area, EanhDance director Mark Fields and I have been astounded and saddened to hear the bleakness of many kids' vision of the future. Even from nine and ten year olds, when we ask them to imagine the world twenty years from now, we hear responses like: "In 20 years there won't be any eanh." "1 see the whole planet covered in black smoke." "The hole in the owne layer will keep growing, and we'll all be fried by radiation." They have good reason to be frightened Although our culture voices concern for our childrens' future, it ii; simultaneously devouring the planet and pirating the natural, financial, and social resources essential 10 the future of the coming generations. Amazingly, environmental education is still considered an educational "frill," and sits at or near the bottom of the totem pole of educational priorities. This error is a symptom of OUT failed relationship with the natural world. This massive failure in tum translates into failed relationships with our children, since we are initiating them inro a social system badly out of touch with reality. And buying a child off with a new computer or video game doesn't change the underlying truth: if we really cared about our children and the world they are inheriting, we would be doing much more chan we presently are ro deal. with t~e profo~nd social and ecological cnses which cononue to deepen around us. Within our society and within each of us individually, there exists a _pressing n~ed for adaptive change and conscious evoluuon, a need that we consistently refuse to recognize. We need 10 honor the Eanh, to begin again to nunure the awareness chat this planet is our Home, that we belong here and are responsible for caring for our Home place. One way to promote this aw3:"!"CSS, an~ the sense of caring nunurnnce that n evokes. 1s through planting trees. This spring, EanhDance sponsored a tree ~ale and plan tin~ project for young people, wh1<:_h w:c: unique m its multi-leveled approach. This proJCCt had three interconnected goals: 1) To empower young people (age 9-18) to act on behalf of their communities and their S1nt111ia-, 1991 Planring trees al GrQ.NJ[Olhu Mountain natural environment, and 10 literally get "in touch" with che Earth by planting trees. 2) To teach kid5 that environmentalism and money-making can coexist, and in fact can In suppon each other. _ this case, 40~ of the money raised by selling trees went directly . back to their environmental groups or classes m school, 10 be used for other environmental projects chqsen independently by each group. (The remaining 60% of the proceeds covered EarthDance's expenses in coordinating the project.) One group donated its earnings 10 black bear protection work, while an~ther chose 10 buy and protect an area of r:unforest. Yet another group set its money aside to fund the projects of the environmental club during the coming year. 3) To conduct a liCientific experimen1 . based on soil rcminemlizarion as a therapeutic technique for healing both !;Oil and trees. In coordination wilh Dr. Roben Bruck, a nationnlly known expen on acid min and plant pathology, EanhDance arra!'lged for tree plantings on areas at Mt. Mi1chcll and Grandfather Mountain that have been devastated by a combination of airborne pollution, insects, and fungi. Using a na1urally derived mineral rock dust study groups remincmlized half of the where trees were being replanted, while the remaining areas were left alone to serve as controls. Dr. Bruck expects 1he rock dust to significantly im~rove th_e ~es' chances of survival due 10 its alkahmzmg effect on the soil and 'the concentration of irace minerals it provides for the trees' nourishment In . Germany. large-scale remine:-l1iw.tion efforts _m the Black Forest have been highly successful m rejuvenating dying forest stands. . . Herc m Asheville, another expenment 1s under way on the Audubon Society's new land at Beaver Lake, where kids planted 200 trees - area; ~vcamores, hickories, pecans and hybrid chesmms - and remincml1zcd half of them. EanhDance is also planning future projec1i, to explore whether reminemlization can, ns Dr. Bruck suspects, minimize or perhaps stop the damaging dogwood blighL All the!">C effons arc imponant, yet the crucial aspect of the EanhDancc approoch is the focus on active involvement and experiential education for our youth. Technical solutions and temporary improvements will no~ suffice lO insure a sustainable society and a habitable planet. We need a drastit "change of hean" even more than a "change of mind." We already realize the gravity of OUT situation; th~re is plenty of terrifying inf0rnl3tion oa that topic. What we need now is courage, inspiration and lwpe. We need hean-lcvcl inspiration to get _us motivated, but inspiration never lasts unless 11 is convened into hope and encouragement through direct personal experience. As Mark Fields puts it, ''The problems of our world ultimately spring from OUT sense of separation from life and each other. The mos1 effective way to heal this sense of separateness is through building connectedness and community: actual involvement in life. "In thinking 1his through, I concluded that OUT children arc the most effective "acupressure poin1" within human society 10 quickly tum things around. Most a~ults arc either so busy or so shut down emononally that they arc simply unavailable for intensive involvement. Our kids, on the other hand, arc desperate for involvement, for real participation in life. And the kids have the most to lose, too. They know we need to preserve the planet, but they aren't seeing much real change; they arc offered public posturing and "green" slogans instead. This conveys a negative message to our youth, and increases their frustration and cynicism. "If young people don't have a positive oullet for their energy and youthful enthusiasm, they tend to lapse into depression or apathy. But if their potential energy is guided and convened into activated. energy, then they can work to change the direction into which our planet is heading - and they can feel much beuer about themselves and their future. Only if a tremendous grasH'OOts movement arises, among both children and adults, can we move towards righ1 relationship, wholeness, and harmony. I see this movement as one of the bare essentials for the survival of humanity and the planet - and it 1s happening. and slowly growing, becau:;e II is so desperately needed. We need more than anything 10 reconnect with, and honor, our Source.·• MurJ; Firld.r is aformrr busi11essman ondflowtr farmrr who spent many )·ears living in the f<Jln/oresu of Costa Rica lit rtlMTMd nnrth ,n 1988 fuling a dup r.onu,11 for ow social and p/JJMUJry tn1v-0=111. and rpent tM [WI two ~ors dew/oping the ideas bthilld EanhDanct. Phone (704) 2.52.Jlll/8 or writ( to Ca11hDa11cc htStllutt: P.O. Box 2155: Ashl!Vlllf. NC 28802. (continuod on nm r•i:•) �(conlinued rrom page 1S) Children already have the connection. Little kids know - they feel it. It's amazing how much more they know than we do, how much more they sense. They just need encouragement. Karualr: I grew up surTounded by deep woods, arid I used to spend hours and hours exploring them. That was important for my growth, but most kids don't have that anymore. Their feelings are intact when they're very young. but without encouragement to feel their relationship to life around them, they start to lose touch. It's like autism, in a sense. We withdraw into the "separate" self, and cut ourselves off from reality. ReCreation Experiences Another Asheville-based program, ReCrearion Experiences, was begun last/al/ U> literally bring people "down to earth" through wilderness skills and outdoor living training. Based on the Native American ways 111ughr by tracker Tom Brown and his staff. ReCreation Experiences is led by founder Dave Torbett. I spoke with Dave about the focus of his reaching: Karuah Journal: What was the genesis of ReCrearion Experiences? Dave Torbett: About 8 years ago I began to envision developing a program to help people "come home," as I call it. Our culture has a built-in mentality that wilderness is "bad" or "dangerous," so we insulate ourselves from it. Backpacking has become very popular, but even then we're insulated. We wear heavy lug boots, we carry massive backpacks, we sleep enclosed in tents. We pack in our stoves and ice cbestS and lanterns, then go home feeling we've been "back 10 nature"! Despite the big wave of backpacking and outdoor recreation, we still have not gouen back to the Eanh. So I began 10 dream about an alternative to those kinds of camping and outdoor programs - a way to take people home, help them feel corilfonable with the Ennh, help them learn skills that teach them that our Mother provides everything that we need. It's very simple living. There's an old Apache saying that as far a.s humans' feet are protected from feeling the Earth Mother, that's how far humans' hearts will be from knowing her as M0ther. lf people's hearts aren't broken again, and they don't reawaken into a loving, caring relationship with the Earth, environmentalism will do some good, but in the long run people will tire of it and go back to their "convenient," desrructivc ways. So I feel we have to woo people back to our Mother. Xntuafl JoumoC P<1CJC 16 DrawingbyRobMculclt Katuah: It seems that the fundamental problem is our separation from nature. OT: Yes. A lot of it comes out of the Puritan mentality, which maintained that anything passionate was bad, including sex and nature. Anyone who's spent much time outdoors, or been out when the wind's blowing and the sky is tom apan by lightning, knows nature is passionate and alive, and not some thing that we can control. But our western mentality says, "If we can't dominate it, then we will kill it" Thai is still how we approach life: we analyze it, we do endless scientific studies... but there is an clement to the Earth that is spiritual, that is deep - something unfathomable. There's something magical about iL Our culture tries to obliterate that, to w1pei1 out. Karuah: Our obsession with conb'OI seems 10 be a major problem_ DT: Making fire with a bow drill provides a good example. If you don't work with the wood, the cord. and the tinder - if you try to dominate them - you may grind through that fire-board, but you don't get a fire! Once while we were doing a workshop for a group of parents, the lead instructor, Steve Ashmore, became very frustrated because he couldn't get a fire. He wns cranking hard on that bow drill, and nothing was happening. Finally he just laid everything aside and said "J quit." About 1wo seconds later, he looked over. and the '>'ind had sparked a coal in his tinder bundle. His tinder bundle was 5moking, it was on fire. He got a fire by saying ''OK. I give up." This was a great spiritual experience for Steve. As long as he had fought the energy and tried to control it, nothing had worked. But when he let go, the wind blew the coal into a flame for him. Trans formative moments like tha1 happen 10 people when they get back to being a pan of nature. When we're willing just 10 stop. put our bare feet on the Earth. and listen to her speak and b~thc...thcn we arc able 10 be transfonned. DT: Yeah, Tom Brown uses this example: imagine you've been lying in a hospital bed for 10 years. Your muscles atr0phy, and when you try to get up you can't walk, you have to relearn how to walk. We have innate awareness skills: we know how to live in harmony with the Earth, we know how 10 be in balance, we know how 10 let the spirit flow within us. But as our feet became removed from the Earth, our awareness skills atr0phied: all the spiritual awareness, the e,cpanded vision, the sensing of the movementS of our animal and plant brothers. All those sensing skills became atrophied. When people go outside, even for a little while, you hear them say how good they feel. Well, it's that reconnection. But since it's so unfamiliar, we have to help people define what they're feeling and realize that it's good. Sometimes people ask me if I'm "New Age," and I tell them, "No, it's a very "old age" thing we're doing. It's pan of us, we've carried a club a lot longer than we've earned a pen. We're toolmakers and craftspeople. We're more comfortable with creating, sensing and moving with the Ennh, than with anything else. Katuah: How does that deep rccoMcction with nature unfold inside us? What can we do to nurture it? OT: We have to gradually recover our inner sense of being comfonable with the Earth. This may mean starting with small periods of time when you can go outside and be alone and listen. You begin to rune your senses once again. You listen for sounds. you smell whatever's in the air, you begin to look with expanded vision. If you lie down on your stomach and look at one six-inch square piece of ground, you could fiU a notebook with all the things you see. There's a wonderful, mysterious place right there in your back yard. Take your shoes off. stand in the grass, then step away and look at your foorprint. That's the beginning of tracking: observation. Begin to observe what comes in and out of your yard, what lives there, what grows there. Begin to research all the plants that grow there. Take longer periods of time to be silent, breathe. and let the Earth speak to you. Let the spirit that moves in all things speak and move in you, and trust w~3;,,. t you begin to sense and feel. fr RcCrtaJion ~ritncts. an &mh skills and a/llllltlMIII program, offas work.tlwps and training 10 1/rt public. PhcM (704) 252-8688 or writt to RcCrearionuperitncrs:46 Wall S1ru1: Asheville NC 28801. SummcY-, t99t �, I ON AGGRESSION In 1838 Andy Jackson said that we should move aside for "civilized man," meaning white people with their plows, schools, technology, etc.. I think about the thing that happened in Iraq and I think about the wars carried on by "civilized man," and the way that we think about them. For instance.we consider ourselves "civilized" because we don't indiscriminately drop nuclear bombs on our enemies. But at the same rime it's "civilized" 10 thre:1ten people with nuclear weapons by havmg thousands of them To me this says that one of the things we haven't addressed is our own aggression. Looking around today, 1 see that spunking m dny-care centers has become an issue, and the argument is brought up that "the reason that there is so much crime. is because there is not enough spanking." . Now how could a child not grow up bemg aggressive when adulL'i hit him because they assume that his behavior cannot be ~~lied in any other way? Spanking and h11ung (as well as neglect) by adults is what causes wn.rs and criminality • not the tack of those! r recently witnessed white kids having a fight. One was an 11 year old boy who was pounding on a nine year old. The older boy's father came out with a big leather strap and beat the older kid for hitting the younger1>ne. That's how aggression and wars are perpetuated. We learn by example, all of us, adults and children. ln raising kids, it isn't what one says that is important; it's what one does. But in thi~ cul~urc ki?s are expected 10 respond to what ts s:nd, while the adults think that they can do whatever the hell they want to. And they don't realize that the children are learning from wh~t they are doing, not from what they are saying. The way to communicate non-violence. to say that there are other ways 10 solve our human problems than to nuke our enemies or 10 go aftei them with high technology weapons • is 10 live that kind of life. After awhile, we're expected 10 notice when we're doing something that doesn't ~ork. ,:tie v:iay we measure how well a policy 1s working 1s by the results ...and we're still slaughtering ourselves wholesale. The native people never thought that spanking was the right approach 10 dealing with children. To us spanking seemed barbaric - it was a barbaric, savage thing that dominant culture men did to their children. The traditional family was different from the fa!11ilies. of today. F~r.one thing, they were more inclusive. In a tradiuonal family the old people were respected. They were the caretakt:r.;, the nunurers, and the teachers of the children. They weren't meaningless lives best stuck off in a faraway house 10 die. Today we don't seem 10 have time to take care of our children or our old people. We're 100 busy making money 10 survive or 10 get ahead. We often leave the ca.re of our family Su111111cr, 1991 (These n.re the words of a IJ'Dditiorol Cherokee medicine ~n.) members 10 "professionals." But most of these "professionals" arc people who arc hired off the street to work a menial job for a minimum w~~e. Or we i:elinquish the responsibility of ra,s,ng our children 10 the school system. It ends up that frustrated, underpaid, Lower T/uuvkrlwle under-respected people have the responsibility for talcing care of our families. In a traditional family, the children were indulged - their every whim was met. But they we~ also made 10 feel like they were pan of the family and welcome 10 panicipate in family ac~ivi.ties. This ~esulred in a different way of 1h1nkmg, what 1s called a "cultural bias." People's identity was defined first by the family, then by the tribe and by the clan. Everybody, when we get hun. wants sympathy and empathy. r can remember as a small kid falling and crying, and somebody picking me up, hugging me, and raking care of me. I can rcmembt:r that. But as I got older the grown-ups just stopped reacting like that. They gradually had me become more responsible for myself. That went on up through the pubeny and moon lodge ceremonies. As I got older, if I misbehaved, people would simply walk away and act hun. White people call this rejection, but I don't see it as rejection at all. When as an adult, if someone violated cultural customs, but in a way that was not too serious, people might not talk with that person for a week. That was a powerful reprimand. The need 10 belong 10 the family and clan groups was so strong, that it was a motivating factor in modifying people's behavior. The most serious punishment was 10 be ostracized from the tribe. That was worse than death. If someone was ostracized from his family or clan, there was probably a 90-95% chance thnt person would commit suicide. That's a cultural bias. That wouldn't work in this culture. People don't have that tribal sense now. Today it's every man for himself. Just about every one of the native tribes recognized that the tram,ition from childhood 10 adulthood was a very imponant stage in a person's. life and marked it by some son of c_elebrrmon or pubeny ceremony: Pubeny is a t1~1e w_hen young peopl~ are having a variety of b1olog1~I change:. commg over them. and it's also a urni: when they are staning 10 question and doubt the thing:. that have been taught 10 them by the older people. This is called "the ~bellious stage" now. h is a time 10 question. a umc to a.\k: "Is there a God?" "Is Grandpa full of shit?"' - important mauers like that. Instead of trying 10 hold that energy down, or lock it up, or conrrol it, traditional people would encourage the young ones to search and 10 :;eek out answers for themselves. !'I~. one said, "This is the only way that there 1s, because experience taught them that if there was any truth or goodness or sohdriess 10 the philosophy that the young people were raised by, they would come back home after they were allowed to question, to doub1, and 10 experiment for themselves. I sure as hell did it, and the older l get, the more I find myself acting like my grandfather. Every once in awhile I look in the mirror, and I think he's standing there. And when I hear myself talking 10 my children, I hear his voice. I've gone in a big circle in my life. That circle went way, way out there, but now it's come back around. But that's fairly nonnal - that is, if there's any basis 10 the ideas one was brought up with. We also recognized that there was aggression in human beings. The white people have always thought that we had lots of wars among ourselves. but I think that our ''wars" were more like long-1enn, off-and-on feuds. We certainly weren't without aggression, but w~ ~!so didn't ~eep armies and build up m1l11ary s1ockp1les. In warfare and in raising children we were several thousand years more advanced than the dominant culture of today. Instead of putting all our energy into designing new weapons and military hardware, we sho_uld be 101e_lligcnt or civilized enough to deal w11h the basic problems of our aggression, our selfishness, our self-centeredness - not just with the symptom.-.. We have 10 face the fact that aggression is pan of us. It's pan of our t:rue name. Uut the dominant culture doesn't really address that. The present society substitutes "the big stick theory" - since we expect other humans 10 be aggressive, we create a big military to proteet our wealth and our ideas. c-un·.~ on ne11 pa1e) - · _, )(,(ltimf, Journal pa<)C 17 -. �(c:o111inucd from~ 17) The Cherokee people recognized our muuml aggression. They would arrange stickball games. Somelimes lhey senlcd disputes with u game of stickball. The word for "ballgame" was the same as the word for "war." People. ;ot hun playing stickball; somelimes pooplc even got killed. We certainly didn't solve the problems of aggression, but we had ways 10 deal wich them. Jn the Cherokee way of thinking, for example, there was no concept for cowardice. When we were having a baule 1,1,ith our neighbors, maybe the Creeks or somebody else, and we felt that we were losing too many of our people, even though we might be winning the conflict, we would just pack up our weapons and go home. We acted like 1his because life was sacred m us. The loss of too many people was more than we could handle. Indebtedness :ind revenge were parts of our culture in which we were nor VCI)' advanced. The basis of the clan justice svstcm was retaliation. Everybody knew thal if ihey tre:ued a member of :1no1her clan badly, they were going to get their ass kicked by all the rest of the clan. It made people think twice about mistreating someone, but the clans had 10 kick a lot of ass 10 uphold their reputations so the system would keep functioning. In clan maners we weren't as much a tribe a.\ a confederation. If someone was killed who wasn't kin or a clan member, other people often were not too concerned. Some Cherokee villages fought with the Creeks for years, while at the same time other Cherokee villagl!s were friends 10 the same Creeks. But revenge was a powerful motivation. However, there were restraims. The nation had what they called "red villages" and Aging...Changing Asheville, May. Jordan's jus1 now learned how 10 replace a pacifier between tiny we1 lips curled sweetly beneath May's sun while the new leaves of wild strawberries and blue-purple briars discover how it is warm and sad and odd beneath a cloudless Appalachian ceiling. And down the pebbled road I know through the inference of tre~ crashing through irees and the sorrowed, bloody thud of wood to earth lha1 the firs lll'TOSs the ridge arc just now learning, too: seeing how the cones shake and drop through lhe popping, cracking, fibrous wrenching of hot, oily metal teeth. The blue twist of two-cycle oil breath dissipa1es, quite satisfied, up and away through a canopy of needles, waiting in the silence of death for the imminent drying. The bridge has tumbled into the deep. Below the sloshing, muddy torrents !here are creatures calm and curious, monsters bloated, white, and wide-eyed, and between them somewhere in the murky stew an understanding odd and unspoken. Finned ~a1urcs stare at rare monsters queerly, wondenng what purpose they've come to !,C!Ve, To reclaim appliances, furniture, tires, boulcs, and else? To 1emp1 with wonn, jig, or spinner? Or perhaps only 10 say "l have driven submerged". The monsters stare back, but do not see or question • though lips are poised for speech. Hair standing on end pointing downstream, body slowly swaying, stiffening. Above, quiet whispers of drizzle beckon the sun's fading 10 hurry. And upstream muddy banks doued with the living who stand among red and yellow and blue s1r0bes, dizzy, pointing downstream, are disappearing in the rising. The living Stare also, blindly into swirling eddies of death. "w hi1e villages." Generali v it broke down th111 the aggressive people lived in the red villages, and the non-aggressive people lived in the white villa~es. The "Beloved Woman" was another built•in check within the syMcm. If everybody got all excited about something 1he Creeks had done and wanted to go make war right away, a Beloved Woman could say, "Listen, there's not going to be any warfare," and 1here wouldn't be any warfare. We had cenain checks and balances that developed through the centuries. I don't know if it was ever consciously though I out, but it fit in witb our cultural biases. How the clan system of justice would have developed in the future if it had not been contaminated by an influence as strong as western cuhure, J really don't know. Poems by James Proffitt Ancient, crude magnificence evolving from distant overtones to immediate, restless anger low and .still and brittle. Cracking pop splitting flash of flashes and flutter of an in splinters sweet pine mood rain pouring hail and sulphurous love of electric kissing a nameless fir clenched to the crest of a trillion ton stone. This is the beginning. What if old age is a healing crisis? - the harder old age is, the more healing is needed, As we get closer 10 Spirit, we cleanse naturally. Old unhelathy habits of body and mind come 10 the surface - we're more sensitive - more unable 10 abuse ourselves without instant repercussions. ~hat_ if we looked at aging as prosperity? Prospcnty IS abundance. The more we have of something, the more prosperous we arc. With age our numbers build like money in lhe bank experience - wisdom - value. When we age, we slow down so we can notice more. We learn how 10 conserve our energy, so that we can better become involved in olher realms besides the physical. Our culture has taught us that old age often means sickness. Bu, these sicknesses are probably only the accumulations of lifelong habits that harden us when we do not face issues and feelings in relation to ourselves and olhers...When we are not willing 10 change. The word change has age in iL It also bas can. lf we can stay open and make the changes we need to as we go along, the healing crisis needn't be so hard. Don·, let lhc healing pile up until 1he end. Ligh1en up your load. Count your blessings and your years - and when you reach I 00, it could be like collecting interest on a life well invested. • C Redmage Rcprint.cd from !he Floyd ReSl)urce Cooperative Muulrller; Bo~ 81: Floyd. VA 24091 A bear's nose quivers fur pointing that way, buck's ears and tail twitching water hissing steaming up and away from charred wood echo of a fading, wordless language. Later earth whispers beneath a sagging canopy wrecked foliage heaving and sucking expelling long ceremonious sighs having wealhered one more and only rhe foamy brown rnge of a river below and subtle, renewed spirit in flora to show. D,_,,,, by f1t1 Graef,: Xati«lfl Joumat pnge 18 (from IN CllMrttc Ught on tho Wind. .K~ p. JO} Summer. 1991 �SACRED FORESTS: Recommended Guide to Old Growth Stn11ds Green Spirits, our generous plant allies. gifl animal-kind with food, medicine, and counsel. While all animals consume 1he fiber and flesh of plants, few seek out the counsel and cures offered by plants. My favorite way to immerse my soul with plant and eanh energies is by entering and communing with the old growth forests. I prefer the 1enn "old growth forest" over the romantic misnomers "virgin forest" or "wilderness," which only exist in the minds of civilizations which have left the forest. Old growth forests are defined by many criteria, the most obvious of which are: the relative freedom of disturbance by humans; the presence of large trees and an uneven canopy structure; an abundant fungal component; and the presence of logs in alJ stages of decay. I gain reverence by day-hiking into these wooden-cities of forest inhabitants, where I temporarily become a citizen of these woods. But the greatest spiritunl sensitivity'comes to ptc after $pending three or more days in the fores1s. Gradually. one becomes more "in tune" to the subtle rhythms and energies of a truly balanced ecosystem. Words poorly describe this personal experience; I can only encourage readers to directly visit and experience these green energies first hand and with open heans. One should enter the forest with a sense of reverence and should "leave nothing but footprints ... " Katuah's Green Spirits are best felt and embraced within the old(cr) growth forests, especially within the protected areas of the region's largest preserve, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (hereafter called "the Smokies"). Detailed trail maps of the Smokies can be purchased at any of the visitor centers in the Park, or can be obtained by mail from the Great Smoky Mountain Na1urnl History Association (Grea1 Smoky Mountnins Trail Map- GSMNHA; Rt. 2, Box 572-B; Gatlinburg, TN 37738. $1.00 postpaid). More detailed trail infonnation can be ob1ained from the Sierra Club's Hiker's Guide to the Smokies (Mur!less and Stallings), available at libraries and bookstores. Day-hiking is unrestricted in the Smokies: however, you will need a free backcountry use pcnnit (available from rangers and at several self-service Backcountry Reservation Stations) for any over-night stays in the backcountry. Several of the backcountry camp~ites arc extensively used and require advanced phone reservations. My favorite places 10 eicperience the communities of forest beings have occurred along the following hiking trails in the Smokies: (I} The Gabe Mountain Trail follows the lower slopes of the main ridge crest between Cosby and Greenbrier, Tennessee. East of HenwaJJow f-nlls, the trail travels through se_veral miles of undiscurbed original forest, with _an exceptional diversity of plant and fungi species of enormous age and siz~. There is a Sunmier, 1991 beautiful backcountry campsite (#34- Sugar Cove) located in 1he middle of this forest. This trail offers easy access 10 some of the best woodlands in the Smokies. Joye~ Ki/~r M~morial Forest (2) A few miles awny by trail is the preserved Albrigh1 Grove, a small section of prehi~toric forest, named after a former director of the National Park Service. The trailhead is locared on a short side-road behind the Jellystone Park Campground on US 321 between Gatlinburg and Cosby. fn the grove one may experience the immense presence of several HUGE tulip poplars ("the Behemoths") and record-sized understory trees and ferns. These trees are friendly 10 u-ce-huggcn.. (3) A few stream drainages west of Albright Grove is the Ramsey Cascades Trail, an eight mile round trip day-hike. This tmil leads through mature forests, but with a more limited number of the exceplionally HUGE trees. This is a m<X.lerately difficult hike due to the distance and steady climb (a 1600 foot elevation gain in four miles). (4) One of my favorite trails is the Boogerman Trail in Cataloochec Valley, located off rnterstate 40 at the nonheastem end of the Park. This relatively easy. seven mile round trip trail leads the hiker through magnificent trees of record-sized hemlock, oak, hickory, and poplar trces ...rcalJy fine trees to hug! CataJoochec Valley contains several additional pockets of relatively undisturbed forest, including (along the Big Poplar Trail) the largest tulip poplars in the Park, each with a trunk diameter of six to eight feet. (5) A few trail miles west ofCataloochcc Valley is the high elevation "perched valley" of the headwater:. of Raven Fork. This is the valley of the Cherokee Indian legend of ''Yona-unatawasiti'yi'' ("where the bears wash"), a mythical purple pool where wounded bears are healed . Loc:ued adjacent to the Cherokee Indian Reservation at Cherokee, NC, the headwaters of Raven Fork nrc considered the most isolated and rugged valley in the Park. No maintained tmils lead through this area, bu1 the ridge above it can be reached by hiking the Beech Gap Trail from Roundbouom parking area, nonh of the Cherokee Trout Hatchery. At the head of this trail is the McGee Springs Campsite (#44), from which a very primitive man-way leads along Breakneck Ridge and then descends through thick rh<X.lodendron and laurel to the rushing creek. The forest around the campsite is composed of huge spruce and oak trees. A second and more frcquemly used campsite, Enloe Creek Campsite (#47), is located alongside an especially beautiful section of Raven Fork (6) Small, relatively undisturbed "pockets" of the original forest, remain along the eictreme headwaters of the many southern streams which drain down from the ridgecrest along the Tennessee and Nonh Carolina border in the Smokies. Most of these watersheds were heavily logged in the 1920-30's, but the uppermost re.1ches of these valleys contain magnificent forests. One of the more easily accessible headwaters is that of Deep Creek. This trail-head is located a1 a small parking :irea on RL 441 about a mile south of Newfound Gap in the center of the Park, TI,e trail drop:. steeply into the impressive forest with its many streams and beautiful trees. The tr.iii should be followed for at least 1wo miles. Better yet is 10 walk the four miles to the campsite at Poke Patch (#53). (7) Another exceptional woodland in the Smokies is found at the beginning of the lower section of the Gregory Bald Trail. This trailhead begins 01 1he start of the one-way Parson Branch Road, leading out of Cades Cove, TN. The two mile hike to 1he Forge Creek Campsite (#12) leads beneath an exceptional tree canopy. Continuing up to the crest of the ridge (about a 2600 foot rise in elevation), the hiker will reach the grassy Gregory Bald, another Cherokee mythical siie. "Tsisrn'yi'' ("the Rabbit place"}. Herc the ' rabbics had their townhouse, ruled by their chief Rabbit. who was as large as a deer. This open and grassy mounca.in bald is exceptionally beautiful in mid-June when the native name azaleas bloom in blinding red-to-orange colors. 1hls listing of exceptional forests in the Smokies (and 1'm not telling all my secrets!) is intended as a guide for personal pilgrimages into some of the last old growth forest remnants remaining in K.atuah Province. Go to these places. and scclc the counsel and wisdom of plant spirits there • you will gain greater respect for even the simplest Green Spirits. • / by Lee Barnes Xatuaf1 Journal pngc I 9 �- OFF THE GRID When we 1alk about hydropower we are really talking about mpping into the primary power of the eanh... gravity. Water itself has no power, it has mass. The power is due to the force'of gravity acting upon the mass of water and creating an energy flow, The energy flow represented by flowing water is naturally regenerative (as are all natural cycles}. due to the sun's input. Star energy evaporates water, allowing the wind to carry it , back to the top of the hill. Organisms have been using flowing water to help them do the things they need to do, ever since water first flowed; whether it be the micro-organism that needs it to bring food within its reach, or the person floating downstream in n hollowed-out log. Up here in my neck-of-the-woods, the Blowing Rock, people have been using the many swift and swollen streams to U11nsport themselves for, I imagine, IOOO's of years (though now we just call it spon). More recently, the people of this area took to pu11ing large wheels in the path of a stream's flow in order to change i1i. linear energy in\Q circular mQtion. At first, this 100k the shape of giant water wheels running grist and lumber mills at places like Cove Creek, Valley Crucis, and near Beech Mountain on Beech Creek Road. In fact, the Winebarger mill in Meat Camp is still operational and the giant wheel (over three stories high) that once powered the lumber mill on Beech Creek Road is sull turning, though in a different stream... The first thing you notice when you enter Edith and Ray Estes' small piece of land tucked into a holler along Howard's Creek, is that giant wheel turning slowly and inexorably like some giant fenis wheel from a perpetual fair. Along its circumference, every foot or so. is a metal slat which caplllrCs a stream of water directed to the top of the wheel from somewhere higher up the holler, making the wheel fall with ics weight over and over again. Ray, who has been active for 83 years. once used the wheel's spinning motion 10 spin a 12 kilowa11 (kw) generator. Since then he ha.~ scaled down his operation and uses a smaller wheel nexr 10 his house 10 generate electricity, but rhc big wheel still turns 10 generate memories of the pasL Ray's use of the big ol' lumber mill wheel to gcnerarc electricity, illustrates a very recent use for hydropower which mos, people associate with the term, electricity generation. By virtue of its elevation a stream contains potential energy. hs rate of flow is a measure of this potcnrial being realized. We can use these two simple truths to calcul:ue 1he potential power of any stream: P=HxQ Xnti1<1h Jou rno t pngc 20 Which says that the power (P) of a stream of water is equal to the height (Hor head) from which it is falling multiplied by the speed (Q) at which it falls. The electricians among us may recognize the similarity between this equation and the basic power relation of electricity: P= EX I where P is power in waus, E is electromotive force in volts, and I is current flow in amps. According to More Orher Homes and Garbage, the power of a stream can be expressed in waus by dividing the product of the flow in cubic feet per second and the head in feet by 0.0118. This gives the potential maximum power. How close one can get 10 that figure is a function of how efficiently one's electrical power generating system translates the linear motion of the stream to the circular motion of the generator. Before 1930, Boone got a lot of its clccuical power from a hydroplant off the Blowing Rock Ro:id on the South Fork or the New River. The dam for thtlt system still smnds. Another large hydrosys1em in the area still operates. The dam for this system which crosses the breadth of the Watauga river (ma.king it unnavigable at that point, which would not be allowed today), was originally built in 1890 out of hemlock logs, and the stored power was used to grind com and wheat. In 1905, Ben 0. Ward built a sawmill which still stands, though in a state of long disuse. In 1934 a larger dam was built and Ward began to generate electricity. He received a power franchise from the state und supplied 12 to 15 homes with electricity through a 35 kw synchronous generator. The famous flood of 1940 wiped out the plant (and just about everything else up here), and before it could be rebuilt the Rural Electrical Association (REA) moved in and divided the countryside into regions within which only one company could have a franchise. fn this area that was BREMCO (Blue Ridge Electric Membership Co-op). Now, anyone generating power for more than personal use must sell it 10 BREMCO, they cannot sell it dircclly to their neighbors. Currently, the si1e begun by Ben Ward is maintained by his son Rick. It consists of two 3-phasc induction motors, one 100 hp and the other 125. It is a 69 kw plant with a head of 16 feet forcing a flow which often exceeds 20,000 gallons per minute through the two giant vertical turbines. Mr. Ward produces 50,000 kwh per month which he sells to BREMCO at $0.03/kwh, so he makes about $1500 per month from his hydropower. Ward's system is an example of a low-head, high-flow system. This area, however, also contains a good working example of a high-head, low-flow system. It dams a small creek high arop the hill ii falls down. Water is channeled from this dam down 1680 feet of eight inch diameter drainage pipe (obtained 31 $2.08/ft from leftovers 31 the oon to the generator 168 feet below the head of the dam. A flow of 1200 gallons per minute spins a vertical pelton wheel at 300 rpm, which is geared down to spin a 18 kw 3-phasc induction motor. Like Ward's, this generator is induced by the power company, which means BREMCO supplies the power to the electromagnet within the generator. Thi~ makes 11 unnecessary for the person who is generating the power to have a lot of expensive synchronizing and voltage protection equipment. But it also means when BREMCO goes down. so do they. Not exactly off the grid. but they could be. This micro-hydro system could generate almost 13,000 kwh per month, enough to provide up to 15 normal homes (energy hogs) with electricity. The resuiction on selling power to others could possibly be circumvented by buying land cooperatively, or having all the service homes on a single piece of propeny owned by the power generator. This is the situation which exists on Ray and Edith Estes' estate. Resembling more a riverboat than a house, the Estes' home is tucked away high up in the holler alongside the stream. From there it overlooks a little community of homes and cabins which they rent at very reasonable prices. Ray built a dam across the little stream which runs by his house, and created a small pond above his house, teeming wi1h fish and a family of ducks. He channels some of the water from the pond to a srt13ll tmditional wooden waterwheel which sits right next to his house. adding even more 10 the illusion of a riverboat as it slowly spins in the stream. Its speed of six rpm's turns a giant flywheel which is attached 10 the shaft of a generator by a • leather strap. The 5 kw, l lO V generator is bolled to a workbench in the small wheelhouse Ray built next 10 the waterwheel. Currently he uses the power 10 nm his outside ligh1s, twenty to thirty I00 wan light bulbs. During the day when no lights are needed but a load is needed to prevent the DC generator from burning up, Ray uses the power to heat his hot water. Ray's got a lot of hot water. Ray's system is the best example of a low-tech system which most anyone with a little spunk could build. No exorbitantly expensive turbine, pelton wheel, or piping is required, and il's graceful. Though I think Ray's dam and resulting pond are beautiful, some people (not beavers) object to micro-hydro systems because the ·dams destroy the stream's ecology. At the developing Center for Ecological Living (CEL). which would be Katuah's newest site for investigation into self-sufficient community lifestyles, Rob Messick. curator and local genius, has devised a water delivery system which is unobtrusive to the stream. I le placed a preformed concrete culven, in which he had driven a two inch hole and a couple of small feed holes, i 010 the center of the small but powerful ~tream which flows through the CEL. A two inch nexible black plastic pipe runs out of the two inch hole 250 feet to the pond which sits beside the stream. The flow from the pipe is about 45 gallons/minute, which could be quadrupled by doubling the size of the pipe. Besides using this hydropower to fill the pond, it might be possible to generate electricity as the water enters the pond. Hopefully, we will repon more on this in future OFF Tl IE GRTD columns. Anyone interested at an in-depth look at one person's small 7 kw hydrosystem should refer to Katuah #4, the WATER issue. on page 11. If you don't have it, order a back copy. There are still a few left. If anyone out there i,; running a small h)•drosystem, send in a description and w/''ll print it in this space. ' Big wheel keep on turning ... Jim IJouser S111mm.·r, 1Q91 �"I'M YOUR PUPPET" NIIUn.l World News Service ECOTAGE The Cullasaja controve~ continues (see Na1ural World News Ser-ice Ka11wh Journal #30). At issue are plans for a A series of inc1den1s in Katuah's national forests is leading some fores1 officials and law cnforcemem agencies to suspect 1ha1 there are local activis1s commi1ting acts of "ecotage," damage to equipment that is damaging natural environments. On March 27, Leonard Cook of Cook Bro1hcrs Lumber Company in Franklin reported that spikes embedded in logs from the Paroidge Ridge timber sale near the Namahala Community in Macon County had caused over $1000 worth of damage to his sawmiU. Less than one month later T & S Hardwoods of Sylva, Nonh Carolina reported damage to logging equipment in the Avery Creek area of the Pisgah National Forest. Thomas Stanley, mill manager for the company, reported on April 5 that dirt had been added to the fuel tanks of the machines. Stanley, whose company was also the target of a spiking incident last March, does no1 believe that April's incident was nn act of ecotage: "To me, it looks more like vandalism than someone trying to make a statement." Pisgah District Ranger Art Rowe disagrees. He considers the act "environmental terrorism." The area where the equipment damage occurred is located three miles behind n locked gate, and Rowe said, "That's a long way for somebody to go back into an area just to commit casual vandalism," he said. Rowe wonders if the possible ecotage is in any way connected to an incident two weeks earlier in the North MUls River area of Henderson County, in which an un-named group of people blocked a Jogging truck for nearly three hours as it was attempting to leave a logging site. SAVING WATERSHEDS Natural Wotld News Service Two special places may possibly be slated for federal acquisition this year. Work continues to protect the Chattooga River, and two tracts arc currently available for purchase. $2.2 million is also being sought to buy 1,860 acres on the Horsepasture River. The Horsepasture is designated a Wild and Scenic River and efforts continue to guarantee permanent protection of that status. The Congressional Land and Water Conservation Fund directs a portion of government receipts from offshore oil drilling and other resource depleting activities imo land preservation. Write your Congressional representatives about malcing these important watershed acquisitions through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Senators US Senate Washingion, DC 20S10 SAY NO TO PLUTONIUM Nawn! World News Sctvice The US government's Rocky Aats plutonium processing operations near Denver, Colorado are being shut down because of plutonium contamination to the surrounding area. Rocky Aats is looking for a home, and the government would like to move the facility either to the Pantex nuclear weapons assembly plant near Amarillo, Texas or 10 Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Presently the Rocky Flats plant reprocesses plutonium so that it can be re-used in nuclear warheads and builds plutonium •pits" which are used as a triggering method inside the warhead. Plutonium has been released into the soil, wr, and water of the plant's surrounding environment. Studies by Dr. Carl Johnson, health officer of Jefferson County, Colorado, showed that people living near the Rocky Flats plant had increased risks of childhood leukemia, brain tumors, skin cancer, and lung cancer. Moving the operation to Karuah's western slope would mean severn.l billions of dollars in construction work on new processing facilities and thousands of jobs, Summer-, 1991 Rcprcsenlntive US House of Reprcscntat.ives WashinglOl'I, DC 205 IS considerations that have the Oak Ridge city government drooling. The town has already signed an agreement - before even looking at the operation plans! - that offers the Dcpanment of Energy (DOE) 5,000 acres of free land and a guarantee of five million gallons of water per day if the agency would locate their supcrplant in Tennessee. The Rocky Flats faciliry would also bring large amounts of plutonium, one of the deadliest substances unleashed on the planet • an clement so volatile that it instantly bursts into flame on comipg into contact with oxygen; a substance so concentrated that it requires only ten pounds to make an atomic warhead. Handling plutonium results in plutonium waste that has a half-life of24,000 years and which, as it decays, creates americium. that gives off bone-penetrating radioactive gamma rays. his impossible to safely handle or pennanently contain plutonium waste, and when it seeps or vaporizes into the environment it collects in living tissue. causing degenerative disease and genetic mutation. The announcement about the Rocky Flats move was contained in a DOE repon titled 'i'hc Reconfiguration of the Nuclear Weapons Complex," which outlines plans to carry $5 million sewage treatment plant proposed by the town of Highlands in Macon County, North Carolina that would dump one-half million gallons of treated effiucm per day into tl1c Cullasaja River. The NC Department of Environmental Management (DEM), although ii was aware of the controversy and has been presented wi1h pmple evidence of the potential impacis of the proposed treatment plant, signed a permit for the facility in April, 1991 without even requiring an environmental assessment for the project. The action set off a storm of protest. Save Our Rivers, Inc., the Macon County Citizens' group organized on behalf of the Cullasaja, filed a lawsuit in civil court to require that the state prepare an environmental assessment of the treanncnt plant proposal. The US Fish and Wildlife Service. the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and the Clean Water Fund of North Carolina all immediately made public objections to the plant. Senator Terry Sanford sent a letter to the DEM asking for an environmental assessment. Even North Carolina Attorney General Lacey Thornburg, who used to fish in the Cullasaja, sent a letter of protest stating that an environmental document should have been prepared before the pennit was issued. The DEM has turned a deaf car to the uproar. Green LiM newspaper quoted DEM Public Information Officer Debbie Crane as saying, "We haven't heard any real concems...Jt's just mass hysteria." Another DEM spokesperson, Don Fullmer, said, ~we applaud what the town of Highlands is doing." Highlands is an upscale retreat for the rich and powcnul - people who are used to getting what they want. Apparently the tentacles of their influence reach a long way all the way to Raleigh. nuclear weapons production into the 1wcnry-first century. The report offers three alternatives for future plutonium p.rocessing: move Rocky FlatS to the Pan1ex site, to Oak Ridge, or 10 close all the existing operations and move them to a different (as yet unspecified) location. The logical alternative, to shut down plutonium production entirely, is not offered as an option by the DOE. It is up to the public to bring that alternative to the the attention of the agency. There will be public hearings on the DOE report and the plans to move the Rocky Flats opera.lion this summer. Hearings for this region will be held in the Pollan! Auditorium on the campus of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities in the town of Oak Ridge on August 28 starting at 9:00 am. The Oak Ridge Environmental and Peace Alliance (OREPA) is calling on all concerned people to participate in the hearings, OREPA organizer Ralph Hutchison emphasizes the importance of the hearings for the whole region, saying, "If you can only come to Oak Ridge once in your life. come on August 28!" For more ii,formaJion on the DOE:J plans and the Rocl:y Flats move, call OREPA 01 (615) 524-4771. Xoti1oft Journal P"'JG 21 �CHEOAH SET'l LED? ~OT QUITE! BIG TOM'S LEGACY Naruru World New. Scn-i« NillW'lll World Ne,., Sena The US Forest Service (USFS) and several influential environmenml groups reached agreement March 4, 1991 on 1enns to senle an appeal of two disputed timber sales in the Cheoah Bald area, the largest unpro1ec1ed roadless area in rhe Pisgah and Nnntahala National Forests. Under the terms of the se1tlemcn1, the USFS will forego a one-half mile pennanenr road into the Cheoah area and will scale back the Wesser timber sale by dropping one cutting unit which would have required the road for access. In return, Lark Hayes of lhe Southern Environmenml Law Center agreed on behalf of The Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club, the NC Wildlife Federation, and ~e Elisha Mitchell Chapter of the Audobon Society 10 drop the coalition's appeal of the USFS timber sales. Two other appeals of the controversial timber sales had already been turned down by the U~FS. One was by timber industry lobbying groups demanding a higher timber vol~, and ~e other was filed by SoulhPAW, a regional environmental group advocaring 1ha1 the _Southern Appalachian national foresLS be designated a roadless "evolutionary preserve" for the benefit of habitat. The SouthPAW appeal was refiled again at the regional and national levels and wa.~ rejected at every stage. Apparently the USFS did not lake kindly 10 the group's suggestion that the Cheoah Bald area be returned 10 pre-RARE n conditions. This dates back to early 1983, when the Chcoah area was a 21,000 acre roadless area, under study as pan of the Roadlcss Area Review a!1d Evaluation (RARE IT) program. But later m 1ha1 year Chcoah was removed from RARE It consideration, and the Forest Service began a road-building orgy that within only a few yC3I'S reduced 1he roadless component to 7.000 acres, one-third of its previous size. SouthPAW would have the Cheoah roadless area returned 10 ils original condition. Peter Kirby of the sourheasrem regional office of The Wilderness Society hailed the apP?I senlement as a victory. "As well as halung roadbuilding into this crucial roadless area, by recognizing the importance of protecting the roadlcss resource. the agreement SCI a precedent that will be most useful in the course of the upcoming land use and management plan revisions," he said. " SouthP~W activist Rodney Webb said. For s~ch an 1m~rtan1 ~abi_tat area._the only eco_log1cally fea.~1ble pohcy LS very simple: obhterare, revegcuuc - obliterate the roads and allow them 10 be recovered by the natural vegeuuion." 'This area is just across Fontana Lake from the Great Smoky Mountains National Parle. fl is 3:11 important stepping s1one by which species can migrate from the parlc into the southern reaches of the Nnn1ahala National ForesL If we lei them, the Forest Service will chop Oicoah up and carry it away in liule pieces. We can't let that happen. We won't forsake Chcoah. Whatever it takes - a lawsuit in civil court, direct action whatever - we will defend it as long as we~ able." To cc111ac1So1111t n,w, writt to: Box J/4/; Askvillt. NC288(}2. Xatuah Journot ~ 22 Big Tom Wilson was a legendary hunter who roamed the Black Mountains during the laie 1800's. He knew those mountains and ir is said 1h01 he loved them well ' In April, 1991, Wilson family descendants gathered nnd donated a conservation easement on 1800 acres or family land that had been passed down intact since Big Tom's day. The easement does not transfer owne~hip of the property, but ensures that the propeny will never be developed. The area will hereafter be protected as the Big Tom Wilson Preserve. The event marked an important step in maintaining unbroken hnbirar in the Black Mountains, because the Wilson property makes a strategic linkage between Mount Mitchell Srate Parle 10 the east and 1he Big Butt area of the Pisgah National Forest 10 the wesr. To the south lies the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Asheville Watershed area. The easement was done under the auspices of the American Farmland Trust. a non-profit organization dedicated to protecling farmlan~ from encroaching developmen1. It was earned out at the request of the Cane River Club, which is presently administering the land for the Wilson family members. team from Atlanta that invcsug;ired the incident. "It's an ~xpcnsive joke, if that's what ii is. It's pretty s1ck..,1oi.illy uresponsible." According to 11u1hontie:,, fin11I costs of rhe hoax ran into rhe thousands of dollars. On May 8 an anonymous leuer received by the Asltevil/e Cimen-Times signed only "The Black f-1:ig'' rook responsibility for rhe hoax, saying it was "executed in hopes of illiciting (sic) p_u~l!c attention 10 the deadly 1hrea1 and poss1b1hty of nn actual toxic was1e spill," FBI Agent E.K. Miller said he would refer the lcuer 10 the FBl's agent in Charloue that specializes in environmental mauers. . The n1:tion may have been expensive, bur ~1 was not fnvolous. According to the May issue of Green Une. an independent green-oriented paper in Asheville. a survey conducted by the NC Division of Motor Vchicles from December 1990 10 February 19~ I foun~ char 22% of rhe trucks stopping at weigh srauons along 1-26 and 1-40 were carrying radioactive waste. In addition, there is a _re_ar th~t President Bush's five-year, $105 bilhon highway plan, inrended to facilitnte the shipment of defense goods, will result in a markedincrcasein1heamoun1ofhazardous and radioactive waste being transported. LET'S NOT LOSE LOST COVE Narunal World Ne"'-. Service . . . . -RADIOACTIVITY ALERT! N.tunal World New, Service Ar 5:00 nm on April 22. authorities discovered what appeared to be the af1erma1h of a hit-and-run accident near the junction of 1-26 and 1 near Asheville, NC. -40 But this was no ordinary accident. At the scene were four metnl bam:ls labelled "radioactive" and a shanered wooden pallet. it appeared ';h:11 the_ ~Is had spilled from a ITUCk hauling rad1oact1ve materials. and the Stnre Highway patrol immediately closed one lane o_f traffic and ~gan 10 call in experu from five d1ffcren1 agencies 10 look into the incident. Investigators using Geiger counters de1ennined thar the barreb did not, in fact contain any radioactive substnnces and the a~lhorities began 10 suspect thar th~ whole thing was an Eanh Day hoax 10 call ancnrion 10 the dangers of mdioactivc waste transpon. "h looks 10 be a set up." said Dora Ann Danner coordinator of a US EPA emergency rcspo~ [)(.-ep in the nonhern Pisgah National Porest lie the lands known as Lost Cove and Harper Creek. Accessible only by graveled Forest SCJVice roads, this area just south of Grandmother and Grandfather Mountains provides vital habitnt for a great number of plant and animal species. The area is also blessed with many scenic waterfalls and troll! su-eams, along with an extensive network of trails. Curcntly the land is ser aside as a Wilderness Study Area, and the US Forest Service has recommended both areas for wilderness d~ignntion. The proposed Western Nonh Carolina Wilderness Prorecrion Act of 1991 (IIR 35) would protect 13.000 acres of this land from industrial pressures. The bill passed the House or Rcpresenracives last year, but no action was taken by the Senate before adjournment, and the bill died. Cass Bnllengcr. a Republican representing the 10th Congres.~ional District, brought the bill back 10 life this January, and the proposal has broad suppon in his home disrricL In the l Ith Con.,.... · . 11 r west anothl'r 1-··:HE pRESSES, f{ep. faylo d R,-.-- SfOP 1 press, .. propose \\\ went 10. ding tus . 111a1idS t<,.atu\\\'I 1011m was resc1'.1 ,, i11 ihe J·h& •n rhe As ' ti 11ta1 he "h)'~tena , Jogging 1 aw\01ince . bill d11e ro ·s1bililY o, i(derrieS) the? pos ~· would w_ trict ob0141 ~-crtlow Creek dis rf!oW area, .• .,u'CI areas from srudy as ove •v wilderness areas. Wr,u you.r rt'prtst'ntomve cto US I/oust of Rtprtuntotil't!S, ll'o.shington, DC 20$/j. (oontinuecl on J>ll:C 2S) Summer, 1991 �Natural World News I, SPECIAL REPORT .. by Emmett Greendigger Once again, Bjorn Dahl, Lhe US Forest Service's national forests supervisor for Nonh Carolina is the focus of public outcry. This time, Lhough, it's not jus1 a passle of forest 1eformers presenting a petition, or a couple of renegade "Rescue Rangers" chaining themselves to his office door, or a group of activistS protesting ever-increasing roadbuilding and timber harvesting levels on the national fores1s. This time, Dahl is at the center of "a scandal of the first magnitude." The issue is the protection of threatened and endangered species, and this spring Dahl has attracted nationwide attention to the willful neglec1 of his agency's threatened and endangered species programs and to his disregard for good science and professional ethics. This time, Dahl has enraged environmentalistS, scientists, and 1he general public by firing bo1anist Karin Heiman and by causing the dismissal of Chuck Roe, director of Lhe Nonh Carolina Natural Heritage Program, a "(This) brings into serious question the ability of the Forest Service to assess the effects of timber management programs on federally and state-listed threatened and endangered plant species." - Chuck Roe state agency that works with other agencies and the general public to identify and protect rare plants. Heiman, the firs1 full-time botanist hired to work in Lhe Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests, was fired on March 1, af1er onJy nine months on the job and only four months after receiving a "superior" performance rating from the agency. When Roe learned of Ileiman's firing, he tried for two weeks to express his concern to Heiman's immedia1e supervisor, national forest biologist Lauren Hillman. When these effortS failed. Roe, who was very familiar with Heiman's stellar work as a field botanist surveying for threatened and endangered plant species. wrote a letter on March 14 to Bjorn Dahl expressing fear that "the dismissaJ of your staff botanist at the stnn of the 1991 field season brings into serious question the ability of the Forest Service to assess the effectS of timber management programs on federally and state-liSted threatened and endangered plant species." On March 22, Dahl wrote to Roe's boss, Dr. Philip McKnelly, Director of the NC Division of Parks and Recreation, stating that he was "di'imayed to receive the letter from (Roe) expressing so much interes1 in and thinly veiled threats over the dismissal of Karin Heiman." Even a cursory reading of Roe's leneneveals not "threats" but professkmaJ Summer-, 1991 "Just Doing Their Job" concern about the future of threatened and endangered plant species in the national forests. Despite that, Roe, who had 14 years of experience with the Natural Heritage Program, was immediately fired for "violating agency procedures" and the "chain of command." Directly, red flags went up in the environmental and scientific communities in the Southeast. At an April 2 press conference in Asheville to publicize the firings, Bill Thomas of the Sierra Club said, 'The credibility of the Forest Service has slid right down around its ankles." Mary Kelly, Coordinator of the WNC Alliance (WNCA), said that the firings had caused a "rapid, unfortunate, unnecessary, and drastic deterioration in trust and relationships" between the Forest Service and 01her agencies and groups working on forest issues. Scientis1s and aclivists had been especially pleased when, after much pressure, the Forest Service announced in June,1990 that Karin Heiman would be the agency's first full-time botanist. With the hiring of Heiman, a graduate of Warren Wilson College with several years of experience surveying the state's plant communities, the Forest Service seemed at last 10 be displaying a commitment to the state's rich botanicaJ diversity. Heiman did her work wilh diligence and competence. While surveying the Tellico-Robbinsville Federal Highway Project, she discovered two rare lichen species, Gym11oderma /ineare, an unusual Southern Appalachian endemic and candidate for federal listing, and Hydrotheria venosa, an extremely rare and unique aquatic lichen found only at a few locations in the Southern Appalachians and the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Heiman helped 10 design a management program for rare plants on Roan Mountain, and served as a liaison with other federal and state agencies that work with Lhe Forest Service to protect threatened and endangered plant species. She also perfonned surveys for rare plants on over 20 proposed timber sale projects in nine ranger districts in the mountains and on the coast Her effons did no1 stop or even seriously in1erfere with a single timber sale, and she was praised by Forest Service district personnel for her competence and cooperation. Roe, for his pan, was widely recognized for directing one of the best s1a1e-run rare plant protection programs in lhe nation. He had organized Nonh Carolina's Natural Heritage Program, which has protec1ed unique species and natural areas on 630,000 acres in the stnte and which has entered into over 300 "protection agreements" with public agencies and private and corporate landowners. Roe had acc-0mplished all this with a staff of 4 1/2 persons and a miniscule $164,000 annuaJ budget Why were Lhese two respected and committed scientists fired? The official justifications given were petty and largely undocumented. In Heiman's case, neither Dahl nor Lauren Hillman, her immediate superior, were able to substantiate any change in Heiman's performance that would account for her performance rating falling from the "fully successful" rating she received in October 1990 10 1he "negative" raring she received in February that led 10 her dismissal. 11 seems apparent that Heiman and Roe's only transgression was to carry out the jobs assigned 10 them to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, competence in their work set them athwnn of political interests that value devastating timbering and roadbuilding operations more than the rich biologicaJ and botanical diversity of the native Appalachian habitnl. And, aJso unfonunately. these interestS control the strings that motiva1e Bjorn Dahl. The supervisor remarked once to a group of timber industry officials that during his tenure in lhe nationaJ forests of the Pacific Northwest, "we used 10 do 400 acre cleazcuts before the spoued owl," and that "it could happen here," implying that the discovery of rare and threatened species in Nonh Carolina's national forests could seriously hnmper timber operations in the state. Most observers believe that Dahl was "I am in contact with several Congressional offices who have said chat they are already aware that this is just the latest incident in what is clearly a national pattern of intimidation of Forest Service scientists. We hope and fully expect my firing to get broader attention soon." - Karin Heiman !f'll~1{~Al~~~!,~~~k't~~~~': Most observers believe that Dahl was concerned that Heiman's trained and observant eyes might discover a "spotted owl" that would slow regional timber harvesting in the Appalachians. Even the Asheville Citizen-Times, normally a mouthpiece for the region's timber industry, seemed to find the firings suspicious. "The evidence offered thus far by the Forest Service" for Heiman's firing "falls embarrassingly shon," read the newspaper's editoriaJ page on ApriJ 15, and went on to say that "there is absolutely no way Stale bureaucrats can come up with a credible excuse for firing Chuck Roe." Sad 10 say. it appears unlikely that these ttnvestie.~ of administrative justice will be righted by the agencies who committed them. Both scientists have appeaJed their dismissals within their own agencies. Forest Service Regional Forester John Alcock has requested that Heiman submit her appe& and all supporting materiaJs to him in writing. In the course of investigating Heiman's appeal, regionaJ personnel officer Rudy Caruthers traveled from Atlanta to Asheville to speak with Dahl and Hillman about the firing but did not infonn Heiman of his visit or give her any opportunity to meet with him personally. Roe, after what he felt was a "one-sided" hearing, >C.Qtuaf,. Journat J)Q(JC 23 �has decided on a second-level appeal of his case. Since the firings, outraged citizens have written hundreds of letters to legislators, agencies, and newspapers in support of Heiman and Roe. Several environmental "watchdog" groups have responded to the incident, including the Association of Forest Employees for Environmental Ethics and the Government Accountability Project, who arc working with Heiman to get a Congressional review of her tem1ination. Heiman has also spoken with several concerned federal legislators: "[ am in contact with several Congressional offices who have said that they are already aware that this is just the latest incident in what is clearly a national pauem of intimidation of Forest Service scientists," Heiman has stated. "We hope and fully expect my firing to get broader attention soon." Ultimately. however, the rrue victims of these firings are the once diverse and flourishing forest ecosystems. Without advocates like Heim:i.n and Roe, they seem doomed to be trampled into extinction. Before Heiman was hired, it was routine for the Forest Service to harvest constantly increasing amounts of timber and to build thousands of miles of roads in some of the finest forest communities on the planet without ever sUJVeying the sale areas for threatened and "We might not be doing everything we could to protect species, but we're not willfully malicious." - Bjorn Dahl endangered species. All evidence indicates that this is how Bjorn Dahl prefers it. The proposed Bee Tree timber sale is a case in point. This area, near Devil's Counhouse in nonhern Transylvania County, was proposed as a timber sale project in early 1990 by District Ranger An Rowe. In June of thnt year, the WNC Alliance and the Sierra Club appealed th.: sale. In their appeals they pointed out that the Forest Service had nm done adequate surveys for threatened and endangered plant species on the Bee Tree site, in spite of the fact thnt botanists consider the area a "high probability site" for rare species. Instead, the district had merely done a cursory search of re.cords indicating the presence or threatened and endangered :,pccics. Finding no previous listings of threatened and endangered species in the area. Rowe felt the "'ay w:l\ clear to proceed with the sale. Dahl concurred, and in October 1990 rejected the environmental groups' appeab. Unhappy with Dahl's decision, Wt-.CA and the Sierra Club c:irried their appeal to Regional Forester Alcock, who in J:inuary. 1991 decided in their favor. specifically citing the lack of a thorough survey for threatened and endangered species, 111c regional oflice ordered Dahl to conduct a site-specific survey of the area. Even after Alcock's decision, Dahl continued to maintain that he felt the records survey had been "adequate," and that there was no need for a site-specific survey. When J{{\tunf~ JounlO! pn9c U Heiman had offered to survey the Bee Tree area in June, 1990, she had been stopped by Hillman and Rowe. Then, after Alcock's decision compelled the national forests administration to make the survey, Heiman was told 10 make the survey during the month of February, 1991 - in the middle of winter when many rare plant species are impossible to locate. Heiman did anempt the survey and concluded that rare plants were likely to be found in the Bee Tree sale area. It was only days later when she received the "negative" performance evaluation that led 10 her dismissal. The survey was completed by a substitute botanist, and last month, in its Environmental Impact Statement for the Bee Tree sale, the Forest Service reported its conclusion that logging in Bee Tree would have "no significant impact" on plant and wildlife species in the area. Unfomrnatcly the Bee Tree sale is not an isolated example of Forest Service manipulations and misdeeds in the name of roads and timber. Heiman has outlined 15 other instances in which she says she was stopped from identifying and protecting rare plant species. When she reponed her findings on the Tellico-Robbinsville Federal Highway Project - which might have halted construction of that infamous "road to nowhere" - her staff officer supponed her findings, but she lost his backing when he retired shortly thereafter. While surveying a site near a proposed parking lot expansion at the Oadle of Forestry, Heiman expressed concern to District Ranger An Rowe that the construction might threaten the rare swamp pink plant. Rowe responded by saying that he felt the parking lot, not the plant, might be a better value for the American public. In defense of the Forest Service, Julie Tneciak, the agency's public relations officer, maintains the agency is "str0ngly committed 10 protecting plants and animals." She said that the agency has increased its Endangered Species program tenfold since 1985, and that there a.re 50 areas managed specifically for threatened plants and animals. She also stated the Forest Service buys land to provide habitat for threatened species, and has entered into agreements with the Plant Conservation Program and the NC Natural Heritage Program to protect rare species on the federal lands. Chuck Roe was the lia.\on between the Natural Heritage Program and the Forest Sc1vicc on the agreements th.11 Trzt.-ciak ci1cs. In the same leucr 10 Dahl i:xprcssing concern about Heiman's firing, Roe pointed out the problems his agency was having with the Forest Service: - the Forest Service had not drawn up contracts to conduct surveys of rare plants on national forest lands, although the funds had been approved since December, 1990. The delay was preventing the Natural Heritage Program from hiring botanists in time to do the surveys this growing season. - the Forest Service had not responded to nominations made two years ago for nearly a doun sites in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests 10 be designated "special mterest management sites." - The Foresc Service had shown no interest in a one-day infonnational rare plants seminar offered to agency personnel by the Natural Heritage Program. - the Forest Service had told Roe in the fall of 1990 that a revised list of protected, endangered, and threatened species on Forest lands "would soon be put into use by Forest Service personnel." This has yet 10 happen. When asked about these delays, Dahl replied that he was "perplexed" about them, stating that the threatened and endangered species programs are handled by Lauren Hillman's office. Hillman has refused all requests for direct interviews concerning the firings and attendant issues, but said through Tl7.Cciak that she believes "the programs are right on track." 'The credibility of the Forest Service has slid right down around its ankles." - Bill 171omas, Sierra Club Strangely, Bjorn Dahl seems 10 blame a "lack of public input" for the firings and for his agency's blatant unwillingness to establish a vigorous program of protection for rare species. "From these setbacks," he said after the firings made the news, "I hope people will join me in laying out their expectation~." And, as if the flurry of letters, phone calls, and editorials protesung the firings are not vocal evidence enough, Dahl added, "They (the public) should Jay out what they Wdnt more vocally than before. We'll gauge our actions based upon public expectations." Th:11 sounds familiar. Throughout his reign as supervisor of the Nonh Carolina national fore~ts. Dahl has promised to alter agency policies to meet "public expectations." How then b he to explain items like these? Although the puhlic has continued to ask for less timbering on national forest lands, 1991 "timber target" levels are 20% above those of the pre\·ious year. Although the public ha,; conunued to ask for less clearcutting on national fori:st lands, and while the agency states that they have reduced clearcuuing. they have merely increased the number of "selective harvest" units, which silvicultur:1lly are merely smalli:r clearcuts. Although the public. through the WNC Alliance, the Sierra Club and other activist groups, has expressed grave concern for the fotc of threatened and endangered species on (contmuod on page 30) Craphic by Ibby Kenna S11 lllt1IC1', 1991 �TIME TO TAKE THE TIME TO TAKE THE TIME There's a new world 1ryi11g 10 emerge from 1he hearts and hands ofmany...a world of economy where was1c is sold as a resource for new products - with a modern understanding thar so-calli.:d "wasres" an: not wastes unless they are wastcd...a world where efficiency is in keeping wi1h nature and heal1h ... new kind of fann...a more purposeful kind of worlc ... a different feel for our world ... a new day. People are hungry for it. industry is busy with it. But how docs it all really happen? How, when the seeming immensity of it all can so quickly boggle our minds to the point where we throw up our hands and wait for someone else to figure ou1 what to do, or hope the solutions will come packaged for sale? Business in the past looked at money profits as its main goal and let nothing stand in the way of its claim, "If we don't profit, we won't be In business." It had litrle vision of the many more useful long-1erm profi1s such as people, their lives, the food they eat, the water they drink, and the secure alternatives in learning about true wealth. And then with a small sliver of that narrow-minded cash profit, they proceeded to pa1ch up the damages that occur with this sort of obsolescent irresponsibili1y; or beat it in court. This was a the 1rcnd, bur now we are seeing businesses wirh money-making as their chief nlOrh~ Jting fon:e going out of business as thcv rhemsdves predicted. · lt all really happens as we, in our homes. and in our curs, and in our dailv business, ask ourselves, "What docs \\'Ork?'' From inside our:.elvcs this goes out and out and out 10 create the new, more real. marketplace. Environmental problems arc big, but we needn't be boggled, for as big as they :ire, they are equally as small fractioned down 10 the responsibility of each of us. The situation is then i11 our hands and no longer "out of hand." When we realize our own powerful pan by beginning. our go the fears of what wasn't working anyway. The answers then srart to come with all the questions. When we're acrually doing what we can do. the very feeling empowers us and will soon replace an old world built on false economy, and the aging, tired concept of wealth thnt we know, and bring newness • new forms of "profit." From here we can begin to get on with more of the real things. bylvo / (NWN - continued from p. 22) BUSINESSES AGAINST CLEARCUTS N4ruraJ Wo.-ld News Sttvicc On May 15, 1991 the Westem North Carolina Alliance (WNCA) presented the results of its second anti-clearcutting campaign to US Forest Service Supervisor Bjorn Dahl. This new campaign gathered suppon from area businesses and resulted in the collection of 930 names - a fnr greater response than was expected - on a petition that called for an end to clearcutting in the national forests. WNCA targeted the tourism and recreation industry, but a much broader cross-section of businesses, including banks, pharmacies, florists, and grocery stores, from 21 counties in western North Carolina chose 10 get involved. The Southern Appalachian Multiple Use Council, a timber industry lobby group, attempted to manipulate the public by soliciting signatures on a pro-logging petition that was almost identical to the WNCA petition in its fonnat. After complaints about this deceptive tactic, the WNCA staff publicly accused the Multiple Use Council of trying to "muddy the issue and confuse people." Upon receiving the petitions, Mr. Dahl stated that he was "impressed" by the number of signatories, and assured WNCA members and participating businesspeople 1ha1 1he Forest Service would be responsive 10 the public will. Dahl said that, "[n response 10 public wishes, we last year amended the Forest Plan to Summa-, 1991 climina1c clearcutting as the preferred aJ1cmative. The issue of clean::utting is essentially behind us." WNCA staff person Mary Kelly strongly disagreed with this statement. as did others present. She said that the supposed reductions in clearcutting (from 87% to 48% of the harvest over the past two years, according to Dahl) merely reflected use of smaller, less obvious clearcuts, not true selective culling. Kelly stated that some forest expens believe that the allowable sale quantity in our National Forests is twice as high as it should be, and noted that "the Forest Service has historically treated the timber industry as the only industry to consider We're asking them to look at the big picture." Drawings b)' Rob Mcuick ROAD HOGS FIT TO BE TIED Na11aral World News Service There arc three departments of the North Carolina state government that are prcsen1ly not required to announce and hold public hearings before setting poJicy: the Depanment of Correction, the Department of Revenue, and the Department of Transportation (0011. Of these three, the Dcpanments of Correction and Revenue hold fairly specialized responsibilities. The Department ofTransponation every months makes decisions rhat involve millions of dollars of public funds and have imponant implications for the future of every town and county in the state. It is a testament to the great political power of the DOT that the agency still operates only under the advisement of the Board of Transportation, a wcalrhy and influential elite who receive their appointments - a true patronage plum - directly from the hand of the governor in exchange for "seivices rendered." Yet now when Senator Joe Johnson (D-Wake) introduces a bill to require the DOT to conform to public heanng guidelines followed by all the other State agencies, rhc howling and crying is tremendous. ''It's going to cost too much." ··1t·s going 10 be too much trouble." complain the road hogs. The "sacred pigs" will no1 easily or gracefully give up their places at the public trough. Your state legislators need 10 hear your opinions on the bill requiring the DOT to hold public hearings. Xatuafl Journnt JXUJC 25 �DRUMMING LETTERS TO KATUAH To the Editors of the Kattiah Journal, In the otherwise fine article by Thomas Power, "Avoiding the Passive/Helpless Approach to Economic Development" in the Spring, 1991 issue, he mnkes a very erroneous assumption when he suggests, "Jf we are interested in attracting more people, ..." That assumption is the same one that the powers-that-be ascribe to so wholeheanedly: that we have to grow in order to have a healthy regional economy. If Tcaught the gist of the Summer, 1990 "Canying Capncity" issue of the Kau«Jh Journal correctly, then we already are burdened by too many people in the southern mountnins. We do not need to expand, we need to shrink the number of people living here. Beyond a certnin point, numbers or people and the "forested mountains and the environmental quality" Power speaks of are antithetical to each other. We preserve wild habitat for the sake of wild habitat and the wild animals that live in it, not 10 attract more people. These points were minor revelations to me when I read them in the Kamalt Journal. Don't back out on them now! Sincerely, Hoyt Wilhelm N. Wilkesboro, NC Dear Kalllali Journal Friends, l am just writing to tell you how much l have enjoyed reading several issues or your journal that a friend lent me to read. I appreciate your deeply considered opinions and the viewpoint they come from. I consider myself to be somewhat perceptive, and in most Statements that are called "environmental" these days, I can see that the spokespeople are representing some interests besides the environment, whether it be their own career, their own profit, or some philosophical or political ideology. Most of what I read in the Katualr Journal seems to come suaight from the hean, and that makes a difference. There are not many publications that would have the courage to speak out about t.he ''carrying capacity" for human beings or propose that aU the national forest lands in the Southern Appnlachians should be an "evolutionary preserve." 1 have to admit that these ideas were a little shocking 10 me at first, but on reflection r could see that that they are just what is needed in this "bioregion." Now it seems so obvious. I see to what a great extent we are conditioned by the business assumptions that motivate this country. when what is just common sense can seem so unsettling. I wonder what is going 10 happen to this country, and I wonder what is going to happen Xntuaft Journot p119c 26 to Kat1wl, Journal Please continue to say what needs 10 be said (even if it is a little shocking sometimes!) and maybe we will see some1hing change. I am always hoping for the best. Yours truly, Katherine Albright Knoxville, TN TLANUWA Ho. Tlanuwa, Spirit-falcon, Your mighty wings Blot out the sun. Pear strikes all who See you flying Fawn and bear cub, Man-child, too. Carried struggling To your nest si1e, On the cliffs they Feed your ne~tlings. Came a shaman Then to thwan you; Cast your nestlings To the water. There Uktenn, Great homed serpent, Swallowed down your Precious offspring. Great your sorrow, Great your anger. Vengeance wrought you On Uktena. Chunks you pulled our or the serpent, Let them fall down From the heavens. There upon the Eanh his body, Tom and broken Soon did lie. From your empty Nest you fled then; Leaving an Unshadowed sky. Your depanurc Saved our young, but Awe and wonder Left us, 100. Perhaps too high a Price was paid, and Wonder's presence Worth some risk. Ho. Tlanuwa, Spirit-falcon, My heart yearns For your return. - Douglas A. Rossman To the Editor, Back in April some political pranksters threw barrels marked "radioactive waste" by the side of 1-26 where it joins I-40 near Asheville, NC. This caused a big sensation among the officials who flocked to the scene. r read in the Asheville Citizen that one woman from the EPA called it "totally irre!iponsible" and "a sick joke." The S Bl had fun telling the paper all lhe terrible things they would do to the.tricksters if they could catch them. I thought that it was totally responsible to do this. Trucks carrying radioactive waste ~ drive through that intersection. A lot of people don't even know this; a lot of other people do know this, but they choose to ignore it People need to be woken up to what is really happening around here, and somebody found a good way todoit. What is totally irresponsible is for the EPA to grant permits for trucks to cany barrels of real radioactive waste along the highways. lf some barrels of real waste fell off one of these trucks, there would be trouble and danger for Asheville. When I saw how indignant the EPA lady got about somebody's trick, I laughed and laughed at how backward it all was. But it was a sick joke. Sincerely, Etta Bennett Cullowhee, NC (P.S. • I wroie a leuet lO the Ashevil/t Citizen about this. bu1 r don't think they ever printed iL ~l's why I wrote IQ you.) Dear Katuah, Recently, while visiting my sister in Knoxville, I was handed a copy ofKatuah Journal, summer 1989. I must say it was highly inspirational reading. I applaud your work for peace, justice, and ecological harmony in the Katuah Bioregion. Sincerely, Michael Sosadeeter Dear Katua/1, Your Journal is so valuable - and important. I'll be sending more suppon later. Thanks for leading the way. May the Crow Moon bring you growth, green, and peace in these dark times. Sincerely, John King Drawing by Rob Mfflic-. Su mtt1CT , 1991 �Dear Katuah, You are a real friend! Thank you very much for sending me lha1 back issue (on the Chestnut) lha1 I wanted, but even more for the current issue, wilh itS wonderful article on my old friend Mr. Bailey of Clarksville. When I was assigned 10 the 12th Armored Division in 1942, a newly married first lieu1enant in field artillery, I opened an account in Mr. Bailey's bank and immediately became his friend, as ev<:ryone_did: Your story 1ell~ i1 very truly; he believed m his own surroundings and did all he ~ould 10 improve the lot of his people. His influence was very grea4 and I think Mr. Bailey was wrong in thinking that industry never accepted his ideas. l also think Griscom Morgan is wholly wrong in his disparagement of savings, but that is another story. I enclose a Case Statement for the American Chestnut Foundation (P. 0. Box 6057, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506). I think you will find it interesting and encouraging. I am doing all I can 10 raise the additionaJ funding they desperately need, first from private foundations, because 1hat is 1he bes1 chance for early resulis. Later I want 10 identify and approach large landowners in 1he Appalachian region, and especially people with o family history of giving and the means to make those gifts in substantial amounts... When I was growing up the chestnut was still the dominant iree in our forests. I remember it vividly, and recall the distress which everyone felt so keenly as the onslaught of the blight iook those great trees from us. l am fully convinced we will restore the ll'Ce, and after you read our case statement you will understand why. Young men plant flowers; old men, trees. Sincerely yours, WilHam G. Raoul Lookout Mountain, TN Greetings Kaiuah Journal Folk, Thank you for your continued 1ime and effons in pulling together Kaul ah Journal. l just ~anled 10 let you know how much reading the Journal means to me, and the suppon ii offers in living in a "mixed community" with its incessant bombardment of media propaganda extolling the industrial growth society. Even when the in~i?i~us e~fe_cts ofT.V. are personally m1nirruz.ed II is too oflen necessary to live and work with friends, family and associates whose mind and (sadly} values are shaped by 1.O.S. media. Sometimes 1his "reality" seems overwhelming. It is al such a time that a friend like Karuah Journal (and perhaps some wilderness) helps to restore my connection to a "d~per renlity" and community of Jjving bemgs. The real work you are doing is very much appreciated. For All Things Wild, Ed Lytwak I I Sumincr, 1991 Dear Brother & Sister Editors, I have written a prayer that I hope is wonhy to be printed in your paper. I have been disabled for almost six years as rhe result of a back injury. I have been diagnosed as clinically depressed. Many people think I am crazy. Some think I am a lunatic. This could be true but since I became homeless a dear old fri;nd, Danny Jesse, moved me into his old farm house because I had nowhere to go, and I was penniless. The old house has no electricity, and the water is from a spigo1 in the yard. Another dear friend, Charlie Dunaway inuoduced me to Karuah Journal (summer 1990 issue) and 1realized there are s1ill some "real" people left who really care about our Creator, our Mother Earth, and each other. Since l have been here (approximately 6 months) I have developed a close relationship with my Creator. Had it not been for my Creator sending my friend to rescue me I would surely have committed suicide. However, here I am very much alive and would like to share my prayer with you. 0 Great Spirit open my eyes that I will see you in each of your creations 0 Great Spirit open my ears tha1 I will hear your voice in the words of my brothers and the sounds of the Eanh 0 Great Spirit open my heart that your good will flow through me 0 Great Spirit give me knowledge that I will be one with you 0 Great Spirit give me wisdom that I may teach my sons of your love and to love our Mother Eanh 0 Great Spirit be merciful to my brothers who in their greed have scarred my Mother's flesh who have poisoned her flesh and her blood who have polluted her skies who have hate in their heans 0 Great Spirit give me the coumge when death comes so I will welcome ii with the realization that life comes with death as death comes with life. Sincerely, RogcrOark I rhoio by Rob Mcoid< Sometimes Tears Are Not Enough We sang for peace. Woke up this morning to find they are still making bombs. We acted for peace. How, I said, and why? What about our planet? Whal aboul the children? We wor1<ed for peace, even as those surrounding us filled lheir yards and minds with patriotic slogans, waved their flags, called war "just" ·successful" "deserved" Woke up this evening 10 find !hough we sing,act,cry, or even protest they are making bombs now. Singing peace woke 10 lind our songs aren1 enough acting peace how?where? why do we live In such madness? shouting peace as hundreds of thousands or innocent human beings die at Hie hands of our ·smart· precision bombs, hands of boys trained and distanced by video games crying peace woke in the dawn wilh tears on our cheeks from war filled nightmares tears on our cheeks knowing there are those lor whom this war is more lhan a media event or a palriotlc slogan dreaming of singing peace acling peace dancingshou1lngtovingbelieving 11\Jstingtrying peace... concrete dreams cl\Jni>ling to TNT, plutonium, machine guns... they are making bombs now. A child is crying for what she can·t be giving I say, child, stop your c,ying. Gather up your strength for living because somewhere children are dying. Our tears are not enough to chase away the pa,n we cannot understand why war seems to never cease. Yet even as the sun shines bnlhant through the ram we know that through the dar1<ness we must st,U wor1< for peace. (continued on nclll page) �(Cfflllnutd {rQln pogo 27) Dear Ka1uah, I miss you in my life! Please re-subscribe me. I've moved 10 the city and am surviving well on one of the few din roads left in Tallahassee. Bard owls (a couple) are mating now. I wake at night to hear lhcm and it's like manna from heaven. I know the trout lilies are blooming back in Sycamore, and just knowing they're there is not enough. Every day I consider returning 10 lhe country, but life is so much easier here with electricity, running water, and acceptable child care. Still I grieve the losses. Thnnks, Janeice Ray Dear Karual,. I've been thinking lately about what is imponant to me. A few things come out strongly: people I love, doing something I can put my soul into, and encouraging a more ideal world by supporting things I believe in like; • the local baker • organic fanning • and publications that communicate what is important 10 me. I don't live in Ka11111h, but I like feeling pan of the soul 1ha1 is in this journal. I want you 10 know that ideas from the Kaniah Journal have helped me shape my life philosophy and will influence the way I live and impact the world. Thank you for your dedication and work. May you be blessed with strength and pel!Ce. Dan Shoug Bean Goose Farm Dear Kania Ii Staff, I was exin:mcly excited to read issue #30 of the Kan!ah Journal. This was my first contact ru,d I om impressed with the anicles and the overall JayouL The "economy" anicle was eitcellem. I hnve included a check for 3 back issues, plus T wish 10 be a ~ponsor. Thanks, Todd Rohlsson From lhc Floyd ERC Ncw,lcuer (continued Imm page 4) practices in their families. The dowsers' "golden opponunity" came during the eastern gold rush of 1828-29 that centered on Dahlonega, Georgia. It offered great reward for those who could sense the presence of underground veins, but it also brought on the inevitable swindling and che:iting that accompanies the lure of sudden riches. Sharon Johnson of the Gold Museum in Dahlonega said, ''There are people who believe today that they can find gold dowsing with certain rypes of stainless steel rods, and I'm sure that there were people like that back during the gold rush years. '&hey also had what they called 'gold-finders.' These were instruments sold 10 people who were prospecting. I've seen at least two of these, one that dated back to about 1890 and another came from the 1920's. One was no more than a wooden rod which was filled with gold, iron pyrite, and black -;and. It had a compass-like instrument in 1he center. The metal gold-finder was a long tube, prob:ibly made 0111 of aluminum. and I think that came also with a liulc vial of gold." Dowsers do 001 think that theirs is an eicclusive gift. They generally agree that, like intelligence or any statistical curve, there arc tho.SC: eicceptionally sensitive to the psychic energies, many people mildly sensitive, and those who do not perceive that level of existence at all. Walter Dale says, "To learn how to do it, you can get some ideas from a book, but the very best thing to do is 10 have a dowser who is really familiar with the method to show you. Anybody can do it, but you have 10 really want 10 do iL" But he does offer this idea as a way for beginners 10 familiariz.e themselves with the process: "Get yourself a five inch piece of Xcatuaf1 )oun \Q( POlJC 28 saing and tie on a metal nut (used to screw onto a bolt) that is about the size of a nickel. This will make a simple pendulum. "Practice with it by looking at it and saying, 'Give men yes.' ft may lllke several a11emp1s, but you should be able 10 get the pendulum to move consistently in a cenain way. Then ask the pendulum for a no, and after awhile you should be able 10 establish a definite motion for that answer. "Once you get the communication paucm going, relax and know that you can do it. It all comes with practice.~ For additional mfonnauon on dowsing nnd help for those who wi~h IO gci stancd: American Society of DowSCl'I - A~luc;hi.111 Ch;iplCf Bob Barnwell Rd. 137 Fletcher, NC (704) 628-2456 / -;_· The mountains are slow moving waves of rock and gravel trees and microbes on which we all festively ride, meeting old friends from other eras that stir anew notions of supplanting the demise of our kind ... RM Summer, 1991 �Whole Science One need not tum only co metaphysical explanations in working toward an undeTStanding of how some perplexing phenomena occur in Lhe Universe. There is emerging a sound Ecology of Lhe Cosmos which is based on repeamble experience. recorded measurements, and an acknowledgment of the role of human consciousness in interpreting the work of science. The scientists who are now working through more comprehensive means of collecting information, and creating theories that reflect Lhis new infonnation, are finding that the physical Universe is far more complex and inter-related than previously Lhought. Some of these new ideas in science go by the names of Quantum Theory, Dynamic Whole Systems approaches, Chaos, and Gaia Theory. These ideas have in common a break with classical scientific principles which regarded the Universe, and all its constituent pans, as a pre-determined machine which is running down in a clear sequence of events. When Lhe Universe is recognized as being more dynamic and self-organizing, through its many diverse scopes of whole systems and environments, a different picture can be drawn of the regenerative patterns of energy and form that surround us. In Lhe discipline of physics, Quantum Theory has shown that what we as human beings experience as "normal'' is not the same as what other whole systems at other scales of being would consider to be "nonnal." For instance, at Lhe scale of an atom the instruments used to detect an electron's speed or position as it moves around the atom's nucleus interfere drastically with the electrons motions and potenuals. LI becomes impossible to separate the experimenter from the experiment at this scale, since the two are so intimately involved with each other. In addition to this an electron's position can be determined, and its momentum can be determined, but the 1wo can no1 be de1ennined together. Electrons fliner like clouds around atomic nuclei, and Lhe best we can do is find the potemial of either what phase they are in or where they will be in this entangled environment. In the Life Sciences it has been found that all life, in its amazing diversity, is composed of the same types of chemical elements: Carbon, Hydrogen, Nirrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. These and the other kinds of atoms found on the Eanh came together when the planet began m accme in the interstellar medium. It is very likely 1ha1 the atoms we are composed of were strewn from an exploding star, more massive than the sun, which influenced the formation of the Solar System. There are only 20 different fonns of amino acids, which are the basis of all the different strands of protein essential to all life on Eanh. Every living organism came from previous life, which in turn has a common ancestry 1h01 reaches back at least 3 l(l billion years. For much of this history microbes were the major fonn of life. lndependant microbes formed alliances and antagonisms which evenrually became the composite cells found in plants and animals today. Building on past successes, through this kind of mutual advantaging, a strong relationship also developed between living systems and the magma, rock. soils, waters, atmosphere, and magnetosphere of the Earth. These dense-to-gaseous fluid mediums arc cycling physical energy, much as other plnnatary systems do; only for this planet there existed the po1ential for active participation in these cycles by Life. This is a dramatic difference, because the range of circumstances necessary for life 10 emerge on a planet of sufficient endowment and proximity is limited and very unique. 0..wmg by Rob Messick II IIll II III II IIIIIIII II II II II IIIII II1111111111111111111111111111111111111 11 III IIIIIIII llllllllllll11111111111 II IIIIIIII IIIIIIINllllll111111111'I, IlII1111111111111111111 II IIIII III IIIlIIIIII IIIIII IIIIRlllllllll Ill III II Ill IIIII II llllllllllllllll 111111111111 I111111111 llllltllllll TUNING IN There are a number of practices that one can do to increase the intuitive ability as it pertains to the Earth. The exercises which have worked best for me arc adaptations of yoga and techniques from psychic healing. Nearly all meditation techniques translate very well into learning Earth attuncment My inner guidance has been to remain flexible by borrowing from many disciplines and then adapting the techniques wbicb fit into my life in a natural manner. The big revelation for me came in a yoga class when T learned that there are minor chakrns on the feet. 1 suspect that the yogis can stand transfixed in a difficult position, such as on one leg, for hours at a time because they have learned how 10 ground themselves so thoroughly that they are temporarily auached to the Banh through the chakms in the feet. The importance of Lhe feet is somelhing that has been ignored in western civilization. In the Mideast, where lhe feet are ritually wai.hed and perfumed with oils, they are considered sacred. and recognized as one's most vital connection to the planet. One can learn to dispel tired energy through the soles of the feet, and ask the Earth to replenish that energy. Yoga is excellent practice for this. So is T'ai Chi or any of the martial arts, so long as the emphasis is on grounding and balance. Walking meditation, as in Zen Buddhist practice, in which one is very aware of body rhythms, is an excellent way 10 walk through S\1mmcr, 1901 the woods in a state of heightened awareness. I have found that if I can match my stride in a conscious way to the panicular terrain, I usually break through 10 a quietness in which I am aware of my rhythms blending in with the larger, greater rhythms of life around me. This is also a good way 10 become aware of the variations in the lay of the land. Since I live in town these days, I have limited access to wild areas. Still, it is possible to grow in sensitivity if one is willing to make daily connections to the Eanh from a conscious, aware state. l recommend bringing home small momentoes from places Lhat have special meaning. This keeps the memory alive and helps make emotional connections to one's personal sacred places. I routinely bring home pieces of gnarled wood, shells, or small rocks. Do not take large rocks without pennission or rocks that are part of a fairy ring. Usually there is something · a feather, a rock - that stands out, and that is what I take as a gif1. And J always give thanks. ln my house, the kitchen window sill is a great place for an altar, because I can • automatically look at my nature gifts every day when l wash dishes. But the most important practice of all is to get outdoors every day in a conscious way. Usually the only time I can do this and know I wilJ not be interrupted is when the supper dishes arc done or when l am ready to close up the house for the night. l step outside in my backyard, and I let down my guard and open up as totally as possible to whatever is happening at that moment. The Earth is always ready to respond 10 us. However, nothing "happens," to me at least. until I have quieted my mind. When my mind stops its chatter, then my senses literally become more acute. I can hear birds, insects, and 1he rustle of leaves more intensely and with greater detail than I was able to do only a few minutes before. When I do reach that point of the quietness within, there is always something amazingly beautiful and striking Lhat leaps out at me. It may be Lhe full moom peeking out from behind silver clouds, or the sudden wafting of the fragrance of whatever flower is in bloom. Sometimes my holly tree becomes suddenly vibrant and animated. It is a championship holly, and I am sure that a powerful nature spirit lives there. Along with this sudden insight into the beauty of nature, there is always a caressing breeze. I call it caressing, not only because of iLS gentleness, but because it does not appear to come from a specific direction, and it never seems to be thcre until I reach a certain open state of consciousness. I always wait for this moment, because I t:lke it as a re.o;pon~e. a confirmation from the Earth he~lf. How much time does it take out of a busy day to perform this simple ritual? Maybe five minutes. The payoff in tenns of lifted spirits is tremendous. - Charlotte Homsher X.Ot.wlh Journal pogc 29 �(FUUNGS-cool.inucd from pegc 24) REVIEW national forest lands, Dahl responded that the records search on the Bee Tree site was an 'adequate' survey for threatened and endangered plant species and then ordered a survey when the ground was covered with snow. The clear and unfortunate conclusion one must draw from all of this is that the "public'' Dahl listens to moSt closely is the timber industry. LIGHT IN THE WIND chanrs and circle son-gs by Bob Avery-Grubel (available from Bob Avery-Grubel; RL l ,Box 73S: Floyd, VA 24091) Bob Avery-Grubel is a founder and mainstay of The Celebration Singers of a closely-knit community of families inhabiting Floyd County, Virginia. The group sings up-beat, positive, spiritual music, all of which is original, much of it contributed by Bob Avery-Grubel. The songs on l,iglu in the Wind arc typical of I.he Celebration Singers: rhythmic and unifying numbers meant for group singing at evening circle, in the sweat lodge, or at holiday gatherings. The credit sheet says that the music is "dedicated to those moments when we let go into uplifting song and come closer to the truth of who we are," and surely this is so. The songs are simple, as chants and community songs should be, yet they are filling and satisfying. However, the songs leave the listener with a persistent feeling that they are more fun to sing than 10 listen to - and they are! (proven fact) The words are easily learned, but for those in doubt a lyric sheet is available for $1.00. Bob Avery-Grubel's productions are home-made craft pieces. Ught in the Wind was recorded at Bohemian Studios, which are housed in an angular building on a wind-swept farm seven miles from the closest town. The tape was engineered and mixed by Avery-Grubel and A'Coun Bason (who also plays penny whistle and catchy percussion on several differem hand drums). Light in the Wind: a valuable community resource. For tho.-.e who want more. Avery-Orubcl also offers the benefit of his musical and community experiem:e in "Breakthrough Singing" workshops: "a lime and space IO experience healing through song and voice." For information, write h1m at the address above. -MT THE TOE VALLEY CENTER The Toe Valley Ccmer is being established as a non-profit community resource organization to promote and encourage ideas for better living in the three-county area of the Toe River Valley. The Center will: • act as an education and infonnation source for the valley • develop educational programs • initiate meetings and seminars on issues of importance • distribute pamphlets, fact sheecs, and other information • promote I.he vision of a positive future in the Toe River Valley. For information, write or call: Richard Kennedy: 849 JlalUlah Branch Road; Burnsville, NC 28714 (704) 675-52S6. ACUPUNCTURE~ AFFORDABLE ! We otter a sliding scale to get you through hard times In good health! Shortly after she was hired by the Forest Service, Karin Heiman made a statement that. in retrospect, turned out to be eerily prophetic. "What makes my job so challenging," she said, "is the fact that I must strive to find a balance between I.he environmentalists and the timber industry, who both have huge stakes in the decision to harvest or not 10 harvest. And my reports influence that decision." By all accounts, Heiman - and Chuck Roe as well - met that challenge and found that balance. Unfortunately, in the eyes of her employers an honest and thorough naturalist without a political 8.l<e 10 grind is viewed as an obstacle to timber sales rather than as a concerned and commiued scientist dedicated to doing what is best for the forest community. How "vocal" must the public be for I.he the Forest Service to recognize I.hat most people believe that the incredible biological richness they contain is the most valuable "resource" of Southern Appalachia's national foresis? Dahl has recently said, "I'd be the lirst one, if we had an endangered species, to do somclhing about it. I'm not om 10 violate the Endangered Species AcL We might not be doing everylhing we could to protect species, but we're not willfully malicious." Two fired scientists, an enraged public, and we may never know how many rare species would beg to differ. Also Chi Kung (like Tai Chi) every Wednesday 6-7 p.m. at JewtSh Commumly Center. Call to regisler. Ellen Hines, M.Ac., Dipl.Ac. (NCCA) Tradilional C hineSt Acupuncture & Htrbology c:.i.rom... l&.w,.s......... s . - - ~ (704) 2S2-7491 rl :Thu ~ Sanr!J Mush HerbNurse7 WHOLE FOODS VITAMINS ORGANIC PRODUCE WREATHS • POTPOURRI • HERBS • TOPIARY Complete Herb Catalog - $4 Describes more than 800 plants from 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 Aloe to Yarrow 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 appointment to visit (704) 683-2014 ~umnlci, 199 1 �CHESlNlIT GRAFTING PROJECT by David McGrew SilviculturalisL, French Broad Ranger Districl. USFS Sarurday, April 27, one small step was 1aken toward nmoration of the American chestnut tree to the Southern Appalachian forest. A chestnut grafting workshop was held on lands m.1naged by the French Broad Ranger District of the US Forest Service (USFS) for the purpose of grafting blight-resistant twigs derived from native chestnut trees omo wild chestnut rootstock. The workshop was joir..:y sponsored by the USFS and the American Chestnut Cooperators' Foundation, and served as a uaining session for private cooperators 10 team the grafting technique. The workshop group went 10 a grafting site on a nine acre clearcut in the French Broad District Lhat hod been prepared by the forestry class at Haywood Community College. John Elkins of the American Ches1nu1 Cooperators' Foundation gave the group a brief overview of the breeding and grafting work being done by the foundation and then demonstrated the grafting technique. Each member of the group had a chance 10 perform the grafting operation. and 20 twigs of the blight-resistant American chestnut stock were grafled by the end of the day. At the end of the workshop, all of the private cooperators received 1wig material for grafting in their home areas. Elkins stressed that the twig material was not from trees that were immume to chestnut blight infection but from trees that were better able to resist the infection. He said that a 20-50% survival rate for the grafted twigs is expected, but that a 10% survival rate would be acceptable. A virus disease of the blight fungus, called hypovirulcnce, will be imponant 10 the survival of the gr.tfted trees. "Hypovirulence weakens the blight, just as the nu or a cold will weaken people." said foundation president Gary Griffin. "Chesrnut blight nonnally damages the growing tissues just under the bark, so that Lhe tree can't pass water or nutrients up or down the stem. If enough of the living tissue is damaged, the tree is girdled and it dies. Blight weakened by hypovirulence, however, cannot damage the living tissue under the bark, so the chestnut tree isn't killed, even when heavily infected by blighL" Union Acres An Alternative - i - Acreage for Salt - Smoky Mountain Living with a focus on spirit1111l and ecological values For more information: Contact C. Grant at Route 1. Box 61/ Whittier, NC 28789 (704) 497-4964 Programs to &ncolXoge self and Earth oworEIOeliS. celebration. kinship and nope. • Youlh Camps• School Programs • Farruly Camps• Teacher TniinlOQ • Commut'II)' Programs • Camp Slaff Tre11ing • Outdoot Progrem Consult.ig P.O Box 1306 Gomnt>ug. Tennessee 3n38 615-436-6203 NATURAL MARKET WHOLE FOODS • BULK FOODS• VITAMINES • IIEROS • FAT FREE FOODS • TAKE OUT FOODS• SNACKS• NO SALT, NO CHOLESTEROL According to Elk.ins, blight infection cannot spread as fast on twigs that are genetically resistant to the blight as it can on non-resistant rree$. The hope is that the resistant trees will hold off the blight long enough that the fungus will become infected with the virus disease. Griffin explored the graft.ing site during the workshop, and he found five chestnut trees that had blight infection sites that had been modified by hypovirulence, including one tree where all infection sites were modified. 'These trees give us real hope that this grafting site will be successful in producing large chestnut trees," said Griffin. The French Broad Ranger District will monitor this sile over the next year 10 determine 1he success of the grafting project. The USPS will manage an area of three to four acres around the experiment solely for chestnut, first by maintaining the best growth possible on the surviving gr.tfts, and second, by cutting down all the saplings in the area except naturally-sprouting chestnut saplings. It is a gamble to try these techniques, but it is well wonh the attempt considering how valuable the chestnuts were to these mountain forestS. For more information or lO volWttter l~/p to the American Chtstnut CooptrtJlors· Foundation. write: Lucille Griffin; American Chestmll Cooptra/Ors' Foundaiion; 2667 ForesJ Suviu Road 708; Newport, Va 24128. 265-2700 823 Siow,ng Rock Rd Boone, NC 28607 Shhh. Listen ... ~ by Rob W..essiclt NATIVE FLUTES Two s1yles made of cedar or walnut woods in the traditional manner Hawk Littlejohn Sourwood Farm RI 1, Box 172-l Prospect Hill, NC 27314 (919) 562·3073 Get a set of IO assorted folding cards with artwork you see in Katuah Journal. (Envelopes included.) Send $11.25 postage paid 1 Summer-, 1991 to: RM DESIGNS P.O. BOX 2601 BOONE, NC 28607 Ill l l . ec. 2.)C 11a•oo- NC211139 !7041 $30135 speaking fQr.Jhe earth. �evenrs JULY JUNE 14-23 CIT ICO CREEK, TN Katuah Rainbow Family Galhering Summer Solstice Galhering." ...for the purposes of Peace and Healing, in honor of the Summer Solstice" on Citico Creek in the Cherokee National Foresl, TN. Directions are recorded on lhe Light-Line (404) 662-6112, from NC (704) 563-9218. HO!, Newslet1er of the Kauiah Rainbow Family; Box 5455; Atlanta, GA 30307. • 21-23 ROAN MOUNTArN Summer Solstice and Ent111 energies workshop with Joyce Holbrook. SIOO. Pre-register: Box 109S; Burnsville. NC 28714. 22 SUMMER SOL'-TICE 22-23 GREAT SMOKIES PARK "Wild Mammal~ or the Smokies" field =-ch with Dr. M1 ch.1el Pelton. Hlllld.W>n study or black bear, deer, b3t, and woodchuck populill.ions in the Pork. For information on this and olher field course:.. coniact: Smoky Mounuain F'icld School; c/o Dr. Gayle D. Cooper; Univc:sity ofTcnne=: 600 Henley St. (Suite IOS); Knoxville, TN 37902 (800) 284-8885. BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC "Why Old Women Don't Get the Blucs" with Alice Girard 31 McDibbs. I I9 Cherry SL For info on this gig and summer schedule, call (704) 1A 9-11 AS HEVILLE, NC Broom-making workshop with Carlson Tuulc. For info on this and olher workshops. conlJlCl the Folk Art Center, Box 9545; Asheville, NC 2881.5 (704)298-m8. 11-12 WESSER, NC 669-2456. 1A-27 CREA T SMOKIES PARK ''Family Ounp" - activities for fomilies with children ages 6-12. Nature exploration, slOrytelling. Appalachirul music. hiking, and swimmmg. For info on this and other prognuns, conU1Cc Great Smoky Mountains lnsti1u1c at Tremont; T0Wll5Clld, TN 37882 (615) 448-6700. National Whilewater Championships on the Namahala River, including slalom and wildwater race:;. Nantahala Outdoor Center; 41 US Hwy. 19 West; Bryson City, NC 287 13 (704) 488-2175. LINVI LLE,NC 36111 Annual Grandfather MoUJ1tnin Highland Games and Gathering of the Scouc.h Clan~. Papmtry, pipe bandi:, sheep herding. Scoui,h athletic cvcntS, ccUidh. For info: Highland Game.~; Box 356; Brumer Elle, NC 28604 (704) 898-5286. 11-14 24-27 CULLOWll EE, NC "Landscnping with Native Plants" conference. Lectures, workshops, and field trips led by a host of experts, including Dan Pit1illo, Roben Zahner, George Ellison, and others. $45 + room and board. Pre-conference field trips, 7(21+, are optional and cost extra. For information. call Dr. Jim Horton, (704) 227-7244. 25..S/4 13 ASII FV ILLF~ NC Annunl membership picnic of the Amcric:ln Soc1c1y of Dowsers - Appalachian Chap1cr. Call President Jill1CI Shisler for dctruls: (704) 628-1758. FOLK \1O0T Foll.moot USA brings folk dllncers and musicians from Grcccc. USSR. Fmllllld, Atgcnlina, Holland, Spam, Rom;inia, Puerto Rico, lsr.iel, Turkkey, and Thailand lO perform :u various location.~ in Katu:lh. For schedule and price mfonnauon, conUICt Folkmoot MOUNTAIN LAKE, VA "In Search Of .JI"· ~ploring "iMcr sacred space.• Mt.dicme wheel. dowsing, music. mctliwuon, yoga. drumming, hiking, nnd ritullls. Pre-register: Indian Valley Retreat; Rt. 2. Box 58; Willis, VA 24380 (703) 789-4295. 23-27 27 HOT SPRINGS, NC "lndcpcndcooe Weck Ztn Holiday" WAYNF..SVILLE, NC "Buddhi.gn nnd Meditation• with John Orr. Explora1ion of the Buddhist path 10 sptri1UJI Jjbcra.uon will include meditations, periods ol 5ilcncc, and discussion. For mfo on this and other prognims, con!Xt; Sul-Light Retreat Center. Rt. I. Box 326: Waynesville, NC 28786 (704) 452-4569. F ULL MOON 29-7/6 19-21 19-21 wnh Genie, Sandy Stcwan.. Working. chanling. sttting, dharma talks. and keeping SJlcncc, culminating with a walk up the mountain. For info on this and Olhcr rctrcais: Southern Dtwm11 Rctrea1 Center, RL I. Box 34,H; Hot Springs, NC 28743 (704) 622-7112 USA; Box 523; Waynesville, NC 28786 (800) 334-9036. 26 FULL MOON BLACK MOUl\TAIN, NC Robin and Linda Williams al McDibbs. Sec 7(24. 28 HOT s r RJNGS, NC r-w "Hand~ Sur lhc SIMS. Tum the Ellrth" Tai Oli Ch'uan workshop w1lh Kathleen cu.~ick and Jay Dunbar. Solo nnd two-person play orrcr ins1gh1 inio classical principles of unified movement. Prc-rcgistu. Soulhcm Ollllrma Retreat CcnlCI (sec 6/29). 30-8/1 MARSIIALL, NC "Green Woodworking with Kids" fOl'childrcn ages 10.15 and adult portners. Build a r001S1ool from an 03k log · also swimming, hilting, \l.·1ld plant i<lentificauon, campfires, ond SIOC)'tclhng. Country Workshops: 90 Mill Creek Rd.: Marshnll. NC 28753 (704) 656-2280. S111111nn. 1991 �AUGUST 1-J 16.l!i c;nr:A'f S\IOKll:S r,\RK ·~J!Jvc Amcr1c:111s and the Easth" pr0t,'fiu11 nnhe Grc:u Amoky Moum:am, Instil:.:!~ 111 Tr.:mont, S.:c: 1/:lA-21. 111c;111 ..,:-. ns. NC' "Pinhole V1s1on" - low,tcch pmhok camcm constnu:1100 and c~plur.ulon or crcati\c 1m:1gc-makmg wnh Pinky Ba,;s. For info on thi.~ and 111ocr pho1ogr.iph)· workshops, conl.1(1' App.1lachian finvironmcntal Arts Center: Box 580: I l1ghfands, :-:c 211741 (70-I) 526-4303. J Ul.1..\100~ 26-31 MARSllc\U., l\C -~,:ick Ch:11I111.1kmg• work~ilop wi1h Dan Mayner. Bcgmning wuh a red oak log, parucipants assemble a cluur ic,mg morme and 1cno11 jomcry, dr.i,..knh-cs, and spokeshaves. Prc-rc:g1s1cr. Country Work,hors (sec 7/30-8/1 ). 30-9/2 IIREVARD. NC Soull1cm Life Community Ga1hcrmg • ncl,..Nking on issues of peace, jusucc, and planci;iry protection. Family gathering, orcn IO all .Music hy Cnnd1c and Guy Car:iwan, Contact Rur.d Soulhcm Voicc for Peace (sec 8/2-3). 2-3 CF.1.O, NC Onlhcring of commu111ty orgam,.crs and ga.woots leaders who wish to sh.ire experiences and network at Rural Soulhcm Voice for Peace office in Celo Community. If interested m ancnding, plca.,c contact RSVP; 1898 Hannnh Bmnch Rd.: Burnsville, 1'C 28714 (7o.1) 675-S933. ASHEVILLE, NC 11 lh Annual World Gee-Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition will include whimmy diddle feats, lrlldiuon:il music, and clogging. For info, conlllCt: Folk Art Ctntcr (see 7/9-11). 2.'i SEPTEMBER 2-3 WILLIS, VA 6th Annual "Women's Wellness Week"· an opportunity 10 become part of a supportive women's community for a week of renewing power. honoring spirit, nurturing heart, and encouraging creativity. Activities will include dance, clay sculpting, drumming, tie-dying, healing work, and sweat lodge ceremony. Children's program will run concurrently. Pre-register. Indian Valley Retreat Center (Sf.C 6/23-27). 5-11 17-IR CHEROKEE, NC Freeman Owlc, Cherokee pipcmakcr stone sculptor. and storyteller, will demoru;t.nue nt the Cherokee Hcn!llge Museum and Callery. For infonn:uion on lhis and olhcr eppcara11ccs by nauve cr:if1$pCople, conUJCt: Cherokee Heri1.1ge Museum and Gallery; Box 477: Cherokee, NC 28719 (704) 497-3211. OCOEE RTVER 1991 World Cup and Wild water National Chamnpionshtps will attract over 100 of the top wild water racers in the world. Contact Nantahala Outdoor Center (see 7/11-12). HARRISONBURG, VA PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness) Conference to discuss ideas and Str'Jtegies for "evolutionary preserves" and a wild habitat range the length of the Appalachian Mountains. Sponsored by Virginians for Wilderness/Earth First! and PAW. At James Madison University. For info, write Virginians for Wilderness; Rt. 1, Box 250; Staunton. VA 2440 I or call (703) 885-6983. 14 • 16 19-23 Send $ubmission~ f0t the Event~ page to: Kauiah Calendar Editor; 300 Webb Cove Rd.; Asheville, NC; Katliah Provmcc 28804. Listings for next is.~ue due by Augu.~t 15. "The area's oldcsi and lugc,t natural food~ gtoet'ry • 811/k Herbs, Spices, & Grains Vitamins & Supplements VI/heat, Salt & Yeast-Fm~ Foods Dairy Substitutes Hair & Skin Care Products Beer & Wine Maki11g Stlf'l'lics 200 W. King St, Boone, SC 28607 (704) 261·5220 -p,;, ~~\ Talking J.,,n,~ i~ a monthly J('lutnlll of deep ecology, UISf'ired pen,ooaJ RCIIVlbID rooted ID eMtben 'J'mlWlluy. Pa.,1 1!-!<ucs have rurunxl ar11cles by Gary Soylkr. Statba"J.. Jc>hn S~. Joanna ~facy, 81II ~val!, u•oe Wnlf C1r¢1et;, Barham Mor, etc, AH? NATBR Ml'l'fWl' BLICI'RlCITY with a RAM pump! It works by the action of flowing water and can pump 120 ft. high. Colllplele pump w/ guide -$125. Call or send SASE for free brochure. NATERHAN MK PlJFS 355 Cedar Creek Road -"'-...£.._....____ e1ack Mountain, N.c. 28711 (704) 669-6821 Summer, 19!J1 TnlJ.inl( J.,,111~ ~pew for the n•tural world :and for lhe rd:.indlmg !'I OW' OWII wtld ~JlU11, Suhscnpt1ons arc S15.00 one year/SI 8.00 outside U.S. S25.00 i...o )·ear'IIS36.00 outside U.S. Send chock or M.O. 10: Tn/J.i11x I.raw:, 1430 Willalllt'lle 11367 Eugrlle, OR 97401 5031342-2974 rFR~~,~~~'~:~~~P COMMITTED TO C0'.'.1MUNTIY AND ·cooo-FOR-YOU.FOOO" 255-7650 90 Biltmore AH•nu~ ,\,hevdlc ~C 2 Blocks South ol Downtown Xatimh Journot PCUJC 33 �~BWoR/slt{g • Webworking has changed! There is nowafee of$ 2.50 (PRE-PAJD) per en1ryofjifry words or less. Send b>•A11gust 30th 1991 I(); Rob Messick; P.O. Box 2601; Boone. NC 28607. (704) 754-6097. GOOD STEWARDS WA/IITED for rcmotc land. Approx. IS acres for sale w/ hou.,;e (2 bdrm .• I balh). Organically rarmed for 2tJ )'Cffl, grnv11y recd spring ,,,:ner. High oo Tannsi Ridge. views. Raven ond ~fmnc Walker, Box 23: Lal<c Toxaway. 1'C 28747 (704) 293-7013. RAINFOREST BOTANICALS • from the ancient hc31ing Ulldi11ons of the indigenous people. or SOUlh America. The Life Force of Amawnui. now available io you. Fn:e mformation ID Health Profes.,,onals. Call Lei at l!OO-SJS-0503. '!WO FAMIUES seeking neighborly follcs IO buy mlO 130 acres of beautiful moumainside land near Wcavervillc.1'C. We arc involved in organic gnro,:nmg, homc.~hooling. rwural healing. 1111d spimuality. 20 acre sh3re for S2A,OOO. Call (7~) 658-2676 or 645-7954. 1990,91 DIRECTORY OF INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES · Just rclc:i~. over 2 years m the nuking. Names, adrcssc.s, phone numbers, and d=riptioos of 320 Nonh American communities. and over 2SO resource ~ . phi., 40 articles. Mops, cross-reference chan.s. fully indexed. $13.SO postpaid from Sandhill Fann: Rt I, Box 155-R; Rulledge. MO 63563. 40% discount available on ordcn of 10 or mate. MUSIC BY BOB AVERY-ORUBELaVllilablcon three casseu.cs. 1'reasuus in the Stream and Circles Returnuig arc folk/rock·J3U. and a recent release of origu1al chants and songs. light in the Wind. isa coptMlla. Lyric sheets included. Send $10 for each tape or $26 for ell throe to Bob Avuy-Grubcl; RL I, Box 735; Aoyd, VA 24091. HIGHLANDER CENTER· IS a communuy-bascd educaLional organ11.auon whol,C purpose IS lO provide space for pcq,lo to learn from each other, and 10 dcvclopc $<llu1ions to cnvircnmcnllll r,roblcms based on their values. experiences, 1111d a~iratlons. They also put out a quanerly newslcua called Highlander RcJ)OrlS. For more information conwcr Highlander Ccnlel'; 1959 Highlander Wuy; New M.lrtkc1, 1N 37820 (615) 933.3443 A SMALL FMflLY COOPERATIVE. IS scckmg a sw1Able ,;pace for homeschooling our children, ages 4,7. We are a responsible, conscious, ruid cxpcri<:nccd a,oup. We 5"k a \l*iOUs house and yanl. away from uafr.c. We prefer lO renr wil.h an Ofltlon lO buy. Call (704) 628-3628 or (704) 252-8183. RAW CHEMICAL-FREE HONEY. Tulip Poplar, Sourwood, and Wildflower hooey from lhc forcstS or Palrick County, VA. No chemicals, no while sugar. no heat ever Slrllincd through ch=ccJoth and p;tekcd in glass. Luni1cd quantities. ~11 or wntc for pnccs & availalnlny. Wade Buckhohs • Bull Mountlin Bcekecpcrs; Rd 2, Box 1S16. S1113r1. VA 2·H71 (703) 694-4571. Xa1uwi JournoC p~ ~ NATIVE AMERICAN Fl.lTT'E MUSIC- Richard Roberts. a well known west TN new age flutist (Ilk.a Zero Ohms), is now availoblc tn lhe East TN/NC are.,. For rcla:ting and uplifimg pcrfonnanccs nr tapes contaet RIChard Robcns: Box 821; Norris, TN 37828 (615)494-8828-oc- RL I, Box 136RD; Lamar, MS 38642 (601) 252-4283. THE DREAM CATCHER - C3tchcs bad dreams and hold, I.hem, 10 be dcsttoyed by the morning sun. Good dreams 0031 down the feather to I.he slcepu. Price: 11 dollars - spcc,fy color prefcrcnccs or nalWUI. Order from Ch1ck:unaugan Fn:c C'hcrolcees: 1915 Buckky Sr #8; Chawrnoogn. TN 37404. I IA WKWlSO EARTII RENEWAL COOPERA11VE • i.\ an 87 acre primitive rcl!C3t and working communily fal!1l, l..oc:31Cd in I.he norlhcm Alabamo mountnin,111>1 11 S miles northwest oC Atlanta. Clas,;c,; on alrcmat1ve lifestyles and Nill.Ive American philosophies arc available on a rcgulor basis. For inform:ition or cnllllog of Nauvc crofts & producL~. Cllll (20S) 635-63().1. 32-ACRE FARM for sale ,n Whittier, NC. Multiple solor hom~ltS, pnvacy, creeks and springs, rwo large orgamc fields. Includes rusuc farmhouse wil.h gravil)'-fcd water and solar sys1em, born, 1111d small solnr suucture. $90,000 for all. Wlll sell pan. Writc Vicki Baker and Tom Graves: Rt 2, Box 108-A: Whittier, NC 28789 or call ('704) 586-8221 or(704) 649-9266. NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONIAL HERBS • we offer a latge variety of sages, swce1 grass, ruuural resins, 11114 everything ncccssiuy for smudging. Nnrivc smolc.ing m1~tures, flulc music, pow-wow Lape:!, und ceremonial songs. Essential oils, and incenses specifically mode fo, prayer. offcriJlg, and meditation. Forcawlog call or write: Esscncinl Drc:uns; Rt 3. Bo~ 285; Eagle Fork, Hllyc:svillc. NC 2890i (701) 389-9898. whole earth grocery • NATURAL ALTERNATIVES FOR HEALTHFUL LMNG 4~6 e parkway craft «-nt<'r • <ultc 11 gatllnburg, tcnn~ 37738 615-436-6967 PIEDMONT BIOREGIONAL INSTITUTE - For those who live in lhc Piedmon1 area, !here's a biorcgionnl e!fon well underway. Jom Us! We would nJlPrec13lC any donnuon or time or money IO help moot operating expenses. For a gifl of S25.00 or more. we will send you a copy of John Lawson's journal, A New Voyage 10 Coro/mo Also come find ou1 about the Lawson ProjecL PB!; 412 W Rosemary Slt0CI: Chapel Hill, NC 27516; Uwbruna Province. (919) 942-2581. WICKER WORKER· Wicker furniture rcs'U>red. ainc. rush, and recd sc31S woven, D:sskcrs al.,;o repaired. Expericncc:d scat weaver. "If you can't we cane.· Andrea Clarke; 27 Mu Strc<:t Asheville, NC 28801. ('704) 253-6241. RECYCLED PAPER I - Oin:etory or product sources for the Southca~ SuggC$1.Cd Donation of S 1.00 10 Wcstcm Nonh Carolina Alliance: P.O. Box 18087: Asheville, NC 28814 (704) 258-8737 BODY RI/YT/IMS from PIIIIICtnry Mothers • a beautiful and paroctical calendar for women ID chart rhcir ·moonthly" cycles. Send $3.00 plus S 1.00 [lOSWge to: Planetary Mothers Collective (c/o Nancie Yonker); 5231 Riverwood Avenue: Saraso111. FL 34231 FAMILIES LEARNING TOGETHER - is a new sutew1dc ho=hool group welcoming :inyone wirh on i n ~ in home education. Our pulflOSC 1s 10 focili111tc the exchange or infonnauon, Ullcnt. nnd n:sowccs. For more infonnauon contact: Trish Severin (704) 369-6491 QUEST FOR SUR VIVAL/ JOURNEYS TO SPIRITUALITY· 1s .i new program being offered in the Kimlah area. The purpose of the Que.st for Sutv1vll.l progroms 1S to 1C3Ch the sxrcd order of swvivnl (Shcl1.cr, W111er, F,rc, and Food). and explore I.he roles of ~urvival phllnsophy and spin1ulll1ty in 11113lning b:ll:lnccd hannony wil.h ourselves, cai;h other. Qnd the Eonh. Two rnll'Oductory weekends will 111kc plxc in l.Jlurcl Sp<ings, NC on Scp1cmbcr 27-29 for Women, and Oc1obcr 4-6 for Men. Also ii wccl:long program for men is planned for October 6-13 al Turtle hl.1nd Prosct\·c near Deep Gap. NC. For information on any of thc.o;e programs conU1Ct Tom Barnes: P.O. Box 166; S3vcry, WY 82332 or call (307) 383-2625. LAND FOR SALE - wil.h small house in beautiful Spring Creek. 1'C; IS miles west of Hot Spnngs. Pctfcct for the scJJ-sufficicn1 tire. One hour wesr of Asheville. Call Linda Deyo (704) 675-9575. S11tt11ncr-, 1991 �Katuah Journal wams w comm1111icare your 1/,ouglus and feelings 10 the 01her people i11 1he bioregional pmv111ce Send 1hem 10 us as /e11ers, poems, sinries, articles, drawings, or photographs. e1c. Please seridyour contrib111io11s w 11s at: Katuah Journal; P 0. Box 638; Leicester, NC, Ka11'tah Province 28748. The tall issue of Ka111al1 .loumal will be a·i*,tpouni featurhg a strong emphasis on humor and fun. The titles and contents of Lhe major depanments will tn1nsform laughably, and Katiiah Journal will let its hair down: hopefully gcuing its funny bone tickled! Deadline for anicles is July 31, 1991. Our Winter issue will be concerned with Fire in its many manifestations; from forest fires to the warm hearths of home. BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE ISSUE THREE • SPRINO 1984 Sw;r.ainablc Ag,, iculture • Sunflowers • Human lmp:icl on I.he FOfest. Childrcru· Education· Veronica Nicholas: Woman in Politics Lmlc People· Medicine Allies ISSUE FOUR • SUMMER 1984 W11cr Drum • We11:1 Quality. Kudzu. Solar Eclipse . Clcatcuuing • Trom. Going U> Wiler. R'IITI Pumps Microhydro. Poems: Bemie Lee Sinelair. Jim Wayne Miller ISSUE FOURTEEN • WINTER 1986.87 Lloyd Carl Owlc • Boogcrs and Mummers • All Spooics Day • Cabin Fever University • Homeless m Katuah llomcm~de 1101 Water • Stovcmwcer·s Narrative • Good Medicine: Interspecies Communication ISSUE TWENTY-THREE - SPRINO 1989 Pisgah Village • Planet Art • Oreen City • Poplar Appeal • ·CIC1t s1cy·· ·"A New Eanh". Black Swan • 11'/ld lt;vely Days· Reviews: Sacred Land Sacred Sa, Ice Age • Poem: ··sudden Tendrils" 0 ISSUE FIVE • FALL 1984 Harvest • Old Ways in Cherokee· Oin.scng • NuclClll Waste • Our Celtic Heritage· Biorcg1onalism: Past. Prcser1~ and Future • John WUnoty • Healing Darkncs.s • Politics of Participation 1SSUETW£NTY.FQUR • SUMMER "89 Deep Listening· Life in Atomic City • Direct Action! • Tree of Peace· C.Ommuruty Building· Peacemakers. Ethnic Survival. Pairing Projcc:t . ··Battlesong". Growing Peace in Culturos • Review: Tiu: Chalice and lhe 8/ak ISSUE SIX • WINTER 1984-85 Wintu Solstice Earth Ceremony • HorseJ>3Sturc:a River· Coming or the Light • Log Cabin Root • Mountain Agriculture: The Right Crop. William Taylor. The Future of the Forest ISSUE SEVEN -SPRINO 1985 SuslAlnablc Economies • Hot Springs Worker Ownership - The Orea! Economy . Self Help Credit Union· Wild Turkey - Responsible Investing - Working in the Web or Life ISSUE EIOIIT • SUMMER 1985 Cc:lcbration: A Way of Life. Katuah 18.000 Years Ago Sacn:d Sites • Folk Alts in the Schools . Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle . Poems: Hilcb Downer· Cherokee Heritage Cenll!r · Who Owns Appalachia? ISSUE NINE • FALL 198S Titc Waldcc Forest. The Trees Speak. Migtating Forcsu . Horse Logging · Sllll'ling a Troe Crop· Urb:tn Tr«s • Acom Bre3d • Mylh Tim,, ISSUE TEN • WINTER 1985·86 Kate Rogers. Circles of Stone Internal Mylhmllking • Hohsuc Healing on Trial • Poems: Steve Knauth • Mythic Pieces • 11,c UJ(lena·s Talc • Crystal M•gic • ISSUE FIFTEEN • SPRINO 1987 Coverlcu • Woman f-ores1er • Susie McMahon: Midwife · Alternative Contnception Biosexuality Biorcgion:llism l1lld Women Good Mcdic111C: Matria,chal Culture. P~art ISSUE SIXTEEN • SUMMER 1987 Helen Wlitc Poem: V1$ions in a Garden Visi<>n Quc5t • First Aow - Initiation • Ltaming in the Wililcmei> • Cherokee Challenge· "Valuing Trees" ISSUE EIOHTEEN • WINTER 1987-88 Vem11CUlar Architecture Drums m Wood and Stone . Mountrun Home • Earth Encrgi<:s Eanh.Sheltettd Llving Membrane Houses • Brush Shelter . Pocmr. Octobu Dwk Oood Medicine: "Shelter" ISSUE NINETEEN • SPRING 1988 Pcrclandra G3tdcn Spring Tonics . Blueberries . WddOower Gardens· Onumy Hcrl>1list ·Flower~ · ""Inc Origin of the Animals:· Story · Good Medicine: "Power• • Be A Trec "Drt,:lnl$pMking" ISSUE THIRTEEN • FALL 1986 Center For Awalccnmg Eli1.abclh Callan· A Ocntlc Death Hospice Ernest Morgan • Dealing Crcotively with De.th • Home Burial Box· The Woke The Raven MockcrWood.slorc and Wildwoods Wooom • Good Medk:inc: The Sweat Locl&e ~UAtt JOURNAL ISSUE TWENTY . SUMMER 1988 Prcsavc Appalachian Wildcmcss Highland$ of Roan • Cclo Community • Land Trust • A.rthur M<><i;an School • Zoning Issue • "The Ridge" • Farmers and thc Farm Bill Oood Medicine: "Land" Acid Rain· Ouke·s Power Play • Cherolcee Miaohydro Project P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 For more info: call Rob Messick a1 (704) 754- 6097 Name Regular Membership......$ I0/yr. Sponsor..........................$20/yr. Contributor.....................$50/yr. Address Ciry Area Code Summer, 1991 State Phone Number Zip ISSUE TWENTY.TWO. Wl'NTER ·ss~9 Olobal Warmu,g • Fire This Time • Thomas Beny on "Bion:gions" • Eanh Exercise. Kore Loy McWhiner. An Abundance of Emplmess • LETS • Chronicles or Aoyd • D:u,y Wood. The Beat Cl11n Enclosed is $ - ~ - - u, give this effort 011 ex1ra boos1 I can be a local contact person for my area ISSUETW£NTY.S1X . WlNTER, 1~89.'90 Coming or Age in the Ecoroic Eni Kids Saving Rainforest • Kids Treecycling Company • ConOict Resolution . Developing the Creative Spirit - Buth Power · Birth Bonding. The Magic or Puppcuy . Home Schooling. Naming Ceremony MOlhcT Eulh·s CIISS!OOO\ • Oardcnmg for Children ISSUETW£N'fY.SEVEN SPRINO. 1990 Transform•tion - lfoaling Power Pence to Their Ashes. llealing in Kanlah Poem: "When Loft u, Grow·· • Poemr. Stephen Wing The Belly • Food from lhe Ancient Forest ISSUE TWENTY EIOITT SUMMER 1990 Carryu,g Ca~uy . Seu1ng Limit$ to Growth • Whu is Overpopulation? • The Road Oang • Tru: Highway 10 No-.here • The 1.26 Projocl "Cuing Capacity"· People and l11bitll • Designing the Whole Life Community . Steady Sllltc - Poems, WOI Ashe B=n . Tnnsportcm.lbvos · Review· COMUSlfl8 ISSUE TWENTY.NINE . FALl,JWlNTER 1990 From the MounLlllU to the Sea • Promc of The Little Temt$- R1ver • Hcadwatcn Ecology • "It All Comes Down 10 Water Quality. Wata Power: Action for Aquatic HabitalS · Dawn Watchers · Cood Medicine: The Long Human Being The Nonh Shore Road Kllllah Sells Out · Wllcrlhcd M"f) of the Katuah Province ISSUETIURTY SPRJNO 1991 Economy/Ecology Rcsencrativa Economy • "Money Is the Lowest Form of Wealth"· Claruvillc Mira:Je • The VillJ,ge • Food Movers Ll/'eworlt • Oood Medicine: "Village Economy·. Shelton Laurel. LETS Issue 31 Back Issues Issue# __@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue # _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue # __@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue # _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue#_@ $2.50 = $_ _ postage paid $ _ _ Complete Set (3· lO, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24. 26-30) @ $40.00 = $,_ _ postage paid X.Otu.nfi JourrwL 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 Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah Journal, Issue 31, Summer 1991 Description An account of the resource The thirty-first issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on "earth energies" and humans' reconnection with the earth through dowsing; earth healing and Earth Energy workshops; and understanding the Earth grid. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Madeline H. Dean, Joyce Holbrook, Clyde Hollifield, Richard Nester, Charlotte Homsher, Page Bryant, Richard Lowenthal, James Proffitt, Lee Barnes, Jim Houser, Emmett Greendigger, Ivo Ballentine, Rob Messick, David McGrew, George Agricola (1556), Douglas A. Rossman, and Mara. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. 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. Dowsing by David Wheeler.......3 The Responsibilities of Dowsing: An Interview with Tom Hendricks by Madeline H. Dean.......5 Ceremonies of the Moment: An Interview with Joyce Holbrook.......6 "Jack-o-Lanterns," Acid Rain, and the Electrical Life of the Earth by Clyde Hollifield.......8 Poem: "Old Houses" by Richard Nester.......10 Katúah and the Earth Grid by Charlotte Homsher.......11 The Call of the Ancient Ones by Page Bryant.......13 "If the Earth Is to Heal, Our Hearts Must Be Broken" by Richard Lowenthal.......15 Good Medicine: On Agression.......17 Poems by James Proffitt.......18 Green Spirits: Sacred Forests by Lee Barnes.......19 Off the Grid by Jim Houser.......20 Natural World News.......21 "Just Doing Their Job" by Emmett Greendigger.......23 Time to Take the Time to Take the Time by Ivo.......25 Drumming.......26 Whole Science by Rob Messick.......29 Tuning In by Charlotte Homsher.......29 Review: Light in the Wind.......30 Chestnut Grafting Project by David McGrew.......31 Events.......32 Webworking.......34 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Katúah Journal, printed by The Waynesville Mountaineer Press Subject The topic of the resource Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern New Age movement Dowsing Environmental education--North Carolina--Asheville North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1990s Acid Deposition Alternative Energy Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Earth Energies Economic Alternatives Education Folklore and Ceremony Forest Issues Good Medicine Habitat Health Katúah Plants and Herbs Poems Radioactive Waste Reading Resources Recycling Sacred Sites South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness) Transportation Issues Turtle Island Water Quality Western North Carolina Alliance Wilderness https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/c5ee330c977312a17d828d214a7916e6.pdf 05640bd372243437e62e080e13bbb8ac PDF Text Text ISSUE 32 FALL 1991 $1.50 �Drawina by Rob M~siclt ~UAHJOURNAL PO Bo:,,. 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 Printed on recycled paper Postage Paid Bulk Mail Permit #18 Leicester, NC 28748 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED �CONTENTS Bringing Back !he Fire................. . by David Wheeler A Bil of Mountain Levity................. by Barbara Wickersham 5 Climax Never Came....................... by Henry Wender 7 ls the Southern Appalachian Ecosystem Endangered?.................. by John A. Freeman 9 'Talking Leaves": Sequoyah............ 10 by Tom Underwood Green Spirits: Seed Saving ............. by lee Barnes 12 Walking Dis1a11ce......................... by Will Ashe Bason 13 Angle: Environment...................... by lvo Ballentine 13 Good Medicine: .......................... 14 Poem: "A Rotting Log".................. by Brownie Newman 15 THEGRANOLAJOURNAL.......... 16 Livin' By Their Wits recorded by Rob Messick An Old Family Tale by Bess Harbison BRINGING BACK THE FIRE The Slide by Rob Messick Recorded by David Wheeler How Can You Lose Anything as Big as This Ego? by Maxim Didge, Paintings: "Mountain Stories".......... 18 by Robert Johnson Natural World News..................... 20 Dying Soils, Dying Waters............. by Emmelt Greendigger 22 Songs in lhe Wilderness................. by Char/011e Homsher 24 500 Years of Resistance!................ by Emmell Greendigger 25 Save James Bay.......................... 25 Drumming................................. 26 Off the Grid: Solar Ovens... ,........... by Dennis Scanlin 29 Events..................................... 32 \Vcbworklng.............................. 34 Ka11fah Konfusion....................... 35 foff, 1991 While Walker Calhoun is II/JI the only person working ro keep alive the old Cherokee practices and values, he is definitely one of the people most dedicated to restoring the traditional ways. When he speaks of "the Fire," he means the spark of life irself. and also the spirit behind the Cherokee spiriwal life • so strong in this region until even JOO years ago. But, like the Cherokee white flour corn that was cross-fertilized with the white people's Yellow Dent \•aricty, Walker's spiriwal way also shows traces of the white people's Christian religion. \Vhen I drove 11p 10 Walker's house, he was sitting by a small fire in the side yard. He had a ra1: wrapped around one pa111/eg, and he was Ito/ding lo11g pieces ofriver ca11e over rite blaze until tltcy became pliable. then s1raigluenin1: them across his leg to make blowgu11s. lie stood to greet me. He was a slight 111011 with a ready smile that showed the worn nubs of a few teeth. "let's sit 011 the porch," he said. "It's too hnt to work around this fire anymore." I showed him a copy of rite Kattiah Journal and, ofter consideri11g it a mmure. without further prompting he began talking .. Walker Calhoun: Katuah - that's the name of the tribe. We're not the Cherokee. When lhey wrote a history, they called us the Cherokee, but really we're the Katuah tribe. They've got the Katuah Band in Oklahoma, and lhe Katuah Medicine Society out there. That's our religion· lhe Cherokee religion· the Katuah Society. I'm supposed 10 put the sign up at our stomp grounds we have just a.cross the river up here in Big Cove... the name is the Raven Rock Nighthawk Ceremonial Grounds · Katuah Society. We have dance there every month on the last Saturday. In August we have a big celebration • a Green Com Celebration. We have a big time. I was chosen to bring lhe Everlasting Fire back here to the Eastern band. The reason they picked me was because I was the only one keeping our culture and heritage from disappearing. That's why they chose me to bring the Fire back where ii belongs. I didn't know much about the Fire until three or four years ago. Two men from Oklahoma came and told me. We were sining right here, and these two men came. They mentioned Katunh. One asked me about it, but I didn't know what he meant. It was later when I learned what they were t.1llcing about. Now, the Fire... people misunderstand the Fire. At the ceremonial grounds we've got a mound where the spirit is. We build a Drawing by Rob Messick (con11nucd on page 3) X,ntunf, Journo( pn9c I �~ LJAHJOURNAL A BAD CASE OF EDITORTALSTAPH: Susan Adam Jim Houser Lee Barnes Anomal..ee Heather Blair Rob Messick Emmett Greendigger Mamie ~lullcr Charloue Homsher David Wheeler EDlTORIAL ASSISTANCE: Chris Green Scou Bird and Li'I Matthew... Mountain Gardens Family COVER: by Rob Messick ©1991 PUBLTSHED BY: Kart'iah Journal PRTNTED BY: The Waynesville Mowitaineer Press STATEMENT OF PURPOSE EDITORIAL OFFlCE THIS ISSUE: The Globe Valley WRITE US AT: Kat(iah Journal Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province 28748 TELE Pl IONE: (704) 754-6097 Divcrsi1y is an imponam clcmcm of biorcgaonal ecology, both nntural and social. In accord with !his principle Katuah Journal Irie.~ to serve as n forum for lhe discussion of regional issues. Signed :iruclcs expross only lite opinion of lite aulhors and arc no1 ncccss:irily 1he opinions of lhc Katuah Journal editors or stllT. The Internal Revenue Service hns dcclnred K01uah Joivnol a non-profi1 organizntion under sccuon 50l(c)(3) or lhe lnicmal Revenue Code. All contributions to Ka,uoh Journal an: deductible from pcrson3l income l:lll. Aniclcs appearing m Ka1uah Journal may be rcprimcd m 01hcr publications wilh permis.~1on Crom lhe Ka1uah Journal slllff. ConUlCl lite journal in writing or coll (701) 754-6097. CORRECTION: m our las1 isssuc (Summer, 1991) lhcrc was an error in lite article •Jack-o-Lanicms, Acid Ram, and the Elcctncal Life of lite Earth." Brown Mountain is aclllally IOC3lcd in Burke and Caldwell Counues of North Carolina. Wltat would the world be, once bereft Of wet and of wilderness? Let them be left, 0 let them be left, wildness and wet; Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet. Here, in the Katuah Province of these ancient Appalachian mountains where once the Cherokee Nation lived in freedom between the Tennessee River Valley and the Eastern Piedmont between the Valley of the Roanoke and the Southern Plain on this Tun le Island continent of Mother Ela, the Eanh I lcrc, In this place we dedicate ourselves to remembering our deep connection LO the spirit of the land. We bring this connection into the being and the doing of our daily lives When the land speaks, we listen and we act We tune our lives 10 the changes, to the seasons We respect the limits of the land We preserve, defend, and restore the land We give thanks for all that is good Hannony with the land is no longer an ideal; it is an imperative. The land is a living being. She is sacred. As the land lives, so do we. As the spirit of the land is diminished, our spirits are diminished as well. Ka11iah Journal sends a voice... with articles, stories, poems, and anwork we speak to the spirit of all the living, breathing inhabitants of these mountains in hopes that we, the human beings, may find our place in this Great Life. The Editors - Gerard Manley Hopkins KATUAH JOURNAL wanes ro communicare your thouglus and feelings ro the 01/zer people in the bioregional province. Send them ro tlS as lerrers, poems, stories, articles, drawings, or photographs, ere. Please send your contribwions ro us at: Katuah Journal; P. 0. Box 638; Leicesrer, NC; Kar(ltlh Province 28748. OUR NEX:r ISSUE is concerned with the role of the element Fire in the life of the mountains...forest Fire, how humans changed the landscape with Fuc, Fire in the heanh, Fire as tool, Fire of the spirit. Please submit all material by October 30, 1991. JC.ati!Qn )ournat pa«Jc 2 THE SPRING, 1992 JSSUE will be concerned wilh "Sustainable Agriculture and Regional Diet." We need your input on topics including: sustainable agriculture (alternative ag., low input, appropriate ag., pennaculturc, biodynamics, etc.); seed-saving techniques; wild-foods and medicinals; regionaVcommunity food production and marketing; seasonal diet and recipes; food preservation; green manures and composting; agroforestry; and especially recommended resources, guides, and contacts. Please send material to Lee Barnes; Box 1303; Waynesville, NC 28786. (704) 452-5716. Ta(t, 1991 �(con1inucd !'tom page I) fire on top. A lot of people misunderstand it they think that we worship the fire. That's not it. The spirit of Fire is in that mound. The Oklahoma people fixed it (put it there). They said that was !he sll'Ongest Fire they had ever fixed. It came from the Redbird Community in Oklahoma. That's the original Fire. They've got some more at other stomp grounds, but they get the spirit from the main one, at Redbird, !he same one that this came from. We've got the seven clans of the Cherokee. We've got seven arbors around the fire, each clan sits in their own arbor, and when we start dancing, each clan comes from their own arbor, and when they quit, they go back to their own arbor. We went a lot of different places to get that place fixed. We went up to Clingman's Dome to get a piece of dirt to put over here. That's where the wisest medicine men of the Cherokee had their meetings. I guess they would go all the way to Clingman's Dome to talk with God. People forget about their culture and heritage, they're going with the rest of the world. The Green Com Dance has been handed down from our forefathers, but it almost went out of existence. It was going down slow. They hadn't done it for about 50 years, until last year. I was just a young boy when they did the lllSl one 50 yean. ugo. 1 remember how they danced. The women would be dancing away from the men, while the menfolks were doing the Green Com Dance. When the men got through, the women came over, and they would stan doing the stomp dance, and then the women would join in. When the menfolk were dancing, they would carry shotguns - each one would have seven shots. They would go around a singer, I believe they'd go around seven times first, just walk it, and then on the eighth round, they'd Stan singing, they'd go completely around, and the second time 'round, at each side the men, they'd shoot, each one. That's the way we did it. When we dance, that's the prayer co God. We've got the Fire on top - smoke takes what we're saying up to God. What we're saying, God is the only One who can understand it. We can't understand it ourselves. Sometimes in Oklahoma they dance all night. That's when there's some reason, like the Green Com Celebration or the Fire's birthday. There was one time at the stomp dancing in Oklahoma, it was broad daylight, it was still going. They ran out of songs, they started singing "Old MacDonald." 0L:J.l:J~ f'n{t. I 99 1 The leader sang, "Old MacDonald had a fann." They answered, "Hee yi, hee yi!" I tell you, when they get warmed up, tlleY_'re airing th~ Fire as they dance, making mouons. They sing songs about God while they're dancing, how they appreciate God. Our Fire's birthday is September 29. That's when it was lit, September 29. The man who lit it, his name was Hickory Star. He was the one who wanted the fire brought back here, he said that this is where it belongs. He just barely made iL He lit tlle fire, went back home - he died there last February. He brought the fire back, and tllen he died. Karuah JourMI: Do you sing old songs at the stomp dance? WC: Yeh. I don't know how old. This was done before white men came to America - way before. That was the way they worshipped. Kl: I'm glad you are starting it back again. It would be a tcnible thing if we lost that. WC: Yeah. They've got a lot ofit back now. Some of it they have in Oklahoma. They know more about it tllan us, of course. The Eastern Band, we just came from the few who escaped and hid in the mountains. When they came back. they didn't have nothing. They took the Fire with tllem out west. The Fire, that was their religion. That's the spirit - it was within 'em. They carried the Fire of the spirit. They staned back doing it. To begin with they did it in secret, because the government didn't allow tllem to do that. But they kept it up. Then the government passed a low about freedom of religion (Native American Religious Freedom Act), and then they came out with it. When I was a boy, I guess about 12 or 14 years old, I always heard my motlier and some of the older people talking about the Fire - the Fire in Oklahoma. l thought tllat they had taken the name of the real fire with them when they lefL That's tlle way a lot of people believe yet. Up at the Mountainside Theater (in Cherokee where the drama Unro These Hills is performed), they've got a name burning, that they bum by gas, I guess, so that's the not the Eternal Flame, for when they want to clean it, they put the fire out. That's a commercinl fire. When they brought it back from Oklahoma they actually carried the fire back. I don't know exactly how they carried it, somehow they kept it burning until they got it to Cherokee. They called on a man in ~ Oklahoma to give them the Eternal Fire. He didn't know what to do. They wanted the Fire, so he gave them a name to bring baclc. He didn't know what to tel1 them. There's a lot of people interested in Indian religion, I don't know why. I guess that they think that they (tlle native people) might be more right The Indians respect the Mother Earth. They respect just about everything in nature. You don't hear of any Indians inventing something to kill people with. They don't even talce part in inventing everything. 1 guess they're thinking it's not right. I believe it's not right, the way white people use their inventions. The first thing !hey do with an invention is they make it into a war material. That ain't right. The Indians, they're not involved in that. Maybe tllat's the reason (white) people think that they (the native people) might be more right. God didn't intend it for that way, when He created Man and the Eartll. We were supposed to share the Earth and get along equally. Everything that the Indian goes by, it makes sense, even the legends. It makes sense, all of it. There's a lot to it. Back when I was a kid, it seemed like they kept everytlling. They kept the culture and the herirage, but it gradually went down. When I found out, I had to decide to bring it back. Nobody was trying. YJ: It's important to save whatever you know. WC: We are trying to keep the ll'llditional way. We don't allow alcohol at the stomp dance - no alcohol, no drugs, and a woman that makes her period (who is having her period) can't take part. KJ: Now why is that? WC: That's just traditional. They can't eat with the rest of the family. they have to have their own plate. And a married couple, staying in the family way, they can't take part in the dancing, either one of them. KJ: Is that the way you do in your house? . WC: No. Like I said, it's going out of ex1Stence. The old-timers said that kept a lot of sickness away. I believe it, because Indian people were bigger people than they are now. Now you see a lot of shon, fat Indians, they used 10 be tall - tall people. So 1 believe that. You don't hardly see a big Indian man anymore. (continued on pa,., 4) �(c:ontinucd from page 3) KJ: Will it help the young people in the tribe to bring back the old traditions? WC: We can't drag 'em. The drunks know that they can't go there (lo the ceremonial grounds) unless they're sober. I believe that's going 10 work out slow. They'll be wanting to go there, but they can't go unless they're sober. I think that's the way it's going to work. J know that there are a lot of 'cm peeping around there. They've been drinking. You can see them way out in the weeds, peeping out. They can't come in, though. Within four days, if they've been drinking, they can't go. KJ: It's good work you're doing, Walker. WC: The first 11me I went 10 Oklahoma, the head man explained 10 me all about how that Fire was kept. While he was explaining it, he said, "As long as you are doing God's wiU. that's all that's required." Well, that's all that's required for anybody anyway. As long as you are doing God's will and believe in Jesus Chris1. KJ: How about the white people, Walker? The Ind fan people have been hcrc a long time, and they have old traditions that they can get back in touch with. But the white people haven't bt-cn here so long, and they don't have such old traditions. ls there anything they can do 10 get back in touch? Cartersville and Albany. Georgia. Instead of having Fire, they had a bale of hay. KJ: That takes the power out of i1. ll's hard to think about in the same way after it's been commercialized. WC: There's another thing: we can't build the Fire unless we use a spark out of a rock. My son's a fueman, he builds fires. A man gave him a striker, it makes a big spark. You can·t use a match or a cigarette lighter. KJ: Do you ever use a bow and drill? WC: No. This man said it wouldn't be right. That's somebody's invention. The spark was 1he real tradiLional thing. KJ: Are you teaching somebody to come after you? WC I don't have to. The spirit's there forever. If I die, 1ha1 won't bother i1. The spirit 1s still there. they know 1he spirit is there, so I don't have 10 Lc:11 1hem how i1's done. lt's the Everlasting Fire. KJ; What else are you trying 10 ,~ach people? (remedies). I'm not a medicine man. A lot of people call me medicine man, but the Medicine Man is down in Cherokee (referring to the Medicine Man Gift Shop). 0aughs) KJ: So these are plant medicines. You don't do any conjuring. WC: No. I don't go for that, it's against my religion ConJuring and religion don't go together. Just like alcohol. KJ: llow did you learn the remedies that you know. WC: From my mother, she taught me. Someone can teach you the different medicines, but even if you understand what kind of medicine a person gets, and you just went and got that same kind of medicine for everybody, it wouldn't be any good. We've got to put our Creator first, because we ain't got power ourselves unless we put God in front. Then we can do it. Thc medicine is just a point of contact. Goel is the One who heals you. I understand that. The medicine is just something 10 get you closer 10 God. If you don't believe in the medicine· no good, it won't do it. You've got to have faith in the medicine, too. / WC: I'm trying to teach medicine, "hat little mcdidnc I know. I ju$t know a few WC: Well. I don't know. They're supposed 10 keep up their tradition. their culture, of whatever they arc. Each nationality should keep their own. KJ: It's hard for white people because they have been away from 1he land for so long. h's been hundreds of years. WC: Thar's like these two men who came from Pennsylvania. They were curious about what l was doing. "Our people ain't got nothin'," 1hey said. "We're just here, that's all." KJ: I think that's why a lot of white people are interested in the native religion, because that's how they feel. It's imponant for everybody tha1 you keep the old customs, the s1 omp dance and all of 1ha1. WC: That's a religious dance, and we can't do Lha1 dance away from the ceremonial ground. The only place is down around the Fire. We can do the other dances 10 honor the animals, the Bear Dance, the Beaver Dance the Quail Dance. But the stomp dances we ' have to do around the Frre. There's one big bunch from the Creek tribe that has commercialized theirs. I saw them do their stomp dance down at Xatuah Journat page 4 WrUTEPATII Moving in10 my solitude, he wrestles me from stolen moments of peace among the grand green pines, golden poplars, and brawny. brown oaks or rides a <1uie1, sure-footed mount along 1he ml.ii that conscience leaves into my sleep ChiefWhitepath moving his people from Georgia. I le doesn't speak, but I can hear others weeping, and often there's a scream of death that deepens his frown. ln his eyes I can read the desperate question "How can so many people rest on the carcasses of murdered souls, and not be thought savage?" · Dtborah J~s ran, 1991 �A Bit E)f Mo~ntain Levity "Laugh and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone; For the sad old eanh must borrow its minh, But has trouble enough of its own." Ella Wheeler Wilcox In the minds of each of us, there are worlds which no longer exist and which we can visit only in memory and in i;haring with others. We cnn not walk the same trail twice. It has been my good fortune, however, to have some of the people of Roan Mountain share their hidden worlds of yesterday with me, especially those of the Depression era. I discovered therein a fascinating culture of isolation, independence, and great good humor. They refer to the Depression years as "hard times but good times" and their wonderful sense of humor seems to have been the glue that kept heads on straight and held families together during those "hard times." Banter, affectionate teasing, story telling, and practical jokes were a way of life . .. and still are. I remember one day when I became hopelessly lost in my ramblings around Roon Mountain. I stopped at an isolated country store. A porch rnn the full length of the small building lllld held a number of ladder-backed chairs. In one of these, tilted precariously against the wall on its two hind legs, sat a very old man eyeing me a bit suspiciously. I C:lrCfully explained my predicament and asked for directions. Without changing expression, he surmized "You can't get there from here." He paused, looked very stem, then a big grin broke his face. A little levity goes a long way toward turning problems into laughter. I must have seemed really uptight. The language of their stories is filled with subtle and not so subtle humor, sometimes even a bit caustic, sometimes it bruised a bit but served as a gentle reminder of what path was allowed. Admonitions such as "Do something, if it ain't nothin' but carry water out of the branch and put it in the creek. It'll keep from wearing the rocks out," indicating that laziness was simply not allowed. For children too young to work in the fields but not out playing, "You're as lazy as a pet pig. If your breathin' didn't come and go by itself, you'd be to0 lazy to breathe." At the table you might bear "Let your vittles stop your mouth" when children got a bit too rambunctious. About someone who got up "feelin' poorly," "He got up cranky and hasn't gotten over it." Then there's "You look like the hind wheels of hard times" and "You sure took your time. You'd a-been a good hand to send for the doctor if the devil was sick." Oaildren were the target of much good natured teasing, a son of initiation rite. Jim Street tells of one such incident when he and his brother Aoyd were on the receiving end of a bit of "funnin'." Will Garland, a close friend of the family, had brought Sam Brinkley to talk with the boy's father about :Foff, 1991 buying some property. Now Sam Brinkley was famous for his long beard that reached to the ground and which he kept carefully stored in a pillowcase tucked inside his shin. The boys, aged four and eight, had never experienced that beard. "We were playing head and beard. h skeerd us so bad we run and jumped in the hog pen with the hogs. We couldn't find no place else to hide. Daddy then came and got us out and said Will, quit skeering these boys: they're already crazy enough.' Garland was always aggravating and making cornstalk horses," Jim said. us, telJing us these big stories about what was going to catch us and everything. Ever time I seen Brinkley auer that, he'd laugh, but Floyd never did like him much." Floyd was a born prankster himself. Hear this one: Visiting preachers, especially during camp mecrin's, wen: regular visitors at the Street family table. One day when there see~ 10 be an especially large number of them and the children were having to wait second table, the fried chicken seemed to be disappearing at an alarming rate. Young Floyd peered around the dining room door and called to his mother, "Don't let 'em eat all the chicken, Mom!" Turning, he ran out into "We'd cut off a long piece and make his head and we'd use a little stick or a slip off that comswllc and make his neck and stick it on that and then put on his legs and tail and his mane and everything and we'd have cornstalk horses. That's what we were busy a-doing and we didn't think they was anybody around. So Will Garland talked Brinkley into sticking his beard around an apple tree and a-scarin' us. We didn't know they was anybody in a mile. He was about maybe fifty feet away. We didn't sec him and he stuck his head around that tree and Garland said 'Oh yes, I've got you this time' and he was hid and all we could sec was the old man's (COlllllluod on page 6) Xnti1af1 Journat page S �(coounucd l'rom piigc .S) the night. 1 don't know if he go, a~y chicken or not! Humor was not always up front, and as Malone Young so aptly put it, "Old time lying wasn't really a vice. Land Sakes! Life would have been dull as a froe if people didn't stretch the truth," Storytelling was a real an. Old men would sit around the country store and see who could top the next one or swap stories at bean stringin's or com i;huckin's. During interviews, I was not always sure if the story I was hearing was true or not. One day I asked, "Is this really a true 5tory?" The answer came quickly "Honey. if I'm a-I yin'. I'll tell you." He didn't say when. Sometimes the story would be quite true, such as this one told by Howard Shell, but in order to make them interesting they might end with a funny questionable twist. Howard was sining in the swing on his front porch when I askc-0 him about witches. Ile immediately got a mischievous linlt: twinkle in his eye and 10ld me his mother was a great believer in witches. The story goes that she was having difficulty geuing the milk to chum and decided chat her cow was bewitched. She and her son built a big bonfire. Then she went to the woods and got two haw branches. stripping the thorns to make a good handhold but leaving them on the ends. She put her daughter on one side of the fire and her :;on on the other. As she poured the milk into the fire. they beat it with the haw br.inches and the cow wa.,; cured. Then he told me their chickens became sick nnd his mother decided they were bewitched. Again she built the big bonfire, put one of the sick chickens into a bag and threw it onto the fire alive. I waited expectantly for the rest of the story which didn't come. Finally I asked warily, "Well. did they get un-bewi1ched?" "I don't remember," he replied wilh a sly grin. One charming lady has taken practical joking 10 a long-running high. We'll call her Anna 10 pro1ec1 the innocent. Anna is married 10 a very serious, reserved, channing holiness preacher. bm ,his did not deter her yen for fun. Let's call her husband Joe. Every year, come April Fool's Day, Anna auempted 10 play a joke on Joe and much 10 his chagrin, she always succeeded. Joe logged and farmed, was generally hardworking and steady as you go. His horses were of much value and importance to him and were greatly cherished. Early one April ls1. Anna slipped ou1 of bed early,ju~t :11 daylight. went outside and came rushing back into the bedroom screaming that the horses were tangled in the barbed wire and were cuuing themselves badly. Joe, who slept only in his wherewithals, rushed out into the frosty. cloud-heavy morning, only 10 find 1ha1 he had been taken again. The next year he threatened 10 whip the children if they helped their mother play her linle game. Anna had been after Joe 10 move a hig pile of logs stacked in !he yard because she was afraid the children would get hun playing on 1h·em. but 10 no avail. There they were. stacked 100 high for safety. Before anyone else was up. she wen, 0111 into the yard. pushed 1he logs over so they rolled in every direction. then carefully maneuvered herself under two of them in a way 10 appear badly hun. When one of the children peered out the window and saw her, he screamed for his father. When Joe saw what he- thought had happened, he leaped through the window 10 run 10 her rescue. only 10 have her sit up when he go! there and say "April Fool!" Could you live with a woman like that? He has for some 60 years! Another one of her delightful stories in\·olved "siuing up with the body." The custom was when a person died, the body was kept a1 the home until it w~ interred. During 1ha1 time. even a, night, friends and relatives "sat up." One such night Anna was a bit bored and she looked around for some mischief needing to be done. She saw two very pious women sining in straight chairs leaning against the wall - sound ash:ep! She took some soo1 from the chimney, mixed in a The air is fine for it gives me what J need to live •• .~· $' ~: ::: .•. \ · The water is my mother for it holds me as she would in dream ~ .• Fire is my pride and foe for when it snaps it says it will overtake me ... .•. ·• . .•. And stone, stone is my best friend for it shows me the hardness of the world -1.smanl Cirino JI I I h •,. . -~. • Hard Scrabble .!. the ground I stand on I by Barbara Wickersham .• ! . as it prepares I The judge could no! solve ii and the man went free. It was later solved: 1-Ie had killed his wife, dug a hole 10 put her in, and his name was Fox. And then chere's the story about the man who had 100 much moonshine anti killed his cat ... bu1 we'll save that for another time! They still remember, these people of 1he mountain~ and they laugh and share their funny stories. I love 10 laugh and r did so enjoy listening - hope you did 100. / • •• .•· The earth is good t 1 \' Riddle 10 my riddle to my right, Guess where I srayed las, Friday night. The wind did blow and my hean did ache To see what a hole that fox did make. .. ·· ·· · . .... .•..~·......-.:•:•:•:•:•:•:·........·•..•.... ..·•· ....•. ... The Elements Xotimf, Jou1 nnC pn9c 6 little water, and painted their faces lndian style No one would betray the culprit v. ho had done the dastardly deed! Recently Anna 1old me she asked one of the women if !hey wanioo 10 know who did it. The lady replied "No, not now. I might get angry all over again." So Anna didn't tell - and her secret is cenainly safe wi1h me. Long hours of plowing. hoeing com, chopping wood, washing, cooking, etc. se1 these very bright people of devious minds to crca1ing riddles. An nnicle about their humor would be incomplete without a, least shanng one nddle with you. Here is my favori1e story of riddles shared (supposedly a true story). The wife of a man who lived back in the deep woods had disappeared without a 1rnce. Her family became concerned and there was an investigation. The man was brought before a judge and accused ofkilling his wife. Apparently the judge musr no, have been ahoie1her sure of his guih and he 10ld the man if he could make a riddle tha1 the judge could not solve. he could go free. Here is the riddle: ·• .•..•. ... ............ ·•· • ·~ • Appalachian mountainside, more rocks than grass. Three cows graze sideways round, short legs up hill, long legs down. Farmer says there's green enough to put milk in their faucets, and maybe there'll be milk enough to put green in his pockets. { ._. ::: ~: } •. ~ •. .•· .. ·•· .. ..... ·•· -Mlba Barr. e . .......·-•:•:•:•:•:•:•·.........,;.•· . •· .• • · • .. rnff., ,.19!1 I 1 . '1 �CLIMAX NEVER CAME have ever been in an old-growth forest thm contains tulip trees, you can see that they have a Iarger crown than other species, Like hemlock, sugar maple, or beech. And as tulip trees fall over. they create an open patch that is bigger than a gap left by one of the other tree species. Intermediately tolerant or even intolerant ttecs that wouldn't come up in the space left by a sugar maple or a beech, come up in the gap made by a fallen tulip tree. So even in an old-growth forest you can have a (OMlinncd on~· 8) by Henry Wender The idea of a "climaxfores1" has been an appealing one w sciemists interested in validating the idea of a 1111mral order in the world. It has also been a term usedfrequelll/y in the pages of the Katuah Journal to describe the old-growth hardwoodfore.\'l. Now it appears that n111ybe there has never been a climax forest in the Southern Appalachians, that the theory is too restrictive to accurately describe the dynamic processes of na111re in the mowuain highlands. JIere is a report on the controversy Scientists looking back at the magnificent hnrdwood forest that once covered the Southern Appalachian Mountains felt a sense of awe at the splendor of the big trees. The old forest had a feeling of permanence and "rightness" I.hat was justified by the observation of "succession" among forest plants: after a disturbance smaller, fast-growing plants repaired ecological damage and prepared the site for larger tree species and their accompanying understory vegetation. The dominant uces and the plants associated with them were termed the "climax forest," for these trees were shade-tolerant 10 some degree and succeeded themselves in the forest canopy. It seemed that unless an outside disturbance threw the forest back into an earlier stage of succession that the dominance of ccnain tree sP-CCies was inevitable. Certain species appeared 10 be ideally adapted 10 the conditions of the region and. unless interrupted, could maintain their reign perpetually (or at lea.st until the conditions of the cnvironml!nt changed). Succession, the scientists said, always reached a climax: "a self-reproducing 1cm1ina community." As with almost any abwlute statement in science, contradictions began 10 appl!ar within the idea of the climax forest. During the 1970's, scientific questioning turned into open revolt. One of the leaders of the rebellion was Dr. Peter S. White, then a researcher for the National Park Service at th Uplands Field Research Laboratory ,n the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. White is now the director of the Nonh C-irolina Botanical Gardens maintained bv th, University of Nonh Carolina at Chapel I iill. In a conversation in his office. he spok, about how his observations clashed with the climax theory: " 11tey (the climax thcorhts) would pn.-dict that in time a cenain cove site would become a hemlock forest or a beech forest. But th:it ~ocs nor happen everywhere without interruption. "Fire is an example in many ecosystems. but 10 use an even subtler example, tulip trees (locally known as yellow poplar) are shade-intolerant, early successionaJ trees. They colonize where there is on abundance of resources and nutrients and light and water. 'Tulip trees have a large crown. If you :ft1CC. 1991 Phoio by Rob Meutck Xatum, Journot PCIIJe 7 �of climax. They_ inU'Qduced "Polycli~cs," a mosaic ot different climax situations across the same landscape, and even "dis-climaxes," climax situations based on recurrent patterns of disturbance. Others referred to climax as an ideal situation that was valid for an (ainunucd frum pqc 7) persistent succcssional tree, just because of their great size. "So the ultimate progression towards climax would occur only in some rare situations. It docs happen. In a deep ravine, it CARIHEAN ISLANDS GIJ' MOOE LS ,-,....... $MALL WATERSHEDS DOMINICA CUBA ' ' r--"---, RECREATIONAL FOREST IN SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS 1 .. 111* C C w ~ • C ~ ,,. ----,\ 1010 C ,r, 0 OIUIIRICANES HITTING CIRCULAR ISLANDS I / \ EFHCTIVELY NONEOUILtlRIUM LANOSCAl'ES E . . -1"---- \ -- / I ""' C 10• } AUSTRALIAN ~REST FIRES FIIQM 1954 ,.,, IIY YEAR . __ ..., } } ) IJ''ALACHIAN WILDFIRES AREA IN THE 11.tlNGES OF COMMERCIAL A\ISTIIALIAN ~IYSl'ECIES Sc.le of dinurbonce and ICale of bnclscapcs for •umple ecosyslefflS. The hne between lhc dTcctive.ly nonequihliriwn and 111c quai-eqwlibri1m 1.-,d,apcs is based 011 a SO: I ratio of landsape cn:a to diJllllt)enu au. Cornbina&ions of disn.wbance and laidscape scales illu.waied uc: (a) Trerfalls Oii imall W111Cn!w,ds; (b) W'llcl!n, on ama11 walaShcds; (c) WildfiRS on reaeaiioml foruu: (d) AIISlnliln Corua ms on I.be nmie of Auslnlli111 £colyp1i,s specie$; and (c) Hurtian<s OC1 Carribc:m hllnds. (from A Theory of Forest Oynamies by Herman H.Shup.rt) might just be shady enough that hemlock is able to exclude any intolerant plants eventually, providing there is freedom from fire or hurricanes. So in a cenain sense there could be dominance by a few of the most shade-tolerant species. But in most other cases, I think thar that end-point of succession was still a mixed forest which never quite got to climax." Key to the idea of climax was the qualification "unless interrupted... " In climax theory, disturbance, even natural disturbance, was looked on as "endogenous," something that came from outside the system and interrupted the "normal" progression 10 a stable climax. White and his scientific allies maintained that disturbance was a natural occurrence in the life of most forests and needed to be included in any theory of forest dynamics. 'There was a certain sense that evolution creatcS ctiversity," White said, "There is a reason why early-succession plantS such as birch, pin cherry, or blaclcberrics evolve in a system. and that reason is that there is periodic disturbance, so it felt that 10 look only at the end-point was the wrong focus." In nature, it is said, "change is the only constant," and trying 10 deny disturbance an integral role in the forest ecosystem seemed 10 be setting up a Static model lhat left out the clement of change. Scientists defending climax recognized this, and they began to redefine the concept Xawan Journat - • , J. ". h. t P™Je 8 environment whether it actually occurred or nOL There came to be so many "climaxes" that, in the eyes of White and his cohons, the concept lost its meaning. "Every species is climax in that it evolved within some environmental setting and is extant within that setting," he wrote in 1979 (emphasis added). A nonhem hardwood forest setting provides an example. The dominant species, such as beech or sugar maple, depend on a shady, liner-covered forest floor to germinate their seeds. They are slow colonizers but are very tolerant of shade and play a waiting game. sitting as small saplings in the understory until an opening appears, when they use their height advantage and leap 10 fill it. While these species arc clearly dominant, other early-succession species persiSt. Yellow birch has light seeds which it disperses widely, starting many seedlings on I.be forest floor. But these seedlings arc completely eliminated, except for those which manage to take root on disturbed soil or on moss mats covering rotting logs or rocks from which they drop trailing roots 10 the forest floor. The fire cherry has persistant seeds that live a long lime in the soil, waiting for a ctisturbancc 10 open a gap in the upper canopy. By such strategics, these "early-succession" species, although never dominant, keep their place in the the northern hardwood forest. When larger gaps open up, the "climax species" arc out-competed by stands of the fas1-growing, light-loving trees. Rather than a linear model always approaching the goal of a final climax, 1his appears to be a shifting balance of different species competing amid a constantly changing set of conditions. "Dynamic equilibrium" or "patch dynamic equilibrium" is how White describes this continuing process. He mentions the work of Herman Shugan, a professor at the University of Virginia. ln his book A Theory of Foresr Dynamics, Shugan modeled a forest with disturbance patch size (maybe a burned area plus the gaps opened by fallen trees) on one axis and the total landscape siz.c on the other axis. If the total siz.e of the disrurbanccs was one-fiftieth of the size of the forest, Shugan said that the forest was in a state of "quasi-equilibrium." If the disturbance area included more than one-fiftieth of the forest, Shugart said that the forest was in "disequilibrium." Shugart also drew some conclusions about habitat ctiversity by examining patch sizes on a landscape over time. ln his model, maximum ctivcrsity was obtained when one-fiftieth of the landscape was stirred up by small, concurrent disturbances. On the other band, a single massive disturbance, like a hurricane or a large fire, would not produce that same diversity of habitats, because the character of the whole forest would be altered. This analysis is more relativistic and flexible than the traditional climax model because it incorpocatcs disturbance as pan of the picture rather than trying to exclude the influence of change. It can also give a picture of relative stability. While there is constant change and constant activity happening at the local level, seen from a wider viewpoint a forest's rate of food production, the average amount of biomass, or the average size of animal populations may bold steady over an extended period of time. 'That equilibrium." says Peter White, "since it has changclessncss within change, could be seen as a climax landscape. It's a big landscape with lots of inctividual local dynamics, but they're all canceling out over the whole. One could call that climax. "Historically, the tenn 'climax' would not have been applied 10 the patch dynamics equilibrium, but given freedom from people, and a constant equilibrium on a larger scale, there is a stable landscape configuration that could develop." Change is constant The key is balance. This viewpoint frees our minds from a linear and goal-oriented perspective. lt integrates the forest species and the forces that influence them together into a larger whole. In this view of evolution, the cycles of successfon yield stability in its time while providing necessary diversity to meet the challenge of unceasing change. Thuw to Or. Peter White for I.he infonnation ror this arti<;lc. For more in-depth infonnalion. - his article -Pattern. Process. and Natural Diswrbancc in Vcgctation" in The Botanical Rrv~. Vol. 4S, No. 3 (Swnmcr. 1979) and TM &oleo ofNOlrval Distrvbana and Pasch Dyll(tlflia. edited by S. T.A. Piclcca and Peter While (Academic Press, 1985). f"n(L, 1991 �.. 1 IS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN ECOSYSTEM ENDANGERED? by John A. Freeman The Southern Appalachian area is one of the beauty-spots of Earth. Yet there are signs that this ecosystem is in trouble, that it is breaking down, perhaps much more rapidly than we are used to thinking ecosystems can. There is ample evidence that ecosystems break down quite rapidly due to stresses from overuse or abuse. Ln early classical Greece, trees were so abundant that the land was basically forest with isolated clearings. Yet within two centuries trees were uncommon enough that travelers mentioned individual trees or small groves as guidepost~ along their routes ln the American West 130 years ago, travelers described the grasses as reaching halfway up 1he sides of their horses. Today, some of these areas seldom have grasses more than a few inches tall and the carrying capacity forcanle has been reduced by perhaps 98 percent. But surely our beautiful area wi1h its forests is not on tha1 slippery slope,. Or is ii? Fifty years ago, as a graduate student at Chapel Hill, I chose 10 use three common aquatic snails in a research project. One basis for the choices was that they were readily availnble in nearby srreams - I could collec1 1he seveml dozen of e;ich that l neede.c;I in a matter of minu1es. Fifteen years later, in. Piedmont ponds two of the snails were common. The third, always found in small streams and pi:eviously common throughout these mountains, was rare. In 1956 r saw the last one I have seen in this area. Six or seven years later, the pond snails had almost disappeared from the ponds where 1 once collected them in large numbers. By 1he mid-'60's, even superficial observation showed that stoneflies and mayflies were much reduced in the areas r visited. Except for fishermen, most people would not be concerned about the decimation of these insects. However, the fact that they are major sources of food for trout gives them significance. Their loss has been responsible for the need of frequent stocking of trout streams 10 enable tr0u1 fishing in most of the area. Other small creatures nre rare in many areas wbere they were once common. Some that come 10 mind are snakes and other reptiles, and a wide range of amphibians (frogs, toads, and salamanders) which, as a whole, I estimate have been reduced in numbers by perhaps 99 percent. Many songbirds are also much reduced in recent years. Taking a longer historical perspective, the top predators were reduced 10 only token levels many years ago. Wolves, for example, were once important in the balance among animals in our area. Now, in an effort to restore some semblance of balance. red wolves are being reintroduced. The predatory birds (eagles, hawks, owls, etc.) were once reduced to small populations but fonunately with some suppon by humans are makmg comebacks. :fa(£, 1991 In recent years, among the most conspicuous changes have been among trees, especially Fraser firs and spruces at higher elevations, such as Mount Mitchell. As yet less dramatically affected arc various oaks, pines, dogwoods and 01her trees extending thing of the past, possibly within decades and almost surely within a century. What can be done, if anything, 10 get our beloved area off the slippery slope? Unfortunately, about the only rhing we can do locally is 10 apply as many "bandaids" down into the valleys. That we have some explanations - or tentative explanations - of the changes we sec docs no1 reduce the fact or significance of the.c;e changes. Based on my own per;onal, though not systematic, observations, I conclude that our Appalachian ccosys1ems are under attack. Once the slippery slope of ecosystem degeneration i.~ reached, ecosystem breakdown can be rapid. It leads 10 a nc:w and different system that develops rapidly unless remedial steps are taken promp!ly and vigorously. The new ecosystem has a lower tot.ill life suppon capacity than the original from which it developed. My conclusion is qualitative, not quantitative: based on my observntions over a lifetime in the Appalachian and nearby areas, our ecosystems are already onto tha1 slippery slope leading to dramatic changes, including towered productivily. Just when sharp and dramatic changes will come is unccnain, as it is uncertain just whru the changes will be. Unless dramatic steps are taken soon, the ecosystems we know and enjoy will be a as possible, for the basic causes of the problem are much more widespread. Any steps which lower the pollutants known as acid rain or acid precipitation will help. Global wanning and the depletion of stratospheric ozone are widespread problems 1hat require more than local actions. Fonunately, there is developing wide intereSt in this country, especially at non-governmenllll levels, in these problems. Accords and bws mandating changes are ei1hcr already in effect or arc being developed. Grassroots activists instinctively ask a crucial question: "What is there for me 10 do?" Fonunately, there.arc several overlapping areas in which we can be effective. Foremost, in my opinion, is increasing awareness on the pan of the public and of government officials that the mauer i~ critical and that we cann0t afford to wait until all is kTiown about such matters as what causes damaged vegellltion. Drawing by Rob Messick (COIIIIIIUed on page 24) 1Gatuah Jo1..rnn£ PCMJC 9 �uTalking Leaves"·· 1 ,,, The Life and Influence of Sequoyah based on an interview with Tom Underwood Sequoyah was unquestionably a genius. He developed an 86-character syllabary of the Cherokee language that enabled his tribe to become the only one of the North American Indian tribes 10 become literate. Sequoyah's invention allowed the Cherokees to publish a tribal newspaper and preserve many of their old teachings and beliefs in written form. He is the only man in recorded history known to have devised a system of writing without knowing how to read or write in any language. Sequoyah was born in eastern Tennessee sometime around 1776, the half-breed son of a while man named Nathaniel Gist and a daughter of one of the Cherokee chiefs at the village of Echota. There has been much discussion among historians about his parentage, but today there is little doubt that Gist, the son of a prominent Virginia family, was Sequoyah's true father. Gist was a friend of George Washington, and it is said that he was working secretly for Washington, looking for purchasable land in Tennessee. He lived with the Indians for quite some time at the Echota village. He did not leave there until the Revolutionary War, when there was discussion in the Virginia legislature of d~laring him a traitor because he was living with the Cherokee who were actively aiding the British. Gist traveled to Virginia and presented himself before the legislature. He told them that he was not a British sympathizer and that he would recruit Cherokee to the colonial cause. He brought 14 Indians to fight for the colonists, but he did not return with them to E~hota. After the independence was declared, Gist settled in Ohio, and his family became respected leaders of their time - one was a congressman, another became a well-known innkeeper in Washington. After Sequoyah had invented the syllabary and was on business in Washington, he visited the Gist family on one occasion, evidently at their invitation, and was accepted by them as Nathaniel's son, George Gist. Some of the best written information on Sequoyah is included in an odd collection of documentS on the Cherokees compiled by a white man named John Howard Payne. Payne was a contemporary of Sequoyah and transcribed first-hand n:collcctions of the man. "The Payne manuscript," as it is known, says that Sequoyah's family on his mother's side "was of high rank in the nation. The famous John Waus was one of them. Two of his uncles were men of great distinction - one of the two was named Tah-lon-tee-skee (the overthrower), and the other Kahn-yah-tah-hee (the first to lcill). "Kahn-yah-tah-bee was the principal X.Otuah Journal pac.,s 10 chief of Old Echota, the ancient town of refuge, over which he presided, He was called The Beloved Chief of All the People.' 1t was his exclusive duty and delight 10 be a peace preserver. "During some public assembly, there was an onset of the whites, notwithstanding it was a time of profound peace, and all the Tndians fled, excepting Kahn-yah-tah-hee and another chief, of whom there was some distrust in the nation. They were both in the square where the ceremonial had been gone through. Kahn-yah-tah-hce arose from his scat, and with a white flag waving, met the marauders as they broke into the square. Both chiefs were murdered brutally on the spot. "Some days subsequently, the invaders having withdrawn, the people returned. Carrion birds had devoured the body of the one chief, but that of the other, Kahn-yah-tah-hee, the Beloved of All, was untouched, and unchanged even in death. His hand still grasped the violated Flag of Peace, and upon his dead lips lingered a benignant (sic) smile." Se.quoyah grew up a Cherokee and identified with his tribal heritage. He never learned to speak English. He had no wish 10 learn the white people's language. Even after ~eh~ invented the ~yllabary and was being interviewed for a sencs of newspaper articles !n Washington. he spoke through an interpreter. The boy and his mother lived at Echota until he was 11 years old and then moved down to Wills Town, in nonheas1ern Alabama. He never showed signs of his genius when he was a child. He was 100 busy helping his mother find a means of survival. She ran a small trading post and outfitted fur trappers on credit. Young Sequoyah would go out in the forest 10 pick up the furs owed to her for payment. He was alone much of the time. He learned self-reliance and supplemented the family's meager larder by hunting. When he was older, he learned several trades. He was a silversmith for a time. The Cherokee loved 10 decorate themselves with fine jewelry - ear and nose rings, armbands, bracelets, gorgets, and chains, and Sequoyah became proficient at creating these ornaments out of silver. He prevailed upon a white man 10 write his name in English and engraved his signature on each piece of his work. He also began 10 draw and was highly regarded among the tribespcople on this account. He latertumed to blacksmithing. But he was never much of a farmer; he never could get interested in hoeing com. It was also said of Sequoyah that he was "greatly considered among all the handsome women." The Payne manuscript tells us: "...when he discovered that he was so greatly considered among the handsome women, he began to pay less attention to his employment He neglected his silver worlc and his drawing and went about visiting one and another, and every day he had more and more friends. The young men were always pleased to see him coming where they were. When he would arrive at any place where a number of them were assembled around their boule, they would call out to him, 'My friend, my friend, let us drink whiskey together... ' "But at that time he drank only water; though he would. when thus invited, always go fetch a quart bonlc of whiskey. and give it 10 his friends and then wait and let them drink it by themselves. He went on thus for a long while, but was at length tempted now and then to taste a little with his friends - and soon, a little more: until at last. he would often get tipsey (sic) with his friends: whereupon his friends increased upon him so fast, that instead of a bottle, he would have to bring a three gallon keg for their supply, and he would make them all drink with him, until the keg was empty." One night Sequoyah and a couple of his friends went to a Bible reading. They listened, and going home that night they talked about how wonderful were the "talki.ng leaves," as the Cherokee described pages of paper. To them the pages of a book sounded like leaves rustling in the wind. Sequoyah's friends said, "This is a wonderful gift of the Great One to the white man. We could never have this." He said, "1 could do this." They laughed at him. "No, you couldn't do that," they said. He said, "I can do it I can find a way to make the talking leaves speak in Cherokee. They laughed again and said, 'You're crazy.''' That set him off. Sequoyah went to work. He first tried 10 devise symbols to make sentences, then symbols to make words. Everything wound up too compli_cated. He started over again trying 10 figure It all out. From when he began, until it was completed, Sequoyah worked off and on creating his syllabary for over 20 years. He eventually broke the Cherokee language down into 86 basic sounds and assigned a symbol for each. He could not devise enough signs 10 designate the different sounds. so one day when he found a discarded newspaper, he picked symbols from the pages and adopted them into his own system. That is why some of the characters in the Cherokee syllabary appear familiar to English-speaking people. Sequoyah would become absorbed in his work and retire to a small outbuilding on his propeny to ponder on the syllabary for long periods of time. He abandoned his farm fields completely and left the raising of crops and family entirely to his wife. She became infuriated about this project that was taking her husband away from his responsibilities. One day, when his work was almost completed, she burned his little building with all his notes while he was away from home. But he would not quit He staned over. No one else in the tribe believed in his work. The other members of his community disrrusted his long periods of solitary labor. The word began to go around that Sequoyah was engaging in witchcraft He was losing the respect that he had gained in the community. Finally one day a friend named fo(t, 1991 �tribal council, Sequoyah received wide recognition. Now a famous man, he remained quiet and withdrawn. The Payne manuscript described him as follows: "His manners were never forward and are now become somewhat reserved. lt can be seen that his mind is always busy within him, and, especially when smoking, he seems absorbed in thought. He is thin and above the middle heighL 1n dress he :idheres 10 the old costume of the nation, but without ornament; wears the turuc and robe, leggings Tunle Fields came ro visit Sequoyah. The Payne manuscript recounts what to0k place: "'My friend,' Turtle Fields said to him, 'my friend, there are a great many remarks made upon this employment which you have taken up. Our people are much concerned abour you. They think you are wasting your life. They think, my friend, that you arc making a fool of yourself, and will be no longer respected.' "Gist replied, 'Lt is not our people who Cherokee Syllabary Da -$-ga t ho 'Vha W,a ,/"ma Re l"ee T. rhl' .oh, f ,e Ctme f ,, H m, 0 n l.hnaGnah J\.n a e Yii, Iln, Q Que 'fqu, l::fsa OUs 4 ,e h s, W,.. d1a .Ct1d i G,.a G.wa tDva ~ mo J'mu ,,,. . , 4 nu O'nv quo le}quu f; quv ½$0 If'$, Rs., Z no ~ qua t da . Ou J.., A eo J gu .Egv J.lho r hu &-hv G,o M,u 4 1 v o)o I Sde't1e .,L ] ,, Vdo Sdu I ~ do L ,,p C,11 ,J ,,o -'i'P 11u P 11v lr,s, K ,so cJ,su C ,sv 'J',se /Jwu 6w v 4£JWL' J3ve nv fi vo Gvu Bvv have advised me to this, and it is not therefore our people who can be blamed if 1 nm wrong. What 1 have done I have done from myself. If our people think lam making a fool of myself, you may tell our people that what ram doing will nOl make fools of them. They did not cause me to begin and they shall not cause me to give up. If I am no longer respected, what l am doing will not make our people the less respected, either by themselves or others; and so I shall go on, and so you may tel1 our people."' We sometimes call Sequoyah's symbols an alphabet, but 11 is actually a syllabary, which correctly describes a system of signs for the sy11ables of a language. lf one knows Cherokee. it is fairly simple to learn Sequoyah's symbols and write the words of the language. Not many go 10 the trouble 10 do it anymore, but the fin;t person Sequoyah taught was his six year old daughter. She was the one who demonstrated his system to the governing council of the Cherokee nation. When Sequoyah t0ok his syllabary to the council, the members refused 10 believe it. It was 100 complicated, they said. There were too many sounds. They would never learn it. He said, "h's so simple 1ha1 that I have taught my six-year old daughter to use it." They put him to the test. She wrote down what they said while he was out of the room, and when he came back, he read ii. After the syllabary was accepted by the rnrt, 1991 ~ WI ~ WO sometimes of buckskin, sometimes of blue cloth - moccasins instead of shoes - and a turban." By this time there was intense pressure on the Cherokee from white people who wanted their land. Sequoyah left Alabama with a group led by Chief John Jolly and settled in Arkansas. He worked some salt springs and taught the written language 10 the Cherokees there. At one time, there were more literate Otcrokees than there were literate white people in Arkansas! When the first Cherokees forced to travel The Trail of Tears arrived out west m 1839, there was much resentment among the earlier settlers because "the newcomers" were talcing up the land. There was violent dissension that threatened 10 destroy the tribe. and Sequoyah turned his talents and reputation toward the causes of peace and tribal unity. The tribal leaders met and decided 10 write a constitution that all factions could abide by Sequoyah was elected president of the group, and if not for his presence, there probably would have been much more trouble, because he was a man who did not take sides and did not harbor grudges. He was a leader and a man of peace, and it turned out that he had great powers of diplomacy. When the constitution was negotiated, the Cherokee moved all their belongings 10 Oklahoma. Scquoyah's final trip was a mission to Mexico undenakcn when he was about 67. He journeyed the<e to bring a whole village of Cherokee people back to Oklahoma.. The group had starte.d west without a guide during the Removal, and had wandered down the wrong river and ended up across the border. ln seeking for them, Sequoyah died in the small town of San Fernando, Mexico in 1843. ••• Words become only insO'Umencs, expressions. The written syllabary significantly changed the world of the Cherokees, but it is difficult even now to give a definitive analysis of the impact that Sequoyah, singlehandedly, had on his tribe. I think that will have to wait for future historians. But one thing is clear: Sequoyah wanted his people to be able to read and write like the Europeans, and through his genius and his efforts he allowed the Cherokees 10 have their own written language. It gave them a chance to read, and many Cherokees became better informed than their own white neighbors. They took pride in that. and they took pride in the fact that it was their tribesman Sequoyah who had made ic possible. Once the syllabary was widely circulated, the tribe installed a printing press in a log cabin office at the tribal capital at New Echota. It was set with specially cast type and printed documents and a bilingual tribal newspaper. TIie Cherokee Phoenix. There followed translations of the Bible, hymnals, and prayer books in10 Cherokee. After the Removal, literate Cherokees sent leners back and forth between Oklahoma and the Eas1. Directly or indin:ctly, the printed word broadened the horizons of every member of the Cherokee tribe. It gave the Cherokee a significant advantage over other Native American aibcs. Because they could read their own language, they were able to become acculturated ro white society easier than the other native people. That gave them a better chance of survival in the world they had to face. Of course, this acculturation had its negative effecL~. 100. In some areas the new literacy increased the jealousy of some of the Cherokees' white neighbors. And at the same time that it was increasing the Cherokees' pride and sense of tribal accomplishment, literacy was also helping to destroy traditional foundations of tribal society. lndividual Cherokees became confused about who they were and turned their back on their native heritage. As the Cherokee Bibles and prayer books helped to gain convcns to the Olristian religion, the power of the medicine people was eroded and the ages-old spiritual life withered away. But because ethnologiSt James Mooney found small journals in which Cherokee medicine people had ~ e d their magical formulas, he was able to preserve a written record of ancient lore that was lost to many of the other tribes. Other valuable information wrincn in Cherokee was preserved as well. There are medicine chants written by Bird Partridge in the Museum of the Cherokee Indian that were written in the native language, and I am sure I.hat there were other items of the same natuTC. (0l>lllinlled <lll P-'CC 24) 1'ati1 fl Jour nd. a po(JC 11 �GREEN SPIRITS: Human societies, cultures, and cuisines originally developed around the ecological cycles of plant growth and dormancy. seed set and tuber development in their regions. Today it is still highly desirable for each bioregion to be more self-sufficient in its own food production. Diet should become more regionally localized and more seasonable, with different foods available at different harvelit periods. Produce .,,. hich is storable or dryable (potatoes, winter squash, etc.) would come to be of greater imponance in the regional diet. Regional food production (especially production utilizing low-input organic methods) would act 10 stabilize regional economics by decreasing our dependance on foreign inputs, especially oil and pem:x:hemicals. Any region can become more self-sufficient in its food production, distribution, and marketing. Critical to the successful development of regional agricultural economies is the preservation of the dwindling amount of remaining world-wide plant genetic diversity. Thousands of locally selected vegetable and fruit varieties have been lost in the last century due to the change from growing predominantly local, open-pollinated varieties to the almost exclusive use of F1 hybrid varieties. Modern hybrid plant varieties have been developed for characteristics such as high yield, case of production and uniform harvest, but not for the generic diversity which serves as biological insurance against disease or insect attack. Hybrid crop varieties have the disadvantages of (1) genetic uniformity, and susceptibility to major insect and disease attack; (2) seeds produced from hybrid plants cannot be saved and replanted, since their offspring would not produce a uniform or stable crop; and (3) hybrid crops require massive amounts of outside inputs, such as fenilizers and pesticides, to achieve high levels of yield. With the loss of genetic diversity in our food crops, we are losing the diversity which has developed over millions of yea.rs, the same genetic differences which allow plant populations to survive climatic changes. PlanLc; which have diverse genetic backgrounds are generally termed "opcn-pollinnted" varieties (also called "non-hybrid," "standard," "heirloom," or "old•timey" varieties ). Open-pollinated varieties are more or Jess, randomly pollinated from genetically diverse parents, resulting in unique offspring with a wide range of physical and biochemical genetic expressions Seeds from open-pollinated plants contain a great deal of genetic diversity from which agriculturists can select for features such as taste, disease resistance, and suitability of use. By selecting parents with desirable characteristics. and by crossing them in selected combinations. improved varieties, which are more adapted to local climates, soils etc., can be isolated. Another major advantage of open-pollinated varieties is that they retain their genetic diversity, preserving genes which may be more :Kcit.i'.w h Jo1.m mt pQCJe 12 Seed Saving to Preserve Biodi:ver~sty, adaptable to changing environments. II is of grem practical value to be able to produce and save one's own seed. 1hereby being able to gradually selec1 for desired improvements and bcner local adaptability (i.e. better gene combinations for a panicular climate or soil). while retaining genetic diversity. SEED SA Vl~G REFEREI\CFS Robm Johnson. Jr. 1983. Growing Garden Seetlr: A Manual/or Gardeners and Small Farms. Inexpensive and easy to understand. Available from Johnny's Selected Seeds; Albion. Maine 04910. $1.95 Peter Donelan. 1986. Growing ro Seed. A more detailied presentation. Ecology Action, Self-Teaching Mini-series# 13. Order from Ecology Action: 5798 Ridgewood Road: Willeis, CA, 95490 $3.50. Suzanne Ashworth. 1990. Seed ro Seed Seed-saving techniques for over 160 vegetable crops. 240 pp., $20.00 ppd. Order from Seed Savers Exchange (sec address below). SEED SA VJNG ORGANlZATIONS The Flower & Herb Exchange (FHE) Rt. 3. Box 239 Decorah Iowa 5210 I ($5.00 annual membership) Fonunately, there is a growing number of individuals and developing organizations which recogni1.e the imponance of preserving natural genetic diversity in agricultural crops. The most widely known is the Iowa-based Seed Savers Exchange, which is a loose organization of people committed to seed saving and exchange. The Seed Savers Exchange believes that the best way to preserve historical varieties is by propagating them and distributing them to a widely scattered number of seed savers. The group publishes lists of available varieties and addresses of members with panicular varieties for exchange or sale. By keeping open-pollinated plant varieties in the public domain, the Seed Savers Exchange ensures that they will be widely propagated and distributed. We highly encourage Kan1ah plant caretakers to identify and promote the preservation, propagation, and distribution of local "follc-roce" varieties of vegetables, ornamentals, and fruits. Local county fairs can be better orgnnized to identify local varieties still grown by the old-timers. Talk with dedicated seed-savers to identify their favorite varieties and then offer to purchase or trade for seeds when they arc available. Multiply these varieties and be sure to further distribute and "spread the wealth" to help prevent the loss of these natural treasures. Secondly, interested gardeners should seek out open-pollinated varieties and encourage their use and distribution. Try growing these varieties and selecting for plants with improved qualitic:;. Lastly. plant caretakers need to produce extra seeds to pass along to other seed-savers to encourage their increase and serve as insumnce against the loss of these irreplaceable heirlooms. Seed saving can be a simple and economical hobby. General and specific information on saving vegetable varieties can be gained from the books listed below. Seed Savers Exchange Rural Route 3, Box 239 Decorah Iowa 52I01 ($25.00 annual dues, with reduced r01esfor "reduced income" membership), specializing in plant listing ofvegetables and fruits. Native Scc<VSEARCH 3950 West New York Drive Tucson, Arizona Specializing in S011tllwest indigenous crops, such as peppers, beans, dye plants, etc. Dues $10.00 per year. COMPANIES SPECIALIZING IN OPEN-POLLINATEO/HEIRLOOM SEEDS Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Box 158-N Nonh Garden, VA 22959 Caralog $3 .00, credited to first order. Redwood City Seed Company PO Box 361 Redwood City, CA 94064 Caralog $/ .00 Bountiful Gardens (Ecology Action) 5798 Ridgewood Rd. WilliL~. CA 95490 Abundant Life Seed Foundation Box 772 Pon Townsend, WA 98368 Seeds Blum Idaho City Stage Boise, Idaho 83706 Caralog $3.00. Johnny's Selected Seeds Albion, Maine04910 Dr•wmg by Rob Mc.nick - by Lee Barnes 1'nrt, 1991 �Walking Distance Our transpotation addiction is responsible for massive ecological and social damage. Our society is built around the use of Lhe automobile. It is now necessary for most people to use a car or bus to get to work, school, to buy groceries or see most of our friends. This is a very expensive situation in currency oflife, money, environmental qualiLy and in social disruption. Our highest priority should be to establish villages and re-establish neighborhoods in which the day to day needs of the people can be met within walking distance. A pattern of local self sufficiency would have many good effects on our lives and on the environmenL Fuel use and polluLion would be cu1 dramatically and people would save a 101 of money. People be/long in a walking based society. Children grow up m greater sccuri ty, and oldt:r folks can live longer in their own homes when supported by a caring community. In local economy we empower each other as we disempower huge political and industrial cartels. Wal.king and biking as means of rransponation reintegraLc people with their environment while providing a moderate and appropriate execrcise schedule. People would live longer and be happier. Inter actions with actual people would tend Lo replace video reality. We live in a world designed for cars instead of people. In a world designed for people, kids can find enough other kids for a ballgame any day with decent wcaLher, and adults can either have the solitude of the woods or the compt1ny of friends within walking distance. Native peoples the world over have almost always chosen to live in villages. Synergy is the reason for this. a village is more than che sum of its pans. In a village there is more protection from wild animals and violent people, cooperation in labor, the sharing of resources such as ox and plow, GASOLJtlE JS A DAJ\JGEHOUS CHE},JJCA!. ADDJc·r JON. and there is the possibility of specializing for greater efficiency. Even as rteenily as the 1960's most of the people of che world lived in agricultural villages with forest and field out the back door and friends and neighbors out the fronL One of the reasons people moved to cities was that the rural villages were cultural backwaters. This has changed in an era of satellite communications and U.P.S .. Now the ideas and goods of the world are readily available in the wilds of anywhere. ANGLE: ENVIRONMENT Fifteen years ago I wrote in my journal that l had three jobs. The first was for money so I could keep a roof over my head, eat. and function in society \\ith a grasp on self-reliance. Having been a Boy Scout and raised with respect for nature and a vision of caring for it, I wanted my job 10 be a pan of an ecological wlution and not more of the problem. 8111 I remember thinking at the same time that "Job One is for money 10 pay my bills." 1 had to begin wi1h my self-reliance and forge my conscious ideas in the marketplace as l went along. Working as a mechanic. I sometimes wondered if cars weren't one of our major problems. Eventually realizing that it was true, I also had 10 keep in mind that I had learned to make them run more efliciemly. So I was able to organi:r.e my thoughts and ideas with the security my paycheck gave me to work on Job Two. For Job Two I recycll!d cars. This was more of a hobby than a job-type job. I did not do tt for money, bu1 for the environment. If I made money that was line, but I figured tha1 I would do this job as part of a solution. It was a feeling l kept in my private heart, but I knew my work muse feed it. If I wns to grow and strengthen and become a man in the business world, I had to help in designing that world for health. I was looking for my own true man rather than the businessman and trying to keep the roof over my head. So roff. 1991 ii was my goal not to let this work tax the environment in nny way, but to engage me in part of the cleanup. My own system of Earth first. In the college town where I lived, students abandoned cars everywhere. It didn't seem to mailer how simply they might be fixed, with their own studies and graduation on their minds. and maybe sights set on soon buying a new car, off into the field the old cars went. I fixed cars man>' times by putting in a new bauery. Other times I took two cars and made one good one...feeding them back into the :,ystcm... seeing that no good pans were wasted. Though technology might give belier fuel economy from year to year, we must consider the "Bic Clic" mentality in the throwaway car industry, keeping in mind the horsepower it takes and the 1ax on our environment to keep up the new car cycle. Seeing the rate at which so many of these '"dead" cars got crushed, only 10 create a demand for another ne\\ one, made Job Two feel very good environmentally. It seemed 10 go out and out. if only in my own thinking, towards my goals. My third job was solely for the environment. 1 would not use fuel nor generate money: I picked up trash. II felt so good when money was not my motivating force. People around me thought I Photovoltaics can give electricity to the most remote community. A modem rural community is an atttactive idea in a time when cities offer more in the way of crime and less in the way of cultural attractions. It is now possible to have the best of civilization and the best of rural life. The village is an idea whose time has come again. The industrial revolution has brought us great progress in many areas but the pattern of social disintegration and ecological degradation that it has fostered must be changed. Consumerism must be replaced with a more broad minded philosophy that cares about the welfare of the entire system. In a localil.ed economy there are micro-<:conomic niches for pan time bakers, appliance repair people, haircuucrs, chicken keepers, cow milkers, etc. The industrial revolution separated and scheduled life, work came to mean job, education came to mean school, and all of society came to revolve like a gear around the needs of industry. People's lives took on the same scheduled and sequenced rhythms as the assembly line. Extended families shrank into nuclear families and then to one parent families. Prosperity came to mean economic growth instead of a state of well-being. Now there are other trends at work, and these will eventually produce an age of self-sufficient villages that produce much of their own power and food and at the same time can choose co be active members of a global civilization. The world needs models for this new generation of rural community. / by Will Bason Drawing by Rob MC$~ock must have really tlipped. And though a1 fir..1, 1admit, ii did feel a little crazy, I had begun to realize "new profits" and decided 1hnl linering was indeed crazier. I also pickl!d up aluminum. There were liuer baJTCls up and down both sides of the street from my home all the way across town. So every day after work r walked and picked up paper and cans. The barrels came up like clockwork, and in them I found an aluminum mme. There was a can buyer along my route, so that was my "bank" right on my path. If I thrcatencd anyone's sensibilities, f soon didn't care. Because of the social nature of the work, I was discovering more of what mnde what tick. Before long I added up what it was costing me to go to Job One, and realized I couldn"t afford ii anymore. Since that time I've found that I cannot afford 10 work for money as my chief motivaung force. The things I do, I do for different reason5. I get a strong feeling that a lot of the problem~ in the world, the ones we inherited and the on~ \\e perpetuate, began and continue because we have been so busy making money. And as we start 10 find the things that rc3lly can s:uisfy us. we also find we don·t need so much money anymore. I've learned that sclf-n:liance actually begins with me - and not with the roof ove~ myhead. ,P' by lvo Ballentine x.ai.urui Joun\OL page 13 �SERYING TI IE OREAT LIFE These are the words of a traduionaJ Cherokee medicint ptrson: 1 have said that there are three levels of conjuring: the personal levt>I, the level of knowledge, and the spiritual level. (See Kartfoh Journal #27.) The first fonn of conjuring is the ways we know to persuade acquainmnces or people we are intimate with - every day sort of smff. The next level is conjuring by understanding how things work. what I call the laws of nmurc. The more knowledge one has at this level, the more ability one has to conjure. The highest form is the spiritual fonn or conjuring. This level requires more than lenming 10 accomplish it. One can learn how to do 11, one can completely understand how it works, and still not have the ability to make it work. The reason a person may not be able to do it is because his or her individual self is in the way. The whole key to working the higher fonm of conjuring is to get one's self out of the way. That's the hard pan. To be a conjuror requires a personality that 1s strong. willful, and persistent. Tt takes super courage 10 confront one's own self. That's the biggest enemy. the biggest monster that ever existed: our own ego. The equation for conjuring is One. There is One Spirit that flows through us all trees, plants, animals, the Eanh. That is our connection to all things. Getting our individualistic self out of the way allows us to hook into that One SP.irit. which is moving all the time. It is very difficult to get one's self out of the way, but someone who can accomplish that may use the spiritual power for conjuring. Conjuring, as I know it, corresponds most closely to the western concept of "manipulation." And in the dominant culture, manipulation has bad connotations, because people don't like to feel like they have been manipulated, when actually we arc manipulated all the time. We are manipulated by our culture. The German people were manipulated in World War Il. Americans are manipulated by capitalism and glittery, materialistic things. Many of the Jewish people a.re very tied in to their own culture and their history as a people. We arc aJI constantly being manipulated. In a world in which we a.re manipulated all the time, conjuring can be very useful. The conjuror can heal people. The conjw-or can heal people who might otherwise be dead. The conjuror can interfere with their fate. For instance, in this culture it's absolutely terrifying 10 be told, "You have Xotuan Journal p!MJC 14 cancer." Cancer is known to be so bad and usually fatal. When a doctor tells a patient he or she has cancer, it's devastating. ln some cases people stan dying right away. They surrender and relinquish them~elves to the disense. The will dies. Doctors can't usually do much about cancer. But the mind and the spirit together are so powerful that somerimes they can make a cure. Sometimes they can provoke the spirit of the Physician Within to heal a person, And one does that through conjuring. If a conjuror is successful, it's amazing what can happen. Sometimes conjuring on the third level produces results that seem impossible 10 people who arc looking at it from an conventional viewpoint. What they see cannot be explained in a rational, linear way. ''Magic comes when all doubt is cleared from the mind." I don't see events th:11 occur on the spiritual levels as magic. I see them as facts - events that can happen all the time. They only seem extraordinary to people who are caught up in the physicaJ, materialistic, self-oriented culture. Healing may appear to be magic and mystical, but it isn't. It's a law of nature. Everyone has the capacity and the ability to do this if they can get their own self out of the way. A conjuror can also do terrible things. He or she can do absolutely hideous, horrible things to other people. The same energy that can heal someone can be used 10 make another person to sick - just by reversing the process. But in my experience of watching people who had the ability to use that power, the majority of them never did horrible or terrible things. The simple reason was: the consequences. There is karma, and it affects one's spirit. Misusing spiritual power is one way to destroy the spirit, kill it. How could that not affect someone spiritually? Sending a sickness used to be called "spoiling the saliva." The old peoRle believed that the spit was the secret way to a person's spirit. They believed that by spoiling the saliva they could make a person's spiri1 sick, and then, since everything is connected, the biological or emotional being would also become sick. The conjuror used to concentrate on the saliva. using it as the focus point for a strong meditation. When a conjuror is using a spiritual form of conjuring, he sees himself, his real self. He then visualizes the Whole, and sees himself dissipate into the Whole. The thought that he takes with him is of the saliva of the person he is conjuring. When he rerums with the saliva spoiled, he sends it back 10 the person, and the person gets sick. Using the spiritual fonn of conjuring is definitely interfering with fate. It is the fate of all of us to die, yet 1 know people who were healed from their cancer after being given up for lost by the western physicians. That's interfering with fa1e. There are consequences 10 interfering with fate, and the consequences could be positive, or they could be negative. Conjurors don't feel that the spiritual burden of interfering in someone's life rests on thcm. When they are asked to do things, they do just what somebody asks them. The person who requests the conjuring is the one who picks up on the good or bad consequences of the act, not the conjuror that's our reality. Conjurors consider themselves to be like the pistol in a murder, and, by asking chem, their diem pulls the trigger. h's not the pistol that goes on trial, it's the trigger-puller who goes on trial. In tribal times the conjuror was honor-bound to carry out any fequest. The tribe used to set apart people to be good hunters, chippers of arrowheads, or com ~ planters. That was their task in life. A medicine per.;on was set apart 10 conjure, LO be a healer, or to be a priest - and there could be no personal limits set on ii. The only request a conjuror could refuse was one lhat would require him or her to hurt the Great Life, the Whole. lf someone asked me to conjure the State of Nonh Carolina to let them dump their toxic waste along the highway or 10 poison the river, I would be injuring the Great Life. I could refuse. Otherwise. a conjuror relinquished his responsibility. Still, there were ways to get out of conjunng acts that one considered distasteful. One way was 10 get the client to participate in the conjuring as much as possible. A conjuror could drag it out for several days to test their will. Often a person would change their mind in two or three days. Or the conjuror could have the person do some things that didn't absolutely necessary need to h:lppen. "Get me a cenain plant up on Clingman's Dome. There's a li1t1e rock up under there with some moss that grows on it. You have to be there in two hours, and you have 10 hop in from the north on one leg," and when they brought that, he would say, "I need this one other thing. You need to wade across the river and..." There were always means 10 slow people down and make them think about their actions. As a lasl reson a conjuror could say, "My will is not going to be into this, and I don't know how effective this is going to be. I suggest you go sec another medicine person." Because conjuring is manipulation, the 'Fn(l., 199\ �11 idea seems negative and threatening LO many people of Lhe western culture. But who is 10 tell what is positive and what is negative? One would have to have a seer in order 10 know before the fact. As an example, neighbors often do Lhings against neighbors when they have bad feelings and resenonems. A medicine person could do mild fonns of conjuring which would relieve them of their bad feelings toward their neighbor, because they felt that they'd taken action. In the long run, it could possibly be more positive to do some superficial conjuring than to let those people sit around with their resenunents festering and their bad feelings gening stronger and stronger. It's a psychological and emotional pressure release. It's hard to try to justify that to western people. It could conceivably be a positive action to cause somebody 10 get sick. In the culture that we live in, there is no excuse to relinquish responsibility to go out and smell the flowers and just be. Sickness is the only valid excuse. And sometimes there's so much stress and pain in the lives of people involved with the dominant culture that they will create a sickness just 10 meet that need to relinquish responsibility. A good healer shouldn't limit him or herself to biological matters; a good healer shouldn't limit him or herself to social matters. A good healer should understand that there isn't anything in this culture that will let us relinquish responsibility but being sick. He or she is a priest A healer should be able 10 say, "Listen, take a week off. Go to the beach, do what you like 10 do." Conjunng • manipulation - is good when it serves the Great Life. That's the governing principle. Through the whole process, the conjuror has 10 keep the ego out. Of course, it is true that "Where I go, ego." There's a very fine balance there. I am constantly asking myself the question, "Who does this serve? Who does this serve?" Because if l felt I was acting just to serve myself and my ego, I would stop immediately. Conjuring puts one in a position of power, but it has to be done without a sense of power. Working on the spiritual level is powerful, bul if the conjuror is receiving a sense of power, rhen he is manipulating the situation for his own individualistic intereSt One of the ways you can tcU a good healer or a good priest is that they just act They do n0t think that ii might be benefiting them. They accept it as pan of their individual spiritual path. Things just keep happening. Each incident could be a challenge, a test. a blessing, a joy, or ail of these things. Myself, rm not special. rm a human being, trapped in a body that eats, shits, suffers, and die~ just like everyone else. And sometimes it's a curse and sometimes it's a blessing, but that's just the way it is. I accept iL This role of medicine person has been something that I needed spiritually. It's been an ego challenge for me. There have been times in my life when I've wanted 10 manipulate people for my own gain - and known that I could have done it. Without the slighiest bit of doubt, l knew I could get what I wanted from these people simply because I understood things that they didn't understand. But I felt that doing that would damage me in some way. It wasn't worth the immediate gratification. It just wasn't worth it. People who are conscious, really conscious, cannot be conjured or manipulated in any way. But most people can be conjured because their mind is someplace else constantly. I have yeL to run across one person whom l couldn't conjure 111 some time in their lives. I have met gurus and ail other sons of people, and at some point each of them would slip into self, or imponance, or "my trip," or some other negative state. Yes, it would be wonderful ro live in a world where people were so clear that they could n0t be manipulated or conjured. That would be the ultimate goal. But we are going to have to be more advanced than we are, much more advanced. I hope that we can reach that point. It's one of those things that are possible for the future. Things wiU be different when people stan seeing that we are pan of a living / organism, the Great Life. A Rotting Log Call ii a waste. Call it a shame. And you are numb to this other life. 1lusoldoak has barely had lime to die. Alre.idy mushrooms grow through mosses against hues of amber, brown, and gold. A snake is rurll!tl up in a hole beneath her weight. A bear will winter ,n the heart twelve feet h11,h where lhe trunk broke off from the bottom. To build a ncsl a woodrat crawls into the ca,,ty. To her life and dl'alh smell the same. And arthropods th:it h\'c nowhcN! else arc mo\'ing through the 50h wood, laying eggs. Thl'Y too arc dymg. Ra,pt,crrics ,ind gr.ire:, grow up around for slw ha!> falkn hgh1 1s ll't into the for<.'SI. Four years from now t"-o nroms will fall to grow on this rothng log I win trees c,f the same mothc-r. This de.ith 1s so ferule. The fc,rcst keeps its promises. PholO by Rob Mcss,cl. rnrr. 1'191 J(ntunh Jou111n[ pnlJC 15 �i., , .. • vJ -,,..f...,.,. ..i.:J •• . J - \ , • •• •1 . ,, •--1r, .,~;..,, ._ ... . •••\,,11,io.., .. .... ... ;., . . . . . . . , • " .. /2,. .....,.,.~')·. .·," :, ·'·' r. .,,,. -:J.l· . ' • f ~ CT •• .. ' ~ ~1/8 , \ . ~ ..'!:,.•jl':t'tt._-t:. .1• .. .,,. • ,.. .·, ... 4'J,-·~,. I.. • t.'·..1 r 1 •r • RANOL~f}tu>URNAL ·:·t· ,,. ·~• 4J,. G .... . ·-~~ . ,....... ,/'I ;,.~···"'",. BIOREGIONAL BURNABLE OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS Livin' By Their Wits It sure is a stitch watchin' all these "back-to-the-land" people and the tourists come to the mountains lookin' for serenity and a good life. Those poor young folks come here with these notions of raisin' a family and havin' a piece of land 10 work. while at the some time they're in need of a high payin' job to get the land and the house. Why the prices those tourists can afford are enough to drive anybody whose been here a while right through the roof! Not only do they come with these high minded ideas about doin' everything the organic way. like that was some kind of religion or somethin'. half the time they don't even know the basics of tendin' a place and they st:ut belly•achin' cause the works too hard, or the bugs are drivin' um crazy, or they can't get things happenin' the way they wan't um 10 in the first couple years. I know dern well we can't go back to the old subsistance days like they were when my folks grew up here. I guess I have to give some of these young people a little credit for tryin' to find a good way 10 live with the land. But they always seem to be squablin' amongst themselves about somthin' or another. One wants to live on a piece of land with a bunch of other people. while another is satisfied to stick it out where they are. Most of um can't figure out where they want their kids raised either. and there's hardly a school they feel is fiuin' 10 send um to. h seems like when I was raised it was a little clearer where a person stood. Livin' by your wits wasn't just some nice thing to do on the weekends, it was your bread and butter. Usually it was our of necessity that cenain people did ccnain things so a family could survive. Nowadays theres all these splinteriud groups like feminislS, environmentalistS, pro-business factions, and government people tryin' 10 tell everybody what they think is besL I think they're all too big for their britches if you ask me. Men sum beho.vin' like women and women start behavin' like men; the timber people and these self-appointed environmental rescue squads go at each other; these dem franchises come in and pay people next 10 nothin' while the money moves off to far away places; and college trained officials from down in the piedmont come and show off the version of zoning 1ha1 seems to suit um best. It all seems like some big jumbled mess to me. As long as everybody is in it for themselves I don't see how we are ever goin' to conduct ourselves in such a way that families survive, and schools can be places of leamin', and govemmenlS don't have their hands in everybody's business. It's like there's too many vultures buzz.in' around these mountians and not enough decent folk to talce care of um and protect um. 1(.Qtuar~)ou.rna1 p09e 10 Some of these back-to-the-lander types are more than a linle spoiled 100. They come from cities where things seemed to be fed to um all the time. They kinda remind me of tourists thar hang around a little longer till the money dries up. or their kids move away, or they get tired of it and they leave. rew of um have the backbone 10 make it through hard times, but some of um learn how 10 li<aen to the mountainside and how it can provide medicines, food, warer. and materials for shelter if they don't me~s around 100 much with its own state. There's a lot of leamin' in store for um if they take a likin' to it, but most of um get huffy and impatient. l just hope that if the cities start havin' more problems and geuin' more congested that they all don't keep comin' here thinkin' there's some easy life just waitin' for um. Maybe its good that mountain life is hard. But that ain't goin' 10 stop um from comin' 10 have a look. that is as long as the price of gas holds out. recorded by Rob Messick An Old Family Tale My mother's youngest brother, James Francis Dresenbury. came 10 Conway, SC 10 visit his sisters and brothers when I was a linle girl. One day he gathered all his nieces and nephews together and told this tale of a happening when he was a little boy. He began by praising his mother for her thrift and saving ways. made necessary by the ume just after the War Between the States. Then he told us it wa.,; the time of year when cherries were ripe. The trees had a bumper crop and a bushel or more had been seeded and made into cherry preserves. The seeds had been left on the back porch for several days. One morning my grandmother told a little helper boy 10 empty these seeds into the chicken ya.rd. The next time anyone noticed the chickens they were all lying prone around the yard. Grandmother was not only sorry to lose her prized chickens. but since she did not know what had kilkd them. she could make no use of the meat. But she decided she would not have 10 lose the feathers too • so they brought the chickens in and plucked the feathers to use in pillows and feather beds. The chickens were thrown our into the yard to be buried later. About an hour after that, someone exclaimed, "Look at the chickens!'' They were gawking and walking around stark naked. Their little tipsy spell had worn off! The sun was beaming hotly and 10 keep them from getting sunburned, the girls took some calico and made clothes for them. by Bess Hwbison The Slide lt was a hot day in nonheastern Tennessee. Leslie had been bugging her parents for hours 10 take her and her little brother to a campsite with a water slide. After driving for hours, the family finally found one and pulled in. Leslie's dad paid the fee and made some small talk with the rotund female auendant. After they chose a spot and got the camp ready for the night Leslie's mom let her get her swimming suit on. At long last she took her younger brother by the hand and \\Cnl over to the big double tunneled water slide that emptied into a cool pool. Her brother wus more than a little scared at the idea of whizzing around in these coiled slippery runnels. so Leslie 1old him to stay at the pool while she went to the top where au the action got staned. She saw the water gushing out of the pipe when she got to the top. and the excitement was growing inside her. The man watching the entry instructed her 10 lean into the curves and off she went. She squealed with excitement around the first bank. Then aU the sudden the people at the pool noticed a distinct change in the pitch of her squeals. They had transformed into blood curdling yells, as her brother and some other grown-ups watched her come 10 the end of the ride twirling a large copperhead above her head like a wild laso rope. As she hit the water her grip on the snake loosened and it was flung into the woods, where presumably it got away unharmed. That water slide has been closed ever since. by Rob Messick How Can You Lose Anything as Big as This Ego? Back in my formative years. Actually a little after what is considered the normal formative years in terms of physical maturity. but 001 in mental maturity, or emotional or spiritual or whatever you want to call that other pan of us that isn't the meat. Of course, I'm still in my formative years for that other thing. or stuff, and probably always will be. Hopefully. a1 least. I wonder how many parenthetical thoughts you're allowed 10 hnve in a row? Sometimes I think all of my thoughts are parenthetical. And so on. Anyway, back in my formative years during college, when r became exposed to a world of ideas and the evolution or revolu110n of the human being. Being human. f vowed 10 become a better person. By God, or nature. or whatever, I was' going to become a near perfect human being! raft. 199 1 �No one is perfect. The fust step on that evolurion, I learned, was to lose your ego. r should have seen it coming. The idea of striving to be perfect and at the same time losing your ego is, to put it lightly, a quagmire. Perhaps the contradiction is obvious. The closer you feel (your ego feels) that you (your ego) is corning closer 10 perfection, the beuer your ego feels. In fact, it's damn pround of itself. And the bigger it grows. I suppose that is the pitfall the mystics always talk abouL 111ey always warn amid their other mumbo jumbo that all of this mumbo jumbo, and ego losing, can be dangerous. I never understood that. Sitting, contemplating one's navel, or chakras, or marimbas or whatever. Never seemed very threatening to me. It now occurs to me, that what is really dangerous, and what they were probably talking about, is thinking, or suffering from the delusion, that one is actually losing their ego. That's because, while you think you're losing your ego, it's actually growing. And your life becomes a hypocrisy. In other worlds, you think you're o ne thing but you 're actually 1he opposite. Which leads 10 lots of embarrassing moments when you're suddenly acting unlike the perfec1 person you arc supposed tO be. As a matter of fact you're acting like a perfect asshole, but you're ego's so big that it's in control and won't let you blame it. As a ma uer of fact, it's telling you that it doesn't even exist. A clever subterfuge to keep the rest of your meat ignorant of the fact that everything it's doing is to feed this ego that's grown so large it needs constant nourishment to keep from collupsing into a stinking rotten heap that can be smelled by anyone within visual distance. So it blames others. It couldn't be because you're selfish. Only people with egos are selfish. You don't have an ego so it must be them. It couldn't be because you're not envious. Only people with egos are envious. You don't have an ego. So they must be assholes. Eventually. everybody becomes an asshole, except yourself, of course, and the world no longer deserves your unselfish administrn1ions of good works. Actually, 1he whole damn world can go to hell in a handbasket, for all you care. because you have your own world which is your ego, which by now has grown 10 the size of a small plane1oid. I measured mine recen1ly, when arter ten years I found i1 hiding behing the nas1y remarks I was making 10 my wife in order, I have since learned, 10 make pillars for my enormous ego 10 rest on since it had grown so large that even in the airy netherworld of egos, it could no longer suppon its own weight. It is currenly the size of Pluto. How did all this come abou1? rnnocently enough, at least if you were 10 ask FausL It was initiated by a commendable desire. I wanted 10 become an enlightened individual who would nunure the splendorous miracle of life and make it reveal its most beau1iful aspects 10 me and those around me, and eventually the whole damn world. Yes. l was going to improve the general lot of humankind through the exercise of my perfec1ed egolcss will. Of course, it would take me a few years to reach this state. The method by which I would reach it was meditation and aceticism. Hedonism, raCC., 1991 ac.rually. We!I, a[rcr all, I wasn't going 10 nuss out on hfe JUSt because of this ego crap. And soon. Actually, just pure naked experience was my goal, and women. I was actually the product of a damaged ego. Damaged by was doing. Of course, it probably assumed from past experience that if l did know I would have stepped in somehow and screwed up the whole process. Which I think is the whole point of meditation - gcniog yourself out of the way so that you can just constant female reJection during those aforementioned formative years, meat and 01herwise. So I strutted my naked experience among the dregs of society. Playing wi1h 1hem. parrying with them, but always (of course) somehow feeling above it all. Superior. Each day expanding my awareness through mcdiiation ... consciousness expansion (i.e. ego expansion). Whal is ;1 human being without ego? Whom am I, anyhow? A boneless chicken. And so on. All throughout my stru1 I was doing great acts. Or so I thought. Trying to s1op nuclear weapons by having a conference of six hippie college students in West Virginia, and sleeping with the best looking one after she played wilh my knee under the.: table. Didn't do much to stop nuclear weapons, but it did wonders for my ego. More fuel for the fire Very linle effect on world peace. But a great person (i.e. perfect human being. Don'1 forget, that was my destination) must do great things. Or at least things with the stamp of greatness to feed 1hnt giant ego which I was supposed to be losing. What I was losing, was my meat. I staned 10 gel quite thin. This ou1sized ego, which I had convinced myself. was diminishing, drove me 10 do all kinds of ~trnnge things. II used my intellect to r.itionaliz.e every ego foeding acl as a philanthropic act. It used my meal 10 take it places where it could feed . But it didn't feed on organisms, ii fed on ~piri1s. As I said, I now realized 1hat this was, all along. the pl:in of a severely damaged ego (an ego which had been victimized and punished again and again for no apparent reason, by a very confused piece or meat), to save icself. First, confuse the meat with all types of inscrutJble mysuc mumbo jumbo and convince it that you are leaving entirely. Next, make the meat go into self-induced comas periodically so it won't be aware of you as you sneak back in and take con1rol of nerve central. Then make the meat go ou1 and do all kinds of things with the veneer of goodness. no matter how ineffcetual the acts are. Make the meat think it is on a Godly mission, maybe even a messenger or disciple of God, so that it's willing to put up with all kinds of nasty physical deprivations, while the ego feeds, and feeds, and feeds. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is all bad. My ego did need fixing. I just wish it had let me know what it take over. But now it really has gotten om of hand. My ego has grown much to large and has become an independent agent which seems 10 care little, if a1 all, for myself, and only keeps my meal around so tha1 it can have corporality. But I chink its beginning to be confused. For instance, it can't understand why world leaders haven'! noticed its magnimity and come to it for advice. Of course it probably has something 10 do with the fact that it has ignored its meat to the point that it has got it working in a sewer plant. Maybe tha1 is all pan of its mas1cr plan. It stuck me in a sewer plant shoveling shit, and gave me a beautiful little boy and wife, to show me, finally, that it really isn't gone, but is actually the.: size of Pluto. Really much too big 10 ever be s:uisfied. It needs to trim itself down. Get back to fighting weight. Big egos are seldom happy. They're always hungry. Maybe I really can lose it this time. Maybe the stink of the plant will drive it away. Maybe I need to meditate, not on my connection 10 the cosmos. but on the true insignificance or my acts 10 the world at large. and the very real significance of my acts 10 one very litulc boy and one very ~pccial woman. The only good things my ego ever did for me. Actually working at a sewer plant has probably done more to help me lose my ego 1h.in all the meditation and good acts could ever do. Not JUSI because of the work, but because of the male bonding of 1he work crew, which consists of the mutual destruction of self-wonh. Maybe it's due 10 an inherent understanding 1hey have of the immensi1y o( the male ego, and they practice this form of humiliaton 10 keep it in check. While we of the enlightened new age SIJ'Oke each others ego. until they devour our very relationships. In any evem, my ego is now shrieking. Ifs starved, and it has revealed itself. It can no longer hide (amazing that something as big as Pluto could hide all that time). Though, actually, I think everyone else could see it. Everytime I looked around, however, 10 see what they were looking at. it ducked ·· out of the way. Preuy nimble for such a big fellow'/' /J!f by Maxim Didgct �.. ,J.''',• ' , .... - Mountair t .u Near Todd at a bend on the New Rh·er there is a spot b-.nown as Peggy's Hole. It was named that because of an incident that occured there at the beginning of the 1800's. An elderly woman named Peggy Clauson \Vas going to church on Sunday morning when she saw a dog run a bear off a cliff at that spot. The bear landed in the water and was stunned. Peggy waded in, grabbed the bear by the ears and held its head under the water until the bear was drowned . ~ .... T..-.i. ,.,; .. ~ ... 'lb. 11- .-11... ... ... ~ . _ - p"'!!:'I,> !>..lo li-.,.._......1:Do.t..,__.,_-,..:,:-».t~ °" ~-----' r~ :.,_...., .. """ ,._ .. ~... ... ~ c!-i<iDo1t..,.t11.i-'l....w -.i-.J f-m p,....z11oo.~.jt>.-.. - .....-i,;1:)-i, - ~ ~ ... - i.. • - - - ~ :u. ..... L\~ .... .....l ~J.l. a.;.~-.. .,.J:;,.. ....:;r..l,1>.i..o.....-.i..-...J. ~tJfl..- ...i..t I,.. -~ • An old lady near Canton told me her grandfather was hiking near Shining Rock when he was a young man. A panther started following him. I Ie started running and the panther sped up. To slow him do""'ll, lhe man took off his shirt and threw it down. The panthc>r stopped long enough to rip it to shreds, then started chasing him again. The man kept throwing his clothes down as he ran down the mountain. By the time he got home, he was completely naked. This series of paintings came about while 1 was hiking and drawing in remote areas of the mountains of Western North Carolina. There I met mosUy older people who had grown up in the Southern Appalachians. Many of these people were very friendly and once a conversation started, they would communicate their knowledge of an area by telling stories. These paintings are not meant to be illustrations of the stories, but a freer form that incorporates commentary, associations, my own subjeclive reactions, and elaboration on the images provided by the story and its place of origin. I'm attempting to develop a fonn between illustration and pure painting. As each day passes, we tend to lose our intimate connection to the Earth, and also �n Stories ..", , I 1, by Robert Johnson At Cranberry when the old folks there ~ere young, the parents used to tell them that the pools of water in the iron mines didn't have a bottom. If they ever became unstopped, all the water would go rushing out and take the children, all the people and the whole town of Cranberry with it. I asked a young man how Standing Indian Mountain got its name. He said. "1 don't know. I guess an Indian just stood there." I asked a middle-aged man. He said, "During the Civil War a band of Cherokee Indians fought bravely here and stood up to the enemy." I asked an old man. He said, "Before white men came here, Lhere was a monster who lived on Lhe mountain and would carry off people. So the tribe posted a brave up on the mountain to keep watch. The thunder spirit saw Lhe monster creeping up on the brave and sent down a bolt of lightening, shattering rocks, destroying the monster, and turning the brave to stone. Today one can see shattered rocks and a stone Indian on top of the mountain." stories like these that come from the pre-industrial culture of the Southern Appalachians. These simple but powerful stories have an almost mythical quality, and they embody a connection between the land and oral knowledge of the land, which is a culture that is dying out. This project is my attempt to get to know Lhese stories and to keep them alive a while longer. Robert Johnson's paintings of ''Mountain Stories" are on display until September 27th 1991 at the Blue Spiral I Gallery; 38 Biltmore Avenue; AshevilJe, NC 28801 (704) 251-0202. The paintings will later be shown in the six counties from which the stories came: Yancey, Macon, Haywood, Ashe, Avery and Rutherford. �, ~~TER~HEQ.JWI..J?.S" ,,,.,.,t. NIIIUnl World News Service In 1989 the Water Supply Watershed Protection Act sailed through the Nonh Carolina legislature. The bill w~ passed unanimously in the Senat~ and 1ll .~e House there were only six votes ~ opposmo~. !he legislation enacted protecnons for mumCJpal drinking water supplies so that n~w . development did not endanger Lhts basic resource. . , In August, 1991 North Carolinas Deparnnent of Environmental Management (DEM) held public hearings across the Slate on the implementation of the new water regulations. Public reaction was . unprecedented. Across the state the heanngs were long and stormy. Each of the eight meetings drew more than l.~ people. The hearings in Asheville and Hickory were anended by more than 1,500 people each. The state was completely unprepared for the surge of public interesL In Hickorx, the . meeting site was changed 10 ~ locan~n with a larger capacity, but after heaTlllg tesumon~ for one full day the speaking roster ~s soil only one-half completed and the heanng had 10 be continued at a later date. There was clearly-defined, and sometimes biller, controversy at the watershed protection hearings. The theory of the Watershed Protection Act is that development must be contr0lled in . watersheds that provide drinking water in . order to protect the purity of the supply. This raised the boogie of land use management, the "Z word - zoning," in the mind of many traditionally conservative landowners and farmers. Some saw the bill as a direct threat 10 their property rights. Others saw it as the first step in an insidious government plan to gradually enact a full set ofland use management contr0ls. As ~'lolly Di~gins of the state Sierra Club orgamzauon said, "Where locru governmcntc; should be seeing 'protection,' many are seeing only 'restriction."' Development interests played on these fears with a concencd public outreach campaign, and aroused a strong opposition to the w:uer protection measures. These . . interests see a loss of profil in any rcstncuon of development The opposing pole at the public hearings were environmentalists who supponed the protective regulations and protested that they were not strong enough. Agricultural and silvicultural opcr.itions should be regulated as strictly as construction, they said. Presently the rules provide water bodies only a IO foot buffer against agricultural activities, which often _arc major sources of erosion and wnter polluuon, whereas buildings have to be outside a 100 foot buffer around protected streams. There was also concern that "grandfather" clauses. under which existing buildings and projects would be exeml)t from the provisions of the watershed protecuon measures, would weaken the regulations to the point of uselessness. Also supporting the regulations were town residents who did not take a supply of pure drinking water for granted and wanted 10 ensure protection of their !Own wa_ter supplies in the face of ever-encroaching X.Otuof, Journal'. poge 20 development. This round of the drinking water protection fight is not yet over. ln light of the controversy generated by the regulations, the DEM has extended the public comment period on the watershed protection regulations until October 31. It is particularly imponant that the DEM hears from the people of the mountain region. Direct co=nt.f 10: Sttvt Zoufaly Division of Environ~IUQI Management 8ox29535 Raleigh. NC 27626. YES MORE WILDERNESS! N1111r.il World Nev-s Sa-vice Saturday, July 6, one of the bu~iest rafting days of the year, there mystenously appeared across the Nantahala River a long banner saying "Yes More Wilderness! Save Cheoah Baldi" Rafters taking out downstream were met by activists from the organi1ation SouthPA W requesting responses for a "Forest Service Evaluation Sheet." . "Did you know that the Forest Service is planning a timber sale only 1/2 mile above the Nantahala and within sight of the river?" More than 95% did not know "Do you think that the Cheooh Bald . area, the: largest unprotected roadies.~ area in the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests should be allowed to return 10 old growth?" 99% thought it should. "Do you think that the Forest Service should stop logging in the national forests?" 98% thought they should. South PAW struck again at Forest Service credibility at the agency's Reanalysis Checkpoint meeting concerning the re-evaluation of the Land and Resource Management Plan for the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests. South PAW calJed for a boycou of the meeting, saying that the Forest Service refused lO consider the relevant ecological issues in its planning. The meeting was billed as a scoping meeting, but a SouthPAW handout said "Wrong End of the Scopel" declaring that the Forest Service had its priorities reversed, since it seemed to be more interested in sellin-g,tirpbgr:,tJw!,pwJe:C~Jlll~~// i, diversity o( the forest. In the flier the group reiterated their position that the national forcstS in the Kaninh Province should be habitat areas free from roads and commercial exploitation. There were about equal numbers of people inside and outside the Owen Conference Center at the University of Nonh Carolina Asheville where the Forest Service meeting was held. But in C<?n~st _10 the restrained and orderly mcenng ms1de the building, those out on the lawn boisterously chanted, laughed, and played drums and kazoos. At lunch time the activists congregated at the student open forum in the lobby of lhe university center to hear Buddy Newman read lhe alternative forest protection plan he authored for SouthPAW. Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Supervisor Bjorn Dahl was among the audience listening 10 the proposal and later invited South PAW representatives to a meeting with Forest Service personne! to discuss 10 their ideas for the Appalachian forests. To take action on behalf oftlu: Appalachian forest habitat. write: SouthPAW Ba:d/41 Aslu:ville, NC 28802 KILLING Lm'LE FISH NIIUnll Wodd News Scrv,cc A series of five different spills over a seven month period last year that dumped untreated wastewntcr, oils, and concentrated foams into the Pigeon River will cost the Champion International paper mill in Canton, NC $60,000. These are the first fines ever levied against the company by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).. According to Champion .~pokespe:Son David Craft the mishaps were the first m recent mem~ry" at the plant. The ftrst spill, of an unknown quantity of untreate~ wast~":'ater, was evidently the most damaging, killing, according 10 Craft, "270 little fish." Croft_ maintained th:u neither the foam nor the oils were hazardous to human or aquatic life. Champion had originally faced a $125,000 fine from the EPA;the m~imu~ allowed by law. However, after meeung wuh mill officials last February and March, t11e agency downgraded the fine. The company representatives maintained that Champion should not be assessed the full fine because the spills were caused by malfunctioning equipment and not by human error or deliberate neglect The EPA seemed to agree. Craft said that another reason for the reduced fine was evidence that "Champion has taken steps 10 mitigate the damage," from skimming escaped oil off the nvcr banks to closing the malfunctioning valves that Champion maintains caused four of !he spills. However, the EPA also penalized Champion for failing to file a formal repon of one of the spills within the required five days, an oversight Craft blamed on an "administration problem." Oaft said that Champion would probably not appeal the fin 7 "~e.~o bel!eve that the amount of the fine 1s fair, he said, calling the accidentS "a series of unintentional and unrelated failures within the mill." 1'c:afL, t99l �NEW PERSPECTI•VES 0N TRE "~'· CHATTOOGA .. Natural World News Sctvice EnvironmcntaJ groups from three states and three national forest administrative areas have combined 10 form the Chanooga River Watershed Coalition (CRWC). The Chatto0ga is a beautiful river, one of the most popular recreational rivers in the Karuah Province. Pan of itS length has been designated a Wild and Scenic River, and a large tract in its headwaters area beneath Devil's Courthouse near Highlands, NC was recently bought by the Trust for Public Land and transferred to the US Forest Service 10 preserve its pristine character. The CRWC has wriuen an alternative Land and Resource Management Plan for the watershed which they are requesting the US Forest Service 10 adopt. The plan is important, first of all, because it proposes a unified forest management program based on watershed boundaries, rather than along state or national forest tines. At present, the Chauooga watershed is managed under three different, and somerimes conflicting, national forest management plans. "A landscape with natural ecological integrity is the desired future condition of the watershed," says the CRWC proposal. The coalition suggests a new, standardized management unit, the Ecosystem Management Area, 1hat would base management on complete forest habitats rather than on timber sale companmems. The CRWC is requesting a meeting with Forest Service supervisors and regional and national personnel to discuss implementing their plan in the Chattooga watershed. interest. the DO.Ii e11ct&fup with nver four days of testimony which they scheduled concurrently in auditoriums in two different locations over a two-day period. ("Divide and conquer," said one activist. "It's an old tactic.") Attendance at the hearings ,vas about equally divided between opponems of the plan and workers from Oak Ridge nuclear facilities bussed to the hearing from work. Although the workers, wearing T-shirts saying "Complex 21" superimposed over n map of Tennessee. made their presence felt, of the 376 speakers more than 68% were opposed to the pluronium plant, in the estimate of the Oalr. Ridger newspaper. The testimony was sometimes brilliant, always heartfelt. Speakers talked about cancer risks. damage 10 the environment, the possibility of nuclear accidents, and the need for disarmament now that the primary adversary had dropped out of the game. In the afternoon of the second day srudents from Oak Ridge schools testified a1 the hearings. One student presented a petition with 65 names of students against Complex 21 in Oak Ridge or anywhere else on Eanh. Several high school students also testified at the hearings, all opposed to the planL The DOE will ruei~t written comme111s 011 tht Rocky Flats pluto11ium plant rdocatio11 until Ocrotn~r 30. Mail r.omme111s to the Dtpartmi!fll of Energy. clo: Oak Ridgt E11vira11111t11tal and Ptace Alliance Box 1101 KnoX\/ille. TN 37901 T~ Chattooga Riw!r Wattrs~d Coalitio11 Box368 Clayton, GA 30525 PLUTONIUM OR. .. NO! Narun! World Ne..,, Service "Please let me introduce myself. I am Plutonium, the God of unnatural death and suffering." The black-robed figure with the grisly skcleial face stood before the impassive bureaucrats presiding at the "Reconfiguration of the Nuclear Weapons Complex" hearings in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. At issue was the future of the nation's nuclear weapons program, specifically the plutonium processing facilities at Rocky Flati., Colorado. The plant has contaminated its site in Colorado and has to move. The DOE is considering locating it either at Oak Ridge or the Pantex plant near Amarillo, Texas. For the first rime ever, the Depanment of Energy (DOE) had called for public input on the future of the program. The agency scheduled 15 hearings around the country. TheorericaJly, they would listen 10 what was said and consider the opinions offered in their program and policy decisions. People responded, aroused through the effons of area peace groups spearheaded by the Oak Ridge Environmenuu and Peace Alliance. The hearings were scheduled to last one day. Because of the outpouring of public Tai(, 199 1 "WE DON'T BUY YOUR LINE" The Appalachian Power Company wants to build a 765,000 volt power line through southern Wes1 Virginia and southwestern Virginia. The tine is ostensibly 10 provide extra power in Richmond and 1he eastern pan of the state of Virginia. To sell their idea, the ucility company se1 up a series of hearings along the line's proposed route. They met with solid opposition aJI along the way. The company came to the meetings well-prepared. They brought a 30 page handout, coinplett Willi ~li~.'gl-Jphs:'~d maps. They also distributed a report. "Faces on EMF' (electromagnetic fields) to dispute scientific evidence that high volrage Lines cause genetic damage and degenerative disease. But the people were not buying it More than 50 people opposed to the power line showed up at the meeting in Giles County, VA and 300 people attended the meeting in New Castle, VA. Another meeting in Hinton, WV also brought out strong opposition to the line. A meeting in Monroe County, WV was canceled because hearing officers feared violence. The meeting was rescheduled, however, and 300 people peacefully declared their strong opposition 10 the power line. As well as health concerns, people attending the hearings feared that herbicide spraying would contaminate their water supplies, and that the power lines would mar the scenic beauty of their area, which they considered an imponant asset. Critics also questioned the value of the plan, saying that the new power line would encourage higher levels of energy consumption and sidetrack attempts to promote energy conservation. Baud 011 a report ill the New River Free Pre,;.,;, available from Box 846: Blacksburg. VA 24063. 1165 MEGAWATTS OF POLLUTION Nawn.I World New. ScMc:e The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) is warning thar Duke Power Company is planning to build a 1165 megawau electric generating plant in Lowesville, NC in the piedmont county of Lincoln. The plant would be fined to operate on either diesel fuel or natural gas, but the primary fuel source would be diesel. When running on diesel fuel, the plant would tum out 4,278 pounds of sulfur dioxide per hour, according to BREDL director Janet Hoyle. Sulfur dio,ude is a main component of the complex of pollutants that produces acid rain. The plant is proposed as a peak power generating plant. meaning that it would only operate at times of peak power demand when electricity is most profitable. Duke originally asked that the plant be allowed to operate 3,500 hours per year, but later reduced their request 10 2,000 hours per year. The proposed site for the plant is 56 miles southeast of the Linville Gorge Wildeme:.s .Arca. Data collecred by Duke Power and the NC Department of Environmental Management (DEM) show that prevailing wind patterns would bring the acidifying pollution directly into the Class I wilderness area. In their initial application. Duke admitted that operating at 3,500 hours per year, the plant would inetcase acid deposition in Linville Gorge 400-500%. Even at the scaled-back operating time, acid pollution from the plant would be considerable. The US Fore.st Service will have the right to review the plant to see if it would adversely affect the air quality of the gorge. For mare information· Bl~ Ridgt E,wironmenra/ Dtfe11St uag~ Box8JJ Gltndalt Spr111gs. NC 28906 �DYING SOILS, DYING WATERS: Natural World r-iews SPECIAL REPORT Pollution, Collusion, and the Future of the Eastern Forests by Emmett Greendigger The 1990 Clean Air Acl seemed to many citizens to be a sign that lhe federal government would finally begin to rectify a decade of willful neglect of envirorunenlal issues. Now, however, little more than a year after the act's passage, scientists are beginning to conclude that the reductions in atmospheric emissions mandated by the bill will not be sufficient to protect sensitive forest areas or mountain streams. Resean:hers are discovering alarming damage to forests and streams, damage that to a great extent was ignored or soft-pedaled by the government studies that led to the Qean Air Act, and many scientists and environmentalists charge that the research on the effects of acid precipitation carried on by the Reagan and Bush administrations was full of design flaws, done in collusion with industry, and guided by politics more than by objective science. They charge that the research was, in effect, rigged in favor of "business as usual," rigged to such an extent that many feel that the Oean Air Act is merely a baby-step toward protection of the natural landscape. Scientific srudies of atmospheric deposition began in earnest in the late l 970's when the governments of US President Jimmy Carter and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau initialed cooperative research of the freshwater acidification that was beginning to appear in eastern Canada and the Adirondack Mountains of upper New York State. The bilateral rcseareh was carried out with the understanding that by 1980 an agreement to reduce sulfur emissions by 50% would be in place in ordec to protect freshwater bodies in eastern Tunic Island. But the regressive environmental policies of the Reagan administration delayed nnd diluted the bilaternl rese~. and several imponam US researchers were fired from the study and replaced by scientists who were willing to tolerate the new administration's stalling. Throughout the I 980's, to deflect crittcism, Reagan's people pointed to the $570 million National Acid Precipitation AsS¢ssment Program (NAPAP) established by Congress in 1980. By 1982, the US-Canada project had been terminated. [n its place was I\APAP. whose smted purpose was to gather a database of information about the effects of atmospheric deposition to guide Congre~s through the rewriting of the Clean Air Act. llowevcr. throughout NAPAP's history, scientisis of both the public and priv:11c sectors ha~·e tried to \\1lm environmentalist, of collusion between government and indwmy on the study. Funds from electric unlity companic~ and the papc-nnaldng industry - obviously not dis1nten.:stcd observers - backed large portions of the study, ,, hteh intlucnccd the condusions brought in by the NAP AP research. These charges are based in part on the otherwise inexplicable w:iy that NAPAP nam)\\t!d thc Xn111nf1 )0111110{ ne::: == scope and range of acid-induced forest decline studies. Vermont's camel's Hump and Hubbard Brook in New Hampshire were omitted as study sites, despite the fact that these rwo eastern sites have the longest record of soil changes related to acid rain. Until 1986 forests in the Ohio River Valley the source of many of the pollutants that cause acid rain - were not studied, simply because there had been no papers published in scientific journals suggesting that there was a problem in the region. Scientists also assen that the results of the research were manipulated by a design flaw: NAPAP's forest studies were limited to a single measurement of the nuaieru content of the soils at study sites, rather than a methodology developed in Europe which measures the rate of change in values over time. Again, it is difficult to figure out why NAPAP researchers chose the older method. when a study of true rates of change would have been far more useful to Congress. Not until 1985, halfway through the research period, when William Ruckelshaus replaced Anoe Gorsuch Burford as administrator of the EPA, did serious research into forests and soils begin in eamesL But by then it was too late. There was little time for the imponant "reality checks," field work, or the peer review and publication required by NAPAP of all its researchers. Consequently the Clean Air Act was rewriuen while important new findings about acid-induced forest decline were still being evaluated. Nonh Carolina State University pathologist Roben Bruck received NAPAP funding for seven years lOstudy forest decline in Kalllah's high-altitude spruce-ftr forests. I !is findings were largely omitted from NAPAP's final repon to Congress (despite the fac t that they were completed, tested, nnd reviewed as specified by NAPAP). The final repon asserted that an invasion of aphids was responsible for spruce-fir deaths on some of Kaufah's highest peaks. According 10 Bruck, this flies in the face of the research he submitted 10 NAPAP, which showed that only 35% of the dead trees at such sites as Mount Mitchell, Grandfather Mountain. and the Grc:u Smokv Mountains National Parl.. were infested with aphids. What Bruck found were soil pH levels as low as 2.7 and 2.8 and rampant aluminum toxicity levels in the forest soils. (See Kattialt /()11mal #9). This kind of data, for obviou~ reasons, is not pleasing to electric utilitr and paper companic~. and evidently the .government shan.:s the corporate distaste for emissions reductions. a~ it chose rather to blame nature for fon:M decline in Katuah. Bruck and other scientist~ now tlclie,e that one of the m:ij(.)r cause~ of fir die-back and forest decline in eastern Turtle lslnnd 1s the change m soil nutnents that occurs a~ lhl" soil becomes increasingly acidic. Nurogcn compounds found in acid min an: 1hought to be a primary culpri1. Levels of nitrogen exceeding by 20 to 40 times the wnounts that soil could assimilate have been found in declining forests all over the East. These findings correspond to research results in Germany, too, where nitrogen deposition is thought to be a primary factor in the catastrophic waldsrerben ("forest death") in the Black ForesL Recent European findings also indicate that in order to halt the damage, nitrogen emissions must be brought down as close as possible to the levels found in unaffected soil communities. Despite all this, NAPAP still seems determined to understate the problem. In a position paper published last summer, NAPAP officials stated that Eastern forests do not show any "widespread problems," a position that seems unforrunatcly consistent with their apparent lack of concern about forest decline. Already, the much-ballyhooed Clean Air Act begins to look like nothing more than a "first step" toward reversing the acid-induced damage to the forests. Scientists now believe that nitrogen emissions must be reduced by 75% (rather than the 15-25% required by the Clean Air Act) to halt the damage from atmospheric pollution. In contrast, the NAPAP repon to Congress stated that fonnerly "nitrogen deficient" soils in commercial pine forests in the South were being "enriched" by nitrogen deposition, and its comments about the effects of nitrogen compounds on other forest types is so rife with qualifying phrases like "might ...could...potentially" that it seems bent on dismissing or discounting the findings of many of its own researchers. It seems that it will be quite some time before we will see any tightening of the Clean Air Act's controls on nitrogen emissions. Meanwhile, concerned researchers believe that eastern forests will collapse within fifty years, as undernourished and weakened trees give in to insects and disease, not to men1ion a newer nemesis: lhe stress from climate changes associated with the "greenhouse effect." As if the sl)\.-Clre of forests thinning, browning, and dying were not enough, it also appears chat Kauiah's seemingly pristine mountain stream.\ are also extrJordinarily vulnerable to the effects of acid pn.-cipitation, A spate or recently released studies shows thc11 extensive damage has already been done to manr headwmcrs and streams in the Central and Southern Appal,1chians, including heavy losses to native brook trout popula1i(.)ns. Like the forest rescar\:h, these studies indica1e that the emissions reductions mandated by the Clean Air Act \\ill barely begin 10 solve 1hc problem. 111c dire condi1ion of Appaktchi,1n mountain \\aters has been rnost thorough!)' documentL'<l by Dr. James Gallov.uy of the Environnk'nt:il Sciences Dcpanmcnt at the University of Virginia. who since the mid-1970\ h~s published widely nbom Lhe many ,1spccts of the acid precipitation problem. In 1979, rnrr. 1 in9c 22 - 1991 �Galloway and a research team began the Shenandoah Watershed Study (SWAS), a ;om1 project undenaken by the University of Virginia and the National Park Service 10 "understand the processes that govern b1ogeochemical cycles'' in the streams of Shenandoah National Park (SNP). Since the SNP receives the highest sulfur deposition load of any national park. the SW AS turned out to be a far-sighted study of the potential effects of acidification in freshwater aquatic ecosystems in the Southern Appalachians. After a decade of research, the final SWAS repon indicated "a poor prognosis for aquatic watcrsystcms in Shenandoah National Park, due to a combination of watershed sensitivity and elevated acidic deposition." The Galloway team concluded that 1hc dcposi1ion of sulfur, hydrogen, and nitrogen had increased as much as tenfold from preinduslrial levels. The SW AS process of sampling streams on a weekly basis over the ten years of its research enabled it to make three primary conclusions: "1) that a large number of SNP streams were poorly buffered against acidification; 2) that the acidification process was being temporarily delayed by sulfate re1en1ion in v.a1ershcd soils: and 3) that the acidification of SNP streams was an ongoing process.'' SW AS researchers predict that some 38% of 1he streams will end up with pl I level~ below 6.0, the "biologically critical" level for such streams, while the pH levels of 25o/i: or the streams will decline 10 a pl I level of 4.7, near-total acidity. In 1987, 10 broaden his study area, Galloway and his researchers and a crew of volunteers from Virgioiu's Trout Unlimited organization began to monitor 350 streams in Virginia's mountains. Preliminary repons were alarming. The researchers found that 93% of the streams were sensi1ive to acid deposition, and that some 49% of those were extremely sensitive. Only 7% were found to be adequately buffered by watershed soils. Additionally, 10% of rhc streams were already found to be acidic; in a natural s1ate 3% or less would be normal. Galloway then chose 65 of those streams for further monitoring. In June 1989 his research team reponed its findings, concluding tha1 in spite of the fac1 that the state's mountain streams drain "relatively TnCt, 1991 pristine catchments proteeted from direc1 man-m.'lde impacts," they were ''receiving heavy loads of sulfur from man-made sources." They predic1ed that, assuming l 990 deposition levels, at least 32% and possibly as muny of 88% of the states 450 native trout s1reams will become acidic, with pH levels 100 low 10 support the forage fish. trout, amphibians, and aquatic insects who presently live in and around these streams. We can expect to see che same here in Kaufoh, and soon. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park receives the second highest level of acidic precipitation of any region of the eas1~rn United Srntcs. While the lower deposition levels in Katuah have delayed the kinds of effects seen in Virginia, as early as 1978, NacionaJ Park Service researchers had no1ed 1he poor buffering capabilities of the streams in the park\ higher elevations. And in 1984, EPA researchers found the Davidson River near Brevard in the French Broad River watershed had a pH level of 6.55, dangerously near the biological threshold of 6.0, placing it in 1hc "extremely sensiuve" range. According to scientists. this rrcnd will worsen with 1ime. Among them, conscrva1ive estimates hold that sensitive streams in Kattiah's watersheds will undergo coipplete alkalinity loss within 40 to 50 years. Since levels of acid deposition follow a nonh-south gr.tdient along the Appalachian chain, we can look to moun1ain s1reams farther nonh to predict our own future. In the Pennsylvania highlands, researchers found no living trour in 20%.ofthe headwater streams and concluded that "the streams having no fish as a group had significantly lower pl-I and alkalinity and higher dissolved aluminum than those with fish." More ominous evidence comes from West Virginia. According to Don Gasper, a fisheries biologist with the Wes1 Virginia Department of Natural Resources, the Cranberry River rqrinllXI rrorn TMG/acu,J E.rr01ic in the south-central pan of the stale is already "lost." Fish population data for the Cranberry have been kept since 1957. making it one of the few eastern rivers for which historical change can be documented. Over the past 30 years, fish biomass in the Cranberry has decreased from 15 pounds per acre to less than five pounds per acre, and 1he number of fish species in the river has declined from 15 to eight. Since the Oanberry drains one of the largest wilderness areas in the East, Gasper believes that "the only disturbance in that watershed is that acid rain has been falling on it for 40 years." The higher deposition levels in the north account for the rapid changes and drastic losses, but Katuah's lower acid deposition levels do not mean that we will not see similar effec1s. In fact, the reduced pH and alkalinity levels found now in our streams are familiar 10 chose who have becm tracking the nonhem streams for the pasr decade. According to Mark Hudy, a fisheries biologist who studied the St. Mary's River in Virginia as it died from acidification, "The St Mary's may be a precursor of things to come, what we'll all be looking at in 10 years...the water quality on the St. Mary's when I sampled the river 10 yean; ago was like what we have now on rivers farther south." Whal can be done 10 reverse the acidification of Katuah's streams? Can we learn anything from the damage to northern streams? Most scientists arc pessimistic. They lament that the region's streams were neglected during the I980's as the Reagan and Bush ndministra1ions stalled essential environmental research. And, like their colle,igues in soils and fores1 research, the freshwater biologists do not feel l_ha1 the reduc1ions mandated by the Clean Air Act will be able to reverse the damage done. They believe that a 70-80% redui;tion in emissions might begin 10 restore acidifying streams. According to Rick Webb. professor of Environmental Sciences at the Universi1y of Virginia, the n:quired 50% reduction in sulfur emissions will mean that "only a small number of the strea,n~ will incrca-.e in :ilkalinity; most will still decline." The state of West Virginia and the US Forest Service are trying mitigation measures - adding limestone to streams and lakes to bolster their alkalinity - to reduce lhe damage done by acid precipitation. But this method is costly and strictly temporary. It is not a means of rcs1oration for mountain streams. Most biologists feel that the the money and effon devoted to mnigation would be better spent on funher research, and they believe that only one thing will begin 10 save freshwater ecosys1ems in the East: drastic reductions of acidic emissions. Political analy~ts think it unlikely that there will be any funhcr emissions control measures from Washington for at leas, a decade. They point out chat even the Clean Air Act levels represent a compromise, that allies of the coal and u1ili1y industries auempted to drive sulfur emissions reductions as low as si:it million tons, from the original call for a 12 million ton reduction, and did succeed in having the number sliced to 10 million ions in the finnl version of the net. This does not leave many scientislS optimistic about the future of forests and streams in the East Aske.cl if he 1hough1 that Southern Appalachian streams would ever recover, Jim Galloway replied, ''Some will recover," he said, .. but not most" It appears that after the long twilight of environmental neglect in the 1980's, the Clean Air Act is a case of "roo little. too late" - a political pacifier too rife with compromise and collusion to address in any honest, meaningful way the damage already done by acid min and atmospheric deposition - not to mention the damage not yet e1,ident and the damage still occurring. An old maxim says tha1 politics is the an of compromise. But unless politics can be put aside, dead forests and dead streams will bear out another U\lth: nature bas its own bottom line. And nature bats last. / X.Otuaf, )ournn( poCJC 23 �SONGS IN THE WILDERNESS From the time I was two years of age J spent most or my childhood summers on my grandparent's farm in nonhem Colorado. In the small town where I lived I was surrounded by a warm extended family. There was plenty of activity and always another child to play with. But on the farm the days dragged on. l can remember walking up the dirt road away from the farm, acutely aware of my loneliness, feeling overwhelmed by the vastness of the rolling hills and endless grasslands that extended for miles in every direction. It seemed that I moved aimlessly through a landscape which had nothing to do with me. In this self-consciousness of monality I became aware of myself as separate from nature. It was a moment of primal loneliness such as everyone must face. This modem human condition is not that far removed from the tribal legacy. We still require a personal initiation, a way for each person to make peace with the natural world. We have separated ourselves by our ability to create worlds outside the cycles of nature, yet ii is our creauve abilities that offer us ways back in - into wholeness, communication and love. The pathways, the links, the mediations, the magic needs to be made at a personal level. We must ovcreome our animal fear of isolation and death, and reach out with our consciousness if we are to mature as human beings. IL was at this moment of acute loneliness that I first began to sing to the Eanh and the sky. I found that the ttan~fonnative power of song was miraculous. From that day on, there was a connection for me between the Earth and my walking on the Earth and the song. I remember walking down that same din road in a state of bliss, singing my heart out in thanksgiving for yet another spectacular sunset I found that when I sang, the world seemed 10 light up and lighten up. Phenomena that was of n transitory nature, such as a cloud shadow passing over a rolling hill, was suddenly revealed to me in breath-catching splendor. Sometimes I sang loud, sometimes soft. Sometimes r skipped and sang, or danced and sang at the same time. Special evencs, such as the bright crispness after a summer thunderstorm called for celebration songs. There were songs waiting for me everywhere; songs in the elm grove in the pasnm: and dJffcrcnt songs down by the river. Singing is a great protection. It sets up vibration which cuts through time and space. With our voices we extend the boundaries of our bodies. In metaphysical terms, singing causes the aura to radiate, which strengthens the body. In ancient primitive societies, everyone danced and sang their feelings about the inevnable passages of life. There were min dances and war dances and songs to help rhe com grow. There is evidence that the use of music as transforming was much more sophisticated than the simple melody, lyrics, and rhythm format that we use today. ror instance, at many ancient sacred sites the acoustics arc very unusual. Circular walls and passages can warp, bend, and amplify sound. ln such a place, a single voice could have created modulations, ovenoncs, and vibratos. Add on the possibility of a chorus with echoes, a drum or two, and a flute, and the sound must have been magnificent. What these sounds were used for, whether for healing, initiation rites, or simply for the sheer joy of creation, we no longer know. The Peace Chamber being built by Joseph Rael, at the Earth Center in Swannanoa, NC and scheduled for completion this fall, is a modem example of a Native American sound chamber. Joseph's vision of an oval shaped sound chamber has resulted in the construction of 17 of these chambers worldwide. The purpose of each is to amplify chants for world peace. I visited the roofless building at the Earth Center in spring. Even without a roof, and possibly because of the circular walls, the acoustics were already unusual. Also worth noting is that the chamber is on a very potent earth energy site. The combination of sound, eanh energy, and architecrual design should pack some real power into songs for peace. Looking back at my childhood songs from the adult perspective, I realize that the singing put me into an extended altered state, that it was magic at its height. ft pulled me completely out of the depression of loneliness and gave me practical tools for survival. It taught me to appreciate solitude. It is only in solitude that songs come to me again. If there is a song waiting for me, J try 10 leave my adult cares behind and enter into the woods with the innocence of a child. I make no judgement about the quality of my voice or how ridiculous I might sound if someone should happen to hear me. There is a great joy and freedom in this. by Charlotte Homsher Dnawmg by Rob Mcs,ick / (<ontin~ rram l"'i• 9) We must convince the public and our officials that a healthy environment is an absolute requirement for a healthy economy and not the other way around. The measure of what should be done 10 protect the environment is nor a mailer of good "business as usual" economics. We must work ar the local level to do whatever is possible to move toward a society that protects its ecosystems. We must lower as quickly a.\ we can the strains society places on our ecosystems. This includes land use practices, development of less damaging and less energy intensive transponation, protection of enough critical area 10 suppon all native species, and controlling our population within geographic areas so that the carrying capacity of the area is not exceeded or is balanced within a larger regional complex. Finally, we must lead in an accelerated movement to lower the environmental impact of human habitation on Eanh. This involves limiting the numbers of of humans Earth is . JCnt.i'mfi Journnl pQ(Jc 24 asked 10 suppon, making marked improvcmcnis in our use of natural resources, and bnnging human activities down within a safety buffer set by the rates of geological, geochemical. and biological processes. John Freeman is 1he chair of the Pisgah Group of the Sierra Club. lie was a profcs.'ior of billlogy at Wimltrop College fnr 30 years. He is al.w uwhor of 1he b()<J/c Survival Gardening, which he and lu"s 11'ife Grace self-published. The Freemaris are presemly retired in Brevard, NC i11 the headwaters of the French Broad River waterslted. This article 11-as reprimedfrom Foor notes. the 11cws/e1ter of the North Carolina Clwp1er ofthe Siella Club. The 11ewsletfer is al'ailable to Sierra Club members ill the Stale For membership i11fonnatio11, write the Sierra Club, 530 Bush St ; San Francisco, CA 94108. (conllnucd from P"te 11) Overall, I think it was Sequoyah himself who best evaluated thi: impact of his \\1'lting sy:acm: ''What I am doing will not make our people the less respected." - r«orded by OW Tom Undi'rwood. a liftlong rt.<id,·nt of the Qua/la Boundary Rt.<en•aJion has always been rnlt!rtsred ,n tht Clu:rol.Lt! cultural and arti.<tic traditions. lie 1s a con1tnuing .rouru of knowledge on the old wuys oftht tribe (stt Kn1tfah Journal 115) as wdl as be1n11 a mo1or suppoNu of conttmporary Indian arnsu. 1'om had ,.,;urn a manuscript for a hworical booklet on tk lift qf St!quo>·ah which was,,, his Mt:d1cint: Man Craft Shep the night tht! building was thstroycd byjirt!in 19..~Z. llt: has since bun rebwlding hisf/lt!s on the nativt! gcmus. llt! is ._·ell acquaintt!d With thl' life of ti~ man who brought 1k Chuoktt 1ht ,.,illt!n "'ord :Fa(f., 199 I �S00YEARS OF RESISTANCE! In October of 1492, as we all learned in grammar school, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue and landed in the Antilles to become the first European to record his encounter with the land and people of the Tunle Island conrinent. Of the land he found, Columbus wrote: "Large and very green trees, and great lagoons, around which the trees stand in marvelous groves. Flocks of parrots darken the sun and there is a marvelous variety of large and small birds, very different from our own; the trees arc of many kinds, each with its own fruit, and all have a marvelous scent." Of the native people he met in the Antilles, who later were named the Taino, Columbus wrote: "They are so affectionate and have so little greed and are in all ways so amenable that there is in my opinion no better people and no better land in the world. They love their neighbors as themselves and their way of speaking is the sweetes1 in the world, always gentle and smiling." Within a year of Columbus' landfall, the "miraculous groves" were gone, cleared to make way for the rancheros and plantations that would make the large contingent of Spanish seulers wealthy, and mining had spoiled the "great lagoons," not to mention rivers, mountains, and native farmlands. Within that year too, several thousand Taino were shipped 10 Europe as slaves, marking the beginnings of the slave trade. Those who remained fell victim to European diseases against which they had no resistance, and to the barbarism and tyranny of the colonists. Thus was set the pattern of ecocide and genocide which has been the dominant force in the modem history of the Americas. As the 500th anniversary of Columbus' "discovery" of the "New World" approaches, it appears unlikely !hat the myriad official festivities sponsored by governments of Europe and the Americas will expose the darker legacy of ~uropean conquest. What they will offer instead is a "QuincenteMial Jubilee" marked by all the hoopla, pride, and patriotism that modem technology can stir up. fo!C, 199 1 r However. a grcA1nd weft qf publi{ , opposition. led by moigendus groups in Nonh and South America, is gathering force to assure that the celebrations do more than glorify the ecocide and genocide wrought by Columbus and the other colonists and missionaries who followed him. In July of 1990 representatives of 120 indigenous nations, tribes, and organizations met for the first time in Quito. Ecuador to discuss their peoples' slruggles for self-de1ermination and 10 organi1..e a unified lndi:tn response to the official 1992 Jubilee celebrations. Their plans call for alternative gatherings 10 celebrate 1he resistance chat has enabled Indians 10 survive the centuries of genocide and opprei.sion chat 1hey have suffered at the hands of the Euro-Americans. The coali1ion is also recalling that many myths and prophecies of native peoples throughout Turtle Island say 1ha1 chis period of oppression would la.~t for 500 years, when it would be replaced by a period of change ("Pachakutek'.) that will lead ro a better life for the people, a life lived once again in harmony with Molher Eanh. At a time when the Euro-American way of life is threatening lhe survival of all peoples and of the planet itself, we all would do well to listen and 10 follow lhe example set by the indigenous people of a more harmonious way of being. It is up to us to make 1992 the first year of Pachakutek, not the 501st year of colonialism. Resource pacuis for those inttrtsted in organiting local alttrna1i11ts to the official/ts1111i11ts art availablt from the following: - Scarborough Fortign l,fiS$ion; 2685 Kingston Rd.; Scarborough. 0111ario. Canada MI M IM4. Jnclude a nwney donotion 10 CO\ltr prillting ONJ postagt. - Cltrgy ONJ Lairy Concerned; Box /91J7; Decatur, G~ 3003/ for $5.00 postpaid The Sowh and Mtso-American Jndim, Information Ctnttr. which strvts as a liason betwun Indian people of the sowhcrn and the northern con1intn1s. Is a good sourct of1nforma1io11 aboUJ the alttrnativt ac1ivi11es plan11td throughow the Americas. Write to SAJJC: Box 7550, Berktlty, CA 94707. 1/'Jf)U art illltresttd in helping 10 organiu ahernativt 1992 t~nlS in Kataiah, write Jeff Smith at 207 Coxt A~.: Ashevillt NC 28801 or call (704) 259-5333. - by cmmtll Grundiggu Save James Bay Stop Hydro-Quebec! Ancestral lands of the Cree and Inuit cultures as well as the entire James Bay ecosystem are being threatened by a mega-hydroelectric project known as the James Bay Project James Bay, a shallow salt water bay which forms the southern tip of Hudson Bay in Canada, is the largest nonhcrn river drainage system for Tunic Island. Fresh water from vinually every major river in the hean of 1he continent flows into James Bay where it mixes with the Bay's snit w:lter over marshy tidal flats to create a vast and diverse ecosystem. 'These rivers make the Bay a rich ecosystem teeming with caribou, moose, :i: ~;wer as wellbearseals.1he manyl3cluga as walrus, whales, polar and anadromous fish that return from the ocean 10 spawn in the fresh water rivers of James Bay. This is also the nesting and s1aging ground for the 'central flyway' for most migratory birds from geese and ducks to some shore birds who may carry ou1 a migrncion that brings them as far south as Tierra del Fuego.....(Thc land around James Bay) has a dclica1e ecology of coastal mmhes, muskeg and pinelands that provide a rich garden in which the animals and Native people have lived for tens of thousands of years." (Winona l..aDuke) The fames Bay Project is a mega proJect of Hydro-Quebec. Quebec's Premier, Robert Bourassa. sees 1he entire province as "a vase hydro·elcctrie plant in the bud... ". Phase I (1971-1985) of the Project has already destroyed a great deal of habiUlt and lands. Phase II and Phase lll are even more massive undertakings. Phase II would impact an area greater than New York State and New England combined and would destroy 15 major rivers. However, Phase III is the most extravagant. h is a $JOO billion scheme to build a 100 mile dike across the mouth of James Bay so that freshwater from 1he Bay can be pumped (possibly by nuclear pumps) to the Great Lakes, and then to the Midwest and Southwest United States! This project if completed would cause devastation of the entire James Bay ecosystem which is the hean of the largest remaining wilderness in Tunic Island as well the cultural genocide of the native people who would lose their traditional means of subsistance through hunting, trnpping and fishing. Already ten thousand migrating caribou have drowned crossing the Caniapiscau River during a 1984 Hydro-Quebec water release. If all the dams proposed by Hydro-Quebec arc built, 350,000 square kilometers will be directly impacted, Over 25,000 ~uare kilometers \I.ill be flooded. Countless lakes, ponds and temporary ponds will be drowned. Critical wildlife habitat will be fragmented and migration routes destroyed. Destruction of chis habicat will doom thousands of migratory bird~. In September of 1990. the Canadian National Energy Board approved the expon of Hydro-Quebec electrici1y 10 the US. There are formal efforts in Maine. Vermont, and New Yorlc to call for the cancellation of any contrnc1s with Hydro-Quebec. lndividuals and organizations around North America art' joining the fight to save James Bay. For more informa1ion. contacr: Northeast Alliance to Protect James Bav 139 Anrrim Street / Cambridge, MA 02139 .. (617) 491-553 I • X.Ot uc:ih Journot J>CIIJC 25 �. ", DRUMMING LETTERS TO KA TUAH Dear Kmualt, This kulwie says that idle hands arc the devil's wockshop when iJs preuy damn obvious IO anyone who sits down and thinks about it that idle hands nrc definitely not a workshop and that the devil's worbhop has m1111y many busy busy hands. Ovec achiever type A workaholics with hyperactive thyroids have predictably lllken over at the throUle of neatly everything and ate proceeding to make the world a miserable place to be for anyone who likes to go fishing or read a boolt or simply to do her pan in the effort to conserve energy by silLing down and bcmg quiet. Motorboats chum our lakes into oily froth. AirpLllles arc aJmo:.t always whining in our cars. All terrain vehicles defile the America others pass by. shnttcring silence and leaving ruts that open into gullies lhat are geo logical re minders of the passing of some busy idiot who wos out SpiMing his wheels and wasting all sorts of resow-ces when he should have been home playing with his luds or l:lying in a hammock. Poople in general and rncD m particular QJ'C taught that Ill order to be respected we should make our mark on a world. The world is nlrcady llWkcd up with graffitti-like doings of the do-do culture and what we now need 10 learn moSt is s10pping. Don't just do something, Slalld there. Will Ashe Boson Floyd, VA DcarKmuoh. Vour article about dowsing slruck an inu:rcsting chord with me. I have been fortunate 10 get to hike with a group of Retired Citi,..cns or Gatlinburg over the past sevcml months, and because of that have met some very fascinating people not the least or whom is a man named Herb Oabo, a real mountain man who gi-ew up in the Roaring Fork section of what is now the Great Smoky Mountnins National Park:. He now lives in that same area about two houses from the Park bouod:IJ'y. He still climbs the mowitnins and walks the ridges almost every day. At 80 he is still ahead of the pack except when he siops IO share a bit of history or a talc of sons. It i.~ one of t!lcse talcs that came tO mind when I read your article. Herb can divine for bodies! • and find them. The rods arc held loosely in the hands and when he comes IO the grave. they tum in. I have watched him do this and it is exuemely fascinating. The Parle Service asked him and Frank Cart.er, another dowser. 10 help them with a cemetery in the Roaring Forlc section which had been badly damaged by tourists - roc:ks which were really old grave m:utcrs had been knocklxl over and some even canicd out of the cemetery. With 1he1r dowsing rods, Hcrb and Frank were able to rcnlign the graves, replace the m:IJ'kcrs, and arc now c:nrrying fill din to cover the IOOlS and ftll in washouts caused by the he.Ivy lrllff'ic of many feet. For the umc being. the ccmelCI)' is fenced off and will be unul the n:pciiring and =ding arc compleled. In that ccrnclct)'. thctc iS a grave for a leg. A man lost his leg in a logging occident and Xnti1af1 JounmC p119c 26 insisted on having it buried with a formnl funeral. Herb u:11s another inlelCsting story about finding the grave of Jasper Mellinger. Years ago Jasper had "l:ud-by" his com crop and was going to Nonh Carolina 10 work a few days tn a blacksmith's shop. Instead of walking the long way around, he took the "nigh" way through the hills. Art Huskey had a bear uap set and Jasper got caught m 11. On finding him there. it is alleged, Art or his son knocked poor Jasper in the head with a pine knot and buried him m a shallow grave. Herb was detenmncd to find lhnt grave. long since heavily overgrown. He walked the hills for about a year bcfo,e he loaltcd the grave only 10 discover there were four bodies buried in the =e area. He ha.~ cleaned out lllOUlld the graves • and a path lending 10 them and 1s now placing mnriccrs for t!lcse people. He has deccnnincd who three or the bodies arc and will mark the other "unknown: Hero is a real storehouse of knowledge and mountnin lore. Barbara Wickersham DcarK01111Jh, I read with great in~t the interview with Tom Hendricks, "The Responsibilities of Dowsing,· in the Summer "91 issue of Kmu.o.lt JournLJI. Hoving recently writu:n IO the Amctic:ln Society of Dowsers expressing concern at the non-holiSllc actions of some dowsers, I found Tom's comments cncoumging. I have been dowsing for a number of YeaA, mostly locating with L-rods. More recently I hnvc been conccntroting on trying to undcrslll.nd Eanh energies. I rend, and dowse., and find, but feel the need to work with someone who really knows what they arc doing. Look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Joy Doheny DeatKmuah, s Something a wrong with the U.S. Forest Service le:idcrship. They can't 11\llnage our forests properly due to a spurious pl31l they adoJ)led 25 years ago. h can be likened 10 a disease in its effccL Call 11 "clcarcuHLtS." Ever since they've been obsessed with denuding our forestS. They promoted the spread of this infection to colleges and univen;iucs th.It prcp:ire future foresters. Certain limber interests, long affiicu:d with th IS dlSCaSC. have wdcd and supponcd the Fore.st Service leadership m iL~ addiction and arc confusing us with a SS0,000.000 misinformation campain. Their purpose: 10 cut the 5~ left of our ancient forests at huge profits to them.,;elves within the neitl 5 to 10 years using the befuddled Fo~ Service leadership to gnm their end. Once it was the people and the Forest Service versus timbcrers. Now it is umbcrcrs and the Forest Service versus the people. A tide of public concern is rising IO stem this disease in its devnsiation with powerful mcdicruion to be pn:scribcd by Congress. Previous prescriptions have failed because the Forcst Servioc leadership refuses 10 swallow the medicine that would return it to its fonner stnte ofhc:llth. The "Santa Claus syndrome." of practically giving away our trees hntvesu:d at our expense. is also of gi-eat concern to people. tn lodinnn 120,000 people signed petitiOns and wrote thousands of leuets, including congressmen and lhe governor, ealling for protection of biological diversity and regeneration of old growth. A poll of voiers 31'0und the Hoosier National Forest showed 69% are so upset they want to bnn all logging. The entire congressional delcgnuon or fllinois is demanding the Forest Service Stop being Sania Claus with below-cost sales. Arl<ansas and Texas have asked for a halt 10 clearcutting. South Carolina people arc asking for a ch411ge m mn~cment. In North Carolina over 16,000 people and over a thousand businesses signed pctiuons in a shon period of time 10 halt clearculting. A number of Forest Service employees and supervisors, not willing to allow this disease to reach epidemic proportions. are organizing and asking thru the infected leadership accept prescribed congressional medication so that the Forest Service can survive. I must add that a number of private forest growers with large and small forc.~ts arc not infccu:d with "clenrcu1-1tis." They arc surviving low prices caused by Rnst Service leadership direction. These forests are a JOY 10 visit compared with the shambles pre.sent m our ll3tionaJ forests. These many growers arc not liqu1d3tors. They believe in a tomonow for themselves and their children. Why can't this be true for the nntional forests? Grandfather and Grandmother, we have the time. We love this land and want 10 leave it beucr for our children and grandchildren. We've seen the umber locuslS consume our forest before. It doesn't have to happen to the Inst gr.md trecS standing. Th.rec bills in commitu:c need support; HR 2S01, HR 1969, and HR 842 to help k.ill the infoction. Three congressmen 10 reach arc Harold Volkmer. Eda la Gana, Goorge Miller (House of Rcprcscntativcs, Wnshington. DC 20015). There arc also three senators; D.ile Bum~, Pntricl; Leahy, and Wyche Fowler (Scn.,tc Office Building. Washington, DC 20010). Even though our hands arc tired and weary, \YOn't you pick up a pen and write? Let's inspire them in Washington. Bob Gerry Franklin, NC Drawing by Rob Messick rnrc., 1991 �Dear Ka1uah. A friend gave me his copy or your Summer'!) I Ka1uah Journal. nnd I am impressed by lhe imcgri1y of lhe journal. One of my grcn1-grnndmothcrs wns a full-blooded Cherokee, plus my family hns roois in 1he Miami Nation. Sadly, I never paid any heed to this heritage until the last yenr or so. though I have always been an enrth person. ever drawn 10 nature fascinated by forcsis, ~ueruns, wild Iire, lightning. I rc.ili:u: that this is pan of my being, and am beginning 10 look more closely at the wisdom of thOl,e who came before me. I would hkc 10 know if a publicauon s1m1lar 10 your; cxisis in the Indiana region. I would be interested in lellming more about my foreflnhcrs, but I'm n0t too sure where 10 start. Thank you for :iny help you can offer. and 1100k forward 10 hearing from you soon. Since my return home I have fell myself often "losing focus· with nil the technology nnd matcriohstic vibrations that surround me. I h3ve found th3l one thing I can do 1s make my way to a stnnd of treeS very ncnr here and allow myself 10 recapture lhc feeling of the Smokies, the •me· I am working with the Appalachian Women's Guild on the Monteagle Mountain ~lion of the Cumberland Platc3u. It seems lO me, thot this mountain could be an exemplary bioregional devclopmen1 - it cou.kl become self-sufftcienL ll is at this lime extrcmdy depressed economically which Respectfully, Jeff Zaclulry Dcar Ka1uah. IC I h:id closed my eyes and envisioned the perfect. most harmonious appro:ich 10 life in the Soulhem Appalachians I could not have crentcd :i more beautiful image than lhc people who conlribute 10 your journal and those who arc the rtal members of the Katu:ih Province. I think I hove found my venue, and my only regret is that Tdid not have the courage 10 head such a wonderful movement myself. I'm a graduate student at Appalnchian State University in Boone, NC studying and working lO preserve the biodiversity and ecology of these great mounlllins. I have struggled with 10lerance of the modern, dcvelopmcn1-00nsumcd elite of this town and this region. I am so happy 10 find the power in your numbers. Please let me know more about your cause. your people, and your apparent passions 10 prcscrvc the way of the conscious man and womnn. I wnnt 10 be a part of the movement, and be counted among you. God Bless, J1mmy Bnrbcc -=---- Dear KaJuah, I was recently introduced 10 your wonderful publication and would like 10 know more about K01uah and how I can become involved. In the past it seems I made less lime for myself 10 read or enjoy the beauty or life nround me. However, due 10 a recent car occident I've found myself with the time lO do anything and the physical ability 10 do almost nOthing. So I n::id. I probably never would have come 10 know my world, or Katuah, if it were not for the accident and a special man in Lake Toxaway who lOOk the time 10 talk 10 me about life, healing, and Ka1uah. For th:11 I am very thank:ful. I thank God as I grow physically and spiritually stronger everyday, and look forward 10 living as I never have. Seize the Dayl Paula Flanks Dear K01uah, I live in a very popul:itcd, "built-up· pan of Florida. and decided in June to e,;plore the Smoky Mounuiin.~ with my friend 10 Slill, nnd re-center myself. We had a wonderful, amazing, and lr.lnsforming lime • and while there I discovcrcd your publication. Tm!, 1991 Paintina by S\1$111 Adam rediscovered there. The Olhcr is 10 open Ka,uoli Journal lO any page and begin IO~. The commitment :ind dedication to Life of your writcts. people like myself - puts me back on my chosen pnth. Thank you for sharing and afrummg. Yours in light, Susan Rueter To the Editors: I was given a copy or lhe Kaiuah Journal. Spring, 1991. by a friend, Cicio Myc1~k. I have just this morning read II and am moved to find such an enlightened group ru work. II IS like finding a pan of your family that had been ml$mg. r want to connect with you as projects in which 1 am im,ol ved p:irnllcl yours in this issue. I include my story which r have JUSt wriuen for the Episcopal Chwch. (see excerpt below) The opposition to a hazardous waste incinerator (three limes the size of any existing facility which promised to take haw-dous waste from at k:asl 20 sta.ics) which I organized, changed my whole life. I now work full lime on establishing a true grassroots environmental nerwork m Tennessee that will connect with other similar networks nationwide. (Thank God I hnve a husband who C113bled me lO give up my gainful employment in order 10 do this volw:uecr work.) I attended the Episcopal Church Envaronmenlal Conference ,n Kanuga. NC in April llihcte I met Jeremy Rifkin, president of the Grecnho~ Crisis Foundation in Washing10n. He invited me to auend n conference in Wa.mington at the end or Scp!Clllbcr lhnt will plan a grassroots Conunental Congress for May of 1992. I Ulke great hope that this Con tinenlal Congress will have sufficient impact on the political paities to change the t.otal disrcgrud for the environment (my opmjon) that both parties have been exhibiting. gives llS fcrtilc ground for movmg in lhc direction of interdependent living. I also work with a group which ,s creating a vision of community when: physicnlly and mentally handicapped and non-physically handicapilcd can live in an interdependent relationship where the arts and celcbrauon oflife you spcalc of will be an integral part of our circular community. We will have a biodynnmic farm, a gteenhou~. woodworking shop, Appalach1311 cmfis, design and making of allcmative clOthing for the physically challenged, a printing operation. and opportunities and encouragement for all 10 develop their individual spirituality in an atmosphere or love. In fighting the evil of the inciDCnllOr, people were brought together who have the underlilanding and cnprabililics or making the Biorcgional Economy or the whole mountain IOP work along with the special community. I celebrate your enthusiasm, your dedication, and your Being. Light and Love 10 all of you, Marilyn Williams Chau.anooga. TN ~rpttdfrom Marily11 Williams' story: Morion County LS an economically depressed, rural county comprised of a long valley swrounded by mounlllins, indented wilh coves traversed by the Tennessee River. This topogniphy results in a phenomenon cnlled thermal invCTsion. Very often, tempcroturc changes will force the air down and hold it against the floor of the valley so that it cannot escape over the mount2ins. Any kind of smoke-t;toct indu.«ry would be unusually bad ror the area. I blcr lcamcd that lhcnna1 invcnion was ·no problem· for those who warued to site a haz:lJ'dous wastt incineralor on lhe TenllCS5CC River in our county. (c:auinued on I"'&" 28) JC.Qtuah 1oumnl J)(IQe 27 �(continued from pa,:c 27) I alt.ended a meeting of our County Commission and heard lhe president of a commen:i:il hllzardous was1C incinerator COfflJXUlY IC.Jl lhe commission and all present he did nOl care whwier we voted to have him there or nol; he certainly wouldn't icll us he wouldn't be the.re. We later le:uned the same group had been defeated in four olhct counhcs through use of the Local Veto Option which we voled to hnve him there or not; he ccnainly wouldn't tell us he wouldn't be there. We lat.er learned the same group had been defeated in four olhcr • counties through use of the Locnl Vct0 Opuon which was a Tennessee law. We knew quiic well that our legislature had jus1 removed this law that gave citizens ~ right to protect their property ond lhe health and welfare of lhcir children. This 1s a constituuonnl nght bom of n Ocmocmcy. I C:lmC from Ilic rooeting angry. I was angry tlmt in a land where freedom was supposed IO nng from every mounlllln IOp, a man could siand before us and arrogantly icll u.~ he 11o us - in so many words • gomg 10 force on us something that we knew would dcsll'Oy our property values and endanger our children., lives - and for what? For profit • My anger 1ncrenscd with the rcalm1tion that the citizens of this Staie have every right to expect thc,r elcc!Cd, paid official\ to make laws to protect Ilic Jives and property of lhe people of their Staie, I snw ourselves in the posiuon of bemg forced to do the JOb for ourselves. I called a meeting or friends to organv.e n protesL I sent announcements 10 both the newspapers, but they did not print 1hcm, We had IS people ai the rll'St meeting. We each IOOk rcspons1bili1y or getting others at the next mccung, and we prepared notices to be ID.ken to the papers. At the ncxt meeting we h.ld 26 people to plan a town meeting to discuss the opposition to the incinerator. At that meeting we had press from lhe city of ChatUlnooga and 400 orderly people. After that we had the attention of the clcclcd offici.l!s and the loca.1 press and radio stations. Two months later, at 7 AM over 3,000 finn, but orderly, infonned people gathered in the .square at South PilL~burgh to confront the rcprcsentauves of FTI who came with armed Pinkenon gu:ll'ds, The people with their children wore T-shirts reading, "Two, Four. Six, Eight; WE WILL NOT INCINERATE." Cars had bumper stickers saying "DANGER - NO INCINERATOR." Posters staung firm opposiuon were held high. Many wore gas mask.~. A-:. representatives of the incinerator company Milked into the building where they had come to conclude the mlc or the propsed incinerator site, m on orderly fashion. the crowd began to chant, "Two, Four, Si~. Eight - WE WILL NOT INCINERATE!" The day b.:forc the mlly a UPl reporter who knew the area, called me and a.,ked me how mony people J thought we would have a1 the rally. I said that if--.c did 001 have 01 lcai.t 2,000 I would be sorely disappointed. He laughed, saying, "If you ha\'c 2,000 people in Marion County come out for anything, I'll be greatly surprised. Those people luve never been togcthcr on anything." When I arrived m South Piu.sburgh shortly be~ 7:0Q that morning on June 14. 1990, I lil!w people coming "in droves; as we say. They were commg from all over in large numbers, and icars rolled down my race because I knew m my hcal1 that weh3d won. Four d.lys laicr, F11 announced they would not build in Marion County or "any of the surrounding area." ... I saw interesting and miraculous things happen in this united effort. I saw shy young mo°'.crs come forward and tell me, "l"ve never done an),1hmg like this before. I just Silly home and talce care of my family, but I'm not Slllying there and watching this Juppcn." I saw them transformed into outSpOken, tireless worker.; who conducted meetings in their communities to get the word ouL Some or them called me and cried at the heanless roccplion they encountered sometimes in the bcgiMmg when they called on bu.'ilnesspcople to put petition~ in stores or to tallc at city council meetings; but they never guve up. They went right back, and !hey bccnme StrOngcr. as they were empowered b)' the love lhey had for thi:,r children. It occurred to me at lhc time, if the Earth i.s 10 be saved, 11 will be by mothers and those who share the feelings or mothers. I saw children become awurc of somctl11ng they hlld always Uken for gmntcd. School chil.drcn made posters and wrote letters 10 elcclCd officials. ng They bccrunc int.:rc.,tcd in recycling. I saw a bondi_ of people joined by a common cuus.e. I sow a commg together of people who would prohably never have come 10 know each other. I sa--. a ri'i<! in the consciousnCSli of people. Then: was an elevation of sclf-e:;1ocm. Th.:se was a knowledge gamed thm one person can still make a dilTerencc if the)' take the hand of their brother/sister and slalld up for whal they believe is righL Since the mc.mcmtor fight, I have seen others tnke the mniaiive 10 sl:llld again.st other 1njustic.!s in their communit.lc.s. • The People are Angry! A Monual on \Va.tre llauvdou...t to tht Ilea/th of our Cllildren in itMetsu i.s available from Tcnne:.scc Grassroois EnvironmenUll Network; Boll 15038: Chaunnooga, TN3741S Get a set of 10 assorted folding cards with artwork you see in I<atuah Journal. • You1h Camps - ~ P,ogrem1 • Family Camps· Teach0< Tra.,,ng • Communuy Programs • Camp Slaff Training • Outdo« Pn,gram Consulting (Envelopes included.) by Rob lJlessick Send $11.25 postage paid to: RM DESIGNS r.o. aox 2601 ProgomJ to encouoge end Earth OWOl8'l8$$. celebrol1on. ldn&Hp and hope $611 PO 8oK 1306 Galltnt>,,,g, terY10lSee 3n38 615-436-6203 BOONE, NC 28607 whole earth grocery NATIVE FLUTES Two styles mode of cedar or walnut woods in the traditional manner Hawk Littlejohn Sourwood Farm Rt. 1, Box 172-L Prospect Hill, NC 27314 (919) 562-3073 • NATURAL ALTERNATIVES FOR HEALTHFUL LIVING 446 c p;arkw•y craft ~ntcr • •uilc 11 gatlinburg, tcnn~ 3n38 6 15-436-6967 Xat(iah Jou r not pn9c 28 ' ,, Union Acres A,r Alternative - • Acrt.agtforSale - Smoky Moun/111n Lrving wilh II focus on spiri/114/ 11nd «ologit:Jll valuts For more informalron; Contact C. Gran/ al RDult 1. Box 61/ Whittier, NC 28789 (704) 4974964 NATURAL MARKET WHOLE FOODS • OULK FOODS • VITAMINES • HERDS • FAT FREE FOODS • TAKE OlTTFOODS • SNACKS • NO SALT, NO CHOLESTEROL 265-2700 823 Blow,ng Rock Rd lloonc. NC 28607 :fnfL 1991 �, - 0FFTHEGRID SOLAR OVENS by Dr. lnnnis Scanlin This issue's 01/The Grid 1ues1 collUMis1 is Dr. Dtnnis Scan/ill, Proftssor ofApproprialt Ttchnoloo at AppalacNIJJI State University;,. Boone, North Carollna. Dennis is cwrrently working on a project sponsored ITy the Su.sklinablt Dtvtlopmelll Center of ASU to bring so/Ju ove11 ttCM()/olJ to the rural pu,plt ofGllllUma/a. Solar o - ttcM()loo is pani&ularly appropriJJu in Ct111ral America wlttn thert is a lot of s1111 and a probltm with defortSiaJilJ11 as ptoplt u.sc rht forests to prqvide woodfor cooki/11. So/Ju ovens could, obviDu.sly. N>t ~ u.scd as freqUUlll)I hut in Katwolt as ill Ca1ral Amtrica, bu/ rhty could ctrtamly su,,e as All OMXillary tltUf1 source IO ~ wed whutevtr possible to / - , ow demands 011 wood, proflOM, oU ONl/or tltcrricity. DtfortSIJJ/k,11 is IU)t cwu11tly a probkm lwre (~sides timber sales), bUI It col/Jd ~CO/fflt OM if rht opdollS of oil, propane and/or tltcrricily _,., too expensive or IINIWlilabk, as is Ille t.aU ill rwol CcfllrtJJ America. As Dr. Scanli11 lius IO poilll 0111, "lhtre is "" silltlt tMTlJ fXIIUIUO.. 1ht suslDiJsabh t11tro of our fwurt will come from a ~ f J ofsourcu. Solar OVtftS w{J/ be OM of IN>U. • ·td.JimHou.su Solar Cookers have been receiving a lot of attention recently in both the developing and developed regions of the world. This attention is well deserved because these ovens are a truly appropriate technology. First of all, they really work. They are also cheap enough to be accessible to virtually everyon~ easy to construct with locally available materials; simple to understand and operate; utilize renewable energy; and reduce our dependence on centrally supplied energy or, in the developing world, diminishing supplies of increasingly expensive fuelwood, wi1hout having any adverse impacts on the environment They can be a pan of the solution ro the many problems facing our world. There are two basic types of solar cookers. The first is the direct or focusing parabolic dish cookers, which are usually about 4 feet in diameter and reflect all the solar energy striking them onto a focal point which is usually about 18 inches above the center of the dish. A pot of food would be supponed at this focal point. Their performance can be very impressive, achieving temperatures over 600° F; however, they can onJy heat one pot of food at a rime, can be difficult to construct, need to be focused every 15 to 30 minutes and don't work very well on panly cloudy days. Effons 10 market these cookers have largely failed because of their tempennentnl nature and because people don't like standing out in the sun while cooking. The whole TaU, 1991 SOLAR OVEN Drawing by DoMis Scanlin process of cooking with these cookers is too different from traditional methods. The indirect or box ovens have been the focus of most of the recent interest in solar cooking. An indirect or box oven is simply an insulated box with a glass or plastic cover, and one or more reflectors to increase the amount of sunshine entering the box. Food is usually placed in dark colored pots with covers. The pots full of food are then placed in the solar oven and absorb the solar energy entering the oven. These ovens reach temperatures between 250 and 450° F, can cook several pots of food at the same time, work on partly cloudy days. aod are simple and inexpensive to construct Many indirect or solar box ovens have been designed over the last few years; however, most fall into one of two categories: single reflecror or multiple reflector. The single reflector type is the least complicated variety. It is an insulated rectangular box with a shoe box type lid and a single reflec1or attached to the lid. It was first developed in 1976 by Barbara Kerr and Sherry Cole of Tempe, Arizona and is the design presently being promoted by Solar Box Cooker International, 1724 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. They have plans available for $3.00. Plans are also available from Kerr Enterprises, Inc., P.O. Box 27417, Tempe, AZ 85282, (602) 968-3068. They also have complete kits for a well designed cardbo:ud oven for about $55. Kits are also available from Basic Solar, Harvard Square Suite 67, 1430 Mass. Ave.. Cambridge. MA 02138. Kits or plans are not really necessary, however, as one could easily be constructed with either cardboard or wood. One good source of cardboard boxes is Xerox paper boxes found in schools and businesses. Banana or apple boxes found in the local grocery store are also quite sturdy, as are cardboard file boxes which can be purchased for about $3.00 at an office supply store. These boxes could be covered with contaa paper or painted for increased water resistance. The box could also be constructed from large sheets of cardboard or with peices of wood. Plywood and lxlO's or lxl2's have been used. There may be undesirable gases emitted from the plywood, which would contaminate your food, but I'm not sure about this potential problem. The box should be large enough to contain the desired size of pots which will be used. but not much larger. The inside dimensions of the Kerr/Cole cooker mentioned earlier arel8"x22"x7". This size can hold 3-4 pots of food and can cook a meal for 4-6 people easily. Insulation on the sides and boaom of the oven wiU help it attain higher temperatures by reducing heat loss. The easiest is Thc.rmax foil faced insulation secured with foil rape (not duct tape). There may be hannful gases given off by this and (continued on page 30) Xatuah 1ourna! om1e ? Q �(coniinutd from page 29) 01hers have objected to its use; however I have not noticed any strange odors or tastes in food cooked in an oven insulated with this material, and when I called the manufacturer, I was told there have been no problems associated with ils use. Another insulation scheme is 10 use a smaller box inside the outer one and put crumbled newspapers or fiberglass insulation between the two boxes. Still another is to fold cardboard so that trapped air pockets are fonned and put these peices into the bottom and on the sides of the box. With !he last two Home Power Inc., POB 275. Ashland, OR 97520; and The Solar Coo~ry Book, Beth and Dan Halacy, Peace Press 3828 Wilat Avenue, Culver City, California 90230. A variety of foods including soups, stews, bread, chicken, cakes, rice, potatoes, lasagna, and a variety of other vegetables can be cooked in a solar oven. However, it does involve some behavioral modification. One needs to check the weather report for the day, plan the day's dinner in the morning, put it together and in the oven by around 10 or 11 and point the oven towards the south. Obviously some foods will cook faster than others. Baked beans and hot dogs can be heated up in about I hour. Lentils, brown rice, and soy beans will take substantially longer. But just about anything can be cooked in one good sunny day, or even a panly cloudy day, if placed in the oven in the morning and if the oven is reoriented towards the sun a few times during the day. Around noon is the ideal rime for solar cooking because that is when we are receiving the greatest amount of solar radiation. There is no worry about burning foods. Dark enamel, glass or ceramic pots work well. TI1e dark-colored pots absorb more radiation. Most cooking should be done in convered pois. Several solar cookbooks are available, including Eleanor's Solar Cookbook, Eleanor Shimcall. Cemese Publishers, 7028 Leesburg Place, Stockton CA 95207 and Favorite Recipes From Solar Cooks, Solar Box ,;,!!II' Cooker International. schemes the junction between the inside and outside of the oven needs to be covered. The reflector can be consmicted from cardboard with a reflective material such as aluminum foil, reflective mylar or a glass mirror glued to it. Glass, plastic cooking bags (available in grocery stores), or teflon can be used for the glazings. Multiple layers of glazing will result in better performance. The glazing can be attached wilh aluminum tape, wooden strips and nails for a wooden box, and/or caulk. Multiple reflector designs (fig. I) achieve higher temperature.\ (300-450° F) but are more complicated to construct. These cookers usually have a door on the back side, but can also be constructed with a shoebox type lid so the whole oven, withou1 a bottom, fits over a shallow pan, which would hold the pots of food. Plans are available for $10 from Our Sol.tr Systems, Box 55891. Tucson, AZ 85703. Two books with plans are also available: Heave11s· Flame. A Guidebook 10 Solar Cookers, By Joseph Radabaugh,$ IO, Complete ovens can also be purchased from Clevlab ($15 - $275), POB 2647, Liuleton, Colorado, 80161 and from Sunlight Energy Corporation ($179), 441 lW. Echo Lane, Glendale, AZ 85302 (602) 943,6492. Figure 2 shows an exploded view of a smnll p muhiple reflector oven similarly inspired by the Clevlab $15 Sunspot Solar Oven. This same basic construction can be expanded for a larger slant face type mulliple rcflcct0r oven. FRENCH BROAD FOOD CO-OP •• • Co05Umcr0wncd Since 1975 • •• We Sell Food that Nourishes I Iumans and Sustains the Earth OPEN TO T l IE PUBLIC Mond,,y· FriJay 8:30 AM to 8:00 r:--1 Saturdav 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM SundJ)' I :(l(J P\I 10 6:00 PM (704) 255-7650 Home! A Bioregional Reader 1/o,,u:! A Biorcgional Rtader, juit publi.\hcd hy New Society Publi$hcrs, offcrs· nn c,ciung vision :uid slOltcgy for creaung ('.enlogic.ii ly su~btn~htc communnics and culture., rn hannony v. ilh the limiL~ nnd rcgcncrauve powers or the £2th." It ha.~ gathered a.niclcs, stories. and potnL~ of O\'Cr forty writer~ and acuvm.~who have contnbu!Cd both co ddining biortgionalism a.~ a J)Olitic;il philosophy and to the pracuce of "living rn place.· Comnbutors mcluJ.:: Gary Snylkr, Pttcr Berg. Caroline Estc,, Wendell Rcrry, a, well as Mnmie Muller of the Karunlt l<mrnnl. Gr:ipl11cs in the book include the.• \\Ort of Katuah's Rob Mcsskl.. The book is a large-format r;ipcrhack with 192 pages. includrni; resources and a reading list. Copies arc available by mnil for S15.70 from RM Designs: Boi Tnlhng Lto,~.s i~ • mor11hly JOWMI nf ~ ecoloay, in.<rircd p,,rwoaJ 11e11,·i= rooted UJ CNtheo ~piri11111iiy. Pu1 i"'-<;ues bnc !car~ ani,lcs by Gary Soy<kr. St.Vba"'k, John Sec:J, Joa.nna Macy, B111 Dc\'all. Looc Wolf Circle!'. Barhara Mor, etc. Tnlki11g uo1n SJICU~ for the narural "''-'"d and for the rdcinJliog ot our own 'l-11d 51>in1. Suh5COpUon~ an, S 15.00 on.)Ut/$18.000U1,1dc U.S. S25.00 two yc.tn/S36.00 ouwdc U.S . ~nd ch«k or M 0 . 10 : Tnlkwg Lto,·a 1430 W1llamcuc #36 7 Eugene. OR 97401 503/342-2974 90 8i11m11rc Avcnul! A,hevallc, NC 2 Blocks South ol Downtown rrutoNSETc:1 +. • 0 ~ I . . - tl1c new al tcnmt.h·c • i to tJ1c sleeper sofa wiil1 OYcr 4,000 vcars of customer ~atisfacH~n built in. -- 2601: Boone, NC 28007. Print,,, or Rob Mcssick's illustrations from the book are also avnilablc from the same llddn= Taff, 1991 �The Bell: A Call to Peace 'The Bell publishes commentary and news about peace events and resources. We digest the best an1clcs questioning war as a solution 10 conflict and exploring peaceful alternatives of foresight and reason. We continue to cover the aftermath or the Gulf War, the policies that brought us to that war, and the effect of militarism on our country. our environment, and our world. "We accept contributions in the way of writings, p<>cms, artwork, etc. The Bell is an all-volunteer project that is dependent on donations." Issue #6 of The Bell, which contains an interview with a woman who has maintained a ten year, 2·1-hour-a-day peace vigil across the srrcet from the White House, is currently available. TI1c Bell is published by Col/ten Redt1w11 and Ah,yn Moss. To rrceivt The Bell, send a donmion to Box 634; Floyd. VA 24091. Permaculture Conference The 6th Annual Eastern North America Pennaculture Conference will be held October 11-13 at the Standing Stone State Park, near the town of Livingston m nonhcast Tennessee. Friday, October 11 • Field Day at Earth Advocates Research Facility with an inrroduction 10 Pcrmaculture. Presentations on Saturday and Sunday, October 12-13 - Keyline; Pcrn1aculturc and Spirituality; Solar Power; Bio:.helters; Low-income Community Development/Land Tnms, Monday, October 14 - Tours of nearby Hidden Springs and Long Hungry Creek Nurseries. Costs are: Field Day - $20, Conference registration (sliding scale) - $50-75 single, $75-100 family. includt!s dorm lodging and meals. Tours are free. For directions and additional infonnation, write: Eanh Advocates; Rt. 3, Box 624; Livingston, TN 38570. • TURTLE ISLAND BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS Mark the date! The fifth Turtle Island Bioregional Congress wm be held MAY 17-24 at Camp Stewart Kerrville, Texas (northwest of San Antonio) Rl'g1strahon fet.-s hav<.> not b<.>cn set, but lhcn~ will bc r1.-dured rat<.>S for those who apply bcfore0cccmbcr31, 1991 For funhcr infonnation on fees and arrangements, contact the Turtle Island Office Box 140826 Dallas, TX 75214 (214) 324-4629 Bioregional Congresses 01.ark Area The Twelfth Annual Ozark Area Community Congress, OACC (pronounced 'oak") XII, will meet September 20, 21, & 22, 1991 at Hammond Mill Camp in West Plains, Missouri. OACC has met for 12 years as a working congress (not merely a conforcnce) developing a vision for the Ozark region based on nature's ecological rrinciples. They focus on a range of issues including forestry, water, sustainable agriculture. education. health, community economics, etc. This year's congress includes a number of workshops as well as a barter fair. For more infonnation. contact OACC, Box 3, Brixey, Missouri 65618. (417) 679- 4773. Great Lakes Area The Great Lakes Bioregional Congress will meet October 4, 5, & 6, 1991 in Hell (no joke), Michigan. The Congress promises to be a celebratory, educational, fun weekend. Zones of discussion will include: Water/Air (repon from International Joint Commission meeting, Great Lakes Beach Sweep, toxic issues, aquatic intelligence); Eanh ( organic farming, land use, restoration, tenure); Justice (social justice, people of color, 500 years of resistance with dignity); Culture (alternative economics, children, bioregional education, art, sacred sites); Habitat (co-housing. sustainability); Nature (biodiversity, wilderness, forestry, land defense). Scholarships available. Contact: Bearrice Briggs, % Wild Onion Alliance, 3432 N. Boswonh, Chicago. IL 60657. (312) 929-5565. Ohio River Watershed The Ohio River Watershed Bioregionnl FestivaVCongress will be held October 11-14, 1991. Entitled "Coming I Jome: Spirituality and Ecology of our Region", the Congress is "open to all who desire to create ways of life which are in harmony with the natural patterns and cycles of the bioregion." All attendees are asked to panicipate in storytelling, camping, sharing homegrown entenainment, produce, and seeds. The Congress will be held at the fann of the Sisters of St Fmncis outside of Oldenburg in southeast Indiana. $ I0/individual; $25/family. For more information, contact: John Gibson, 3038 FalJ Creek Parkway, Indianapolis, IN 46205; (317) 925-9297. rnrc. ,., t!l!Jl REGIONAL RADIO Featuring Crossroads music, NPR news and music p rograms, regional news and information concerning health, education, government, recreation, and the environment. WNCW • FM P.O. Box 8().1 Spind,11~, NC 28160 (704) 287-8000 Xotimh Journot pn')C ~ I �27-29 GREAT SMOKIES PARK "Ecological Spintuafity.• exploring our spiritual relationship to nmure. Topics will co~cr theology or nature, 1'a1ivc American spir11uality, stewardship responsibility. Pre-register: SSO. For info about this and other programs. conUICt Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont; GSMNP: Townsend. TN 37882. (615) 448-6709. SEPTEMBER 11- 13 llLACK '>tOUNTAlN, NC Black Mountain Mu~ic ~1ival, featuring HorseOics, Metropolitan Blues Alls1ars, Dnv1d Wilcox, Dr. Bubba and Ille O.K, Bayou Bnnd, and other traditional and contemporary mu~icions. Will also include African Drum Festival with Darrell Rose. Cont:itl the Black Mountain FcsLi val Office. PO Box 216, Black Mountain. NC 28711. (704) 669-4546. Ongoing CIIEROKEF., r-;c Exhibit: "The Beu in Cherokee Cultucc." Cherokee Hcri1age Museum and Gallery, Hwy. 441 and Big Cove Rd.: Cherokee, NC 28719. (704) 497-321 I. CULLOWHEE, NC Mountam Heritage Day. n cclcbrauon or the music, dance, crofL~. nnd folklife or Katunh. Cherokee songs, shape,note singing, gospel, clogging. Life skills dcmon.s1r.1tions and more. Mountrun Hcniage Center, Western Carolina University. Cullowhce, NC 28723. (704) 227-7129. SW ANNANOA, NC Wnllace Black Elk, Lako1:1 Sioux mcd1cmc mon. will lecture and conduct h<mling ceremomics 31 the Earth Center. Friday night: S25. Weekend: S150. The Earth Center: 302 Old Fellowship Road: Swannanoa, NC 28778. (704) 298-3935. 21 29 11-13 ASHEVILLE, NC 2nd Annual Organic Gro.,.crs Murkct Day Organic produce, fruit, and growing ~upplics on sale. 8-4. WNC Farmers' Market; 570 Brevard Rd. For more info, cnll Jim Smith (704) 252-4414. 20-22 HIGIILANDS, NC "Cclebnumg Gay Spint Visions· conference for gay and bisexual men. Spc.ikcrs include poet James Broughton and author/healer Andrew R:imer. Workshops on chakra b:ilancing, life ma.~k making. n,e Warrior, and more. Music and artists' m:irkcL ?re-register: S169 includes food and lodging at The Mount:iin Retreat Center. For info, contact Conference: 104 Trouer Place: Asheville. NC 28806. (704) 252-0634. 22 DUNCOM tlE COUNTY, NC 12th annu31 French Broad River Rafting Cleanup. Tidy up the river from shore or from a mrt: call Quality Forward a1 (704) 254-1776 for meeting places and space on a rofL WESTERN NOR1 H CAROLINA North Cnrolino Fu-s1 Citizens Big Sweep will coordinmc river cleanup~ in 18 WNC counties. For events on your tribul3ry, com.act Pat Brinkley at WNC Development Associn11on, (704) 252-4783. 28 ASHEVILLE, NC Ellen O'Grady will speak about her expcnenccs among Palestinians and lsrnclis during ten months spent on o Middle East Witness delegauon. Unitarian Universnlist Church, 2 pm, sponsored by Rural Souihem Voice for Peace. For more info, contact RSVP: 1898 Hannah Branch Road; Burn.svdle, NC 28714. (704) 675-5933. OCTOBER Ongomg CHER OKEE, NC Exhibit: "Coowccskoowcc (Chief John Ross)" Cherokee Heritage Museum ond Gallery. Sec "Ongoing" • Sept 1-5 CII EROKEE, Cherokee Fall Festival 31 the Ceremonial Grounds. Traditional dancing and costumes. dunce competitions, weapons dcmonsu:uions. Chcrol.;cc HcritJgC An Show running concurrently in the Museum. For info. coll (704) 497 9195 or (800) 438-1601. 22 23 AUTUMN EQUINOX, FULL MOON 4-6 JONESBORO, NC l9ch Annual National Storytelling Festival will feature yarn-spinners from all over, including some of Appalachia's best. For info, call the National Association for the Preservation and Perpetuation of Storytelling (NAPPS) at (615) 753-2171. 11-13 VALLEY HEAD, AL Brooke Medicine Eagle at Hawk wind. (See "Wcbworking" page.) 11-13 11,EW MARKET, TN "Building Bridges 13c{woon Community o.nd Educational lnstitulions" workshop. Designed to show community activists how to make good use of university and college resources. The Highlan~ r Center. Sec 9/13-15. I 1-20 HOT SPRI NGS, 1'C "The Buddhist Prcccp1s for Daily Living" silent rc1.rea1. guided by Cheri Huber. The 16 Bhodisatvn prcceplS as guidelines for deepening one's spiritual practice. Pre-register: S325 includes vegan meals and shared room . For information on 1hi5 and other rc1rcat.s and workshops. contact Southern Dharma Rc1rca1 Center: RI. I, Box 34-H; Hot Springs, r-;c 28743. (704) 622-7112. ASHEVILLE, 1'C "The Solar Wisdom or the Incas· wilh Willaru Chasqu1 from the Peruvian Andes. Gnosuc wisdom of the central sun, imerplnnctary mission of the E.T.'s, revolution in consciousness, universal community, and the lnc:in calendar. 7:30 pm at Jubilee, 45 Wall SL Free - love offerings accepted. For more info. contact Valerie Naiman (704) 645-5110. 12 17-20 UNICOI STATE PARK, GA 25-29 ASHEVILLE, NC "Kituwah" - an imenribal Native American cultural celebration. Included will be lifestyle ans demonstrations, competitive dancing, juried fine arts show, traditional crafts sale, and dramatic performances. All events will be at the Asheville Civic Center. Admission $2-7. For info, contact Kituwah, 46 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801. (704) 252-3880. HIGHLANDS, NC WNC Alliance Annual Membership Meeting al The Mountain. Open 10 the public. Worlcshops, nature walks, lcgislntivc upda1e. Keynocc speaker: James Blomquisl. head of the Public Londs Program for the Siem Club. Workshops on biOJcgions, mcdj:Juon, environmental effectiveness, and lhe timber sale appeals. ConlJICt WNC Alliance: B011 18087: A~heville. NC 28814. (704) 258-8737. 7 NEW MOON 10-13 NORRIS, TN 12th Annual Tennessee Fall Homecoming. a cctebralion or lrlldmonal mountain cullure at the Museum of Appalachia. Music, crafts, demonstrations of rural life skills, in addition to the Museum's regular cxhJbits. For info, call the Museum of Appalachia at (615) 494-7680. FnJI Ennhskills Workshop will offer serious instruc1ion in the ans and lifeways of indigenous people. Skills include making fire by friction, plant identification, tanning buckskin, stone and bone tools, stalking and tracking, native drums and rattles. Instructors: Darry Wood, Snow Bear, Scott Jones. For info. contact Bob Slack, Jr.; Unicoi State Park; Helen, GA 30545. (404) 878-2201. 18-20 27-29 ll-14 LIVINGSTON, TN 6th Annual Eastern Nonh American Pennacuhurc Conference. Field day, nursery tours, workshops: keyline, pennaculture and spirituality, solar power, bioshelters, land truSlS, more. Pre-register: Weekend - $50-75 (sliding scale), Field Day - $20 additional, to Eanh Advocates; Rt 3, Box 624, Livingston, TN 38570 SWANNANOA, NC Dance, drumming, and teaching with Brooke Medicine Eagle, healer and licensed counselor, al the Earth Cen1er. S11ong emph3s1s oo women's ways, but bolh men and women are welcome. Friday night: $25. Weekend· SISO. See IWl l-13. 18-20 VALLEY HEAD, AL "Women's Ceremonial Intensive" at Hawkwind. (Sec "Webworking" p:1gc.) Ta([, 1991 J �SWAl'\ r-. ANOA, NC "Rcncwmg Worship" Conference spon.sorcd by Asheville Jubilee Community examinmg Crcauon SpmlU3hLy through Lhc works of Ma11hew Fo~. S250 1u11,on + S200 lodging. Jubilee: 46 W311 S1.: Asheville, NC 28801 (704) 252-5335. NOVEl\IDER 21-25 23 F ULL MOON NEW M ARK ET, T N Appalachian Writers Workshop a1 1he HighlMdet Center. Sec 9/13-15. 25-27 25-27 HI GHLANDS, NC "Fall Landscape Workshop" with photographer Sam Wang. Pre-register: $250 includes lodging. For information about this and other photography workshops, contact Appalachian Environmental Ans Center; Box 580: Highlands, NC 2874 I. (704) 526-2602. 26 SWANNANOA, NC Sweat lodge at th.: Earth Center Sec 10/11-13. HALLOWE'l-:N (SAM ll AIN) 31 6 23 SWANNANOA. NC Sweat lodge al the Earth Center. Sec 10/11-13. NFW 1\100"1 7-9 G REENV ILL E, NC 6th Annu:il Altcma1ivc Farm Field Days. Tours. seminars: aquaculture. markeung. compostmg, cover crops, f>C$t mMagement, more. For info. write Caroli no Farm Stewordsh1p A~sociation; Box 511; Pittsboro. NC 27312 or call Jim Smith m Asheville 4. at (704) 252-44 1 28-30 WAYNESV ILLE, NC "Steps 10 Pc:icc" workshop with Sanderson Beck. Inner ond outer pc:ice nnd the principles which bring about peace. h3llllony, jusuce, and respect for freedom. S60 includes vegetarian meals Md lodging. For info on this and other program5, contact Sul-Light Retreat Center; RI. I, Box 326; Waynesville, NC 28786. (7~) 452-4569. 8-10 VA LLEY HEA D, AL "A Weekend lnicns1vc on Lakota Ways• at Howkwind. (Sec Wcbworking" page.) 9-10 SWANNANOA, NC Dhyani Ywahoo 111 Lhc Eanh Ccmcr. "Dhyani calls on u.~ 10 become Pcacckccpcr; in our hearts and in the world." S200. Sec 10/11-13. 16-17 VA LLE Y II EAO, AL Healing Arts Weekend al lillwkwind. (Sec 'Webworking" page.) 20-24 HOT SPRI NGS, NC "Tam,ng the Monkey Mind" mcdit.ition rctrc.it guided by Ven. Thubten Chodton, M ,\mericM Tibetan BuddhlSI nun. Southern Dharma Retreat Center. Prc-rcgi~tL-r: $170. Sec 10/11-20. 21 DECEMBER 5 NEW MOON 7-8 GREAT SMO KIF.S PARK Winter llighcountry C.1mping. For info on this and other field school comses. conlllct Smoky Mounmin Field School: 600 Henley SL (Suite 105); Univ. or TN; Knoxville, lN J7902. (615) 974-0150 or (800) 284-8885. DO YOU ll'ANT YOUR IIAPPENINGS US-TED IN HIE KATUMI EVENTS CALENDAR? listings arc free. Mail tl~m to 1/rother 8/uir; JOO Webb Cove Rd: A.fhtvilfe, NC 28804. l.isltngs for Issue 1133 must bt submilltd by Nov. 15. FULL MOON 22-24 NF.W MARKET, TN An11-Env1mnmcnt:il llaras.,mcm work.shop at the fl1ghlandcr Center, Environmental ac1h·1sts will learn how 10 dc0ccl harn,smcnt from the polltic,1Vcorpor.i1e power st.nJCturc. Sec 9/13-15. "The an!,.l°s oldest .lnd l.ugcs1 natural ioodsgnx.:,ry" 811/k l lcrbs, Spices, & Grains Vitamins & Supplements Y.'11eat, Salt & Yeast-Free Foods Dniry S11bstit11trs Hair & Skin Cart' Products Beer & Wi11c Makiug Supplies 200 W. King St, Boonr, :-:c 2S607 (70-l) 26-1-5220 l)r4wing by Rob Me;s.,d, rJ tJf.u ~ Sand_y Mush Herb N ursery WH OLE FOODS VITAMINS ORGANI C PRODUCE WREATHS • POTPOURRI • HERBS • TOPIARY Complete Herb Catalog - $4 Describes more thn11 800 pla11ts from Aloe to Yarrow 160 Broadway Asheville, North Carolina Open 7 Days a Week Monday - Friday 9 am - 8 pm Saturday 9 am - 6:30 pm Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm Tal.t, 199 1 A.I.A., Resource Information Analysis Neil Thomas and Andy Feinstein 3 05 Westover, Asheville, NC (704) 252-6816 Rt 2, Surrett Cove Road Leicester, North Carolina 28748 Pltone for appointment to visit (704) 683-2014 �0 •bwo~ ~,! ~ We ' a fee of $2 .50 (pre-paid) per enrry offifty words or less. Submit entries for Issue 1133 by Nov. I5, 1991 to: Rob Messick; Box 2601; Boone, NC 28607. (704) 754-6097. Tl-IE MOUNTAINS - arc calling me home. I'll be there in Spring of 1992. Nuds: {I) a place 10 put a tipior s111411 camper (nc:ir a wruer source). (2) a babysiucr between home and Asheville or Swannanoa (ttansfering 10 school lhete), and (3 J a JOb. Skills: (I J Organic Gardener {2) Vegetnri.an Cook ( 3) Herbal Prcparatioos. Contact me ac Kathleen Ashley; 1302 Two NO<Ch Road #17: Lcitingt011, SC 29072. MUSIC BY BOB AVERY-GRUBELavailJlbleoo three casseues.. Treasures iii the Stream and Circles Returning are folk/roclc-jaiz, and a JCCcnt release of original chants and songs, Light iii tht Wind. is a cap~ll.a. Lyric sheets included.. Send SI0 for each tape or$26 for all thrce 10 Bob Avery-Grubel: RL I, Box 735; Floyd, VA 24091. '69 FORD VAN, high·l0P, very good condition. $900. Call (704) 488-9347 (doc10r's office - leave message). Kllty StOkely. HlGflLANDER CEN"leR • is a community-based cducaLion:11 orgnni:wion whose purpose is to provide space for people to lcam from e.ich Olhcr, and to develc,pc solutions to environmental problems based on their values, CJtpcricnces, and aspirations. They also put out a quarterly ncwsteucrcalled llishlander R1:por1s. For more infoml!UJOII contact Highlander Centu. 1959 Highlnndcr Way; New Mank.ct, TN 37820 (615) 933-3443 RAW CHEMICAL-FREE HONEY • Tulip Poplar, Sourwood, and Wild0owcr honey rrom the forests of Pauiclc County, VA. No chemicals. no white sugar, no heal ever. Sunincd through chccsccloth and p:ickcd in glass. Limited qU31ltities. Call or wnte for prices & availability. Wade B11tkholls • Bull Mountllin Beekeepers: RD 2, Boit I 516; Stunrt. VA 24171 (703) 694-4571. WISE WOMAN TRADmON. Fall RooLWOtk Wed.end with Wh1tcwolf. November 8-10. For women and men. Dig roots, mnke medicine, I.cam Eanhwisc healing through Joumeymg, drumming, and dreaming. Wann donn and hearty vcgclllrian meals. One hour from Asheville. Donation SISO 100. some worlt exchange avnilablc. Wh11ewolf; PO Box 576; Asheville. NC 28802. LAND FOR SALE: 10 actc privlllC cove. Large organic field. rustic: farmhouse with spring fed water nnd liOlar symm. SITl411 solar ,1ruc:wre. SS0.000. Call (104) 649-9266 for Tom. NATIVE AMERJCAN CEREMONIAL HERBS • we offer a large variety of sages. IIWCCI grass. natural resins, and everything ncccssary for smudging. Native smoking mixtures, flute mu.,ic, pow-wow mpcs. and ocn:monial songs. Essential oils. and mccnscs speciflcally made for prayer. offering. and mcdiuilion. For catalog call or write: Essencial Drcnms: Rt 3. Box 285: Eagle Forlt, Hayesville, NC 2890-I (104) 389-9898. Xatimfl Journot pt19c 34 PlEDMONT BIOREGIONAL INSTITUTE • For those who live in the Piedmont area, there's a bioregional effort well underway. Jom Us! We would npprecillle any donation of time or money to help meet operating expenses. For a gift of S2S.OO or more. we will send you a copy of John Lawson's journal, A New Vo.)12ge 10 Carolina. Also come find out about the Lawson Pro.,ect. PB!; 412 WRoscmnry Street; Chapel Hill, NC27516: Uwharria Province. (919) 942-2581. BODY R11n-,1MS from Pl311Clllly Mothers· a beautiful and paraclical calendar for women to ch:irl their "moonthly" cycles. Send $3.00 plus S1.00 poSUlge 10: Planclllly Mothers Collcctivc(c/o Nancie Yonker); 5231 Riverwood Avenue; Saraso111, Fl. 34231. FAMILIES LEARNlNG TOGETHER· Homeschooling families organization. Discuss issues, give mutual support. shllre ideas and resources, and gnther for family activities. Write Doug Woodward; 68 Lakey Creek; Franklin, NC 28734 for infonnation. LOCAL RECYCLING CO-OP • crunched by glass price cuts! rr you have any interest in the recent cut in glim prices by the Owens-Brockway Company, and would hkc to help do something about the flawed economics of recycling, or just shale information, please write BretNelson; 1578 Bow Hill Road; Christiansburg, VA 24073. THE LOVING WELL COMPANY • is a group of people wooong together to suppon and promote what worb 111 health and education. We arc building a communuy dcdicrucd to pence and 10 livmg in a healthy relationship with one allOlher. For more infonnauon write Naomi Ross; 1433 Woodland HIiis Drive NE: AllanUI. GA 30324-4627. "BLOW YOUR MlND" • with the celestial sootlung music of "Medicine Wind" by George TOCtorClli. Also c.xouc fine-tuned bamboo nutcs in many keys nnd modes. For more information send LO'. George Tortorelli; 86 NW 55th Street; Gainesville, Fl. 32601. (904} 373-1837 LAND FOR SALE • Magnificent view with small house m beautiful Spring Creek. NC. Ten miles south of Hot Springs. NC (o!T Route 209), and one hour west of Asheville. S25.000 f01 I.Ind and house. Perfect for the sctr sufficient life. CaU Landa Deyo at: (704) 675-9575. NATJVE AMERICAN Fl.UTE MUSIC· Richard Roberts, a well lcnown west TN new age nutist (ab Zero Ohms), is now 3V3il~blc an the Ea!i! TN/NC area. For rclaitiog and uplifting pcrfOrmMCC$ or UIJJCS conlllCC Richard Robcns; Box 821; Noms, TN 37&2g (61S)494-8828orRL I.Box 136RD;Lamar,MS 3~2 (601) 252-4283. WE NEED. three families to complete our five family community/neighborhood. Private south facing cove with streams, sprangs. and views 1n Weaverville. NC area. You get 5 to 10 acres for your home nnd equal intueSt in I 10 acres of common land. S2S,000 to 30.000 depending on house site. Call (704) 658-2676 ror more infonnntlon. ~~ ,"l' ~ HAWKWIND Eanh Renewal Cooperative - invitcs you to pan.icipate ma season ofctnsscs and gruhcrlngs to tnke pince a1 our lush, 70 acre wilderness rctm1L Ccnttally locnlCd to Georgia and Tennessee in the Northern Alabama Mountains, our campground and focilitics arc ava.ilablc to members, public gnthcrings and private organizational use. Monthly prog,ams range from Organic G:u-de'1ing, Native and Eanh Philosophies, IO the Environment, Healing Programs, Self Reliance, Women m Transition and much more. Safe Family Camping. Send SI.SO for oewslctu:r ond schedule of events to: 1-!Qwkwind; PO Box 11; Valley Head, AL 35989. (205) 635-6304 BROOKE MEDICINE EAGLE • join this very special Elllthlceepcr, healer. and teaehcr who has dedicated her life 10 the people. Raised on the Crow Rescvailon in Montana, she is a licensed counselor, and has been a moving force behind the movement to ruum 10 the traditional ways of honoring the Earth. Broolce will shatc with us her lmditions, songs. dance and drumming as well as her strong insight into the "women's ways.• October I l-13th, $160 for the wcelccnd intensive. For reservations & details contact Hawlcwind at (205) 635-6304 (evenings best). A WEEKENDINTENSIVEONLAKOTA WAYS· Morning Star and Gilbert Wallcing Bull provide ttaditional Lakota ceremonies 10 their community. They teach Lakota tradiuons: the ceremony oflhc Stone People's lodge, the S:icred c:honupa , lhe vision qllC:il and the Sun Dance prcpru-ation. November 8-I0th, $160 for ru11 weekend. includes Clll11ping. Ceremonies open will\ no fee. ConUICt Hawlcwind at: (205) 635-6304 (evenings bcsl). WOMEN'S CEREMONIAL INTENSIVE· The Hawkwoman Cucle mvi1.es you to gather for a wcelcend of song, dance, drumming. and ritual ceremony for purification and crcat.ion of cen:mooiru Loots. Together we will explore the many roles of the Earth Women, and the ways that ceremony can be used in everyday living. October 18-20, camping fees and o love offering to cover materials and teacher costs. Contnct Hawkwind nc (205) 635-6304. HEALING ARTS WEEKEND· Hawkwmd brings :i scncs of nawnil hc;iling systems together. Joan professional mass3ge therapists, herbal healers, body workers :ind join m purificntion ntU31s to remove !he dis~ and bring the body m10 b31ancc. No,-cmbcr 16-17, S80 for lhe whole ...,eekcnd. Conuict Hawlcwmd ac (205) 635-6304 (evenings best). NEW MOON & SOLSTICE GATHERINGS • Hawkwmd honors the Earth People and !he Natural Native Rituals of clc.insing and renewal. We come togcll1cr in lodge ocrcmony, singing, drumming, dancing, and sea:;onal mcd1ui11ons. Native philosophy classc~ and women's circle meet on Sunday. Novcmb,;r 9/10, December 7/8, December 21/22 Pot luck meals, camping fees. :ind love offering IO suppon resource ccmcr dcvclopcmcm. ConlllCt HawkwinJ ac (205) 635-6304 (evenings best). rnct, 1991 �l'cl \i~e -to \We in " 5ociet_-J that )sn· -t aysf.,nct1ona1 BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE ISSUE TIIREE- SPRING 1984 Sustainable Agricuhure • Sunnowcrs • 1lumnn Impact on the Forest - Childrcns' Educauon • Veronica Nicholas: Woman in Politics - Little People - Medicine Allies ISSUE FOUR· SUMMER 1984 Water Drum • Water Quality - Kudzu - Solar Eclipse • Clearcutting - Trout - Going to Water· Ram Pumps. Microhydro - Poems: Bennie Lee Sinclair, Jim Wayne Miller ISSUE FIVE· FALL 1984 Harvest. Old Ways in Cherokee· Ginseng· Nuclear Waste. Our Celtic Heritage - Bioregionalism: Past, Present, and Future · John Wilnoty - Healing D:lrlcncss • Politics or Participation lSSUE SIX - WINTER 1984-85 Wmter Solstice Eanh Ceremony • Horscpasturca River. Coming of tile Light· Log Cabin Root· Mountain Agriculture: The Right Crop • William Taylor • The Future or the Forest ISSUE SEVEN· SPRING 1985 Sustainable Economics - Hot Springs • Worker Ownership. The Great Economy· Self Help Credit Union • Wild Turkey. Responsible Investing· Working in the Web or Life ISSUE EIGHT· SUMMER 1985 Celebration: A Way or Lire - K81uah 18.000 YCD.rS Ago • Sacred Sues - Folk Ans in the Schools • Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle· Poems: Hilda Downer _ Cherokee Heritage Ccntcr • Who Owns Appalachia? ISSUE NINE · FALL 1985 The Waldee Forest • The Trees Speruc • Mlgral.ing Forests • Horse Logging • Starting a Tree Crop • Urban Trees· Acom Bread· Myth Time ISSUE TEN - WINTER 1985-86 Kate Rogers • Cin:lcs or SlOlle - Internal Mythmnking • Holistic Healing on Trial • Poems: Sieve Knauth - Mythic Ploccs - The Uktcna's Tale CryslOI Magic - "Drc:imspcaking" ISSUE THIRTEEN · FALL 1986 Center For Awakening - Eliulbcth Callari · A Gentle Death • Hospice - Ernest Morgan • Dealing Creatively with Death - Home Burial Box • The Wake. The Raven Mocker - Woodslorc and Wildwoods Wisdom • Good Medicine; The Sweat ISSUE FOURTEEN· WINTER 1986·87 Lloyd Carl Owle - Boogcrs and Mummers· All Species Day • Cabin Fever Univcrsi1y • Ilomelcss in Kauiah • Homemade Hot Water· Stovcmnkcr's Nrumtivc - Good Medicine: lntcr.,pccacs Communication ISSUE FIFTEEN • SPRING 1987 Coverlets • Woman Fores1cr • Susie McMahon: Midwife - Ahemative Contraception • Bioscxuality • Bioregionalism and Women· Good Medicine: Mmriarchal Cuhure • Pearl ISSUE SIXTEEN - SUMMER 1987 Helen Waite. Poem: Visions in a Garden - Vision Quest. First Aow - lnitinuon - Leaming m the Wilderness. Cherokee Challenge · "Valuing Trees" ISSUE EIGHTEEN· WlNTER 1987-88 Vernacular An:hitccture - Dreams in Wood and Stone . Mount.ain Home - Earth Energies - Eanh-Shchcred Laving - Mcmbrone Houses · Brush Shelter· Poems: October Dusk. Good Mcdicino: "Sheltcrff ISSUE NINETEEN· SPR£NG 1988 Pcrclandra Garden. Spring Ton,cs • Blueberries Wildnower Gardens - Granny Herbalist • Aowcr Essences . "The Origin or the Animals:" Story • Good Medicine; "Power" • Be A Tree ISSUE TWENTY· SUMMER 1988 Preserve Appalachian Wilderness - Highlands or Roan • Cclo Community • Land Trust· Anhur Morgan School - 1.oning Issue· "The Ridge" • • Farmers and the Farm Ball • Good Medicine: "Land • Acid Rnin • Duke's Power Play - Cherokee Microhydro Project ISSUE TWENTY-TWO· WINTER 1988-89 GIObal Warming - Fire ThlS Time • Thomas Berry on "Bioregions" - Earth Exercise· Kort Loy McWhirtcr • An Abundance of Empuncss • LETS • Chronicles or Floyd - Darry Wood • The Bear Clan ISSUE 1WENTY-THREE • SPRING 1989 Pisgah Village • Planet An • Green City - Poplar Appeal • "Clear Sky" • •A New Earth" - Black Swan • Wild Lovely Day.f • Reviews: Sacred Land Sacrt!d Su, Jee Age • Poem· "Sudden Tendrils" Lodge 32 , ~ UA~OURNAL PO Box 638 Leicester. NC Katuah Province 28748 For more info: call Rob Messick at (704) 754-6097 Regular Membership........ $10/yr. Sponsor.........................$20/yr. Contributor.....................$50/yr. Name Address Enclosed is $_ _".'""".'.'T":""'. ro give this effort an extra boost City Ya!L, 199 1 State Phone Number Zip I can be a local contact person for my area ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR • SUW.1ER 1989 Deep ListCning - Life in Atomic City· Direct Acuon! - Tree or Peace - Community Building· Pc:iccmakets - Ethnic Survival - Pairing Project· "B:utlesong" • Growing Peace m Cultures - Review: Tiu! Cha/iu and ihL Blade lSSVE TWENTY-SIX • WINTER. 1989-90 Coming or Age in the Eco7.oic Era • Kids Saving Rainforest • Kids Trcccycl mg Company • Connie, Resoluuon. Developing the Creative Spirit· Birth Power • Birth Bonding - The Magic or Puppetry • Home Schooling - Naming Ceremony • Mother Earth's Cl3S.$l'OOl!l - Gnrdcning for Children ISSUE TWENTY ·SEVEN· SPRING, 1990 Transformauon. Healing Power· Pcoce 10 Their Ashes. Healing in Katuah - Poem: "When Left 10 Grow". Poems: Stephen Wing - The Belly· Food from the Ancient Forest ISSUE TWENTY-EIGIIT • SUMMER 1990 Carrying Capacity - Setting Limits to Growth • What is Overpopulation? • The Rood Gang • The Highway to Nowhere - The 1·26 Project· "Caring Capacity" • People and Habit.at - Design mg the Whole Life Community • Steady State· Poems: Will Ashe Bason • Tran$p0f!Crnativcs • Review: Cohousing ISSUE TWENTY·NINE • FAl.l./WlNTER 1990 From the Mount.ains 10 the Sea - Prolile of The Little Tennessee River· Heodwatcrs Ecology· "It All Comes Down to Water Quallty" - W:ucr Power. Action for Aquatic Habitats - Dawn W:nchcrs • Good Medicine: The Long Human Being • The North Shore Rood - K:uuah Sells Out - Watershed Map of the Kawah Provance ISSUE THIRTY • SPRING I99 I Economy/Eeology - Ways to a Regenerative Economy • "Money as the Lowest Form or Wealth" • Clarksville Mimcle - The Village· Food Movers· Lifework. Good Medicine: "Village Economy·· Sheltoo Laurel • LETS ISSUE THIRTY-ONE· SUMMER 1991 Dowsing • Responsibilities or Dowsing · Electrical Life of the Enrth • Katuah and the Earth Gnd • Coll of the Ancient Ones - Good Medicine: "On Aggression" • Time to T:ike the Time to Take the Time. Whole Science. Tuning In Back Issues Issue # __@ $2.50 = $._ __ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $._ __ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $._ __ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $._ __ Issue# __@ $2.50 = $._ __ postage paid $_ __ Complete Set (3-10, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26-31) postage paid@ $50.00 =$_ __ :K.at ucih Journot. pa9e 35 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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.  The Katúah Journal 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. This digital collection is only a portion of the Katúah-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 Katúah Journal. 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 Katúah Journal Records 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 Katúah Journal, Issue 32, Fall 1991 Description An account of the resource The thirty-second issue of the Katúah Journal is a call for humans to return to a simpler way of life, following in the ways of the Cherokee, or Katúah, tribe. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Barbara Wickersham, Henry Wender, John A. Freeman, Tom Underwood, Lee Barnes, Will Ashe Bason, Ivo Ballentine, Brownie Newman, Robert Johnson, Rob Messick, Bess Harbison, Maxim Didget, Robert Johnson, Emmett Greendigger, Dr. Dennis Scanlin, Deborah James, Leonard Cirino, Melba Bari, and Charlotte Homsher. Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians, later simplified to Katúah 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. 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. Bringing Back the Fire by David Wheeler.......1 A Bit of Mountain Levity by Barbara Wickersham.......5 Climax Never Came by Henry Wender.......7 Is the Southern Appalachian Ecosystem Endangered? by John A. Freeman.......9 "Talking Leaves": Sequoyah by Tom Underwood.......10 Green Spirits: Seed Saving by Lee Barnes.......12 Walking Distance by Will Ashe Bason.......13 Angle: Environment by Ivo Ballentine.......13 Good Medicine.......14 Poem: "A Rotting Log" by Brownie Newman.......15 THE GRANOLA JOURNAL.......16 Livin' By Their Wits, recorded by Rob Messick An Old Family Tale by Bess Harbison The Slide by Rob Messick How Can You Lose Anything as Big as This Ego? by Maxim Didget Paintings: "Mountain Stories" by Robert Johnson.......18 Natural World News.......20 Dying Soils, Dying Waters by Emmett Greendigger.......22 Songs in the Wilderness by Charlotte Homsher.......24 Save James Bay.......25 Drumming.......26 Off the Grid: Solar Ovens by Dennis Scanlin.......29 Events........32 Webworking........34 Katúah Konfusion.......35 Note: This table of contents corresponds to the original document, not the Document Viewer. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Katúah Journal, printed by The Waynesville Mountaineer Press Subject The topic of the resource Bioregionalism--Appalachian Region, Southern Sustainable living--Appalachian Region, Southern Cherokee Indians--Social life and customs Sequoyah, 1770?-1843 Appalachians (People)--Social life and customs Ecosystem health--Appalachian Region, Southern Acid Rain--Appalachian Region, Southern Solar ovens North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language 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) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1990s Acid Deposition Agriculture Alternative Energy Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Bioregional Congress Cherokees Community Earth Energies Ecological Peril Economic Alternatives Electric Power Companies Fire Folklore and Ceremony Forest Issues Good Medicine Habitat Katúah Permaculture Pigeon River Plants and Herbs Poems Radioactive Waste Reading Resources Recycling South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness) Stories Transportation Issues Turtle Island Villages Water Quality Wilderness